[center][h1][b][color=red]A[/color][/b][/h1][/center][sub]Interactions/Mentions: VV-[@Estylwen], Wren-[@SporkoBug], Val-[@Herald][/sub][hr]
[indent]Through her hazy vision, A noticed a movement. VV shifted closer to the bright, laser bars, and as A blinked slowly against the relentless pounding in her forehead, VV’s outline became clearer. The faint, unpleasant smell of burnt hair pricked at her senses and she also briefly registered the red beams of light casting soft, flickering patterns on the walls around them. 

A tried to push herself up even further, but her arms shook under the effort, feeling heavy as if weighed down by stones. Her body refused to listen to her commands, and though the ache in her chest had lessened, it remained. Giving up for now, she allowed her eyes to wander, catching fleeting glimpses of the others. Yet, her focus quickly returned to VV, who had posed a question that A wondered herself. 

“Why…” she whispered, feeling a fresh wave of shame wash over her as she recalled the outcome of her “duel”. The medication had numbed her feelings, that much she recalled, making her feel like she was floating in a fog. Perhaps, to fight against it, she had pushed herself too much, and instead of channelling her energy outward, it had spiralled back on her.  “I didn’t mean to throw it,” she added, a little louder this time. “I wasn’t…in control.” 

For once. 

A hadn’t felt this lost since she first discovered her powers. 

[b]“A… A, let's leave. The doctors won't find anything good. It's just Umbra all over again. I'll destroy this door, and we can just… get away…”[/b]

A took a moment to really consider VV’s suggestion. Her eyes then darted over to Val, who chimed in with his support for whatever decision they might reach. There was something both disquieting and strangely comforting about his reaction, specifically how he seemed to calmly accept whatever dangers he might face with people he’d practically just met. As he rolled his neck, a smile appeared on his face, creating a peculiar contrast with the seriousness of their predicament. 

The redhead shifted her position on the narrow mattress, her fingers weakly gripping the rough material beneath her. The thought of leaving this place behind was incredibly alluring, yet it also felt like trying to run away from a shadow, Umbra’s or her own A couldn’t exactly say. No matter where they attempted to flee, she knew the burden of being outsiders, from the Above, would inevitably follow them. 

A soft crackling sound captured her focus then, and A instinctively winced a little as the commanding voice of the general boomed through the intercom.  After he gave his brief instruction, A let out a tired sigh. 

“Where…where would we go if we actually decided to leave?” she asked Val, her eyes wandering over to Wren after. “And if you’re anything like us, you already know that Umbra isn’t going to let us walk away without a fight.” 

Which meant, they were surrounded by potential enemies with few allies. 

“I think…I think we stay.” Besides, with her current state, how could she be of any real help?[/indent]