Once Mira left the seat, Takeshi adjusted the seat, he warmed his fingers up with a simple scale. Looking at Mira put on her glasses, he smiled, turning to the piano. He then started to play.



After finishing, he started to stand. Takeshi turned to Mira, who was on the couch. Walking over, "How did you find it?" he asked. Sitting down next to her. Although she seemed to switch moods quickly, Takeshi was enjoying his time with Mira. The first person he met and spoke with since they arrived. He wasn't sure anymore whether she was older than him or not. But it felt like that didn't matter. He wanted to continue enjoying this time with Mira.

Mira

Mira listened to Takeshi, he was pretty good.. but there was something Mira picked up on.. only because of how long she has been playing Piano over everything.
Takeshi came and sat near Mira, she looked up.. smiling but perplexed.. she noticed his face changed whenever he was thinking about something related to them,
"Well, it's been quite a hell of a few days" she smiled,
"I'm gonna go to-" Mira shut her eyes, she was quite tired.. she slumbered to her room leaving the door unlocked, in case something happened to any of the others.

Keita

Keita eventually was worn out and walked back to the dorms.. eventually seeing the necklace and plopping it back onto the door knob and then slumping into his bed to rest for the night.

There was a sound, and Sylvia woke lethargically, still slightly intoxicated. She wandered through the room for a few seconds, trying to discern the origin of the noise. Soon, she figured out what it was.

Who the hell plays the piano at whatever-the-fuck-it-is o'clock in the morning?

Eyes still closed, Sylvia wandered through the dorm, finally reaching the balcony before opening her eyes. For a moment, everything was blurred. When her eyes cleared, she saw the night city, a beautiful skyline with parks scattered about. It looked like there was even some sort of hydroponic farm a while off. But she was still exhausted, and with a few muttered obscenities started back to bed. Habitually, she stopped and headed for the door, making sure that it was locked. It wasn't, and she quickly made it so. She then went over to the couch, standing to see Gavin for a moment. There was a moment of serenity as she thought to herself before heading back to bed.

Leon held his tongue as she feigned a lack of fear. Leon was afraid too, but he was capable of admitting that. Leon was standing still, unsure of what to do when she took a few steps and looked back. He had nothing to say, he just wasn't sure what he could say to her. His legs felt like they were filled with lead and for a moment, he couldn't move. Couldn't close the gap between them. "Wait." Leon muttered, watching her walk away. He might have known exactly how she was feeling right now, but it didn't mean that he knew what to do in this situation.

He closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh and decided to go with what usually worked best. Improvising on the fly. "Aeria," Leon said, breaking into a light jog to catch up with her. When he caught up with her and slowed down to a walk, his eyes moved to her for a moment, nothing coming to mind of what to say or do. "You're freaking out a bit." He said flatly, rubbing the back of his neck as he realized that might not have been the best thing to say. "Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, I mean.. That certainly isn't something either of us should take lightly." He paused, biting his bottom lip as his mind processed what to say, "It's just weird to see you like this..." Leon dropped his hand from his neck, not sure what to do with his free hand. It was always a no brainer with his left hand. The arm could barely lift itself up, it may as well have been paralyzed completely and as a result, it always either hung there or was tucked into his pocket. He reached out with his hand, putting it around Aeria, figuring it might distract her. He'd rather she get annoyed with him than continue to be tormented by her worries.

"It's not like you to show emotion," Leon said, his eyes on the road ahead of them, his vibrant golden eyes unfocused and lacking their usual shine, their apartment complex in sight now. In the literal blink of an eye, his eyes brightened up when he looked toward her, a small crooked smile forming. "If you're going to get so worried over something like a stalker, I'll have to remind you that you already have one creep hanging around you." He smiled, pulling her against him. Now, if Leon knew anything from personal experience, this was almost exactly the point where he'd get slapped. Though with someone like Aeria, it was always a lot more difficult to predict how she'd react. Leon's money was still on the slap.

Aeria continued to walk away even after Leon told her to wait. She was in her own little world at the moment, and she didn't bother paying attention to him. She was able to calm down after she reassured herself that it definitely was a mutant. A mutant who was very good at concealing oneself. She took a deep breath in satisfaction, a small smile forming on her face. "- just weird to see you like this." When she stopped being so preoccupied with her thoughts, she realized that she had apparently been ignoring Leon for the past minute.

"What were you sa-" She started but was cut off when he suddenly placed an arm around her. She stiffened as he did, and she wondered what in the world was up with him this time. "It's not like you to show emotion," He said, just as they arrived in front of the apartment complex. She was clueless as to what he was trying to say all of a sudden and she made a mental note to pay more attention next time. "If you're going to get so worried over something like a stalker, I'll have to remind you that you already have one creep hanging around you." She raised an eyebrow at him, and there was a smug smile on his face before he suddenly pulled her against him.

It took her a moment to register what just happened, and when it did, the first thing that came to her mind was to push him away. She did, but unfortunately, she only managed to push him off a little. Tsk, what is this guy.. A wall? She took two steps back, as she tried to regain her composure, acting like she was completely unfazed by the sudden contact. "I appreciate the body warmth and all, but I prefer my blanket." With that said, she stormed off to the entrance as she felt her face heat up in embarrassment. Dear Lord, remember when I told you that I'd rather have a creepy mutant hanging around me rather than a ghost? I take it back. As she arrived in front of the entrance, she turned around to face Leon one last time. She shot him one last glare before turning back and stepping inside of the building.

Aeria walked down the staircase that led to the rooms. She passed by Leon's room, which was closest to the staircase and she thanked God that her room was the farthest from his, which was basically at the other end of the hall. She continued to head toward her room, suddenly feeling a tinge of regret that she had chosen the one at the farthest end. It was a pretty long walk since the place was huge. She sighed, Oh well. She had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be a very busy day. Getting some sleep would be best. Plus, the bad hunch she got earlier still bothered her a little. Who knew what tomorrow had in store for them? Hopefully, not something so awful.

Takeshi saw Mira was about to drift to sleep. She slumbered to her room, he followed her, making sure she wouldn't fall over or anything. Reaching her room, opening the door for her he whispered "Good night" into her ear. Seeing her enter the room, he closed it. Entering his own room, he took a quick shower, to refresh himself. After that, he walked over to the balcony. It was getting fairly late, or at least that's how it seemed. Looking out, he just wondered about what would happen tomorrow.

Before going to bed, he got some of his swords, and made sure to polish and oil them, to keep them in good condition. Going through a few of them, he put them back where they were, and changed before drifting to sleep.

"Night" Leon said with a wave and a grin, watching Aeria try to make distance between the two of them and head inside, her face glowing red. Leon gave her a few seconds to make her way in before he followed, letting her win this battle. He whistled softly as he walked, his arm hanging freely by his side, swaying with every step. When he reached the staircase, he descended slowly, his mind drifting back and forth between events today, unfocused and unsure of what mattered and what didn't. When the final step came, an object caught his eyes, a medallion with the image of a lion. "Boy," Leon muttered, walking up to his door and taking the medallion in his hands, "is this thing tacky as all get out." He looked back and forth across the hall, noticing that the coast was clear before taking a few steps down, finding Tollnak's door. He gave the door a quick few knocks and left the medallion at his door. Tollnak would probably dig it, Leon figured, moving back to his door before slipping into his room, not bothering to flick on the light as he did so.

Leon stripped down until he was essentially one with nature, bringing his clothes to the shower. He drew the shower-line and hung each bit of clothing, turning on the shower-head and giving it a few minutes to wash down the clothing before shutting it off and retiring to bed. It was the price of having one set of clothes. He had to wash it every night and, if he had to wake up early the next morning, then he'd have to learn to wear damp clothes. On his way to the bed, he paused taking a good long look in the mirror. If people saw his scarred form, they'd arm themselves with pitchforks and torches and chase him out of town. He may as well have been undead... Leon paused, holding his breath, and slowly reached down to his arm, pinching himself. "Still hurts. Hunger for brains not much higher than usual. Everything checks out still." He turned and dropped into his bed, not bothering with the covers tonight.

---

An alarm blared through the Ellexkir compound, a sharp screech that pierced the ear. "Wake up and prepare yourselves for the day." The incredibly familiar voice said, reaching out to his disciples, "You have ten minutes to wash up, dress yourselves, and make your way to your individual testing facilities in this building's lower levels. Any late atendees will be purged from the program. Try not to disappoint me, shall you?" The alarm abruptly cut. From deep beneath every room, a low rumble could be felt, one that works is way through your entire body. The day was only just beginning.

---

Leon fell out of his bed, bouncing as he met the floor, immediately grateful that nothing particularly sensitive was landed upon. "The hell..." Leon groaned, reaching out in a vain attempt to find a snooze button, when the voice reached him. "Oh..." he sighed, pulling himself up to his feet. Leon slowly blinked, recalling that he was in fact in a new world and that yesterday's events had not just been a dream. Steeling himself for what may come, he made his way to the shower, tossing his damp clothing onto the floor before cranking the shower on to ice cold. He danced back and forth in the ice water, frantically scrubbing himself as consciousness drowned out the earlier drowsiness. With a punch, he turned off the shower, before shoving the shower door open to jump out, practically yelling "Fuck that stings!" as he desperately grabbed a towel in an effort to dry off. With that said and done, he brushed his teeth while throwing on the damp clothes, giving a quick rinse before he made his way out of the door, proud that he had only taking three minutes to do that entire god awful ordeal.

He quickly made his way down the staircase into the belly of the complex, holoboards at each level repeatedly instructing him to go farther down until he reached the bottom floor where he was met by a long hallway with a slew of doors. The first door, the one right by the staircase, was his. Just like his room. As for what awaited him... he reached out slowly, putting his hand on the palm reader and gave a glance back, noticing that he was the only one here so far. The door gave a sharp chime and parted open, revealing a barren gray room. Leon took a slow step in, the door sealing shut behind with a muted hiss.

Tollank was sleeping peacefully in his bed, the events of the previous day had done an excellent job of wearing Tollank out. Suddenly he was roused from his deep slumber by an alarm blaring through his room, followed by a familiar voice.

Marx said "Wake up and prepare yourselves for the day." The incredibly familiar voice said, reaching out to his disciples, "You have ten minutes to wash up, dress yourselves, and make your way to your individual testing facilities in this building's lower levels. Any late atendees will be purged from the program. Try not to disappoint me, shall you?"

Tollank sat in his bed, sleep still heavy in his eyes. "Freaking plant-man.....trying to get some damn sleep....." he said before rolling back over. Tollank's eyes were almost shut again when something his District leader had just said crossed his mind. Ten minutes........purged from the program....... "OH SHIT." Tollank yelped rushing towards the shower. He quickly took off his arm and clothing and set it out side the shower, and hopped in before bothering to check the temperature of the water. Near scalding water rushed over Tollank's body, he quickly lathered and rinsed before hopping out. Grabbing a towel he dried himself while walking over to his dufflebag. Tollank snapped his fingers into the bag, and found a change of clothes. He quickly slipped them on, and returned to his arm and reattached it. He quickly freshed up a bit more, and headed out the door.

Stepping outside something shiny laying on the ground immediately caught Tollank's eye. A small necklace with a lion medallion was laying on the ground by the door. Tollank recalled the Lion being the "mascot" of the Sabore District. What was it doing in this District......unless.... I totally have a secret admirer from Sabore, some poor girl just couldn't resist the charms of the one-armed bandit Tollank thought to himself. Smiling, he slipped the necklace into his pocket, determined to find the lucky lady after all of today's business was settled. He quickly ran to lower levels, with signs directing him to go lower and lower. He darted past other people, some in just a big of a hurry as he was. Soon he found himself in front of a long hallway, doors going down either side. He walked a few doors down the hallway until he found one with his name placed on it via a neat plaque. Tollank placed his lft hand onto a hand scanner, which opened the door. He stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him. Instinctively he clapped his hands together to see the layout of the room......but for some reason he couldn't see......

Keita woke up a while ago, he sat in his room playing with the holograms provided, it was early and he was feeling more happy, maybe it was his way of giving up on Leon, because frankly he isn't what he was.. Keita knew how stubborn he could be so it took him a while to realise how different they are. Keita dropped the holograms as soon as an alarm busted inside his room.

Marx said
"Wake up and prepare yourselves for the day." The incredibly familiar voice said, reaching out to his disciples, "You have ten minutes to wash up, dress yourselves, and make your way to your individual testing facilities in this building's lower levels. Any late attendees will be purged from the program. Try not to disappoint me, shall you?"

That familiar voice again.. Keita laughed as he got up happy, he got in the shower by his dorm and put on some clothes that where bought for him the day he left.. "a new look will be good"..Keita strolled out of the shower and heard "You have Ten Minute" aswell as "Purged from the program" Keita sighed..
"Making me run again, another order.. oh well" Keita sprinted down to the lower levels.
"Let's have some fun" Keita smiled..
He walked into a bland room jumping when a door shut behind him.. wondering what was in store.
Keita had all these thoughts inside his head, he was ready to be compliant to Ellexkir's Leader today, whatever his name was.. He decided to become a different person, he had been living in the past for way too long, he needed to make friends, he needed to live for once.

---

[Mira]

Mira woke early, deciding to go outside on the balcony, that connected to Takeshi's room, she had a holorgram outside, and she read a letter that popped up a few minutes ago.

Fio'rana said
Dear Miss Winter,
You and all the other Ignori Retributes are required to read this mail as soon as possible.
I have been preparing a surprise for all of you and are requiring you all to meet me at the top floor of the dorms, there is things that are needed to be discussed and programs to be prepared, you all are my humble'd guests and I wish we can be one big happy family!

P.S - Never not expect the unexpected.

From Ignori Disitrict Leader - Fio'rana

Mira found it strange, the letter that is.. well she was exquisite.. people say she's a hybrid too.. that she is the eldest hybrid alive. It's funny, according to the info on the hologram stored up on archives, that we have been granted access too, hybrids stop aging at 25 years of age, does that mean we will never die of age? Mira waited outside the balcony for Takeshi, without knowing it, she was sitting by his window.. on a hammock that was strapped to a roof and a pole on the balcony. It was a bit chilly this morning, Mira had all her clothers on, but decided to keep her gown on outside just to keep warm.
She thought to herself, for a second. Did she or would she ever have feelings for Takeshi? Was he too nice to be true..? "Well he does like swords" she giggled as she read the archives about how Mak'ari hybrids died, apparently it would take a meteor to kill a Hybrid that is over 25 years of age, before than they take more human traits on than Mak'ari. Mira adjusted her glasses and pulled out a crossword, she only knew of crosswords because her family had been into the small things that where passed down, to keep them going.. It was surprising that Mak'ari had them on the holograph's that project throughout the dorms.

Aeria was sitting silently on the chair by the holodesk, flipping through the pages of the book she was holding. Reading was always her favorite pastime, and she made sure to grab at least two books with her when she packed. By the time the familiar voice of Shigganeth rang through her head, she was already up, showered, and basically ready. She has always been an early riser, waking up at the same time the sun rose. Her father was very strict, and he had always imposed discipline, raising her to be a person with high morals. She had to show less of her emotions too, her father deeming that showing emotions was a weakness because it made a person easier to manipulate. They also tend to act rashly, because they let their emotions control them, according to him.

Aeria closed the book shut and placed it on top of the holo desk. She stood up and and pushed the chair in, looking over her room to make sure everything was in proper order before walking out the door and closing it behind her. She placed a hand inside her pocket, checking if the locket was safely in place before continuing to walk toward the destination of the training area. She wasn't sure where it was at first, but there were holoboards at each level that directed her to go lower and lower. It was very quiet at the moment, and she figured that everyone only woke up when the alarm rang. She was probably the first to arrive, and she was a bit thankful because she wanted to enjoy the silence a bit longer.

Arriving on the intended floor, she walked past the door that held Leon's name. Then she passed by a door that held Tollank's, and then Keita's. Next to that door was the room she was assigned to, and she stopped in her tracks before entering. She never knew that the training was going to be held individually. Taking her hand out of her pocket, she placed it in front of the palm reader and the door opened slowly. She placed her hand back into her pocket where the locket was placed and she paused for a moment. She looked around her, not seeing anyone else. Slowly, she took a step inside of the room, and the door shut closely behind her.

Alan sat straight up when he heard the alarm, his bandana somehow untied and on the ground and his mandibles half out. He had been having a strange yet enjoyable dream, something about mangos, and wasn't happy to be yanked out of his sweet, sweet, fructose filled fantasies.

Marx said
An alarm blared through the Ellexkir compound, a sharp screech that pierced the ear. "Wake up and prepare yourselves for the day." The incredibly familiar voice said, reaching out to his disciples, "You have ten minutes to wash up, dress yourselves, and make your way to your individual testing facilities in this building's lower levels. Any late atendees will be purged from the program. Try not to disappoint me, shall you?"

Alan picked his bandana up from the floor and tied it around his head. While he didn't trust whatever creature that voice was originating from, he didn't want to find out what being "purged from the program" entailed. It woudn't take long to get ready. He hadn't bathed in his life, and he didn't plan to start now. Chemicals in the shower water could seep through his skin and kill him! He grabbed his hoodie, about to put it on, when he felt something squishy in it's pocket

Crap, the rakfisk he thought, realizing it had been in the pocket overnight. Moving to the trashbin in the room, he awkwardly scraped the disgusting mess into the bin. Even he wouldn't eat that. Guess he would have to go without his hoodie, at least until he washed it.

Stepping out the door, trying to avoid his roommate, Alan made his way down the stairs into a hallway of many doors, looking around till he found one with his name on it. Next to the door was what appeared to be a hand scanner, but how could Alan be sure it wasn't a trap of some sort. Standing away as far as possible with his hand still able to reach it, Alan lightly poked the contraption. Nothing happened. Ok, it was just a hand scanner. Pressing his hand to it, the door slid open in front of him, revealing an empty gray room. Stepping in, the door shut behind him, leaving Alan waiting in solitude.

Takeshi started to wake, he yawned. He saw a light indicated a message on his bracelet. From it came a hologram from Fio'ranna.

Fio'ranna said
Dear Mister Raijin,
You and all the other Ignori Retributes are required to read this mail as soon as possible.
I have been preparing a surprise for all of you and are requiring you all to meet me at the top floor of the dorms, there is things that are needed to be discussed and programs to be prepared, you all are my humble'd guests and I wish we can be one big happy family!

P.S - Never not expect the unexpected.

From Ignori Disitrict Leader - Fio'rana

Yawning again, Takeshi did not notice Mira outside his room on the balcony, due to the curtains. Going into his bathroom, he started to brush his teeth and wash his face. Slapping his face with both hands, he was slightly more awake and alert now. Walking out of his bathroom, he saw a shadow from the balcony glass door on the curtain. It's probably Mira. She's up nice and early. he thought, while stretching out his body. Opening the curtain, he could see on the balcony was Mira, sitting in a hammock. When did that get there? Did she put it up just now? he wondered, opening the glass door. "Morning Mira." It appears Mira was doing a crossword.

"So it seems like the head of the district, Fio'ranna wants us to go to the top floor." he said, approaching Mira. Looking out from the balcony, he saw the landscape. It wasn't as beautiful as it was at night. "Want to get some breakfast first or go up to the top floor?" Takeshi asked, leaning against the rails, facing Mira.

Mira

Mira noticed Takeshi, as she looked out into the cave upon them.
"Yeah, sure.." she wondered..
"You know, apparently on earth.. there's this thing called daylight?"
"There's apparently a Sun that shines light onto the Planet's surface" Mira looked up at Takeshi,
"Yeah I was kinda reading some Archives through this virtual library" she smiled and walked into her room,
"Lemme grab my coat" she said as she took her gown off and grabbed her black woolen trench coat, they simulated temperatures so to cope with Human and Mak'ari lifestyle,
Today was probably gonna be a bit chilly. Mira noticed the flower and just stood there.. wondering, she rashly walked out and said
"Why are you so nice to me?" she said.. she had a confused look on her face, emotions running through her head.

Subject 1 - Leon Roth - Guardian Mutation

"Leon Roth, you've been blessed with your trial. Unlike the others, your risk of death is low and your task is the simplest." A metallic flat voice projected from an unseen intercom, the pacing of the voice that was strangely feminine almost made the way she spoke inhuman, each word being spoken slowly. As. If. Life. Depended. On. Every. Single. Word. "You regenerative ability is a unique active mutation that depends on mimicry. You can only repair damage which you yourself have suffered from. Today is the first of many trials where you will advance your abilities. Today will be a simplistic start. If you cannot heal Subject 2, Tollank Pormaranc, then you will be removed from the program. It is expected that you will be able to find a solution to your problem without further guidance. Shigganeth sends his kindest regards."

---

Subject 2 - Tollank Pomaranc - Auditory Technopathy Mutation

"Tollank Pomaranc." This voice was slow and soft, a voice meant only for Tollank who was deafened and blinded by his room, a message that was solely telepathic from a source very different from their district's head. A voice almost exactly like his mother. "Your trial takes place in a chamber designed to absorb all sound emitted. Here you are truly blind. We all hope you will find a way to use your sound more masterfully than ever before. It is our hope that you will be able to properly direct sound to observe your environment. The room you are currently in has a pathway leading to the exit across the room. On both sides of the pathway there is a chasm which, should you fall into, will certainly end you. Mind your steps, Tollank."

---

Subject 3 - Keita Takoshuzi - Nerve Acceleration Mutation

"Keita Takoshuzi," the voice was firm and sharp, identical to the voice of Ketia's childhood friend Leon, and spilled forth from an unseen speaker. A doorway opposite of Keita opened wide, a figure in dressy clothes with a bow tie and hair gold like wheat stepping out, running a hand through his hair. When he spoke, the voice matched his appearance, though his lips did not move. "You are to kill me, Keita. If you cannot do that then you have no place here. You're too clouded with emotion for us to have any interest n keeping you here. Do not disappoint us." The skin of Leon shuddered, bones protruding from his skin like blades. His teeth grew to jagged points and soon all that was skin was now a shield of bone. Silently, he charged.

---

Subject 4 - Aeria White - Atmosphere Mutation

"Aeria," a gentle voice spoke out from the other side of the room, the origin shrouded in darkness. It was a voice Aeria would be able to recognize in a heartbeat, the voice that belong to the other half of her, the voice of the boy that she grew up with, the voice of her twin. The room itself was a chasm, completely devoid of flooring beyond the first few steps into the room, the opposite side of the room seeming to be miles away. There were no lights beyond the one directly above the door. There were no sounds beyond the voice and a harrowing howl of wind ripping through the chasm between them. "Come Aeria, I'm waiting." It was Aeria's duty to find a way to cross the chasm and as far as one could see, there was no telling how deep the pit was, nor what was residing within. Within moments of the voice ceasing to speak, scents began to flood the room; Sulfur, Iron, Decay. Burnt flesh. Oil fumes.

---

Subject 4 - Alan Gulley - Chitinous Mutation

"Alan Gulley," the voice said flatly and disinterested, unmistakably the voice of Aeria, "Please step into the center of the room." The voice was patient, waiting as long as it would take for Alan to comply, remaining completely silent until he made his way to the center. The floor around him then lurched upward and snapped shut like metallic jaws, sealing him beneath a dome of metal, much like what Leon had done to Alan the day prior. "You have a short amount of time to dig your way through the barrier and exit the room. We hope that you can make your way out quickly for as I speak, the ventilation systems are pumping neurotoxins into the room. It is our hope that you will manage to make it through this ordeal without succumbing to the toxins. Oh and the barrier has a certain flavor. You can thank me later." It was a marvel of engineering really, for it was the first metal to ever have a vanilla flavor and scent.

---

Rylan awoke with a start and looked around his room. His eyes were still blurry and he attempted to rub away the drowzyness. Briefly he recalled the walk back to his room after the run in with the mutants from the other district. It was a dreadfully uneventful walk to the Ignori dorms after the little run in, he'd located a vacant room on the second floor and made it his own. A lengthy shower had done him some good and it wasn't long after that he fell asleep. Rylan yawned and examined his wrist band, it was beeping and had been the reason he'd woken up. He tentatively activated the holographic display and it went immediately to the message inbox. Scanning the message more than reading it, he picked out the only thing that the message said that really mattered. The Ignori retributes were to meet on the top floor of the dorms. The fiery eyed teen ran a hand through his hair and fell back onto his bed staring at the ceiling. 'So its finally beginning, is it?' With more than a little sloth Rylan rolled out of bed and got dressed with no sense of urgency, brushing his teeth soon after. He was a little hungry but that can wait.. he'd go to the top floor first and see what was in store for him.

Tollank heard the voice within the confines of his mind, the sound of his mother’s voice playing over and over. Out of habit he snapped his fingers together, desperate to cut into the darkness that surrounded him. Nothing. For the first time since he was a boy, Tollank couldn’t see. At least then he could react to the world around him, in this personal Hell he couldn’t even hear. The voice still echoed in his mind. Mind your steps, Tollank. Mind your steps, Tollank. Mind your steps, Tollank. The more he thought about it the less it seemed like something his mother would say. This voice wasn’t his mother, it was some outside force mocking him. Mocking him for finally being truly helpless. He fell to his knees, and screamed. No sound escaped his lips. Tollank felt his lungs ache from the screaming, and his throat begin to grow sore, but yet nothing escaped. He began to cry, at least he thought he did. He felt tears run down his face, or was that sweat? He couldn’t tell anymore. In this prison only two things were constant. The empty void that surrounded him, and the dull ache in his chest from the screaming that made no sound.

For a while he just sat there, afraid to move. He couldn’t see, and was directly told that a misstep would cost him his life. Tollank had no idea where the ledge started. As of right now his was sitting on solid ground, but the ledge could be inches away. Or feet. He didn’t know. All Tollank knew was that he had to get out of this god forsaken place. Slowly, inch by inch, he began to crawl forward. After crawling he felt it, the beginning of the drop-off. His fingers moved across the ledge, he felt for the walkway that would lead to his salvation. Moving left he scooted along, until his fingers met another ledge. Tollank felt in front of him, it was the walkway! Finally he could get out of this goddamn void.

The walkway was actually not very difficult to navigate, it turned a couple times, but at the crawl that Tollank was maintaining it was easy to navigate. He kept crawling along, afraid to stand up and risk falling. Meanwhile the blackness that surrounded him offered no comfort, its constant embrace was starting to get to him. He just wanted out of here, he wanted to go back to the park, feel the warm water of the stream wash over his feet. Wash his troubles away. Tollank began to daydream about the brook, the park, his friends, but soon he lost his focus on the task at hand. He started to pick up the pace, not focusing on the task at hand. Suddenly the path took a sharp turn, but at this point he was powerless to slow himself. Tollank fell over the edge, into the darkness below. He felt the air whizzing past him, picking up speed. He would never see his friends again, his trip would end as soon as it began. Tollank screamed. Screamed for Leon, Areia, Keita, and Alan. For all the others in Ellexkir he had yet to meet. Now he never would. He could see the floor down below. Wait. He could see the floor. He could hear the scream. It was louder than anything he had ever heard before, deafening almost. Suddenly Tollank had a revelation. He was controlling the power and frequency of the sound. Focusing, he felt the sound waves move, narrowing into a beam aimed at the floor. He could feel himself slowing, losing speed. He was moving at a speed now that he could survive this, but it would hurt like a bitch. Closing his eye, he continued to scream, and braced for impact.

Tollank’s body hit the ground, and pain erupted from all over his body. His metal arm had survived the fall, but the rest of his body didn’t fare so well. He could feel something poke his lungs when he tried to breath, ribs were broken. He let out another inhuman scream, to survey the damage done to his body. His legs lay at awkward angles, and would not move to his prompting. He could move his other arm, but the wrist hurt like hell. He screamed again, the sound echoing through the test chamber. Tollank noticed something to his right…a door. He had found the exit! Using all of his strength he pulled his body towards salvation. When he got close enough the door slid open to reveal a large room with other doors dotting its walls. Tollank assumed all test chambers lead to this room, so the victors could see one other. Tollank dragged himself into the room, leaving a trail of blood across the clean white floor. He made it. He beat the goddamn test. He could see again. A small smile crossed Tollank’s face, before his eyes closed and he lost consciousness.

The smell hit Alan like a train. All around him, vanilla, vanilla, nothing but the same god damn vanilla. The voice he had heard was unmistakenly that of the queen of vanilla herself. Alan had expected her to try and kill him, but he hadn't expected so soon or in such a torturous way. He had to focus though. While the dome appeared to be completely sealed at first glance, there had to be a small hole somewhere, otherwise he would be safe from the neurotoxin. Alan needed to find this hole so that his mandibles would have something to rip the metal apart from. However, he wasn't sure whether or not he would be able to find it in time through touch alone. He had to figure out where it was some other way. He couldn't think straight. At least not with all this vanilla scented meta-

Alan paused. It was a long shot, and he wasn't sure if it would work, but he was desperate. Trying his best to stay calm, Alan closed his eyes and moved around his mandibles, allowing the olfactory sensors inside them to analyze each smell in each direction. Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla, vanilla; it was all giving him quite a headache. Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla, vani- there! The smell in that direction was a bit different, a more sour, what he assumed the neurotoxin seeping smelled like, if it had a smell. Feeling around the origin if the scent, Alan felt a small hole in the metal. Instantly he shoved the point of his left mandible as far as it could go in the hole and pulled at it with all his might. Slowly at first, eventually gaining speed, Alan was able to peel the metal of the dome away, opening a hole just large enough for him to fit through. Bursting out, Alan found himself falling down a flight of stairs that hadn't been there when he had entered the room. Thankful for his protective exoskeleton, Alan tumbled down several more flights of stairs, eventually coming to a small door. Getting up rather clumsily, he smashed with the door and slammed it shut, happy to hear the hiss of an airlock behind him. He was now in a large white room with several doors around the edges. The only other thing in the room was what appeared to be a bloodied unconscious Tollank. So the sinful vixen had made an attempt on his life too huh? Walking over, Alan quickly checked for a pulse and walked back, happy that no one had died at the hands of Aeria yet.

Taking out the picture of his dad from his pocket and just staring at it, Alan couldn't help but think about how lucky he had been. Lucky about the vanilla helping to contrast from the neurotoxin's scent, lucky that the neurotoxin even had a scent. As Alan finished he reflection and deposited his dad's picture back in his pocket, he knew one thing: next time he saw Vanilla Demon, he would make her pay for this. Make. Her. Pay.

Keita

Before making any assumptions.. Keita paused. Smiling, he stepped to the side as the supposed "Leon" charged at him..
Keita was letting himself think, clearing out emotion, trying to get this right the first time..
"Is this your way of testing us?" he mocked.. as he fluently moved around.. trying to react as quick as possible, even though he wasn't showing it.. he was stressed, trying to clear it from his mind.. They where right, but he couldn't show them that.

Keita kept dodging this, whatever it was.. fluently kiting this thing around the room.. he kept on thinking, it was like his Brain was in overdrive..
"I don't think, er Mr. Roth here, can keep up" he was taunting whatever it was.. in such a way making him appeal apathetic. He rushed to the corner of the room and and slid under it's legs as it kept on charging.. it wouldn't stop! This wasn't Leon, obviously.. It wasn't even meant to be, seemingly.. Of course, Shigganeth is obviously doing something, allowing him to either have multiple bodies a that can morph.. or just robots..

Keita stood still, a sharp pain crawling up his spine.. then his head shocked into a state of what was considered worse than a migraine.. A piercing pain, througout his whole body, resonating from his brain..
"What is this, argh.." he knew this wasn't expected.. was it bad? .... Keita stood there on his knees, flapping his arms around to barely miss the doppelganger.
He eventually stood up, as the pain subsided, he was just scratched by the thing relentlessly charging at him, with no tactics what so ever.
The bones, this was weird.. Keita's pain came back quickly, it was obviously something to do with his mutation, it had to be. For some reason, Keita knew it wouldn't endanger him at all,
then as soon as it went away he felt, faster.. everything was just.. faster.. smarter. he soon decided to make his offense on the Bone Doppleganger.

"It's time we get the party started" Keita smiled.

"I wish I could say the same to you, Shigganeth." Leon said softly, checking his surroundings. He was alone. There were no doors. Just him and his sterile cubic prison. All alone. In. Complete. Silence. Leons eyes shut tightly, a long slow breath leaving his lungs, his chest slowly deflating. "Am I supposed to do this without any kind of... tools?" Leon called out, his eyes slowly opening. He waited. And waited. And. Waited. Seconds passed by. Then minutes. Then, nearly an hour. Leon was on the floor by now, his ass planted firmly on the cool immaculate paneling. For the first time, his gaze drifted down to his hands. Beads of sweat rolled across his palm, pooling on the back of his hand like liquid stalagmites. His right hand trembled fiercely, the skin of his wrist pulled tightly against his veins like cellophane. His left hand still hung by his side, lifeless, bar the occasional twitch or blunt movement.

Leon's eyes closed tightly as he leaned his head back, the long strands of golden hair falling from his face. The panels below him may have been chilling to the touch, but in this moment he felt nothing beyond a building flame in his head, a rolling in his stomach, a ripping at his heartstrings. A trembling hand made its way to his face, warm leather pressing against his skin, the edge of his glove meeting his lips and being held by his teeth as his hand wormed from its leather cocoon. "Gods give me strength in this moment," his hand moved up, palm gripping his cheek tightly as his thumb hovered above his right eye, "Lend me all the strength you have to give, for I walk through the valley of flames," his eye was wide open now, the looming thumb reflected in his pupil, "and bless me so that I may come out alive." Flesh met flesh, light met darkness, and for a moment there was nothing.

His entire body wretched, muscles turning to stone, a scream lost in his throat, his body prettified as the thumb wormed deeper into his eye, blood and fluid flooding out of the socket, running along his flesh, staining it red, sullying his clothes. When his thumb could burrow no deeper, Leon's petrified form lurched forward, dropping onto the floor like a corpse, writhing in horror, the screams of banshees ripping from his vocal cords, running his throat dry, leaving a sharp burn through his throat as words failed him, his lips pantomiming screams as dry gasps left his gaping mouth. With all the remaining strength he had, Leon bit down onto his cheek as he pulled free his thumb, taking a chunk of jellied eye with it, blood pouring from his mouth as he bite straight through his cheek, his molars visible from both sides through gaping holes that poured soaked his shoulders in blood.

His cheeks began to pull themselves together, the lost flesh rebuilding and repairing itself, a new scar adorning each cheek now. The remains of his eye began to seep out of its socket, still attached to a nerve. Tears dripped from his eye and he reached up to the nerve, gripping it tightly, a sharp pain spiking through his head. His shoulders arched back as his elbow grew still, his hands still shaking intensely, and he pulled. For a moment, his vocal cords found words once more and for a moment he screamed a wish he had truly meant. "Kill me! Please!" His hand clenched tightly into a claw, dragging across his cheek,blood rising from the row of new gashes. His eye had not repaired itself and instead was now mostly at his knees on the floor below him, mocking him for his failure. "The other," the metallic voice said, breaking the silence.

"No..." Leon sobbed, bowing down to the floor, his skin pressed against the floor, his hair soaking in blood and fluid. "Please... no." An audible click made their answer clear. It was the next eye and success or death. Leon could only pray that he would receive one of the two gifts. Either were beyond welcome. Leon formed a hitchhiker's call, balling his hand into a fist, his thumb aiming up and screamed at the top of his lungs. Blood and thick milk like fluid shout out, spraying his lower chest and pants before oozing around his thumb to drip onto the ground. With his nail he gouged at the back of his eye, flesh building under his nail. In his head, there were horrible screams coming from every direction at once, pulsing in and out, ripping pieces of sanity away with every second he went on with this quest of self mutilation. As his thumb ripped free from the eye socket, a veritable cocktail of fluid poured from his eyes, his body collapsing in the mess beneath him. For the longest moment he saw nothing.

There was no blackness. There was just nothing. The absence of colour. The absence of everything. In this moment, he was truly alone. For the first time in his life he truly wished for death. He would've begged for it and for a moment, he believed that Shigganeth would give him the gift he had begged for. For a moment there was a horrendous brightness. Then there was a shock to the system and horrible dizziness that would have made him vomit if there was still anything left to evacuate from his stomach. And last, there was colour. His vision was distorted, off center, it was as if- Leon rolled onto his back, desperately grabbing at his face, feeling the vacant hole where his right eye once was. And in rage he screamed, his hand slamming onto the floor beside him, a piece of metal ripped free which he brought to his eye, morphing it to act as an eye patch for the empty socket, the metal cutting into the skin, digging itself in to hide away the gaping hole.

Minutes passed by as he found his footing, his knees shaky and his movements uncertain, his depth perception destroyed by the loss of his right eye. A doorway in the formerly immaculate wall made itself visible and Leon took each step with more certainty, his stumbling becoming less and less apparent with every step. When he reached the door, he took his steps slowly, moving as he formerly did, each step careful and almost hesitant though. As the door parted, Leon emerged, his hair caked with dried blood, deep scars lining his jaws, and a hunk of metal where an eye once was. Lying just beyond their trail door was Tollnak. His friend. The one he went through the entire ordeal for. A dark hatred built in Leon as he stepped slowly towards his collapsed friend, his hand balled into a tight fist, his fingers digging into his palm, blood beginning to seep through yet more wounds. "Get." Leon growled, taking a final step before he was practically on top of the unconscious boy and then kneeling by him, "Up." Leon grabbed the back of Tollnak's head, a white light very visible in the space between his hand and the back of Tollnak's head. Limbs moved without the command of their owner, setting themselves properly, broken bones mended and repaired, organs sealed and left the way they were before today, and a new set of eyes alerted to all of the sensations light spectrum.

Leon said nothing, standing slowly, releasing a chunk of Tollank's bloodied hair that he ripped out of the boy's scalp during the process. His eye was empty, gray like stone, lifeless. There was no smile, no celebration. Leon left the others in the room, making his way toward the exit in silence. His heavy steps slapped the floor, echoing across the room like the steps of a giant, droplets of blood leaving a trail of blood that petered off shortly before he made it through the door, back into the hall they entered earlier this morning. His pace had improved slightly with every step and soon enough he was running, practically tripping with every step as he reintroduced himself to the process, his body screaming for him to stop, every muscle at the point of unraveling. When he was at his dorm, his body collapsed against the door, the door opening as he presented the key, allowing him to fall in onto the cold floor, shutting behind him with a muted hiss. Leaving him in darkness. Bringing him back to his personal hell.

The moment that Aeria stepped inside the room, she was immediately filled with regret. Her heart started to beat rapidly when she almost took another step forward. There was no flooring beyond the first few steps into the room, and she couldn't see anything beyond it. The darkness just seemed to stretch on for miles and miles away. That one step would have led to her death. Aeria looked at the door she entered through, wondering if there was some kind of mistake. Suddenly, a very familiar voice called out to her, causing her to freeze in place. "Aeria," The voice was gentle and endearing. Nate? Her blood ran cold. She slowly turned back to the large pit that separated her from the other side. She tried to focus on the air particles around her to amplify the sound, wanting to know where it came from. "Come Aeria, I'm waiting." The sound came from every direction, and she couldn't pinpoint the exact location of it’s source.

For a moment there, she wanted to believe that it was her brother. She wanted to fool herself into thinking that he was back. The idea gave a her a sense of comfort and joy, at least. But Aeria knew that wasn't the case, and once again, she was reminded of how empty she truly felt inside. Brushing off the sadness, anger took over. Whoever was using her brother to get to her wasn't going to get away with it. The voice, and even the the way it called out to her, it was exactly the same. But one thing was off, her brother never called her Aeria. In the first place, he wasn't supposed to know that name. Nate, her brother, calls her by her real name. Cerelia.

A few days before her brother's disappearance, there was a riot in their town concerning mutants. It was a fairly peaceful town. She did not know how the word about mutants got out, but she suspected that a fellow mutant like her was discovered. A day after her brother's disappearance, her father felt a sense of urgency. He assumed that Nate was caught, and possibly killed. But Aeria knew everything. The reason for his disappearance, no, the reason why he left. But it was their own little secret, along with the promise they made to see each other again. Aeria's father was consumed by sadness, paranoia, and fear. They immediately moved to another town, and as if that wasn't enough, he changed their names. After her brother left, nothing was the same at home. Aeria's father became violent, and would often rage. She was locked up in her room, day after day, and he would give her three books every weekend, thinking that those would be enough to provide her with some sense of enjoyment over the week.

Aeria was alone in her room with no one to speak to or listen to. She eventually became cold and quiet. She didn't speak unless she needed to, and she didn't have to show her emotions. In the first place, she didn’t feel anything. She was empty. She was numb, and couldn't even feel sad. She was deprived of her freedom, and deprived of the world outside. When she was being sent to the Savrix Vessel, that was the first time she ever got out of the house after seven years. What seemed like a bad thing for everyone else was a good thing for her. She was free from the confines of her room, and not only that, she was able to meet wonderful people. Namely, Tollank and Leon. Although she would never tell them how much their friendship meant to her, they were the ones who gave her a new reason to keep going on. She came to this vessel, ready to throw her life away in a whim. But after meeting them, that changed. No matter how uncertain the future was, she felt comfort in knowing that she wouldn’t have to face it alone.

The moment that the voice came to an end, the awful smell of decay, burnt flesh, oil fumes, and other things, filled her nose. Her eyebrows furrowed and she immediately placed a hand on her nose to block out the smell. She snapped her fingers, and a gentle breeze came and filled the air with the scent of vanilla. For the first time, she appreciated it. It didn't take too long before the smell dispersed, and was again replaced by the nauseating smell that came from down below. Her awfully sharp sense of smell was unfavorable in this situation. If the long drop wasn't going to be the cause of her death, the smell would be. The horrible smell was suffocating, it was getting difficult to breath. She knew she had to do something about it soon. If she can easily move and manipulate the air around her, she could try to draw the fresh air in, while simultaneously drawing out the bad air. It would take a lot of time and she wasn’t sure if it was going to work, but it was worth the shot.

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the smell and movement of the air around her. She couldn't sense any fresh air in any area, nor can she sense any fresh air coming through an opening, and she groaned in frustration. Her eyes flew open when she heard the sound of rocks breaking. The rocks at the edge of what she was standing on broke and fell. She gulped in horror, at the sudden realization that there might be a time limit. Aeria knew what her objective was. She had to cross this chasm and get to other side. She figured that much. However, she didn't know how, or even if she was capable of it. Back then, she would have just jumped in and taken the risk. She used to think that she was brave, but now she was able to comprehend that it was the opposite. She used to not care about dying, because she was afraid of living. She was afraid that she wasn’t going to be able to face the challenges that were going to come her way. Aeira continuously took steps backward until her back hit the cold surface of the metallic door. She slowly sat down and placed her hands on her face, feeling the despair creep in.

Aeria didn’t know how long she sat there in silence. But by the time she looked up, the size of the ground was already incredibly small. She knew that if she waited longer, the part she was standing on was going to fall apart next. On the bright side of things, she was slowly adapting to the horrible smell around her. Now, she just had to focus on getting to the other side. She had seen her brother do it before. He walked on air, treating it like solid matter. He glided with the wind like it was nothing. Aeria admired his outstanding talent and skills, and she used to wish that she was naturally as skilled as him. Her brother told her that she would be able to do it in time, but she never learned. All those years, she was locked up, and was never given the chance to learn it. She spent those years in a small room, and her health began to drastically drop. She didn’t have enough strength to do anything extreme, nor did she have the space. “This isn’t exactly the way I wanted to learn how to do it.” She said lifelessly to herself.

Aeria looked down, but all she could see was darkness, along with the sound of rough winds howling. If she fell, she was sure to end up in pieces. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. She was running out of the time, and she knew she had to do something soon. The howling of the wind taunted her, making her feel incapable of doing anything, and she felt more hopeless as the seconds passed. She had a feeling that she wasn’t going to make it out alive, and the thought itself brought a burning sensation to the back of her throat. Before she could sink in deeper into her thoughts of despair, she heard a very familiar sound. Rocks breaking. She wasn’t given a moment to react as the rocks crumbled into pieces beneath her and fell apart. For a split second, she felt her heart stop and her mind go blank. She wished it would have stayed that way, because she found herself falling, deeper and deeper. And the fear crept in as she felt death lurking around her, waiting.

God must have been watching over her, because the moment that the sharp winds were about to hit her, she instinctively wrapped herself in a protective bubble of air. She wasn’t fast enough, and the wind managed to give her deep cuts on her arms. The protective air around her wasn’t strong enough either, because from time to time, the wind would slip through and slash her skin again and again. She cringed in pain, and as much as she wanted to pressurize air on her wounds to seal them and stop the bleeding, she needed to save as much of her strength as she could. If all her power was drained out of her, the only thing protecting her would disappear, and she’ll eventually end up in a state beyond recognition. She was falling down at a fast speed and the darkness engulfed her. She couldn’t see a thing, and the appalling smell grew stronger, even when the scent of vanilla lingered in the bubble of air around her. She could smell both, and her head started to pound. She didn’t know how long she had been falling into the chasm. It felt like minutes, but it could have been seconds.

Aeira could feel the air around her growing hotter and hotter, and she knew that there was no more hope left for her to make it out alive. Her heart was beating frantically, and she could barely think straight. The hole must have been very deep, because it might have already been a minute, but she was still falling. She closed her eyes to brace herself for the impact, knowing full well that it was going to hurt a lot. On the plus side, she was only going to feel it for a second, because the second after that, she was going to be dead. She had completely given up on saving herself, and the only thing she could do was to accept the fate that was laid out for her. In life, death was certain. It just came sooner for her than later. The protective air around her was growing weaker, and the raging winds started to lash at her. Her throat tightened and her lips quivered. She fought hard to stop the tears that were threatening to spill. She placed a hand inside her pocket to stop it from trembling, and for a moment, she felt a sense of comfort when she felt the surface of the locket. At least she had it with her in her final moments.

“Why do you have to leave, brother?” She asked, grabbing on the hem of his shirt. “I told you already, didn’t I?” He said, the smile on his face kind and tender. “Why can’t you bring me with you?” She asked, her eyes welling up. “Cerelia, you’re only ten.” He replied. “And so are you.” She shot back as she tried to blink back the tears. He chuckled lightly, his dark blue eyes beaming. “I’m older by a minute.” He smiled in amusement. “Besides, I’m a guy. And I can take care of myself.” He patted her lightly on the head. “I can take care of myself too.” Her voice trembled as the tears began to run down her cheeks. She didn’t want her brother to leave, he was the only friend she had. Most of all, he was very important to her. “Can you fly?” He challenged. “Well, no.. But I can learn if you teach me.” She sobbed. Her brother rested his hand on her head, enjoying the fact that he was much taller. “You’ll learn it in time. And Cerelia, save your tears for the next time we meet, okay?” He smiled at her. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was sad too, but he was the type of person who didn’t want to burden anyone with his emotions. “Promise we’ll see each other again?” Cerelia asked as she wiped away the tears. “I promise.”

After her stroll down the memory lane, Aeria slowly opened her eyes. A dreary smile made it’s way to her lips. A tear escaped her eye, which was immediately followed by another. “How pathetic..” Her voice quivered as she tried to stop herself from spilling any more tears. “How pathetic of me to actually think of giving up.” She continued. She fell deeper and deeper into the darkness, and not a single sight could be seen. Grabbing the locket, she placed it’s chain around her neck. She took off her blood stained trench coat to get a better feel of the air around her, and she dropped it. Her coat fell deeper into the chasm.

“I’ll definitely see you again.” The tears stopped. Her eyes were cold, and her voice matched it. Upon saying that, everything stood still. The winds stopped, and there was not a hint of movement in the atmosphere. Every air particle froze in place and she herself stopped still in mid air. She closed her eyes and slowly let out a long whistle as she envisioned how she wanted the air to move. She slowly got up on her feet, standing still at nothing but air. The harsh winds that she used to have no control over, slowly moved in a circular motion beneath her. She could already feel her energy draining rapidly but she had to put everything into this. It was her last resort. Aeria felt light headed from the blood loss, but she would have to make this work before she fell unconscious or it would surely be the end of her. Her breathing hitched as she forced every energy she had left into her last move. The rotating winds moved quicker beneath her, and she could feel herself rising up. She wasn’t sure at first because it was too dark to see anything, but the drop in temperature was a sign that she was getting further away from whatever was down below. She opened her eyes and looked up. She spotted a tiny dot of light that came from above the door she entered through. Aeria could feel herself getting weaker by the second, and blood continued to drip down slowly form her wounds. She quickened the rotation of the wind beneath her, afraid that she wouldn’t make it. The light grew nearer and nearer, and just as she reached the top, the winds came to a halt.

Aeria was able to hold on to the cliff of the other side. Her arm started to hurt, and the sharp, jagged rocks were rough against her hand, causing it to bleed. The blood from the deep cuts on her arm ran down and dripped on her right eye, distracting her and almost causing her to lose her grip. She didn’t have any strength left to pull herself up, and her arm was close to giving up. Aeria placed her right foot at the rough edges to lessen the weight on her arm. Her other hand reached for the cliff, and she clenched her teeth as she desperately tried to pull herself up. It gave her hands deep wounds, but it didn’t make a single difference. Her breathing hastened, and tears began to run down her cheeks, “Please please please.” She repeated desperately to herself. Calling forth whatever tiny bit of strength she had left inside of her, she whistled, but it was cut short when she couldn’t breath properly. Luck must have been on her side, because a slow gush of wind came from below her. It wrapped around her ankle, supporting her up for a short moment before it vanished. It gave her that slight push she needed to get her elbows up there.

Aeria pushed herself up, stopping when her upper body was on the ground. She panted as she tried to catch her breath before pulling on the ground to get her legs up. She rolled over to her back and closed her eyes. She had lost too much blood, and she continued to lose more. This time for sure, she didn’t have any energy left to pressurize air on her wounds. Neither did she have the energy left to even lift a finger. She just lay there in silence as she felt her life force getting drained out of her. She felt dizzy and weak, and she had a hard time breathing. The beat of her heart slowed down as the seconds passed, and she could feel herself falling into what she believed to be a permanent unconsciousness.