THE ARCHAIC SKY

CHAPTER: THE FAMILIARITY IN HER CONFINEMENT

Amara sighed, shaking her head of the awful things she's heard as she looked at her translucent hands. Pretending she didn't smell rot or metal in the air. Pretending she didn't see a cockroach running past her foot with a rat on its tail. "this is a nice change of scenery" Amara clicked her tongue, sliding down the wall to take a seat in the cold damp cell.

"it's a dungeon cell" a voice said.

"yes...I can see that" Amara pulled her feet to her chest as she watched the voice appear through the darkness of the dungeon. they were tall, broad shoulders as their hair was a dark red-brown, not nearly as dark as Ivan's yet not light either. They wore their clothes loosely as Amara could clearly see they were far too big for them. "and you are?"

Their olive skin was glowing in the dimly lit dungeon, yet even without any glow she knew he would be far darker than she was. "Amon Mastura, and you?" he placed a hand on the cell doors that divided them. her eyes stayed on him, she didn't want to see anymore imperfections here.

"Amara Araceli, a pleasure to be in the same dungeon, Mastura" Amara teased watching her hands slowly form once again form the bottom to the top. She frowned, fisting them until she heard thunder clap over them and her hands began fading once again. "mind telling me what you are here for?"

He smirked as he watched the paper talisman that slipped from Amara's pocket float swiftly to his hand. "this is mine" he explained glancing at her form the side.

"you're the enchanter?" Amara raised an eyebrow as she glanced him up and down, avoiding seeing his living conditions. "some enchanter, I doubt it was wise to pick a coven that only mastered memory Sigils" she folded her arms and smirked.

"I didn't get to pick a coven, I was just good at this... only this" he laughed softly "at least that's what they say" he paused his empty eyes staring up at her. "guessing by the fact that you have this, you must have found out"

Amara stayed quiet. Her hands turning into fists on her lap. "yes" she could only reply. She pursed her lips. "and that black room?" she thought about the room, pitch black as if covered in soot or daemon residue, she had passed. One that made her have flashes of memory. Of slaughter and death.

"execution room" he folded his arms. Amara stared at her feet, of course, she thought. "no mark, no horns, you must be the arcane too, how wonderful" he teased. "I thank you for your presence, oh divine arcane" he bowed. Amara winced slightly and turned away to look at her hand once again, fully opaque.

She sighed, flicked her hand to allow a blade to appear in the air. Thank fully she's picked up every single one that Asteria used, which was all of them. "you didn't.. erase their memories out of your own volition... right?" she turned to him. "they made you do it.. and kept you here to make you keep doing it"

He replied with a simple nod. "they can't spare anymore defectors, they need everyone here... especially you" he shrugged, narrowing his eyes. "I'm guessing you're here to put a stop to that"

Amara played around with the blade, flipping it in the air before catching it again. "I've forgotten quite a bit of things... and they didn't even deserve to be remembered... mostly betrayals after all" she paused, remembering Sayami's reaction at reliving her memories. "but others lost things far more special to them... memories that shine like gold... so I suppose I can be selfless for a while"

"you made someone a promise didn't you?"

"you can tell?" Amara scoffed. "agreements and promises in Jinsei are always eternal, even after broken once they've existed they'll always be immortal... and I would rather not live in that debt... besides, this benefits me too"

He smiled, placing a hand on the barrier between them and freedom. "so? What's the plan?"

"you're willing to help?"