When Tessa woke, she felt...lonely. Lonely and without hope. The heavy feeling almost weighed her down in her bed and she even struggled to push herself up. Groaning, she reached over to look at her digital alarm clock, only to read that it was six o'clock in the morning - she had set her alarm for seven seeing as her Uncle had told her to rest. She wouldn't train today but she certainly couldn't sleep any longer with these emotions weighing her down.

"Entity?" She whispered to herself, "Are you there?"

Part of her was worried about attempting to explain that there was a voice in her head that she could converse with, worried about looking absolutely mad. But the Entity had said not to tell anyone anyway...perhaps it was right not to. She didn't think anybody would kill them for it though as it had so drastically suggested the day before.

What is wrong, child?

"Actually, I was going to ask you that." She sat up against the wall her bed was pushed up to.

Why?

"I think...I can feel what you feel, Entity. And honestly, it's kind of debilitating...so what's wrong?"

I cannot leave. I wished to leave you as a child but the Ancient One forbade it for your own safety. I understood...after a while. I meant you no harm yesterday or the days and weeks and months before that but...

"But what?"

I am trapped. I have stayed with you too long. Our bond is absolute and...cramped.

"Cramped?"

Imagine trying to fit your tunic in a music box.

"Oh..." She nodded, "Cramped. Right."

It has been a joy watching you grow but I have been so lonely. Entities are separate existences, often born out of negative thoughts and actions, seeking only death and destruction, so we are used to being alone for eons but I...I grew tired of it. I sought more, I sought for better, I sought for something more meaningful than chaos and so I sought out the Ancient One.

"Entity," She spoke with a slight tremor in her voice at feeling this ache, "How and why did you bond with me?"

To tell you will mean I never consoled you.

"I have a right to know my own past."

Ignorance is bliss, knowledge will be a burden. Start your day, child. I will sleep.

"Entity? Please, speak to me." Tessa pleaded but all in her mind was at peace.

There was no pain, no voice, even the heaviness of its emotions appeared to have been lifted off of her. Now, Tessa felt alone.

* * * * *

Stephen awoke around five-thirty in the morning in order to start his day. Having left his astral projection to read the books Wong had given him through the night, it was time to make notes on the potential creatures and beings that could have possessed Tessa and honestly? The list was terrifying: demons and cacodemons; spirits of succubi and banshees; literal wicked witches such as Carman and Hecate; mischievous fae-folk like the fairy-muse, Leanan Sidhe, or the Yaksha which were characterised by having a dual-personality. Stephen was surprised he didn't wake up out of terror of what he read.

He sat in bed for a moment, looking at the now closed pile of books at the end of his bed and rubbed his hands over his eyes, then rubbed the back of his neck as his stomach churned. Nothing seemed good about any of this. He shook his and head got ready for the day.

Kitted out in his neat blue tunic, Doctor Strange entered the library an hour later, books in hand ready to return to Wong.

"Stephen," Wong greeted the sorcerer as he appeared from behind one of the shelves, "You're up early."

"No thanks to your books." Stephen placed them on the desk in the centre of the library.

"Any luck then?"

Stephen scoffed, "Too much luck. There are countless beings that could have possessed her, all as equally dangerous as the other."

"But do you have solutions?"

"Maybe...I don't know, Wong. This seems out of my depth - the best advice so far is 'phone a priest'." The sorcerer sighed, "I'm afraid worse could happen to all of us if we don't find out the truth of what's happening soon."

"Best you keep researching then if no one will talk to you." Wong suggested.

"Yeah...keep re - "

Before Stephen could finish, the doors to the library burst open and there stood a very pale looking Marcus, panting and eyes wild with terror. The two men looked at the Master, uneasiness building up in the both of them as they waited for Marcus to catch his breath to explain. Marcus gestured with his hands out of the door as Stephen approached him.

"Master Kent? What's wrong? Is it Tessa?"

He shook his head, heaving, "No...no...I - Eli - he's - "

"Marcus, look at me - What's happened to Master Emeka?" Stephen interrogated, his tone stern as he held the Master by his upper arms, "Where's Elijah?"

Master Kent shook his head, "I'm sorry, so sorry," He muttered with a noticeable shine to his eyes, "He's dead."

* * * * *

"Uncle?" Tessa knocked on Marcus's room door, "Uncle, are you in?"

When there was no reply, Tessa decided to see if she could find Eli. Perhaps he had gone to strike up another conversation with Master Emeka? Or, at the very least, Elijah might know where her Uncle was. Her footsteps echoed down the vacant corridors and she only saw one other sorceress who looked somewhat anxious to be around her. Tessa wouldn't hurt a fly but now knowing that a lot of her fellow residents viewed her as a danger with a single look, she felt...like she shouldn't be here. But this was her home, and this would be where she would stay.

People fear what they do not understand.

"I thought you were asleep?" Tessa muttered to herself.

Your thoughts disturb me.

"Well, I can't not think."

No. They disturb me because it means we are seen as a threat. Threats are eliminated. We need to strike first.

"We are not harming anyone."

And if they harm us?

"They won't."

You see the good in everyone, child. It can be a strength but right now, it is your weakness.

"If you're going to sleep, sleep. I'm not having this conversation with you."

I will not hesitate to protect us if it comes to it.

"It won't. Now, sleep."

Tessa continued on to Elijah's room, but she paused when she reached his door. Master Emeka's door was slightly ajar. It was never left open - none of the room doors were ever left open like this. Maybe he had popped out quickly and had forgotten to shut it, but it was unlikely. She knocked on the mahogany door frame before calling out.

"Eli? Are you there?"

She didn't let her eyes adjust to the sombre room and instead flicked on the light switch. Spotting Elijah on the floor, lying on his front, she hurried over to him.

"Elijah? Are you alright? Eli, wake up." She shook him slightly before turning him over.

When he still didn't move and when she carefully moved her hand to check his pulse only to confirm her worst thoughts she cried out in upset and grief. Not again, not another person she knew. She scrambled out of his room, tears in her eyes as she cried out for help.

"Help! Somebody! Elijah's hurt!"

Hurt? No, he wasn't hurt. He had been hurt but now he was dead. Tessa looked down each side of the hall as she called again and that was when Wong, Stephen and Marcus turned the corner.

"Tessa!" Marcus rushed over to her, pulling her into an embrace, "Tessa, I - I'm so sorry, I should have grabbed you first, so you didn't have to see."

"I - Eli - He's - He's - " She croaked, unable to say the word out loud.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry you had to see that."

Murderer.

"What?" She pulled away from Marcus, looking at him through tears of grief.

"I said I'm sorry, Tess, I'm sorry you had to see that."

I called him a murderer. He did this. Do not trust him.

Tessa tilted her head as she looked at him, her eyes had grown with the conflicting emotions she felt - when the Entity refused to tell her about the past, she felt it hiding; when it was felt alone and dejected, she felt that too; when the Entity had accused Marcus of being a murderer, she felt it was the truth. But no. Not him. Not her Uncle, not the one that had taken care of her since her parents died. Not him. And yet, if she looked closely, she could see the regret in his eyes and the remorse practically radiate off him. But what if he only regretted her seeing Elijah's body, what if he only felt remorse for the fact that he hadn't gone to Tessa first? As much as she wanted to believe it, she found couldn't.

"Tess? Are you alright?"

"N - no." She shook her head, "What do you think?"

Stephen had entered Elijah's room whilst the others stayed outside. He, too, checked for a pulse, checked for his breathing and came to the same conclusion as Tessa had. He noted that his neck had been snapped. The sorcerer turned to grab the blanket off Elijah's bed, placing it over his body out of respect. Slowly, mournfully, he walked out of the room and shut the door for the time being. He shook his head at Wong to confirm the passing of the master and then met Marcus's gaze warily.

"Wong, can you take Tessa to the library? I need to speak with Master Kent alone."

The librarian nodded and looked to Tessa who couldn't take her conflicting gaze off her Uncle. All the same, she gladly left. Being near her Uncle was beginning to make her feel nauseous so anywhere where he wasn't present would be a good escape. She followed after Wong.

Marcus held his chilling gaze with Stephen's. The remorse was gone now that he had his eyes on his next potential victim. He knew that Stephen knew he had murdered Elijah, but he had no evidence to prove it. Part of him was still incredulous to the fact that he had really ended Elijah's life yesterday - killing friends and allies was beginning to be an unhealthy habit - although another part of him kept reminding himself that it was for Tessa's good that he had done this. The secret had to be kept for his - her sake. Silence was all he answered Stephen's accusation with.

"I know a part of what's going on, Marcus. Elijah managed to tell me that there's something inside Tessa. Is that why you killed him? Because he was willing to tell me the truth?"

Marcus clenched his jaw but didn't reply.

This frustrated the protector of the Sanctum who merely wanted the best for everyone. Stephen couldn't have sorcerers killing people and sorceresses going mad. He knew if he couldn't work this out soon, somebody else would try something, be it Marcus making an attempt on Stephen's life or another sorcerer acting aggressively towards Tessa out of fear. The doctor had heard the whispers of distrust and fear that had come about after Tessa's destructive session in the training rooms and trying to reassure everyone would prove difficult if he couldn't fix it.

"If you don't tell me the truth people could get hurt."

No comment.

"If you don't tell me the truth, then I will take your sorcery and kick you out of this Sanctum."

No response.

"If you don't tell me what's going on, Tessa could die."

Marcus breathed deeply and heavily at this suggestion.

"I know you don't want that. Whatever the issue is, Marcus, you need to forget it and tell me what is wrong, now."

Marcus stepped forward, his face right in front of Stephen's, "My issue is that you have gotten too involved. Consider minding your own business or something else may very well happen."

Stephen's eyes narrowed, "Is that a threat?"

"I think I should be checking up on Tessa now, Mister Strange."

"That's Doctor to you and you are not leaving until you've helped me move Master Emeka's body to the med bay first."

"As I said before, Mister Strange, we call it the healing room here."

Both men glared at each other, each wanting to act maliciously but managed to refrain. Stephen just wanted to fix this problem and move on, but Marcus was proving to be irritable, dangerous and unhelpful. He couldn't lay a hand on him though. Master Marcus Kent was well-known throughout the Sanctum for his combat classes so any move against him without sufficient evidence to back it up would mean losing the trust of many.

Marcus on the other hand was more than comfortable taking on the sorcerer opposite him. He could kill him, and few would presume it to be him as long as he covered it up correctly. However, there was one problem that meant he couldn't enact this: Wong and Tessa would know that Marcus had been the last one to see Stephen and would therefore suspect him. He couldn't lose Tessa's trust - it was as close to her forgiveness as he would get without revealing the past. Master Kent knew he would need to be careful around Strange from now on. He knew too much.

As for Tessa, whatever the Entity was doing to her, Marcus would need to find out alone and before it was too late.

* * * * *

At the library, Tessa had taken a seat at the desk in the centre of the room. She rubbed her temples, not because she was in pain, but because she was still trying to work out what the Entity had meant and how she could possibly believe her Uncle was capable of such a heinous deed. Wong conjured a glass of water for the sorceress and set it down in front of her. She offered him a small smile and nod of thanks before moving to pick it up. She thought that Elijah and Marcus were friends - so why would her Uncle even consider murdering him?

To protect his secret.

Tessa shuffled in her seat before taking a sip of the water. What secret could they possibly be protecting that would lead her Uncle to murder?

The secret that I protect you from, child.

Tessa wasn't a child. She was a grown woman, a twenty-eight-year-old woman. She wanted to know and begged the Entity to tell her why.

To help you. Ignorance is bliss. The truth will hurt.

What hurt her was knowing that so many people close to her had kept secrets from her for so long. And regardless of the truth hurting, she would rather have the truth than be lied to all the time. She had a right to her own past, her own memories. She could decide if she wanted the truth or not and she demanded it.

No.

No? Frustration coursed through her and she had to do her best not to let out a verbal cue. Having been so deep in thought, she hadn't realised that the glass had been raised to her lips for the past minute, yet she hadn't done anything with it.

"You seem troubled, Tessa." Wong commented.

The sorceress blinked quickly and looked at the librarian with a gulp, "It was my first dead body...and of a friend...not something you can easily erase from your mind."

Second body...

When had she seen another dead body? Tessa's mind couldn't recall it, so she was started to question the trustworthiness of the Entity.

I wouldn't lie to you, child.

"I understand you may be in shock but...you seem as though something else is on your mind."

"Nothing else is on my mind, Wong." Her bottle green eyes met with his gaze as she shook her head, "Nothing else."

Wong's watchful gaze lingered on her as she rubbed the back of her neck with her one hand and held her glass of water in the other.

"Why did you go to Master Emeka's room?"

She shrugged, "I was looking for my Uncle."

"Then why not go to his room first?" Wong pressed.

"I did - it was on the way to Elijah's roo - "

The sound of shattering glass interrupted her, and she felt chilled liquid on her lap. Looking down, she saw the glass in her lap and when she looked at her hand, she saw it was cut as a line of crimson began to run down her palm. Blinking quickly, she moved to stand, gently brushing the glass off her and looking at Wong apologetically. How hadn't she realised she was holding the glass so tightly? Wong simply met her gaze with an apprehensive one.

He knows more. Perhaps too much. He is afraid, he will hurt us.

"You don't know that!" Tessa snapped at the Entity suddenly but froze as she realised, she had said it out loud.

Uncertainty dripped from Wong's expression as tried to keep calm, "Tessa, we just want to help you, but we can't do that if you don't talk to us."

"Wong, please, I'm sorry about - about the glass and for snapping, I'm just a little stressed and tired. I'm going to go."

Tessa rushed past the librarian heading straight for the doors. All would be fine if she could just get back to her room, but it was not meant to be as Wong asked another question.

"Stressed from what, Tessa?"

"Please, I - "

I am sorry to do this, but I must protect us.

An immensely agonising pain shot through her head and she shrieked - nothing prolonged like her screaming had been in the training room - but short and sharp like it had been cut off. Wong watched her carefully but had already begun backing away as she seemed to flex her neck. Tessa - or at least who he thought was Tessa - looked over her shoulder and turned to face the librarian.

Wong's face drained of colour when he saw those eyes - deep, dark holes of nothing, no whites, no irises, just black like her pupils had engulfed the whole of her eyes.

"None of your business, librarian. Stop pushing for answers you won't get."

It wasn't Tessa's voice who spoke then, it wasn't even the Entity's speech using Tessa's voice - what it was, was the Entity, now in control of Tessa's body and its voice was chilling: low and whispery and could make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. As she - it - they approached Wong, a long, sharp, clear space shard grew in their hands.

Wong continued backing away, desperately trying to put some ground between himself and not-Tessa. Pure terror burned in his eyes and he opened his mouth to speak but found that there were no words. For poor Tessa, submersed in her own mind, it was like the backseat driver had taken control and she could only watch.

Please stop this, you are scaring him. People attack things they are afraid of and you are making him afraid. You are setting him up!

"He was already afraid. Look at him."

And look at him was all Tessa could do from her the depths of her own mind.

Wong shook his head, "Tessa, you need help - let us help you - "

"I'm not Tessa." The Entity responded, edging ever nearer to him, "I am her help. So leave. Her. Be."

As the Entity spoke those final few words, it raised its arm high, ready to strike Wong with the shard. The librarian had already conjured a fiery Eldritch shield to protect himself from the blow but before Entity-Tessa could strike, there was an urgent shout from behind them.

"Tessa!"

________________________

A/N - Dun dun dunnn...but for real though this is such a nice break from playwriting so much so I realised I wrote for 9 hours straight today haha I am not okay but the play for today is done so yay 🥴