Yohan let out a brief snigger at Onyx's remark; it was nice to have a bit of immaturity to break the tension now and again. Listening for a while as he continued to walk, Yohan nodded at Onyx's question.
"Yeah, ticking's with me, too. And the glowing eyes... I assume that's some weird quirk that comes with this world. I don't feel any different from having a glowing eye, and I don't think you two do either. We'll just have to see what comes of it." Yohan murmured.

Some of the things Alina said made Yohan curious. 'Duplication ability'? What did she mean by that? Yohan had only caught a brief glimpse of the strange looking girl who'd owned the gun, but it was clear that she possessed qualities that made her a fearsome opponent. Supernatural abilities clearly weren't out of the realm of possibility here, though Yohan didn't feel any different.

"I'll see if I can make it to the bench, but I might not be able to make it. Between you two and me, my real body is currently in the Dropout District." Yohan brushed under his chin. "Anyway. For what we don't know, let's just keep cool; there's no use overthinking it. Desperately trying to find an answer will only distract us and cause us to become stressed. I've felt myself losing the plot overthinking things, but... I get it now. We just have to focus on what's thrown in our way."
 
[fieldbox=Onyx Norwyn, red]

"Hunting Grounds... Graveyard... Neither are pleasant, honestly. And, seeing how this place tends to be so ass-backwards this is probably where 'they' hold their Sunday socials." Onyx quipped, arms folded as he listened to Alina's plan. He had no objections, and her plan of meeting on the Surf made sense. "Who knows, maybe if we get lucky we'll wind up with powers of our own. That's how things work in books, at least. Anyway, I agree with Yo. Overthinking this could just screw us over in the long-run. We all know this place has its own set of rules, so we'll take it one step at a time and keep our eyes peeled." He reasoned while looking around.

"We should get a move on. We'll move in the directions of Obelisk, but we'll focus on trying to find anything in the area. There's no point in potentially wasting time going in a circle if we're on a timer that could decide whether or not we get killed again."
[/fieldbox]
 
Alina mentally rolled her eyes.
Medice, cura te ipsum.
The two of them may not have considered it a worthwhile task, but finding answers was where her talents lay.
"Alright, obelisk it is. But not too close," she warned. "We've already proved not everyone here is on our side."

She quickened her pace, looking up at the Bell above them.
She was curious as to just what in the world it was, but that question had to wait.
"Anyone got a spare weapon?" she asked.
The first thing she was expecting to happen was an ambush.
"Oh, and Onyx? Don't you dare call me 'Allie' ever again."
 
VhkoLdS.png

=============
Madelon Vallois

Madelon loosened only slightly, less fearful of Caelan's voice. Still, she remained wary, in case this nonetheless student figure was 'that kind' from down below. She stood up straight, body turned slightly away from the boy as she spoke, staring straight into the space where that golden eye resided.

"Y-yes. Were... Were you at 'zat place a day ago?" she asked cryptically, not wanting to sound crazy by explaining the full extent of her experience out of the gate. But, who was she kidding? Here they were standing in an abyss while she glowed like the morning sun. There was no need to behave like any of this was crazy anymore.

"Were you 'zere in 'zat 'ozerworld, with all of 'ze tall buildings and such? Where it flooded?" Madelon asked. She found herself looking about, as if expecting the shine to illuminate at least something tangible around herself. That feeling of violence, too, yet remained. She did her best to ignore it, and being in an alien world, distractions were easy to come by, despite the blankness of her surroundings.

"Do you know 'anyzing about 'zis place?" she asked. It was worth a shot. The boy at least seemed calm about this, moreso than her. Perhaps he was more familiar with it all? Unless of course he was simply skilled in maintaining composure. If anything, that worried her more.
 
[fieldbox= Caelan Lughr / ???, royalblue, solid] While it was nice to get a good sight of what he was dealing with, the whole body glow was, admittedly, a bit disconcerting. He stared right back at her for a few moments before he looked away, sighed, and pressed the knife’s blade flat against his forehead. The cool metal was rather soothing and he nodded in response to her question. Given the circumstances, he couldn’t imagine she meant anything other than that strange world.

As she glanced around, Caelan pushed himself up onto his feet with a grumble. There were a few pops and cracks as he took a moment to stretch before he turned his attention back to Madelon. “And gravity decided to take a hike? Then yeah, I was.” Slowly scanning the surroundings, he scratched at the back of his head and frowned when little was revealed. Reversing the grip on his knife, he knelt to the ground and tried to drive the tip into whatever surface they stood on.

“Not at all,” he replied as he tried to dig a hole or otherwise mark their current position. “Rather not wait around’n’starve like last time though, so…” Trailing off, he shrugged again before scanning the darkness for signs of anything. He could only hope that there wasn’t anything lurking in the darkness, just outside the reach of the lights they cast. The memory of two golden eyes framed by curtains of black niggled at him though, and it was difficult to truly relax.[/fieldbox]
 
@Click This
Unwilling to move forwards nor backwards, Heidemarie simply floated amongst the detritus. There was no answer to her question, no guiding hand to point her to the optimal path, nothing outside of the ticking in the back of her head and the ‘staircase’ that continued to oscillate in the weightless space.

There was certainly a path, but on the other hand, there didn’t look to be a punishment for staying in place.

Perhaps it was fine then, to just stay, to not take another step forward.

To remain in solitude.

@Zombehs @Asuras
His knife was definitely scratching against something, but no sparks flew out from a strong impact, nor was any visible mark made in the pitch-black surface. Lit up only by their own radiance, the void the two found themselves in was utterly silent, except for the sound of scratching that accompanied the strokes of Caelan’s knife.

And, once he stopped, the scratching sound persisted.

Like nails against chalk. Like blades against whetstones. A back-tingling sound that grew closer and closer. How had they not noticed the sound before? How had they failed to spot it before?

Two red orbs swayed from side to side in the distance, a nerve-wracking pendulum that drew closer and closer, the source of the scratching only becoming louder and louder as it got closer and closer. A third murderous impulse had come.

@Jakers @Jageroux @Random
Shadows flickered in the corner of their vision, only to disappear when they turned their eyes in that direction.

Whispers passed by with the wind, words incomprehensible and melting away from their memories when they tried to recall them.

Chills raced up their spine, gooseflesh bursting up at random, but nothing came out of it.

There was clearly something amongst the pillars around them, something hiding within this graveyard, something stalking within this hunting ground…but whatever it was, it seemed content to do nothing. The trio got closer and closer to the obelisk, their progress unimpeded except for the increasingly unnerving environment they found themselves in.

It was truly a blessing that they weren’t alone.
 
VhkoLdS.png

=============
Madelon Vallois

Madelon watched as Caelan seemingly attempted digging into the 'ground' with what sounded like a blade. The sound unnerved her, but she figured it wasn't entirely strange for someone to be holding onto a blade; especially so if he were also, like her, down in the academy's underside. She rubbed her arm nervously, once more unable to stop herself from giving up looking about. Whatever her hopes, the blackness never seemed inclined to reveal anything to her.

Except a scratching sound...

Turning back to Caelan to find him standing and his single glowing eye stationary, it appeared unlikely he was still in the midst of scratching an unseen surface with steel.

"Do you 'ere 'zat?" she asked quietly, hand gripping her arms even tighter. Two red glows, completely different in emotion from the warm brightness of her body and Caelan's eye, swayed in the distance. The distance... How large were they? Madelon tensed, a foot sliding behind her in preparation to simply run. If the last world was their one get out of jail free card, then in this one...

They would surely die.

"D-do we run? I-I-I cannot fight. I 'ave no knife..." she muttered.
 
[fieldbox=Onyx Norwyn, red]

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out one of the screwdrivers he kept with him before handing it off to Alina.

"All I got. It's the same one I used to kill that bastard from last time, so it isn't the worst thing." He shrugged as he continued to walk, keeping a wary eye out. He did his best to not be paranoid, but he couldn't deny the fact he was quite on edge. "Also, what's wrong with Allie? It's a nice nickname. I mean, I don't know about you guys, but I'd consider us friends. I mean, in a way, we've all died together, and that's kind of special, yeah? I mean, anyone can live together, but dying together is waaaaaaay different." Onyx babbled aimlessly, talking just to talk.

"But, if you really don't want me to call you Allie then sure, I guess." Onyx chuckled. "Anyway, Yo', you were in the Dropout District, hm? Hope you weren't doing anything I wouldn't do, buddy." He quipped while glancing back to Yohan, his eyebrows shifting with his implications. Onyx had heard of the Dropout District, but he never ventured there. The things he had heard were interesting, but actually going there was something he had no interest in doing.
[/fieldbox]
 
Inevitably, things were starting to get more and more bizarre and intense as the seconds ticked by. Whether this would've happened regardless if they walked to the obelisk or not wasn't important information. Something was about to happen, but for now, Yohan didn't feel intimidated by the whisperings, the fog, and all the like. It was like being at some obscenely rich kid's Halloween party. Knowing that he was in some sort of alternate reality; knowing his real body was just fine suppressed his fear. It was a bit like lucid dreaming, minus the fact he could do anything he wanted. All he wanted to know was when the things that could actually kill them would start appearing.

In his own little state of 'zen', Yohan overheard something Onyx bought up. Yohan didn't have a spare weapon that'd come in any real handy for Alina, so he'd just shook his head in response.
"You killed someone with a screwdriver...?" Yohan murmured, raising an eyebrow. He didn't know the full story, but something told Yohan that it'd take more than a simple jab with a screwdriver to fell any pursuers in this place. Perhaps Onyx had just gotten lucky. As he began to bring up the Dropout District, Yohan raised his hands and shook his head rapidly.

"Hey... come on, don't jump to conclusions. I wasn't there because of... you know. I'm that desperate for a woman." Yohan murmured, avoiding eye contact as he looked ahead. "I only went there because... well, let's just say old habits die hard. I needed to return to something I knew to calm my nerves; to make me feel human again. I had a hallucination after 'dying' that was... pretty bad, let's just say that." Yohan chewed on his lip slightly as he kept walking, before clearly wanting to drop the subject. "Anyway, let's not talk about that again. Something's bound to happen with this change in ambiance. ...Our stage is being lit."

From a coat pocket, Yohan slowly took out what looked like a pack of playing cards. Absent-mindedly, he shuffled them with one hand, bunches of cards twirling around his fingers, before he picked one from the shuffle at random. Ace of hearts.
"I was thinking," Yohan began. "Of dropping something behind us as we walk, if we suddenly need to get out of here. Like 'markers'. We can follow those back if we suddenly need to run to the obelisk, as we're bound to lose our bearings if the mist thickens. It'll be like a labyrinth." Yohan paused, not doing what he said just yet. "However... if some unwanted company follows those markers to find us, we might be in trouble. Plus, knowing the way we came might not help at all if our lives are at risk. Do you two think I should bother?"
 
The white-haired girl gave a small nod of gratitude as she took Onyx's screwdriver. Something was better than nothing, but she definitely needed to correct him about that thing he kept claiming he did at some point.
"Maybe wait until after we find something worth coming back to before you start wasting your assorted crap," Alina suggested, taking an extra step with her left foot. "The last thing we want is to lead any more hunters to us. Besides, I have a feeling that this fog is localised."

As far as she could tell, it was water vapour, but there was also a chance of something hallucinatory mixed in that was causing that disorientating haze in her head. That said, it might not have been, but considering they came at roughly the same time with no identifiable cause, she opted to link the two, at least for the time being.
In other words, her main priority now was to think of some way to disperse the mist before they had to fight something.
Meanwhile, she strained her ears and gave subtle but sharp glances around her, trying to put an exact number on the group's stalkers.
Onyx's bumbling, while it certainly lifted the mood, was making it difficult to listen out for what was following them.
 
[fieldbox= Caelan Lughr / ???, royalblue, solid] Wincing a bit at the unpleasant hand shock as the knife stopped short, Caelan frowned as he dragged the blade against the strange surface. Stopping after a few moments of likely doing nothing but wear out the knife’s edge, he traced a finger along the path and sighed at the lack of any mark or scratch. About to look up, he quickly noticed that something else had taken up the task of making the unpleasant noise.

“I do,” he muttered his confirmation and he stood quickly as the source drew closer. Looking around, his attention settled on the swaying orbs of red moments after Madelon had. The glow seemed almost baleful as it approached them at what seemed like a leisurely pace, but he could feel the sensation in the air. The weight on his shoulders that grew heavier with each sway of the red orbs.

“Yeah, let’s get moving.” Keeping his eyes on the red orbs as they drew closer, he nodded for her to lead the way before holding a hand out to Madelon. “No rush just yet though. I’ll keep an eye on this one.”[/fieldbox]
 
Heidemarie Krupp
~~~~~~~~~

“…”

For a moment, it felt almost as if there was a presence next to her, a recipient for her unheard thoughts.

She looked and she looked, but Heidemarie felt nothing. All that existed was nothingness… And the vast, spiraling staircase to the unyielding heavens that seemed almost as if its sole purpose was her to goad her on. And with little less, there truly was little else to do but follow at its unmoving beckoning. The Krupp girl bit her lip, and then sighed. There was little purpose in idleness, however uncomfortable the surreal environment she occupied made her.

Slowly, carefully, she took a few steps. Finding herself still floating, she fell back upon simply moving towards the oscillating path that ascended upwards, dearly hoping that it would just lead her back home… or at the very least, her dorm room in school, at the very least.
 
@Click This
It was…easier than expected. Within a void filled with pale detritus, the girl from Eirchenstadt bounded up and down, one step at a time, ascending further into the heavens. Her flesh did not dissolve. Her bones were not turned into powder. She was not erased from existence and tossed into the azure abyss like ashes in the wind. No, Heidemarie continued to approach, reaching the gray sun that called out to her so ardently. She lost track of time, and, in a span of what appears to only be moments, the brunette stood before a colossal structure.

A massive ball of gray stone, featureless, luminescent, a gentle, yet impassive light.

For a moment, silence.

And then, from that perfectly smooth surface, dozens of white hands arose, reaching out to grasp at Heidemarie.

@Asuras @Zombehs
As the duo made their cautious retreat, those red orbs just continued to approach at its leisurely pace, almost unconcerned by the distance that was expanding between the two. The light from their golden eyes, once something that allowed them to see within the pitch-black darkness, was now like the bait of an angler fish. Perhaps closing their eyes would save them, but even then, Madelon’s body shone warmly regardless of the circumstances. Hiding wasn’t an option, but on the other hand, how long could they retreat for? How long could they remain safe, before the owner of those red eyes decided to start chasing them in earnest?

Not long at all.

As Madelon turned her gaze away and towards their path of retreat, another scratching sound resounded, distinct from the first. One was of blades against a whetstone, while this one? Like glass against ice, clear, cold, sharp, as two other red orbs opened up, bobbing up and down.

A pincer attack, two separated aberrations approaching two bonded humans.

Their heartbeat quickened. Their hands tightened.

And that destructive, murderous impulse awoke, stronger than ever.

@Jakers @Jageroux @Random
Even though she strained her senses, Alina could neither fully catch those flitting shadows in the corner of her vision nor truly hear them. It was almost as if it was a game to them, her futile efforts nothing more than entertainment for the shadows of this dead realm. The mist around their ankles permeated their clothing and shoes at this point, dampness clearly felt. Was it become cooler now, as they approached the obelisk? Or was this just a natural effect of wading through this fog?

There were no monsters jumping out of the shadows though, no blackbird descending from the heavens to open up holes in their skulls.

Nothing special like that.

Only a woman’s whispers in Yohan’s right ear, soft lips and the essence of citrus drifting into the back of his mind as a warm breath brushed against his earlobe.

“You left me behind again.”
 
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=============
Madelon Vallois

Mild hesitation gripped her before she took Caelan's hand. Doubt... about the whole situation. The boy, the environment, the eyes. Which was truly the right decision? With nary a clue, the only path was what had first come to mind. As much as she'd wished Caelan had instead said, "I'm actually a world renowned knife fighter," he didn't have the confidence to use said skills anyways.

She followed after Caelan, hand in hand as they maneuvered the obscured terrain, eyes shiftily searching the horizon. Every second she'd turned back to stare back at the pursuing red orbs. It saw them, without a doubt. Her heart sank, looking back at them when a new sound reached her ears. They were like the chimes of a temple charm rung in desolate, dead air, signaling something sinister. She began to sweat, finding herself facing another entity. For a moment, as her heart felt empty, she tried convincing herself they'd gotten turned around, and that she was staring at the same orbs as before. A double-take dismissed any such hope.

Madelon gripped Caelan's hand tighter; the action would surely point out the newfound danger, if he hadn't noticed already.

"'Ow many...?" she muttered to herself, stopping place. There was always the option of moving in another direction, but that growing killing intent only cemented a fear that a third, a fourth, a fifth... Would soon be upon them. "'Zis is it..." she said in despair, her grip only growing tighter.
 
[fieldbox= Caelan Lughr / ???, royalblue, solid] The distance between the two of them and the beast grew, but there was no relief to be had. It continued to dog them at a leisurely pace, the red eyes growing smaller as they pulled further away, but never still ever present. As the chase continued on, there was no despair that wormed its way into Caelan’s heart. Rather an annoyance and anger began to build as he continued to walk away from whatever bore those two red orbs. If it was going to burst into a sprint then do it already. If there was an ambush then spring it already.

As if responding to his thoughts, another set of scratching joined the first. Such a distinctly different sound, yet it carried the same damning and murderous sensation. He felt her hand tighten against his and squeezed back as he stopped as well. Glancing over his shoulder he watched the new pair of red orbs sway in the darkness for a moment before he looked down at Madelon. Her question was on his mind as well, and it was just one of many. He did not respond though, but took a deep breath to steady himself instead.

He felt an unnatural warmth run through his veins, and the sensation raised goosebumps all over his arms. It was not the flush that came with hard drinks, nor the heat that accompanied a good work out. It was something new… and every murderous thought only nursed that warmth and gave him the tingles. He appeared to study Madelon for a moment as he twirled the knife leisurely in his hand. She seemed to have already given up, so wouldn’t it be kinder to pu-

Frowning heavily at the invasive thoughts, he shook his head and muttered, “One way or another, I suppose it is.” Closing his eyes, his expression seemed peaceful, but a savage grin shattered the image moments before his eyes snapped open. “Ain't rolling over though. They’re going to work for it.” With that said, he tossed the knife upwards, the spinning steel gleaming in the light they gave off, before he swiped it in a reverse grip. Turning to face the original pair of red orbs, he took control of his breathing and began to walk, dragging Madelon along if she held on.[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox=Onyx Norwyn, red]

"Sounds rough." Onyx commented under his breath after Yohan explained why he was in the Dropout District. "I had a hallucination afterwards too... Well, it was more like a memory. A... It was kind of distorted and confusing, but afterwards I felt... Different? Kind of hollow, or whatever." Onyx said, rubbing the back of his head. He had tried not to think about the bastardized memory, Yohan's mention of the 'hallucination' brought it back into mind and for once since arriving the Horologist went silent as his mind wandered.


"I agree with Alina; probably wouldn't be worth it. Besides, if we get stuck here, we may as well have something to keep us from getting bored." He shrugged with a joyless laugh, hand in his pocket as he trudged along with the others. He kept an eye out, though his mind was wandering and he was well aware of it. "Haven't seen anything so far... You guys?" Onyx inquired as he looked around, searching for something - anything - extremely amiss. [/fieldbox]
 
"Mhm... yeah, best not to," Yohan agreed, pocketing the pack of cards and returning a brief chortle to Onyx's own toneless laugh. "All right, time to set our priorities straight: if that happens, which game? Gin rummy? Considering how surprisingly unhostile this place is - so far - we might even be able to get a game or two in before getting murdered," Yohan grinned slightly, mostly to himself. Being cheerful and calm about the situation felt a lot better, and he realized he wasn't grieving over the loss of that cynical side of himself. Moreso the opposite. "Now there's an optimistic thought-"

Yohan's speech drifted off into some form of wincing groan as warm breath flowed into his ear, sending a ticklish chill down his spine. The words were quiet, yet crystal clear, and the unique, tangy smell of breath that lingered in his personal space made it really seem like someone was really behind him.

The voice wanted him to turn around.

And for a tick he did, catching the glimpse of something, before refusing to acknowledge the voice further. He could tell it was a trick; a trick designed to try and throw him off balance from his goal. If that was supposed to be Madelon, she'd already made it pretty obvious she didn't care all that much about his actions. The voice in his ear had only been mildly disturbing... but... if this 'trap' was working off his past regrets, it wouldn't be long before he heard his parents.

Reaching in his coat pocket, Yohan narrowed his eyes somewhat, drawing his switchblade but not flicking the blade out just yet. It was a sign that he'd visually seen something that could've been a threat. An instant response came to Onyx's question.

"We need to move. Faster," Yohan muttered dryly, his tone growing more deadpan, his voice hushed yet clear. "I briefly saw something behind me. A faint light that flickered for just a moment. It could be a trap about to go off, it could be our pursuer, it could be nothing... but all I know is that we need to move. Let's go," Yohan murmured with rising urgency, before he began to pick up the pace.
 
Alina reacted to her companion's brief falter. A light?
A trap? An attacker?
A glow?
The supernatural, then, like the last time...?
She stopped. Wait.
Her boots were leather, weren't they?
She checked her clothes. Bone dry.
Brownian motion would suggest they should be at least a little wet.
But just like her waterproof boots... Nothing.

Her mind raced.
The blackbird with the gun. Obscene, superhuman capabilities... and the power to duplicate things on command.

This time, shadows at the edge of her vision and a ghostly, intangible fog, which was...

"Stop. Yohan, was it? What exactly did you see?" she demanded. "Describe it. It's important."

She didn't want to believe her own theory.
Doing something like that would be to bow her head in inferiority and accept her death, but there was only one way to deny it.
 
Shaking his head slightly as Alina grilled him about what he saw, Yohan knew he hadn't seen enough to give a clear response to that. What was her train of thought? What could you assume or predict from just seeing a 'flicker' of 'something'? Regardless, Yohan thought it best to give the most helpful answer he could to her.

"I didn't even see it for a second, but it was just a faint flicker of white-ish light, coming from behind a pillar. It wasn't particularly big, small, or bright. The flickering went away before I could identify it any further, almost as if it didn't want to be seen," Yohan said in response, "It makes me wonder if it really was a light, or a brief glimpse of someone's clothes flapping in the wind. After hearing that voice in my ear that none of you seemed to hear, the place could just be playing tricks on me... but I think it's still enough of a reason for us to expect things to start going wrong very soon."

Every now and again, he checked over his shoulder to see if he could see that 'flicker' again to identify it further, but no luck came. Assuming it was just 'nothing' definitely wasn't the right mental path. This place essentially containing 'nothing', so when you saw 'something'... one could only assume it was another entity, and it wasn't here for friendly reasons.

His thumb ready to flick out the blade of the switchblade if need be, Yohan pressed on in line with the other two.
 
Her heart seemed to stop for a moment.
A voice, a faint light in the corner of one's vision, intangible mist.
All acted to distract, but none affected the real world.
In other words...

"Move forwards, fast," she instructed. "We need to get to high ground. Trust your own proprioception and nothing else."
Indeed, their senses couldn't be considered trustworthy. It was just the same as being intoxicated.
Her face unconsciously twisted into a pained grin of despair.
How in the world could they deal with a power like that? She wanted to get out of the fog, but that was merely grasping at straws.

"Call it mainstream, but I'm told I've got a pretty good poker face," she said resignedly. "Let's see yours."

She took in a deep breath, and voiced her strongest theory.

"Our hunter... no, our opponent can create illusions."