"...Risk?"

I found myself somewhere pitch black and cold. I stood up slowly, fighting the urge to sleep as I pulled my thin jacket tighter around me. My eyes shifted as I looked around, hoping whoever it was that had called would just leave me alone.

Please…

No such luck. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped back, scrambling to my feet again as I forced the stranger back with a burst of magic all around me. I carefully approached where they had landed, following the trail of magic and the sound of shallow breaths.

My eyes were finally beginning to adjust, and the stranger was starting to look...familiar. His shoulder-length black hair clung to his face with sweat, and his golden eyes were dull and unfocused. He suddenly fixed his gaze on me and I felt myself shrink back.

"W-Wait…" he said hoarsely. "Sorry, I-"

He stopped, wrapping his arms around himself as he shuddered. His long coat was tattered and charred at the hem, and despite my own shivering, I took off my jacket and draped it over his shoulders. 

"I know it won't help much, " I said, more to myself than him.

"Thank you." 

I hesitantly stepped a bit closer, but Kane just looked away, letting out a deep sigh.

"You should…" he took a raspy breath. "You should leave."

"...Why?” I asked, knowing the reason but refusing to admit it.

"Risk. Please." He looked up at me with wide, vacant eyes. "It's not safe. I-I don't know when I'll lose control again." His voice cracked. "Please just...go. Don't come back for me. You can’t come back for me."

He was smiling now, a smile that I knew wasn't real. I hated it. I lowered my gaze to the floor and shut my eyes as tight as I could, as if that would prevent any tears from falling. Then something in the air changed, and when I opened my eyes again everything had started to blur. Kane seemed so far away now, and I started running, trying desperately to reach him. Pain suddenly shot through me and I fell to my knees, gasping and sobbing.

Pathetic, said a voice somewhere in the back of my mind. It sounded vaguely like my own.

“Shut up,” I said between gritted teeth.

A figure stood over me now, with long purple hair and haunting silver eyes.

“You’re…”

He smirked. “It’s sad what you’ve been reduced to, Risk.”

I tried to think of  something- anything- to say but the words wouldn’t come. I managed to gather enough energy to blast everything around me. My surroundings faded, giving way to a familiar field. Or what was left of it, anyway.

Through bleary eyes I could see that the grass I lay in was scorched black, and what hadn’t been burned was coated with a sticky red liquid. My stomach churned at the sight of it, and my hand flew to my mouth.

Pull yourself together.

I took a look around to distract myself, and I could see something in the distance; a large structure that looked like a castle. It was probably the one I’d seen before, and I knew I absolutely had to find a way to get to it. If I could manage a teleport…

I don’t really have a choice.

I focused, feeling magic swirl around me. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. I squeezed my eyes shut as I was torn away from the burnt grassy patch, landing in a heap in front of the castle. As soon as I landed, I could hear a rush of footsteps coming toward me. Dozens of voices I didn’t recognize were shouting over one another, sounding more frantic as they got closer. I tried and failed miserably to pull myself up, wincing as my limbs gave out and dropped me. At this point I was fighting to keep my eyes open, and just before I gave in someone grabbed me from behind.

“You’re safe now.”