---

The stresses of her first day of University were a bit hectic, meeting everyone that would be basically her professors. Some of the professors were nice while the others were incredibly boring speakers, however, she did enjoy the first class in Lecture Theatre II. Many discussions on philosophy and religion undertones were great to talk about. She definitely did like that class the most out of the others she had to do for her degree. ”T-That was a fun first day… hopefully nothing strange happens…” Gloria thought to herself, with a hopeful smile on her face. Since she was still thinking about how her older sister vanished without a trace. However, something made her lose her train of thought with the fact, a notification on her cellphone went off. She has a specific ringtone when her father sends her a text, which shook her a bit. It took a few seconds for her to take out her cellphone to look at the text, which her father sent her.

Gloria read the text with a slight frustrated sigh, but it was mostly at the fact she feels like she couldn’t really make friends that well. She’s introverted and not alike her sisters, they had much more than what she could muster. Only because of the fact her sisters were super competitive, which made her sigh again. She texted her father back, ’I will try to make some friends father… but it’ll be a bit hard for how I am.’ This was the only thing she could do without being utterly frustrated in her inferiority to her sisters. However, she still misses her older sister, which disappeared suddenly. She decided to get back on track with where exactly she was going. It took her a few seconds to remember, where exactly were she was going and that was to get something to eat. If anything she’ll try to make her feel full than what she feels like right this moment like she could eat her favorite dish her mother usually makes for Dinner. “I would so would love to go for some of my mother’s spaghetti...” Gloria thought to herself, trying to remember how her mother makes it.

She had remembered one specific thing before she goes to fix herself some spaghetti in her dorm. It was the fact, she had to log into a computer in the computer labs of Thames’ Edge University. However, she remembered she kinda doesn’t know where those labs are. Until she found a map specifically and it said the computer labs are in this specific building. She was grateful that there was maps everywhere for someone like her being utterly lost and confused about University grounds. It would be taking some time for her to get used to that is for sure. While she was walking to the Computer Labs, she was staring directly at her cellphone yet again.

The Time on her cellphone, stated it was 5:30 PM.

It caused her a bit of oddity, since she noticed the signal on her cellphone was completely dead suddenly. This was the first thing she noticed until she looked around, it felt like she was walking for a bit. At most like 10 minutes and was pretty close to the Computer Labs building. It made her gasp when she saw the large amount of fog just rolled in alike it was the foggiest day of the year or something. This was out of nowhere too, however, she felt like she shouldn’t have thought that. ”Uhhh, I think I am jinxed… this is definitely something strange.” Gloria thought to herself, a bit terrified. It didn’t help that she basically felt like she jinxed herself and was heavily nervous about the whole situation.

Gloria was definitely terrified, her heartbeat started to race since it was too quiet for one. She had no idea what was going on, since when does cellphones automatically have no signal for the other. It took her a bit of strength to look directly up and the sky was utterly freaking looking. However, that wasn’t the worst of it alike she felt like this was a nightmare or something far worse. She started to mumble, ”Please let the holy ghost, protect me… in this accursed place, which feels like hell itself swallowed me and put me in a realm of… torment for sins.” It felt like that’s something she should do since she never seen anything like this before as if its a hellscape for people’s sins or what not.

In her trying to basically understand this realm from a religious perspective of what the hell is going on. She hears a shout from a male voice somewhere in this realm of hell. It sounds pretty close, she was going to the Computer Labs anyways, which would probably be a good idea to see if she could help him. Even though she’s not really that good of a talker to other people. She decides to run towards the voice, which is better than staying where she was basically terrified and utterly unable to understand what’s going on. It takes her a few seconds to focus onto the male, which shouted specifically and he was definitely taller than her by at least 9 inches. ”U-Umm… A-Are you in a need of help?” Gloria questioned the male in question. Her tone of voice was nervous and a bit in shock from what’s going on. Even though she did feel a bit dizzy from all the crazy shit going on. As if her sense of direction was ten times worse than it usually is because she’s not that great with sense of direction. She put her hand on her forehead since she wasn’t feeling okay, as if she’s tripping.

Gloria would probably be the one who needs the help since she probably lost her marbles and think they are in a hellscape of fog. She didn’t really notice really anything but it sounds like its getting scarier for her. It causes her to shake a bit uncontrollably by fear basically she wears her feelings on her chest. ”U-Uhhh, I-I might as well introduce myself… The Name’s Gloria… W-What’s yours? H-Hopefully I am doing this correctly… I really have a hard time talking to people...” Gloria said, towards the male in question. However, she was definitely terrified and sounded like she was wanting her mother and father right this second in how utterly scared she is. Trying to follow in the footsteps of her sister is hard to a specific point.

Her throat ragged from hyperventilation, Kirsty struggled to get a grip of her surroundings, especially since she felt exhausted enough that she might pass out at any second. Despite all the work she did she didn't have many hours in the gym or around the block, so hers was far from a runner's physique. Having a pack of bloodthirsty hounds at one's heels was a remarkable motivator, of course, but now that the adrenaline was wearing off she could feel every step. She wanted to teeter over to the nearest chair and throw herself upon it, but first Kirsty shot a look behind her for any trace of the vicious dogs. Instead she saw only Alina, safe and sound, without so much as a bite or scratch on her. Letting out a relieved sigh, Kirsty thanked her lucky stars for that, but she could only feel so happy to know one ally made it to safety. That left two yet to emerge from the mist, that nice guy and that brute. Hopefully the boys just escaped in a different direction, and hadn't tried to fight it or anything. Then again, that big fellow did seem to be itching for a brawl.

A few words from Alina pulled Kirsty out of her thoughts, and her eyebrows went up at what she had to say. “O-oh...I thought I did.” Her embarrassment writ large upon her face, she tried to muster up a friendly smile as she fidgeted with her hands. “I'm Kirsty. Kirsty Ramaswamy. Sorry, I didn't mean to...to be impolite. My mind's a little, um, scattered at the moment.” Even though it did strike her as a little ridiculous that Alina would be stringent rather than sympathetic given the circumstances, Kirsty didn't hesitate to take the blame for herself. Man, I so didn't mean to be rude, she thought, wincing. I've been distracted all day. Maybe something I did this morning made her upset? Just another thing on the pile of today's wonderful experiences. Still, Kirsty had light, warmth, and peace, and there wasn't any sign of being able to go back to reality, so all told things were looking up.

She stood for another moment, looking around, before there came a crackling noise. Looking up, she spotted a speaker mounted on the wall, and others spaced evenly up and down either side of the street. A moment later a voice issued from them, smooth, silky, and a little familiar, albeit masked somewhat by audio corruption.

“Good evening, and welcome! You poor dears must be tired, confused, and scared half to death. Well, I won't stand it a moment longer. Please, come to the end of the street, and I'll take care of you.”

The voice did make Kirsty jump again, but much less than the last time she'd been startled. Given what she'd been put through so far, a definitively human presence felt like a luxury. An offer of help was even more comforting. She did not consider the possibility of a trap, since she couldn't do much else anyway. After looking once at Alina for confirmation, Kirsty started making her way down the avenue. Gilded temples, immaculate statues, and warmly glowing lamps passed by in a blur, a formless parade of gorgeous excess. Kirsty felt like she was zooming through a theme park ride, moving too quickly to make out the details around her. In short order she reached the end of the street and found herself looking at a raised balcony peering out of what might have been a palace, or maybe a cathedral. Golden light shone from the aperture, and silhouetted in its middle stood an indiscernible figure with some sort of microphone.

“Ah, there you are!” The voice came again, both through the speakers and the air. “Hold tight, I'll be right down.”

And so she was. She left her microphone behind and turned right to descend a two-party flight of flawless marble stairs to ground level. As she turned at the halfway point and faced Kirsty, she got her first real look at the stranger, and her jaw just about hit the floor. Coming down the stairs was a gorgeous woman, the sort of beautiful that hurt just to look at, inspiring instant envy and inadequacy. She wore a lavish white silk dress sporting black flowers that danced with every self-assured step she took, just revealing enough to be alluring without being tacky, and instead of a sash she sported a clergyman's fascia wrapped about her shoulders. It took a few moments of Kirsty staring through all the makeup, gold-rimmed glasses, and hair products to get hit by a sudden realization, as hard and abrupt as a truck hitting an isekai protagonist: this woman looked a lot like her.

The woman gave a wide smile, putting her hands on her hips and posing. “Ohoho! Captivating, aren't I? This must be quite a shock for you...” In a flash, her mood changed to serious, and she bowed her head while holding out her hand toward a nearby banquet table. “But never mind me. Please, take a seat.”

Totally at a loss for words, Kirsty couldn't do much except accept, grateful for a moment to rest. The woman sauntered to a nearby waiter's cart and collected a pitcher of water that she carried to the table. For a moment Kirsty just watched, but connecting the dots in her head prompted her to stand up suddenly. How could she sit there like a useless lump and let this clearly very important person humiliate herself for her benefit? “Oh, please don't trouble yourself!” she said.

The lady beamed, the very picture of kindness and generosity. “It's no trouble,” she crooned.

Kirsty felt like buckling, but she knew she couldn't betray her principles. Not until she was sure she could, anyway. “I'm sorry, ma'am,” she started again, nervously. “This is clearly way beneath you. I should be...I mean, please allow me...”

“No, allow me,” the lady insisted, placing a hand on Kirsty's shoulder. Even through her glove, her touch was electrifying, and Kirsty felt herself sit back down. “Nothing gives me more pleasure than to serve my fellow man,” the lady explained, pouring Kirsty and Alina a glass of water. “But I do appreciate the offer. That is so like you.” She seated herself opposite Kirsty, fixing her with a penetrating look. Only now did the college girl notice the lady's yellow eyes. “So, what do you say, now that you've been helped?”

Kirsty straightened up. “Oh! Thank you! Thank you very much, ma'am, you're too kind.”

“Aren't I?” The lady unleashed another broad smile. “And you're most welcome.”

A second or two of quiet passed before Kirsty piped up. “Um, if you...if you don't mind me asking, who are you?”

The lady blinked twice, then tilted her head. “Isn't it obvious?”

“Uhh...” Kirsty blanked, a look of half-panic on her face. Crap! Should I have known? She must be a celebrity! Think! “...A supermodel?”

Giggling, the woman shook her head. “Not quite, darling.” Kirsty frowned, at a loss. She felt like she should know this lady, and something about her was awfully familiar. But nobody she knew was even close to perfect, least of all herself. A distant relation, maybe...? The lady allowed the silence to extend, amused by the look on Kirsty's face.

---

Cara fumbled around with her phone, taking it out and losing her attention to something inaudible to Laurence. He wasn't quite sure what she was looking for, or what had caught her focus. At first, he didn't pay much heed, instead just looking near her for comfort. In the corners of his gleaming eye, he saw the distorted world as it had been since he came too. Horrific, jagged and terrifying, all the components of hell in one package. They moved without much solid direction, obscured indefinitely by the rising thickness of the fog. Laurence cursed himself under his breath, wondering if it was a nightmare or a dreamscape. The last night, he'd had a weird dream. He remembered it. The boat. The captain. The other one. All in darkness, not dissimilar from the tonal emptiness of their own world. To remember that strange sensation and experience was to let himself falter in delusional fantasy.

The buildings didn't change. They wandered in one direction and hoped something would change, retracing the steps they'd taken in the real world. There didn't seem to be an exit at all. Not one in sight. Nothing. Nada. Nyet. Nien. No escape. Same route. Over and over. Laurence felt his chest hurt, as if he'd been hyperventilating. He quickly held onto Cara's sleeve, just to ensure he didn't lose his way in the thickness of the fog. Neither could see where they were going, most likely. Purgatory sure did smell awful.

"Hey...where do you think-" He began, only to see her lost in her phone and snapping her eyes back up.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" He kept quiet for a few seconds, hearing nothing but the wind between them and the eeriness of distant shuffles. Both were out of sight and definitely not out of his mind. He faced her, concerned both for his own safety and the well-being of her. Had the realisation finally settled in, that she was in a world unlike anything she'd ever seen before? "Cara, I don't hear anything? Are...is everything okay?"

Cara's head whipped back in Laurence's direction, a response on the tip of her tongue before she decided to stare at him for a moment. "You don't hear it...?" She asked, completely uncertain. Laurence shook his head, also uncertain of what she was on about. Running her hands through her hair, she frowned as she looked around for a second before staring at an alleyway. She crossed her arms, deliberating on what to do. "...I hear a song coming from over there. It's the tune to a show my mom used to watch when I was a kid," She sighed. "I mean, it's been years since I've heard it, but I'd recognise that initial melody anywhere. Of course, I don't know why I'm hearing it, but..." She trailed off for a moment, lost in her thoughts.

In the moment, where she spoke without confidence or understanding, Laurence lost himself analysing her estranged findings. The way in which she talked to herself wasn't too dissimilar to that of his own musings, a strong hopeless wander through their aloud thoughts. He waited, quietly, for her to finish, listening out again. And there it was - a new noise. It wasn't recognisable in any way, shape or form. For him, it was distorted. Sporadic changes in tempo and pitch echoed through the winded skies. He could not recognise what she clearly could. Either he was insane, or her mother had a really strange taste in music.

"I...can hear something. Should we-...I mean, like...I don't know if it's safe to really poke around." At first, he appeared to speak timidly, finding himself indecisive over what their situation was. Within seconds he'd found his footing, and spoke with relative confidence. "Cara, I'm not sure if this is safe. Where are we? We don't know what's going on. A creepy song isn't exactly a good sign. Call it a hunch, but I've seen so many techniques on this stuff-" He stopped himself from ranting, feeling a slight self consciousness arising from a leaderlike ramble into his professionalism. He wasn't sure why it embarrassed him, it just did. Instead, he felt his grip on her sleeve tighten slightly, just out of stress and fear.

The brunette hesitated for a moment, scratching her chin as she thought to herself. She seemed to agree with Laurence on the surface, although she couldn't keep her attention away from the alleyway. After deliberating for a second, she turned back to Laurence, shaking her head. "I know you're right. But it isn't like we have any other clues, and maybe it's a sign of someone else being around? Someone that could help?" She suggested. "It's between that or just wandering around otherwise."

"You really are driving a hard bargain..." In seconds, he seceded and stood closer to her. If it weren't for just the few centimetres of fog between them, he'd have been physically latching onto her out of fear. He took a deep breath and sighed, looking at his own reflection in the broken glasses of the nearby ransacked, concrete buildings. "Look, call me a pussy if you want, but you're going first. This is your idea. I don't like this fucking setup we have going on here but I might be putting my life in your hands. I barely know you, too. You better make this work, okay?" He stood in front of her, forcing himself to look her in the eye. It was hard to do, but he managed. And as he spoke, that little Polish voice poked its head out from its hiding spot. Truly, the day had been a wild, yet fearful, one already. "Tell me this is going to go okay, Cara. Please...I need something."

Cara gave Laurence a nod without hesitation. "That's fair, it's my stupid idea to begin with," She replied. "But don't worry, if it's dangerous, we can run. And if whoever is over there decides to give us a problem, I'll handle them. I'm tougher than I look." She rummaged through her bag, pulling out a pair of fighting gloves. Slipping them on and fiddling them after a few seconds, she gave him a wink. "Just stay close and follow me, I'll keep you safe."

And as she took point, leading ahead, he felt one of those heart-aching chest pounds that hammered in his anxiety. This time, it wasn't over fear for the world. It was just like with Fiddle. He looked at himself in the broken glass again and fiddled with his hair slightly, unsure of if he'd even still resembled a presentable young british-polish boy. And as she took the first step, he muttered to himself sweet praise at the beauty that came about the harsh darkness of the day. And whisper to himself did he do, regardless of if he was actually loud or not.

"Angels...fuck, is this what being religious feels like?""



The hounds made their move. She watched with a decrepit spitefulness in her tongue. A hunger latched onto her stomach. Things needed to be killed. Instead, she found herself stalking. She saw people, figures that were unlike any shadow she'd recognised. Four of them. In weird orders. Walking together. Talking like normal...people? Their spread out was immeasurable, hard to keep track of in the heat of her own confusion. Something was off. Something was different. The tables had turned. She had a sore sickness in her head, one that nauseated her and made her lose her focus. Instead of going in on the shadow, she felt the sickness keep her in place. She latched onto her perched spot and blinked several times. By the time she came to properly, they had moved on. She could still sense them though. The smell was pungent. She no longer grinned with confidence. Instead, an uncertain stomach ache beckoned her hunger forth. And then, she commenced her pursuit.

They'd split. She could sense them in different locations, spread down a multitude of streets before ending up in the same place again. However, in the distance, one of the usual roads suddenly changed into something far more devious. Gone were the usual jagged buildings of green and grey, and in their place sat a vile representation of gold. Towers, statues. A new world was born right before her eyes. She could not make sense of it. It was something she hadn't seen for...years...oh god.

She lunged forward, striding from rooftop to rooftop. The grapple took her high and traversed the invalid obstructions before her. Something was very off. The close she came, the worse her gut became. What was it? Was it him? Were those people him? Were they all him? Had he sent them? Were they innocent? Things to kill? Shadows driven by something...oh no. It was more of them. Like her. Like she used to be. She tapped her skull with her fingers, adjusting her mask. She couldn't accept it. They couldn't be them. She'd have to go down and kill them herself. They weren't real. Were they? She wanted to ask them. It was risky to do so. Careless. It went against her philosophy of survival and the routine that had kept her alive all those days, and weeks...and months...and indiscernible years. No. Her mind was going elsewhere. Focus. Tick tock. Don't lose focus. Talking to herself, she scouted atop a nearby roof, hearing the booming voices of microphones.

And she looked down below. There, she saw them again. Another figure was there. She looked exactly like the silver haired one. Dressed a bit more eccentrically, for her taste. Oh, but who could she talk about, her fashion sense was that of a plague doctor on cocaine wearing a hoodie. Nothing of the ordinary. She remembered clothes like that, from another time. Time was gone. Wasn't it? Always falling away, the second that once was being locked in a faint world known as memories. Much like her. Locked away. For what? Or was she locked away? Was she stuck there willingly, looking for a goal, or hiding from the other place? No, she couldn't talk about that. Not now. She spied them further, scrutinising their every move. They spoke, it looked like teasing. She couldn't quite tell. But then, it clocked. They looked the same. Exactly the same. The first didn't seem like she recognised the other. This was not...they were not the same. And it took that slight memory, that passage of time that was once lost to the aeons of nothingness, to realise what she was looking at. It was another one of those cases. And without thinking, an instinct she hadn't felt long before arose. With her mask donned, she latched her grapple to the rooftop, and leapt off of the rooftop. She sailed down, spiralling as she did so, before landing uncomfortably on her own two feet.

She kept her distance, but took several steps forward. As she stood up, from her jacket, she drew out a firearm in one hand, and some sort of blade in the other. The magazine was already in its socket and she trailed it on the group with precise steadiness. Her hand barely twitched, as if she was born with it in her hand.

"H-Hey! No, I don't like whatever little shitshow is going on here. Don't like it." She spoke sporadically. Many a time had she not had to directly address her target, talking to them with the expectation of a response. Instead, she just yelled rather loudly, and dangerously considering her armament. "Y-You two, the twins or some shit....step away. I don't like you being together. Some of you shouldn't be here! Talk or I start blasting, y'here?"

I look up at the clear voice ringing through the fog. What accent is that, Nordic? Well, the better non Briton people to meet than any other sodding immigrants. I must have synthesized the accent in my brain from the occasional encounters I've had with Nords, Swedes, and Danes around Birmingham.

The figure belonging to the voice comes into view, black top with a gray jacket, garish looking khakis standing out in the grayer fog, and an outlandishly expensive looking pair of wide frame glasses to top off their fashion statement. I stand back up, brushing off the condensation from my more presentable hoodie and trousers, then stuff my hands into my hoodie pockets.

"Well now, Vikings innit? Some modern day invasion of our shores, explaining this fog that should be closer to the coast, and you're the messenger? Get on with it then, this dream couldn't drag on any longer. I got macroeconomics at 5, so if you could bop me on the head, that'd do me a favor at least."

@Rethel34

---

A child with chilling yellow eyes watched from afar as the hounds went for the new toys. It was always good to have new toys, they helped dull the PAIN PAIN, SO MUCH PAIN and made this boring place so much more interesting. Pity they'd soon be dead...

The figure cheered as the old toy got involved. They bored him now, but at least the new toys wouldn't die before they served to entertain him. Feeling a surge of PAIN, WHY?!? from near the university, they knew their progenitor was here. Maybe soon he could end the PAAAIIIIN.

---

---

Felix looked at the others who were now introducing himself. He was shunting away the nervousness he was feeling, along with the darker thoughts that they would be fun to mess with, to learn their triggers to break them. He sighed and decided to introduce himself.

"I'm Felix," he said, giving a slightly cocky grin, "So how we getting out of here kitty man?" This was sent towards Leo, who to Felix would now be internally known forevermore as Kitten.

@Theyra@Scribe of Thoth@Crimson Flame

I just let my eyes blink in confusion for a few good seconds. Didn't realize my brain could make such bloody, brilliant excuses for dream logic. If only I would've been that wise to my parents before, maybe I could have gone out with the lads more often than be sat down marking checkbooks. I would have to be dreaming up those hypothetical mates as well.

Removing one arm from a pocket, I imagine it becoming the length and point of a switch, with the sturdiness of a dark wooden cane supporting a Victorian figure, and extend my pointer finger at Tryg the Nord, shaking. Again I feel a weight in raising my arm where a dream would erase it, or should I believe the loony, yet self contained proposition that this is an actual world? Regardless, there is no room for trust however many levels deep this inception goes. I counter in motion his advance, rounding about his side not wielding the sword, not replying until I cross around at right angles then further.

"Right, and the Queen will come on air any moment now, and explain why London or wherever in hell is covered by this damn fog. L-Look'ere, you can walk up to me all casual with steel to boot, but it's still every man for himself. You best stay in front and away from me, if you plan on cutting something or someone else. A-And if we happen to cross the line into Birmingham, I swear the mates I know there, they will give you a happy slapping to remember, if you dare focking mess with me Tommy R."

@Rethel34

This wasn't real. How could it be? Everything about the situation was impossible from the soupy fog to the off colored sky to the hulking creature standing in front of her. The Mothman made no noise, didn't breath or flap its wings or give off any sign of being alive. But Fiddle could feel the weight of its gaze hanging heavy over her head. As much as she wanted marvel at it the risk of angering it in someway was just too great. She opted for the safe(ish) bet of staring at its clawed feet.

God those talons looked like they could tear a bear to pieces! Fidelity shivered at the thought of them cutting through her belly and moved to scramble away. The creature made no move to stop her, Fiddle managing to plant both her good foot and cane on the ground to begin the process of lifting her weight. The simple action of standing up felt even harder than it usually was for someone in her position, like the wrong nerves were firing off signals to the wrong location. The Mothman was messing with her body's ability to regulate itself, the aura of unease it gave off picking at the edges of her mind as if trying to cut loose threads from a blanket.

Whether this was somehow drug induced or her brain just being weird again, this hallucination was fucked up.

She was maybe a few inches off the ground when the hand grabbed onto her shoulder, Fiddle letting loose a shriek of terror as she flailed in surprise. The disturbance was enough to upset the Mothman, night-black cryptid flapping its wings and turning its gaze upon the intruder. A muscle bound arm reached forward as if to wring the stranger's neck and Fidelity panicked.

"Wait wait wait!" A desperate cry born of pure instinct but somehow it worked. The creature dropped its hand and went back to standing still, although its attention was on the stranger. His question went unanswered as Fidelity struggled over how to ask if she was just insane.

"That thing...can you see it?"

Simple and to the point, short words that she could just manage to force past her lips. And then someone else showed up. This boy at least seemed to be able to see the apparition, Fiddle giving the pale boy a startled glance. "It's Mothman." What more was there to say? She had no more information to give, unable to explain what it was doing or why a creature from West Virginia decided to fly all the way over to London or wherever the hell they were now.

A third person had joined the little circle now, a girl this time, and like the first stranger she seemed to not notice or not care about the massive monster a few inches away. "You don't see it?"The question was equal parts incredulous and concerned, Fiddle's already tenuous belief in her own mental health slipping right through her fingers.

@Bee @Not Fungus @AdmrlStalfos19

---

Well, Beau had seen the creature that the girl was talking about, but he'd purposely put the vision out of his mind so he could prioritize on trying to help the girl up. As such, he had no idea that he'd just put himself within striking range of the creature itself, nor did he realize just how vulnerable that would really make him.

It wasn't until the creature made its move on his life that Beau reacted, rising to full height and holding his arms out in an X fashion in an effort to defend his vital organs. Thankfully, it retracted its hand just at the last second, and seemed content on waiting for Beau's next move, eyeing him up closely. Still, the fact that it didn't even hesitate with its attack was enough to frighten Beau. He slowly lowered his arms, and took a moment to calm his breathing and steel himself again.

"So they are real..." Beau said aloud, to no-one in particular.

...

Another guy had arrived at the scene, only to recoil at the sight of the creature that just tried to attack Beau. Then came a girl whose face was familiar to Beau. If he recalled, she was the one who noticed the random fish in the community kitchen's microwave, and berated the guy who put it in there. She seemed more concerned about the fog's origins than anything but, while Beau wondered about that himself, he could identify the more pressing issue that was right in front of him... among others.

"Never mind the fog; what do we do about this thing in front of us?" Beau queried.

Despite the dark-haired girl's protests, the unconscious man began to stir not long after he'd begun his efforts. Looking over his shoulder, Liam flashed a smug grin at the detractor, the recently named Alina. Satisfied, he pushed himself to his feet and offered a hand to the awakening man, which was summarily ignored as the potential drunkard found his footing unaided. Well, he's certainly not dead, so that's good. Liam thought to himself as he turned away from the man and breathed a short sigh of relief. That relief however, was fated to be short-lived as the recently awoken member of their number began to speak, demanding answers pertaining to their current situation. He spun on his heels to face the man, and found him glaring in his direction. Was he seriously threatening them? Liam took a few quick steps towards the larger man as he responded, his own piercing blue gaze meeting the taller man's. "We know just as little as you do, so could you kindly stop acting like a knob?" Watching the other like a hawk, his gaze was unbroken as the other man swept his vision to the two girls among them. Tensions were mounting in those seconds that felt like eons, no clue of what could come next from this unpredictable element. Though he wasn't much of a fighter himself, Liam was prepared to spring upon him should he decide upon more violent means of questioning, especially if he made a move towards either Kirsty or Alina. Thankfully, it seemed that Kirsty was in agreement with him, hopefully some solidarity between them would help the aggressor come to his senses before anything brash was done.

The threat within their gathering was swiftly forgotten as a pack of monstrous things began their approach. Beasts both lithe and hungry slowly and silently striding forth from the omnipresent mists, their fangs bared and otherworldly eyes glaring holes through their soon-to-be prey. The sight of them was unnerving, no dog nor the wildest of animals looked even close to these aberrations. Liam felt every muscle in his body tense up as they advanced, doing all in his power to fight the rapidly rising urge to flee within though his own fear was plain to be seen. As if things weren't already bad enough, a much more imposing fiend reared its head as it made its way to the head of the pack. It looked as if it had come from beyond the grave itself with hairless flesh looking as if it could slough off the bone at any moment, clouded all-white eyes and a cavernous maw ready to devour the unfortunate souls before it. Without warning it let out a soul-rending howl, and in that instant whatever shred of defiance or reason Liam was yet clinging to shattered like glass. Behind him he heard a scream and watched as half of the pack of hounds raced past him, sights clearly set on the others. Yet still he looked on, paralyzed with fear as the remaining monstrosities advanced on him and the other boy agonizingly slowly. What are you doing?! RUN ALREADY DAMN YOU! his mind shouted, though his muscles would not respond. Was this it for him? To be dead and forgotten in some hellscape beyond his understanding? Four sets of soulless eyes watching him, waiting expectantly and hungrily for their prey to make his last move. He felt as tears began to stream down his cheek as the finality of his doom set in. The alpha among them turned his gaze to him, tired of waiting snarling as it approached, the noise reverberating throughout the vacant streets. In that moment, by an act of whatever power was surely having a laugh at this grim spectacle, control returned itself to him, and but one prevailing thought remained. NO TIME, RUN! JUST GO! GET OUT! With a speed unbeknownst to him Liam ran, and the hellish hounds would have their chase. In a full blown panic he sprinted down the thoroughfare, not thinking to look back on the other boy as he ran for his life. Ducking into alleys and darting across the labyrinthine streets as they inexorably pursued him. Every shadow threatened to be a deathtrap, every step he was one mistake from oblivion, but what other choice did he have but to run? Even now his breaths were growing ragged and limbs heavy as they hunted him seemingly unfazed at his attempts to throw them off his trail. What felt like hours passed, running and running and running until finally there Liam had found something. A strange light in the alien world surrounding him, desperate as he was he decided on a gamble and sprinted into the luminous beacon.

The sight that awaited him on the other side of this light, Liam could never have been prepared for. Slowing himself to a stop, he braced against a nearby.... table? as he examined the strange place he found himself in. Gone were the writhing shards of obsidian and jade perforating the sickly skies, gone was the cloying omnipresent and oppressive mists. Best of all? Gone were those damnable things that were pursuing him, the reason why ultimately unimportant. Instead he found himself in the middle of a street flanked by hundreds of temples, adorned with gold and silken banners of every color conceivable. Fire pits warm and inviting, illuminated the entirety of the opulent avenue, seemingly set for a banquet to host and feed an absurd number of guests. Despite more welcoming appearances, this new locale was just as unfamiliar as the jagged skyline he was surrounded by mere moments ago. With seldom little choice of what to do now, Liam started to make his way through this odd place, sincerely hoping the others weren't overtaken by those things all the while. For a brief while he walked, the flawless marble underfoot and warm firelight a welcome change of pace from the bitter chill he'd been running for his life through. Evidently fate hadn't had its fill of cruelty this day yet, as yet another strange scene waited to greet the exhausted boy. Sitting at one of the nearby banquet tables, was Alina and Kirsty, though they were joined by another figure in a gorgeous white dress whose face Liam couldn't see from his current angle. They seemed engaged in conversation he was too far away to overhear. Relieved by the presence of some familiar faces, he quickened his pace to reconvene with them, only for a fourth person to enter the fray, this one seeming far less friendly. Brandishing weaponry and manically shouting at them all, she'd doubtlessly noticed him as well, so hiding would be a fruitless endeavor. Oddly enough, the masked one referred to two of their number as twins, and now that'd he'd closed some of the distance the unknown woman did strike an uncanny resemblance to Kirsty, save for deep glowing golden eyes. Though as the armed and possibly crazed one demanded answers of them, indignation arose within Liam's heart that would not be staunched nor stifled. Looking to the masked one he shouted back, without thinking. " I don't even know where exactly we are in the first place, much less how we got here! All I know is that I almost became some kind of hellhound's chew toy a couple minutes ago! So if we aren't supposed to be here then why don't you fill us all in. Where in the bloody hell are we?!" It was stupid of him to ask this of an armed figure of questionable mental state, and he knew that. Reason was simply not in command of Liam's thoughts at the moment, answers were long overdue and he would get them by any way possible.

The comfortable, elegant tranquility of the scene came to an abrupt end as a dark figure dropped from the sky. It hit the ground on shaky legs, swaying as it worked to regain its balance. Such a fall should have been impossible to bear, but after getting attacked by monster dogs Kirsty's definition of 'impossible' remained in flux. Instead of wasting time with such considerations she fixed the newcomer with a frightened look, even as her counterpart's flawless lip curled into a scowl.

This intruder, with an intimidating mask, shoddy clothes, and a cagey manner, commanded the quintessential manner of a young goon or homeless wreck compelled by the foreign substances pushing through their withered veins to do something drastic. Just when Kirsty was starting to feel at ease again too, in this beautiful avenue that she'd accepted as a sanctuary against the nightmarish unknown. “Vagabond,” she heard the lady growl at the newcomer. In the corner of her eyes she saw movement, but when she turned to look, alarmed by the possibility of being surrounded, she spotted servants in white tuxedos and vests putting aside their dishes of refreshments to form up on her table on both sides. She identified them immediately as the lady's attendants, and seemingly on her side.

In response, the intruder pulled out a pistol and a knife, although calling it a stubby machete would have been more accurate. Kirsty froze, terrified. With possession of guns outlawed in the UK, and widely feared, seeing one could only mean one thing: violence was in order. The servants also flinched, stepping back. Liam, who'd arrived but remained out of sight, questioned the intruder but got no time for a response. As Kirsty shrank away, the lady rose, her indignant face fixed on the Raven. “How dare you barge in on us like this, you vile creature! You should be on your knees in worship! That you would level your crude weapons at me, the selfless saint, the fountain kindness and charity...where's your reverence!?”

Her features marred by scorn, the lady extended her arm in a gesture of dismissal. A dark wave billowed outward to strike the Raven and send her flying. Then, the lady turned to a horrified Kirsty. “Don't be afraid, love,” she told her, taking her hand in her own. “If we want to live, we must work together to banish this evildoer. If she strikes me down, this oasis will be overrun with darkness. I need your help. Understood?”

Kirsty nodded emphatically, thinking of the hounds, thinking of the vicious weapons of the Raven, and most of all thinking of her obligation. Some of the things the lady had said didn't quite sit right with her, but this was different. If someone was in need, she couldn't turn away. “Yes, ma'am. What can I do?”

“Behold our supremacy,” the lady told her, straightening up and pointing out at the Raven. “Peons. Take her!”

As one the eleven servants moved forward. They sprinted toward the Raven, melting as they did. Kirsty could only watch, confused, as they took on new forms. Some were marble-white and smooth, others pitch black and furious, but all bore oversized hearts visible on both sides of their bodies, crescent-shaped heads, and tridents. They attacked the Raven together, the dark ones with pure aggression and the light ones with strategy to surround and trap her.

Kirsty looked back at the lady. “What are they doing? Are you making them kill her?”

The lady smirked. “Of course, darling. She threatened to kill us. Us. Veritable saints whose lives are labors of love for our fellow man. Only a devil would strike down an angel. She deserves to suffer.”

Something twisted in Kirsty's gut. She looked again at the features of this woman, their uncanny familiarity. “That's not right,” she said. “Nobody should suffer. That's what kindness is. I'm not fit to judge whether others deserve it.”

A look of annoyance crossed the lady's face. “Of course you are. We are. The hardship we've endured for others, caring for them above ourselves...that's what makes us better than the rest of them. Our station is above them, showering them with our love and benevolence, and all they have to do is worship and reward us. We've earned it!”

Kirsty backed away from the table, and the lady turned to face her head-on. Over in the distance, the one-sided battle raged on. “Who...who are you?”

“You.” The shadow smiled, her yellow eyes flashing. “I'm the real you. The one beneath the mask. Selfless, kind, considerate, wanting the best for others, the perfect little do-gooder...that's the mask you wear so that society accepts you. We both know the real reason.”

Kirsty's knees were wobbling. Her breath had quickened, and she felt closed to fainting. Her eyes drifted to the desperate struggle, then back to the shadow's gleeful face. “No...”

“Ohhhh, yes,” she laughed, putting her hands on her hips. “That's the route we're using to get ahead! To get people to like us, so we can reap the rewards! Who the hell needs personality or talent? If we're there when people need us, when people need support and help and friendship, their gratitude is ours to manipulate! They'll have to grace us in return! Their favor, their connections. We'll ride their coattails to Heaven's door!”

“NO!” Kirsty screamed. Her world was spinning, her mind reverberating like a glass reaching its resonant frequency and about to shatter. She squeezed her head in her hands, trying to hold her pieces together but quickly falling apart. “That's not true! I'm not some p-pathetic, simpering p-parasite! You hear me, you b-bi...you jerk!” She pulled herself up using the chair and skittered backward, her hand held outward toward the shadow. “Get away! We're not the same!”

“So, we can't get along after all, hm?” The shadow crossed her arms and climbed atop the table. “Disappointing. And here I thought you cared so little for yourself you'd accept anything. Well, if that's the case, then one of us is going to have to eat the other. And if my choices are eat or be eaten, well...I choose to eat.”

Yellow light flooded from her eyes, and her form shimmered and melted. When Kirsty found herself able to see again, she looked out with dread at a new monstrosity. Above the street floated the golden figure of a copious woman clad in flowing white silk vestments, twice as tall as Kirsty herself. From her ample waist extended two great wings, but rather than pinfeathers they sported numerous legs of cattle, and her own legs split into three-pronged cow hooves at the knee. From her head of snow-white hair with pronounced twintails rose thick, curled horns. She stared down at Kirsty with a look of pity, a golden idol of unabashed exorbitance.

“Consider this mercy. You need not pride yourself on suffering any longer.”

She watched cautiously, with all of the discipline as an automated sentry gun, and snapped her sights two and from. The situation was too recognisable. Yet the years of her memory fizzling to vapour had left her confused. One of them was one of them, yet it was hard to pick up on which one. Others turned up to the scene, with their noses far up the situation's arsecrack. Whipping her gaze to the first one who talked back, she eyed them. A guy - oh she hadn't seen one of those in a long while - with golden blonde hair. It was too bright. She didn't like it. It wasn't necessarily bad but-

No, she had to focus. Her hunger deprived her of that initiative. The eyes laid on her, and she trailed the barrel of her pistol on their bodies. Some looked shocked, others rather fearful or just surprised. Her entrance was something of a nonchalant gatecrash, jumping in with excessive instability to someone else's journey. Their visit had thrown a spanner in the works, changing the norm of what the world was used to. It could persist. She wouldn't let it. Instead, she riled herself to the man shouting at her. He didn't seem to know anything. Useless, of course. How could he? But why wouldn't he? He was here, wasn't he? All those questions left unanswered. Hounds, shadows more likely. The ones that prowl the streets and hunt down in vicious pairs or packs. They were some of the worst shadows she knew of, at least in terms of their widespread population. Then the guy demanded that she told them stuff. At first, she considered it, but the tension of the situation left her unable to. She needed to maintain the power over the group. One of them was a shadow. She could sense it. But her scrambled thoughts and starving inside had left her judgement inaccurate. If she were to so slip up poorly, then she'd be one less potential ally down and with a lurking predator still amongst them. None of that could happen. For once, she had to maintain control, just to show HIM that she was capable of doing it. Never again would she face that doubt.

"N-no. No, no no no no. You listen. Stop fidgeting and keep still. I need...I need to figure this out. One of them. It's you. Or you." She flicked her sights between the two white-haired girls. Instincts began to clear themselves up, removing the opaque veil obstructing her judgement. One of them. Without knowing the original, she could not discern them from one another. Something so vile and vapid about their aura would've given it away, but the eccentric behaviour of one could've been as true to her heart as the other. These were...purposes. Oh yes. A lack of purpose. One had it and one hid it. That was it. Her mind raced around in circles, trying to piece together the mystery that lay before her in a diamond crust. "Now...b-both of you. Sidestep away."

The dressed one insulted her, nicknaming her the vile creature, and flared her with a terrible reputation. For once, she felt obliged to speak back, directing her gun towards the creature. They conversed more, the twins, and talked only of their control, their help for one another. One had the other by a leash. It was gut-wrenching to witness such a loss of control. The memories and the melancholy, all of it was a hideous recount of what had once torn her own life apart. A catalyst for the end days and the removal of freedoms as the world knew it.

"Call me that again, whore, and I'll-

"Behold our supremacy. Peons; take her!" Tunnel-visioned by her own fixation on control, she barely noticed the eleven figures move into the picture, striding towards her with vicious intent. Tridents fixated their points towards her. The black ones were the first to move, shunning their violent doings toward her. She began to step back, flashing a gaze and the awe-struck, blander twin. The victim had been sighted. The controlling shadow had her around her little finger. She was nothing more than a pawn sat beside, watching. Even if she tried to protest, her words fell on the deaf ears of a soulless creature, one that smiled at the thought of the Raven's flesh being torn. The white servants began to arc around her. Soon, she would be trapped. All she had to do was play it smart. They were shadows. She'd fought countless numbers. Perhaps this would be no different.

"Don't just stand there, start fucking booking it!" With her blade and gun at the ready, she aimed the grapple to the roof she'd descended from. At the right moment, she launched herself to the sky, twirling in an elegant yet finesse manner. Like hell she'd let herself die to someone else's mishaps. They weren't her goal. If she were to die, it would be by hIs rage than anyone else's.

Airborne, she pointed her firearm toward the ground and pulled the trigger. Nothing. Fuck, she forgot to put the magazine back into it. As she clambered onto a window ledge, she looked down to see the shadows physically crawling up its face, doing their greatest effort to reach for her. The black ones did most of the work, rushing her at full force. No time to waste. She drew a magazine from her seemingly bottomless storage and slid it into the chamber. A quick clip of the slider and it was all together. Beneath her cowl, she grinned to herself. The best part of being a lost soul was the carnage that she could inhabit. It was a disturbing feeling for the fleeting essence of a young girl years before, but she was different now. Even Igor had said it himself. She was not the weak one.

A trident thrusted skyward. Two of its three forks narrowly missed the face of her mask, instead slotting either side of the beak and locking her to its grasp. From within her disguise, she glared wildly at their precision. Trapped in its grasp, the aggressor swung the trident rearwards, throwing her off the building. She had been tossed through the air, gliding between the buildings, before landing painfully against the lower rooftop of the neighbouring streetside. The mask was ripped from her face, crashing down to the ground. It dented itself as it hit the cold marble surface, just metres from Kirsty. And just as she did so, the Raven opened her eyes to a disgusting beast emerging from the shadowy light of the beautiful damsel.

Against the edge of the roof, she tried as hard as she could to get to her feet, only for one of the more engaged whiter shadows meeting her landing point. With its trident raised high into the sky, it prepared to thrust it into her head. And yet, with a rather strange dexterity, the Raven raised her firearm quicker, unloading a full spray into its body. It didn't kill it but it sure as hell knocked it far back enough to leap down to the street level. Her balance was off and the fall crumbled her back onto her knees. They moved like dogs, hunting with coordination vastly missed from her years of scouting out the fogged world. And in that moment, she saw the shadow unveil its true form. It was terrifying. Ungodly. A mismatched show of distortion and fear. Muscle and tissue seemed independent of true evolution. A true shadow. A figure of fear. The lack of purpose within the white haired girl, all stood before them.

Rampaged by its sight, she rushed to her feet and began to run towards the White haired girl, who stood with her eyes meeting the beasts. It stared down at her, pitiful of her very existence and denial of who she had encountered. First, there was the group she came with. They were baggage, a means of getting in the way, as the Raven thought, and so she drew out her pistol and fired at the ground, just before the others. Her shots missed, but by the grace of her own aggressiveness she hoped to just scare them away. Whatever, or whoever, they were, she wasn't going to let them walk in the face of danger unarmed. After that, she lunged forward at the white haired girl, taking her by the shoulder and arm and running directly to the side of the street. Whatever little lamposts or podiums that were nearby, she threw her behind, stumbling beside her as she did so.

"Okay...okay...oh fuck." She breathed, reloading her pistol. She hadn't quite clocked onto the fact that her mask was missing, and on display was the sight she'd been hiding from human eyes for years to pass. She looked at the white-haired girl and frowned. "Bloody hell...uhm...stay put. I'll try to sort this one out."

"W-Wait, hold on!" Kirsty stammered, her voice little different from a strangled yelp, but piping up none the less. "You saved me? You're here to help?" She looked out at the chilling visage floating above the street. "A-are you going to...to fight her?"

"Yes I'm going to fight her-...you-...which is her." With adrenaline surging through her body, she twitched like an unhinged door in the wind. She saw two of the service shadows moving towards their direction, tridents armed and ready. They didn't rush as fast as usual, with conflicting circumstances caused by Kirsty's presence hindering their charge. "Uhm...yes. Try not to get fucking m-murdered."

For a moment Kirsty hesitated. Armed or not, the thin, cagey-looking girl before her -only a little older than herself, if she even was- stood barely any chance against even the ranks of trident-wielders before her, let alone the false idol. She wanted to tell her that this fight was suicide, that they should all run, but maybe the girl knew that wasn't an option. Plus, Kirsty couldn't deny a strange sense of responsibility. That thing, that...angelic monstrosity that her double became...it terrified her, but maybe even more than she feared it, she hated it. It stood as a bracing and incredibly on-the-nose culmination of all the worst parts of her. She couldn't forget about the other Kirsty's condemnation while it floated there, incarnate. It needed to go. And if it was a hopeless fight, Kirsty ought to die alongside this poor girl risking her life for her.

"I'll help," she said, her voice remarkably resolute for how much her heart was pounding. "Even if I ran, I can't live with that. Knowing its out here. It'd haunt me." She balled her fists, watching the shadows.

With their time fleeting as the servants marched closer. The Raven had to make a snap decision. She couldn't just leave her defenceless, even if she ended up sitting aside whilst she did all the work. Either way, she'd find herself occupied and unable to help her that much beyond her own focus on the shadow. So, she drew her coupe-coupe blade and forcefully placed it in her hand.

"Don't hurt yourself with it. And don't attack the big one." As soon as she was sure Kirsty had it in her hand, she ran out of cover, diverting the attention of the shadows toward her. Now the real fight was on.

It started with her switching the fire rate to semi-automatic on the handgun, clocking in a few rounds on the one she'd previously injured before. Spectacularly, and rather to her own surprise, the shadow was gibbed violently, reduced to nothing but smoke and ash in its death. One down. Ten and a big one left to go. If only it would be as easy as counting them on her fingers. With the flick of her wrist, she shot the grapple out forward, latching it onto the base of another lamppost. She lay on her back and allowed it to drag her in a quick slide, firing another few rounds off into a second target that lunged for her. Now within the centre of the road, she seemingly changed her entire fragility to one of prowess and unpredictability. Her eyes lit up, shining a lighthouse's beacon straight forward. Her voice rumbled and echoed as she called out the words that forever defined her graceful self.



In a burst of light, looming over her shoulder, the great and more humanoid beast manifested into the sky with a defiant dance. From its back spread the wings of a ravenous, voracious avian, tipped with the voidlike darkness of its blackened feathers. Its stomach seemed ill-defined, malnourished beneath a plate of darksteel armour. It let out a screech from its pale lips before arching is back, casting an angled shadow over the woman herself. She exhaled, settling her gaze upon the great shadow and the minions that surrounded her. Alone, she would be exhausted at the very least, if she beat them. If by chance Kirsty or any of the other useless ones did something, then only god knew what would happen. These were vile creatures, violent and extreme to all measures. It took desperate defences to do what they could. And now, face to face with the street of someone else's beginning, she let out a call. Extending her hand forward, the persona behind her did the same. And from its fingertips, it began to grow a dark and brooding crimson red.

"Decay away, you pieces of shits!" A powerful gas, infused with a beam of blood-red tones, spewed from the persona's hands, splitting into three separate strands. The first hit the shadow of Kirsty, doing only as much as a temporary graze, whilst the other two swarmed two of the minions. They were engulfed by a raging swarm of the cursed element, dissolving their bodies without any ethical consideration. As the beam finished, she let out an uneasy respiratory temperance. This was it. She felt the fatigue from the single attack, knowing full well that this was a battle to do or die for. And with that in mind, and with her blade in Kirsty's hand, she let out a wicked smile as her hunger grew. This was a power she yearned for, the power she needed to kill the one who took it all from her.

Interacting with Kirsty @Lugubrious, Liam @CriticalHit, and The Raven @LetMeDoStuff

Events moved fast. A little too fast for Alina to fully process before everything kicked off, in fact.

First came Kirsty's clone. That wasn't just wordplay, even - save the fact this clone had yellow eyes rather than red, and was dressed to the sodding nines, they were doppelgangers of one another, and the clone was insistently polite about being a good host. The fact Kirsty failed to realise it, even after extended consideration, had Alina sort of... looking between them. Like, seriously? Kirsty. Kirsty. That's you Kirsty. Or... something?

Next, the... Alina assumed one of the things stalking them before. The human-sized one. The... the human, yeah, definitely human, even though she dropped out of the sky like a rock. She assumed, anyway, since she was at least human-shaped, albeit masked, and was definitely holding a long knife and a gun at the trio, insisting that Kirsty and... Kirsty? Step away from each other. On top of this, the arrival once again of one of the boys from before only added to the confusion, as he himself loudly demanded an explanation for what was going on.

Where, uh... where did she get a gun? And why, inexplicably, did Alina agree with her? People didn't just grow identical twins, that was the thing. Not to mention the clone's response to the woman's arrival, immediately losing her cool and generating a wave of shadowy dark, dah, what. What in the-

'What?'

Alina's voice went practically unheard here. Not least because Kirsty agreed that they needed to get rid of the- well, on the one hand, it was her clone. On the other hand, she manifested minions. She... manifested... minions.

Her mind finally ticked into something like anger. What the fuck sort of nightmare situation was this? Was it a dream, or was she psychotic or something? What the actual hell? At least Kirsty herself recognised it, anyway - after a little too long - that something was in fact wrong with this fake Kirsty, to the point that she actively denied it being her. Which...

Made it turn into an angel with cow legs for wings.

'Oh what the fuck.'

The part of her which had been angry just shut down at that point. Nope, no, she wasn't dealing with this bullshit today. What had she expected out of the day, anyway? Not fucking this, but apparently that was what fate had decided was good for her, and for the rest of the gang who were gathered, so goody. And at first, this surge of utter acceptance drove her to start walking away, to the point of turning a corner away from the fight. Start booking it? She didn't need to be told twice, especially once the bullets started flying.

But then she stopped as she realised. Where? Where the hell was she going to book to? Elsewhere in this palace? Things weren't safer anywhere else in it. Back into that foggy not-reality? Not with those horror-beasts prowling. So... what then?

She didn't know. She had no idea what to do, or if she should help, or how she could help, or if she even wanted to help against this, this, thing. In the end, she rested her back against the nearest wall and slid down to sitting, wrapping her arms round her knees as she listened to the ensuing battle, and steadily twisted whatever feeling was left in her back upon herself.

'Coward. You coward. You suck. Can't do anything. Pathetic little Alina.'

Kirsty stood there dumbly as the Raven ran out into the fight, looking at the object pressed into her hand. A knife? It looked more like a machete, but a tiny one. The sound of running feet to her left took her attention from the weapon, and for a moment she dreaded having to actually use it. When she looked, however, she saw only Alina, speedwalking away from the action as fast as her stride could take her. Oh, right. She felt guilty about it, but with everything that happened she forgot Alina was around. She hadn't actually said or done anything the entire time. After the guilt came embarrassment that Alina -and Liam too, actually- witnessed the entire exchange. As much as the didn't want to see what the shadow showed and hear what the shadow said, having those secrets come out in respectable company felt like a punch in the gut. She couldn't imagine what the two might think of her now. If we live through this somehow, she thought, Maybe I can convince them to not tell anyone. Or maybe prove the other me wrong.

Before that could happen, of course, she needed to survive. More footsteps reached her from in front of her hiding place, and these most certainly did not belong to frightened college girls. Swallowing, Kirsty stood up and turned to face the incoming threat with her knife brandished, and immediately her heart sank. Four out of the ten remaining Rudras had come for her, two black and two white, all with tridents at the ready. Behind them she could see the Raven facing the false idol, and yell something to make an angelic creature appear to apparently fight at her side. Oh. I guess she's okay then. Wish I had something like that. The Rudras, however, weren't wasting time watching the spectacle. Kirsty's heartbeat kicked into overdrive once more, and she held the knife out with both shaking hands. “Stay back! I'll...I'll do it! I'll shank you, you...you freaks!” In response, the black Rudras came at her. Gritting her teeth, Kirsty moved forward and to the right, trying to get one in between her and the other. She intended to run at him and thrust it right into the monster's oversized heart, but the Rudra promptly jabbed her with his trident before she could even get close. Kirsty gasped, twisting away like a frightened animal, and staggered backward.

One hand went to her hip, and it came back wet with a warm liquid. “Oh no...” For whatever reason she couldn't feel anything more than a lancing pain right now, but having this much blood on the outside couldn't be good. Wildly she looked between the black Rudras moving in on her again, then the white ones fanning out to the sides. In another moment she'd be surrounded. Outnumbered...out-ranged...what am I supposed to do against spears with a knife!? With a wordless cry she flung the knife at the head of the nearest monster, then turned and ran. She fled down the street, one hand trying to hold the blood in, the other pumping wildly. There had to be something else. On a London street there might be construction equipment, tools to swing or bricks to throw, or trash cans to throw down behind her, but this opulent avenue was another matter. She snaked through a sea of dining tables, upending them with adrenaline-fueled strength as she ran by in order to slow down her pursuers. The Rudras moved fast, even jumping from table to table, but Kirsty's meddling caused them to overbalance and fall down. The sound of crashes from behind her give Kirsty an inkling of hope, but she felt herself running out of breath. Running from the hounds earlier already made for a remarkable feat for a soft city girl who never exercised, so by now only seconds remained before her shallow well of stamina ran out. She came to a stop by a fire pit, her eyes on the branches and coals crackling merrily away, and an idea hit her.

Kirsty tore down a length of colorful silk from a nearby arch, and tossed about half of it into the fire. It caught immediately and started spreading up the cloth. “Oh, fooey.” She couldn't use it if she couldn't hold it. She grabbed a jug from a nearby trolley and emptied it over the halfway point on the silk. When the fire reached it, it spread no farther. “Phew,” she wheezed, glad the liquid wasn't flammable. But there was no time to waste; a quick look confirmed the Rudras to be nearly upon her. With a deep breath she pulled the silk from the fire and began to swing it around. Holding the cloth over her head, she spun it in a circle, and as the monsters arrived they stopped short of the whirling firebrand. Impatient, the black ones tried to jump in on her in the middle of the rotation, but despite her own hair whipping her in the face Kirsty wasn't messing around with her spin. The fire batted them, sending up sparks and driving them back with angry snarls. Meanwhile the white ones surrounded her, staying clear of the flame. After a moment one of them held up its trident, and when the flaming silk hit it, it wrapped tightly around. Panicked, Kirsty yanked the silk toward her. While the firebrand held fast, she did lower the Rudra's guard, exposing its heart. With her other hand Kirsty grabbed the first thing that came to hand on the trolley -a bottle of clear liquid- and hurled it at her enemy.

The bottle shattered on impact, its contents flying outward, and when they touched the flames the monster disappeared into a brilliant fireball. Kirsty stumbled backward into the trolley, and one of the black Rudras jumped at her. She hid behind the trolley, using it as a shield, and shoved it onto the monster to force him back. One after another she grabbed and flung the bottles, some of them breaking into shards that sliced up the monster's heart and others just thumping it soundly. After a few seconds the wounded Rudra got a little too close to the spreading fire and went up like matchstick. Two down! Kirsty's mind cheered, simultaneously disbelieving and euphoric she'd done it. Then the remaining Rudras closed in on her all at once. The prongs of a white trident stuck into the flesh of her right thigh, immediately compromising her leg, and the black one leaped to plunge his into her chest.

One to cut off her escape and one to finish her—a sound strategy, except that Kirsty instantly plopped over to the right, and the black Rudra's trident instead pierced the heart of his partner. Letting out a confused, angry bellow, the white one immediately jammed his own weapon through the head of the traitor, and both slumped over. Only Kirsty remained alive, but not for long. She couldn't get up, and the fire overtaking the area that snapped up two of her assailants would soon devour her as well.

Meanwhile, the false idol shrugged off the cursed energy that unmade two of her minions, and sneered at the Raven's Persona. “Ah, so you've made peace with your inner self. Now I understand why you seem untroubled when faced with certain death. Yet I still wonder why you choose to die for that insipid cow. She has no will, nor power, nor identity. All she is, is what others deign to give her. When I eat her the world will be better off. Am I not generous in my mercy? My providence?”

Latching herself to another high point with her grapple, she let her persona loom over the street with a wolfish arched back. It drooled, and all the while the Raven grew impatient of the shadows impurity. "Save the goddamn dramatics for after I shove my foot up your arse." The rattle of gunfire from her promontory dropped another Rudra to his knees. "I've seen you things before, all you do is just talk shit. Hurry up and die so I can move on to more important things!"

In reply, the false idol zoomed upward, avoiding the spiraling darkness as she drew even with the Raven's perch. "Then let us not waste time." She raised her hands, forming between them a concentrated ball of dark energy, then allowed it to surge forward. A heavy shockwave of dark force expanded outward, fragmenting stone, crushing windows, and scattering tiles. Despite the Raven's attempts, she dove to the side to dodge. Unfortunately, her reactions had faltered too far. In motion, the energy clipped her torso, tossing her aside and against the pavement with a heavy thud. The pain shot through her body, bruising her and bloodying her cheeks. Of course it wasn't going to play around. She remembered never being quite so good at following through with her threats. "What part about die did you not get?" Rising to her feet with an unsteady gaze, she pointed her handgun forward and pulled the trigger, sending a volley of bullets the shadow's way. Her strength had wearied under the influence of pain. As the clip ran out, she called upon her persona a third time. However, on the thrice barrage, she beckoned a different approach. From beneath the shadow, a strange rune forming in the road beneath her lit up, and from underneath an attempted rising storm of the curse tried to undermine the creature.

Sighing, the false idol drifted back down to street level. The Raven's barrage left a number of holes in her robe and golden skin, but her overall vitality remained high. She approached the Raven without looking beneath herself, oblivious to the forming curse geyser until it exploded upward beneath her. "Hnng," she grunted, frowning at her newly-disheveled silks and hair. "Your element of choice..so unfortunate. You should be grateful it does not heal me. Such curses make mine only more magnificent by comparison. Behold."

The shadow started channeling. A wave of black spread across the ground beneath her, expanding to cover the entire plaza. It broiled and bubbled, plainly about to erupt much like the Raven's own spell. In the last couple seconds before the blast, a small patch of ground cleared itself directly behind the false idol for her minions to stand on, though not quite big enough for all of them. Then, a forest of dark pillars erupted from the blackened ground, laying waste to the whole area and everything in it.

Through the entire battle, she hadn't really been paying too much attention to Kirsty. She had no time to even think about her. This was like the old times. A do or die situation with the stakes being her life or the shadows. It was an obvious answer for her to choose. And as she became more wounded by the assault of the shadow's violent staging, the whispers of the coarse mind began to return. Not here, they said, over and over again. Not here. Not here. Only when it's done. Not here. The hunger that she'd tried to ignore tempted her adrenaline, giving her a burst of energy and focus. She moved precisely and her expression became far more aggressive. "Step aside!" She screamed, noticing a patch where they all decided to seek safety. Firing her grapple into one of the minions that hid and yanked it back into the fray. Alternatively, her persona lunged forward, physically grabbing two more and tossing them to where she hid. Whilst forcing herself into the safe zone, she reloaded her firearm and fired in bursts to the minions that tried to force her out as well, acting in crowd control rather than for killing blows.

In the aftermath of the attack, the false idol found her enemy unscathed and several of her minions pushed out into the danger zone instead. Now she opposed the Raven alone. “Loathsome thing. That mercy was not yours to take.” She turned around to face her foe, the rest of the street at her back. “When I am done, that ungrateful voice of yours will be begging my forgiveness.” She floated up and then slammed down, releasing a dark wave across the ground.

---

On their voyage through the thick mist, Laurence stuck close by Cara. He tried not to latch on to her out of courtesy but the unfamiliar surroundings definitely tarnished his confidence. Why did he feel so scared? There was a presence around him that felt familiar in all of the alien architecture around him. A gut feeling, almost, or that presence of someone you know watching you. He felt like there were eyes he hadn't seen in a long time watching him, mimicking his own gaze and sharpening its teeth with a diamond whetstone. That anxiety drew him toward the only body he knew that was human - Cara wandered in her readied stance and seemed keen to keep her promise of protection. He'd have been lying if he said he wasn't both jealous and grateful for her presence. She carried herself with such diligence, even for a university student, and persisted with her stronger aura. It was a sight worth seeing a million times. And, god, Laurence felt embarrassed to even look at himself. Wandering around in a street of nowhere, scared out of his mind and close to paralysis and yet he flaunted over her mettle in his mind. He hated knowing that he was even in such a position, let alone mixing his mind with both the troubles of the situation and the fascination in the new ally he'd made.

With their eyes searching every place, he felt his chest pump with anxiety. Fuck. He hated being there. It was so horrific. No building looked real or hospitable, and yet the sounds of scurrying from inside indicated that something was around them, lurking with a devilish stalk about it.

"Hey...uhh...thanks-" Oh fuck, why did he start talking again? Was it because he hated the deafening silence that encompassed the pair or was it that today had shown him how much he truly loved one-to-one conversation? "I mean like...you didn't have much of a choice but...and we're just in this shitty place but...I mean, thanks. I don't think I would've moved from where you found me."

Cara stopped staring ahead to lpok back at Laurence, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it, I'm happy to help," She replied. After a short pause, she did laugh to herself. "It's a weird situation, I'm not really sure if we're doing the right thing, but...strength in numbers is better. I think."

"We're barely a pair," Somehow, through the blistering terror, he found his lips curling into a smile, "I mean, well...I get you."

His eyes began to scan their surroundings once more. Over on the horizon, he noticed a glimmer of golden sunlight break through the mist - only slightly, however. Squinting, he tried to gaze through the obstruction to see what had suddenly blossomed in the far reaches of their murky underworld. He couldn't see a damn thing, fortunately, but instead heard the roar of its upcoming barbarism. Feeling a sinking anchor strap itself to his gut, he knew that whatever was out there was anything but good. The grand scale explosions of violence erupted. The horizon sounded just like a dimmed warzone. He could no longer hear the sound that Cara wanted to investigate. And with the golden horizon blessing them with cursed implications, he reached out for her wrist, mostly grabbing half of her hand.

"We definitely shouldn't go this way." He suddenly spoke with strange conviction, a defiance to continue with their intrigue. "S-sorry...but, it's not...do you not hear that?"

Cara squinted as she tried to see through the fog, shaking her head in disappointment when she couldn't make out anything. As she moved forward, his hand held her back, and she looked back at him, surprised. "Hey now, we're fine," She told him. "It sounds far away enough, but if other people need help, we should investigate, no?"

"Cara, that sounds like gunfire or something..." Even though his fear was most definitely showing, he tried his best to keep a smile going as he met her surprised look. He took a quiet breath, before letting a meagre chuckle. "You look like...incredibly willing to kick someone's arse but I don't think it'll be much against...whatever's going on there. We can't do much realistically, not until we get home and figure out what this place is."

Cara had to stoo herself from laughing at Laurence's comment, although she gathered her composure as she frowned to herself. "You're right, but it isn't like anything else is really jumping out at us, is it?" She asked him. "We could investigate to see what's going on or take our chances into whatever else is in the fog."

If she weren't as calm and cool-headed as she was, he'd have declined the offer straight away. It was her influence, honestly. A blend of confidence, politeness, beauty and explorative behaviour creating the perfect leader. He felt rather outmatched, and arguing against her would've hindered his place and left him alone. It wasn't wise. He barely noticed himself holding onto her hand for support. Feeling like such a child, he cursed himself beneath his breath and held onto his temple with a free hand. Then, he nodded, and she began to lead the way.

The two trekked through a vast open plain. The sounds of the golden street off in the distance began to resonate throughout the tempered landscape. A rough of bombastic explosions rattled the glassless windows and the rubble that lay at their sills. He breathed calmly. There was no orchestral ambience, just the winds of emptiness surrounding them. As a filmmaker, he knew how effective at the endless sea of silence was in terrifying a man. It cursed him to know that this was reality and not some fictional cinematic piece he'd conjured in the back of his mind. There was no real escape, only the desperate shadows of some misfortunate twisted fantasy he now inhabited. God only knew what little he'd have likely done if Cara hadn't been coincidentally in the same place at the same time. The hallucinogenic fever dream had taken him to the highest plains of distress and all the way down to the lowlands of despair. How fucked had they truly been, and how lucky were they that they were yet to be slaughtered in the maze they were so ignorantly unaware of.

Suddenly, a translucent warp began to encompass them. It was much alike the effect that had taken them to the very same world. A sickness came in Laurence's stomach again. But as he stumbled around, keeping himself afloat by the clench of the hand, he noticed a figure off to the side, watching them. It didn't seem to be looking at him, however, but rather Cara.

Seconds which felt like hours passed as the five remained in a standoff of sorts, frustrated Liam grit his teeth and sighed as the armed one outright denying him any sort of useful information as they seemed to deliberate over which one of their number was "them", whatever that meant. The masked one seemed to be paying particular attention to Kirsty and her well dressed doppelganger, not unlike a hawk watching their prey. He was going to speak up, say something, anything; but that thought was washed well away as the doppelganger's demeanor shifted to denounce the recently arrived "Vagabond" and strange beings Liam had not noticed until recently formed up behind the shouting clone. He looked on, utterly dumbstruck as mid tirade a wave of dark force rocketed past and quite literally swatted the "Vagabond" away like a bothersome gnat. What kind of madness had he found himself in now? A declaration from the clone rang out across the gathering, as her so-called peons rushed the armed figure, transforming into monochromatic, crescent headed guards as they gave chase. Liam couldn't help but notice the similarity between the guards and the hounds from earlier. Both hunted with single-minded focus, and held forms that defied reality, yet these trident brandishing warriors weren't simple beasts hunting and killing on instincts. No they seemed to take orders from the doppelganger. Turning his back upon the developing battle for now, he begun listening in on Kirsty and her clone.

They spoke of her order to kill the Vagabond, how only a demon would dare strike at an angel. Observing the pair it was plain for Liam to see that the real Kirsty was not pleased with this turn of events, though the other her was growing more manic by the second. Claims of supremacy and being worthy of worship abounded until she dropped the boldest and strangest claim yet. The two were one and the same, and that her outwardly kind nature was but a means to an end. Mentally, Liam was sent reeling by this declaration. It was completely illogical, though logic had been long thrown out the window since that miasma rolled in outside Thames' Edge. Could that really be true? Although the "real" her had denied her doppelganger quite vehemently, was she perhaps just doing this since the truth was revealed? So many more maddening questions added themselves to the whirling maelstrom in his mind, none of which he could even begin to answer. The two had turned upon one another the manic clone declaring that she'd rather eat than be eaten, before a blinding golden glow enveloped them all.

When at last the light had faded he found himself looking up at a massive silken clad golden-skinned creature with cow legs as wings floating above the trio of students, Liam couldn't help but feel infinitesimal next to it. Oh what the hell is THAT? His mind screamed as the creature before him once again defied all logic, seemingly the normal for wherever they were now. He hardly had time to react as a bullet landed mere centimeters away from him, there was no time to be wasted on thinking and like a spurred horse he took off towards the nearest alley he could find. Rounding a corner, he placed his back against a marble pillar and looked skyward trying desperately to calm down and slow his own breathing lest someone or something find him. Alone, if only for a moment his thoughts steered themselves back to the recent revelation from the doppelganger prior to her transformation into that cow-winged angel. Was Kirsty really so two-faced? Granted he'd only known the girl for a day, yet still she seemed so genuine when she spoke and in the ways she acted. Could that really all have been a simple act? Only being there for others so that she could "ride their coattails to Heaven's door" at a later date? There's no way to know for certain... he thought as his gaze drifted back towards the direction of the carnage ...Unless. Curiosity welled up within him, did the others make it out of there as well? What of the erratic Vagabond? These and more questions like them swam through his psyche as he cautiously approached the corner and peeked back at the nascent battlefield.

The once pristine thoroughfare had erupted into chaos, broken and scattered tables and glassware littered the area. The False Idol and the Vagabond seemed to be locked in combat with several guards backing up their master. Much more interesting and shocking though was Kirsty standing alone against four of the monsters, whirling a flaming banner overhead. Not simply keeping them at bay but actually defeating two of her assailants! Not only did she stay, but she's FIGHTING them too?! If what the clone said was true, why would the real her stay back and fight? Such declarations of feigned benevolence for the sake of selfish gain were severely undermined by the selfless stand he was bearing witness to. Such thoughts were cut short however as he watched one of the aggressors get the upper hand and deliver a telling blow. Without thinking, his legs were moving on their own as he began to run back towards the scene of combat, as he came around the corner he grabbed a broken table leg, in case worst came to worst. Racing down the thoroughfare, he watched the guards turn upon one another and fade into ash. Strange, yes but ultimately irrelevant as he began to search the nearby area for Kirsty, the growling flames a reminder that time was short and he needed to be swift.

After a few panicked moments of fruitless searching, he caught a hint of white hair amongst the growing blaze and billowing smoke clouds. Liam had found her though she was surrounded by flames and likely didn't have long before they encompassed her. "Shit..." he muttered under his breath as he searched for anything to help before his eyes fixed upon a nearby beverage cart. Tossing aside his makeshift club for the time being, he grabbed the two pitchers of water atop the cart, one in each hand before emptying their contents upon one side of the blaze. Drowning enough of the flames to make a small path. Pushing into the broken ring of flame he crouched down and offered his hand to the girl. "Kirsty! We have to go, quick!" Looking down at her as he spoke, he noticed the leg wound she'd taken earlier. "Damnit your leg... hang on." he said as he slung her arm over his shoulder so as to help her walk before helping her to her feet. "We have to get out of here and quick!"

Relief washed over Kirsty's face as Liam pulled her out of the grasp of the approaching flames, though her head continued to swim. Her heart felt like it could explode at any second, but at the same time her spirit held firm. She still couldn't really feel the full extent of her wound yet, only the warm creep of blood and the dull lancing throb, so she felt sure she could see her resolution through. "Thank you, thank you," she rasped. "But we can't go. At least, I can't. That thing...we can't...can't coexist. One of us has to go. So I'm going back." She grit her teeth and propped herself up on her good leg, lessening the load on her helper. "Drop me away from the fire if you need to, but I'm fighting."

As the two made their way away from the towering inferno, Liam let out a disapproving sigh at Kirsty's proclamation. Though even just by listening he could feel the conviction behind her words, she was right. The self-idolizing demon and her were as anathema to one another, and he'd be damned if he let her do something this crazy alone. "Normally, I'd call you crazy for wanting to fight something like... that thing" he said as he pointed to the abomination before them. "...But you're right. That thing isn't you, and if you're going to try to fight it, then I'm along for the ride." he declared with a half-confident smirk. As he spoke the air itself all throughout the plaza began to blacken and bubble unnaturally, something very bad was about to happen, that much was plain. The alleys between buildings showed no such signs of bubbling however, and so he quickened their pace towards one, quite close to the Idol and the Vagabond hoping to find some shelter from whatever was about to happen. Not moments after the two had ducked in an ocean of blackened force consumed the plaza, only to dissipate mere seconds thereafter. "Okay, will you be alright here? If so I'll go make some noise then. Hopefully I can give you an opening for whatever you plan on doing."

Kirsty exhaled deeply, relieved that Liam didn't plan on dumping her and running. All that remained, then, was to actually go and fight the monstrosity. With Liam's help she hobbled close enough to the plaza to get a full view of the shadow's immense attack, covering almost the entire area in roiling darkness. "Good g-grief," she sputtered. "I guess we better hope that doesn't happen again." She slid into a sitting position against the a street wall, wondering exactly what Liam meant by 'noise'. He didn't miss what just happened, did he? Only someone as quick-witting and agile as the Raven could reach that safe spot in the middle of that accursed storm. That meant he knew he risked his life to help her, a girl he barely new without any kind of plan, against his abomination. She felt horribly guilty about involving him, however that might have left her otherwise. How could she ever repay him? Her eyes fell on the golden idol, and she clenched her jaw. By figuring out what to do, for a start. But she couldn't do anything from down here. With a groan she twisted to pick herself up using the wall. If she could just get to one of the fire pits, she could make another torch. Maybe even find a poker. Anything to help her fight--to help her quit being a liability.

With Kirsty now in a much safer position then in the center of a ring of flames, Liam snuck a glance outside of the alley they had hidden in. It seemed that all the peons had been dealt with, only the False Idol remained and with her back to the street no less. Quick as a flash Liam ran to one of the few carts left mostly unscathed from the chaos and took note of the tools available to him. He had to find some way to hurt this monstrosity and quickly, luckily for him, Kirsty's earlier brawl served as quite an inspiration. He took pieces of the once immaculate silken banners and stuffed them into the necks of several still intact bottles of spirits. Was this incredibly dangerous? Absolutely, but what other chance did he have against this powerful being? Pushing down what apprehension he still felt, he knelt down next to one of the more tame ongoing fires and carefully lit the cloths on each of the bottles, silently praying to whatever deity that would hear him that he and his plot wouldn't go up in flames. With one last deep breath he took a few steps forward and begun throwing his makeshift arsenal at the as of yet unaware False Icon.

Then I hear the howling getting closer. I freeze to determine its direction, then realize my idiocy to now be in the position Tryg the Nord was, in the path of whatever chilling sound echoed behind me. Not to concede whatever advantage I could recall in hindsight, I creep forward in a game of chicken between the edge of a blade and some unknown, gnashing monstrosity, "A-Alright, now get a move on will ya?"

The howling abruptly stops. My senses naturally go into overdrive to pick up even the faintest replacement uttered by the beast, and I swear there is a new droning or rumbling noise, connected or not. I stop short of Tryg, inexplicably frozen in his stance, from fear or indecisiveness? Well, the bloody lot that was worth throwing in, thinking any sod with a bit of steel could protect me, or at least prove a distraction. I turn my head back one more time for confirmation of the less pitiful of my choices, and meet several, glowing golden eyes.

My mind goes blank, and my legs start churning. I recall unceremoniously shoving the Nord to the side, leaving him to be swallowed by the fog or more. The howling starts once more, and seemingly bounces all over the place as my fear interprets it emanating from the choking, dense fog itself. As my energy begins to dwindle, my legs stumble in random directions and everything starts swerving around me, or perhaps the pitch dark ground tremors with the sound waves of a cacophony in pounding heart and nightmare fuel.

Coming into view, two figures in vague yet humanoid shapes appear. I right myself within that field of vision, but instead focus on the sharper image of some sort of doorway, a better haven than again negotiating for protection with someone that could be worse than a Viking. I rush past the two and throw the last of my strength into bull rushing the door, gasping, "Oh, f-fock, they're coming! They're coming!"

@WXer@Landaus Five-One