Faction Wait for Sleep | Veridia (Jedi Academy)

[0-7]

Wait for Sleep
Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer , Open

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Seven felt like her entire body was being crushed. Her muscles screamed to spasm in any way, but she was frozen in place. Her mind was trapped within itself, an inky void that acted like a tar pit. Her limbs thrashed, only to be restrained by the thing lurking within. As she stood paralyzed in the darkness, a lone shadow appeared. Tall, looming, orange eyes bright as burning torches. It simply stood behind her and tilted down to position it's head beside her ear.

"Where did you go?"

"I don't have to tell you."

"Such bold behavior," the shadow mused. "And here I thought that I had conditioned all such whims out of that pathetic mind... I suppose greatness has it's limits."

"I... don't want to talk to you," Seven shuddered. "Get out... of my head."

"You assume the right to order me? What, did that boy fill your soft little head with hope? Of course his brood would take pity on a slave..."

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

Surprisingly, the shadow twitched, being pushed back a little. Being out of his grasp was allowing Seven time to recover. It's eye flickered, as though the flames were twitching in frustration.

"The facade will crumble soon enough," Kalrath spat. "These people only pity you. This only ends one way. You have failed me. The technology in your body belongs to me. I will come to reclaim it."

There was a pause, and an intense stabbing sensation danced along Seven's back.

"The only thing to do with a broken tool is to salvage it for parts."



The young woman shot up with a gasp, clutching at her chest. She was in bed. Nobody was present. Even at this distance, even with the strangeness of Veridia in the force, Kalrath was still in her head. It made her terrified to sleep, knowing that he'd be there to breathe down her neck and remind her of the fate awaiting her at the end of all this.

A broken tool could only be salvaged for parts.

Seven gently hoisted herself out of bed and picked up a lantern, not bothering to put on her cloak. She gently opened the door and made her way into the dim halls of the Jedi Temple, not uttering a word. She probably just needed a little water and fresh air, is the lie she told herself. In truth she knew it was all just an excuse to keep herself awake and avoid him. The fatigue was setting in by now. Seven was tired, and her eyes wore subtle bags below them that expressed this. To some extent anything was better than sleep...

As long as she didn't have to hear that voice.

 

[DM Player-Slayer]

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The temple was quiet and still, cloaked in darkness. At this late hour, the few remaining denizens within its walls were resting, at least, so it seemed.

Outside, in the courtyards, moonlight spilled softly across the garden paths. Along the edges of the small river that wove through the temple grounds, someone wandered in silence. Their steps were slow, unhurried, as they followed the gentle curves of the stream, casting thoughtful glances into the water below.

There, nestled among smooth stones and rippling reflections, vibrant painted fish rested in the shallows, motionless, save for the occasional flick of a tail. The hush of the night, the scent of blooming herbs, and the tranquil presence of life beneath the surface all lent the scene a dreamlike peace.

 

[0-7]

Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer

​

Seven let out a sigh, sitting herself down in front of the river. She set her lantern down beside her and just... sat there. It was nice. The tranquility and peace of this place helped to set her mind at ease. Compared to the hell that seemed to always be waiting in her dreams, anything seemed better. How simple it would be to be a fish in a stream. No worries aside from the simple necessities for survival.

It would be nice to not have the mind to comprehend terrible things. Alas, she was cursed with a sentient mind. It seemed there would be no relief for her...

At least she could enjoy this place.

 

[DM Player-Slayer]

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The evening was quiet and somber, small painted fishes slept in the stream barely moving as they rested in the dark. A soft presence could be felt by her side... though should she glance she would find no one there... a small flickering glow of light appeared in the tallest tower of the Elysium in the distance.

 

[0-7]

Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer

​

A distant light flickered in the corner of Seven's eyes. A tall tower in the distance, flickering with life afar she was not present to experience. Something else filled the air, a presence that seemed to swirl around her... yet she was alone. This was a strange place. Truly, Seven knew that she should not wander the premises for long, not at this hour anyways. But even so, her curiosity had also begun to blossom. Without the hatred and bile of a cruel master chaining her to composure, her caution began to slip...

And so Seven picked up her lantern and made for the tower.

 

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The path toward the tallest tower was not a straight one. Lantern in hand, Seven's steps echoed softly along a stone walkway that wound its way up the temple's heart. The refurbished halls bore the signature touch of the Jedi Order, smooth, pale stone freshly sanded and sealed, columns restored to crisp symmetry, soft glow-panels set into alcoves in place of old sconces.

But as she climbed higher, the light and polish began to fade. The renovations had not reached these levels yet, or perhaps the Order had chosen to leave them untouched. Here, the walls bore the faded murals of another age, pigment cracked and dim with centuries. Ancient depictions of robed figures in poses of blessing or battle stretched along the corridors, their eyes worn to shallow depressions in the stone. In the silence, they seemed to watch her pass.

The air grew cooler, tinged with a faint mineral dampness. Sections of the vaulted ceiling bore hairline fractures, and through them, the whisper of the night wind drifted in, carrying the scent of rain-wet stone and distant gardens. Her lantern light revealed old relief carvings along the floor's edge, not in the flowing geometric style of Jedi artisans, but in the sharper, more abstract patterns of some older Force tradition.

Occasionally, she would pass a sealed doorway, its frame barred by new durasteel crossbeams, warning sigils stenciled in Aurebesh: RESTRICTED – UNDER RESTORATION. Behind one, she thought she caught the faint glimmer of crystal fragments scattered across a collapsed floor, reflecting her light like dull embers.

The flickering glow from the tower above continued to call her onward, visible through the occasional narrow window. Here the stairwell tightened, spiraling upward, the steps worn shallow in the middle from the countless feet of those who had walked this way before her, centuries before the Order had claimed this place.

And then, at the last landing before the tower's entry, she came to an archway whose lintel bore two layers of history... the faint, weathered chisel marks of an older inscription, overlaid by a newer Jedi seal. The younger stonework was clean and clear; the older was half-hidden, yet still there, the ghost of another name that this place had once answered to.

Beyond that arch, the glow was stronger....

 

[0-7]

Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer

​

Seven's eyes flitted about, taking in the various things in the dark that stimulated her sight as her light reflected off of them. Ancient carvings, shattered gemstone fragments in dilapidated chambers under construction... It was like stepping into another world, out of the recently familiar and into the distantly forgotten. It was no wonder this portion was being renovated. The damage to support structures made it look unsafe.

And yet, the path laid out to her remained clear and without peril. It was almost the perfect siren call, leading her onward. Seven, for her part, continued to do so.

The tower was older than it first appeared. Newer material had been laid over older, with Jedi markings more coherent than that which lay below. All of it was background noise, noticed by Seven for a fleeting moment before her eyes were naturally drawn back to the light...

To which she proceeded deeper.

 

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A figure stood before her in the room, pacing back and forth. His feet did not touch the ground; he floated through the air in silence. Long white hair spilled down his back and broke apart into streams of mist that drifted into the glow around him.


He stopped and turned. His eyes were pale and colorless, fixed on her without blinking. The specter was the source of the light filling the chamber, and now it stared down at the girl.

"Do you seek knowledge, or comfort?"

 

[0-7]

Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer

​

"I..."

A spirit. Seven knew of their existence, but she had yet to meet one in the flesh. Or lack of flesh, as it were. She stilled her breath, trying to relax. This wasn't a Sith spirit... no, it was light. It wasn't going to harm her.

"Knowledge... I want knowledge," she decided. "I don't believe I deserve comfort."

 

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His spectral unblinking gaze settle don the girl and he spoke softly...
"With knowledge comes responsibility. . . Knowledge strips away illusions and leaves you bare before yourself. Comfort shelters weakness; wisdom demands you bleed. Though I wonder...Which will you call strength when the shadows close in? Comfort is fleeting. Knowledge, once gained, never leaves. But beware… knowing why you suffer does not make the pain less. It only makes it sharper Are you prepared to carry such burdens, child of chains?"

 

[0-7]

Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer

​

"I... have already bled," Seven stated, stilling her breath. "I can... I can bleed more."

She needed to know. She had to know. It was a burden she was ready to bare. Metaphorical chains had already weighed her down. The spirit seemed to look right through her, knew what she was. It it could provide knowledge then she had to take it. Maybe she could fix herself if she just understood.

"I... am prepared."

 

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"Prepared words are easy to speak. Prepared hearts are rare. If you would have knowledge, you must open yourself, not only to the light you crave, but to the shadows you hide from. the Force does not heal by hiding your scars. It reveals them. It will not give you comfort, only clarity. Clarity is cruel… but it is also freedom. Begin with truth: tell me, child of chains… what is it you fear knowing most?"

 

[0-7]

Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer

​

"I... am afraid of... I'm afraid of..."

What, was she afraid of death? No... not really. Her instincts were hijacked to keep her from death, but she wasn't afraid of it. She was afraid of Kalrath, but that was moreso based on what he represented. It didn't take long for her to have her answer. It was hard to admit, but at least a spirit wouldn't follow her and rebuke her for what she feared.

Hopefully.

"I'm afraid of knowing that I belonged somewhere," she answered. "That... I was taken from something. It's... easier if I'm nobody."

 

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Soren inclined his head, a shadow of a smile tugging at his mouth.
"Unfortunately… life is seldom fair. Fairness is an illusion we all cling to, because the truth...that chance rules as much as choice, often cuts us far too deep. But knowing that gives us freedom.

You have but one life, and it is incredibly short. Make the most of it. Choose to live as you see fit, and chase its fullest potential. Just because you were born in the storm doesn't mean you must always walk within the rain. Even a tree that grows in shadow can reach toward the sun."

 

[0-7]

Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer

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"I... want to live my own life," Seven insisted. "But he... he's following me. In my head, in my dreams... tormenting me. Telling me he'll... pick me apart for scrap..."

A shudder ran down her spine.

"I don't know what to do..."

 

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The spirit's pale gaze lingered on her, but the chamber itself seemed to change. The glow bent, fractured, and spilled across the old murals. For an instant they were no longer faded pigments and became alive with vibrant color.

"You are not the first child to carry chains within these walls… nor will you be the last. But the chains that bind the body can be broken. The ones that haunt the mind… only you can unshackle... Long before the Jedi carved their seal into this place, my people walked these halls. We did not seek freedom in the way you think of it. We sought harmony with with the self. Freedom was never granted by others; it was forged. You wish to be free, yet you let him live relentless within you. You starve yourself of comfort, fearing it will make you weak, and yet you clutch fear like it is a jewel. "

 

[0-7]

Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer

​

"It... it isn't that simple," Seven answered. "I-I know why he's there, he's... etched himself into my mind. I have... a curse mark grafted into me. I'm not letting him do anything... he's... forced himself into my head. Maybe I can grow stronger, but I don't know if I can even remove the mark he gave me..."

Even now she could feel it on her back... it burned her skin.

"And I am afraid that... someone else may use it against me."

 

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The spirit's pale eyes did not blink, though the faintest ripple of light wavered around him as though stirred by some unseen current.

"What Kalrath carved into you is not an eternal chain. It is an echo... his will reverberating through your flesh and mind. But echoes fade… when another sound is louder."

He drifted closer, his form half-mist, half-shape, and raised one hand toward her back without touching. The air seemed to vibrate faintly, as if the walls themselves were humming.

"You believe yourself bound because you hear only his voice. Yet the Force does not distinguish between his mark and your own spirit. Anything woven into its song can be unwoven; or drowned beneath another verse. If you would undo his curse, you must carve your own echo into the Force... louder, brighter, and unrelenting. When your echo grows stronger than his, the mark will wither."

 

[0-7]

Veridia
Tags: DM Player-Slayer

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Unweave his echo. How did one even do that? The concept was so abstract, yet it was one she could at least comprehend. Her training wasn't up to snuff, however, as Seven had no idea how she would even perform such a thing. She needed time. This wouldn't just come to her out of the blue.

Somebody needed to teach her how. That meant she needed to find someone who would not take advantage of this weakness. Could she trust the Jedi that much?

Seven wanted to.

"How... do I learn this?" the former assassin asked. "Who can teach me?"

 

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The specter's pale gaze lingered on her for several long moments until the faintest shadow of a smirk tugged at his lips. He said nothing more.

The light around him fractured like glass catching the sun, his form unraveling into streams of mist. In the silence that followed, the glow dimmed and the tower seemed suddenly colder, and empty.

Where he had stood, something small rested.... A folded paper crane, delicate and impossibly old. Its edges were worn, the creases soft with age, yet it held together as if protected by unseen hands.

Now there was only her, the silence of the tower, and the fragile crane.