Darkness flooded in, an all consuming blanket devouring her whole. Jennifer's limbs, already frozen, disappeared from her senses entirely. A disconnect formed between her body and her mind, as the spell sunk its claws into the depths of her soul.

Magic pulsed within her core, in a part she’d rarely felt. The grand magic she’d felt at her trial, pulsated once more from her Mark, the symbol branded on her very soul. Threads began to loosen, the spell that formed her Mark, unraveling under the force of the Demon’s spell. She couldn’t use her skill, she couldn’t use her magic. Even trying to manipulate her mana deepened the crack in her soul.

“Oh dear, oh dear. You seem to be stuck, Jenn. I’m sorry we had to do it this way,” the demon said with Rumina’s voice. Yet the voice felt distant as if coming down a long tunnel. Jennifer felt her unfocused eyes shift towards the demon. It stood close, but remaind just outside the spell circle, which burned ghastly white underneath Jenn's body.

“Niz will hate me for keeping him here. He’d much rather be taking care of the whole, kill everyone in the city thing, y’know? He only came to make sure the prey was caught. But I had to see you Jenn! How could I miss the death of my dearest friend?” the demon asked, emerald eyes glistening as the Mark on its neck burned with a dark red.

“It’s so strange, y'know? I love you. I love you so much. You’re one of my best friends, and you’ve always been there for me. But, that's a lie isn’t it? You’ve never really been there for me. You're there for the other one. I’m not your friend."

The demon stopped, holding a hand to its chest as it glared at Jenn. "That hurt. It felt so wrong. It felt like I'd lost something that was never mine. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry. And I wanted it to go away,” the demon said, walking closer as it twirled a dagger in its hands. Just like Rumina.

Jennifer felt blood drip down her mouth while her insides screamed at her, still being ravaged by the magic of the demon's spell. Her Mark began to crack, its magic leaking out, as fiery tendrils crawled up her arm, burning her skin.

“Niz helped me with that. He’s still there, part of me. Well, I’m a part of him, I guess. And he told me, If I could kill you, it’d go away. You wouldn’t be there. As a reminder that I wasn’t me. That I’m not even real. That your friend is out there somewhere, and all I am is a shadow,” the demon laughed, as it walked around the circle, watching her body be torn apart inch by inch.

“Niz was mostly wondering how he ever devoured a girl that lived. It shouldn’t be possible. It wouldn’t even work. It was a dilemma. Not to mention our spell on your friend there, suppressing his mark. It was all so strange. No one else should have these abilities. Then how don't we remember making them?” The demon said, tapping its feet as the spell circle began to flash.

Something pulled as unseen strings snapped. Jennifer coughed her back arching as a sharp scream tore out of her mouth. Her bond to prince Laiken was gone.

“Your friend didn’t speak much, but it was clear the spider somehow knew not only me, but you as well. Niz suspected the red-head at first. But he’d found nothing around her. To think it’d be her friend instead. It was such a relief, you know? To know it was you. I could kill you, and Niz would have a good reason to help me! But he was wary. An ability that could alter our memory would be fatal. But then something clicked, as I saw your reckless trip in the dungeon. Your mark makes you immortal doesn’t it?” the demon said, laughing silently.

Jennifer felt herself gasping for air, her mana pathways burned, overdrawn and ravaged by the spell’s work. She could feel the Mark peeling off, layer by layer, and all she could do was silently listen. Like a dying animal trapped in a cage.

She heard Xar scream, but the sound was distant. Her link was fraying, breaking as the crack in her soul deepened. And something was leaking out.

“The next step was fun! I just had to use a tiny bit of soul magic. These marks aren't infallible after all. To kill you, all I have to do is remove your source of immortality. Keeping the spider alive? Obvious bait. And if I’d managed to subdue him? That would've made for a neat addition of a mark,” the demon smiled, glancing towards Xar for a moment.

“Funny thing, how killing a Mark would give me a couple abilities the Mark wielder possesses. Good and all. But breaking their minds and creating flesh puppets out of them? It would provide me so much more. That's one thing I agree with Niz on. Mhmm, killing anyone is a waste. I’d love to have done that to you, but alas. I can’t have an immortal sitting around. Your mark is too dangerous. And I’ll be finding out what exactly it is soon,” the demon said, its mark flashing.

Dark red tendrils rose from underneath Jenn, holding her in place, a needless redundancy as Jenn couldn't even feel her limbs, nevermind struggle. The spell flashed as the demon walked closer. She saw objects fly at the demon, books and stones being flung from where Xar rested. Yet the monster didn’t care, a thin barrier deflecting Xar’s feeble attacks.

“Did you know something? When Niz gains a new form, he gains a portion of their personality and soul as well. Not all of it, just the strongest memories they possessed. I remember my father’s death. Sophie being born, and so many other things. And among them, I remembered you. The first time we’d met, and I’d pestered you about what you did and slowly but surely a smile had covered your face as you’d told me all about the magic you were working on,” the demon said, as red tendrils began to extend from its mark, spreading over its neck.

“I was envious of you, of how you had such a clear goal in life. Something you wanted to chase. To become. All I had was the debt of a dead father. But at the same time I loved to see you so excited. It was nice to see someone so dedicated to their goals. I still have the flower you enchanted for me. I get the enchantment renewed every month. It's still alive, somehow, glowing with the magical blue lustre,” the demon said, walking closer.

Jennifer’s heart trembled with pain as she watched the demon wearing her friend’s form smile at her. A sign of her failures. Her mistakes. And what they'd led to today.

“But I don’t have the flower. I don’t have it. It wasn't me. It was never me. I wanted it to be me. I- Uck. I guess my time is up. Jenn I- You. Are. Too. Slow.” the demon growled, it’s form rippling as a clawed arm formed.

“You’ll be ours now,” the Demon whispered in her ear, as a clawed finger poked at her chest, drawing blood. Jennifer didn’t feel it. The pain was negligible compared to the searing fire burning her soul.

Blood red fire burned at its fingertips as the monster plunged its hand through her chest. Jennifer felt her body tense as the demon’s ethereal hand clawed her soul, crushing it under its grip. For a brief moment, she saw Rumina’s face in the demon’s form.

“I love you Jenn,” it whispered, and Jennifer felt tears flood her eyes as the arm began to tear her mark out. Pain ravaged her mind, as a broken cry was all that came out.

Dark tendrils bore into her being, her Mark starting to tear free. Jennifer felt the whisper of death crawl on her ears, as her vision began to fade. The pain turned to numbness, as life began to drain from her limbs.

She was here again. Right at the very beginning. Her life, torn from her grasp as she watched helplessly. She'd failed.

I… can’t. I’ve lost so much.

The darkness had no reply. It watched on, with its cold merciless gaze. There was nothing waiting for her. No status screens, no marks. Just the cold embrace of death.

Jennifer felt her spirit fraying. Perhaps it would be easier to give up. She'd lost. She could feel her death approaching. There was no reversing this.

I shouldn’t have been given this Mark. I wasn’t the right one. I was never the right one. I… I failed everyone. Mom… Dad… Keith… Rumina… Master. All of them. They will die… because of me. Everyone in the city will.

Jennifer tried to reach out, to Xar, to prince Laiken. To anyone who could save her. To save them all. There was no one to reach out to. No chosen savior, no hero that could fix everything.

Something snapped as a portion of the mark began to tear away. Her eyes opened, her soul leaking as her core began to dissolve.

Forcing open her bleary eyes, she gained a moment of clear vision only to be greeted by Rumina’s face dripping with blood as a crazed smile adorned her face. The dark red mark flashed and Jennifer felt the searing pain spread to her throat. A thread still clung to her soul. A boon she’d been given. The gift she’d kept to herself all this time. Jennifer opened her mouth, her lips trembling from pain, as she whispered out loud.

“I… love you too, Rumina,” Jennifer replied, her friend's eyes staring at her silently. There was no love in them. Just silent purpose.

Jennifer smiled, feeling a burden lift off her shoulder as she dove into her soul and invoked Sera’s blessing.

Fire spread through the demon’s tendril as a howling scream tore itself out of the monster. A golden light erupted within her soul. And she guided it, forcing it into the demon. It’s form shifted, its skin turning dark as the demon screamed in agony she could only hope was akin to her own while its arm burned with golden light.

Jennifer focused, pulling her Mark together. It held on by a strand, clinging to her soul. She sent a pulse of mana to her neck, yet the searing agony of her cracking soul told her she couldn’t use her magic.

Jennifer took a breath. Her heart thundered, as she slowly shifted her mark, and focused on the link to Xar.

The process felt like stabbing her very soul, and carving a chunk out. Jennifer quivered and trembled as the demon wailed in agony, Sera’s blessing tearing through it. She had to be quick, the fragile remnants of her Mark might break at any moment.

With a wave of magic pouring out, she took her Mark and pushed it towards Xar. Into the bond that tied their souls.

Her soul shuddered something starting to break as her sensations began to fade. A strange relief filled her as the darkness came to embrace her once more. This time for eternity.

Jennifer closed her eyes, glad to be free of her suffering. The guilt still tore at her heart. The pain made her wish to cry her eyes out. Yet all that remained at the end, was overwhelming relief.

The answer came, piercing the wave of darkness. Death paused, as if confused at what dared halt its work. Jennifer felt a tug on her soul, the cracking breaking husk of her soul being pulled into the Soul-Bond she’d formed with Xar.

In response, the darkness shivered again. And for a long moment, Jenn thought it would still take her and claim her for itself. Then, with a shudder that passed through her whole body, the shadow of death receded as Jennifer felt a Mark touch her soul.

Xar’s Mark.

'[Mark of Psyche] received!'

Xar replied, as the bond between their Marks snapped. Yet something else had replaced it. Their souls felt tied, their marks intertwined. Jennifer felt Xar’s mark, gently brushing against her. And she felt her own, touching Xar’s soul. The demon’s spell dissolved from Xar’s mark, failing under the remnants of Sera’ blessing. A pull tugged at her core. It screamed at her, the way her spells screamed when she’d just found a piece to a puzzle. The answer was right there.

Jennifer felt her senses expand, her body returning to her, but still locked in place. And then she felt more. She sensed Xar’s mind. His words and thoughts were sluggish, as if weighed down without his mark. She felt a phantom limb, a sensation she could use, her mind capable of touching so much more.

Extending her mind, Jennifer sent an ethereal hand toward the cage Xar was in. And then in a single swipe, she tore the cage apart, freeing Xar.

That single action caused her soul to ache. The damage wasn’t fixed. Yet something kept her fracturing soul tied together. She felt a bond form again, as silver threads snapped around the room. Then those silver thread's crossed through her as Prince Laiken’s mark reached out, tying Jennifer’s and Xar’s mark together.

She watched Xar jump and leap closer to her. Jennifer used her new abilities to dig out the last remaining drops of the Potion of Restoration. The vial floated to her mouth, almost falling from her mental grip as her control slipped. With several small motions, Jennifer tipped the potion through her lips. She prayed for it to work faster even as it travelled down her throat. . Pain coursed in waves as the potion began to work, but the agony didn’t last long, and was nothing compared to the burning inflicted upon her soul moments before. Jennifer pulled herself up, her vision still split in two from her soul damage. But she wasn’t dying anymore. For at least a while.

Xar sent, and Jennifer smiled. She felt the Mark of Psyche burning on her soul, barely hanging on as if ready to leap back to its rightful owner. Jennifer took a moment, summoning the system prompt from Xar’s mark.

Mark of Psyche (Partial)

Memory Link: (Corrupted)

Integrity: 99.99%

Tier: Undefined

She felt the tug of her own Mark, and then, on a whim she tried to summon her own system prompt.

Mark of Time (Vacant)

Counter: 4

Integrity: 73.40% (Damaged/Bleeding)

Tier: Undefined

Her eyes widened at the prompt, and Jennifer turned to look at the mark on her arm. Xar’s mark sat on her wrist, not her own, and yet, the connection wasn’t gone.

Jennifer felt something shift within her new senses and on instinct, she used Xar’s mark, to form a translucent barrier. The demon’s tendrils bore into her feeble shield, shattering it.

“You- Time. I see it now. It was time itself. You can’t be left alive,” the demon howled, half its body burning with flames, its arm charred so thoroughly it was little more than a vague shape. A madness filled its eyes, and Jennifer felt her heart tremble at the venom in its voice. There was no pretense left. No human form to hide behind, just a monster, and her.

Jennifer sent to Xar, receiving immediate acknowledgement.

She floated the debris around the chamber, shooting pieces at the demon as she focused on her Mark. Xar’s mark sat on her soul, tied by magic unknown to her. Yet she could feel the disconnect, this wasn’t her mark, it didn’t belong. So she let it go where it wished to, and let her soul drift through the bond.

Her vision lurched, splitting in eight. A different perspective, a different sight. She saw from both her own eyes, and that of a spider. Jennifer felt her soul collide with Xar. Hers was larger, yet cracked. His, smaller. Yet one that burned like a beacon.

She felt their Marks tug at each other, and she let Xar’s mark go. Mana pulsed through her arm, the Mark of Psyche lost. She felt Xar relinquish her mark as well. The two marks shifted towards one another.

Jennifer felt as if the world had frozen. Time held no meaning as their souls began to shift towards one another. The two marks glowed with furious light as a deep magic pulsed between them. She saw glimpses of a dragon. A silhouette of a man. And then the silhouette was standing beside the beast.

Something shifted in her soul, its cracks mending. A wave of magic gushed forth pulling them together as she felt her Mark combine with Xar’s and their souls intertwined as one.

[Mark of Time → Mark of Time and Psyche!]