The forest was silent, eerily so. Even in the dead of night, this city was never this quiet, and she half expected the silence to break at any moment. But it never did, leaving her with only the sound of her own beating heart for company.

Up ahead, the shadows still writhed, but for the most part, they had subsided. In their midst, he stood naked and motionless, as if asleep, allowing them to gently caress him in greeting. It was an odd sight, if not an entirely disturbing one, but Alice, she couldn’t help but somehow admire it.
Quite a thing isn’t it?
Alice quickly wiped any and all hit of admiration from her face.
What? You feel the same as I do. I am you after all.
"Are you? Or are you just some figment of my imagination," Alice said, speaking to no-one in particular.
Do you believe that then? That I’m a figment of your imagination - created to trick and deceive you - just like him?
"Him? A figment of my imagination. Is that what all this is?"
Who knows. You, me, him, we could all be the trick of a dying brain, trying to keep its host alive. Either way, I don’t really care.
"What do you care about?"
You know what it is, I’m you for crying out loud! Do I need to spell it out for you?
"No," Alice replied, gritting her teeth.
Good. Now, let’s get on with it.
Agreed.
And look, just in time for you to greet our guest.

Alice looked up, just in time to see the shadows begin to writhe once more - almost as if they were in agony - as their tendrils solidified and in the process became something else entirely. Something darker. Something so dark, it practically shimmered. With their task seemingly complete, the shadows burst, leaving him to fall, collapsing into an undignified heap on the forest floor.

Seeing this Alice frowned, staring at him, unsure of just what had happened. First the shadows had been there and then, they were gone. And now, in their place, an immaculate set of clothes resided - shimmering softly in the moonlight. The shirt and trousers clung loosely to him, accentuating his lean figure. And, beneath the trousers, two gleaming boots sat, as smart and refined as the rest of his attire, while still emanating an air of rugged functionality.

The longer she stared, the more uncomfortable she became. She’d seen people sleep before, watched as they’d tossed and turned, but this wasn’t like any of that, not a murmur or shiver, nor the fidgeting of someone trying to wake up. Instead, there was stillness, and with it, silence. Then, without warning, he jolted upright.

His mind was a mess. Filled with countless, unending memories, with each and every one, conflicting with another. He couldn’t even remember his name. Not that he hadn’t tried, but still, it eluded him. Scattering off into the recesses of his mind. Where am I, he thought, over and over again, allowing it to echo within the emptiness of his mind, until it was the only thing he could think of.
"Where am I," he asked, the sound of his own voice surprising himself slightly

In response, off to his side, a girl stepped into view, as if emerging from the shadows themselves. She was dressed head-to-toe in black, with only the cool white skin of her face and hands visible.
"We’re currently just outside Ostrano," she answered, her voice light and airy. Yet, with each word a fiery determination was conveyed, betraying her true colours.
"Ostrano?"
"Yes, Ostrano. You know, the largest free-city on the continent. Home to more mages, sorcerers and witches than most of the other sixteen free-cities combined. I know you were cooped up with that woman for who knows how long, but still, that’s basic information, even a five year-old would know that."
"Wait. With who?"
"The creepy woman, the one in the veil."
"Doesn’t ring any bells, but then again, my head’s a mess right now. I can’t even remember my name. Or who you are."
"Well, luckily for you I can answer both of those questions. I’m Alice, Alice Thorn, and apparently your name’s Alexander Black. At least that’s what the creepy woman in the veil said."
"The one I can’t remember?"
"One and the same. Although that might be because you were asleep in a frozen lake of sorts."
"A lake?"
"More of a very large puddle, but lake sounds so much more, exciting."
"It really does," Alex said, sighing deeply. "So, what’s the plan then Alice?"
"Well the creepy lady, entrusted you to me, spouting some rubbish about me helping you and you helping me. Which leaves me to believe that abandoning you here is a bad idea. Especially considering how she stopped me from dying."
"And how did she do that exactly

Then, without warning, as she continued to stare, he jolted upright, as if waking from a nightmare, and leaving Alice to step back in shock. He quickly surveyed his surroundings - the look of confusion growing on his face - before speaking.
"Where am I?"
She stepped closer, surprised by how smooth his voice seemed, despite it’s strong, deep overtones.
"Where am I," he desperately asked once more, seemingly more distressed than before.
"You’re in a forest, just beyond the outskirts of Ostrano," Alice timidly replied, stepping towards him.
"Ostrano? The city port."
"Yes. I mean it was. It’s more of a city state now. Has been since before I was born. Do you... remember anything?"
"No. Nothing"

His mind was a mess. He couldn’t even remember his name. Not that he hadn’t tried, but every time he did, multiple conflicting memories would intervene, scattering the answer to the recesses of his mind. Where am I, he thought, allowing it to reverberate and echo within the emptiness of his mind, until it became the only thing he could think of.
"Where am I," he asked, the sound of his own voice surprising himself slightly.

In response, off to his side, a girl stepped into view, as if emerging from the shadows themselves. She was dressed head-to-toe in black, with only the cool white skin of her face and hands visible. The hood of her coat hid the majority of her hair, except for a few loose strands that hung across her face. It looked long, probably extending past her shoulders. But what really caught his attention was her face, and those piercing blue eyes. He felt like he could’ve stared at those eyes for hours.

"Where am I," his voice asked again. Which was odd, he hadn’t remembered thinking to speak, he was still too fascinated by her.
"You’re in a forest, just beyond the outskirts of Ostrano," the girl timidly answered.
Ostrano? The small port town on the south coast. No. It was too big to be called a town, a city then.
"Ostrano? The city port," he asked, his voice once more acting before he’d even finished thinking.
"Yes. I mean it was. It’s more of a city state now. Has been since before I was born," she replied. "Do you... remember anything?"
"No. Nothing," he said, lying, unsure of just what, or who he remembered.
"Nothing," she repeated, clicking her fingers, summoning a flame into the palm of her hand. He watched it dance and flicker in her hand, illuminating her features and allowing him to see her face, how it truly was.

Drying blood soaked her flesh, while numerous cuts and bruises littered her delicate features. And, although both the wounds to her nose - which looked like it had been broken - and her lip - which sported a deep cut - seemed unbearably painful, her eyes, those piercing blue eyes, shone definitely in the firelight. Casting his gaze downwards he noticed more blood, too much blood. Just who was this girl? How had she, this frail looking girl, survived through injuries that would kill any man several times over.

She shouldn’t be alive, a voice inside his head screamed, causing him to flinch away in pain. Quickly others joined, screaming, their voices grating against the inside of his skull. We killed her. I killed her! Alex. We watched her, watched her be tortured! I watched her die. We saw her breath her last. I saw her breath again. Those shadows, they tore us apart. What were they!? Where are we? Who am I? She killed us. Killed me! Killed me? No! No! No! We saw. Alex. We watched. I watched. I stabbed her! Thrust a knife in her heart! Yet, she lives. How!? She killed us. Kill her! Save me. Mother! Alex. Please. We don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. Kill her! Kill her. Kill her! Help me! Alex! It’s so dark. I can’t see. Kill her. Kill her! We can’t win. Runaway! Save yourselves. Sister? Kill her!

"Alex," a voice yelled, "Alex!" It called again, silencing the rampaging thoughts in his head.

Was that his name? He couldn’t remember. So many names had floated to the surface of his mind, but none had felt right, like they were names of things, or people he’d known, long passed from this world. Yet this one, this name, for some reason it felt right. He latched onto it and drank strength from it, making it his own, etching it into his very being.

"Alex," Alice called, almost yelling. Yet, he remained there, his body frozen in place, his mind elsewhere. "Alex!"

She yelled, again and again, her confusion and anger steadily rising, until, it finally snapped. Without warning she thrust both hands forward, violently grabbing his collar, and then - with remarkable ease - threw him headlong into the dirt.