Reflections of Dawn

Hell

Maddie picked her way through the soggy bog, no longer worrying about where it had come from, instead focused solely on finding the source of the crying.

Squelch!

Suddenly, Maddie let out a small screech as she sank up to her waist in thick, gloopy mud.

For an illusion, this felt surprisingly real, freezing cold, wet and heavy.
But then again, Maddie's form was an illusion in itself, held together by flukey magic powers that no one understood, and pure force of will.

In fact, although the mud was gross and disgusting, Maddie let out a small smile. Something was tangible to her at last. Something she could touch.

Wading through the gloop, she fought her way through the swamp, heading in the general direction of the crying. Shapes moved around her, just out of eyesight, slipping through the mud like water. It sent chills down Maddie's spine, but she ignored it.
The mud got deeper and deeper, eventually forcing Maddie to give up walking and literally swim through the filth.

And then she saw it.

A small light, like a willow-the-whisp, floating in the dark.

A second later, Maddie came to an island, a small circle of land barely big enough for two people.
And curled up on the land, in a sorry little ball, was a sobbing Nyx.

Maddie, immediately abandoning all thought but her friend, levered herself out of the bog onto the island, wrapping a sticky arm around Nyx's shoulders.
"Hey, Nyx. Hey, it's alright."

Nyx jumped. "Maddie? But... how? Wha... how?"
"I'm not sure to be honest." Maddie said, scratching at her dirt encrusted scalp. "I was just trying to find you. Where are we?"

Nyx swallowed back tears. "This is... where Alysha sends me when she takes control. It used to be nice. Now, it's hell."