Evelyn nods in agreement. Dwarves never did waste effort. "It had to survive a dragon attack. He knew what he had to do. It even held through a coup and the second wonderland war. I trust Brokkr and Heitri with more than I trust others."
As he mentioned not wanting to harm the cat, she glanced back at him, trying to read his expression. Most held a hatred for the cat, but he was helpful in his own way.
"Solas taught me how to use my magic more precisely. Especially in Thedas. Taught me discipline. As such, it helps me here." She comments, wringing her hands and turning back to the path. "I sometimes wonder what he saw in me, and why he decided to help me.. He fell into a teacher role for me. Very quickly became my professor."
At his question, she goes quiet for a moment. "Wonderland is shaped by choices, yes. That tree is a marker for the first real choice I ever made, when humanity was given free will by Lucifer. It's a reminder of what I did. Along with every life after that."
"When I lived as Eve, my first life, I lived, for a time, in eternal paradise. I was created by the rib of my husband and the clay of Eden. Adam was infatuated with me when he met me. We did everything together. Taught me some things as well. He also gave me information. 'Remember, Eve. God says never to consume the fruit of the apple tree. It's the Tree Of Knowledge.'"
She takes another breath. "If only I'd heeded that warning. As Adam became more.. How to put it..? Objective. He began seeing me less like an equal and more someone to do whatever he wants. We frequently got into arguments. One day, I went for a walk. And I met.. him. An angel, Samael. Bright, beautiful Samael. We became fast friends."
"Whatever Adam didn't teach me, Samael would. Everything from animals, to plants. He would do whatever he could, too, to cheer me up if I was upset. Said he hated seeing me cry. Well, one night, I showed Adam what Samael had taught me. He told me to stay away from him. That he wasn't a good person. Stole his first wife or something like that. I don't know the details on that. But Samael was kind. It was hard to ignore him." She crosses her arms over her stomach.
"So, against Adam's wishes, I was drawn back to Samael. Told him what happened, one night, under the apple tree. He goes.. quiet. Then he plucks an apple from the tree, and approaches me again. He says, 'What if I told you there is a way for you to be free of him? You aren't happy with him. He makes you cry. And now you come here and tell me he doesn't want you to see me anymore?' Then he hands me the fruit. 'Take one bite, and we can leave. I can take you somewhere safe. Far away from here. We can be happy. They can start over with their plans for humanity.'"
"I took the apple. I accepted it. Just like that, every single sin humanity could ever be capable of. Every single good thing that humanity could ever be capable of. The concept of free will, to do what I want, when I want. And.. the ability to leave Adam, if I chose to." She breathes a shuddering sigh. "After I processed what the apple had done, I acted on instincts. One thing led to another. I hadn't intended on it. We were.. close. And we slept together, that night, underneath the tree."
"What happened after all of that was a blur. I returned to Adam, with news of my choice. I never got a chance to act on it, though. Samael was cast out of Heaven, down to the depths of Hell, we weren't told that. And we were cast out of heaven, down to Earth. I found out later I was pregnant. Adam didn't comment on why the child didn't look like him. Little six winged fury. But he raised him as his own.." She squeezes through a gate, down to the normal path.
"We named him Cain. He.. Resides here, too. He's got his own stories to tell, though." She sighs a bit. She'd have to visit him, soon. "But, years later, guilt was eating at me. I.. Told Adam everything."
"His response was to tell me to leave. Leave my family. Repent for my sins. Told me not to come back until I was ready to make amends, after I had repented."
"I did come back, though not for the reasons he wanted, or expected. I found myself being hunted by wolves. Of course, seeking help, I came back. Adam didn't believe me. Told me to leave. So I did.. I died that night. Cain tells me they found me the next morning. Almost unrecognizable."
"I woke up here, though. Alone. Not a single soul here, except myself. So I began shaping it, creating beings here out of magic. My first one was the cat. He acted as a companion. Still does."
"Cain ended up here some 20 years later. Covered in blood. Freaking out, I could barely understand what had happened. He was pulled in after killing Abel, his younger brother. He became the First Murderer. I never called him that. But the news broke me. It hit me, too, that it was at least partially my fault. The damn apple.."
"At some point after that, I felt myself drifting from this world, and I ended up back on Earth. With a new name, new faces around me. And one day, I'd die, and end up back here. It became a Cycle. Cain took on the role of guide, to help me settle every time I died. Taught me about this place. I think it was a distraction for him. He.. wanted something different to focus on that wasn't his own mistakes. We should visit him. You may like him."
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