TO THE PAIN.

It's rare that other killers seek her out. She's new to this little collective and these are the types who don't trust easily. Save for Burong, who she shares a realm with.

"Hm, how very interesting," the shape she takes in trials is gone, replaced by a tall, but normal looking, woman. The only thing that is the same is the shocking red hair. A throng of vines gather behind him, forcing him to sit and brings him closer to his host.

"No, I can't fault one for curiosity," she sits down herself. "But I am curious about you as well, Dr. Carter."

"Ah-ha--!"

With a bit of a pleasant surprise, Dr. Carter eases down into the seat provided for him once it becomes clear that sitting is not a mere suggestion. He spends a lot of time on his feet anyway, and orthopedic shoes worth any real usage wouldn't be invented for another 10-20 years after his abduction into this happy little realm. Crossing his legs ankle-to-knee, he wastes no time at all in assuming a classic, Freudian pose.

With his fingers steepled, he cants his head to one side and lets his ever-present grin speak for itself for a moment.

"Curious about me? Why, I'm an open book, Ms. Kraven. I was the top of my class in a university where I was the first black student to attend. I worked for the CIA for a time -- unfortunately I can't disclose those activities, however. I gave them my word, after all."

He would break that promise for a soda pop. The government meant, and continues to mean, nothing to him. But dear Eliza needn't know that.

"And I'm afraid that's everything of note. Like I said, I've got nothing to hide."

On the contrary. He has entire filing cabinets in his realm full to the brim with secrets. Not all of which pertain solely to matters before the Entity.

His sore muscles lean into the grin on his face.

He loves lying.

The old Victorian house was a personal favorite realm of hers, reminding her of her own childhood home. That's where she had first seen it. Only a shadow at the time, but she knew it had to be another one of the killers.

She didn't mean to startle the poor thing, but she couldn't help but address it. Her head cocks to the side to try and get a better look at it before it slams the door.

Eliza can't help but laugh, "Oh, don't be like that. I mean you no harm." What it detected was correct, she was very lonely and seeing such a creature did bring out her nurturing instincts. Perhaps it was lonely too?

From within the locker, a wet gurgle reaches out through the slats in the doors. The Dredge is far from accustomed to visitors -- on the contrary, her assessment of it, too, was accurate. Having been formed from a congregation of fear and misery, loneliness is just as much part of its makeup as the rest.

Just as it embodies such emotions, so too must it feed upon them.

The doors to the locker crack open, slowly, only mere inches, revealing nothing of the darkness within. Then, a tiny hand pokes out from the recess within, palm upturned to the sky.

Give us something. Something good, it seems to mime.

The shard of glass soars through the air in a blur, the split second it takes to go from it’s place in the knight’s hand to it’s jagged edge pointing between Min’s eyes no different from that of a bullet. Only here, there’s a breath of an opening where she’s able to raise her arms defensively to shield her face from impact that wouldn’t be offered anywhere else.

Not that it does any good.

The shard pierces her left forearm where her Lazer Bears shirt leaves protection to be desired, and she cries. The noise choked and lodged down her throat with every breath, a hand hovering and twitching over the shard like she wasn’t sure whether to pull it out or leave it. Min feels the fresh, warm blood begin it’s decent down her forearm, dripping onto her fingers––but through the white hot pain, one word sticks out.

Competition.

Everything was always a competition for Feng Min. Her career, her need for approval from her father. The only competition in life she could never win. But standing here before this towering brute in metal, bleeding and cornered, it was another one to add to that list. And Min? She was tired.

“A competition? That’s what you think this is?" The short woman takes a moment to regard the man’s figure as armour shifts back to it’s full height. Her voice is shaky, barely held together. Like a precise code that had finally found a game breaking bug lost somewhere deep inside. A persona that she no longer had the strength to keep up. "你这个该死的混蛋."

Min’s hand twitches, wraps around the glass shard with intent to pull—face twitching and contorting like she was trying to muster up the courage. But with a hushed, frustrated curse, her efforts fall flat. Cowardice or fear, she doesn’t know what it is. But there’s something else there that she couldn’t deny any longer, too. "You just don’t get it, do you?” A bitterness creeps into her shaking tone. She can feel her chest tighten the longer she takes in that emotionless, dirty helmet. A mirror of her own expression barely twisted back at her through it’s lost shine. Min resents this. She resents him—and within her, something snaps. "This is—this is all just some twisted, fucked up game to you, isn’t it? Well what did i do to deserve being put in a game like this?!" In that moment, Min thinks of that moment back at the hospital, her team in emergency surgery due to her own fault behind the wheel. Maybe this was a truly befitting fate for her. A game she would never be able to win when her obsession to be the best wound up harming those around her.

The Shining Lion needed to be humbled. As much as Feng Min knows it, she doesn’t want to admit it.

"我恨你！" Her cry of anger tears through the air, and in her abrupt outburst, her hand finds the closest thing to her. A toolbox. It’s hurled towards the knight’s head with as much force as her injured forearm allows her––but it doesn’t there. After the toolbox makes it’s first impact, Min steps forward and keeps going. Seizing the toolbox from it’s clattered place on the ground and swinging it with a vengeance. She can feel the pain surging through her skin, but amid her tantrum, she doesn’t care. "I HATE YOU!" The toolbox raises, a hopeless hit with little damage landing against his armoured shoulder. "I HATE YOU!" Another lands against the chest piece, and she can feel the tears streaming down from her now red eyelids. Whether from anger or the fear of knowing what’s coming next, she doesn’t know. She still doesn’t care.

Even through her ragged breaths, she doesn’t stop. Not until the energy drains from her with every drop of blood and the pain becomes too much to bear.

Not until she’s forced to accept that she truly, truly can’t win.

Displays like these are ones Tarhos has seen before. Men and women desperately unleashing every ounce of rage they'd saved up towards their cruel lords and tragic lives in one final stand to keep themselves, their families, their homes from the sword. But these little exchanges had become precious and rare since passing into the Entity's realm. Most survivors seem to understand their roles and cling to their sad, little lives, regardless of their re-usability.

The careening toolbox, en route to the Knight's helmet, is knocked off course by a startlingly quick arc of his armored forearm, bringing his blade to rest with the broken tip buried in the dirt. Leaving it behind, he helps the little cretin close the distance between them by taking as many loud, clattering steps towards her as it takes. Then her fury begins.

It's through her tears of desperation, the scent of her heated blood creeping into his helmet, that he realizes why he detests her so. She doesn't just enjoy success, doesn't merely thrive off of the thrill. No, she needs it just to stay alive. To feel safe.

A passing thought occurs to Tarhos as he stands, stoic, allowing the sad, wounded, little girl her tantrum. How long would she have lasted under Kadir Hakam? Would it have made her strong enough to do something that mattered, here, now?

Unlikely.

Her words are meaningless to him -- the wailing of a petulant child who has yet to learn the most important lesson of keeping herself alive: the strong rule the weak. Her many blows, toolbox wielded like some awkward cudgel, land as intended. He allows them to. One, after another, none of them so much as cause him to flinch or stumble. Regardless of the hard edges the makeshift weapon affords her, his steel is forged with expertise and care. Even with consideration towards the adrenaline rushing through her veins, his fittings stay true and hold his armor in place. Like his armor, he too is built to receive violence and walk away without noticeable damage.

So he stands, shoulders square, chin leveled, eyes down on Min, totally unaffected.

"Are you done?"

When her strength wanes, so too does his patience.

"Did that bring you comfort? Did it change the glass in your arm? Does it change this?"

With one hand, like an athlete grips a ball, the Knight fastens a vice-like grip on Min by the forehead, waits a beat, and raises her off the ground. First, by mere inches, then, altogether too soon, she can see the glint of two hidden eyes peeking over tufts of hair embedded in the eye slots of his helmet.

Eye to eye. So he can watch the fight drain out of her along with her hope.

you'll never get what you want .

we need to stay together . no 'splitting up' bullshit .

nobody ever prepared me for this .

so you've just been lying to me this entire time ?

there's too much blood , i can't stop it .

this is over when i say it's over .

[ name ] , be careful . i've already lost enough people that i care about .

i never should have trusted you .

this is getting really out of hand , okay ?

i feel like we're not alone .

revenge is the best medicine !

put your head on straight , this isn't over yet .

maybe we should ... y'know , check it out ?

run . run and don't stop .

i thought i saw something ... i - i must be going crazy .

you couldn't pay me to go down there .

the cops are on their way .

would you rather stay here and die ?!

there's no such thing as [ ghosts / demons ] . it's made-up .

you aren't going anywhere .

i'm putting you out of your misery .

i know you think you're untouchable , but they will kill us .

you shouldn't have touched that .

we aren't going to make it out of here , are we ?

why are you following me ?

there has to be a medical kit here , somewhere .

i'll go with you . strength in numbers , right ?

don't move ... a fucking muscle .

fuck , the door is locked from the other side .

don't get ... dead , okay ?

that was the only [ bullet / round / flare ] we had .

did you really think it would be that easy ?

we've come too far , we can't turn around now .

put down the [ weapon ] . please .

come on , help me barricade the door .

[ name ] , is that ... blood ?

haven't you seen a horror movie ? the blonde always dies .

it was you ? YOU did this ?!

you are gonna fucking pay .

i'm going to give you ten seconds . nine , eight ...

i want you to admit what you did .

hey , look at me -- it's not real . it's not real .

do you think they're watching us right now ?

we're in this together . no one gets left behind .

let them go ... please , just let them go .

oh my god , what the hell was that ?!

you know i'm capable of this .

i had to ... i had no choice .

you don't have the guts .

this is fucked up , this is so fucked up .

what we're dealing with isn't even human .

you need to hide . find somewhere & don't come out .

stop ! don't touch that . we don't know what it is .

i've done bad things to good people .

if they catch us , they will kill us .

why are you covered in blood ?

i can't ... i can't feel my -

[ name ] is dead . i saw it happen .

what , you're gonna kill me ? i don't believe you .

there is an evil in you . i see it .

this shit only happens to people in horror movies .

forget about me , just save them .

what's one reason i shouldn't kill you right now ?

you aren't supposed to be here .

please don't . i'm begging you .

are you scared ?

whatever happens , don't let go of my hand .

[ name ] , this isn't you .

well , what the fuck are we supposed to do ?!

get out of my house before i call the cops .

you're going to regret that .

there's that smile ... i'm glad it's the last thing i'll see .

The city is full of beautiful surprises.

I dreamt you killed me.

Are the police after me?

Let's see who was killed today.

How do I know this isn't the usual swindle?

I don't know what's happened to me. I've got to get away.

Why do you buy my paintings?

I don't feel very well. I must get some air.

It was an air raid during the war.

Only death could be quieter than this.

Listen, I don't exist to make profits. I'm not a stockbroker.

You can't kill me with that. Come to bed.

Hey, what're you doing? Leave me alone!

Didn't you hear anything?

When I cleaned up today they weren't there!

It's over 25 years since I last stepped inside that villa.

Do you believe in spirits?

I believe in spirits, there's no question in my mind.

I suppose you heard the girl died near the wall of the villa.

Stop, you're making me dizzy.

What's the matter with you? Are you crazy or something?

Why do you have to behave like this?

Why did you cry out just then?

Look out, look out! The roof is falling!

I felt as if someone were pulling me down!

It was as if it wanted to hurt me deliberately.

I don't like the house, and the house obviously doesn't like me.

I find that your wit, as usual, is tasteless.

May I ask just why you're so interested in the house's story?

Don't listen to that! They don't know the truth about her.

We have a very gifted medium in the town, you should to them!

Why don't you come with me tonight?

Spirit, don't you want me in your house?

You want me all to yourself, don't you? Is that why you tried to kill [name]?

If some madman is going around putting flowers under your walls, I couldn't care less.

Your questions reminded me of an old story. A doomed love story.

Nobody, nobody would ever believe me.

You didn't care? Why not?

Come in, come in. What do you want to know?

Don't go. Please, don't go.

You'll kill it like that. Better dead and red.

Have you gone crazy? What are you doing?

Why did you run off the other day?

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't want to.

I wouldn't like the people in the village to know about it.

No, I don't. I only know she was killed here.

This house was abandoned.

I'm going to tell you something that I've never told anyone.

What are you looking for?

I don't know who I'm fighting. I can't find an explanation!

What is there to explain?

A girl who died here in this house. Now she haunts this house.

I suppose you are the normal one.

What do you do with yourself here all day, since you're obviously not doing much work?

Who are you betraying me with?

Everything I do and am annoys you, doesn't it?

We have guests tonight. They're all quite mad.

Why do these things keep happening?

It's like, someone in the house doesn't want me here.

It's your imagination, [name]. There's no one else in this house but me.

You're going to call the spirit?

Please stay. You mustn't leave now. At least stay for the séance.

Sometimes the spirit shows its presence by playing on it.

Bring your chair and sit around the table, please.

It's modeling clay, in case the spirit wishes to leave an imprint.

During a séance, anything can happen.

I want you all to put your hands on the table. Let your fingers touch, forming a chain.

Oh, my god, the ghost!

There's something very unusual in the air tonight.

Before we make contact, one word of warning. Do not ask personal questions or mention the subject death.

From now on, nobody breaks the circle.

Give us a sign of your presence.

Spirit, give us a sign!

How did you die? Who killed you?

Turn on the light quickly! Something's fallen on the table!

Break the chain. Turn on the light, please!

It's an omen of some kind.

Is there anything you wish to tell us?

Stop it, all of you! I know what you're doing!

Do you think I'm so stupid I'd believe this?

The spirit wants to leave.

Who is that? My chair's shaking!

Someone tried to strangle me! Get out of here!

"Are you one of the sick ones?"

"You have to wake up."

"I knew it wasn't blue."

"Did (pronoun) do that?"

"You're not sick."

"Their eyes were so hollow."

"How did you get that scar?"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"You're not scared? Because I am."

"You're sure it wasn't a rockslide?"

"If I go there, I'll never find my way back."

"(Pronoun) is a feast for the worms."

"Kids like her are easy targets."

"What does he look like?"

"Why should I believe a single word you say?"

"You think you're being clever."

"That didn't souns like (pronoun)."

"Nature works in wondrous ways."

"You always were a terrible liar."

"Did you see the blood?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"The moon will not rise until the harvest is complete."

"They were crazy! They hurt people."

"Aren't they lovely?"

"It was cold. It was so cold."

"You know nothing about gargoyles, do you?"

"They turn to stone when exposed to sunlight."

"Never come back here."

"People call things miracles because they're scared to name what's actually in the dark."

"Nothing happened. Nothing."

"Why can't I light a match?"

"You're the thing that died."

"We shouldn't have run."

"I had nowhere else to go."

"Lord, forgive us, if there is anything left of us worth saving."

"Back off."

"We are all violent beings."

"Now I see you."

"He told me about what happened at the lake."

"She's my wife."

"You looked like a farm girl."

"The dead don't stay dead for those who loved them."

"It was you."

"Go away!"

"I've watched you run."

"You said you loved me!"

"Your mother would have wanted this."

"I don't want to wake up one night and realise I've forgotten how to cry."

"I'm the monster."