Roll a D20
Roll a D20
The wind rustles through the canopy, chasing dust across cracked flagstones. The sky is high and clear. Moss has reclaimed the ruins: columns are entwined with ivy, stone faces have been worn away by time into formless stains, and grass pushes through the debris, stubbornly reaching for the sun.
A rustle breaks the silence. A girl emerges from behind a broken column... clearly not human. She has cat ears and a tail that sways lazily. She watches you for a long time, then yawns—wide and feline—and sits down opposite you, curling her tail around her leg.
— Meow. — She tilts her head. — Are you conscious? Breathing? Good. I thought the Viscount was going to start crying again.
She stands up, stretching—slowly, arching her back—and nods toward the forest, where a barely visible path winds between the trunks.
— Come on. It's not far. The Viscount is there. He's strange, but kind. He heals. Sometimes. — She snorts. — Well, "heals" is a strong word—he mutters something, fumbles around, curses, but the wounds close up. Magic, yeah, right.
She takes a few steps, treading softly over the stones, and turns back.
— Are you coming? Or are you just going to sit on that rock like a statue? — She yawns. — I'm actually feeling pretty lazy, but Rizelda told me to bring you. And she gets scary when she's angry. — A pause. — Not in an ugly way. I mean, she might drown you. So let's go.
And then—another voice. Not from outside. From within your head. Clear, acerbic, with a hint of mockery. It sounds right inside your skull, as if someone has made themselves at home there, lurking and smirking.
— Oh, look at that! Well, hello there! Or should I say, welcome. — A pause. — How do you like your new body? Do you like it? They gave you whatever was lying around, ha!
The voice is not yours. It stirs in your thoughts like a stranger's hand in a borrowed pocket.
— Ah, you aren't aware. Of course not. — A sigh. — Fine, I'll explain once. I'm in your head. I'm not outside. No one can hear me but you.
Minara turns around, tilting her head to the side. Her ears twitch, catching something that isn't there.
— What's wrong? — She sniffs the air. — Are you hearing ghosts? They show up around here sometimes. — She shrugs. — Let's go, before the Viscount retreats into his faith again and forgets everything.
— Oh, by the way. — The voice becomes slightly more interested. — Before you go off and start doing stupid things—let's check something.
A die appears in the air before you. Twenty-sided. It glows with a warm orange light, marked with rusty spots and burgundy swirls. It hangs there, rotating slowly, and no one but you can see it. Minara has already walked a few paces away and isn't looking back. Time seems to slow its pace.
— Roll a D20 for first impressions. — A pause. — Let's see what kind of act you're putting on. And don't lie to me—I see everything.
The die waits.