Waynev’s eyes were suddenly freed from the illusion of sleep, the crisp covers pulled against her as she breathed in suddenly.

Despite it being the middle of dusk, something was off.

Her mouth felt dry, fingers clammy, she had to confront the problem.

“Shadow.”

The whispered name made her surroundings pause as if in shock.

A short silence followed before Shadow's voice followed, unnaturally stiff.

“Waynev, why are you awake?”

“I-” A hint of anxiety exposed yet just as quickly hidden in her original thoughts.

“Shadow-” The atmosphere felt uneven, something was off.

“-the last few days you’ve been acting weirdly,” She paused to sit up in the bed.

“-you’re telling me what to do instead of guiding me and y-”

Relieved that Waynev didn’t notice she had woken just as Shadow had released control, Shadow calmed herself before addressing the problem.

“I’ve been what?”

Tonight for the first time Shadow had taken control of her

The deal was struck tonight, she wouldn’t let Waynev’s ambitions ruin it for her.

“Thinking for myself? Acting like a real person?” Shadow barely resisted the urge to control Waynev’s mouth to swear at her mind.

“You want me to act as your guide, despite how you’ve treated me?”

“Shadow, you’re in my head, what else are you going to do?” Waynev matched Shadow’s tone.

“I’m not a guide, Waynev-”

The forest, the rooftops, the dungeon and the alley’s all came to mind, her eyes felt like they were shining with passion.

“I’m a real person.”

Before Waynev could respond another though came.

‘And in two days, I’ll be a real assassin.’

“Now I’m going to sleep, talk if you want but I won’t listen.”

Then after more than a full day’s worth of events Shadow didn’t give Waynev a chance before finally releasing her taut pull on keeping herself awake.

“...”

“A real person…”

Little did Shadow know, the second she gave Waynev enough rope to grasp, their futures would change.

They would become tilted or more accurately, unbalanced.