When Riley's white, glowing eyes snapped open, she found herself laying face up on her bed. This wasn't where they'd positioned themselves, and her first thoughts were of complete rage at someone having the audacity to move her without her permission. The second thought that came, once she'd awakened fully from the trance, was of just how tired she was. The struggle had been exhausting, and it seemed the body did not rest when placed under in trance state. She felt like she'd been awake for days, weeks even. Her muscles were sore, and her mind swam with the memories of what had happened. Even worse, her mind swam with her memories. That frothy little thing that had taken her face, her eyes, her arms, her heart. Riley felt the disgust rise up in the form of bile, threatening to overwhelm her. Her counterpart had been everything she railed against. Weak, quiet, kind, shy, demure, submissive -

Riley curled up into a fetal position, and her hands wrapped around her stomach as the nausea came.

She'd done it for Xiu, she told her self. She'd do it again, for Xiu, if the time came. She would do it for those who deserved it, even if it meant..inhabiting the body of the most disgusting creature in the world.

Riley's eyes fluttered closed, and she curled in tighter, letting her head swim until she fell into an exhausted sleep. Her mind had been so hard at work, this entire time. Even now, as she fell into deeper realms of unconscious than she was used to, she wouldn't have the strength to control her own dreams as she usually did.

Instead, they controlled her.

Say what you would about it, the Red Kingdom had been absolutely breathtaking.

Riley wondered if all of this had really come from Xiu's imagination. The colors, the smells, the grandeur of the giant golden statues all the way to the intricate beauty of each single growing blossom. Did one person really have this much power, in a dream?

Then again, Xiu was a mistress of dreams. It made sense.

Riley walked the path in the gardens, reminding herself time and time again that she was only dreaming her presence this time. This wasn't real, as it had felt when she'd been there. This wasn't a trance, nor a coma - this was just a dream, based off of what she'd just witnessed.

That did not dull the smell of the cherry blossoms.

Another memory tugged at her subconscious as she walked there. She remembered it clearly, the way they walked down that path, and stood under the canopies, whispering words of love to one another. She couldn't see it through her own eyes, but she saw herself, in Malodore's arms. She knew she was remembering it because it had given her all of it's memories. This was not her own, but she treated it as such regardless.

Besides, it still could not dull that scent of cherry blossoms.

Her feet were bare, and she felt the grass underneath it. Her toes curled in the soft carpet of life, and a third memory stirred. She was young, so very young. Just a child, really. Her feet were bare, just as they were this moment. They slipped on the dew dropped grass, and she fell, tumbling - someone picked her up. Someone whose arms wrapped lovingly around her, pressing their face against hers, and whispering words of love, words of protection..

It was her mother.

No. No it wasn't. It couldn't be. Her mother died at childbirth. No, this couldn't be her memory. This couldn't be right.

Riley stumbled, forcing herself out of her reverie, and tripped on something - something on the floor, something resting against the grass, something -

Are you frightened?

Both of her hands reached up, screeching as the voice infiltrated her mind, and she glared at the lump that she'd tripped over. Her glare turned into wide eyed shock at the sight of the woman lying on the floor. Her skin, the exact shade of purple. Her eyes, the same glowing white. Her tentacles, lifeless, but placed exactly so.

That lily white dress.

The ceremonial headcovering.

The way she clung to the floor shyly, gazing up at Riley with flushed cheeks, and an embarrassed expression. Her eyes, lowered to the ground, now lifting just slightly to peek out from under thick eyelashes..

The priestess. The advisor. The untouched, vestal virgin. The pure, untainted heart, free from sin-

Riley recoiled in disgust.

No, no please, you mustn't be afraid of me, Her soft voice said. A gentle hand reached out shyly. I don't mean to hurt you! I know who you are, please, I come with glad tidings!

If you touch me, I will rend you limb from limb where you sit, you putrid little worm. Riley hissed out, her claws extending dangerously forward. All of her tentacles were at attention, risen up in fighting stance, their pointed tips curled like snakes preparing to strike. You are not supposed to be here. You are left behind, with the others. You are a figment of my imagination - Riley blinked. She had an imagination..?

Her tentacles snapped. She supposed it was time to kill her imagination.

I'm not. I promise! All of my people, all of those lives, they live on, somewhere. We were given a chance. I.. Riley looked down at the ground shyly. I would like to share that chance with you. Her expression lifted just slightly, her cheeks rising up, as if she was trying to smile. Before she could look up at the Illithid again, she was struck down, the 'smile' wiped clean off her face by a swift kick.

Riley fell to the floor, her eyes fluttering closed as the bruise started to swell on her face. She lifted her hand to feel the quickly swelling skin, and when she pulled away, her fingertips were stained with red. She heard the soft tapping of heeled shoes - hadn't the real Riley been barefoot just a moment ago? - against cold, hard stone. The grass they'd been standing on was gone. The splendor of Xiu's kingdom was gone. All that reminded was the cold, clinical emptiness of Riley's mind.

And Riley.

And Riley.

Tentacles slid around the white clad Riley's neck, tightening with a vicious hold and pulling her up to her feet. They did not stop there, lifting her until she hung inches from the ground, strangling her neck while her feet kicked wildly. She couldn't control herself. Every function of her body turned automatic, thrashing in one final desperate attempt to live, live, live-

I share my life with no one. The real Riley hissed, snapping the vestal virgins neck.

Instead of a satisfying death, the woman disappeared in her tentacles, leaving her hollow and alone. She looked around, waiting for a re-appearance, but all that was left was a giant void, a grey, empty space.

And a door.

I share my life with no one. The sound of her own voice whispered in the void, and her heartrate began to quicken. Something told her not to listen. Something dangerous had said those words. Something desperate, clawing its way to her, angry and bitter and above all getting stronger. She walked to the door, and tried it - but it was locked. She pulled it, harder, and then slammed her shoulder into it. She kicked it, and scratched at its frame, and tried to puncture it with her tentacles.

She heard the click of a key turning a lock, and backed away from the door. Her own tentacles writhed uncontrollably, wrapping around her own neck, pulling her up, somehow, off of her feet, strangling her -

I share my life with no one.

Riley awoke, launching upward to sit as her heart tried to beat right out of her chest.