How long had Aq'uello been awake?
Truthfully, even he didn't know; the pages were scattered all over his desk and pinned to the wall in front of him, notes on everything he had gathered about the Clicker crisis and whatever might be connected to it. He was sure that this was driving him insane, too many nights had been spent obsessively writing up theories and trying to compare them to previous notes. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to stop and just go to bed, he was sure that he was missing something.
Aq'uello glimpsed Amara sleeping in the other room before he looked back to the disorganized mess that was his workspace. It was dark outside from what he could see through the nearby window, maybe he still had time to find out more before the sun rose. It was possible, right?
Exhaustion blurred his vision as he tried to read what he wrote, a yawn escaping his mouth. Aq'uello figured that maybe he'd just shut his eyes here for a few moments, nothing too long, he could get right back to work. He laid his head and arms down on the desk, trying to briefly catch some rest…
Where was he?
Aq'uello looked around in confusion, the environment surrounding him appearing dark and discrete. When his eyes adjusted, he saw candles placed about the room as the smell of blood clogged up his senses. A long stone table rested in front of him, and he watched somebody struggling as they were bound to that table by what appeared to be Kathar. The captive was some Altalar that couldn't be determined, at least not to Aq'uello. A sense of dread filling him, he moved his head around the room and recognized the old faces of Lau'rella, Andrathath, Hagmer, even Gwel - all watching with either interest or apathy at this victim's suffering. Azsh'alla had returned to her Saivale self as A'eolla, the Sovereign looking on with a smirk on her face as she waited for a new Kathar to join her Loyalists.
"Bring them to the Void, Aq'uello."
Valarosta appeared at his side, the Shenath High Priestess handing him the kalias dagger that he was once so familiar with. When Aq'uello lifted up his hand, he saw it had gone pale white, and looking further revealed that he was wearing his old dark robes again. He turned back to everyone, the dread rising ever more in his chest.
"What happened to the Void's deceit?" he pleaded with them, knowing the futility of resisting, "those monsters out there, the ones after us! If they're demons, and if they're spreading…"
"Then our mission will be complete," Vala said to him with a blank expression, "your mission, especially. Wasn't that what you always wanted?"
The Nelfin bound to the table suddenly got up, Aq'uello turning to see them now as a Shenath. He looked to the crowd of Kathar around him, taking a step back. Azsh'alla approached him, the newly converted Kathar suddenly grabbing Aq'uello as the Sovereign leaned in to look into his eyes.
"Do you remember how many you gave to the Void?" she inquired, "how many to find the inevitable because of you? You've become so weak, perhaps it's time you were blessed again."
He felt the new Kathar's grip force him around, their gaze piercing into the back of his skull. Their eyes were blank, swimming in black before lighting up into a sickening green. Behind them, some dark rift opened to reveal a mass of demonic tendrils, reaching around the Kathar to wrap up Aq'uello. He could do nothing as the Void embraced him, his struggling futile as he began to drift into that murky darkness…
He shot up with a jolt, letting out a yell as papers flew haphazardly around his desk. Aq'uello felt the warmth of sunlight on his face, turning to the window to realize that it was morning. He still felt his heart pounding, taking a few breaths and trying to bring himself back. Rubbing his eyes, he saw Amara standing in the doorway, an expression of worry on her face.
"Aq, what's wrong?" she asked, "everything fine?"
"It's…" Aq'uello stopped for a moment, noticing a piece of paper had fallen in his lap. Picking it up, he saw it was one of his theoretical sketches of a demon, black eyes blankly staring with only dull green bulbs in the center. Setting it back on the desk, he brushed off anything else that might have been on him.
"It was just a dream, I must have drifted off while working," he answered, "I'm fine."
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