In front of Ithia appeared a brilliant light, stolen from the sky and made real before her eyes. It radiated a warmth and seemed to take the form of a great pillar with wings that stretched beyond her sight.

She crouched low and shielded her eyes, squinting at what had appeared to her. After a second, the pillar spoke.

“I can free you from this darkness,” it said, voice reverberating in her skull.

“I can ease your pain and soothe your mind. Your sins would be undone,” it said. “Don’t you long for eternal happiness?”

“At what price?” she asked, baring her teeth.

The pillar burned brighter.

“The price is knowledge. To undo your wrong, you must give up the knowledge gained from the wisdom fruit.”

She showed her disgust.

“Would you refuse me? The most powerful among the lands of light and darkness?” the pillar asked.

Ithia laughed. She did not fear this light that burned her flesh with merely its presence for it was her that had taken and eaten the wisdom fruit and it was she who knew all.

“You cannot harm me, agent of light because I know your name,” she said. “I also know that all within the lands of light and darkness must bow to the one who calls their true name.”

The pillar seemed to quiver in anger.

“Burn me if you must, but I know you are not the most powerful being,” she said.

The pillar spoke again.

“Then tell me who is? Who will you answer to?”

Ithia stood tall and faced the light.

“It is I, for the one who holds knowledge, holds power over themselves,” she said.

The pillar shook and grew so bright, she had to look away.

“YOU CHOOSE PAIN?” it said. “YOU CHOOSE FEAR, HUNGER, AND DARKNESS?”

“No,” Ithia said. “I choose free will.”

A loud tearing and boom pierced her ears and made Ithia drop again. The heat from the entity seared her flesh and then quickly dissipated.

The pillar of light faded with a hiss and was gone, leaving Ithia in darkness once again.