In the Sarafan Stronghold and in Avernus Cathedral, I was denied the pleasure of entering the blade, but now is different. Now I will be with Kain as long as the Soul Reaver is in his hand.

The shock of entering the blade knocked me out. When I woke up the first thing I saw was my hand. I froze. It had been so long since I had last seen it in this condition that I barely realized it was my own. Sitting up, I was able to see the rest of my newly restored body. I had recently become comfortable with the sight of the rotting blue flesh on my frame and to have it change back to what it once was had an almost unnerving affect on me.

Slowly, I reached out to touch my arm. The flesh was warm to the touch and smooth. I laughed. I could barely believe this had happened. Enthralled by this new circumstances, I wrapped my arms around my body, joy felling every part of my being. When I thought things couldn't get any better, I was suddenly confronted by something I had over looked.

My wings. My wings too, had been restored.

I had no time to revel in this new found enlightening pleasure as I realized the fact that I had no idea where I was. The interior of the Reaver was not what I had expected. Dull brown stone covered all of the walls and floor, not to mention the ceiling. It seemed to be a maze of caves, caverns, and passages leading only that giant squid knew.

And now for the first time, I heard the unmistakable sound of voices.

"Just like that! He killed me. I had no way of defending myself."

"'Worship or die'?! How dare they?"

"Do you know where my child is? I left him at the well. Have you seen him?"

"I know you, I knew I knew you. But you can't be you. We put you through the window. This is the really real world..."

It was the voices of the dead of whom the Reaver had killed, most it seemed in cold blood.

It was no wonder I was to go mad here.

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After some time of searching, I found that there was no place here where a victims voice did not sound.

They had no origin and it seemed that they came from the air around me. If there was any.

I was about to lay down and give up on keeping what sanity was still in my possession when I heard a voice that seemed to have an origin. I quickly followed the voice and found the source.

An Ancient.

"Why, why did you leave us? We only did what you told us to do." He was sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth. "We did nothing wrong."

"What did you do, if you did nothing wrong?" I had had enough of meaningless talk. The Ancient turned and stared at me. He was younger than most in the murals I had seeing. The curse must have hit him when he was young. Perhaps too young to know better. His hair was long and it seemed to want to stay in his face no matter how many times he brushed it away. But if I had expected to get a half way sane answer from him, I dismissed the notion as soon as I saw his eyes. There was no sanity left in them. Only madness and a sadness deeper than anything I had seen before.

"We did as we were told. Nothing more, nothing less." He brushed aside his hair once again and looked at me. "Are you real?" I nodded. He stood and walked over to me, hesitantly, as if he had not see someone 'real' for some time. Once he reached me, a shaking hand touched my face. "You are real." His tone changed. Before it was soft and innocent with the madness that had infested his mind. Now his tone was harsh and almost uncaring. "Not that that says anything. Nothing is 'real' here. I don't even know if I am real, much less you." He looked me up and down, seeming to lose the courage that flowed though him moments before. I was reminded of a new fledgling before the corruption had set in. I was also reminded of the last fledgling I had made. Young, perhaps even younger than the Ancient before me, but for some strange reason, defiant. So I took petty on the child. I did not know if he would be the one to drive me mad in the end or if he would keep me sane for longer.

"… They had no right! How could they?! Taking so many like that! They deserve to be cursed!"

Perhaps it would be better to be mad than sane and listen to this.