#fdcl

His instincts went into overdrive as they screamed at him that there was a hurt kit in that room. Omega ran up the rickety stairs and opened the door. The sight he was greeted with was nothing short of heart-wrenching and terrifying. The dark, cramped room, barely larger than a broom closet, reeked of must and iron. The only light came from a small hole in the far wall and the door opened behind him. Flashes of light from the storm bounced off of thick cobwebs that canopied the low ceiling and the rusted beframe. It held nothing but a worn-down mattress and a dingy thread-bare sheet, not even a pillow to spare. There on the floor was a small figure, shrouded in darkness, wedged between the decrepit bed frame and the stone wall. They had their knees up to their chest with their arms clamped over their head, their hands clenched in their hair and the corner of the sheet, absolutely covered in dark crimson blood. A loud boom sounded outside and the stranger jolted and pulled the sheet closer with a high pitched whine. 

Omega took a careful step forward, not wanting to spook the shaking kit. If it weren’t for the distressed chitters coming from the kit and the patches of ashen complexion amidst their blood-soaked hands tangled in their hair, Omega could’ve mistaken them for a human child. At first glance they didn’t seem to have a tail or horns, the only thing striking being the shock of white mixed into the dark hair that covered their face. They had to be the smallest ghoul Omega had ever seen topside, certainly too young to have passed the rites to be summoned from the pit. They definitely didn’t seem strong enough to survive going through the portal either. Omega had no idea how this kit could’ve gotten here and the thought filled him with dread. 

“Hello little one,” Omega said softly as he knelt down to get to the scared kit’s level, he winced when they gave a weak distressed whine as they tried to curl further in on themself. Another whimper came out of the poor child as Omega leaned in to get a closer look at the blood sluggishly soaking into the crumpled sheets. The closer he got the more he could hear the ghoul’s constant stream of quiet pleading mixed between wet sobs, “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, please.” and Omega’s heart breaks a little more. 

Aether comes into the room behind him and Omega can feel the panic radiating off of him as he takes in the scene in front of him, “Meg– I– holy shit there’s so much blood. What do we do?”

Omega frowned as the kit flinched again, “I’m not sure yet but I want you to stay back for a moment okay? They’re frightened and hurt and I don’t want to overwhelm them.” 

He looked back and knew he couldn't reassure the worry in Aether’s eyes. Omega turned back to the kit, his brow creased in concern as he watched the child take in stuttered, quick breaths. As he leaned close to get a better look at the injured child he started to hear the poor thing muttering under their breath, “Please Sister, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to do it. Please— please don’t-“

The fear in the kit’s voice and the mention of a sister made a shudder trickle its way down Omega’s spine. If they were in such a state because of a sister in the abbey then they had to leave as soon as possible, if not for the safety of the kit, then to keep the rage slowly simmering in Omega’s chest in check. Omega tried to keep the anxiety and anger out of his voice as his thoughts ran with this newfound paranoia “Aeth, we need to get them out of here, and we gotta do it without being seen.”

“Omega what do you mean? Why can’t we be seen?”

The elder knew Aether was questioning him out of concern and not of insubordination, he looked back and Aether fixed him with a trepidatious look that reminded Omega of when he was first teaching the quint ghoul how to treat patients. “Just trust me on this, I’m not sure if we’re entirely alone, I’ll explain everything later,” Omega whispered out in ghoulish, weary of being overheard or discovered. 

If this much damage was done by a member of the clergy then who knew who they could trust, who knows why they’d be willing to do. 

Aether gave a grim nod and moved to watch the door and Omega gave him a quick thank you as he turned his attention back on the kit in front of him. They had their head buried in their red-stained hands and scrapped knees that peaked through tattered clothes were up to their chest. Their whole stance was defensive and tense and it reminded Omega of when Aether was summoned, though Aether was substantially larger and older than the kit in front of him. 

As Omega looked closer he noticed that the horns that adorned the child’s head were so small they were almost hidden in unruly curls. They were much smaller than they should be, even for a kit of his size, and the small nubs were wrapped in dirty cloth at the tips. The parts that did peek through appeared to have an oddly rough texture that Omega had never seen before in a ghoul. They were unlike the smooth finish of his own or even the ridged texture of Swiss’s and Omega had a sickening feeling it wasn’t a natural occurrence. 

Movement in Omega’s periphery caught his eye, that’s when he found the frayed spade of a tail poking out of a tear in the threadbare trousers of the small kit before him. It looked as if the tail was bound to their leg. Fear bloomed in his chest and anger threatened to boil over as Omega started to truly take stock of the state of the small ghoul and he knew they had to transport them fast. 

“I’m so sorry for what I’m about to do but we need to get you out of here.”, Omega wasn’t sure if he was saying it for the kit’s sake or to reassure himself that he was doing the right thing. 

It was the only warning Omega gave the kit before kneeling down and scooping the child up. Almost right away the poor thing let out a spine-chilling scream as Omega tried to get them in an easy to hold position. The most frightening part was instead of instinctually fighting back like Omega presumed would happen, the kit was completely rag-dolled in his arms quietly pleading for a sister to ‘please show forgiveness’ and that ‘it was all their fault’.

 It felt as if Omega’s concern was growing exponentially by the second as his stomach twisted itself in knots and his throat seemed to close up. He started to really notice how truly small, frail, and light they were, his wide frame dwarfing the child in his arms. The eldest quint ghoul felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes and he tried to blink them away as he turned to face Aether, murmuring words of comfort at the shaking ghoul in his arms, hoping to not scare them further. He tried to feel for their emotions but the only thing he could find with his quintessence was fear and pain. Wishing to ease their pain as soon as possible, he called Aether over to come heal the poor kit, unable to do the somatic components with the child in his arms. 

Aether winced as Omega turned around, finally seeing the kit that was radiating so much pain. Omega watched as the younger quint ghoul’s eyes darted all over the child, assessing the situation just like he was trained to do in the infirmary. A spark of pride ran through Omega as he watched the man observe and begin to murmur incantations to heal the child. Pain spread through Omega’s face as the magic took hold, a similar pained grunt came from Aether as he ripped his hands away to break the connection. 

“Gah- what the hell?” Aether hissed as he grasped the same side of his face and looked up at Omega in confusion “You felt that too right? Why would my magic not take? Why would it not–” 

Omega cut him off before he started to spiral, knowing that it could bring up dark memories of a certain ghoul that would do neither of them good in the current situation, “Aether it’s okay, it’s okay, just breathe for a moment. Just let me- let me check it out…”

Omega hesitated as he tried to slowly peel one of the child’s arms away from their face to get a look at what could be causing the raw pain, but he realized his mistake too late as the kit let out an absolutely blood-curdling scream as the quint ghouls watched on in fear as the kit fought Omega’s hand that revealed their bloodied face. This was seemingly the last straw as ghoul's eyes rolled into the back of their head and fell truly limp as they passed out, their head now fully visible and mouth agape they could both see more of the damage. 

“Shit, Meg–” Aether whispered as he took in the state of the small kit now knocked out cold in Omega’s arms. The curious white streak Omega noticed earlier in their hair continued onto their face, bolts of white lacing across their right eye. It was yet again something Omega had never seen in a ghoul before but for some reason, it almost felt familiar, he found himself reaching out to trace the lines before shaking himself out of the trance, not wanting to make another stupid mistake.

“I know… I know, we just– we need to get him to the infirmary, now” Omega said as he applied pressure to the cut on the side of the kit’s head.

“Well, the coast is clear for now. Here let me–” Aether shrugged off his uniform cloak, draping it over omega’s arms, the fabric swallowing up the kit and concealing them from view. Omega rested their head in the crook of his neck, their skin cold and clammy as Omega felt a spark of static jump between him and the ghoul. Omega didn’t want to dwell on the tragic possibility that the small kit cradled in his arms was a stunted quintessence ghoul.

Everything after the door opening was a blur. Aeon vaguely remembers a deep voice and a warm, weightless feeling, but he knew it was just a foolish dream. He knew the pain and panic were real memories, that his brain probably conjured up the feeling of arms wrapped around him and the deep humming of a soft melody as a way to comfort himself. 

What confused them, though, was that the comfort of the sheets and the mattress beneath him felt very real.

The realisation woke him up from the hazy in-between state he was in, but Aeon stopped himself from moving; it was a habit he acquired for when he didn’t want Sister Imperator to know he was awake or listening. Something wasn’t right, something felt off, something felt wrong, it felt…different.

It wasn’t his mattress or his sheets because they didn’t feel any spring poking through the bedding or any cold air infiltrating through threadbare holes. He could tell he wasn’t in his own room; there was no stench of mold hanging heavy in the air, no wind whistling through cracks in the masonry of the walls. 

The pain that constantly pulsed through their system was still there, but it somehow felt dulled and less than usual. For the first time in a very long time, Aeon almost felt safe.

A wave of exhaustion rolled over Aeon, and he tried to go back to sleep to escape the punishment that his anxiety-ridden mind assured was awaiting him, but an incessant beeping and bright light that seeped through his eyelids prevented him from doing so. Aeon wasn’t sure what the beeping was or what it meant, but it was annoying, and he wanted it to stop. He wanted to sleep so badly, desperate to finally feel comfortable, but his racing heart and screaming mind cut through the syrupy peace and told him to get up.

Aeon braced themself for the worst, prepared to meet Imperator face to face again before opening their eyes. The brightness blinded them for a second, only for them to realize they were surrounded by white. No scowling face of Sister Imperator staring them down, not even the bright fires of the place they only saw in nightmares, just white.

Tall pillars of pristine marble towered upward, lit up by the large windows that they bracketed. None of them had the heavy curtains that always shrouded Sister Imperator’s office in suffocating darkness. Even the white plaster of the vaulted ceilings seemed to glow as the sunlight reflected upward; it almost hurt his eyes. He tried to look around, but his head ached with every movement. To his left was a box similar to the one that he had seen on Sister Imperator’s desk before; it glowed and gave off a faint hum. A red line crossed the box before it disappeared, only to reappear and trace the same wobbly peaks and valleys as before. Oddly enough, the red shaky line that ran across the box seemed to move in sync with the annoying beeps. To his right was an odd contraption that held a clear bag full of an odd transparent liquid. The bottom of the bag ended in a tube, but he wasn't sure where it led.

 Nothing felt right. Aeon wondered if this was part of his punishment. Maybe Imperator sent them to be isolated in a new space as a test, to torture them, to show them the consequence of selfishly asking to be with other people.

Aeon was jolted out of his observations at the sound of voices, his body moving without his permission. They couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it didn’t sound good; a deep voice sounded tense and hushed. The voices sounded familiar, but Aeon wasn’t sure how. Maybe the first voice that boomed like rolling thunder was the Papa figure that Sister talked about constantly. The Papa that Sister told him never wanted anything to do with him because he was a ‘filthy and worthless halfbreed that had no powers or use to the clergy’. If that was true, then maybe this Papa was coming to finally send him back to the pits.

The constant beeping was getting faster, and Aeon winced as the second voice raised, their angry voice rolling like thunder. He couldn’t catch all of the words, but he locked up in fear as he heard the name, Sister Imperator. 

Aeon winced as something pulled at his left arm; there was an odd tube going into it, and the other end was that weird bag on a hook. He didn’t have time to question it as the sound of the woman’s voice came closer. Whatever it was, it was keeping him in bed; he gripped it and pulled, barely blinking at the pain as it ripped out of his arm.

They regretfully pulled back the nice sheets and jumped out of the bed, wincing as their feet touched the cold floor. They noticed that their clothes were different, nicer, and too large, so they quickly tied the drawstrings so that the pants didn't fall and trip them. They cautiously rounded the corner of the bed and took off in the opposite direction of the raised voices. They walked quickly through rows of beds just like the one they were in, one was occupied by a sleeping figure surrounded by beautiful flowers that they couldn’t stop to admire.

Finding the nearest door, they came into a somewhat familiar hallway. It had some of the same details as the ones in the abbey with Sister Imperator, though the hall was brighter and the walls were adorned with portraits. Aeon recognized the face of Papa Nihil, Sister’s late husband. The black and white papal paint warped with the wrinkles on his face, and the robes he wore were heavily adorned in white, gold, and red. It was odd to see him depicted in such a regal way, considering how much Sister would complain that he was a bumbling idiot, though Aeon couldn't linger on it much; they needed a new place to hide. 

The portraits watched Aeon quickly run off as he took a chance and headed to the large doors that lay open in the front of the hall. Nearing closer, he realised they led to an outside courtyard. Seeing as he had no idea where he was, he figured being out in the open where he could see almost everything was better than turning blind corners.

The imposing doors opened into lush greenery and a blindingly blue sky; the lawn was perimetered by hallways with open space and pillars instead of windows and walls. Straight ahead, Aeon could see more open space past the odd outdoor hallways, and so he sprinted, not wanting to feel the eyes of the statues that littered the grass. He was pretty sure he heard a shout as he dashed through the unfamiliar courtyard out into the sun, but he didn't have the time or courage to look behind him to find out.

Aeon rushed by tall grasses and colorful flowers, too panicked to take in all of the new sights and sensations around them. Sister never allowed them outside; the only fresh air they ever had was from open windows and the cracks in the stone walls of their room. They followed a small path of flat stones as their exhaustion started to catch up to them. The air rushed past their face as they ran, tall grass licked at their arms, and hot stones burned their bare feet, but it did little to distract them from their goal: to find somewhere to hide.

As his pace continued to slow and he continued to follow the path, Aeon found that it led to a small building surrounded by trees. The shade and the discovery of a hiding space sent a wave of relief down Aeons' spine as he wearily walked up a couple of steps leading to the door of the building. He didn’t hear the low notes of an organ over his heavy heartbeat and the shrill squeal of the hinges.

Closing the door behind them, Aeon had to wait until their eyes could adjust to the darker interior. They panted as they pressed their back into the cool, metallic door and looked around them. Although few, all of the windows in the room were thick and colored, painting the little light that did come in through them in an array of colors that bled on the walls and floor. Black candles sat at either end of rows of benches, their flames flickering and waving; the ones closest to the door only let gentle lines of smoke up into the air, their light extinguished. The exhaustion fully caught up to Aeon, and they slumped against the door before sliding to the ground, static filling their ears as cold shocks ran up their fingers. They squeezed their eyes shut, and despite their building headache, shook their head in an attempt to rid the fatigue and static. 

Opening his eyes caused Aeon to frantically scrabble against the door to stand up as a dark figure approached him. They were more than halfway down the rows of benches before Aeon staggered to his feet. He tried to let out a noise, but no sound came out, whether it was to plead or make a pathetic attempt to scare this person away, Aeon wasn’t too sure.  

The figure stopped about five feet in front of him. Candlelight glowed behind them, somehow making them look imposing and soft at the same time as their dark robes swayed to rest. Their appearance contrasted with the colorful windows surrounding them, dressed head to toe in black, with hair to match. Their face was familiar, but Aeon couldn’t fathom how, seeing as the only human he’s ever seen was Sister Imperator and the photos and paintings in her office. 

Aeon couldn’t hear anything over the static that was filling their ears as their nose started to twinge and their eyes started to burn. His heart was pounding and his head was aching as he started to break out into a full sprint toward his room. In their panic Aeon spat out the blood threatening to choke and drown them, desperately trying to breathe, leaving behind a spattering of red on the pristine white marble floors. 

Each step he took rattled his bones and the echo of his footfalls in the abbey halls only served to make his head pound even more. He ran through the many twists and turns of the abbey with bated breath, terrified that Sister Imperator could appear at any corner. He had no time to think about the crimson that escaped him when he wheezed out a cough. He was running on pure instinct and terror as he raced through the halls.

Their lungs were full of fire that was occasionally doused by blood dripping down their throat, the feeling caused them to gag and spit out more of the fluid threatening to drown them. Their chest felt tight as they frantically tried to keep up their speed to get to the far west wing. The hallways seemed to stretch on forever as Aeon tried their best to keep their speed. Lightning flashed bright and white across the sky as they sprinted through the cloister, the columns speeding by them as the thunder roared. They let out a scream as a bolt struck the large tree in the courtyard, cleaving it in half. Aeon didn’t have time to gawk in terror at the fallen tree though, they had to keep running.

They desperately attempted to keep their balance as they continued to dash through the building but as they turned yet another sharp corner in the maze of hallways Aeon slipped and fell forward. Their arms barely stopped them from breaking their nose on the solid stone floors. They struggled to get a grip to get up, the blood on their hands making it slippery and slick. A fit of coughs wracked through their system and they stained the floor with more crimson as they struggled to inhale. They scurried to get up, fearful of what would happen if Sister Imperator caught up to them. They kept running, as it was the only thing they could think to do, even though they knew there was nothing they could do to escape. 

Aeon desperately tried to keep the tears at bay as he climbed up the steep stairs that led to his cramped little room. Almost tumbling down as he tried not to miss any steps in his mad dash for the door. For once he was glad that he was shoved into the tiny abandoned tower, at least now no one would find him. Aeon’s fingers started to go numb and cold as he finally grasped his door handle and flung himself into his room. 

The door banged against the footboard of his bed and he jumped at the noise, causing him to swing the door back too hard resulting in a sudden slam of the door that shook its frame. His hands flew up to cover his ears and it felt like his nails were digging into his skull as the loud sounds reverberated through him. Pain pulsed through his mouth as it filled with blood again. He tried to plaster his back against the door to try and ground himself but his legs gave out from under him as he realised what he had done. He stupidly caused too much noise and it would alert Sister to his location. His dumb mistake was going to cost him, just like all the others had before. Surely now Sister would be able to find him and drag him back to her office to do who knows what to teach him another lesson. 

Their increasing panic almost distracted them from the painful crack of their knees making contact with the cold stone floor as they fell…almost. The pain radiated up their spine like a forest fire started by a lightning bolt, they’ve been through worse pain, so much worse, but nothing could stop them from the infernal scream they unleashed. His hands rushed up to his face, desperately trying to muffle the sound and his nails pierced into his skin where they dug into his face. He couldn’t help the garbled sound of anguish as his claws dragged down his face, leaving a trail of red welts behind.

His chest started to seize as he choked through the hot tears running down his face and the blood still oozing from where his fang used to be, the tears irritating the fresh new cuts on his face. As his breathing picked up he started to panic more and more as he wedged himself between the wall and his bed. He just wanted it all to stop, he just wanted everything to pause, he just wanted a moment to breathe. He wasn’t thinking about his actions as he banged his head into his bed frame, all he wanted was for everything to stop for a moment.

Light flashed behind their eyes and they weren’t sure if it was from the impact or the storm raging outside. As their head swayed back with the momentum everything felt fuzzy and calm for a second, Aeon’s vision swam and there was static in their ears but it was silent. They slowly raised a hand up to their head and quickly jerked away when they were met with a sticky warmth and they felt something sluggishly drip down their face. As they took their hand away there was so much more blood than there was before. With shaking hands, they gathered their thread bear sheets and pressed them to their head hoping to quell the bleeding.

Aeon quickly felt the sheets become soaked and when he pulled away the fabric he was frightened by how red it was. Somehow the dingy white of the sheets seemed to bring out the dark crimson of his blood, and he desperately shoved the fabric back against his head hoping to stop what he’d caused. A sob ripped its way out of him as he brought the cloth back to watch in horror as it was drenched in blood.

The blood and tears now running down his face felt hot compared to how cold the rest of Aeon’s body was. Sobs and hiccups wracked through his small frame as he hunched in on himself further. The room felt cold and the darkness seemed to be closing in on Aeon. The shadows creeping in from the corners of the room suffocated him and the buzzing in his head wouldn’t go away. The air felt charged and wrong but Aeon couldn’t do anything but cover his ears and hope for something to either take him out or help him. Aeon knew that nobody would help him, he knew that he had no one, but still, he foolishly hoped for mercy. He screwed his eyes shut and wished one of the ghouls would save him. But he knew they never would, he would die here in pain, cold, and alone. 

All of Sister Imperator's lessons echoed in his mind. Of course, they never would’ve liked him, never would’ve wanted him, all he was was an unneeded freak. The only time he was wanted was when he was useful and Aeon was never useful. Really, Aeon should be grateful that they were kept alive for this long, that they were even given a chance. It’s all too much to handle and he whines into the empty air, hating how childish and annoying he sounds. He clutched at his arms in a last-ditch attempt to comfort himself and he winced as his tail tried its best to wrap itself around him, tugging at the bindings around his leg.

He recognized many of the sisters of sin, sparing a small wave for Sister Irene and Marie who worked in the infirmary with him and Aether. The pair were definitely some of the nicer humans from the Sisters of Sin. While most of the sisters avoided the ghouls out of fear or judgment, Sister Irene and Marie always talked to the ghouls and liked to check in on the pack. Aether cringed at the reactions some of Sister Imperator’s favorite sisters gave at the pair waving to Omega.

After a moment of searching, Omega realized Sister Imperator, one of the most devout and powerful sisters of sin, was seemingly not in attendance. Omega was surprised as the woman always insisted upon attendance to services and he tried to search harder to see if the Abbess was lurking in the shadows of the dim candlelit aisles, waiting to strike at any signs she deemed as misbehavior. At the short tug on his lapel, Omega turned back around just in time to see the wry smile that Terzo tried to hide as soon as Omega shifted to look at him. Omega opened his mouth to whisper and scold his Papa but was stopped by the last notes of a familiar hymn being played on the cathedral’s organ and the scrape of a chair against the floor as Aether went to stand. He watched as his fellow quint ghoul walked up to the pulpit, proud of how far his protegee had come. Omega peered at the fond smile on Copias face as his eyes watched his rhythm guitarist kneel before him and the pulpit, candlelight from the dozens of candles at the altar softly illuminated both of their faces, Omega briefly wished he could pause the serene scene to paint it.

A burning panic suddenly tugged in the back of his brain, Omega whipped his head to face Terzo sitting next to him, too concerned to be embarrassed about being overbearing and distracting. Omega immediately started checking the man for signs of pain or distress as the secondary pain he felt through his magic grew stronger. The ghoul squeezed his Papa’s hand twice, a check-in signal they made for each other back when they had been on tour, Terzo turned to look at him with a confused tilt. The man squeezed three times for ‘I’m okay’ and levelled Omega with a concerned look.

The hair on the back of Omega's neck started to stand and he looked up to Aether, searching for the panic and pain that he had felt only to find the ghoul seemingly perfectly fine as he began to speak, “A reading of the Enochian Keys of John—” he paused, grit his teeth, clutching the edges of the pulpit, claws digging into the sides, and shoulders squaring up as he lowered his head. A creak echoed through the hall as the force Aether applied to the pulpit made the wood buckle, Omega could’ve sworn he heard the ghoul let out a whimper. Copia rushed over to Aether, robes swishing as whispers started to roll throughout the congregation. Omega stood and almost got knocked back into the pew as another wave of pain wracked through his spine and up into his face, it felt as if someone had stabbed a shard of glass into his mouth.

A brief flash of bright lightning lit up the interior of the chapel, it was only for a second, but for the two quint ghouls time slowed down like molasses. A pulse of powerful energy seemed to ripple through the air and the stench of ozone permeated through the chapel. Hot lines burned down Omega’s face as he distantly noticed he had started crying, he met Aether’s glowing eyes through the lens of his mask as realization dawned on the both of them in time with the roar of rolling thunder. It wasn’t a freak storm rolling in, it was a powerful outburst of quintessence and both ghouls knew they were the only full quintessence ghouls in the abbey. Or so they thought.

The next flash of lightning snapped the both of them out of their haze in time to hear the huge royal portal doors at the front of the cathedral slam open as a gust of wind extinguished all of the candles, a few screams sounded as the space was plunged into darkness. Another growl of thunder reverberated through the hall and another bout of lightning illuminated the cathedral in a disorienting, blinding light. They both ran out of the cathedral, their paths cutting through the smoke in the now dark hall, and they dashed through the opened doors as another crack of thunder lit up the abbey grounds. Aether and Omega didn’t stick around to see if any of the Papas, ghouls, or siblings were following them as they broke out into a full sprint.

Running into the courtyard revealed the full strength of the raging storm to the two quintessence ghouls. Dark clouds rolled through the sky as lightning lit up the yard and wind shook the trees. More pain wracked through the back of Omega’s head as he fell to his knees in the grass and he barely caught himself from getting a facefull of dirt.

“Omega!” Aether cried as he came to a halt, running back to him, “What the hell is going on?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Omega yelled over the roar of thunder, “but I have a feeling we’ll find whatever it is we’re looking for there!” as if on cue as Omega pointed to it, white hot plasma streaked across the sky and struck the upper west tower of the abbey’s nunnery.

“But Omega, Sister Imperator forbade any of the ghouls from ever entering the nunnery.” Aether cried as he helped Omega up from the mud.

“I don’t give a shit about what Imperator said right now, can’t you feel something tugging you there?” Aether gave a fierce nod before turning around and racing faster to the building, shouldering open the wooden doors when he reached the entrance.

Aether ran ahead as Omega stopped to catch his breath, feeling like it all had been taken from his lungs, leaving behind only dread and fear. “Oh Belial, Meg look,”

Omega wasn’t sure if the anxiety causing his heart to beat faster was his own or whatever they were trying to find but as he turned the corner the sight he saw only raised his panic. Drops of blood stood out grimly against the white marble, leaving a crimson red trail for the two to follow as the pound of their footsteps reverberated through the halls. Small hand prints streaked at corners where whoever it was they were following turned.