"Aether?" Nightfire called out, her voice edged with fear as she frowned, noticing him staring at her with disbelieving eyes. "Whatās wrong? You look like youāve seen a ghost."
"Howā¦?" Aether muttered, his voice barely audible, his face frozen in shock.
"What how?" Nightfire snapped, her frown deepening. "Stop acting weird and focus. We donāt have time for this!"
Aether shook his head as if clearing away intrusive thoughts. "Anyway," he said, regaining his composure, "letās search again. You cover the base, and Iāll take the upper floors." He turned sharply on his heel, ready to leave, his movements hurried and almost frantic.
But before he could take another step, Nightfire grabbed his shirt sleeve. Her hand trembled slightly, and her usual fiery confidence seemed to waver. Her lips pressed together before she finally spoke, her voice low and unsteady. "A-Are we really going to get away from this place? Or are we just fooling ourselves?"
Aether blinked, taken aback. This was new.... He had never seen her like this beforeāthis vulnerable.
Nightfire, who was always yelling, cursing, and forcing herself into unwanted problems, now stood before him, hesitant, fragile even. The change in her tone cut through the tension, revealing the fear sheād been hiding.
[+200 AP]
Without a word, Aether stepped closer and pulled her into a soft hug. His arms wrapped around her with gentleness. Nightfire stiffened in surprise, her eyes widening.
"Donāt worry," he murmured, his voice steady and filled with conviction. "We will leave this place. I promise."
Nightfire let out a shaky breath, her eyebrows knitting together as if she didnāt quite believe him but desperately wanted to.
Aether released her and turned toward the staircase. "Stay sharp," he added, his voice regaining its usual determination. "We canāt afford to lose this time."
Just like before, the sequence began again....
"BOOOO!!"
Nightfireās voice echoed after getting the switch.
She emerged with a confident smirk, her hand gripping the device tightly. Their plan was simple just like beforeāuse her illusions to confuse and distract the monster while they slipped out unnoticed.
Aether kicked the door open with a powerful strike, flames surging from his hands to create a fiery diversion as Nightfire and others tried to sneak out.
However, instead of reacting, the monster didnāt even flinch.... Its enormous, grotesque form stood unnervingly still as its hollow eyes fixated on the front door.
"Heh... ehreherre..." The monster chuckled, its guttural laughter echoing through the mansion like a cruel mockery. Its malformed lips twisted into an unnatural grin as if it were amused by their efforts.
However,
"Hahahaā¦ How did you know this thing wasnāt going to take the bait?" Nightfire asked, throwing a glance at Aether while walking calmly on the lawn.
She was surprised when Aether said that they needed to leave instead the illusions would stay inside the door.... drawing the monsterās eyes.
And then she realizedāthey were already outside the gate.
Aetherās insane plan had worked. Somehow, the monster had mistaken them for illusions and focused on the decoys instead.
"Youāre insane, you know that?" she muttered, shooting a glance at Aether.
"Better insane than dead," Aether replied with a small grin as he hoisted her onto his back and began running again.
"Canāt we slow down a bit? Weāre already out of the mansion!" Nightfire protested, holding on tightly.
"No," Aether replied firmly. His eyes hardened as his boots hit the ground with deliberate force. "Weāre not safe yet. This thingā¦ itās too smart. We need to get as far away as possible before it resets."
He propelled himself forward, leaving trails of purple sparks in his wake.... Finally, a massive wall appeared in the distance, carved with a grotesque statue of a monstrous mouth.
"There it is!" Nightfire gasped, her eyes lighting up with hope.
But just as they approached, her illusions, back in the mansion flickered, black mist swirling around..... Her power was disconnected.
The monsterās eyes snapped in realization and,
Tick!
Thud.
"Nope! Nop-- Ouch!" Nightfire let out a startled cry as Aether suddenly collapsed, taking her down with him. They hit the ground hard, and she groaned in pain, scrambling to her feet. Her eyes darted frantically, and when she saw the monster waiting just outside the mansion, her blood ran cold.
"W-What are you doing?!" she yelled, her voice shrill with panic. "This is not playtime, Aether!"
Aether pushed himself up, his eyes wide with confusion, "How?" he stammered. "I was running a second ago, and nowā"
"What how?" Nightfire interrupted her voice a mixture of frustration and fear. "Whatās going on?!"
Aetherās face darkened as he glanced at Nightfire and Helena. They had been pulled back in time again...
Clenching his teeth, Aetherās jaw tightened, veins visibly pulsing with the frustration and urgency coursing through him. "You search this floor. Iāll take the upper one," he ordered sharply, his voice devoid of its usual warmth.
Without waiting for a response, he strode toward the stairs, his movements brisk and mechanical.
Nightfire reached out, her fingers brushing the air as if to stop him, but she hesitated. Something about him felt off, distant. Her lips parted, but no words came out. āMaybe heās scared too,ā she thought, letting her hand fall back to her side. With a heavy sigh, she turned to begin her search, pushing aside the growing unease in her chest.
Just like before, the sequence began.
"BOOOO!"
Aether glanced back at her briefly. "Letās go," he said flatly, not waiting for a response as he pushed forward. His voice carried no trace of excitement, no reliefājust focus.
Nightfire frowned, her arms crossing for a moment, "Well, whatever," she muttered before shrugging it off.
Thud!
The door slammed open, and Aether stepped forward, standing tall before the looming monster. Its grotesque form twisted unnaturally, its hollow eyes gleaming with malice. "Hey," Aether called out, his voice low and taunting. "Come at me." Without a momentās hesitation, he lunged at the beast.
The monster initially ignored him, dismissing him as yet another illusion. But the instant Aether moved, its instincts screamed danger. The weight of his killing intent was palpable, suffocating even.
The monster recoiled, its grotesque muscles rippling as it dodged his strike, narrowly avoiding his ice spear-like precision.
With a deafening roar, the creature retaliated, its claws slashing through the air with a speed that belied its size. Aether parried, the impact reverberating through his arms. Flames erupted from his hands, forcing the beast back, but it quickly recovered, lunging at him with renewed ferocity.
The fight was brutal, every strike and counterstrike shaking the walls of the mansion. Aetherās movements were precise, calculated, and relentless.
His goal wasnāt to killāit was to buy time!
Meanwhile, Nightfire held Helena tightly in her arms, running as fast as her legs could carry her.
Her breath came in short, ragged gasps. Each step felt heavier than the last, but she refused to stop. Her lips trembled as her mind raced with guilt. She glanced back for a fleeting moment, catching a glimpse of Aether holding the monster at bay.
Her heart ached. As much as she wanted to help him, his words rang in her ears: "Do not come back. No matter what."
[+200 AP]
"Iā¦ Iām sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking as tears welled up in her eyes. She tightened her grip on the unconscious Helena and forced herself to keep running.
Back in the mansion, Aether ducked under another swipe of the monsterās claws, flames erupting from his fists as he struck back. The monster let out a guttural growl, blood dripping from its wounds as it stared at him.
"Grrrrrr!" it growled, its body heaving with fury. It seemed to realize Aetherās plan nowāhe was stalling, buying time for the others to escape.
"Whatās wrong?" Aether taunted, a cocky smile playing on his lips. "Getting scared of me now?"
The monsterās red eyes narrowed, its grin twisting into something more sinister. Without warning, it leapt toward him with terrifying speed, its intent clear: one of them wouldnāt leave this place alive.
Meanwhile,
"Huff-Huff-Huff" Nightfire stumbled to a halt, panting heavily as she finally reached the massive wall with the grotesque statue. Her legs wobbled beneath her as she stared at the statueās monstrous maw.
"Here goes nothing," she muttered, reaching out to touch the statue. But just as her fingers brushed its surfaceā
Tick!
"Nope! Nope, nope, nope! Absolutely not! No way!" Nightfire crouched down, hugging her knees tightly as she furiously shook her head. "Iām not moving an inch! This place is cursed, Iām sure of it! I can still hear those voices in my head, Aether! Voices! Did you forget what almost happened to us?!" That dangerous voice almost made her pee!
Meanwhile, Aetherās gaze at Nightfire... no, He wasnāt looking at Nightfire... He finally understood something.
"I seeā¦" he murmured under his breath, his voice hollow. His chest heaved as realization struck him. "Itās killing itselfā¦ to keep us here."
He froze, his mind replaying the monsterās movements. He remembered the final moments when the creature realized he was stalling. It had done the unthinkableāslitting its own throat to reset time and trap them again.
Why didnāt he think about it before?
Because he was still a sane person. He never anticipated that a monster would go to such extremes, even kill itself, to ensure their failure.
Nightfire flinched at his words, unable to understand. "Killing itself? What are you even babbling about now?" she shouted, her voice tinged with panic and fear.
Aether didnāt respond immediately. His eyes darted to Helena, still unconscious in Nightfireās arms. Something caught his attentionāa faint smear of blood on her lips. His mind raced as pieces of the puzzle snapped into place.
āThat wasnāt there when we came backā¦ after finding the switch.ā His lips curled into a sly smile as realization dawned. He leaned back, his voice laced with mock amusement. "Oh, Helenaās motherā¦ letās play a little game of hide and sneak, shall we?"