Plastered along the walls were dozens of awards and certificates. Littered on each surface sat plenty of accolades and trophies. Evidence everywhere of a prestige unmatched, yet its achiever had to try harder still- For these prizes were only silver, and being 2nd best wasn't enough. One of the many benefits being born in a highly-esteemed line of magic casters.

For as long as Keme could remember, each task finished was promptly followed by another. Each bit of knowledge followed by many more paragraphs. Each exam pass followed by questioning the next one. What else was her duty to, except live to the expectations of her predecessors?

The first time the powerful elders looked down on her, in pride, was a moment she never dared forget. At the age of 9, the elemental top of the class, having achieved best grades the most. All her classmates, as well as schoolmates, looked at her in awe, as she accepted the award with dignity yet pride. Keme would grow up to be a fine archmage to her lineage, and that success had to be shared. The elemental picked up the role of class representative, rising in popularity. If she were to be honest, the social butterfly in her loved all the attention.

Then, one day, all that attention was directed to another.

The elders would say 'a curiosity sated this one's mind', and Keme was left unbothered, for that trait was a default. Then the elders went 'already picked up skills before the average age', and Keme scoffed lightly, as if she were supposed to be impressed- There was nothing outstanding about reading before being taught in school. Eventually, word went of a prodigy, a legend, a potential so great that could and should surpass all that existed before- And from that, Keme seethed, for that was supposed to be said about her.

The most infuriating part?

This prodigy was none other than her cousin.

— MAGIC RIVALRY —

The first time Keme properly met this so-called overachiever, Syrinq, she perhaps wondered if the elders had turned a blind eye on purpose. Her cousin was sitting quietly in a far corner of the classroom, far from any of the other students, minding her own business- It didn't even look like she was paying attention. This was the fellow elemental meant to overthrow her?

It was almost laughable.

Better yet, it was Keme herself, appointed to be Syrinq's guide. For any homework questions, any essay reviews, any study sessions, it was her meant to look it over, afterwards judge her performance alongside tutors- It gave Keme a sense of authority- Perhaps, if she skewed it a bit, then this would be practice for her many responsibilities once she'd graduate. Keme was several years older after all, closer to surpassing their ancestors than her cousin- Though this facade of rivalry wouldn't stay up for the rest of their lives.

A few days in, and Keme noticed her cousin still mainly kept to herself- The elemental chalked it up to her cousin being shy. A few weeks in, and Keme noticed her cousin still sat in the far reaches of each room, far away from most- She chalked it up to her cousin preferring the peace and quiet. A few months in and it'd all remained the same, which was the point Keme thought perhaps she ought to lend a little hand in social butterfly 101.

Not having paid much attention beyond academic performance, the cousins surprisingly found they had common ground more than thought. On occasion then, they'd talk about books they'd read, events they'd seen, things they'd wondered about. It took a whole lot of convincing, but eventually, Syrinq did accept an invitation to the monthly book club- The hesitation in anything beyond magic, struck a cord with Keme, having been in that position before. After the first meeting, Keme was sure she'd heard her cousin say about ten more words than usual- And that was a pleasant surprise.

As the months, and eventually years passed, the two cousins eventually did consider one another friends. Several times, Keme had tried setting her cousin up with others to befriend, although all of these attempts were futile- Perhaps she was asocial to her own detriment, which was proven when Syrinq, somehow, had smuggled a cat into her quarters. The older cousin was first to report this, only for this to backfire- The critter allowed to stay, on the grounds they'd already grown attached. Keme was shushed, the second she argued she wasn't allowed to keep that stray tortoise.

This is where the elemental realised, the elders didn't regard them as equals at all. Keme had always been 2nd place, ever since her cousin enrolled. Infuriatingly, this would make navigating their friendship that much more difficult- To the point Keme refused to be both a friend and a tutor. By the time she asked her cousin to pick, Syrinq preferred to keep her one and only friend she'd made here by a long margin. By then, Keme could easily tell her cousin didn't strive to be top student anymore- A fact that infuriated Keme to no end.

Her cousin had been faltering, paying less attention, daydreaming more. Forgetting to attend the book club meetings. Writing scrambled nonsense in her notebooks. How could she so easily disregard everything that was given to her? All that was served to her on a platter, merely on the basis of being a prodigy? Why would she slack, knowing she had a most prosperous future predicted, even more so than Keme herself?

When Keme saw Syrinq pulled more and more away to the outside world, the elemental let her. It was clear as day that her cousin hadn't prioritised magic as she should've- By that assessment, the 1st place was up for grabs once more, and Keme would reclaim it gladly. Even if she was never declared a prodigy, a legend, a future archmage that'd surpass everyone previous- Keme had done far, far, far more to earn that spot rightfully.

No one deserved to be at the top, if they didn't give it their all.

— APPRENTICE ARCHMAGE —

Least to say, it didn't surprise Keme when Syrinq said her goodbyes.

Their friendship had eventually watered down to the mere basics and cordiality, at most seeing one another at book club. Keme's respect for her cousin lowered further, when she discovered what Syrinq was doing on her weekly escapades- Learning to smith, which had no relevance to her studies- Taught by a lowly orc whom she paid with her own expenses, supposed to save for her future training as archmage- Located in a market beyond the bounds of their settlement, meaning she escaped by skipping the walls.

How dare she?

Throughout her academic years, it was best to comply, instead of causing a ruckus. It was unfair her cousin found ways to bend those rules, to run from those consequences, to enjoy those escapades. It was unfair this unworthy scholar got given way more to work with, than she had in her entire time of studying here. Keme was well on her way to share ranks with the upper echelons, whilst her cousin wanted to wistfully whisk it all away as if it didn't matter at all.

Despite the grudge, she nodded, held out her hand and gave her cousin a firm nod. They shook and gone was cousin Syrinq into the night. The further away her cousin was, the better she felt- The elemental couldn't bear listening to the elders' grievances about losing an important asset, whilst she was right there- Keme had just as much, if not more potential at this point!

Luckily for her, the elders did stop eventually- Only at the high point of Keme's life herself, when she was titled an apprentice to the best archmage in the region (are we giving this role to an existing character or what girl. maybe senthyril idk). The elemental couldn't wait to claim that position herself one day, for she'd worked incredibly hard to get there, and she'd never ever dream of faltering. So, she didn't say a word, when the apprentice had an even holier-than-thou attitude than everyone she knew- Nor did she speak up, when she organised the archmage's quarters, library, tower, everything and didn't get a single 'thank you'- Nor did she let it get to her, when she finally mastered arcane magic, and the archmage didn't look remotely impressed.

The elemental had to remind herself plenty times she was but an apprentice. Archmages had quite the plate full to worry themselves with, their schedule was packed top to bottom- Though every time her successes were disregarded again, it never stung any less. The first time it felt her teacher was actually aware of her being here, was when they'd discovered something of beyond this world- It felt akin to magic, except it had nothing in it- As if it was empty by default, 'null magic' the archmage had called it- Of course, the nature of an archmage, was to investigate this anomaly further. The elemental apprentice was right there to assist, as was usually expected of her.

Little was known about this empty magic, thus the archmage and the assistant travelled the world to see if existed elsewhere. Least to say, Keme was surprised at the amount of.. World, that was out there- Far grander than literature and lectures could've ever taught her, let alone the intricate details of it. Everywhere she followed the archmage, she discovered new places, new people, new cultures- The more she saw, the smaller her origins felt, perhaps to a point it felt nearly moot.

As if her teacher had an affinity for it, they found craters, ruins and much more, filled to the brim with this null magic. Studying how it affected the area, its critters, its life- It was almost as if this new type of magic became an obsession of the archmage, the apprentice right there to witness it. Ramblings about how this could be a new type of magic, a discovery bound to overthrow necromancy of the undead and blood magic of the vampires- Right in the hands of the 'good side', per her tutor's words- And the two were headed right for the eye in the storm, hidden within the region advised to steer away from.

The land of the supernatural, the infested, the demonic- Padogamus.

— AKIN TO NOTHING —

Per usual, it was the apprentice sent right into the zone- For she was an elemental, and those were naturally miles more robust against terrible weather. Shielding herself off from the heavy rain and roaming monsters, Keme's task this time was to get to the epicentre of it all- The concentration of this supposed 'null magic' highest there, albeit hardly detectable due to mixing with the forces already present- It was as if Keme was making a leap of faith, for all of this was still mere theory. Her teacher hadn't informed any other about this, for they wanted to lay claim to it by themselves.

How much further did the apprentice have to go, in order to be recognised as an equal- Let alone an individual capable at all?

Loud thunderstrikes, heavy windgusts, cracking of her boots in the near-dead soil- It all turned eerily quiet, as if the world was closing in on her- The bubble was all that separated her from the outer forces- Light-headedness seeping in slowly. Unease heightening at every shift in the corner of her sight. A feeling of dread overcame, as everything gradually changed into a darkness void of anything- Her mentor was right, calling this 'null' was the best way of describing it.

Akin to entering a deep sleep, nothingness engulfed the elemental, as if she was destined to become one with the earth itself. Regardless the risk of losing her life, it felt rather peaceful- There was a sense of familiarity within the void, calling out to her. Clawing off her skin layer by layer, down to the mere essentials, the elemental was naught but magic- Befittingly the same as all this null surrounding her. If Keme was screaming in agony, she wouldn't know- For her awareness was slipping away, following into the deep unknown.

As if her soul set on fire, consumed by everything and nothing simultaneously, she'd never be able to describe it properly- Nothing ever in her existence had even come close to this experience. A laughable thought, that was, for would anyone listen at all? Had anyone ever spared their ear to this elemental? Had anyone ever given her a sympathetic look, a helping hand, a word of encouragement? Had anyone given a shit for that matter, or was she as discardable as the rest of them- The remainders she feared so to become part of?

No answer came, for it was already answered when nothing had blended with everything once more.

Hoisting herself from the depths of the earth, crawling out of a cavern, finding a way out. Every single breath hitched a sting within her lungs. Every single movement made her muscles scream. Every single thought to keep going and not let the flame out- Keme could do this. She'd gone through all this before, all by herself, no problem. The elemental would rendez-vous with her mentor, they'd return to the familiar.. Then she could get herself looked at by a healer- There was no reason to panic about your bare essence changing colour- Let alone it matching the nothingness you just crept out of.

Stranded.

Her mentor had left Keme alone to rot in this place- But the elemental couldn't play the blaming game just yet, for the seasons had changed by the time she returned. The apprentice stormed into the archmage's tower, each motion still akin to torture in her veins- And she was met with a different pair of eyes, instantly recognising the wondrous gleam and excitable curiosity she once held. In her time absent, of course her mentor had taken another under their wing- But to be met with unfamiliarity and a vile stride, stung far more than the physical troubles Keme was dealing with.

Sent off, for she'd done nothing but fail in her role as apprentice.

The very same occurred when she stared the elders in their eyes, pleading for the protection of the sanctuary that she once grew up in- Sure, it was small but safe, secluded but significant. A miniscule but curious thought lurked in the back of her mind, perhaps longing for more- Keme was willing to give that up for reintegration, to her prime position as an outstanding elemental within her lineage- Anything but to be thrown to the scraps, she'd worked her entire life for this!

Everywhere she looked for understanding, she was met with disgrace, with scorn, with whatever that'd put her down a peg. A mere apprentice to an archmage, not that reaching that title would've changed much overnight anyway- The elemental would never be good enough, let alone amount to the ideal each and every one of them had. She'd reach higher and higher, yet the top always drifted further and further away. Instead all she amounted for, was another blip within the ranks of this small bubble, estranged from the rest of the world. Somewhere along the way, all she'd sacrificed mattered naught in the end.

In that moment, the elemental was unmemorable, discardable, replaceable trash.

— LONELY DIVERGED —

Perhaps her cousin was right after all, for seeing through this facade far earlier than she had.

Afflicted with something no one could describe, it was Keme's turn to pack her bags and leave this rotten place behind. Everything tinged with a pain uncureable, regardless the elemental had to try and seek a cure. If her studies taught her one thing, it's how grand the outer world was- Someone was bound to know something, anything.

And so the elemental travelled to ask around- At a pace far slower than she'd like, forcing herself a gentle hand for the self she'd always slapped away previously. From inns with gossiping barkeepers, to towns with curious and helpful folk, to guilds with the bravest of souls, to underground sewers with the morally grey and wary eyes.

In order to have coin ready at hand, Keme dabbled once more in an old childhood hobby of hers, archery. One of many interests dropped, in favour of the praise and prestige she was supposed to strive for. The sense of accomplishment upon fletching her own arrows, was far different than the academic variant- Albeit in a good way. Even more so, when she discovered her innate self had changed during her dance with the void- Her magic had changed from the known elements, into one of uncharted territory.

Utilising her new magic filled her body with pain more tolerable, her lungs with much needed renewal, her veins with refreshing vigour- For a moment, it was as if the elemental had never been engulfed by the void. A new goal in mind, Keme was set on finding a way to live up to her potential- This time, one realised by her mere self, no longer imposed to listen to a bunch of deranged elders and stuck up archmages.

Finding someone with any knowledge proved difficult, yet Keme luckily found it in a knight by the alias of Pioneer- An elf struck by this nothingness years and years prior, around the time her guild Haevirndawn was at its height for growth. A helping hand reached down, and the elemental all too gladly accepted it. What Keme didn't expect however, was to cross paths once more with the cousin she'd so easily dismissed all those years ago- Let alone see her glowing and laughing with whom she assumed were her friends. Whereas Keme hadn't found hers yet, the elemental realised soon Syrinq had found a real home beyond the sanctuary- A feat that mattered far more than mere academic performance.

The reunion was thankfully amicable, for they both had grown and changed plenty by then. The past water under the bridge, albeit a makeshift book club was still on the table. Syrinq had become part of a knight squad, which was described as 'ride or die'.. With a quickly added 'in the good way' afterwards. Gleaming in the armour she'd smithed herself, for the first time Keme genuinely asked about her endeavours- What she got to see on her weekly sneak outs, what she got to learn, what she got to experience. In turn, Keme was motioned to share her own tales- Or in due time, especially since the ones thus far, were rather grim.

Eventually, seeing Keme around the knight squad's base, was as usual as Bartholomew eating an entire cookie jar- Or as usual as Dhulfiqar roaming the hallways in the late hours by his lonesome. Whilst not officially becoming a part of their group, for the elemental actually now preferred solitude- Keme was far more than welcome to join them in their quests, whether it was at their default spot Haevirndawn, or any other place in the world. The friendship she had with her cousin rebuilt from scratch, it became far better than their initial attempt- No jealousy nor rivalry to speak of, despite their differences they were equals.

Finally picking up archery as a proper passion, Keme had her new gear smithed and enchanted by Syrinq. With that, the elemental felt powerful as ever, a far greater feeling than whatever academic nonsense she once chased. The mercenary picked up solo quests from Haevirndawn occasionally, yet most of her work came from word of mouth. There was a comfort in sticking to the shadows, alongside the outcasts of the world- The elemental knew she had a place in it, yet she'd gladly lend a hand to whomever below needed the help- After all, hoisting oneself up to their goal, was a chance every single individual deserved to have, no matter their origin, status or prestige.

— END OF DAWN —

The moment Keme woke up in the unfamiliar once more, the elemental immediately knew something was amiss- In the same forest clearing, Nestor, the guy she'd won many card bets against, also lay seemingly unconscious. A few metres across, her cousin getting up on her feet as delicately as a newborn penguin. Neither of them knew where they were- More confusion added in the mix, as apparently her bar game buddy was familiar with Syrinq and the knight squad she was a part of. The elemental barely remembered any of the arguing, before they finally found other familiar faces.

Stranded, again, it seemed- The amount of both unknown and known folk popping up, made it all rather concerning. Sooner than they'd have all preferred, paranormal creatures, demons and a nothingness incredibly familiar came knocking- Words went of some End Of Dawn. For Keme, the mercenary stayed close to the walls as she always had, yet seeing camaderie form in former foes and complete strangers was admittedly a sight to behold.

An emptiness called out to her, clawing its hands out of the deep, daring to bring Keme down with it once more. By then, Keme had her post-void transformation mostly managed, having to stop herself from plunging into the dark again- This time, the elemental luckily wasn't by her lonesome, able to rely on her allies and friends alike to keep her afloat- Even when this was all revealed to be a game to a higher being of some sorts. Even when they were overrun by demonic entities. Even when they were outnumbered and allies had fallen left and right.

The close-knitness developing between other allies, eventually gripped tightly around Keme, too. A part of a greater whole, yet still remaining her individuality, Keme felt more than welcome within the camaderie. Perhaps the elemental didn't need to stick to the shadows the entire time- She did use to be a social butterfly. In case of some falling down, Keme would be amongst the ones holding out their hands for aid. In case of lost ones grieved, Keme would mourn with them. In case of a long struggle fought finally won, Keme's cheers mixed in with all those of her allies and friends.

Returning to a sense of normalcy was surprisingly difficult for Keme. Prior the devastating events, the elemental had merely a few ties to this world and its inhabitants- Now she had plenty more reasons to fight, plenty more folk to care about, plenty more wonders in the world to be grateful for- Despite the losses they'd all suffered. In Keme's case, it was her mentor and friend Pioneer succumbing, brought back as an undead abomination. Luckily for her, where she'd reached out a hand to help, the elemental received hands in turn to hoist her up.

Perhaps she ought to officially sign up with the Haevirndawn guild after all. Perhaps she ought to officially become part of the knight squad her cousin was so ride or die for. Perhaps she ought to put herself in the spotlight once more, the one she'd been reluctant to step back into after losing it so harshly. Perhaps she ought to take up space, as anyone living did. Tumbling down wasn't as daunting as it once was- Failure be damned, getting up and trying again mattered far more- And Keme was more than ready to take on whatever life had to throw at her.