[ it's like night and day - a flip is switched and the village is dropped into a carnival of terror, of bright colors and flashing lights and the harsh nostalgia of cotton candy sticking in your throat. their roles reverse in a blink of the eye, those that had been left conscious taken by the hypnotic strobe of umbvagher's light at the exact same moment as those that had been touched by serenity's madness reawaken to total chaos.

a new wave of their panic crashes over serenity and her own echoes right back. it adds a discordant tune to umbvagher's display, a haunting sound that rings in their ears and in her chest. it hurts. ]

Why?

[ it doesn't sound accusatory. it's curious - and confused, and scared. ]

Why can we change them like this? We haven't the right. They aren't enjoying it, they just... are. Just a snap of the fingers and the script is flipped.

[ they can make them see things, do things, and they're helpless to obey. they can't even see the two of them standing right in the midst of it all, watching it happen. chaos reigns and the whole world is turned on its head.

how is it possible to hold such power? what magic is so wicked as to twist reality itself? he makes it look so easy - he makes it look fun. she turns to him with an expression of dismay. ]

What are you? What am I? What have I done?