Remember Back When

Another tremor rolled through the landscape and some of the group members audibly gasped. Talyssa simply laughed, allowing her voice to echo dramatically throughout the cave. "Fear not, my friends! This land may be unstable, but so is life." She gestured widely to the barren hills surrounding them. "We are here precisely because this place is unpredictable. It changes every moment, like our lives. Like memory itself." She paused for a moment, allowing that thought to sink in before she continued.

"Now I want you all to close your eyes," she instructed, her voice resonating off the cavern walls. The attendees complied, their visible unease subsiding slightly as Talyssa took control. "I want you to picture the most vivid memory you have. Hold it in your mind. Feel it, breathe it." As if on cue, the earth gave a violent shudder, causing even Talyssa's heart to skip a beat. But she held firm, refusing to open her eyes as some of the group did.

"Talyssa Carpathius"