Agrona Colby scrutinized the brown-haired woman standing in her store, studying the girl’s expression closely.

She had a feeling that this one would prove to be an exasperating client to deal with. Her instincts had been honed in such matters over six decades, so she didn’t doubt that assessment. If only she’d had more gold saved up, she might have already shown this girl the door. But ignoring work arranged by the Talonborn Circle was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

When the young woman remained unmoving, Agrona sighed and took it upon herself to lead the way through the entrance at the back of her establishment. “Follow me,” she said, not bothering to hide the distinct tone of displeasure in her voice.

A moment later, she heard the creaking of old floorboards as her client finally decided to follow suit.

“So, what are you here for?” Agrona asked, briefly glancing over her shoulder at the woman. “Do you want to curse someone? Enchant some fetching young man? You young lasses always fixate on the most pointless of things.”

Oh, sure, it was far from common for such frivolous requests to be brought to the Talonborn Circle, but Agrona had seen it before. Young noblewomen, especially, had a knack for entertaining the strangest of notions if they heard about the Circle.

At first glance, this lass didn’t appear to be a noblewoman, at least, but she also didn’t seem entirely certain what she was doing here. Agrona had verified that the Talonborn token had indeed been issued for this girl; however, that didn’t entirely rule out the possibility of someone else sending her here. There were many who preferred to keep their affiliations with the Circle secret.

The young woman’s inquisitive gaze trailed Agrona as they continued down the cramped hallway. “Well, I’ll admit that does sound intriguing. But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Then what is your business with the Talonborn Circle?”

“Funny question, that. I was actually wondering the same.”

Agrona pushed past a well-worn, heavy curtain, ushering the girl into the back room. The walls here were adorned with aged tapestries, bearing faded sigils and motifs that Agrona hadn’t bothered to restore. In one corner stood a sizeable coffer, while the center of the room featured a sturdy oak table, flanked by two chairs on each side. A rickety wooden ladder leaned against one of the walls, leading to the attic where Agrona stored the rest of her inventory.

A small scoff escaped her lips as she stopped near the room’s entrance, turning to her client. “So, you don’t even know why you’re here.”

Whoever sent the lass could at least have bothered telling her something. This wasn’t a nursery.

The young woman responded with a small smile. “I thought I was here for oracle wax, and that would have been enough for me. But you seemed so enthusiastic about all this ‘talon’ business, so I just followed your lead. I must say, though, I love the whole ‘secret coven’ ambiance you’ve got going here.”

Agrona raised the Talonborn token the woman had brought. “Do you know what this is?”

“A very expensive but terrible paperweight.”

“So you don’t.” She shook her head. “How did you get this, hmm?”

“Oh, it just sort of happened,” the young woman said, casually brushing aside a curled lock of hair. “Someone offered to sell it to me for five thousand solars, and I couldn’t resist. I figured there just had to be something special about it if it cost that much. You know how it is.”

Agrona narrowed her eyes. “Offered?”

The circle didn’t simply offer tokens to any random passersby.

She looked down at the token again, inspecting it closely. The inscribed signature at the bottom confirmed that it was genuine and the woman’s identity as the client. “And I take it I’m supposed to believe you coincidentally stumbled upon my store as well, hmm? Should this old crone consider this her lucky day?”

“I try to view every day as one of my lucky days, so maybe some of that rubbed off on you.” The other woman smirked as her gaze scanned across the room. “The truth is that I did only want to get some oracle wax for a friend of mine. You were the one who brought up all this talon stuff.”

“Hmph. And who is this friend?”

“Does it matter?”

Agrona fell silent, watching the girl’s face for a few seconds. Then she turned around and stepped deeper into the room. It wasn’t her business to pry into her clients’ affairs.

She crossed over to the table at the center of the room, resting her weight on it as she slowly took a seat on one of the chairs. Her back protested, but it always did that nowadays. She gestured for her client to take the seat opposite hers.

“So you don’t know why you’re here,” she said. “Then I suggest you put that clever head of yours to work and figure out something you want. I’m not some swindler who accepts payment for doing nothing.”

The woman’s eyes continued moving across the room, lingering on the walls for a while before returning to Agrona. “There are lots of things I want, but I don’t really know what you can offer.”

Agrona felt tempted to let out another sigh. “Demonology, ‘occult’ rituals, enchantments, curses — the Circle possessed knowledge and expertise in these areas and more. If you’re here, it’s evident you need assistance in matters related to these.”

Her client’s attention seemed drawn to the wall again, and a tiny frown creased her brow. Agrona followed her gaze, but nothing unusual caught her eye.

“Well… I don’t know about that,” the woman replied slowly, looking back at Agrona as she took the seat across from her. “I bet if you asked most people, they’d say I ended up here purely by chance. Lots and lots of it. Serendipity, if you will.”

“Whether it was luck or not doesn’t matter,” Agrona said. “You’ve already paid, and you’re now my client. If there is something, anything, you want help with that I can assist with, then I will.”

The brown-haired lass rested an elbow on the table, remaining quiet for several seconds. She seemed to be contemplating something, and her earlier breezy demeanor seemed to fade. “…So you’re telling me you know a lot about strange things?”

“Strange things?” Agrona scoffed. “If that is what you want to call it, then fine. The answer is yes. Understand, girl, that I have been dealing with ‘strange things’ since before you were in nappies.”

The woman stayed silent for a few moments longer before speaking again. “Then there is something I want to know.”

Agrona gestured with her hand. “Go on. Don’t dawdle.”

Her client paused, then finally seemed to come to a decision. “…There is something wrong with me. There has been ever since I was young. I…see things, and there is…something haunting me.”

“Bagh, is that all?” Agrona asked. “Nothing I haven’t heard before, then. Sounds like a hauntgeist of some kind, or a nightshade if you’re unlucky. How did it begin? Did you encounter anything unusual before it did?”

“I…don’t know.” The woman pressed her lips together. “I can barely remember anything from that time. Only…”

For some reason, she stopped talking, staring straight ahead with wide eyes.

Agrona scowled. “Yes?”

The woman blinked, as if a momentary haze disappeared from her eyes, and she returned her focus to Agrona. “What? Sorry… It’s just…”

“Whatever it is, it’s unlikely that it can do anything while you’re awake. Pay it no mind. Continue.”

The woman shook her head, and her cheerful demeanor from earlier resurfaced with a smile. “Can’t say it seems thrilled about me being here, I’ll tell you that. Anyway, sorry to say that I don’t know if I ran into anything in particular before this thing decided to latch itself on to me. No clue even about what it is. There’s not much I can tell you, but I would be more than happy to hear whatever you might know.”

Agrona rose from her chair and turned around, walking over to the coffer nestled in the corner. “What I know could fill volumes, lass, but there’s no sense in me wasting time spilling it all until we have a clear grasp of what we’re dealing with exactly here. That’ll be our first order of business.”

She grimaced as she bent over, unlocking the coffer to unveil its tightly packed contents. Rummaging through it for a moment, she retrieved a few dark red candles and a gilded candelabra.

“…Is there a chance that you can remove it?” a soft voice asked from behind her.

Agrona’s lips curved upward slightly. It seemed like the girl had lived a harsh life.

“I can’t make any promises, but it’s certainly a possibility.”

Turning back around, she carried the candles and candelabra over to the table, setting them down carefully. The candles were arranged in a circular pattern, and she produced a piece of white chalk to inscribe a sigil in the oak wood between them.

“Is that some sort of spell?” her client asked.

“Hmph. If by ‘spell’ you mean the kind thrown around by the mages around these parts, then no. This is an age-old ritual. It forges a connection with the spirits of the beyond, and they’re far more likely to bestow any usable knowledge on you than any priest or wizard.”

Once she was finished drawing the sigil, Agrona positioned the candelabra at its center and ignited the candles with what rudimentary spells she did know. Mages were often so full of themselves, but the occasional blaze spell could be useful.

As she sat back down in her seat, she noticed that the youngling’s expression had taken another peculiar turn. The girl cast furtive glances around the room, as if searching for something.

Agrona snapped a gnarled finger beside her ear. “Pay attention, lass. I’m right here. Focus on me.”

The woman blinked, and soon her gaze returned to Agrona. She let out an awkward laugh. “Seems like we’re making it feel lonely. It’s getting a bit cramped in here.”

Agrona studied her for a moment. It was strange that whatever entity had attached itself to the girl was exhibiting such aggression while she was fully conscious. Moreover, it seemed to have grown worse since they entered this room. Clearly, it possessed an understanding of what was happening, which was curious enough. But what was it up to?

Well, she would have her answers soon. Pushing those thoughts aside, Agrona took a deep breath. “Place your hands on this,” she instructed, pointing to the arms of the gilded candelabra.

Her client complied, and Agrona reached over to cover the girl’s hands with her own.

“Now, concentrate. I will begin,” she said in a commanding tone before clearing her throat. Her gaze locked onto the young woman’s violet eyes. “Through the shadows of twilight’s embrace, I call forth thee. From the abyss of time, I beckon your presence.”

The woman’s expression grew anxious as the words began to touch upon the fabric of the world, but Agrona could feel that it was working as expected.

“Hear my voice,” she continued. “Resonate through the veils of existence. Illuminate that which is hidden and reveal the nature that dwells within.”

From her extensive experience, Agrona detected how the ritual subtly encouraged the barriers separating the various layers of existence around them to grow less defined. More permeable. She could begin to sense something within the woman.

Suddenly, her client’s eyes widened, a hint of darkness encroaching upon them, and she tried retracting her hands from beneath Agrona’s grip.

“W-We need to stop. It’s… It’s coming too close.”

Agrona firmly pressed down with a strength that she was sure would surprise most. It would be foolish to interrupt things now. The ritual itself posed no danger. It would simply allow her to perceive that which was not visible to the naked eye. It wouldn’t conjure any entities into their presence, no matter how powerful they were.

“Grant me the knowledge to perceive the unseen, to fathom the dark presence entwining the being. Let the essence be laid bare, that a path can be laid before us.”

With those closing words, the ritual concluded, and Agrona peered deep into the woman’s eyes, delving into the lurking presence within.

Her heart seemed to stop as she drew in a sharp breath.

There was nothing but darkness there. A pure, unadulterated void. And it stared right back at her.

It was as if a vice tightened around her throat, an oppressive weight bearing down on her from above. Her wide-eyed gaze remained locked on this entity, this abyss that grinned at her, and for a moment, she was certain that she could feel the young woman’s fear.

In an instant, the aged tapestries adorning the walls twisted and contorted, unfurling inside out, birthing an undulating sea of writhing maggots. A symphony of grotesque, squelching noises echoed through the room. The furnishings distorted and morphed, her chair sprouting gnarled limbs and jagged teeth from its arms, while the table’s sides elongated, the wood’s surface warping into deformed, sneering faces that sneered and leered with wicked glee.

The room itself seemed to warp and convulse, its dimensions stretching and twisting like a nightmare. The ceiling curled downward, oozing a malevolent, vile substance, while the floor beneath their feet transformed into a wriggling mass of slimy tendrils, lashing out with sinister intent.

Agrona’s shriek rang out as she recoiled from the horrifying sights. From the woman who stood sat at their center. The ritual ended, and she felt the connection to the beyond dissipate.

But the terrors persisted.

“A-Away!! Away! Away with you!” she cried, desperately trying to break free from the debased abomination she now occupied. The young woman before her said something, but her words were drowned out by the cacophony of squirming sounds.

“N-No, no!” A tentacle snaked around Agrona’s ankle as she managed to escape from her chair, its slimy texture slithering up her leg and making contact with the exposed skin beneath her robes. It felt frigid and disgusting, sending shivers of revulsion through her.

She stumbled backward, landing on her backside and colliding with the wall. Hundreds of tiny, crawling sensations pressed into her back, draining the color from her face.

Something seized her hands. Panic surged as she attempted to tear herself free, only to realize it was her client. Kneeling before her, the woman bore a sweaty, pained expression, leaning closer, her mouth shaping words.

“—ts not real. Ignore it! Focus on me, please!”

Agrona froze as she inadvertently locked eyes with the woman once more. The terrible, terrible darkness still lurked within them. Laughing at her. Smirking at her insignificance.

She pushed away with her arms, and the woman tumbled back, colliding with the overturned chair. “No, no! I don’t want anything to do with you! Leave! Please, leave!”

Clasping her hands to her head and shutting her eyes, breath strained, Agrona tried to block out the horrors around her, wishing they would all vanish. This wasn’t something she could handle. This wasn’t something anyone could handle. It was too much. Too much!

Her hands were grabbed hold of and pried away from her face. She looked to see the woman kneeling beside her once more, gritting her teeth as small traces of blood smeared her fingers. “Please, tell me. Did you see something? Anything?” the woman asked, almost begging.

Agrona shook her head vehemently. “I don’t know! I don’t want to know!” She wrested one of her hands free, retrieving the Talonblood token from her breast pocket and thrusting it into the woman’s palm. “Here! Take this and go! I can’t help you! I won’t! Away!”

She tensed as the floor beneath her shifted, and another tentacle snaked around her right leg. It also felt as if something had descended into her robes by her neck. Yet she couldn’t shake herself loose, as if all the strength had left her body.

The other woman didn’t budge, despite Agrona’s feeble attempts to push her away. “Please. You saw something. Tell me. I’ll take anything.”

“I said I can’t help you! This is your fault! Leave!”

Foolish girl! She had no idea what she was harboring, and now she was bringing its malevolence onto everyone else!

Her client’s expression froze, tears streaming down her cheeks. “…I know…” she murmured, the words barely reaching Agrona over all the noise. “That’s why…please… Tell me. I don’t want this anymore.”

Agrona screamed anew as she felt something crawl down her spine.

“Malachi! Seek out Malachi!” she cried. “You can find them in Crowcairn, outside the city! They might know more!”

She didn’t care what the girl did, only that she left and took these nightmares with her.

The brown-haired woman drew even nearer, her face inches to Agrona’s. Agrona shied away from those desperate yet terrifying eyes. “Malachi? Who’s Malachi?”

“They’re someone who might possess more knowledge about this,” Agrona forced out. “But she is dangerous, so approach her at your own peril. Just don’t involve me in any of it. Now, please leave!”

The woman hesitated, but eventually, she moved back and stood, turning her back away as she made to exit the room. Agrona’s eyes remained locked on her retreating form until it disappeared entirely. At that point, she couldn’t suppress some of the sobs that escaped her throat. The harrowing visions that had been so close slowly started fading, but their memory still remained, etched into her mind. And those dark, dark eyes.

Clutching her knees, Agrona regretted ever letting this client into her home, and admonished her own weakness.

But above all else, she pitied the girl who had that thing living inside her, and the fate that awaited her.