Journal Entry - A Tragic Clash and a Promise Unveiled

I received a black latter today. It told me of a location for a meeting of sorts. I went where the black letter led me. Old prison, crumbling and forgotten. Magic gripped me, whisking me away to another realm, an otherworldly realm, ethereal and surreal. Towering figures, ominous and powerful, emerged from the mist, their voices a chorus of enigma. They masked me and others that were there, our forms blurred, our voices hidden.
 
These titans, they spoke. Spoke of a city in need, Amn's ruling council a shackle upon its people. Showed us, through illusory glass, the fate of mages caught in a trap, a hellish prison no magic could break. Even gifted ones met this cruel fate.
 
Doubt clung to one of our own, a wavering soul. Together with another, I swayed him, drew him to our cause. The Unbound, they named themselves, seeking a rebellion against the council's might. Their condition: topple the illustrious "Golden Vow," replace their stature, infiltrate the elite.
 
They carried us to a forsaken part of that prison, where Golden Vow awaited, ignorant of our intentions. Swords clashed, spells flew, the dance of danger commenced. Haldir, a celebrated Bard, fell. Mavros, an old mystic brawler, too. Druid fled, unsatisfied by coin.
 
In the midst of chaos, a blade found its mark. The masked foe, cut down in seconds, was none other than my childhood companion, Casimir. He never knew, didn't see me, didn't see it coming. Gods, what darkness have I done?
 
The skirmish ended, a scroll of salvation and diamond amidst the Paladin's effects. Raise dead, they offered. Mavros revived, Haldir drawn back from death's brink. A sending stone lay in a pouch, separated from the paladin's shield, lest its purpose was dark.
 
I gathered their bodies and burned upon a pyre, except Casimir's. His, I carried, laid to rest outside the town, under the open sky. A letter, a confession of love for Lysandra, a gold and azurite brooch depicting a knotted branch and berries, Lysandra's favorite, tokens of a life extinguished. A promise etched in the makeshift grave, honor and redemption.
 
I returned to the prison, tidied the traces, erase the blood and remnants with prestidigitation's touch. Conceal the evidence, the memory, the echoes of a battle fought. Prestidigitation to cleanse my comrades, and we reentered the town through its gates.
 
Parting ways, I sought the solace of home. The bed offered no respite, dreams awash with memories. Casimir and I, sparring, laughing, growing. I awoke screaming. Morning light unveiled a tear-streaked face, a heartache I couldn't escape.
 
This chapter, this journey, it's carved deep. Casimir's name etched in my soul, his life taken by my hand. Redemption, purpose, I swear. May the realms unseen find his peace, may our souls find reconciliation. I carry his memory, a weight to guide me toward light.
 
Prestidigitation cleansed the prison, but it can't cleanse my conscience. Darkness lingers, memory haunts. Restless slumber stole my peace, nightmares clawing at my heart. Awake, trembling, tears flowing. Casimir, my friend, my bonded adversary, my unintended fate.