Amelia

I spent the rest of the day learning Numbness. It took a lot longer to remember the full sequence of gestures but was I finally able to cause a select portion of my arm to go numb. I moved my arm around as the feeling of warm nothingness enveloped my forearm. It didn't feel too dissimilar to the effects of anesthesia, but it was weird to realize I was doing this all on my own. I glanced at my unaffected hand, flexing my fingers to get an accurate comparison. I could feel the spell having the same pull the other spells exerted, causing both my arm and my brain to have an unusual sensation about them. I decided to release the spell and see if I could control the numbness that way. The feeling slowly returned to my extremity as I allowed the spell to fade. I grinned slightly as I glanced up at Brokil. “This is incredible. It took humans hundreds of years to develop a compound that did this. But with magic, all it takes is some knowledge and mana.”

Brokil nodded, rubbing his chin as he watched me marvel at the spell. “Before this spell, most healings caused horrible pains. Those that did not, required much more mana to cast. It is fortunate that this spell was developed. Otherwise, healing would be much more difficult.”

I nodded as I glanced back at the book. “Sounds like what humans went through. We had invasive procedures for a long time before we found a way to numb the pain. I could only imagine what it's like to go without it.” I closed my eyes as I recalled the incantation again. “It definitely would've helped humans to know about magic, but then again, we wouldn't have had the mana to use it.” I looked back down as I verified my memory. “Considering that limitation, we're automatically at a disadvantage if we encounter an unfriendly mage. The only solace we have is potentially ample prep time and our knowledge of the natural laws.” I turned back to my arm as I began casting the spell again. “But for now, all we can do is close the skill gap a bit.”

Dexter came in after another couple of hours, He was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. “How'd it go?” I asked, releasing the spell. Dexter didn't say anything as he grimaced and made his way towards the ladder. I turned to Bulak as Dexter disappeared over the edge. “That bad?”

Bulak rubbed her head. “He muttered of head pains all day. He seemed barely able to focus.”

I nodded as I glanced up at the loft. “He's probably still dehydrated. He'll feel better by tomorrow. He just needs water and rest.”

Bulak nodded as she gestured at me. “What of you? How is your training going?” I looked down at the book. I was able to omit one or two repetitive gestures, but I was still a long way from just gesturing at my hand and causing it to go numb.

I let out a sigh as I released the spell again. “It's getting there, but there's still a lot I need to learn before I start making my own spells.”

Brokil gestured dismissively. “You have done stupendously so far. Your suggestion is risky but may contribute greatly to our knowledge of spells. I only need to find time to test it.” I felt myself blush slightly as I continued to read the entry.

I turned back to Bulak as I gestured up at the loft. “He'll feel better tomorrow. I can promise it.”

Dexter

The rules changed. I was shocked when I . . sort of . . ‘awoke' . . standing in front of my counterpart. Some level of me assumed we'd resume this game of cat and mouse within my maze. Instead, I was placed ten yards away from that bundle of rage. I had a half-second to take in his attire. He wore an even more disheveled and damaged version of the clothes he had before if that was at all possible. He let out an enraged roar before he came charging at me and I had to turn and flee back into the maze. “Get Back Here You Bastard!” His feet thundered behind me as I ran desperately into the maze. I attempted to create a barrier as I had done before, but the ground didn't rise to my command. “Prior assumption correct: barrier creation currently not available.”

I decided to try and lose myself in the labyrinth of twists and turns. Our pounding feet echoed off the empty walls of the world we were in. After what felt like an hour of weaving through walls I heard my counterpart's bellows of rage, muffled by the walls between us. “I Will Find You! Don’t Think You’ve Escaped Me!” I started to pant as I ran, further distancing myself from my counterpart. I did not want to risk him capturing me, I didn’t need the damage question answered right now. After another few minutes of running, I suddenly found myself at a dead-end and braced myself against the wall, panting. “New information: rules of fatigue and energy apply.” I squinted slightly as I realized the alien nature of my own head. I looked down at my open palm. “Realization: thought process is robotic and monotone. Conclusion: separation runs deeper than previously thought. Conjuncture: I must find out who did this and how to undo it. At least my memory is consistent through each of these dreams.”

I stood straight and took a deep breath as I realized my thoughts had suddenly returned to normal. “So, it's like that ‘we' thing.” I gasped. “It sort of goes away if I’m aware of it. At least I won't be thinking like a robot for now.”

I turned back the way I came as I heard my counterpart bellow from far off. “Where Are You? Show Yourself, You Coward!” I glanced down at my palm again as he continued his far off shouting. “If the monotone thoughts went away, maybe I can make barriers again. Then again, it might make a shit ton of noise and bring him my way. I have no idea where he is, nor the path between me and him. I better keep it small then, avoid large changes.” I turned to the floor and willed a stump to grow from the ground. A soft rumble occurred and a piece of the floor shot up a foot from the rest. The end result was pure white, like the walls, but the sides were rough and jagged, more fitting to a rock wall that the barriers I made before. “Okay, I'm back in business. Now I just need to put as much distance between me and him as possible. I'll worry about a plan once I far enough away.” I turned back to the dead end. “Might as well go all out now.” I charged forward as I willed the wall to temporarily vanish. The pure white surface complied as it temporarily turned fluid-like.

I dashed through the now permeable space and continued to run, the walls changing in front of me and rematerializing behind. They made a horrible gurgling noise as I continued to barrel through them, masking any noise my counterpart might make. I continued to run blindly as I broadcasted my position to my adversary. “It doesn't matter. I should be running away from him and he still has an entire maze of walls to go through. I should be ju-” I was interrupted when I slammed into a wall that refused to yield. Pain shot through my face as it slammed into the hardened surface. I rubbed my nose as I heard my counterpart's bellow, much closer this time. “I Know You're Here Somewhere! There's No Point In Hiding!” I looked up quickly as I sensed movement far down the corridor. My counterpart was standing at the end of it, glaring angrily at me. “There You Are!” I turned quickly and dashed down the hallway as I tried to flee from him. I heard his thundering feet behind mine as I slammed myself along the wall over and over again, desperate to create another passageway. Instead, I just bounced off, each attempt bringing him closer and closer to me. I suddenly found a branching corridor and turned down it. I quickly ran towards another wall as I willed it to yield. “Please work. Please work.” I was relieved when the wall shifted an instant before I hit it and materialized again the second I passed.

I panted as I continued to run through the walls, placing more and more distance between me and my counterpart. “Okay,” I panted. “Now I can start formulating a plan.” The walls continued to vanish as I ran through them and slowly came up with a plan. “Step one; find out who did this. Step two; find out what they did. And step three; find out how to undo it.” Suddenly, a blinding pain began radiating through my skull. I faltered and fell, tumbling until I finally stopped on my knees. I cradled my pounding head as I heard a deep rumbling crack echoed across the sky. “Shit, that hurts.” I looked up as the headache faded again and I saw the moon, half full as it was the night before. From where I knelt I could see a miniscule crack running from the center of the light side, stopping just before the shadow. “The fuck? . . . . That cannot be good.”

Amelia

I was sitting in the office chair again, waiting for Bulak or Brokil to arrive for the day. The damp drips of yesterday were absent, replaced instead by the soft drone of insects around the barn. I stared absentmindedly at the Rubik's cube as the time slowly ticked by. “Dexter spent the rest of the day in bed. He drank a bunch of water and hasn't moved since, outside of relieving himself. He should be ready for more training today.” I rubbed my arm. “He has a little under two weeks to get ready for the rite. Every day spent not training is another chance of him failing.” My internal monologue was interrupted by a knock at the door. I quickly jumped up and rushed to open it. This time, I was greeted by Bulak. She gestured up at the loft as she entered. “Is he feeling better?” She asked.

I shrugged as I closed the door behind her. “He's not up yet. So, I really don't know. I did all I could to help him rehydrate, but that's assuming it's what caused his headache in the first place.”

Bulak nodded as she turned. “Regardless, we should resume his training.”

I nodded as I moved towards the ladder again. “I'll get him up then,” I said, climbing into the loft. I turned to Dexter's hammock as I reached the top of the ladder. He definitely seemed better than yesterday, though he still turned in his sleep. I spotted the pitcher of water I'd brought him for the night, untouched since I'd placed it there. I moved over and gently shook him awake. He sat up with a start then grunted slightly as he cradled his head. “Feeling better?” I asked.

Dexter briefly rubbed his head before replying. “I'm fine.” He grunted. “Who's here this time?”

I gestured down at the floor below. “Bulak. She’s ready to continue your training.”

Dexter nodded as he turned and climbed down from the hammock. “Let's not keep her waiting then.” I nodded as I followed Dexter down the ladder.

Bulak motioned for us to follow as she started walking towards the door. “I hope you are feeling better.” She said, pulling open the door. “There is still much to cover before your rite.”

Dexter nodded again as he moved over to the table of weapons and picked up a pair, a basic sword and shield. “I'm ready. Give me everything you got.” Bulak nodded as she picked up her own weapons, another sword, and shield, and began her lesson. They started off slow, a sort of warm-up where they slowly clashed their swords together in an almost rehearsed fashion. Bulak gave occasional verbal instructions as the ringing of metal echoed across the hill. Their blows slowly grew faster as they started incorporating their shields into the mix. The crescendo of iron and wood grew louder as Bulak began using her shield to shove Dexter's blade out of the way, forcing Dexter to defend accordingly. The tempo of weapons came to an abrupt halt when Bulak managed to bypass Dexter's defenses and hit him with the flat of her blade. Dexter let out a grunt of pain and staggered back as the blade connected.

Bulak immediately lowered her weapons and began explaining the error that allowed her to strike him. “You are keeping your blade too high. You leave yourself open for a quicker opponent.” She helped Dexter straighten and began positioning his arm. “Hold your blade down here. With this, you may block many incoming strikes. It is paramount that you learn to use your weapons outside of their obvious purpose.”

Dexter nodded as he caught his breath and took note of the position. “Got it. Let's get back into it.” Bulak nodded as she got into a stance. Dexter mirrored her and they continued to spar. They repeated this pattern several times before I finally spotted Brokil climbing up the hill. He was reading from a book as he walked. He only glanced up once Dexter let out a bellow from being struck again.

He turned and walked over to me as Bulak continued teaching Dexter. “Shall we continue with your lessons?” He asked. I nodded as I turned to walk back into the barn.

Brokil followed me as he looked back down at his book and closed the door behind us. “I have nothing new to teach at the moment. For now, continue practicing with Numbness.” I nodded as I moved over and began casting the spell.

I spent several hours practicing the spell. I managed to shorten it by a few more gestures before Dexter and Bulak walked back through the door. Dexter wasn't breathing as heavily but still seemed physically exhausted. “How was training?” I asked. Dexter let out a sigh as he collapsed into a chair.

Bulak answered for him as I released the spell again. “I believe he has exhausted his physical energy and is ready to train some of his arcane abilities.”

I nodded as I stood and walked over to her, gesturing towards Dexter. “I'll train with Bulak. Brokil, can you help Dexter work on his concentration?”

Dexter let out an exhausted grunt. “My problem is not about concentration. We have a different issue.”

Brokil gestured dismissively. “I shall attempt to remedy the problem.” He said assuredly. I nodded as I followed Bulak outside.

She took a few steps beyond the door before turning around. “Shall we continue to train your disarming skills?” I nodded as I pulled the door closed behind me.

I spent the next few hours working on disarming variously armed opponents. I was slowly getting better and making fewer mistakes. I was even starting to distinguish the correct method for various knife-wielding techniques. I redirected Bulak's latest mock jab as I brought my other hand around to grab the handle. I misjudged Bulak's speed and ended up grabbing her wrist, allowing her to pull away and jab me with her elbow before I could rip the blade from her hand. “You're fast.” I gasped, rubbing my side where Bulak had prodded.

She grinned slightly and nodded. “Dexter's training encouraged me to adapt my teachings accordingly.”

I nodded as I glanced back at the barn. “How ready do you think he is?” I asked, pointing. “For the rite I mean?”

Bulak seemed to consider for a moment. “He seems to have many of the reflexes already, but they're just very unrefined. He outstrips many of the common soldiers in terms of stamina, but his physical strength is notably lacking. Your stamina is honestly a sight to behold in any regard. The only reason I have managed to keep up with him is the training uncle Agrob has put me through. The only concern I have is his ability to traverse the gauntlet and the notion that he will be entering the arena alone.” I nodded as I tried to imagine the idea. He still didn't know what the Council would throw at him. It could be any number of creatures, real or mythical. There wasn't really any way of knowing what they'd choose.

I let out a hum as I considered his more immediate obstacle, this so-called gauntlet. “What about the gauntlet? Is there anything you can tell him?”

Bulak shook her head as she gestured. “Nothing definitive. They change the course every month. I have no way of knowing what set of obstacles he shall be facing. That is also not accounting for the fact that they are changing it in preparation for his rite. Not even Dubak is allowed to see it until it is time.”

I rubbed my head as I tried to envision the gauntlet. “So, I'm guessing it's some kind of obstacle course? The objective is to get through it without failing or falling off of it?”

Bulak nodded, as she jabbed a thumb towards the Great Hall. “A fall from the gauntlet is quite painful, despite the water below. What worsens the injury is beginning anew from the start of the gauntlet. Many potential warriors become dejected at the prospect of starting over after they were so close to victory.”

I nodded and let out a sigh as I rubbed my head. “I’d imagine so. Is there no way you can help prepare him for it?”

Bulak shook her head. “It is too late to train his strength. There is also not much I can do now to improve his reflexes. The best I can do right now is to refine the reflexes he already has, and teach him the defensive techniques he might need in the arena.”

I nodded as I glanced at the barn again. “But do you think he'll be able to do it?” I asked again.

Bulak was silent for another minute before answering. “It is hard to say. It all depends on how much he learns between now and then and how willing he is to take in new information. I worry that he is not accepting my advice. I had to correct the same mistake thrice over today.”

I nodded again as I gazed at the barn door. “I think he's still grieving a bit,” I admitted. “What you said to him might have made him feel better, but that doesn't mean he's completely forgotten about Shel.”

Bulak nodded solemnly, folding her arms in front of her as her face sank. “I am hopeful that he will be able to retain enough focus to make it through the rite. Otherwise, all his efforts will be for naught.” I nodded as I glanced at the knife still in Bulak's hand. “That doesn’t bode well. Even Bulak seems to think something is up. Then again, that means he’s more likely to get the help he needs. I only wish he would talk to me more. The two of us are basically in this together.”

I shook my head as I focused on the present again. “We can't do anything else for him right now. All we can do is let him rest and continue once he's ready.”

Bulak looked down at the knife in her hand. I could see it glint slightly in the sun. “I suppose you are correct.” She stated, turning the knife around in her hand. “Let us not dwell on that then. If I recall, Dexter is not the only one that seeks improvement.” She said as she looked up at me.

I grinned slightly as I felt myself blushing. “We should get to it then.” I said in agreement. Bulak nodded as she returned to a fighting stance. I mimicked her for a moment then burst into action as we continued sparring.

The sun was starting to sink low in the sky by the time we finally called it a day. I let out a sigh as I stretched. “I don't know how you're able to keep this up for so long.” I sighed.

Bulak grinned slightly as she tossed the dagger onto the table of mock weapons. “As I mentioned before, Agrob put me through intensive training. As such, I am able to maintain repeated strikes for several minutes before requiring rest.”

I grinned as I finished stretching, beginning to follow Bulak back towards the barn. “If I keep training, I might easily reach double that.” I remarked.

Bulak grinned and nodded again as he pulled open the door. “It would not surprise me if D-” She suddenly stopped when she gazed into the barn. I quickly looked around her to investigate. I saw Dexter sitting crossed legged on a table, office chair shaking wildly in front of him.

Brokil was standing several feet away, shielding himself as he gave loud instructions to Dexter. “Maintain Sarding Concentration. What Could Possibly Be Distracting You So Much?” I saw Dexter's jaw clench as he let out a low growl. The office chair briefly grew more violent then fell on its side with a clatter. Brokil let out a sigh and angrily strode over to Dexter. “I cannot teach you more advanced spells if you cannot concentrate on this one.” Dexter jaw clenched again as Brokil began lecturing him. His head titled left and right as he just sat there and stared at the chair. It looked like he wanted to say something yet refused to say it. Bulak and I stepped in and closed the door behind us. The boom created resonated through the barn and caused Dexter and Brokil to turn to us.

Bulak strode in a few steps as she gestured at them calmingly. “I think it is best for us to retire for the evening. Today has been most tiring and agitating.” Bulak said firmly. “There is no use in teaching if you cannot hold your tongue against vulgarity.” A brief grin flashed across Dexter's face before he returned to his neutral expression.

Brokil glanced at him and let out a scoff. “Very well, but I demand you to practice your concentration for tomorrow.” He said, pointing at Dexter. “I cannot waste my time on one that does not properly commit themselves to my lessons.” Dexter's jaw clenched again as Brokil turned and began walking out of the barn. Dexter glared at him as he walked out the door.

Bulak stepped closer as a second boom reverberated through the barn. “Do not let his words bother you. He is merely attempting to help.”

Dexter growled as he rubbed his head. “That much is known. The problem is with his methods. Our issue isn't concentration. It's something else and we don't know what. It doesn't help that he's not willing to consider anything else.”

Bulak nodded again as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “I am certain you will be able to find a solution. For now, I shall let the two of you rest. You still have training to complete tomorrow.” Dexter nodded as Bulak let go and started walking towards the door. She waved goodby as she pulled open the door and left us on our own. I let out a soft sigh as I turned back to Dexter and a dozen question drifted through my mind. “What’s he thinking? He flat out used plural too. Does he have D.I.D.? How stable is he right now? Can I help him improve?” Dexter ignored my gaze, choosing instead to stare at the still toppled office chair, taking deep and slow breaths. I took a few steps forward as I tried to pick the question to ask. One question, in particular, came to the forefront of my mind, one that would likely cover most of the issues he'd have and lead to as many answers as possible.

I swallowed nervously as I gathered the courage to talk. “Dexter?” I asked timidly. Dexter merely let out questioning grunt, not taking his eyes off the chair. “Can I ask you something?”

Dexter’s mood seemed to shift as he turned to me, squinting slightly. “What is it?” He asked skeptically.

I let out a sigh as I gathered my thoughts and just went for it. “Doyouhavemultiplepersonalities?” I asked quickly, not giving myself time to slow down or back out.

Dexter seemed taken aback by the question, his squint turning to confusion as he stared at me. “I'm sorry, what?” He sounded really confused.

I swallowed again as I repeated my query. “Do you have multiple personalities?” I asked again. “Do you have multiple people controlling one body?”

Dexter looked at me with shocked confusion. “That . . . came out of nowhere. Why would you ask that?”

I faltered briefly as he continued to stare at me. “I just thought . . . what with all the time you talked with yourself . . . that you're actually talking with someone else. . . . You’ve seemed so on edge recently so I just thought it had something to do with that.” Dexter silently stared at me as he sat there. He suddenly let out a short laugh as he shook his head and dropped down from the table.

He gently rubbed his head as he grinned and walked over to me. “I can imagine why you’re concerned. A disability like that would not be good optics in a place like this.” He let out a long sigh as he stopped beside me and gazed at me, still rubbing his head guiltily. “I talk to myself sometimes because it helps keep my thoughts in order.” He explained. “I do it more often when I'm under stress and need to clear my head. I guess you can think of it like that mind palace thing that show Sherlock talks about, though this one is definitely a lot more kinetic.” I let out a sigh as I heard his explanation. It kind of made sense. It explained why he talked to himself so much and even seemed to argue during these monologues. Dexter let out another sigh as he glanced around, focusing on the toppled chair and the open spellbook. “I'm sorry that I yelled at you the other day. I sometimes get lost in my own thoughts and just act on instinct. I hope you can forgive me?”

I thought about it for a moment before responding. “I guess,” I finally answered. “But I don't want you to worry me like that. I thought you were having a mental breakdown.”

Dexter let out another laugh as he rubbed his head. “I should've been more open with you.” He admitted. “I can't expect to do this on my own. I need all the help I can get.”

I nodded as I glanced down. My brow furrowed as I noticed his left hand was clenched tightly, skin stretched white against his knuckles. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, looking back up at him. “You're gripping awfully tight there.” Dexter quickly looked down at his fist.

He seemed to think for a minute then nodded defensively. “I still have that headache.” He admitted, looking back at me. “Right now I'm just trying to distract myself from the pounding my head is experiencing.”

I let out an understanding hmm as Dexter turned back towards the table. “Just drink a lot of water. That should help it go away.”

Dexter nodded as he reached out and grabbed the pitcher of water. “It's better than yesterday, it should be gone by tomorrow.” He said, bringing the pitcher to his lips. He drank deeply from the pitcher.

I nodded as I moved over to the table with the spellbook. “What about the rite?” I asked, reading the entry on Levitate. “Do you have any ideas for that?”

I heard Dexter take a few more gulps before answering. “hm Not at the moment.” He replied. “Given the current issue with spells, there's a chance that I won't be able to use any spells by the time the rite rolls around. I'm no expert on battle tactics either, so right now the plan is just going in and praying.”

I nodded as I looked up at him. He was now standing next to me, reading the book over my shoulder. “I'm sure you'll think of something before then,” I said assuredly.

Dexter nodded as he ran a finger down the page. Even from this distance, I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. “I should follow Brokil's advice though.” Dexter suddenly said. “I might be able to mitigate the problem if I practice.”

I nodded as I looked back at the book. “Then we should get started.”

We spent the next few hours practicing Levitate. Well . . . Dexter practiced. I spent that time watching each object vibrate wildly as he held them in the air. I tried to give him advice, but it was like trying to operate blind. Anything I said was, at best, a complete guess at the problem. Dexter grunted slightly as he tried to control the floating wrench. “Ummm . . . Try calming down. Your stress might be exacerbating the instability.” Dexter nodded quietly as he stared at the wrench for a moment. His shoulders sagged slightly as he seemed to relax. The wrench calmed its vibrations for a brief moment, then quickly sped back up as Dexter let out a low sigh.

Dexter’s left eye squinted shut as he continued to glare at the floating wrench. “That didn't work,” Dexter growled angrily.

I gestured calmingly as I turned to the wrench. “It’s okay. We still have time. It seemed to improve for a moment there. What do you think caused that?”

Dexter took a deep breath as if to calm himself as he gazed at the floating wrench. “I followed your advice.” He admitted, a little aggravated. “I tried to relax, and it did seem to help, but not enough to fix this fucking issue.”

I gestured calmingly again as I turned to the wrench myself. It still vibrated violently in the air, as if an unsteady hand was gripping it. “Then it might really have something to do with your mental state if at least not partially to do with your concentration.”

Dexter nodded thoughtfully as he took another deep breath. “Maybe. The problem is I have no idea what will fix the rest of my issue. It used to fix itself through concentration, but now it just doesn’t seem to be enough. Hell, I don’t feel any different today except for the hhrrr” He suddenly stopped midsentence and brought his hand to head as he let out a groan. I turned to him as he seemed to grimace against an unseen pain.

I furrowed my brow in concern. “Are you okay?” I asked.

Dexter hunched slightly as he groaned again. “My fucking headache is back.” He complained angrily. “Can’t I get a Fucking Break?” I gestured towards him calmingly as I glanced around the barn. Through the intermittent gaps in the walls, I could see the darkness outside. The only source of light was the luminous orbs I'd conjured up. Dexter’s orbs were flickering beside them.

I rubbed my head as I let out an exhausted sigh. “Maybe we should call it a day,” I suggested. “There's no point in continuing when you have a headache.” Dexter only groaned at my suggestion, his head still clutched in his hands.

He sighed and seemed to think for a minute before finally responding. “That's a good idea.” He admitted. “I can’t really come up with another way to get rid of this god damn headache.” He turned and started moving towards the ladder, shakily directing the wrench towards the bucket of tools as he went. “I'll see you in the morning.” He said as he began climbing. I let out a sigh as I watched him ascend then turned back to the book. “He took that suggestion surprisingly well. I half expected an insistence on continuing.” I began flipping through the pages as I tried to think of an explanation for his problem. “I can rule out concentration issues. If anything, he's concentrating even harder to cast the same spell. What else could be causing that instability?” I carefully read through the pages as I heard Dexter move around upstairs. “Is it the stress of it all? Could it be part of his headache? When did that even start?” Hundreds of questions with no real answers floated through my mind as I tried to piece together the reality of the situation. “Whatever the problem is, the best-case scenario it solves itself, at worst something major is needed to fix it.”

Dexter

The rules changed again. I ‘awoke' standing about twenty yards away from my counterpart. His form seemed larger, buffer, as if more muscles had been squeezed beneath the flesh. His skin looked as if it had been rubbed raw, red as a tomato with winding veins traveling up and down his arms. His shirt was little more than a tattered cloth at this point and his pants now had holes in them. I had half a second to take in this development before his bellowing roars began. “I Won't Have You Manipulate Me Anymore!” I quickly turned and began running towards the maze, my counterpart's thundering feet echoing behind me. I quickly scrambled around the nearest corner and made a charge for the opposing wall. “Got to get out of his line of sight. Maybe that’s what caused the interference last time.” I increased my pace as I heard his thundering feet echoing close behind me. I willed the wall to become permeable as I grew close. The wall did not yield to my commands. Instead, I ran headlong at the barrier and bounced off it with a sickening wham. I stumbled back as I was harshly reminded of the headache we had. “New Information: status degrading, prior ability is once again limited. Correlation: presence of opposition hinders my ability.” I cursed under my breath as I turned and continued to run, down the adjoining path and further into the maze. My thoughts had returned to their monotone state, simple sentences yet conveying more meaning than before. I heard my counterpart continue to bellow as I wove through the maze. I continued to weave a winding path through the maze as I increased the distance between me and him.

My heart pounded in my chest as my counterpart's rambling threats slowly grew distant. I ran for what felt like an hour, finally collapsing against a wall as my heart finally overruled my instinct to run. I heard another boom from far off as I took deep gulping breaths. I took this opportunity to collect my thoughts, slumping to the floor as I continued to pant heavily. “Current conjunctures dictate that a solution must found. An unknown entity, current designation ‘Demonic Asshole', has invaded and damaged the known realm, splitting what used to a single individual into two separate entities. All that is currently known is his actions caused this partition and his connection to the black doors.” I looked down at my hand as my breathing finally slowed, the heartbeats in my ears finally quieting. I squinted slightly as I noticed something odd. The normally prominent veins were harder to distinguish, near-invisible beneath my skin. I glanced up at the opposing wall. I could see a faint outline of myself on the surface, shoulders rising and falling with my own breaths. I placed my hand on the floor as I formulated an idea. “Proposition: opposition hinders abilities. Current distance may imply the return of said abilities.” I stared at the wall as I tried to will a change, dictating the smooth surface to become reflective. The sound of rushing water filled the corridor as the white slowly faded into the surface and was replaced by a large mirror. I squinted at the reflection as I took in my own appearance. Just like my counterpart, my previous clothing had also been updated. In addition to the button-up shirt and khaki pants, I wore a navy-blue vest, complete with a sky-blue handkerchief in the breast pocket. The normally curved corner of my glasses had sharpened slightly, giving my face a more angular appearance. My hair had lost its shine, replaced instead by a widow’s peak with my hair swept towards my left side. But that wasn't the most notable feature. My skin had developed a blue tint equal to my counterpart's red. It was as if I'd fallen into a vat of blueberries and was partway through removing the staining juices.

I let out a gasping sigh as I leaned my head onto the wall behind me. “That answers that.” I gasped, continuing to stare at my reflection. I glanced back down as I noticed my brown oxfords had been replaced by black ones. “Addendum: division extends to mental projections of ourselves. This indicates a continually worsening effect on our present situation.” I glanced up at the sky. Dark twinkling lights dusted the heavens above, interrupted only by the larger than life celestial object beside them. I'd abandoned calling it the moon. The crack running down the center ruled out that conclusion last night. I took a few more deep breaths as I tried to piece together what the object was. “If the object is anchored here and consistent throughout the night, then it must be connected to our present predicament. The crack further indicates a correlation with our division.” A large booming crack echoed across the sky and signaled another swarm of pain radiating through my head, interrupting my thoughts. I brought my hands into my head as I tried to withstand the pain. It felt like icy daggers were piercing my ears and chilling my brain. My headache slowly died as the world grew quiet again, disturbed only by the pained ruckus of my counterpart. I lifted my head again and noticed another change. My sleeves were now navy blue. I looked up the mirrored wall as I searched for an explanation. My vest had extended into a full sleeve jacket, collar and all. My pants were now held up by a pure black belt with a silver buckle just beneath my naval. My sky blue handkerchief had changed to a dark navy blue, patterned by a crisscrossing black grid. I looked back up at the object as I noticed slow movement in the stars. A small glowing speck had drifted out from the surface of the object, around where the crack started on the edge of it. I blinked as I realized the implications. “New Information: Object holds deep ties to our current situation. Investigation required to fully access connection.”

I let out one last breath and climbed back to my feet. I brushed myself off then turned and began jogging towards the direction of the object, hopeful in finding a connection upon closer inspection. I turned to the path in front of me as I saw another wall growing close. “Perhaps this time.” I mused. I gestured deliberately as I approached and willed the wall to disappear. The pure surface more in opacity with a soft whoooo and rematerialized as I moved past. The wall in front of it followed suit as I slowly made my way closer to the object. The rumbling from my counterpart grew ever more distant as I continued to run, feet barely grazing the floor before pushing off again. My thoughts ticked in the background as I fell into a rhythm and grew closer to the strange satellite. “Object is connected to our predicament. Inference: It may lead to a solution.” Another boom resonated across the sky and signaled another series of headaches. I slowed slightly as I briefly cradled my head. “Anticipation: finding it before the headaches start to become debilitating.”