I stared at the name, and at Pearl. “Wha? Were all those years… a lie?” Pearl shook her head and walked over to the table, where she sat down on its edge. “When I arrived here, I gained certain benefits, benefits you saw none of because you were never supposed to be here. However, because of these benefits, I gained certain information, both about you and the potential future. By using that information, I acted in the way I hoped would grant everyone the best possible outcome.”

I shook my head slowly. I couldn’t understand her thinking at all. “Then why give me back my memories of being Erika?” Pearl rose from the table and began pacing the room. “Because of a flaw in your… rebirth... I did not have the portfolio required to create a stable and permanent form for you back then. Your body was unstable, flawed. You would have to return here when I had mastered my newfound power to have it stabilized. However, that would take too long for me to do so, so I had you sealed for a century, to gain that power.”

That made some sense, but then? She spoke up before I could voice my question out loud. “Why give you a happy childhood rather than the abusive one you had back on Triton? Simple, to see if you would truly be irredeemable, or if your self-centered personality was a product of your surroundings.”

She sat back down at the table, with a strange, gentle smile. “I am happy that it was the latter, as that means I didn’t just waste a century and some change on you.” I couldn’t shake a sense of unease at her words.

“What… what did you actually do to me?” Pearl's gentle smile became a crooked grin. “I wove a new you from the stuff of dreams itself, but because of my lack of a portfolio, it was a temporary half-dream, half-real form. It was unstable and leaking power. Since you are semi-real, you have certain benefits, but the instability is a serious problem that far outweighs the benefits. As a remedy, I had Flint make Insult and Injury to stabilize you. Those gauntlets are the only reason you didn’t just evaporate into a nothingness on the plains.”

Pearl’s smile disappeared, and her tone became serious. “However, that’s beyond the tipping point now. Your instability has reached critical mass, and you have to choose. Who are you?” My floating name split in two once more, becoming ERIKA and KEARI, respectively.

Before I could ask, Pearl continued to speak. “In your current condition you have two choices. You can remain Erika, friendless, hated by me and pretty much everyone in the labyrinth, or you can embrace the new you, Keari, with friends, family and a place to return to.” I blinked. “But, why make me choose?”

Pearl took a deep breath. “You are beyond your limit, so healing you at this point is impossible. If you leave this chamber in your current state, you cease to exist, and everyone will forget you ever existed. You would be like a fleeting dream, pleasant, but forgotten.”

I felt helpless and afraid as I looked upon the choices presented to me. “What will happen to the part of me I don’t choose?” Pearl conjured a chair and sat down opposite of me, her hands folded in her lap. “The part you don’t choose would become the forgotten dream. It will be as if the discarded part never existed, while the chosen half becomes stable, and fully realized. Your Keari half could also use her full power without burning her own existence away by using it.”

So, that’s how it was. “That's a cruel choice, you know, forcing me to kill half of myself.” Pearl put a hand on my shoulder. “For what it’s worth, Erika, this is the best future I could find for you. Back then, my feelings for you were so negative, it made my dungeon act hostile towards you even when I didn’t want it to. I didn’t just lock you into that cell to punish you, though that was the main intent. I did so to protect you from myself and my dungeon. If you had stayed, you would have been killed by someone or something. It wasn’t a question of if, but when.”

That made sense. To call the Duergar hostile back then was an understatement. “You’re still taking some grim satisfaction by forcing me to do this. You were always vindictive.” Pearl shrugged. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take some satisfaction in your current dilemma, but time has given me perspective, so it’s far less than it once was.”

She didn’t seem regretful of her decision at all, but she wasn’t smug about it either. Before I could even open my mouth to ask my next question, she answered it. “Because, Erika, unlike you, I do not force my choices on other people. This choice is yours and yours alone. And while I could have just erased your Erika half as a form of “healing.” That would be pushing my preferred choice on you, without giving you the option to decide your own fate. It might feel cruel, but it’s your right to decide your own fate, even if it leads half of you to its damnation.”

Pearl had changed. The old Pearl wouldn’t have hesitated to make me into Keari permanently, without ever giving me a choice in the matter. She gave a mirthless chuckle as she read my mind. “I have changed more than you can know, Erika. I stopped being human before you even arrived here, and now I’m not even mortal anymore. These types of drastic changes both to my physical form and my psyche wouldn’t leave me as the same person. Add in a century and change of experience and well…

At that moment, Pearl seemed old, old and both wise and tired. Pearl scoffed at my thoughts. “You are the last remnant of my past that needs to be resolved before I can move on. So let’s get this over with. Who are you?” There was no point in postponing it further, was there.

“I am…”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It all felt… surreal. The meeting passed in a blur, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember any of it. I felt like I had forgotten something, something important and yet, I felt liberated. Up ahead, I saw uncle sitting on a stone bench. He seemed unusually thoughtful. “Silver for your thoughts, uncle.”

He flinched and blinked a few times as he looked up at me. “Oh, hi kid, sorry I just… Had a lot on my mind just now. I… I might have made a mistake, but the uncertainty of that choice bothers me.” I followed his gaze. He was looking over at Sarirrva.

“What did you do uncle?” He seemed unusually apprehensive. “I may or may not have blurted out some thoughts after sustaining some temporary injuries while charging Nicomphus’ wagon. Most of which were some rather, deep-seated feelings towards Sarirrva that I was unaware of. He fiddled his thumbs. “She heard?” He nodded, and bit his lower lip. I had never seen my uncle behave like this before.

“Didn’t help that the damn bird realized, and decided she should play matchmaker.” Uncle was blushing. “By the end of it all, I had somehow been talked into giving Sarirrva a chance. So, the two of us are going out for a romantic dinner.” Oh, Uncle was nervous because of a date?

My uncle, who would threaten literal dragons without batting an eye, was reduced to a nervous wreck at the thought of some fine dining. Now this was just comedy gold. I suppressed my laughter as I gave Uncle a supportive pat on the back. “Well, if you are going on a date, you should probably get yourself some fitting clothes. Those old rags will see you refused entry at most restaurants.”

I rose and grabbed uncle’s arms. “Common, let’s go spice you up for your important date.” Uncle’s feeble excuses fell on deaf ears. He deserved some happiness in his life too, after all. And as I dragged him away, I pulled Amber along as well. I would need a second opinion on this.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“You tricked me.” She seemed annoyed, as she watched her other half dragged Mordred away with a big grin on her face through a window I made in my quarters. I looked over at her. “I certainly did not. You have indeed become a dream, forgotten by everyone and everything.” She looked up at me. “But not you, and I certainly still exist.” I turned towards her.

“I said it would be as if you never existed, but I never said you would vanish. Your actions might be horrible, and you made my life hell, but to condemn you to oblivion for it? That’s a fate worse than death and too harsh, even for the old me. Besides, I am the goddess of dreams. You are what I exist to govern, so I couldn’t forget you, even if I wanted to.”

I walked away from the window and closed it behind me. Erika followed behind me, her discomfort obvious. “Then why make me choose, and why the deception?” She seemed to realize it a few seconds after. “It was a test, a final test of my character, to see if I had learned something from my experiences as Keari.”

I turned around and smiled. “Indeed, it was, and I am happy you passed. I am a Sphinx, so most of what I do is a test or riddle. Had you stayed as Erika, well, let’s just say the consequences would have been… severe.” She shivered. “So... What happens to me now?”

I arrived at a trio of mirrors. "You have three options." The first mirror flared to life, and Triton appeared in view. “It’s not the real thing, but close enough. If you enter it, you will wake up, with no memory of this transpiring. You will live out the rest of your existence in a dream version of our old home, unaware that anything is amiss. The only difference is that this is a dream version, so it will, of course, be your dream come true in that case.”

I could see she was tempted, but then, that was the idea. If she chose that mirror, she would get exactly what I promised, no strings attached, but given what she had just experienced, I didn’t think she would. “As for your second choice.” The second mirror flared to life, showing a jet black surface.

“The oblivion you expected. No more, no less. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it is your right to choose it.” She took a step back with horror written all over her face. The third flared to life, and I could see Erika’s face contort into a confused grimace. “What does this mean?” I looked in a mirror, then her. “A new beginning, a clean slate with your past forgiven. It took a lot of convincing for Grandfather to allow this option, so don’t make a hasty decision.”

Erika closed her eyes for a moment. “I will admit a part of me is screaming to go to pick the most tempting offer… however… I cannot.” She reached out for her mirror of choice. “I have grown in the past twenty years, even If I was not myself during them. If I threw all that away now, it would be a complete waste.” She hesitated for a moment, her voice wavering as she spoke. “I… I know it won’t make up for it but, I’m sorry about... about everything.” She reached out for the third mirror. “The least I can do is make amends.”

She looked at me with a sad smile, tears rolling down her cheek. “So thank you, for giving me a second chance.” She touched the mirror and vanished. I watched the spot where she stood for a while. “I did nothing, Erika. This second chance, it’s all you.” It went as I hoped, not expected. I cannot see Erika’s future any more than I can see my own. I can’t disagree on that one.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As I touched the mirror, the world dissolved into a purple blur. There was a flash of light and I hit the ground hard. I looked around. I was on top of the stone tower I saw in the mirror. All around me was a night sky with brilliant stars, but no moon. There was a small glass table and two chairs there. But I couldn’t see anyone else there. A trapdoor with a clasp on it covered what, I assumed, was the way inside the tower.

With nothing better to do, I walked over and tried the clasp, but the trapdoor didn’t budge. “You’re quite the impatient one, aren’t you?” I spun around. Now the chairs were occupied. Both of the two were identical, yet also like night and day. The first was dark-skinned, with long black hair and a black dress. The second was wearing a white dress, with long, pearlescent white hair, and skin as pale as snow.

The dark one sipped from her cup and then looked at me with a thin smile. “So, you’re Erika. Pearl has told us about you.” I swallowed. “I am, and you are?” The two exchanged looks. “I am Penumbra, the one who brought Pearl to this reality to begin with. I guess you could view me as her adopted Mother.” She motioned to the one sitting beside her. “And I am Inlas, Penumbra’s sister and Pearl’s aunt. I am also the one who will be taking you under my wing. Though I expect you to pull your own weight.”

Another chair appeared at the table, and seeing there were only the three of us present, it was obvious it was meant for me. A cup of tea appeared in front of me as I sat down. “I see. I will do my best, although I don’t even know what you want from me, Miss Inlas.” Inlas took a sip of her own cup. “It’s basic, really. Because of some… circumstances outside my control, I have yet to elect an Avatar in the mortal realm. I wish for you to take on that role. And no, this is not a reward. Being an avatar is an important, and exhausting duty, one you cannot step away from once you accept. And since you are now a dream, you will no longer age, so if you accept…” Her voice trailed off, but the implication was obvious.

If I accepted, I would be her avatar of the rest of this world’s existence, however many eons that would be. “And what if I decline?” Inlas and penumbra glanced at one another, the Penumbra spoke up. “If you decline, I agreed to offer you reincarnation into another creature altogether. However, that will cause you to undergo the same complete identity loss as when you became Keari. But with no way back this time. If both are unacceptable, it’s the same dream the first mirror offered remaining.”

A heavy choice, however, I knew which one I would choose. Running away after already making this choice once was not happening. “In that case, I will accept the position as your Avatar, Miss Inlas. That way, I can work to mend my relationship with Pearl and do some good for this new world of mine while I’m at it.” As I replied, they both looked surprised for a moment. Then Inlas shot me another smile, but this one was far warmer and less guarded than the first.

“Good, I look forward to working with you Erika, though I will point out that the correct title you will be using from now on is Milady or Lady Inlas.” She offered me her hand, and I took it. The next moment, I found myself elsewhere. Another tower, but this one was bathed in sunlight and small puffy clouds floated around its top. “Come along, Erika, we have much work to do to make you a proper Avatar, and little time to spare.” I nodded and followed Lady Inlas inside the tower, ever towards my destiny.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I look ridiculous!” Amber and I looked at one-another. “Nonsense uncle, you look great. Besides, your dinner date is in thirty, so it’s not like you have a choice but to go like that.” Uncle looked at the timepiece on the wall and grew pale. “Rubolgs Axe, it is.” He took a deep breath and adjusted his new black robe. Far better than the brown and dirty linen one he had been wearing until now. “Good luck Uncle, and enjoy yourself.”

He walked out of the room with an expression I'd expect to see on a man walking to his own execution. “To think, Uncle would be that afraid of a mere date.” Amber burst out laughing. She had been holding it in all night. “Indeed.” Her smile faded.

“Hey Ashes, are you ok? You’ve seemed a bit out of it since you returned from whatever Lady Labyrinthia did.” I sat down beside her and gave her head a rub. “I’m fine, just lightheaded, but Lady Labyrinthia assured me it would fade after a good night’s sleep.” Amber didn’t seem convinced, but then, neither of us knew what transpired, since I couldn’t remember it. Oh wait, my status screen. Maybe it worked now. [Status]

Name: Keari Ironheart

Race: Coldfire Demi-titan (Ancient Unique Variant)

Gender: Female

Level: 9

EXP: 390/2500

HP: 270/270, MP: 180/180

Classes: Brawler Lv9

Strength: 26, Dexterity: 26, Endurance: 26

Intelligence: 18, Wisdom: 18, Charisma: 18

Nice, I could see my stats now. Coldfire Demi-titan. That explained… nothing. Maybe uncle knew something? Well, he was busy right now. Hmm, should I ask Lady Labyrinthia? But then, she might have explained it already, and it was more a curiosity than a pressing matter. No, better not.

Gah, thinking about it wouldn’t solve anything right now. I should do some sightseeing and just ask uncle later. It wasn’t like we were going anywhere today anyhow. “Hey Amber, how bout taking in the sights while we’re here?” Amber grinned and held up a small guidebook. “Way ahead of you, Ashes. Let’s go!” I considered looking at my skills, but there was always time later. “Indeed.” It would be nice with some fun and relaxation, after the chaos of the last few days.