Arc 5: The Stars Against Anarchy
Like the static of a TV screen, soaked in mist and corruption. It drained deeper faster and faster, ripping away from anything he could preserve. Gray saw Azalea speak. He saw her move, the Cloak enveloping him. He saw himself speaking. And yet he couldn't understand any of it, hear any of it, live inside any of it. It was being covered, blinded, before he awoke frozen in fear. Early in the morning, beside Rosemary already standing and dressed in her armor. He had tears in his eyes, sweat all over his body, and yet he had absolutely no idea why. He knew Azalea spoke to him. He knew he answered. But the only thing he could remember was seeing her horrifying smile, and hearing her all powerful voice drag him along.
Gray {Heerrrooo, huh? What did you mean? What did we talk about?}
Rosemary: "Are you alright? We'll need to go out to Dema soon, but we can wait if you want for a bit."
Gray: "....No, it's okay. Thank you though, really."
Azalea's touch stayed across him. The freezing chills of her presence. The clouding mist, the clouding Cloak. And when he stared forward into the mirror, he saw her shadow wrapped tightly around him, before she vanished in his next fearful glance. But no matter what, he had to stand, and get dressed in his new gear. So he could step out of the kitchen's screen door and into their once filled yard. And the only thing there now in the field was Edward, Soku, Julius, Dema, and even Peter putting the new saddle upon the slightly bigger Dema. Her elf likes ears longer, her slick scales tougher, her wings thicker. Changed alongside them through their battles, with only more power coming with age.
Peter: "Hey guys! I managed to finish this last night, or all night, any or I didn't sleep but it's done! I know I can't go with you cause I'd probably die, but I wanted to at least do this."
Gray: "What are you talkin about!? You made us this new gear, and -
With a small pivot with mana, he tried his best to rush to Peter's side like Ryo kept doing to them, but fell flat on his face and picked himself up instantly like nothing had happened. Before he looked upon Dema's saddle, and saw sets of straps across it.
Gray: "And you made seatbelts! Nice call!"
Peter: "Well I didn't think they were called that but I like that name! And no problem!"
Edward: "Are you supposed to go to Gordon or Ryo, tell them we're leaving?"
Julius: "Knowing them they would be here already. But I think they are preparing to join the fight themselves. It seems almost all of Greenvale has been sent forth, it is just a turn now."
Rosemary: "Then we need to go right? Lanner, Leo, and the others should be waiting for us. Or at least still going to the meeting spot."
Soku: "Well then let's go, if we leave now I might be able to fall back asleep and skip the boring flight."
Julius moved to take the reins, with the map in his mind, even if Dema preferred Gray to do it. Then sat Gray, Rosemary, Soku, and Edward. All heavier, but Dema was stronger, and managed to spread her wings in preparation to soar forward. Causing Gray, Soku, and even Rosemary and Edward to sink into fear, ready to ride the worst roller coaster ever.
Peter: "GOOD LUCK!"
Gray: "THANKS! WITH THIS GEAR AND WEAPONS -
A snap of the reins, and Dema burst forward into the sky with all she had.
Gray: "YOU'LL BE WITH US!"
Peter smiled, watching them quickly rise and scream into the sky. Warping the air with Dema's intense speed, before she prepared to go as fast as she could above Greenvale. Giving everybody one last sight of the small, but dense village. Along with the other village across the forest, larger, but far more open. However, the bright redwood palace of the Commander stood to take their eyes. As Gordon stood far, far away from them right at the door staring up with his hawk-eyes. Smiling, while Ryo was panicking all around him. And watching as they rushed against the clouds, over the mountain, and soon to be over Walgonias south.
Gray: "So do we have any kinda plan!? Maybe against an Upper Pillar, or like a team strategy!"
Edward: "The manors big so we might need to split in groups -
Gray: "No way! They always get you one by one in a horror mansion! There might be traps and puzzles and secret rooms, magic or zombies or something! It's always something bad in haunted mansions! And I suck at puzzles!"
Rosemary: "I agree we need to stick together, but we can't slowly go room by room. Leo and the others would still be fighting, once that starts up, any secret advantage we have just turned into battle. The mansion could become a massive battlefield on its own. That's probably what will happen."
Soku: "So we do what we did against Gordon! Or maybe Athens! Y'know like not fully splitting, sticking together in changing groups, but still close enough that we can respond to everybody else!"
Julius: "Now that does sound like a plan, coming from you, that is quite a nice surprise."
Soku: "WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"
Not only did the seat belt, and two people in front of her stop her from getting to Julius, but the jerk of force from Dema's speed had them all spinning anyway. Before they rushed below the cloud, and saw the fading mountain quickly flowing down like a sleep hill. Before they'd soon come over the partly snowy, partly green, and partly scorched land of Walgonia. Fighting into the spring, and a new reality.
They tried to speak under the harsh wind, tried to drink water or eat bread, and slowly got used to the speed under their fear. They leaned behind another, put arms in front of each other, or just closed their eyes to the wind, all while Julius remained perfectly still and smiling with Dema. Guiding her through the passing hours. Over small bands of people moving through the streets, villages, towns, and cities smoking in the distance. Amidst battle, recovering from one, preparing for one. And yet Julius moved past it all, while Gray crumbled under everything he saw.
Gray {It's way worse than when I left Greenvale before! I know it's been over a month but still! So many burnt patches, removed farms, smoking cities! I don't understand the Sect! How is this connecting people!? I know they're insane, but you can't even try to understand! They have to have something, a motive, a goal, something secret. Maybe the anarchists don't even know, maybe only Prometheus knows. But the Upper Pillars seem so insane. That Severus guy screaming about his soul, Azalea loving Prometheus without any idea why. Maybe they don't even know what they're doing.}
And then, reality was stolen. It felt black and white, or fully gray. Still moving, but nothing in comparison to the presence of the shadow around him. Whispering into his mind from his ear, but truly, from deep inside his OD.
Azalea: "The Sect of Anarchy is more than you can even imagine."
And then it all came back. Leaving Gray holding back his breakfast, before swallowing the incredible and sudden panic. So he could keep moving like nothing had happened. Even if he knew something was incredibly, definitely, inexplicably, wrong.
Gray {What did I agree to last night!? It's like her presence is bigger than ever! Is she taking control!? Did I give up my OD again!? I couldn't have! Dammit, just what did you say, Gray Kyojin!?}
That all too familiar rage, spite, resentment had returned. But strangely, even if it was toward himself, he couldn't help but see thoughts as static filled memories as somebody else entirely. And the harder he tried to piece it together, he couldn't help but see Gray Kyojin as so pitiful. Like he was pleading, begging, or maybe resisting. However, like a flash of lighting through his brain, he had to stop looking back. And just tried to breathe, before looking down in even more horror.
Gray: "Hey we need to -
Julius: "We are not stopping."
Down below, amidst flames and screams, so so far down, was a small village inside a sparkling Spirit Biome. Running, crying, falling over themselves as the cloaked anarchists leapt, ran, sprinted, and crawled toward them. To take and twist them. To push them out. Or take out anybody dangerous enough to even think about fighting back, with their blades, claws, talons, flames, or just their bare hands. And just as quickly as they flew over, they soared away. Leaving them like they were leaving so many, in an attempt to make sure their plan went perfectly.
Gray: "Shouldn't we be doing something!? All these people need help! Left and right and every road we pass over somebody needs us! Kids or regular people or Knights! The only reason I found out about them trying to make rifles was because I stopped, I listened, and I moved against them. Up here we don't know anything!"
Julius: "If you wish to go against Gordon, leave us behind, leave Symbol behind then do it. Or do not. It is simple."
In a rage, Rosemary just gave him a look full of sorrow, and he pulled himself back. To fall into silence under the passing hours, the moving sun, until they saw a large mist filled forest up ahead. Rising up, to overlook the circular valley below. A valley filled with streams, tall and dense trees, along with many dense homes and shops spread throughout. Moving like uneven rings, toward the large field of flat land in the center. The abandoned manor of the Gol family. But first they had to move closer down into the tall sharp looking trees, and right over the dense mist. Filled with small to bigger movements, of whatever Spirit Beasts may lay within. Sniffing, and looking toward the massive meal of mana that was Gray Kyojin.
Just as Dema rushed to the edge of the thin, yet wide overlooking forest, came flying a rush of Low-Tier Spirit crows. Rushing to pick away the living with their iron hard beaks, all in one large storming murder. Before the others could finish screaming Julius pulled Dema sideways through the air, diving around in a sideways circle before curving beneath the swarm. To pull the mindless beasts, put into a bloodlusted hunger at just the feeling of Gray's mana, against the many thick trees.
Gray: "HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS!?"
Edward: "JUST HOLD TIGHT!"
Julius dove side by side, flying on their shoulders to dive between the trees. Quickly losing the Crows, before other creatures lunged out. Teeth covered tentacles, tongues, leaping and screaming beasts, along with thoughts rushing on four legs, two legs, and even no legs through the forest to catch them.
Soku: "SHIT SHIT SHIT! GRAY THIS IS YOUR FAULT ISN'T IT!"
Rosemary: "Don't blame, just focus, but yeah I do think this is on you!"
Then Julius aimed upward one last time, pushing Dema to her limits without any mind to lose their trace for just a moment.
Gray: "Well I thought my Cloak covered my mana!"
Julius: "Maybe people, not Spirit Beasts, you would need to wear that mask along with it. Blessed by the Sect like their robes, and you are not wearing that, so in comes the swarm."
Gray: "I got it, I got it!"
Gray reached for his mask just as Dema aimed through the tops of the trees yet again, barely holding on before finally slamming into the dirt. Throwing out her momentum as she slid against the grass, right up to the edge of the valley overlooking Symbol.
Gray: "Phew!"
Soku: "Easy for you to say! That was on you!"
Rosemary: "Either or we need to find -
Julius had taken them directly to them as he said he would, already staring blankly at the Knights arising from the flowing mist.
Leo: "You made it -
Lanner: "Guys!"
Yui: "Stupid brats."
Dershia: "You're early!"
They all stood together, dressed in their armor. While Walter, Carlos, and Muther all walked from further behind. Tired and yawning like Carlos, quiet and smoking a pipe like Muther, or sipping in a small cup of tea like the massive Walter. However Lanner had his face covered by a tight helmet, to cover the harsh new scars coating his face since Lazarus' attack. Still he had his twin swords, Leo his spear, Carlos his bow, Yui her blade, Dershia her long mace, even Muther with his single dagger. Instead of two, with the loss of his right hand scared into his old, small eyes. And they all walked to face Symbol, and the coming sunset over the edge.
Leo: "Yui, Dershia, Walter, Carlos, and I will move out on foot. We'll try to take the town by force, as a group, and take the attention of the Sect."
Edward: "And we're going to move into the mansion together. We'll push out whoever is there, and we'll look to find anything we can use in case we're forced to leave."
Lanner: "Alright then! So what are we waiting for! I'm ready to take on the Sect, I've waited too long! And Muther agrees, don't yah!?"
Muther: "...Yes, but we must wait until nightfall. The longer the Sect are in the dark, the greater chance we have. Going in magic or blades ablazing will just let them swarm us."
Lanner: "Ugh of course we gotta wait! Always wait wait wait!"
Leo stepped to the edge, ready to slide down further into the woods and move to Symbol, and looked back to everyone. Getting his group to come over before they could move out.
Leo: "You've only gotta wait half an hour or so, maybe less. But the second it goes dark, we all go in."
With that, Leo rushed down the steep edge before lunging right into the forest with a thin veil of lighting throughout his body. Before Dershia immediately followed, Walter began holding onto the dirt while he loudly rushed down like a landslide, Carlos sighed and barely made his way down, before only Yui was left. Staring back toward Gray's group, right into Gray's eyes.
Yui: "Musashi's manor, the castle, Athens. Every turn the Sect follows, the Sect wins. If you betray me I won't hesitate to kill you, Kyojin. But if you get me killed? I'll make sure to curse you on my way out."
Before Gray could even try to respond, Yui broke a bit of the edge with her vanishing leap. Flying off into the sky, diving through the leaves, and jumping between the branches to catch up with Leo. Leaving the others alone, waiting, and Gray shivering with panic.
Gray: "What is that ladies problem with me? Did I do something to hurt her feelings or something!?"
Lanner: "I dunno dude but you are kinda spooky. Azaleas mana, the Cloak of Darkness, you even wear that mask -
Gray: "It's all a coincidence though! I have all of those for specific reasons! Not because I'm some Sect implant!"
Lanner: "Hey I'm just sayin what a lot of the other Knights are, Musashi's corrupted student."
Gray: "A LOT OF THE KNIGHTS!? OHHH THAT'S HORRIBLE!"
Muther: "it's not everybody, but I wouldn't think about it too much. You just gotta keep showing yours on our side."
Gray had to accept it. And they had to prepare themselves, no matter how panicked they looked. Lanner stretched, Muther sharpened his dagger, Edward let Moro's torn coat he'd turned into a cape draped over him as he focused, and Gray surrounded Rosemary and Soku in his pacing, rambling, and sweating. While the sun moved from an orange light over Walgonia, so the soon to be full moon could shine brightly over the night sky. Brighter, larger, closer than the stars. Then anything else, always starting toward him. And it hid them in the world's shadow as Dema flew overhead.
Lanner: "This place is big so we might have to group up! You guys can stay together, but Muther and I are taking whatever wing of the manor you don't. We can't let any of them escape, so we can't let them run either. We'll cut them off, overwhelm them, and kill them. Like Gabby wanted us too."
Gray {Yeah…kill them, I don't know about that. But at this point, does it even matter what stance I have if something will force me to do it - no, until I choose to do it again? Why do I think I can decide who lives or not!?}
Rosemary, Soku, Edward, Gray, even Lanner and Muther all held worried faces. Before they saw the manor over the trees, and just how big it was. Three, maybe four or five times larger than Musashi's. With Two large towers connected to a central main building, with large pyramid styled roofs flowing with massive Sect Banners. Five stories that felt like eight, and a once pristine white scorched over with decay, dirt, and war. So it looked darker than the lit purple and blue sky. While the inside rested with soft, distant candle light and flame crystals. And whatever lived inside, was moving violently. And for Leo's group, they moved inside the darkness of nature. Stepping through the streams to flow into the town, over the trees, or simply waiting to burst right through a wall. So in one fell swoop, they could start their attack on the densest part of the town, and force the other districts to either flood in or try and escape.
And now, they didn't have any more time to prepare. They walked toward the center of the dense district through the trees, upon the water. A center mostly clear of anarchists, yet still they lived. They breathed. And they looked on for attackers. While Julius flew Dema over the closest Tower of the mansion's very tip, and let Lanner and Muther slid across the long tiled edge before reaching an overhanging ledge around the tower. Waving beside large glass doors at Grays group, before Julius stopped at the main pillar of the tower. As tall as the others, but smaller, from one large square to a thinner rectangle, to one small room that should have housed the Gol family's leaders. Where they all got off, and Gray put his head to Demas.
Gray: "Stay safe okay? I'll call if we need you."
Dema shrugged, but still she rushed back into the sky, so both parties could enter, and find absolutely nothing. Gray and the others had all leapt forward weapons and mana ready, yet all they found was a looted, destroyed, and web covered room. While Lanner and Muther faced an empty common room, forcing them to move toward the halls. Gray's side moved to the only place they could, a stairway leading down in a large spiral. They ran, they leapt, Gray even used the Cloak like a grappling hook to get down faster, but even when they reached the bottom they found nothing.
Gray: "I thought this was their core base! What's happening!?"
Edward: "I don't know but we have to be ready. If we're lucky and there really isn't anyone here, we might have to help Leo's side instead."
They opened a large set of twin doors, into the wide open hall of the central building's top floor. Where they looked out a large set of continuous windows, and saw the battle truly beginning.
Leo: "NOW!"
Walter burst through a large wall with his shoulder, breaking right through the stone and into the two story wooden home alongside it. As it collapsed with anarchists inside, Yui burst through with her blade, before throwing out a slash of pure corruption. Leaving the stone home she threw it against combusting from the center. The moment anarchists stepped out to sound alarms or use magical flares, arrows rained down. Through shoulders, necks, skulls, over and over again from the top of their own thin wall. Carlos, backing up Leo rushing from a stream sliding forward, before thrusting his hands and a large wave of lightning forward in a burst. It roared, but it moved like water, around then like a wave. Surrounding their bodies, burning through their cloaks and masks, while rising and throwing them back across the street.
Leo: "TAKE OUT EVERYTHING YOU SEE!"
The battle, no, the massacre of anarchists had started. And inside the manor, where many anarchists began to awake in their shared rooms, moved multiple shadows. One that laid unseen, that that moved toward them, one that slowly stepped around, and one slowly stomped forward. All separated, all peering into the sounds of chaos, and all moving to take hold of it.
"Hey what's goin -
Rubbing their eyes, without their masks or Cloaks on, the anarchist was met with a blade through his face. Before his bunkmate woke up with a scream, as another sword pierced his stomach. The others awoke in the thick dark barracks, but Demi-human or human, mage or Warrior, young or old, they fell. Legs, chests, sides, necks stabbed and cut open by the pinball Muther. And bodies, limbs, heads, hearts all cut through by Lanner. Before they burst through the walls beside them, and continued. Quickly leaving their tower screaming, rushing with anarchists, and drowning in blood. That only grew with each slash against the backs of the fleeing Sect. Splashing against Lanner's helmet, coating his blade, and filling him with vigor for the next attack.
Each step Gray took, Lanner slashed. Each door Edward slashed down and found nobody, Muther leapt between the walls to carve open more of the Sect. Rosemary's attempts to look down each hall, or the streets being scared with slashes from Yui. Soku rushed with Gray to break open doors, and Walter rushed toward piles of anarchists with Carlos arrows behind him. Their light, Leo's bright yellow lighting, reached the streets. The bodies. The skies. The light of the Stars, and they were just starting. And for Gray's group, the horror was just beginning.
Gray {Come on come on! I hear fighting but where are they!? Was the central building a fake out!? To distract us from the edges of the Towers or some underground basement!? Maybe there's a book I can pull or a statue's head I can open, maybe a clock I've gotta change the time to! Ugh I hate puzzle mansions!}
Gray had his eyes closed, focused on the Spirit Sense, but he was hit with a mix of sights. Red corruption lining the walls like circuits, flashing painful lights against him the moment he tried to understand them. He couldn't feel the anarchists below, around, but right in front of him he saw them. The dim lights of ODs. And rushed forward, ready to soon take the turn towards some anarchists.
"This way!"
They put on their masks, readied their blade, and looked upon one of the shadows. Hopeful, scared, angry, it didn't matter. They were ready, and then their shadow reached out. Sliding her fingers across one arm after another, burning through their clothes to infect them with pink and black mana. She moved as fast as she could, so when they finally fought back against their own, they couldn't do anything but feel her grasp. Causing their skin to begin bursting out in pink, wiggling rashes. Their veins and eyes glow a bright yellow. And their skin started oozing down, all while their screams began to flood the hall. And when Gray heard them, when Gray was just about to turn that corner, that shadow, Yoru herself, took hold of the last member.
Yoru: "Please my children, defend me! Save me!"
The anarchist was without his mask. Choking on her tight grasp around his neck, unable to swing his cleaver with her other hand on his arm. Forcing him to scream under the weight of her mana engulfing his body. Growing denser, more focused, and pushing him through the infection rapidly. Far more controlled. So his muscles would burn bright, his eyes would flash yellow, his skin could start turning pink and drizzling, before she vanished through another door. Leaving Gray to turn, and find a horrific sight. Locking eyes with the glowing ones of the infected, as it turned its head with a mouth full of flesh. Spreading their infection to the others.
Gray {Oh my god!}
The anarchists were growling and rushing over themselves. Drooling, crying, roaring under the disgusting infection. Quickly losing hair, seizing with their molting muscles, dropping teeth and finger nails with each step.
Gray: "I KNEW THERE WOULD BE ZOMBIES! WAIT SHIT ZOMBIES!"
Gray, filled with fear, sent the Cloak forward to throw two large shelves right into the handful of anarchists. Bashing against them, forcing them back, all so they could rush to rip him to pieces even harder. So absorb, to take, to meld, to become one with him. And grow into whatever monster, whatever babies, Yoru was creating. Gray just dove to the side to avoid them, rolling back desperately looking for help, before it flew right in front of him.
Soku: "Watch it!"
The infected anarchists lost control so quickly, but their views were still fading. The absence of control, their memories, the fact they were once people all faded. Melting, burning, becoming one with this curse. Yet with a large and quick strike of wind, the few closest were torn open. Leaving Soku disgusted, but also confused, at just how easily they'd been broken. Shoulders, sides, faces bursting open with pink and yellow blood, before continuing to crawl over top one another. Forcing Soku to rush in a quick circle gathering wind, before hurling it forward with both hands like she was throwing something heavy, to send a dense shot of wind against them.
Soku: "What are these things!?"
Gray: "They look like those monsters from the Town of Shells! It must be whatever Anarchist did that before, and she's probably still nearby so watch your back! AND WHERE ARE YOU GUYS!? EDWARD, JULIUS, ROSEMARY!?"
Breaking through the door behind them was another handful of infected anarchists. Ahead more doors broke through, all around, leaving the others suddenly occupied.
Edward: "GET AWAY!"
But even if they'd quickly rushed to surround them, they broke through just as quickly. Whether it be Julius cutting through their thick, oozing skin to decapitate them. Edward roared and shook the halls with the weight of his slashes. Or Rosemary, sending out quick flicks with the fourth stage to break their chests. Leaving them wheezing and melting overtop themselves, growing further and further into blobs of pink flesh and yellow acidic blood. Wiggling, reaching toward their sliced halves, their broken brothers and sisters. But they didn't stay behind to watch them move toward each other. They just rushed to the screams, and all saw Gray and Soku facing down a horde of infected.
Edward: "We've gotta hold out, and don't let them hit you, we don't know if it'll spread that infection! If it does, we'd be monsters in seconds!"
Soku: "Then help push me back!"
Across the manor Muther and Lanner continued to move with all they had. Slicing through weak balls of fire, clumps of dirt, bursts of water. Breaking Blades, weak armor, cracked masks open with a single strike.
Lanner: "GLOROW!"
And when needed, Lanner chanted to the spirits. Quickly creating bright blue constructs of spirit mana, in the shape of a volley of arrows that all shot around him. Right through the bodies of the surrounding anarchists, while Muther flashed across the back of a large Demi-human ready to attack Lanner. Cutting his back open, and letting them move on out of the cleared floor. Then, when Lanner looked out the endless windows before going down the stairs, he couldn't help but smile under his helmet.
Lanner: "KEEP GOING!"
He screamed toward Muther, toward himself, and toward Leo's group so far in the distance. Pulling forth waves of anarchists in wagons, on Spirit Beasts, with weapons, Spirit Beast connections, magic, and history of all kinds. While Dershia smashed her mace against yet another Sect skull. As Yui bust open bodies with the pure force of her corrupted slashes. Under the weight of Walters massive punches and bashes. Listening to the constant sound of roaring, crackling thunder, as Leo tried his best to take on the brunt of the forces. Sending out trusts of lighting with his spear, before sliding into heavy kicks of even more lighting, so he could swing a thick wave of it right after. Lighting lighting lighting. Tearing open skin, burning into the muscles, frying their blood, sizzling their eyes and scorching hair. While all of their nerves locked up, and broke down. Either dead, or begging to be after he moved on.
Maybe Carlos, Yui, Dershia, and Walter all fought like Knights. To end the fight as quickly as they could, to not give into the rage or bloodlust. While Leo fought like a true Warrior of Athens, an Elitie, doing anything it took to win. While he put all of his emotions, his power into every last move. For all they took from him. The world they removed. For the people whose ashes he couldn't even recover. He pushed forward, screaming and lighting up the way.
Gray: "if they're coming from this way that means whoever's doing it has to be that way too!"
Soku: "Shouldn't we avoid it then!?"
Edward: "Our job is to defeat them! Either or we have to move forward!"
Edward moved ahead of them all, to bulldoze through the infected. His dragon stone easily slashed through one, then two, then three, before he pulled back for four, five, slammed down for six, seven, thrust for eight, kicked for nine, and let out a circular slash for ten, eleven, twelve, and finally thirteen. Before moving forward to the continuously filling halls. However Soku, Gray, Julius, and Rosemary all looked around the clearing halls. Soku checked all sides constantly in a panic, Rosemary looked for anything or anyone that stood out, Julius began listening to the shaking manor, and Gray looked through the many doors broken open by infection.
Room of various armor, paintings, banners, offices, guest rooms. Stacking and stacking with each step, with no idea where to start. He stepped over bodies reaching toward him even when they were split in two, or even five. Wiggling to snatch his shaking feet.
Gray: "There's way too many rooms to check right now! Maybe there isn't anything hidden and we should go to the main floor or something!"
Rosemary, Soku, Julius, and Edward were all in front of him. Slowly leaving him in their own desperation. Before he fully froze, a horrific whisper crawled into his heart. He didn't know what it said or why it spoke, but he turned his head anyway. Slashing through the rotten wooden door with his wrist talon, and stared toward a large mirror. The room was dark, small, tight, not even. An empty fireplace so close to tall bookshelves, while a mirror took up half of the only flat wall in the room. It instantly drew his eye, and when he moved toward the bookshelves for anything that looked different like an old cartoon. Before finally taking in a small bit of Spirit mana to sense something, and reached toward a book infested with corruption.
Gray: "Please be a secret door."
And it slid out of the other decayed books, for Gray to sigh. However it couldn't open, like it was bolted shut. Until he managed to snap it open right into the center of the book, and lost all thought. Just as the fireplace burst with an extreme force of fire, pushing past and out before expanding across the ceiling. Constantly rushing, and it didn't burn a thing. Instead it felt cold, distant.
Fear confusion pain fear fear fear fear fear corruption decay fear
Fear
Fear
Fear
Again
Again
His eyes expanded past the Spirit sense. As the book itself was scratched deep with blood, resembling the Sects crest, and was rushing with a bright corruption. As his mind was drawn out, as his eyes expanded with a bright red light. As his very pupils began to resemble the Sects crest, the Cloak helped him fling the book toward the fireplace. Right when he went to scream for help he looked back at the mirror, and almost squealed in utter terror.
Gray {WHAT!?}
Instead of himself, he saw Azalea looking on. Smiling. And behind him stood, no no no it couldn't be it had to be it was it was it - it was himself. And when he jerked his head backward, all of that fear vanished, as he saw Rosemary. So he could gasp with relief, and hold her hands. Before looking right into her eyes -
Ugly
Putrid
Disgusting
Awful
Fear
Hate
It was building it was taking over
You're not strong enough you're weak your pitiful
You're falling, you're falling.
He fell into absolute fear, as Rosemary's broken face took him. A smile stretching all across her face, eyes twisted and stretched open. Her armor slightly wrong, impossibly placed onto itself. Even the shade of her hair, her eyes, all wrong. And this time, without the Spirit sense as defense, the bright and pure corruption erupting out of her eyes did the same to him. Pulling him away from everything he saw, into complete delusion. And was pushed back by Rosemary, who laughed and laughed and laughed some more. Right into the mirror. Crashing against the glass, before falling right through.
Down
Down
Deeper
Deeper
Forever
Into the abyss
Into the darkness
Away from it all
He fell, he broke, he plummeted and screamed
Right through The Looking Glass. And into a hell of the Sects own creation.
Gray: "ROSEMARY!?"
When he flung upward he could hardly see. How long was he out what did he miss what was happening where was he did he die did he fail did he -
Gray: "What is happening!?"
He spun and stepped, and was at a complete loss, before every time he turned it all changed. The walls of black stone filled with pillars, endless halls that connected to others. He rushed forward, running and running, leaking mana - and then a wall appeared the moment he blocked. Causing him to crash face first into the stone, look back at an endless hall, and run forward again. This time he looked back at the wall, and yet again ran into another.
Gray: "ROSEMARY!? SOKU!? EDWARD!? JULIUS!? ANYBODY HELP! WHERE ARE YOU!?"
Every time he lost sight of the hall it twisted in an instant, like it had never been any different. When he tripped, when he looked down another hall, when he blinked it all changed. And when he didn't. When he ran and screamed for help, twisting and turning, side to side, into the endless hall ahead, he'd go on and on until he finally blinked.
Gray: "Is blinking restarting me!? Or is it just blocking the path!? WHAT IS HAPPENING!? Is this a power!? No it has to be a curse or something, no Dark Magic yeah! The corruption is all through the halls!"
When Gray went to use his Spirit sense, all he was met with was intense pain, blind to the spiritual world around him. Soaked in the Sects hold, the Sects magic, the Sects history. And unable to escape the madness.
Rosemary: "GRAY!? GRAY WHERE ARE YOU!? GRAAY!?"
Still in the mansion rushed Rosemary screaming at the top of her lungs. Through the dim halls, around the infestation of anarchists, while the others pushed on, she ran. Looking through each room, each hall, even passing the one with the large mirror before running right past. Lit by the third stage, covered in fear, she slowly lost her way. Unable to feel the shadow rushing behind her.
Soku: "You two wait up! I think Rosemary and Gray are gone!"
Edward: "They're probably together! And I didn't hear anything major!"
Soku: "That's why I'm worried!"
At a cross in the halls, both Edward and Julius' eyes were stolen by shadows. Julius saw movement he instantly dove toward, while Edward felt the harsh stops and breaths of something powerful. Leaving Soku to spin around and barely see them dive off.
Soku {Dammit who do I go to!?}
Without another thought she kicked off the floor toward the wall, then back through the dual doors Edward had gone -
Soku: "OW!"
She'd slammed right into the wooden door, which suddenly felt as hard as iron. As not even the nobs turned when she fidgeted, forcing her to back up and kick with all she could. Forcing out a quick blunt burst of wind, that just blew her against another door. A door that broke open like it was paper, before slamming shut to trap her inside.
Soku {Gray was right, this is ghost stuff! Can't let him know though, he'd say I told you so or somethin, now how do I get -
Two windows, two easy escapes, that both failed the moment her wind blades didn't make a scratch.
Soku: "What is up with this damn house!?"
On the other hand just nearby was Julius, rushing into a large dining room. The table filled with rotten food, broken sides, rotten chairs, and a stench of molding flesh throughout the room. It burnt to smell, it burnt to feel, and it definitely would have burnt if he'd taken a step further. Halfway through the room, just about to step in front of another set of doors, before rushing backward. And allowing him to survive an enormous burst of force. Reminding Julius of Lincoln while he slid across the stone floor from the pressure. It tore the stone, it broke through the old table, and smashed right through the front wall of the manor. Clearing open the fresh cold air, and the harsh sounds of battle from the Town below.
Julius: "I think you have more things to worry about then me right now, and if you strike I will waste as much time as I possibly can, and that is a good amount of time."
Sounds of thick metal, a large form, and annoyed grunts rained forth before the imposing Togi stepped forward. Julius immediately remembered her, and how Lincoln had fought her in the Town of Shells. The fact she was still standing, after facing the strongest man in the world, even if she'd run or got away when he wasn't looking. But looking in at the lighting and chaos in the distance, she blew Julius through the wall with a hard punch of air force, before jumping out of the manor to move to the battle inside the town. Leaving Julius crawling out of the rubble, trying to regain his composer amidst the pain, and hearing something strange in the distance.
Julius: "Did someone say Soku?"
Gray: "SOOOKUUU!! ROOOOSEEEMMARRRYY!"
Dashing through the maze, bursting through walls just to find the same endless halls. Now with his mask off, covered in sweat, eyes red with rage and desperation. And yet he couldn't find anything, he couldn't use anything, he couldn't get help from anyone. All he had was himself, and he knew exactly how useless that was. This maze, this fear, this weakness. It all made it far too obvious. All he could do was run like an idiot. Scream like an idiot. Flail around, to fail, fail, fail, oh, fail again. Yet in reality, those screams shook slightly. Through the entire manor, each of his endless rooms and halls. It's deepest corners, and still it reached their hearts.
Lanner: "THIS WAY!"
Still in the other tower facing anarchists, Muther came to a halt. Tired, and his missing hand still roaring with pain, all he could do was breathe. Until he saw, no, until he was pulled to the clothes covering the walls beside him. To his left, he opened the curtain to reveal a large mirror. Before removing the other, and pulling the curtain yet again.
Fear
Fear
Fear
Run
Run
Scream
Help
Need help
Somebody
Falling
Falling
Fear
Falling
Deeper
His eyes were engulfed in a pure, red, corrupted presence. Staring into a large Sect crest scratched deeply into the stone with blood. It glowed, it took him over, it expanded his eyes into glowing lights. His pupils into the Sects crest. And as reality fell backward, he saw everything vanish. His last sight, was Gray, stepped forward to hold him -
Mother: "...Why…"
"Gray", with a smile curved across his face, with eyes contorted. It was his face, his body, with maybe a few details off, but that face was controlled by a completely different soul. And that soul stabbed Muther, right before pushing him backward. Through The Looking Glass. Pushing the mirror backward, before he fell right into the stone halls. Forced to watch as the mirror instantly vanished when he looked upward, and only saw a wall in its place. Before struggling to breathe, to walk, and drag himself through hell he had no idea what awaited him. And when Lanner arrived at the hall, he walked right past the recovered Sect Crest, and looked right into the mirror. At his helmet, at the blood stains, at the small cuts and burns from the anarchists. And then a shuffle in the curtain behind him.
Lanner: "WHO'S -
Soku: "It's me! It's me!"
Lanner's blade stopped right before slashing her face, forcing him to walk back against the mirror in a panic. Before Soku quickly began running down the hall pulling him along. But across the manor rushed Rosemary, checking room by room for Gray. All while she heard his voice inside the walls, the floor, the ceilings. So so close, and yet impossible far.
Rosemary: "GRAYY!?"
Gray: "ROOSEMARY!?"
Gray ran through endless twists and turns, into and through wall after wall, up and down sideways halls or straight drops to another floor. Where he ran ahead, trying to hold his eyes open for as long as possible. Lanner ran and ran, barely able to keep up with Soku. She twisted like she knew the place like the back of her hand. Until finally he lost sight, and when he took the next turn, all he saw was another hall of endless doors.
Lanner: "HEY KID! WHERE'D YAH GO!?"
However, Rosemary saw Soku jumping by with wind and twisted around, attempting to scream out before she heard a loud rush of power from behind. Taking her eye toward the door, ready to fight whatever came out, before she saw Soku yet again.
Rosemary {What? Was I seeing things?}
Soku: "What's wrong? Scared? Worried? Falling? Deeper and Deeper."
Her jacket was too long, her blade too short, her hair too long, her ears too short, her hair pen on the wrong side. But even when Rosemary tried to step back, her eyes were already entranced. Glowing brighter and brighter along with "Soku's", before Rosemary's pupils morphed into the Sects Crest. Leaving the wooden floor to swallow her up, and drop her right into the maze. And leaving Soku to turn back at an empty hall, before jerking her head back to the loud quakes shaking the manor.
Edward: "STAND READY!"
Edward kicked open yet another door, and nothing. Staring into nothing but a broom closet with his sword about to crash down. He was forced to pull back, to surge with rage, before swinging his blade widely into the wall beside him. Cracking the wall, and pulling himself forward. Trying his best to shake any desperation, and stare forward with the only eye he had.
Edward: "WAI -
It stretched past his blind side, through the stone. A large gloved hand, smashing him back and through the wall. Kicking him mid-pull, to send him rolling across the tiled floor. Allowing him to stand for whatever had grabbed him, in a long bathhouse with two large circular tubs made into the floor behind him. Windows let in the bright moon light from the back of the manor, statues of Walgonian direwolves looking over, and his Warriors Spirit was ready to explode. He just needed to find something to let out that rage.
Edward: "...I…I KILLED YOU!?"
The robotic, stern, towering Demi-human dawning a tight black coat over his muscular body. The Titan, from the Town of Shells, and yet he didn't even have a scratch to show from how Edward left him before. So Edward just tightened his entire body, gripped his blade with all his might, and immediately rushed into the fray. And yet, as Soku rushed toward the action, she bummed right into Edward.
Soku: "Did you hear that!?"
Edward: "I've just heard your annoying voice screaming and screaming, with that useless wind."
At first she felt rage, confusion. But when she tensed up and looked into his eyes, she was broken. As the one that should have been destroyed opened along with it, to take Soku into the corrupted life. And allow the wall behind her to swallow her hole, and leave her hardly able to move in an endless hall. Where Gray desperately crawled forward, where Rosemary charged along in her stages screaming, where Muther pulled himself along, slowly losing more and more blood along the way. The mansion was growing emptier and emptier by the second. It was a madness, a desperation they couldn't understand. No matter what Gray screamed, broke, tried -
Gray {Maybe if I just walk backward -
If he did, nothing would change, until he turned around at least.
Gray {What if I try to break the maze!?}
So, while looking a bit foolish, I ran in circles. Twisting and turning and flipping, switching, endlessly changing around him. Before he just found himself between four walls of stone, staring upward at a flipped hall he'd have the climb through.
Gray: "DAMMIT! WHY!? WHY DID I THINK I WAS READY!? WHY DID I PULL THEM INTO THIS!? IF WE CAN'T TAKE A SMALL TOWN HOW CAN WE TAKE THE CAPITAL!? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO AGAINST AN UPPER PILLAR!?"
He smashed himself against the wall without any mana, sweating and roaring to himself trying his best not to fully collapse.
Gray:" ALL I'VE FOUGHT IS KIDS, HELL I ONLY BROKE CAESARS OD BECAUSE HE NEVER TRAINED! IF HE SPENT ANYTIME AT ALL ON HIMSELF HE WOULD HAVE BEAT ME I KNOW IT I SWEAR IT! ARTHUR!? ANY PILLAR!? WHY WAS IT ME!?"
Before he hit another wall, another, slashing with his Wrist talon or punching with mana. Before he finally fell to his knees, and pulled tightly across his face.
Gray: "THERE ARE ENDLESS PEOPLE WHO HATE LIFE, WHO DIDN'T HAVE A SOUL! SO WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ME!? WHY ME!? I'M NOT STRONG ENOUGH I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO PREPAIR!"
With one hard it against the ground, he screamed even louder in desperation. In everything, with a small bruise across his forehead.
Gray:"I DIDN'T SAY GOODBYE HELL I DON'T KNOW IF THEY THINK I'M DEAD OR WHAT!? WHAT WHAT WHAT!? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO I'M SORRY! I SWEAR I'M SORRY! I NEED HELP I NEED SOMEBODY! ANYBODY PLEASE!"
And then he felt it. The cold chill of darkness. Of the Witch, around his throat. Leaning close, leaning into reality.
Azalea: "Step through the darkness."
In absolute terror, in defiance, he closed his eyes and ran. He ran and ran. And before he knew it, he'd somehow run right through a wall. And yet when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a hall once again - That was it. That was the moment Gray's eyes went wide, and he ran head first into a wall with his eyes closed.
Gray: "I GOT YOU!"
And he just kept running. Without anything, absolutely nothing around him. And there he heard the rumbles of the manor. Edwards roars, Julius quick dashes, and then -
Rosemary: "GRAY!?"
He couldn't open his eyes. He just had to follow her. And he'd fix everything -
Gray: "What -
But he had to stop, he had to open his eyes. Because bleeding, with another knee stab wound across his shoulder, was Muther. Looking up at Gray with complete terror.
Gray: "WHAT HAPPENED!? I CAN HELP WHAT HAPPENED!?"
He rushed forward without any idea of what to do, but in a daze. Filled with such a hot burning pain. The weakness of so much blood loss. The weakness he already had. All he could do was keep himself safe, and protect himself from the monster that did this. With a carved smile across his face.
Muther: "GET AWAY FROM ME -
He threw out his dagger, forcing Gray to try and quickly roll back to dodge. Before gasping in horror, as the wall had returned right in front of him.
Gray: "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING IN THIS PLACE!?"
Their first step in facing the Sect all on their own. Not just the Sect, but the magic, the power, the people, and the centuries of corruption across every inch of this world. How rotten so much of it was to the very core, for as long as anyone could remember. But now, even with a way to fight against this maze, Gray had only taken the first step in Breaking The Looking Glass. Without any idea of who was inside, where anybody was, how long it had been, or who was dead. Who was killing them? And without noticing the person behind him running right past.