[ He was supposed to be in a demon's lair. Or whatever passed for that, anyway. He had expected to come out of the portal and into a fight, which explained why there was a glowing seraph blade in his hand.

Instead, there's a beach full of other people, some falling into the sand, and others in the water all around. Wide-eyed and confused, Jace nevertheless acts on instinct. He rolls clear of his own portal. The blade vanishes, and he pockets the hilt while dropping by the side of the first person he sees who's faceplanted in the sand. ]

Are you okay? Give me your hand.

[ He says, while reaching for their arm. He is not where he's supposed to be and none of this is what he expected. It doesn't matter right now; most of these people look like civilians and some of them might be hurt. He'll get that under control first. If the demon he's after is here, he'll find it. ]

[ By the time the lights appear, Jace's witchlight is already glowing in his hand, and his nightvision -
imperfect though it is - is lighting his way. At first, he doesn't realize what's happening. He's in the forest walking away from the beach, and he thinks nothing of the lights. It's nighttime; he dismisses them, thinking they're fireflies. Or some alien version of fireflies.

Until that voice hits him. ]

You are my greatest achievement, Jace.

[ He stops moving. That can't be real. It can't. Valentine was under lock and key before he came here.
He couldn't have escaped. There's no way he could have followed Jace, it's just impossible. Like almost everything else he'd ever achieved over the years. But no, this had to be different. It needs to be. It's - ]

Jace Wayland. This unit will guide you to the city.

[ He wheels around. There's a brown falcon, hovering at head height and staring at him. He stares back,
his heart thudding in his chest, because he knows that bird. The last time he saw it, it was lifeless on the floor, after his father - after Valentine - had killed it in front of him. This isn't happening. He must have hit his head, or there's some kind of magic going on. He's hallucinating. ]

This isn't real.

This unit will guide you to the city. Do not follow the lights.

[ Unit? Shaking his head, Jace backs away. He turns, blindly, uncaring, and then in front of him, Valentine stands, as if they'd never been separated at all. He's even holding the Mortal Cup,
which Jace knows has to be a lie. This is not real. It's not, it can't be. He blinks, hard, willing his Sight to let him see through the illusion. It works, to a point. He can almost see the lights behind the image. Then Valentine speaks, and he slams back into solid focus. ]

It's time for you to work. The sword was only the beginning.

Shut your mouth. I'm not going anywhere with you.

[ Except that he is, very slowly. The hallucination leads him ever deeper into the forest, while the very real,
and very concerned falcon daemon calls for him to stay. ]

[ He isn't over the falcon yet. The forest with its wisps and it's trolls and, god, whatever else was in there, may be behind him, but one of the most disturbing parts of it is still tagging along. The bird flies along behind him,
and every time he stops, it tries to perch on his shoulder. It never seems to lose that urge no matter how many times he pushes it off. ]

This unit will guide you to your apartment.

[ Jace's jaw clenches. ]

I know. I heard you the first fifteen times. I need you to take me to D.E.S.T.I.N.Y, can you wrap your circuits around that? I'm not staying.

[ He already has regrets about entering that portal. If his world is really about to die, this is not where he wants to be. It's too clean, too nice. Too unbecoming of the front lines between life and the apocalypse. The daemon is giving the same tired explanation of what they're supposed to do here, when Jace cuts it off. ]

I don't have time for that. Just show me the city. Not the apartment complex.

[ And so he explores, finding stores and businesses and a hell of a lot of encroaching plant life, but nothing even as challenging as the wisps. This isn't the demon he'd come looking for. If you imagine that would make him happy,
think again; Jace's mood worsens the longer the day goes on. Find him anywhere around the city; the later it is,
the more irritable he'll be. ]

[ Create your own adventure! I'm halfbloodly on plurk if anyone wants to plot. ]