◐ ⚜ Elaina's POV ⚜ ◑

In a well-lit cozy room within the walls of the sanctuary, Elaina sat herself down on the bed beside her sleeping husband. How many days had it been now...

Still, he would not wake.

She lifted a hand to his face as a tear slid down her cheek. Pushing aside a stray strand of hair she looked longingly down at him. "My love, please return to me, to us." She whispered.

And still, he did not wake.

"Elaina." A female voice sounded from behind her.

"Yes?" Wiping away her tears she straightened herself up and turned to face the newcomer. The woman was dressed in all black, her dark skin with white markings peeking through the lace of her garments, she also wore a veil covering the bottom half of her face.

"I'm Erisena. Lady Aveyon has sent me to be of aid." The dark elf stepped forward and bowed slightly in greeting.

"Oh, yes. Thank you for coming on such short notice." Elaina stood, her eyes hopeful as she clenched her hands to her chest.

"Had I known earlier that one of our warriors had been out of action for so long..." The elf shook her head. "I am sorry it took me this long to reach you." She moved to stand beside Elaina. "May I?"

Elania nodded stepping aside and letting the elf examine her husband. She'd heard of Erisena from Aveyon, she'd been one of the few who had survived the battle with Ashera and also the one to train Aveyon. If Aveyon trusted her, then so did she.

Erisena reached out placing her hands in such a way that they hovered above Erosvent's sleeping form. Her eyes half closed as her head tilted to the side.

Elaina felt the air around her change, it chilled in temperature and the sound of tiny cracking crystals could be heard. She'd never get used to the feeling of others using this type of magic around her. Though if Eros were awake he'd scold her for calling it magic and not essence-wielding. The thought only reminded her how much she missed him.

"He's been this way since his ascension?" Erisena asked.

"Yes, since the first night, he returned from Alarious with Vincent, went to sleep and hasn't woken. At first, we just thought it was exhaustion, but as the days went on and he still didn't wake we knew something was amiss." Elaina sighed. "We've tried everything, it doesn't make any sense given the protections on the Sanctuary. Ava suggested that it was spirit-related, hence calling you in."

The elf frowned at the use of the Goddess's informal name. "He's not being attacked or harmed so the enchantment on these walls is of no use to him. I would surmise he is trapped in a dream state." Erisena explained.

"What?" Elaina frowned, this was the first she had heard of it. Could that even be possible?

"It's not uncommon for dream spirits to target persons with strong spirit-wielding capabilities. Though normally they feed on the energy for a single night, sometimes two, then leave. This case is... peculiar." Erisena frowned struggling to find the answer.

"Can you help him?" Elaina pleaded.

"No." Erisena was blunt, the response visually hurting Eliana. "I'm afraid, he can only help himself. I know of no other dream walkers, I can put the word out... but,"

"There must be something we can do!" Eliana couldn't give up, she wouldn't.

Erisena's gaze shifted to Eliana giving her a once over, the elf looked hesitant to say what was on her mind.

"What is it?" Elaina inquired.

"It would be asking a lot of you." The elf shook her head.

"I don't care." Was Elaina's reply.

"It could be dangerous, and I don't know what I would be sending you into." The elf warned.

"I don't care," Eliana repeated.

"Your child?" The elf pushed.

"Needs her father." Eliana retorted.

Erisena reached out a taloned hand for the human woman. Inviting her to take hold, it wasn't just a simple notion, it was a test.

Elaina stepped forward taking the offering without hesitation. Her hand didn't shake, her finger didn't recoil as the lf wrapped her claw-like fingers around her slinger wrist.

"The Alarian has a fine wife." She commented with a smile. "I'm going to send you into his dreamscape, you have no training and no essence-wielding abilities. You are no dream walker but you have a connection with him, a bond. Use it to reach him. You need to tell him he's trapped in a dream, make him aware."

Elaina nodded. "Okay."

Taking a moment to make arrangements the two girls set up the room and informed Vincent of their plans. Even with his protests, Elaina managed to convince him that this was worth a try at the very least.

Erisena spent some time to attune herself to Elaina, she needed pinpoint accuracy to allow the human to dive within the Alarian's mind without losing her. It was like creating a tether, bonding a piece of her essence with Elaina's life force so she could use it to pull her back or push her forward within Erosvent's mind.

All too soon it was time to begin. Elaina was nervous, she'd never done anything like this before. But Eros did, almost daily. Steeling her resolve, it was time she helped him for a change.

"Ready?" Erisena asked.

She nodded. There was no turning back now, she'd get him back. Elania's eyes widened as her vision became blurry and she felt a pressure behind her temples like the start of a painful headache.

"Don't fight it," Erisena instructed.

She did her best to relax both her body and mind, the sensations filling her causing the world to fall away. Was she falling asleep? Was that how this worked? Her eyes fluttered shut but her mind remained alert. The world around her was filled with a vast empty white as far as the eye could see. Was this right? It didn't seem right. There was nothing here...

Taking a few steps, she thought she would hear her footsteps, but her surroundings made no sound, it was eerie and unnerving.

"Heavens... I don't know what I'm doing." She mumbled aloud as she continued forward.

Was this what it was always like entering a person's mind? She couldn't tell if she was walking in the correct direction or if she was even swaying from her path. The blinking white was disorientating.

"Eros." Elaina tried calling his name.

Her voice echoed into the vast emptiness. She could feel an overwelling sense of dread clawing at her insides as she began to doubt herself. Could she do this, could she reach him? She was nothing. A scared little girl, trapped in an unknown world with no direction, no way forward.

She felt her heartthrob, the feeling painful enough to bring her to her knees. She gasped clenching at the material of her blouse. Would she ever find him? She was lost without him, she needed him back, she couldn't do this alone.

Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she slammed her fist against the ground. A puff of white dust plummed up as she fought with her inner demons. She'd felt this way before only once in her life. The day her new life had begun, the day she had taken control of her life and chosen to live for her sake alone.

The pain in her chest ebbed until she finally forced herself to breathe at a more steady pace. Taking a few deep breaths she pushed herself up and willed herself to her feet. She was stronger than this. Yes, they were two halves of a whole. But she was still herself. She was still her own person. Their lives were tied to one another, but she had a strength of her own.

Closing her eyes she searched within herself, she knew it was possible to sense the bond between them. Easier though for people who could wield essence, but she had to try. The bond that tied their lives together, the feelings she didn't understand in the beginning when they had first formed it. They hadn't been lovers back then, merely friends. He was still her best friend and that would never change.

Suddenly opening her eyes she looked up and into the distance. Her feet moved with new motivation and her mind was determined. She knew where to go, her body knew where it needed to be. With each step she took it was as though clarity filled her and her surroundings. The once-white landscape faded giving way to the lush green foliage of a forest.

A smile crept onto her lips, she'd gone it! She'd made it inside. Now she just needed to find him.

In the distance, she caught the sound of shattering glass. Her head snapped in the direction of the disturbance, no better place to start than where the noise was coming from.

It wasn't until she saw the back of the tavern that she realised where she was. Why was he here, why was he dreaming about this?

"You won't get anything out of me! If I don't report in they'll kill him!"

His voice, she thought she'd never have to hear that rancid sound again. Her teeth ground together as her blood began to boil with her rising anger. She ran for the hidden back room, she remembered this day and knew what was to come, she needed to get to Eros quickly.

Frustratingly when she reached the door, she was unable to grab hold of anything or hit the mechanism that opened the door. Her hand simply passed through it as though she were made of air. It did make sense when she thought about it, she wasn't here in person after all. That, however, gave her an idea.

She stepped right through the door with tense shoulders and closed eyes. Peeking with one eye she was relieved to see that Eros was still himself.

"Eros." She tried.

He didn't appear to hear her, his attention was on the other version of her.

"Where? Take me to him!" Hearing her voice from a past version of herself was uncanny.

She tried to step in front of her dream version. "Eros! Please, you need to wake up!"

"He's not here anymore." The scene was playing out like she wasn't there, he couldn't see her.

"What do you mean? Please no." Her other self was having a mental breakdown behind her, she remembered this.

She tried touching Eros, but again her form didn't appear to be solid, it was like she was stuck on another plan of existence. "Is this what it feels like to be a ghost?"

'Elaina, can you hear me?'

Erisena's voice sounded like a dull whisper.

"Yes!?" She called back.

'Thank the goddess, you've been uncontactable for some time.'

"I'm okay, I made it through the blank space and found him, but he can't hear or see me." She tried to explain.

'Blank Space? You should have gone directly into his dreams.'

The elf sounded confused. 'If that is the case, it sounds as though you are being isolated from him. This is far more dire than I thought.'

"What can I do?" Eliana felt weird talking to the ceiling but wasn't sure what else to do when talking to the soft distant voice.

'Find an opening that you can slip through, wait and watch. If someone is controlling the space then there will be cracks and weaknesses.'

"I'll find something." She promised to both Erisena and herself.

'Our tether is weak, I must focus on keeping you connected.'

"I'll see you when this is over then."

'Good luck'

Erisena's voice faded away to nothing.

Elaina looked down at the version of herself in this dreamscape, she knew what that girl was feeling at this time. She was crumbling under the weight of finding out her brother had died. The next scene was one she would never forget, but she would stay, wait and watch for the opening she needed. He needed her.