Scars of the Past

Now

"Fire. Blood. A distant cry. She wants to sleep. Please, anything to make the pain go away," the spirit of compassion says. His voice is soft as he looks down from the rafters to where the Inquisitor lies curled up upon her bed, hot tears falling from tired, glazed over eyes.

"Bleeding. Shaking. A permanent mark of a mother's love. But why does it hurt?" Cole whispers, disappearing from his perch in favour of the cover that the Fade brings.

Sorsha doesn't flinch as he reappears beside her on the velvet covers, her azure eyes fixed on a point on a wall in front of her. She had never been one to cry loudly. When she weeped it was silently and without any movement to betray her. The only sign of her pain was her tears and her blank stare.

"She stole so much from you when she gave you those scars," He says as he stares at the bit of pale, upraised skin revealed by her unbuttoned collar. "She made you think that she loved you, made you think that you deserved this pain and you believed her. But, somewhere deep down past all the manipulation and lies you knew that what she said was wrong."

The spirit tilts his head, watching his friend closely. "I want to help. The things she did to you weren't out of love, they were for control. Those who really love you don't do things like that and there are people who care for you here, you don't need to shut them out because of her."

"I... I know. Thank you, Cole, but I'm fine," she turns to face him, staring into his pale eyes. "I need to work this out but it's good to know you're here."

"Alright," Cole replies, simply, despite knowing full well of her struggle. Her pain made him ache inside; he was desperate to help her.

He considers making her forget. Maybe he could try again that way, see if this time it would help her but he stops himself. Some things need to remembered.

As quickly as he appeared, the spirit vanishes, walking along the Veil between this world and the Fade beyond it.