The streets of the town were less crowded. It seemed the residents of Whitshire did not care much about what happened in the esteemed merchant's property. The shop owners were slowly opening their businesses, and the carts were delivering fresh produce from nearby farms. When she passed, the usual reaction was eyes turning away. She did not seem the same fervent hate as in the estate, just disgust and contempt. Most people seemed to want nothing to do with her as if they could catch some rare disease just by staring at her.

They walked in silence until they reached an intimidating building. The dark stones stood out from surrounding houses with light facades of sandstone. It was also the most prominent monument in the whole town – it was serving both the Church and their military arm Inquisition as a local headquarters. Iris felt her legs shaking while the knights shoved her inside.

She hasn't seen much of the interior, as right after they entered the building, they took the stairs leading down. The further they descended, the colder it got. Iris shivered. She was still wearing only her nightgown and a cloak. Her bare feet in light shoes started to feel numb already. She knew it wouldn't get any better down there.

When they finally reached the end of the stairs, a wave of stench hit her nose. It was a mixture of mouldy wet stones, human excrements, and unwashed bodies. She gagged, feeling her stomach twisting painfully. The Inquisitor, who was still holding her, pushed her forward while his companion opened one of the cells. There were not many of them. Whithshire wasn't a big city, and there was no need to use the dungeons often. It seemed that all the cells were currently empty. But before she could take a good look around, the knight shoved her inside. She tripped and fell on her knees, scraping them painfully. Her hands were still shackled.

'Don't try anything,' growled the Inquisitor closing the bar doors behind her. 'We'll be shipping you to the Amberguard soon enough.' He took the torch hanging on the wall and left, leaving her in complete darkness.

Iris sat in the corner of the room, where earlier, she noticed a little padding of straw and brought her knees close to her chest. She tried to put her cloak over her whole body to keep the warmth, but her hands and feet were stone-cold already. She started shaking violently. The darkness seemed to press hard on her from all directions. Maybe it's a blessing. I don't need to look too closely at my cell, she thought. She could smell the stench of old dried blood and excrements clear enough.

That's how my life ends then—what a disaster. I wish I could turn off my brain, go to sleep and never wake up. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw the hateful faces of people she once called friends. And Milo's – that hurt most of all. It was understandable he was shocked. He was working for the Church, but they knew each other since they were children. They grew up together. How could his feelings toward me change so drastically in a matter of moments? Am I the cursed one? An abomination that should not be allowed to exist? Was it true that all the Mages ever brought were destruction and misery for the whole world?

Iris clutched her legs tighter to her chest and let her mind wander. She was getting in and out of consciousness, the exhaustion finally taking over. It was hard to tell the dreams from reality in the cold, dark dungeon. It was impossible to tell how much time had passed.

She was startled awake by the sounds of footsteps. There was also a faint light getting closer and brighter. Soon she had to shield her eyes because after spending all this time in the blackness, even a single torch was stinging painfully. Iris saw an Inquisitor who dragged a hunched figure. The older man wore some dirty rugs. His shoes were made of some scraps of leather tightened together with a rope. She also noticed he had a mane of shaggy, grey hair and a wild beard. He looked like a beggar.

'In you go, you stinky bastard!' growled the Inquisitor pushing the prisoner into the slot next to hers. He stumbled and fell flat with a painful groan. 'That will teach you not to mess with the Church!'

The cells were separated only by metal bars, and she could see the other inmate. He slowly got back to his knees, mumbling something under his nose. He looked at her, and a shiver ran down her spine. His pale blue eyes were piercing and sharp. She didn't expect that. She thought he was some drunkard who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the look he gave her was as intense as if he could stare deep into her soul. It was unsettling.

Fortunately for her, the Inquisitor left, taking the torch with him and engulfing them in complete darkness once again.

'So...' the beggar said once the sound of footsteps disappeared. His voice was gruff. 'What has a pretty young lass like you done to end up in this shithole?'

'What do you care?' she scoffed.

'I'm bored. There ain't much to do here, eh? Humour the old man, will ya? It's not like we have much life left to live, so you ain't got a thing to lose.'

'You are oddly cheerful considering our situation,' she replied. She didn't want to talk to the man. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She wanted to be left alone and forgotten so that she could forget her pitiful existence too. Wallow in her despair in peace.

But the man was in a talkative mood. 'Sometimes, all you can do is laugh,' he said philosophically. 'No point in dwellin' about our misfortune, eh? It ain't help.'

'I don't feel like laughing, though,' she hissed. 'And I don't feel like talking either.'

'Can't blame you. I'm only a crazy old beggar. I wouldn't talk to me either.'

She didn't reply, and he finally fell silent too. Iris was glad. She closed her eyes, hoping to find oblivion in sleep, but suddenly the man exclaimed.

'I know who you are! You must be that Mage everyone's talkin' about!'

'Yeah, so what?' she growled.

'Woah, real breathin' Mage right next to me! Am I lucky or what?'

'More like cursed. Better watch out, or you might catch it,' Iris spat bitterly.

The man laughed. It was a pure sound, starting right in the belly and shaking all the body with it. 'See? You can be funny if you want, eh? I wish I could catch it. Maybe I could escape from this den!'

'You'd be executed with me, more likely.'

'I'd be executed anyway,' he said, and Iris imagined him shrugging with his hunched shoulders.

'What exactly have you done?' she asked after a pause. 'I didn't know the Inquisition was bothered with beggars.'

'Oh, I'm not here for loiterin' in the wrong place if that's what ya think. The Church ain't like much when folks say aloud some things.'

'What things? Heresy?'

'What is heresy exactly? I'm just a simple beggar. I ain't know what fancy dogmas they teach you folks in Church's schools. I call the things as I see them.'

'What exactly did you say?' Iris asked, suddenly getting curious. The older man was weird. He was speaking funnily, clipping some words, but at the same time, his vocabulary was far more complex for an uneducated beggar he posed as. But what could be his purpose in this pretending?

'What do you care?' he asked, and she could imagine his smirk.

'I don't,' she huffed, feeling annoyed. 'Let's drop this pointless conversation. I'm tired.'

Iris leaned her forehead on her knees and closed her eyes. She was bone tired. Of constant living in fear. Of pretending she's just like everyone else and not some cursed monster. The beggar said something, but she ignored him. There was no point in listening. 

This is the end, and there will be no more chances for me, she thought. Part of her was relieved. Why did I imagine I could live my life pretending to be something else? Live with people who despised and loathed me for what I am? 

Iris felt hot tears filling her eyes. I was such a naïve fool - there is no place in this world for the likes of me. My father was one of the Mages who almost destroyed the world. And now I had to pay the price for his sins. No one cares if it's fair or not. Iris slowly fell asleep, although it wasn't deep. She kept startling awake now and then, but complete darkness mercifully let her drift off again. 

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