== > Do something that will advance the plot.

Another stupid command. Well, if you insist...

You have a date with destiny.

== > Recover Hekata's spellbook.

She doesn't know you copied the captcha code.

Oh, she'll never find out.

Or should you say, shell never find - wait, fish puns are stupid.

You open to the pages on "Transformative Potions" and "Magic-Induced Comas." Yes, sleeping spells, dream travel... argh, something, anything, to make sure that no one can find you out.

The little angel looks over at you, and you see he's scared.

Almost like... almost like he knows what you're about to do.

DESTEN: its just revenge.

DESTEN: you wouldn't understand.

That does nothing to ease your conscience.

You find the page and cast the ingredients into the cauldron you already have boiling. You don't know if it will work with dreamselves as opposed to regular dreaming, but you're willing to take a chance.

You take a cup from the cauldron, steaming hot, and ignoring the pain you swallow it whole.

You fall forwards, hit the rim of the cauldron, and black out.

== > Awaken.

You're soaring over Derse, powerful and free. You feel... good. Did it work? You look down at your hands. Huge, shadowy paws of black matter.

Yes, this should be good. You look like one of the imps on Canira's planet, but with sharp ears instead of the weak, floppy ones.

Demonbeast.

You need... a weapon.

You soar down, like a falcon, and find a nearby fight breaking out. No, that's a gun, too obvious... you need a weapon they'd never suspect you of using.

Hmmm... you look down at your paws. Too messy, but for now they'll have to do. This should be a quick job anyways - in and out.

== > Soar over to the Prospit tower.

You know Cariel's a Prospit because Prospit's for losers. Like, really? Canira? Ciphre? Ninfia? HAH. They're no threat.

You land outside the Prospit tower. Your new senses smell six, no seven trolls inside. One of them must be Cariel.

You walk in, blending into the shadows.

They can't see you. They're asleep. This is stupid.

But... seventh. Seventh troll. You see a flash of purple. Someone else is watching you. Mismatched horns, long hair - Irisen.

Of all the trolls, it had to be this loser.

He shouldn't interfere.

You head to the middle bed, seeing the telltale braids you know mean him. You lick your lips when you hear a loud, horse- wait no, hoarse- cry.

Dammit Irisen go the hell away. You shove him back against the wall as hard as you can with your new strength and his eyes eyes roll before sliding shut. KO.

You slice Cariel's neck open and there's a loud, strangled cry from- wait, what?

Oh fuck.

OH BLOODY BLOODY FUCK.

That's not Cariel.

That's Zenana.

== > Desten: Abscond.

So you'll try again later. Cariel must be a Dersian, demonic little twit that he is. You take a disappearifier back to Derse to find Cariel for real. This time, you'll do it right. Arriving on Derse, you find Cariel sleeping in the room only three towers over from your own. How in hell did you miss this!?

You creep up to Cariel, sneaky as you can be in this hellbeastly form. But your paws are big. You accidentally bump against the wall with your huge, shadowy bulk. Cariel's inert form springs to life suddenly. And he's... no, she's a girl? Well, no time to ponder that because there's a girl with a knife coming right at you. EREMIEL! she shouts, and the blade bursts into flames. You have no choice - she's got you this time.

== > Desten: Abscond again.

After a rollicking Abscond x2 Combo, you're back outside the Derse tower. Cariel glares at you through the window, blade still flickering with heavenly fire. She looks like she knows exactly who you are.

CARIEL: +-- DESTEN!

DESTEN: fuck.

CARIEL: +-- DID you serIously jusT Try To kIll me?!

DESTEN: *growwwwwwwl* uh, no.

CARIEL: +-- I recoMMenD you leave now. or I WIll kIll you.

DESTEN: you wouldnt.

CARIEL: I woulD.

She flings her blade at you, not intending to kill. It slices into one of your smoky demonbeast feet and back ichor drips out. It only hurts a little.

DESTEN: *growwwwwwwl* youll pay for this cariel.

CARIEL: +-- no, you WIll.

CARIEL: +-- leave now. or The nexT TIMe I Throw a blade, IT'll be leThal.

DESTEN: ill get you someday.

DESTEN: and youll pay.

DESTEN: your body will bleed at my feet.

DESTEN: ill kill you. and youll die pleading for mercy.

CARIEL: +-- Takes More'n ThaT To scare Me off. and NEVER WIll I EVER pleaD for Mercy from you.

CARIEL: +-- I'D DIe fIrsT.

DESTEN: so be it.

DESTEN: but someday, you will fall.

DESTEN: every day, ill get better. every day, ill train harder. and someday, youll let down your guard for just one second.

DESTEN: and ill pounce.

CARIEL: +-- PFFFFFT.

She rolls her eyes and heads back inside her Derse tower. Cringing, you head back to your Derse bedroom and collapse onto the bed. Moments later, you're back on LoHaD with a split lip and a ringing headache. Did you really have to hit that bloody cauldron?