[broadcast mind]
[You're gardening-- pruning the roses--, and small, barely more than a toddler, looking up at your aunt-- a pinched, angry-looking middle-aged woman. She's stern, a little scary, and she's always talking about your father and mother and looking at you like you're not exactly what she wants around, but you know she loves you because why would she take care of you otherwise? Why else would she give you these speeches?]
Mystics are dangerous-- are you listening to me, Asellus? This is important. It could save your life-- or more importantly, your soul. You cannot trust a Mystic. They hunt humans-- trick them into giving away the things they love most. They kill people, or steal away their girls to raise as... as... well, Gods know what, but you need to be careful. Everything a Mystic touches turns to poison. I hear there's a doctor in Koorong-- but you're too young for that. Don't you mind anything you hear about their magic or money, do you hear? A Mystic is the worst sort of monster.
[You nod, and from the corner of your vision, bright green sways. You look down at yourself, and suddenly you realize that you're not a little girl anymore-- you're grown, a slender young woman with a pallid complexion and archaic clothing on. The realization startles you, and you prick a finger on a thorn. Deep violet wells up in the puncture, and you look up at your aunt, only to find her expression change from that grudging love to abject terror. You move towards her, try to comfort her and find out what she's so afraid of... and she scrambles out of your reach.]
Get away from me! Monster!
[It's you she's talking to. There's no doubt of it. But is it you she's talking about? You turn around, only to find yourself nose-to-nose with a door-- the Door. It creaks open, and as much as you want to, you can't turn around. You can't go back. You can only go forward, through the Door.
As you step through, cross the threshold, a gust of cold wind hits your face and you wake up.]
Mystics are dangerous-- are you listening to me, Asellus? This is important. It could save your life-- or more importantly, your soul. You cannot trust a Mystic. They hunt humans-- trick them into giving away the things they love most. They kill people, or steal away their girls to raise as... as... well, Gods know what, but you need to be careful. Everything a Mystic touches turns to poison. I hear there's a doctor in Koorong-- but you're too young for that. Don't you mind anything you hear about their magic or money, do you hear? A Mystic is the worst sort of monster.
[You nod, and from the corner of your vision, bright green sways. You look down at yourself, and suddenly you realize that you're not a little girl anymore-- you're grown, a slender young woman with a pallid complexion and archaic clothing on. The realization startles you, and you prick a finger on a thorn. Deep violet wells up in the puncture, and you look up at your aunt, only to find her expression change from that grudging love to abject terror. You move towards her, try to comfort her and find out what she's so afraid of... and she scrambles out of your reach.]
Get away from me! Monster!
[It's you she's talking to. There's no doubt of it. But is it you she's talking about? You turn around, only to find yourself nose-to-nose with a door-- the Door. It creaks open, and as much as you want to, you can't turn around. You can't go back. You can only go forward, through the Door.
As you step through, cross the threshold, a gust of cold wind hits your face and you wake up.]