Private Of Sound Mind & Soul

[Darth Vyle]

Location: Voss, Voss system, Allied Tion sector

The wind tore at Darth Vyle's hair as she stepped onto the Old Paths in pursuit of a secret. The Voss were rumored to have unraveled the secrets of the mind—to healing it and walking through it as easily as one might an empty street—eons ago. And now, she would follow the path of many Sith ancients in seeking to unlock those secrets and bend them to her own will. Her path to power began here.

She turned to regard the Acolyte trailing behind her. Quintessa was far shorter than Vyle, with a shock of pink hair, pointed elf-like ears, and eyes that were like pools of swirling water reflecting moonlight.

Darth Vyle had never taken on students before. As a Knight, it was her right, but she had not amassed enough knowledge yet to teach a student of her own. Still, the smaller Sith had promised to help her with her trials, in exchange for tutelage in the essence of Sith magick; and Vyle supposed there was no harm in sharing some of the basics, hoarding the more arcane secrets for herself.

"Lesson One," she began, without any hint or prelude to where she was going with it. It was the first words they had spoken since leaving the city and stepping into the wilderness. "Any secret worth concealing will not be easily found. Those who hold power will always seek to keep it from you." A shadow from a passing cloud fell over her face, and her steel-grey eyes twinkled in the darkness. "Even me."

She returned her attention to the path ahead. Jagged cliffs and elder trees crowded them to either side, and a babbling brook cut in front of them, a small wooden bridge for passing pilgrims the only way to cross it. The first trial was hidden somewhere nearby. Vyle could sense the echos of the wards used to conceal its location, but could not immediately discern the direction they should go. "Be alert for anything that appears... out of place. Even the best secret-keepers cannot fully bury their treasures. There are always traces."

Quintessa​

​

 

[Quintessa]

Location: Old Paths - Voss
Time: Middle Afternoon

​

She had set her reservations aside for this one.

To aid an Eternalist in the pursuit of knowledge and power would normally be forbidden, an action tantamount to heresy. Even after receiving clearance to do so from her overseers, Quintessa still felt uneasy about it. The secrets of the Voss were dangerous favors to bestow upon those who were not covered by the Eternal Father’s Eclipse. And yet, after so many fights against powerful opponents, Quintessa knew her own limits and weaknesses. It went without saying that she could not gain the secrets of the Voss Mystics on her own. Not to mention, the task of honing her mind as much as she had already honed her body was imperative to fulfill if she was to prove that she possessed the Blood of the Exiles.

Even as an Acolyte, she was looking beyond Knighthood, towards the rank of Master.

Glancing back at the automated repulsor sled floating along behind her, which was loaded with camping and survival supplies, rations, consumables, and other gear. Quintessa’s ears twitched upon registering the Witch’s voice, her eyes widening as she took in her burning gaze and fiery red mane, which seemed that much more aflame when set against the stark yellow-orange of Voss’s sky.

“Are you sure? All the Sith I’ve ever studied with gave me power and secrets for free. All I ever had to do was buy one of my overseers a box of Darkside Cookies and a cheap cup that had ‘best overseer at the academy’ printed on the side!” Quintessa replied, a slight twist of sarcasm in her otherwise sweet, mincing tone. “I bet if we just go up to the temple and ask them nicely they’ll turn over all their holocrons and artifacts!” The tiny Asa’nyx added, before shifting her attention to her surroundings and the trail ahead, both her physical and Force senses scanning for disparities and strange manifestations.

Of course, Quintessa didn’t verbalize that she had only done so due to Vyle’s guidance.

Darth Vyle ​

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit
  
  • Sith Talisman
    
    • Spirit Anchor
    • Amulet of Many
  • Utility
    
    • Supernal Infusion
• Dancer’s Wheels
• Quintessa’s Twin Lightsaber Shotos

 

[Darth Vyle]

The girl spoke with the arrogance of an Acolyte who did not have the proper guiding hand. If what she said was true, her training had been handed to her with bribes and childish tricks.

It was insulting.

Darth Vyle regarded her with a glare that could have melted durasteel. "Lesson Two," she said, her voice icy and threatening. "No true Sith is ever given power, and no power worth gaining is ever given."

She took two short strides until she was towering over Quintessa, her steely eyes beating down on the Acolyte girl. "Power is for the strong, for those who bleed for it," she continued. She raised a single hand, red mist already gathering around her fingers. She summoned her dark magick and willed the girl to be shoved, face first into the ground, in a kneeling posture, using just enough pressure to be uncomfortable. "Everyone else kneels. Their place is to serve. Is that where you want to be?"

Vyle released her grip on the girl, so that she could get back to her feet. Meanwhile, she fixed her gaze on the stream some meters in front of them, emerging from a copse of trees. The Shadow tugged at her, a magnet dragging her to its source. The first clue was in that direction.

She began to walk without waiting for Quintessa to follow. The Acolyte would—she needed the secrets of Voss as much as Vyle did. But it would be only when the girl caught up that she would speak again, "I can assure you, I will not be bribed," she began. "I will teach as we walk, but it will be up to you to learn."

Her gaze cut through the underbrush as she reached the outer limits of the small forest, searching for the source of the brook. As she did, she asked, "You indicated at our first meeting that you were fast, but tell me your weaknesses. What is it you lack that you wish to refine?"

Quintessa​

​

 

[Quintessa]

Location: Old Paths - Voss
Time: Middle Afternoon

Quintessa froze in place, bidden by a will that was not her own.

"Lesson Two," she said, her voice icy and threatening. "No true Sith is ever given power, and no power worth gaining is ever given."

She took two short strides until she was towering over Quintessa, her steely eyes beating down on the Acolyte girl. "Power is for the strong, for those who bleed for it," she continued. She raised a single hand, red mist already gathering around her fingers. She summoned her dark magick and willed the girl to be shoved, face first into the ground, in a kneeling posture, using just enough pressure to be uncomfortable.

The small-statured Acolyte felt her neck pulled upward as if by an invisible hand, her eyes pried open and suspended in place, with even the simple, unconscious act of blinking denied to her. Forced to stare up into the Witch’s fiery crimson gaze, her feet left the ground only moments after she processed what was happening, at which point her jaw slammed into the dirt with no small amount of force—enough to inflict stinging pain as the taste of blood to arose on her tongue, though not enough to result in permanent damage.

"Everyone else kneels. Their place is to serve. Is that where you want to be?"

Quintessa took a deep intake of air as the invisible hand surrounding her entire body down even to the level of her organs loosened its grasp, her form collapsing to the ground in the process. And yet, knowing that it would be a sign of weakness to linger there, the tiny Asa’nyx grunted as she pushed herself up from the ground on unsteady legs, still dazed from the sudden violence of Vyle’s act.

A sting of resentment manifested, and yet, every part of her knew that the Witch was correct, Eternalist or not. She had gone her entire career thus far on the knowledge of the overseers, subsisting on teachings which had been given to her, not earned under the dedicated tutelage of a Master. She had taken that knowledge further than most, but there were gaps in it which had been exposed.

“No.” Quintessa answered softly, the sass and sarcasm now gone from her voice, but within its tone yet lingered a blaze.

A moment later, Quintessa made to walk after the Witch, the automated repulsor sled floating along behind her. Shaking her head, the speedster once more made to extend her Sense across the environment, the pain from an unbidden headache disrupting her focus as she did.

"You indicated at our first meeting that you were fast, but tell me your weaknesses. What is it you lack that you wish to refine?"

“The powers of the mind and spirit channeled to dominate the material world.” Quintessa breathed. “The power to knit flesh via the harnessing of energy.” She added. “Those are my weaknesses.” The tiny Acolyte finished, a heavy breath escaping from her lips as she did.

An act of trust and submission. Now that Vyle knew her weaknesses, Quintessa could not hope to defeat her now or within the foreseeable future.

She would have to grow beyond the Witch, for such a thing to be possible.

Darth Vyle ​

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit
  
  • Sith Talisman
    
    • Spirit Anchor
    • Amulet of Many
  • Utility
    
    • Supernal Infusion
• Dancer’s Wheels
• Quintessa’s Twin Lightsaber Shotos

 

[Darth Vyle]

Darth Vyle was pleased with the girl's answers, even if they were squeezed from her. The witch sensed the shift in Quintessa's mood, and speculated she was already viewing her as an obstacle to be overcome. Good. That simple shift in mindset already made her more of a Sith than she was when they had first arrived on this planet.

As they walked, Vyle pondered the course her training would take on this adventure they found themselves on. Following the brook, she felt the dark side's pull grow steadily stronger. The first trial of their journey was soon upon them. But in the meantime, she could throw the girl a bone. Clasping her hands in front of her, the witch slowed down so that she could match Quintessa's stride.

"Your weaknesses will not be easily covered," she confessed. "But for now, let us focus on the strength of your mind. The Voss Mystics often test those who walk this Path in the mental plane. So, it would seem to serve us both that you work on increasing that skill. As to the others, we will come to them in time."

Deeper into the copse of trees, the ground suddenly jutted up into a steep cliff that acted as a wall to their progress. Vyle closed her eyes, feeling for the strings of Force energy that would guide her to their destination. When she opened them, she noticed a curious anomaly she had seen when they arrived: the brook disappeared within the cliffside, clearly to some unseen underwater aquifer or lake, likely the location of the trial they were searching for.

To the right of the water, she saw what must have been an opening that Voss Mystics had used to travel inside the cliff and under the planet's surface. The opening was now covered in debris, possibly the results of a cave-in. They would need to remove the debris if their journey was to continue.

"Perfect," Darth Vyle said. She moved closer to the blocked cave mouth and gestured. "You will practice on these. The art of telekinesis sharpens the mind. It requires clear intention and a willpower that dwarfs the size of your task. Close your eyes." She demonstrated by doing so herself. "Envision your desire clearly as you reach for the Force. Remember, you are not asking it for help. You are telling it what to do."

A red mist, the color of Vyle's magick, appeared around one of the larger stones. With a groan, the stone was pulled lose, floated gracefully a few meters, and crashed into the ground shortly to her left. The Sith witch opened her eyes again. "Now, you."

Quintessa​

​

 

[Quintessa]

Location: Old Paths - Voss
Time: Middle Afternoon

Quintessa’s ears twitched as they registered the wing beats of a large bird flying overhead. From her mother she knew that similar creatures had once been her species’ most dangerous predators on their now-desolated homeworld, but having encountered and engaged with so many horrors since the beginning of her training in the Kainate Sith Kabal, that primal fear had long since been conquered.

Or so, she believed.

Upon registering the distance that had formed between them, Quintessa ran few paces to catch back up with the Witch, her non-Force-augmented stride woefully short compared to that of the taller woman. Before long, the brook led them to a steep cliff. Quintessa initially made to extend her Sense as well, but the tiny Acolyte quickly changed her mind and instead, decided to watch the Witch as she did so, eyes widening as the woman’s fiery gaze disappeared behind her closed lids in deep focus.

The closing of the eyes was a simple act, but one that Quintessa took particular note of. The Miraluka were known for their talent in seeing through the Force for that very reason, since they lacked an organic visual sense to rely on or use as a crutch to compensate for poor Force ability. A part of her thoughts pondered as to why such a simple concept hadn’t dawned on her sooner, but Quintessa didn’t let her mind linger on the matter.

Now, came her first true test of the day. A test similar to the one she had failed on Exegol.

Her awareness of that day came rushing back to her in an instant, the memory of the burning sensation upon her flesh from the manifestation of cursed Light fresh on her mind—inflicting a pain which she had not been able to draw from no matter how much she willed it so. Fortunately, now that she was no longer under the affliction of the Light, the tiny Asa’nyx believed that she had a better chance of overcoming the obstacle set before her, than she had on Exegol. After watching Vyle move one of the stones in demonstration, Quintessa closed her eyes and committed her focus to achieving the same. Her Sense honed in on one of the stones at the outer edge of the stack before she brought her willpower to bear, as powerful or insignificant as it might have been. Then, she sought to bring the Force into manifestation, calling forth even the relatively minor, throbbing pain in her jaw as a font of power, before attempting to clench, then heft the stone within the invisible grip of her mind, sweat beading across her brow as she did.

Darth Vyle ​

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit
  
  • Sith Talisman
    
    • Spirit Anchor
    • Amulet of Many
  • Utility
    
    • Supernal Infusion
• Dancer’s Wheels
• Quintessa’s Twin Lightsaber Shotos

 

[Darth Vyle]

Darth Vyle stood, arms folded, as Quintessa struggled to move a single rock. If she were a Jedi, she would have been beaming with pride that her student had achieved even this meager feat. But she was a Sith, and she expected much more.

"Focus," she said. "Bring your emotions more sharply into focus. Summon your rage — the rage you felt when I made you kneel a moment ago. The fear you felt when that bird passed overhead. Block out anything else, anything useless. Anything but your goal and the emotions needed to accomplish it."

As she taught, Vyle observed the passageway under the cliffside. Once Quintessa was done, there was now a big enough opening for the two of them to squeeze through. She would need to search for more obstacles for the young Acolyte to practice on when they were inside. The girl had talent to do what she had done so far; but more adversity would help nurture that talent, and if there was one thing Vyle was good at, it was providing adversity.

"Now," she continued. "Make the stone move. Envision clearly where you want it to go and set it down with as much precision as you picked it up. Make the Force bend to your will and whims."

Quintessa​

​

 

[Quintessa]

Location: Old Paths - Voss
Time: Middle Afternoon

"Bring your emotions more sharply into focus. Summon your rage — the rage you felt when I made you kneel a moment ago. The fear you felt when that bird passed overhead. Block out anything else, anything useless. Anything but your goal and the emotions needed to accomplish it."

Exegol. The cursed Light. The cruel mockery of the Great Crystal.

The memories came back with a renewed vengeance and for a moment, they were as raw as the day she had acquired them. Within her mind’s eye she saw a semblance of a face form within the structure of a massive crimson crystal, its features twisted in a mocking sneer.

Then, it spoke.

“You could have ended the Marr line and seized its strength for the Eclipse, but you were too weak. Too conflicted. A strong Sith you might have become, but you let a mere friend become your weakness.” The voice hissed. “And for what? What will he offer you now that you could not have seized by strength, had you only possessed the will to do so?” It continued. “But fear not little one—someone else will strike him down and then they will take you as well. The Eclipse will grow as it always has, you just won’t be a part of the equation.”

A tear slipped down Quintessa’s left cheek, but with it came a rising undercurrent of anger and indignation. Before long, her emotions came to a simmer, then a boil, before manifesting outward as she sought to will the rock from its place with a renewed strength.

Slowly, the rock shifted from its resting place and came aloft, a shaky, yet resolute willpower grasping it within an invisible fist. From there, the rock was pulled towards the tiny Asa’nyx, at which point she opened her eyes, then closed them again.

The task was not yet complete.

Refusing to let the stone escape from her grasp, Quintessa tapped into her reserves of strength as she guided it down to the ground, before letting it come to rest, a gasp escaping from her lips once the effort was complete.

“It’s done, Lady Vyle.” The small-statured Acolyte breathed. She dared not meet the Witch's fiery gaze.

Darth Vyle ​

 

[Darth Vyle]

Darth Vyle did know what memory the girl ultimately employed to achieve such strength, but it had clearly worked. For a flicker of a moment, Quintessa was submerged in the currents of the dark side, and the naive girl who had admitted to bribing her teachers for power mere moments ago was transfigured.

Vyle nodded, a feeble gesture, but one that held a modicum of approval. "Never forget that sensation," she instructed. "Anger, fear, regret — they are not a weakness as the Jedi teach. They are tools. Used properly, they become keys to greater power." She unfolded her arms. "We will practice more later. For now, shall we?"

The Sith witch pushed her thin fame through the gap the two of them had created in the stone. On the other side was a worn pathway—stairs hewn from the stone that led deep down into the earth. The Force shimmered the further down the two of them went. This was the right place. Vyle was sure of it.

"This place will test us," she explained as they traveled. "You indicated to me you seek the knowledge of healing. The ritual I seek at the end of these trials is healing of a kind. In addition to the spells I can teach you to mend the body, should you prove worthy of them, this ritual can heal even the most broken minds." She stopped just under a stone archway that would no doubt lead into the trial chamber. "Mind what I have told you. Power is taken, not given. These tests are no different."

Her piece said, Darth Vyle stepped through the threshold. The cave opened up into a massive subterranean chamber. It only took a moment for Vyle to realize they were standing on the shore of an underground lake which seemed to glow with a light not in the room. Shadows danced on the cavern walls, even as ribbons of blue-green light undulated between them.

Further in, at the center of the lake, was a small island featuring a pedestal with a dreamstone on it. Vyle had read about them being important to Voss rituals. Yet, between the lake's shore—and thus the pedestal island—and the two Sith, stood a shimmering figure. The questgiver, no doubt.

Quintessa​

​

 

[Quintessa]

Location: Old Paths -> Lake of the Seventh Mystic - Voss
Time: Middle Afternoon

It was only after Vyle spoke, reminding her of the power that lay within her emotions, that Quintessa felt the tension leave her body—a temporary reprieve. Out of the corner of her eye, she had seen the Witch nod, but Quintessa’s emotions were uncertain in response to the gesture.

The tiny Acolyte was not after the Witch's approval, but there was a level of satisfaction that inevitably came with overcoming a challenge. Even so, Quintessa was careful to steer her emotions away from pride. Her distaste for it came not only from intensive hypno-brainwashing and indoctrination, but also from how she had seen it work upon the sneering aspect of Malum, ever hungry for the boons that he believed to be his birthright.

A birthright she could have denied to him, had she been that much stronger.

“Yes, Lady.” Quintessa answered, before following Vyle through the gap. From there, a pathway of stairs carried them beneath the surface, the orange light from the sky dissipating the further down they went, before coming up on a stone archway.

All the while, Quintessa’s ears perked up as Vyle spoke of the coming trials. It was only then that she realized why she had accepted her help. The Witch had foreseen that she might need her to attain the secrets that she craved, though in what manner, the tiny Acolyte could not even venture to guess. However, upon hearing Vyle reiterate as to the true price of power, Quintessa thought to open her mouth to clarify that she had meant the bribes in jest, but quickly decided against it.

Such a perception might play to her advantage, if the Witch truly believed that she had done such a thing.

The Oracle was as still as a statue, his seemingly inert form almost blending in with the dark lighting inside the chamber. It was only the luminescent glow of his orange gaze and the reflection of the extravagant jewelry set over his robes which drew the eye towards him, his presence in the Force clouded as if a shroud had been laid over his emotions.

And yet, his manner was as sweet as nectar from a flower.

“A thousand pleasant tidings, Vyle of Dathomir and Quintessa of Malsheem.” The Prophet began, his eyebrows flashing in greeting. “I have foreseen your arrival. Know that both of you are welcomed here, even as noon passes to night. And yet, I sense a certain urgency about this visit.” He continued, a slight frown manifesting across his features.

“Tell me Children of the Exiles, what is it that you seek?”

Darth Vyle ​

 

[Darth Vyle]

Darth Vyle could not remember the last time she had been welcome anywhere. She had grown used to making herself welcome. Then again, the Oracle, statue or sentient, was not likely to find her a welcome presence for long. The Voss hoarded their secrets, and he was unlike to give his up easily.

"We come in search of a ritual," Vyle said, speaking now directly to the Oracle. "It is called the 'dream-walk' beyond the veil of your planet." She clasped her hands in front of her, the way she often did when talking to strangers. "It is said that the secrets of this ritual are guarded by three trials. Am I to take it that you are gatekeeper of these tests?"

As she spoke, she drew the Shadow around her mind, steeling it against attempts at penetration. The Voss Mystics were strong in the Force and particularly talented at invading the mind. She should have taught Quintessa this ability before they entered the chamber, but there was hardly time, and even with years the girl might not master it.

"If you are," she continued, no outward hint of her inward efforts. "Then we wish to take them. Now."

By force if necessary.

Quintessa​

​

 

[Quintessa]

Location: Old Paths -> Lake of the Seventh Mystic - Voss
Time: Middle Afternoon

If he had been cowed, the Oracle showed nothing of it.

“As was seen.” Tammuz-Ra answered. “I shan’t keep you waiting, then. The hour passes quickly and if you wish to take the second trial today as well, then you will need all the light left of the day.” The Prophet nodded, his frown replaced by a fresh smile as he gestured towards the small keelboat set at the shore of the lake, allowing the two women to step on.

“That said, I or perhaps…we no longer offer a set number of trials. It could be as few as one or as many as seven. However, I have already betrayed to you that there will be at least two.” He spoke candidly as he followed the two Sith onto the boat, at which point a nearby R2-series astromech grumbled to life, bonking its chassis against a nearby rock in the process. Nevertheless, the droid found its place inside the control socket a few moments later and soon, the boat was off, floating on a course towards the small island in the middle of the lake.

“The first trial will begin at the dreamstone on the island. There, you will meditate and enter a dream-walk into your own subconscious, where you will face avatars of your most potent fears, experiences, dreams, and regrets.” The Oracle then gave a short pause, a deep breath escaping from his lips.

“Should you fail, there is no telling what horrors these avatars might inflict upon you, physically or mentally.”

Darth Vyle ​

 

[Darth Vyle]

If Darth Vyle was at all perturbed by Tammuz-Ra's threats, she didn't show it, stepping onto the boat without the faintest whiff of fear or anxiety. She waited for Quintessa to seat herself in the boat, and for the R2 unit the Oracle had procured to begin their trek across its waters, before she spoke to the Acolyte.

"We will take the trial together," Vyle explained, "But it will test us separately. The dreamstone brings you within your own subconscious. You will not have help, nor would I help you if I could." Her eyes held an iridescent shimmer as the glow of the lake caught them. "Remember your earlier lesson. A real Sith makes the Force obey their whim. It is your mind. Your fears. Command them, and they cannot hope to harm you."

The boat grazed the shore of the dreamstone's island moments later. Lady Vyle sat before the stone, legs crossed, eyes closed, relaxed. The Oracle had instructed them to meditate, so Vyle reached for the Shadow. Scarlet ichor flowed out her body as she drank the Shadow in, spreading from her like a bloodmist until it contacted the dreamstone.

Then, she was floating, unaware of herself, as the dreamstone took her deep within her mind, and the first trial began...

Quintessa​

​

 

[Quintessa]

Location: Old Paths -> Lake of the Seventh Mystic - Voss
Time: Middle Afternoon

"Remember your earlier lesson. A real Sith makes the Force obey their whim. It is your mind. Your fears. Command them, and they cannot hope to harm you."

“I understand, Lady Vyle. I shall not let my fears break me.” Quintessa replied in a dutiful tone, her gaze meeting the shimmering iridescent orbs of Vyle’s eyes, before breaking off once the Witch had given her instruction. For the rest of the brief trip, the tiny Sith’s gaze went distant as she stared over the lake, only for her lull to be broken when the boat lurched to a halt upon the island’s shore. Without hesitation, the tiny Asa’nyx stepped off the boat, the words of the Oracle causing her ears to twitch as she made her way to the dreamstone.

“I shall remain in observance.” The Prophet said. “Time may pass slower within the dream-realm, so for me this will only be a matter of minutes.” He continued, before gesturing to the dreamstone.

“You may begin, when ready.”

Even in meditation, Vyle’s power was palpable to the senses, causing the Asa’nyx’s gaze to widen as the Witch’s crimson ichor billowed out around her floating form. Nevertheless, Quintessa did not linger in observance for longer than a moment, before taking her place at the opposite side of the dreamstone and closing her eyes in meditation.

Together, yet apart.

A shimmer of light.

Slowly, the light shifted—taking form, shape, and color, until it morphed into a landscape, familiar, yet alien.

Dathomir.

Vyle stood before a ruined temple, amidst gnarled branches, old statues, and long-dead skeletons of Witches slain during the New Imperial scourge against the world. Of course, not all of the Clans had seen the wrath of the Imperials visited upon them, but the scale of death and destruction was such that the planet might not recover for years to come.

However, the remnants of such death and destruction was only a backdrop to what the dream-realm had conjured.

As if on cue, there was another shimmer of light, this one bluish in color—a stark contrast to the red ochre of Dathomir’s sky. With her keen gaze, the Witch would be able to make out the beginnings of a portal, out of which floated a feminine figure, identical to Vyle herself, save for one significant marker.

The Light.

“It can’t be…” The Light Witch murmured. “Faye? Is that...me?”

Darth Vyle ​

 

[Darth Vyle]

Darth Vyle took a moment to reorient herself. She had expected some manner of astral projection, but the Voss Mystics were stronger than she had initially believed. To have recreated Dathomir so faithfully that she could reach out and caress a branch, feeling every dip and groove along its bark, was... astounding.

Yet, seeing Faye, her old self, was somehow more startling.

Darth Vyle had not seen the face of the woman she had once been in many long years. Her Master had long burned Fayre Kymeri out of her, replacing her with a Shadow who merely wore the girl's face. The Shadow reacted viscerally to Fayre's recognition, flinching away from the Light.

"No," Vyle spat. "I am not you. I killed you long ago. You're nothing but a ghost. A weak spirit. I am well rid of you. But," Red fire seemed to burn behind Vyle's eyes, "If I must exorcize you again, so be it."

Darth Vyle raised her hand, coating it in magick, willing Faye not just to be chained within her mind, but to be excised. Her mind would no longer be a slave to the Light. After this, she will have banished it...

Meanwhile, within the space of Quintessa's mind, there was no planet or Dathomir that surfaced. The space remained black, empty, lifeless... except for the mirror of Quintessa that stood opposite her. This Quintessa was much less colorful than the real thing, with eyes as black as the space around them.

"Shall not let your fears get the best of you, huh?" the Fake-Quintessa snickered, dark mirth in her voice. "What have you ever had to fear? Little Quintessa, handed everything by her teachers and superiors. You're no Sith, and you will be a false Knight. How can you bear to look at yourself?" Her smile widened. "To look at me?"

Quintessa​

​

 

[Quintessa]

Location: Lake of the Seventh Mystic - Voss
Time: Middle Afternoon

Quintessa came to with a shudder, finding herself within a starry, black realm of space, lacking a planet or a surface. The tiny Asa’nyx quickly took in her surroundings, honing her emotions as she did. She could still feel the throbbing pain in her jaw, a sign that this realm was somehow interlinked with the one she had come from.

Now, all she had left to do was return to it.

Suddenly, the tiny Asa’nyx’s ears perked up upon registering the shrilling of a gratingly high-pitched voice. She immediately spun around, finding herself gazing upon a mirror of herself, with skin as dark as night and eyes like balls of ink.

No wonder she had found the voice so repulsive.

“Ugh, you sound like a fucking womp rat.” Quintessa hissed. “Is that really my voice? Daeva, help me.” She said.

"You're no Sith, and you will be a false Knight. How can you bear to look at yourself?" Her smile widened. "To look at me?"

“Damn it, you’re right.” Quintessa continued. “I really can’t stand to look, much less even listen to you. But, you know…” The tiny Asa’nyx’s voice went soft, a wicked smile manifesting across her alabaster features.

“I’ve killed dogs, beasts, Netherspawn, men, Dark Jedi, Sith, and Daeva knows what else. How would you like to be next, hmm?”

A magick barrier of white and blue manifested to intercept Vyle’s attack.

“Did you do this to us?” The Light Witch spoke, as she gestured towards the skeletons of the fallen Witches—who had been hunted down during the scourge. “Did you lead these Imperials here, twin?” She continued, her words accusing, yet her tone was eerily calm.

“You would not forsake your own planet out of spite, would you?”

Darth Vyle ​