Private Lucid

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

The strange occurrences over the previous weeks had certainly been cause for concern. The strange dreams of increasing intensity and the inexplicable rushes of emotion had only led her to the conclusion that she was still suffering the ill-effects of her head trauma, but what she later realised to be the truth was far worse.

A very clear message in a familiar voice had plagued her in the night. It was too real not to have been. Rather than face the constant threat of nightmares and other inhibitions, she heeded to the calling of the messenger with apprehension and reluctance but also a healthy dose of surprise.

The person who had contacted her was not a stranger but someone she knew well, someone she suspected had been dead.

As she walked building, she couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension. Though she had previously known her cousin, times had changed and now there was no certainty in her response which soon became apparent as an unexpected vine curled unnaturally around her ankle.

"Tiya! Stop, it's me!" She called out into the darkness, but it was no use as a moment later she was strung up by her ankles, her arms wound against her sides.

​

 

[Tiya Ayres]

She had been the first to learn of the ethereal bond she shared with the only remaining member of her family. While she couldn't explain its creation, she had been the first to discover its tangibility and used it to her advantage, to call Zoraya into her presence and to her delight, her cousin heeded the call.

"Zora-" She began to call but was immediately met with an irritated response. "Tiya! Let me down." She called in the direction of the other's voice. "Calm down, it was just a precaution." She replied before waving her hand and reeling back the vines. "No, no, not like-" She landed in a thud on the floor a moment later with a groan. "Oops." She chuckled and wandered off into a nearby room. "Come, join me for dinner."

With a frustrated sigh, Zoraya pushed herself up from the floor and followed the Sith into what appeared to be a worn out dining room, devoid of life and light, at least until Tiya snapped her fingers and the candles in the centre of the table came ablaze.

Tiya gestured for her companion to take a seat, which she reluctantly did. "How have you been?" She asked, casually.

 

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

Sitting uncomfortably in the seat, her face contorted into an expression of disbelief as the other woman asked a very nonchalant 'how have you been?.' It was the first time they had seen each other in over a decade and she was treating it as though they were friends meeting up for a weekly catch-up. Zoraya wouldn't take any of it.

"Are you serious? I haven't seen you in years and that's the first thing you say to me? Aside from when you're in my head. Which, by the way, you need to stop doing. That's what I came here to tell you. Stay out of my mind, Tiya. It's intrusive." She harshly rebuked her cousin.

"Now, now. Don't put a dampener on the family reunion." She replied, prompting a shake of the head from the other. "What family? There are hardly any of us left." Zoraya's tone shifted from anger into concern. Where was this headed?

"The others should be here any minute." She responded, looking at her wrist as though there was a watch there and completely ignoring the previous response. The whole situation appeared to be some imaginary fantasy. With her tone devolved into solemnness, Zoraya bore the harsh truth. "They're not coming."

​

"Of course they are! You came." She replied in an unnervingly cheery tone, contrasting with their environment and Zoraya's own mood. All traces of anger had dropped from Zoraya's tone as she carefully spoke. "What have the Sith done to you?" She asked, her tone edged with sadness, almost regret. "I don't think you even know yourself anymore." She looked upon her cousin with an expression of sympathy. While she had been an annoyance over the last few weeks, now face to face with her, she couldn't begin to imagine the suffering she had been forced to endure for years.

"Nonsense. I know perfectly well who I am." She dismissed the other's concerns. "And besides, I don't work with the Sith anymore." She gave a nonchalant wave of the hand. "Ivan and I left a while ago." She explained. Hesitantly, Zoraya asked, "Where is Ivan now?" It was a dangerous question to ask, given that the response would be unpredictable, knowing that he was likely dead.