Mark of the Infernal (Passive): An infernal spirit shares your body in a symbiotic relationship. While the Infernal (Alice) is awake, you may communicate with it freely. You may switch control of your body with Alice at any time. This ability is disabled if either of you is stunned or defeated. Alice cannot die but will sleep for a week if her hit points reach 0. Restoration magic or any other divine spell will harm Alice if it touches her.

Megan barely had enough time to register the appearance of the window of text before she heard the voice again. Very well. I might as well introduce myself.

Megan felt a piercing pain in her head, as if part of her mind was being torn away. The pain was so bad that, for a moment, her vision was dominated by black spots, and she staggered back. Then, just as fast as it came, the pain faded, and her vision was clear. Only now, she and Michael weren’t alone in the dining hall. Standing between them, looking faintly amused, was a woman.

She had very pale skin and fiery red hair, almost the exact same shade as Rachel’s. She was dressed from head to toe in a tight-fitting black tunic and woolen breeches, and on her waist were two long daggers. There was a faintly ethereal feeling to her, as if she were nothing more than a projection or a mirage. But Michael could clearly see her, judging by the way he shot to his feet and retreated a pace or two, looking supremely uncomfortable.

They’d met before, Megan realized. It was clear as day. But she pushed the thought away, choosing instead to focus on the immediate problem facing her. This was the voice in her head, alright. She’d thought it was a resurfacing problem from her childhood, but there was no way that her identity problem from over a decade ago could manifest into an actual person that others could see. No, she assured herself, this was something new. She expected herself to be outraged or even fearful, but all she felt was stunned.

“Alice, I assume,” she said, her voice level and devoid of emotion.

“Correct,” the woman said. Her eyes turned to face Megan then, and Megan was shocked to see that, in place of ordinary eyes, there were only black orbs, shining in the dim lighting of the room. “I know you already, of course, Megan. Though I call you the deaf lady.”

“The… what?” Megan asked, thrown by the statement. Why wasn’t she more panicked? “I’m not deaf.”

“Then why didn’t you heed my warnings before, and go where you’re supposed to go?”

Now irritation was flaring inside her, to her relief. She recalled the times she’d heard Alice’s voice. We don’t belong here. Those had been warnings? Warnings about what? Then she forgot the question as the irritation gave way to anger. Without thinking, she immediately drew her mana up, and cast a spell at the woman before her. Alice made no move to dodge or defense, and the bolt of mana flew right through her form, striking Michael instead, who was knocked flat by the unexpected blow.

“Michael!” she cried out, immediately regretting the hasty action. She ran around Alice as if she weren’t there, and reached out a hand to help her friend to his feet. “I’m so sorry! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he muttered, a slight grimace on her face. “Doesn’t hurt at all.”

“You can’t hurt me,” Alice said, and again, the voice sounded identical to the one Megan had suffered through all those years ago. It was just like her own. “But by all means, keep trying. I could use the entertainment.”

Megan whirled around to face the apparition. “Who the hell are you?”

“You already know,” Alice said. “I know that strange window of text told you my name, and what I am. I am a spirit from the Infernal Realm.”

“Yeah, I got that much,” Megan spat back. “But why are you possessing me?”

For the first time, Alice’s mask of calm amusement seemed to slip. She almost seemed offended. “I’m not possession you!”

“Sure seemed like it to me,” Megan growled. She could feel her mana flaring up again, but knew it would do no good to attack. The last thing she wanted was one of the Guard to come and investigate a disturbance and see this bizarre scene. “You’ve been stuck in my head ever since I woke up, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Alice replied, making no move to deny it. “But I’ve actually been with you since you arrived in Ahya. I was just accidentally trapped by that mage’s spell when he modified your memory. Even now, I think I’m from that little village by the coast. But I know better.”

Despite the strange specter in front of her, Megan felt a flare of panic rise up as Alice mentioned her arrival in Ahya. She quickly turned to glance at Michael, gauging his reaction. How surprised would he be to find out that she was from another world? Even after a year of friendship, she wasn’t sure how he’d react to such ridiculous news. But to her shock, there wasn’t the slightest change in his expression. He caught her eyes, looking vaguely apologetic.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he said, rubbing the back of his head in an uncharacteristically meek fashion. “I already knew you weren’t from here. She… kind of told me.”

“You’ve known for over a week that I’m not from Ahya?” She asked, her mind spinning. “Why haven’t you said anything? Why didn’t you try to distance yourself?”

Michael looked confused at the mere suggestion. “What? Why would I?”

“I’m literally from another planet!” The words exploded out of her with more force than intended, and Michael took another step back in shock, coming up against the table they’d occupied. She tried to hold the explosion of questions back, but she couldn’t hold it in. A year of keeping her secret had finally proven too much, and her words came tumbling out.

“That doesn’t bother you? I could be a spy, or some dangerous threat! Who meets someone like that and isn’t immediately suspicious! What is wrong with you, Michael? If the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t trust you! So how can you still want to be my friend?”

His eyes widened at the surge of emotional demands, but he didn’t attempt to retreat any further. Incredibly, he actually took a few steps closer, reaching out to put his hands on her shoulders. She knew he could feel her shaking, the tears not long in coming. She tried to instinctively pull away from him, but his grip was too strong. She was trapped.

“Hold on,” he said, and his voice was surprisingly calm, albeit with a firm undertone. “Don’t be ridiculous, Megan. I know you. You’re not dangerous.”

She let out a laugh, though humor was far from her mind. “What do you know? You don’t know me at all!”

He flinched as if the words hurt him, but didn’t relinquish his grip. “Of course I know you. We’ve been classmates for a year! Or do you think I’m so dumb that I couldn’t tell you were lying this whole time?”

“You didn’t know that I was from another world until that demon told you!” She exclaimed, tears running down her face. She couldn’t stop herself, and she pushed him hard, hard enough to finally break his grip. He went staggering back a pace or two, hitting the table again. “So I was lying!”

“Did I know that you were from another world?” Michael asked, his voice rising too. “No. How in the blazes could I possibly even guess that? I just thought you were odd, that’s all. But that doesn’t change anything. You’re still my friend!”

Megan stared at him in silence, her tears still running rivulets down her cheeks and splashing onto the worn wooden floor. It was all too much, she thought. There was too much new information to process at once. She needed to escape, to fly away far from here. She needed help. Almost at once, the thought formed in her mind. She needed Samuel. He could explain. He could even take Alice out of her, and send her back to wherever she came from. She turned on the spot, facing the empty air beside her.

“Samuel!” She shouted. “Get over here now!”

Michael looked a little perplexed as he lifted himself off the table, then a moment later he jumped as a crack filled the air. There was Samuel, standing beside Megan, so that she was surrounded on all sides by the three biggest sources of problems for her. She rounded on the Archmage, her hand raised in a threatening, but wholly futile, gesture.

“Did you know about this?” She thundered at him. “Did you put this demon inside of me?”

Samuel said nothing at first, letting his gaze sweep around the large dining area. His eyes flicked over Michael, who was surprised at his sudden appearance, and locked onto Alice, who was regarding him with vague interest.

“Demon?” He asked, his voice faintly confused. Then he studied Alice more closely. “Wait. You’re an Infernal. How did you get onto the Mortal Plane?”

“Don’t talk to her!” Megan shouted. She took a step forward to get in Samuel’s face. “You’re the reason she’s been stuck in my head! What gives you the right!”

Again, she attacked Samuel. She fired two small balls of fire at him, that he instinctively broke apart with his bare hands. As if expecting another full assault, he immediately pushed his hands out to the side, muttering a word in some language she didn’t know. She felt her mana fall dormant against her will. She couldn’t conjure any more magic. Beside her, Michael’s eyes stopped glowing. Had he just stopped all magic in the room?

“Stop,” Samuel said, his voice like iron. “Take a breath, Megan. I don’t know what’s going on here. I didn’t summon the Infernal. Give me some time to catch up.”

He glanced at Michael again, seeming to read the full situation without asking, then he looked back at Alice. “You didn’t answer my question. How did you get into the Mortal Plane? Grimr sealed your kind away millenia ago.”

“The way is not sealed completely, Ancient,” Alice said. There was a hint of disdain in her voice. “The barrier has weakened considerably these past few hundred years. The strongest of my kind can cross over, if we have someone to share a form with. Even the Wanderer is not all-powerful.”

“You made this deal with her approval?” Samuel asked. “Or did you just hop on board when you saw a soul crossing over?”

“Of course I gained her approval,” Alice said, indignant once more. “She simply cannot remember it. I am not like my blood-thirsty kin.”

“Yes,” Samuel said slowly, his purple eyes gleaming. “I can see that. Well, I don’t now how you got past my notice, but I suppose there’s nothing that can be done now.”

“You can’t get rid of her?” Megan asked, looking between them both. “Why not?”

“I don’t know how she crossed over,” Samuel said with a hint of regret. “I doubt she’ll tell me. But don’t worry, she cannot cause you harm anymore than you can to her.”

His eyes lingered on Michael’s singed tunic, as if wondering at the cause, then let out a slow sigh. “I can only suggest that you keep trying to recover your full memories of our meeting and beyond, Megan. Only that will reveal the information you want to know.”

Megan drew herself up, her face dry at last. She glared at Alice. “I gave you my permission to live inside my mind?”

“You did,” Alice answered her. “I offered you my power and skills in your quest, and you accepted. You knew what I was then, but seem to have forgotten for the time being.”

Megan bit her lip thoughtfully. Now that the outburst was over with, she was able to approach the situation a little more rationally. She still didn’t like the idea of another person, whoever they were, living inside her mind and knowing all her secrets. “Can I send you away?”

She didn’t know why, but she got the sense that Alice would not lie to her. It was a faint thought in the back f her mind, but all the more real for it. Alice hesitated a moment, then slowly shook her head. “Our agreement was that you would host me for two years. Our agreement can only be changed then, or if a full cycle is accomplished.”

“What is a cycle?”

“As you grow, I grow alongside you,” Alice explained. “When you gain enough power, you are able to change the terms of our agreement, or expel me altogether. But I hope you will allow me to stay. I’ve grown to quite like you.”

“Are you a devil?” Megan asked. “Or some other creature that feeds off my energy?”

“She is not,” Samuel interrupted, and Megan turned to look at him. “Infernals can occupy the bodies of anyone but a Divine. They exist together, and she can provide you with a lot of help.”

“You’re suggesting I keep her with me?” Megan spluttered, incredulous. “I’ve got more than enough on my plate, as you very well know!”

“Well, for a while, you don’t have a choice,” Samuel said patiently. “So I say make the best of it. She can help you a great deal, if you explore the connection. I cannot advise on this, however, as it is rare. The last Infernal to make the crossing did so before I was born.”

He pulled a strange device out of his robe and looked down at it. It looked like a tiny white marble obelisk, with runes inscribed along the face. The last rune of the set was actually in the process of being made, and it seemed that it was nearly complete. Samuel gave a quick nod, looking pleased, and stowed it back away. He looked up at Megan with a reassuring sort of smile.

“Speaking of help,” he said, the smile stretching into a grin. “Eric’s body will be done in a few hours. I’ll be able to summon him tonight.”