"Wake up, sleepyhead!" She opened her eyes, moving her arm to shield them as the morning sun forced them to narrow into a squint. Turning on her side, the humming of beating wings filled the air as a small pixie darted about the room. "I'm up, I'm up." Rubbing the back of her neck, she sat up with a grimace and crossed her legs. "Didn't sleep again?" Asked the diminutive fairy as it flew on by, crossing its arms with legs outstretched as if swimming through the air. "More like couldn't sleep; probably time to turn my mattress over." Bleary-eyed, Shiloh looked around the room and saw her boots in the corner. Rumpled clothes hung off the back of a crude wooden chair. There was the same view of the street that had the old knotted oak just close enough for climbing, giving a secondary route to the ground floor. That was one of the good things about Riedel, it was less crowded and was closer to the forest than Marhaven. Marhaven, that was a name she hadn't thought of in a long time.

Now that the sun was already up, she'd better hurry to the creek. She couldn't keep Unna waiting. Today was the summer solstice, and that would mean there were more hours in the day until dusk arrived. The poles Agur and Erra had cut from those year-old saplings would be ready by now. Pulling on her boots, she hopped on one foot until the other went all the way in. Throwing her clothes on in a flash, she broke into a sprint towards the forest gleaming green in the morning sun. Pushing aside branches and bushes, she found the old circle of stones that were half-buried with moss. The sunlight was softer thanks to the branches breaking up the exposure, and the air still felt fresh and cool. Closing her eyes, she stepped with both feet into the middle and walked counter-clockwise three times until she could hear the sounds of laughter and a babbling brook. When her eyes opened, she was on the other side.

"There she is! Get o'er here, wee little beastie! 'Bout time you woke up!" A familiar, booming voice echoed as she ran towards the creek. As tall as a house and three boats wide stood a mountain troll, her back rough and coarse like the rocky side of a hill. Her two sons were a few meters away in the shade of the trees, setting the bait and tackle. Making a slight turn, Shiloh threw herself onto Unna's back, holding tight. Then, she suddenly let go. Though she had been happy moments ago, a lingering feeling of emptiness began to gnaw at her from the edges of her mind. She watched as Unna and her sons cast their lines into the creek, chatting with the other sprites and creatures ambling out from the woods. After a while, the troll-mother noticed her standing by herself. "What's the matter, bunting? Something eating at ye?"

"No, Unna. I'm very happy right now. To be honest, I haven't been this happy in a long, long time." She said slowly. A puzzled look passed over the troll's face, then went back to a smile. "Then don't just stand there–come over and stand in the water with us!" Shiloh raised her head and stared back, her voice steady with a somber look in her eyes. "I can't, even if I wanted to. Because…you're not really here. None of this is real, and this is just a dream." All this time she knew something was off, but Shiloh finally figured out what it was. And now that she came to the realization, the illusion began to fall apart. As the images of her friends and family began to blur, she held back the urge to reach out and chase after them. Clenching her hands, she shut her eyes and turned her back as she heard their voices calling out to her, drifting away on the wind. 'I'm sorry Unna, but I can't go back.' The faces of her staff, her husband, and her children flashed across her mind.


As the whispers began to fill in the silence, her eyes were greeted by darkness as she found herself entangled in a network of vines. As footsteps approached, an unfamiliar male voice spoke. 

"So, you've finally awakened. I must commend you for being able to break free in spite of succumbing to it almost immediately." A man with dark hair and dark eyes dressed in a finely embroidered silk robe came into view. He watched her from where he stood with a contemptuous smile. 

From the palace at the pinnacle of the citadel, he looked down upon his kingdom with satisfaction. With each step, the pieces were falling into place. Every move he had made had been premeditated, starting with the foolish sailors and fishermen. Using the the power of the great sea monster, he was able to increase his magic's influence a hundred-fold to create mirages of what men desired most. As the numbers of those lured in by the tantalizing dreams and visions grew, the more the image of his perfect kingdom began to take form. Slowly but surely, he would be able to recreate Kavala in his own image. As word of the mirage spread to the four corners of the earth, more and more of the ignorant masses flocked to the island. Whether it was for fame, fortune, or out of curiosity–it didn't matter. With each unwary visitor that set foot on his shores, another lamb was led to the slaughter, all for the sake of bringing his dream closer to fruition. He would use their collective desires to fuel the mirage, and once it had gathered enough strength he would have them replace the puppets he molded from the lotus. The more they wandered on the island, the deeper they would become entangled by their own fantasies. And once they had fallen in, they would remain trapped within their own personal vision of paradise. After all, who would refuse the chance to have their deepest wishes and desires granted when it was within their grasp?

When his father was still alive, there were those in the royal court who believed that a kingdom was ruled by its people, and that those born into power had the unique responsibility to act as caretakers for their inferiors–or noblesse oblige. Then there were others that thought themselves clever and sought to rule the masses through fear and military power. Those men were fools, just like Amram and Asad. Amram was too naive while Asad was thick-skulled. The former would never suspect that his own kin would see him as a hindrance, and the latter thought his martial prowess could solve everything. Asad assumed his right to the throne was uncontested because no one could best him at combat. And yet it had been so easy to press the fangs of an adder into his arm after he had drank his fill of wine. Niran remembered how he had held the head of the snake firmly between his fingers as he forced it to inject its venom, allowing it to slither away once the job was done. In the sweltering heat of Ignius, snakes were a common sight in the jungles and gardens. And with Asad's temperamental disposition, who couldn't say that he had accidentally provoked a snake that had gotten in?

With each successful capture, the more he could feel his dream becoming reality. Soon, Kavala would rise from the ashes like a brilliant phoenix and lord over other lands like the mighty dragon it once was. Behind him sat the throne he had coveted for so long, where it had stood in the great hall where nobles and royalty would hold audiences with his father. For now the hall was empty, but soon it would be filled with his loyal subjects once their numbers had swelled, and they would all pay homage to him. As he turned away from the sight of the lower tiers below, he noticed one of his earliest catches was starting to awaken. She had been the most promising out of all the unwary fools who had first set foot on Kavala reborn, a skittish mercenary who had wandered out into the open water alone. Unlike the unwashed drunkards and fishermen, this one showed the most promise. When he first observed from afar, he initially planned to catch and release the woman after influencing her with the mirage. What good would such a lure be if it failed to catch one's attention? He had to choose a select few to return back to their lands, and spread word of the kingdom to bring others. 

But then, he discovered that despite her wariness and guarded demeanor, her mana capacity was low. Someone like her was nothing more than fodder for his aspirations. She was caught like a fly in a spider's web, and he had turned his attention towards weaving greater illusions of grandeur to snare the ambitious and greedy. He had nearly forgotten she was even here. Although this was unexpected, Niran was unconcerned. Even if she had managed to regain consciousness, she wouldn't be able to fully break free. She was already fully entangled in the roots of the lotus plants, her dreams and desires having provided more than enough fuel. Drawing closer, a self-satisfied smile came across his face as she helplessly dangled in their grasp. The fool of a woman was feigning ignorance to her current situation, or perhaps the realization had yet to dawn upon her. "So, you've finally awakened. I must commend you for being able to break free in spite of succumbing to it almost immediately."

The woman gave a slow glance at her surroundings, and replied. "It wasn't too difficult to figure out–once you realize what you're dealing with, it all falls apart. It's a trick that only works the first time you use it." His smile turned into a scowl, as he met her insolence with a glare. "It would appear that you have failed to grasp the reality of your current position. Plebeians like you should know your place."  Glowering from above, he lowered his voice with a hiss. A crooked grin crept onto the woman's haggard visage. "I could say the same for you. I don't think you fully understand; I'm not trapped in here with you. You've trapped yourself in here with me."

The moment she woke, she had realized what sort of trap she had walked into. As the rumors of what the missing people told of the 'golden kingdom' combined with what she had experienced firsthand, slowly but surely the parts began to align into place. It was true that she had been careless enough to lose her footing, but if she of all people managed to break out of its clutches, then the spell wasn't as foolproof as this man thought. By all intents and purposes, it appeared he had the upper hand. And if it had been anybody else–he might have been right. But there was one thing that would work against his favor, one crucial detail that he had been unlucky to overlook. Either out of ignorance or out of hubris; like a slow-acting poison, it would be his downfall. This place wasn't designed just to ensnare victims with good dreams; it was feeding off of them. She wasn't an exception. Unfortunately, this was where things would go awry.

Through the fatigue and sluggishness in her limbs, she began to smile. The man flung water into her face from a goblet, eyes burning with spite. "You had best hold your tongue, or I will kill you where you stand!" Baring her teeth in a sardonic grin, there was a manic gleam in her wide eyes. "Well go on–make me. I'd like to see you try!" Raising a hand bearing an ornate curved dagger, his eyes flashed as he brought the blade down…only to suddenly stagger. Confusion and shock passed over his face in waves as his hand clutched his chest and the weapon clattered to the floor. The vines holding her in place began to shrivel, rapidly turning from a verdant green into desiccated brittle tendrils. The ground beneath her feet began to rapidly degenerate into weathered graying stone, losing its polish and luster. As the man began to writhe in agony while struggling to stand, the sound of her footsteps echoed in the throne room as she steadily approached him.

"You idiot. You don't know a thing, do you? Did you really think siphoning off of me was a bright idea?" Had she been any ordinary individual, that sort of ploy would've done her in. However, that was where that one contingency came into play. At the moment she wasn't any ordinary person–she was a deity. And if someone tried to take what wasn't rightfully theirs…they would face severe consequences. The power of the gods granted by the Voice was akin to a fatally potent toxin if anyone who wasn't a deity tried to take it for themselves. There were a few exceptions to this rule, but on the most part it would poison the offender from the inside out. So even if she hadn't woken up, eventually the mirage's magic would have loosened its hold over her, ending in the same result.