"Sometimes, it takes being torn apart to realize how tightly you’re stitched to someone else."
Notty awoke to a suffocating darkness, her body heavy and unresponsive, as if the very air around her was laced with lead. The oppressive silence pressed against her ears, broken only by the faint sound of her own shallow breathing. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if she was still in the astral plane—or somewhere far worse.
“Notty?” Ludikrousz’s voice, hoarse but steady, broke through the void.
Relief washed over her like a wave, and she forced herself to move, her fingers brushing against something warm and solid. “Ludikrousz,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “You’re here.”
“Unfortunately,” he replied dryly, though the tension in his voice betrayed his attempt at humor. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted, her body trembling as she pushed herself upright. “Where are we?”
“The shadow’s idea of a luxury suite, apparently,” he muttered, his hand brushing hers as he helped steady her. “Feels like it wanted us to be comfortable while it plotted our demise.”
Notty managed a weak laugh, though the fear in her chest refused to fade. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw their prison—a swirling void of shadows, the walls pulsing like a living thing. Threads of dark magic wove through the air, their energy crackling faintly.
“It’s like being inside its mind,” she said, her voice laced with unease.
Ludikrousz nodded, his usual sharp wit tempered by the gravity of their situation. “Then let’s hope it’s not paying attention. We need a way out.”
Notty’s gaze fell to her hands, the faint glow of her magic barely visible. “My powers are still too weak,” she said, frustration bubbling to the surface. “I don’t even know if I can weave anything in here.”
“Then don’t,” Ludikrousz said, his tone firm. “Not yet. Save your strength. We’ll figure something out.”
She looked at him, her heart aching at the sight of his bruised face and the shadows under his eyes. “Why do you always act like this is your fight too?” she asked quietly. “You could have walked away so many times.”
He met her gaze, his expression softening. “Because it is my fight, Notty. I might not have your magic, but I’m not about to let you face this alone.”
Her breath hitched, and for a moment, the weight of the darkness around them felt lighter. “You’re impossible,” she murmured, though her voice was tinged with gratitude.
“And you’re stubborn,” he shot back, his lips twitching into a faint smile. “We’re a great tandem.”
The oppressive silence was broken by a low, guttural laugh that echoed through the void. Notty and Ludikrousz froze, their eyes darting around the prison as the shadows began to shift and swirl.
“So sweet,” the entity’s voice rumbled, dripping with mockery. “Two fragile mortals clinging to each other, hoping in hopeless times.”
Notty’s hands clenched into fists, her fear giving way to anger. “Show yourself,” she demanded, her voice steadier than she felt.
The shadows coalesced into a towering figure, its form fluid and ever-changing. Its eyes burned with an otherworldly light, and its presence filled the space with an overwhelming sense of dread.
“Your audacity, Dreamweaver,” it said, its voice reverberating through the void. “But boldness will not save you.”
Ludikrousz stepped in front of Notty, his body tense. “You’d be surprised what we can survive,” he said, his tone sharp despite the tremor in his voice.
The entity laughed again, a sound that sent chills down Notty’s spine. “Survival is not your destiny,” it said. “Your destiny is mine to shape.”
Before either of them could respond, the shadows surged forward, enveloping them in a suffocating darkness. Notty gasped as images flooded her mind—visions of failure, of her magic unraveling, of the people she loved turning their backs on her.
“You are nothing without your magic,” the entity’s voice whispered in her ear. “A weaver of dreams destined to be undone by her own threads.”
The visions shifted, and now Ludikrousz was there, his face etched with pain as he accused her. “You’re the reason this is happening. You dragged me into this, Notty. I should have walked away.”
“No,” she whispered, her heart breaking at the sight. “That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?” the entity taunted. “You’ve always been a burden. Always too much. Even he sees it.”
“Notty!” Ludikrousz’s voice cut through the darkness, sharp and urgent. “Whatever it’s showing you, it’s not real. Don’t let it in!”
Her eyes snapped open, the visions shattering like glass as she gasped for air. She turned to see Ludikrousz struggling against the shadows, his body tense but unyielding.
“You’re stronger than this,” he said, his voice steady. “Don’t let it win.”
Notty’s chest tightened, a surge of determination flooding her veins. She reached for the faint glow of her magic, the threads trembling in her hands but holding steady. “Get out of my head,” she growled, pouring her will into the threads. The shadows recoiled, the entity letting out a roar of anger as the magic pushed back against its hold. Notty’s strength faltered, but Ludikrousz was there, his hand on hers, grounding her.
“We’re not done yet,” he said, his voice filled with quiet determination.
As the darkness receded, a faint light appeared in the distance. Notty and Ludikrousz turned toward it, their breaths ragged but their resolve unshaken.
“What is that?” Ludikrousz asked, his voice wary.
“I don’t know,” Notty admitted. “But it’s the only way out.”
They moved toward the light, their steps hesitant but deliberate. The shadows didn’t follow, though the entity’s presence lingered, a constant weight on their shoulders. When they reached the source of the light, they found a figure waiting for them. It was cloaked in shimmering threads of gold and silver, its face obscured but its presence unmistakably powerful.
“You’ve endured much, Dreamweaver,” the figure said, its voice calm but resonant. “But your journey is far from over.”
“Who are you?” Notty asked, her voice trembling with equal parts hope and suspicion.
“I am a keeper of this realm,” the figure replied. “And I hold the key to defeating the shadow that haunts you.”
Ludikrousz stepped forward, his expression skeptical. “Why help us now? Where were you when we were getting tossed around like rag dolls?”
The figure’s gaze shifted to him, its voice unwavering. “Because now, you are ready. The shadow thrives on doubt and fear, but you have faced both and emerged stronger.”
Notty looked at the figure, her heart pounding. “What is the key?”
The figure extended a hand, revealing a spindle of glowing threads unlike any Notty had seen before. They shimmered with an intensity that made her breath catch, their energy humming with a power she could barely comprehend.
“This thread is woven from the fabric of creation itself,” the figure said. “It can bind the shadow, but only if wielded with unwavering resolve.”
Notty hesitated, the weight of the spindle pressing against her chest. “What’s the cost?”
The figure’s gaze softened. “Every stitch requires sacrifice. But only you can decide if it is worth it.”
As Notty reached for the spindle, the shadows surged again, and the entity’s voice thundered through the void. “You will not take what is mine!”
The light around them dimmed, and the ground trembled as the entity launched a surprise attack, its dark magic crashing toward them like a tidal wave. Notty clutched the spindle, her magic flaring as she braced herself for the fight to come.