Cold. Audrey was hit by a cold wave, alleviating her feverish state brought upon by her recent travels. As she opened her eyes, the scene before her glitched to display her previous and sole memory of the place. She exhaled deeply and blinked for a longer moment, letting herself focus on the world of the present.

Pretty clouds floating amidst a dark yet vibrant blue sky, the light that pervaded enough for decent vision. Silence all around, but certain hushed sounds were scattered and present, not lively enough to mark life but enough to mark existence. So, so many trees filled the space, their colours coming from all parts of the spectrum and beyond, ignoring a concept of seasons to mark an eternal, unchanging place.

It was all very welcoming, even though no one made an effort to welcome her.

Tenebris... Audrey closed her eyes as an invitation to darkness. Her body still hovered over the land, her walk forward like an illusion to anyone who would see her. Her focus left the concrete world around and propagated towards the many auras that inhabited the land, scattered all over. She minimised the image in her head to see the larger picture and came to an unexpected realisation.

The landmasses here are an exact replica of Earth. The demonic creatures seemed to be situated to parallel the places of origin on Earth; the places that served as the birth of a creature's concept in the first world became the place of their actual birth in the second concept. 

It was not remotely far-fetched, yet the possibility of parallelism never crossed her mind. The shadow immediately wondered if Trina was aware of this, and what she would think of it.

The two places were bound, and Audrey wasn't sure if it was meant to be like that. 

Perhaps it is a co-existence that has developed over time, and that needs to be broken. 

Audrey shifted her focus to the creatures themselves, letting the world fade away.

All auras were grey. It seems that no more have taken birth since a certain entity's death, and none have perished either. 

Audrey wondered why she learned of this so late, and that reminded her of why she came to this land now.

She now shifted her focus to the presence that pervaded the land, looking for a spike in its energy. Its aura was spread thin over the land, however, like a grey silhouette that was an extension of the dark land. 

So similar to her. Are you able to communicate with her now? That isn't relevant. Where are you?

It was as if the spirit was an extension of the land, not an individual in any manner. Or was dormant.

Or hiding.

Even though Audrey had let go of the land's presence, it came back the moment she focused on the land, as if they were intertwined. That was not the case with any land and its spirit and she was sure that was not true here, too, which led her to believe that the spirit had put itself in this state with intention.

What she couldn't figure out is whether it did that to upon sensing her presence, or if it had been this way for some time.

Perhaps I should ask the demonic creatures for help... no.

Audrey could not bring herself to engage with them anymore. Despite the goodwill between the creatures and the Shadow Beings, any and every interaction racked her up with guilt. Moreover, she did not wish to undo the dormancy brought upon those creatures by remaining idle for the last few years. She did not know what the right thing to do was, but she did not think communication would do any good. Not with them. 

Audrey bent down to touch the ground, separating its presence from the one she sought. The two were intertwined and one could not be recognised without the other, unless the seeker was familiar with any one. Even so, the spirit's presence camouflaged to mimic that of the land's.

Audrey didn't think she'd have to use her Yuran in such a place.

An orange spark travelled along the surface of the intertwined auras, spanning the entire land before it came to a stop beside her.

Audrey giggled. "You're right here."

The air around her shifted and she finally felt the slightest spike in energy before her. The space remained dark, but it was like the introduction of a hint of fragrance in a room void of all stimuli.

"Why do you find that amusing?"

"Not amusing... it's endearing.

In the silence that followed, the nearly invisible grey aura faltered, as if the spirit it belonged to felt... shy.

"I would prefer you open your eyes and see the land."

Audrey did so immediately and found the tone and opacity of the land unchanged. Comfortable, silent, yet there still remained a feeling of... solitude?

Loneliness.

"I'm sure you know why I have come here, but I'll ask you directly anyway. Will you join us in this year's Annual Ball?"

"And all the ones that follow?"

The spirit completed Audrey's question, the leader's forgetfulness taking herself by surprise.

"Yes."

The shadow then realised that something was odd, amiss. For some reason, she wasn't feeling like her usual self, even if she herself wasn't sure what such a self was.

"What importance does my presence hold?"

"I think you already know that."

"I do not. Please, do not be vague with me."

Audrey didn't think there would be such a resistance, if any at all. Perhaps she was distracted by the other matter she wished to talk to the spirit about, but she had to complete her duty first.

"You are one of seven unique existences in all of reality and beyond. You care for the creatures that have caused changes of a dangerous degree to the fabric of the shadow dimension, albeit unintentionally. This ball is to be the last of a kind, and for everything to go smoothly, we need you to help us."

Audrey couldn't even convince herself with what she said. But she also believed that this spirit shouldn't need such convincing. It already knew everything, she was sure of it. This spirit had all the knowledge in the world, she was sure of it.

Was it pretending? Or was it genuinely unsure? What was it unsure of, their plans or itself?

"Are you sure you will be successful?"

Itself, perhaps.

"We have to try, and you are an integral part of that endeavour."

The silence that then followed was unlike what she was hearing previously in the land; uncertain instead of tranquil, uneasy instead of comforting. Perhaps everything had been a facade.

Audrey momentarily shifted her focus towards the inhabitants to find her suspicions confirmed; the creatures' aura now featured colour of the slightest opacity. The dormancy had been forced for so long that it seemed natural, but something was amiss.

She was sure she knew what.

"Why have you not communicated with your shadow yet?" Audrey finally asked as her patience wore thin, a virtue she believed was not needed here. The question took the spirit by surprise, the silence now one of pure confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You very well know what I am referring to. It is a very direct question. Please do not pretend otherwise."

Audrey finally saw his aura separate from the land's, still close but appearing distinct.

"This means that she has been waiting for me. Why? Why hasn't she come to me?"

"That is for the two of you to know. Do not let misunderstandings get the better of you."

Azrael's aura pulsated, as if in delirium, but it wished to pretend no more. It never knew why it had behaved in such a manner in the first place, and couldn't help but feel... stupid.

Gain all the knowledge in the world, and you may still behave like a fool. Was that a consequence of emotion?

"Please let her know that I wish to speak with her."

Audrey did not have to say anything further and the spirit took initiative on its own.

"I will invite her. And thank you for your invitation. I will surely be present, whenever and wherever I am needed."

Needed. The word felt odd to the spirit, as if gained new meaning at that moment, and it felt quite good. 

"Your presence has changed."

Of course, a spirit like Azrael would remember things from the far past with clarity akin to experiencing it in the present and notice anything new, whether it was mundane or not. Audrey still didn't expect the spirit to say anything, let alone this.

"How has my presence... changed?"

"That is for you to know."

Audrey smiled immediately, and something warm brewed within Azrael's little pocket of aura that made him feel. The last time he saw the display of such an emotion, it was from a shadow that had become very dear to him in a matter of mere moments. The thought of her brought him immense comfort, but it was not without sorrow anymore.

"We all miss her. I am sure that if you truly wish to see her, she will come to you."

The air cooled further, devoid of any disturbances to let all touched by it feel free. But by the very definition of its touch, each being would feel comforted by Nature.

"She is where she is needed. I must fulfil my duty too, now. I suppose everyone must.

"Thank you for coming here."

Azrael's aura shifted in a way that Audrey could only describe it as a smile for him, at which her own deepened.

"You do not have to thank me."