The sky has abandoned this place.

Manzirbjorg, they call it.

A city, a castle, a tower. Something in between?

Streets empty and dark, lit only by a trickle of reddish moonlight. Stairs ascending, descending, twisting… Passageways with no beginning, and an end only in death.

All I can do is pull my cloak tighter and focus on what’s ahead.

How long has it been? An hour? A week? A year?

The cold wind brings only dust and a faint scent of smoke in return for my hat.

In this gloom and silence I could be inches from my goal and not know it. Or inches from my demise.

This has long stopped being about pride or revenge.

It’s about… sanity.

With each step the madness nibbles at my brain. Distractions, tickles, whispers.

Anger is the only thing that keeps me moving. He does this to taunt me. He wants me afraid and desperate. What a coward! The “great wizard” scared of me?

Ha!

“Just a silly little girl,” he said.

As if magic was was only for selfish old men.

I’ll break my broom on that senile smirk.