Blackfeather Woods remember when you were young, you shone like the sun

She laughed, the sound airy and hollow from her throat, a chuckle that didn't quite make it to her eyes. "Dangerous? Yeah, I know. Cic'ro told me." Maegi spoke matter-of-factly, in icy tones. She'd known the meadow was dangerous for a long while, but for what? She felt at peace here; whatever danger it held was accompanied by numb bliss, and that was good enough for her.

Nevertheless, she sighed and humored Nyx, taking slow steps away from the meadow until she stood in the shadows. "I'm fine," she called out. "See?" As if to illustrate her point, she did a little dance in place; unfortunately, her head swam suddenly, and she staggered sideways, feeling her stomach churn. "Oof," she breathed, closing her eyes, trying to keep the world from spinning.

When she opened them, Nyx had multiplied into two twin black wolves, staring at her. "Whoa," she said, letting out a giggle. Maegi cocked her head at the young woman--women?--in a curious manner. "Nyx, wha'd'y'know abou' the Void?"

Everyone had always told her that the Void was where you went when you died, but to Maegi, the Void was all around her, its darkness sucking her in hair by hair until one morning she'd wake and be completely engulfed, nose underwater. Maybe she was dead, maybe some wolf had struck her down in the war, and the past few moons had been merely a dream.

But were there dreams in the Void?