The only problem with leaving this window, with trying to find my way out of his control, is that once I do, I won’t know what’s going on in the outside world. I will be fully locked within my own mind and unaware of the things Faunus does in my name.
Faunus mostly controls my body. Mostly being the imperative word.
Leaving the window means Faunus will be in full control. But remaining here… simply watching… means I am incapable of removing him. Thus, if I go in search of the door to his mind, I leave the window unattended. If I leave the window, he’ll have all the control. I won’t know what has happened until I return. Of course, I must wrestle my mind away from his, but it requires me to find his entry point.
My surroundings are familiar. I know where I am, or at least where my body is. But inside my mind, I can’t be in two places at once… except…
Stregen, I whisper deep into the recesses of my mind. Faunus hasn’t overlaid his own infrastructure that far. Give him time, though…
The heavy presence of the ghoul presses against my mind. Stregen thinks in emotions yet understands my thoughts.
I need you to stay here and keep watch. Not that he has much of an attention span or focus, but it’s all I can think of, and two heads are better than one, as they say.
I will be leaving my… mind for a little while, Stregen, and you cannot trust that the count you know so well will be the same count you will see in the immediate future. I wait for my words to settle within him—for them to make some type of rational sense.
When I get the feeling from Stregen that he understands, I continue. The most important task for you, Stregen, is to keep Everly safe. At all costs. Follow her. Do not allow her out of your sight.
Stregen remains and stands at the window, looking out. He nods and it’s a silent reassurance that he understands his mission and will follow it. As long as he doesn’t get distracted, I can keep tabs on the outside world as I travel this maze of my thoughts.
I set off, feeling my way around, recognizing the pathways of my mind. If I concentrate, if I look through the mirrors, I can see past the reflection to the highway of dark spheres that are my thoughts. These are my own, without the encumbrance of Faunus. Good.
These new path-thoughts are akin to taking a frontage road along a freeway. Faunus hasn’t completely rooted inside my head just yet, but I don’t know how much time I have until these two lanes merge.
The hallway shakes. Mirrors clatter. Reflections blur. The straight line in front of me curves like a wet noodle. I look at the reflection again and I don’t see the highway. The frontage road is now combined with the highway.
This can only mean one thing: Faunus is taking over. It is as I feared.
This groundwork of thought tubes is only temporary. My pain becomes acid on my tongue. I’m not the only one who will be affected. If Faunus takes control of me, he’ll have control of more than he bargained for. Or maybe such was his plan all along.
I have to get through this maze, find Faunus and separate this connection between us.
As I search for the door between our minds, Stregen relays what is happening outside my mind. I am worried for Everly, yes, but there is little else I can do. If Faunus overtakes me, he will kill the lovely dryad in my name. And I cannot allow such to happen. Though I cannot explain exactly why, I am quite fond of the beautiful, young doe. I have smiled more in her company than I have in… centuries. And even though I am sworn to protect her, I would protect her even if I had not agreed to it. She is the only thing that brings me any sort of happiness and I shall be damned if I allow Faunus to harm a hair on her head.
I trust Stregen. I can feel his affinity towards Everly, as well. For as much as he is able, the ghoul is very fond of her. As am I. And he is both pleased and proud that I have placed him responsible for her safety. Yes, he will protect her to the best of his ability and it must be enough for me. At this juncture, it is.
My body is on the move. I pause, watching.
I disappear into the darkness, becoming one with the shadows. Not even the elven can see as vampires do after sunset. Our worlds come alive. Colors are different. Their beauty is not as vibrant as during the day, but they are there, all the same. A vampire’s vision is different from any other creature’s. It takes Faunus a good, long time to adjust.
You see things much differently, Faunus says to me through our connection.
The sneer in my thoughts can’t be denied. “You say ‘different,’ but I believe you’re looking for the word ‘superior.’”
The snuffle of a laugh echoes in my mind. You, superior? And yet, it is I who have mastered your body. I who am the one to take domicile within you.
I snarl this time. “Like a parasite.”
His smugness is more a feeling than a thought. We’re merged enough that I’m able to get that much from him. It’s a bad sign. If I don’t throw off his convergence, I’ll be fighting with him for the rest of our days.
And that will be enough to drive me mad.
We don’t
