14
Before I fully register anything, a thought intrudes—a thought I recognize as Mimir’s.
“Darren, don’t trust the Elders with the secret of my existence.” As soon as the words reach me, I sense Mimir’s presence disappearing.
“Wait,” I think back frantically. “Is this what you tried to tell me before? You realize you got cut off at an important point, don’t you? You ended up making me think I wasn’t supposed to trust someone, and it drove me crazy. In any case, why don’t you want them to know about you?”
No reply comes, so after what feels like a few minutes of angry waiting, I turn my attention to Level 2 itself.
You’d think experiencing this sensory deprivation would be easier the third time, but it’s just as frightening now as it was on my two prior visits.
The difference lies in
