It has been nearly a year since you ever took the White Dust. You remember the Alchemist giving you your first try; it felt like, for the first time in your life, you were powerful and could wield weapons beyond imagination. In your head, you could Lucid Dream better than any other person on the face of the planet. It was a mere illusion, of course, but you quickly realised you couldn't get enough of it. Quickly, all the gold you got your hands on went straight into the pockets of the Alchemist. Then, as you slowly lost everything around you, and your home was taken away, you realised it had gone too far. The damage was done, but you could at least try to salvage a life for yourself.
As the snow falls on the cobblestone, you are reminded of the White Dust. Your hands shake as you think back to those days...but you quickly snap out of it; you hear crying.
A young woman, with dirty blond hair, sits outside a brothel with mildew ridden, wooden doors. Passers-by don't spit on her, or mock her, or insult her...they simply walk on by, like she doesn't exist. You hear her mutter "I can't do this, I can't do this anymore..."
You quickly put together what has happened, and decide to go and comfort her. You walk towards her slowly, and announce yourself
"Hey, are you okay?"
She quickly snaps her head up, and looks at you in wide-eyed terror. She shuffles backwards, her face white, clearly terrified at what she thinks you want to do to her...
"I'm sorry," you say, quickly, backing away, "I didn't mean to startle you. I'll just leave now, don't worry about it."
You turn to leave, and you hear her voice "Wait." She says, quietly.
You turn around, and head slowly towards the woman. You can see her clear, green eyes. You start speaking, under the snow.
You find out her name is Odette, and she was forced into this business when her parents, who lived in the countryside, died of malnourishment. You explain you were getting over your addiction to the White Dust and have been homeless for quite a while, and that you understood what it was like to be ignored. After a while though, the conversation drifts to happier times, and she tells you about the things she used to see in the countryside. She loved the sun as it shone through the leaves, and the sound of birdsong at dawn. But most of all, she loved the swans that would occasionally migrate to a river by where she lived. As she speaks about these things, she gives a little laugh of happiness, and you are reminded of the sound of brook through a meadow.
"My mother used to tell me of a story, you know," says Odette, "She would say that, if I followed the swans, I would find a castle where all my dreams would come true. It's a silly story, but I always liked to imagine there was something to that."
"These stories often have more truth than people think", you admit, "Honestly, we might as well try and see if there's anything to this; at the very least, there may be a castle nearby with a few antiques collectors might buy," you say, "It is near a lake in the forest nearby where Swans have been seen gathering."
"There is?" She asks, "Do you think I could find someone willing to take me there?"
"I know the way there," you say, "I understand if you'd rather go alone, but if you'd like I could take you!"
"Of course, I would love that!" She says, a little too quickly.
You set out through the roads and alleyways, till you get to Black Lake Forest. The trees are so tangled and their branches are so thick that the snow does not reach the floor. The path through the woods looks dark, and even the creeping of dawn's light over the horizon will not be able to lift the shadows.
The path splits, on the right it goes into the dark woods, with nothing else blocking the path. However, on the left, there is a tree stump in the way of the path. Embedded in the stump is a sword, with a shining black hilt, quite unlike any other sword you have seen. It makes you shudder, and reminds you of a particularly intense White Powder dream you once had. Which way do you go?