Things appeared to be entirely normal when Elizabeth reached the house. That was a relief. But what was going on inside? No lights were on, as far as Elizabeth could see. Even so, she couldnât afford to take any chances. Tentatively, she turned the handle. Finding it already unlocked, she cautiously leaned on it, making as little noise as possible.
The door was closed with a soft click, and Elizabeth made a slow sweep of her surroundings. The house was dark and eerily still. Save for some flickering lights in the kitchen, on the other side of the house. The Gothitelleâs chest tightened at the sight of it.
Oh, dear. As expected, someone was still awake. And they mustâve been aware of her absence. She reminded herself to stay calm, and say what Nysa told her to. Showing nervousness would only heighten her parentsâ suspicions. Taking a deep breath, she held it in her chest and soothed her own nerves in silence.
Until a calm voice startled her out of the process.
Elizabethâs breath hitched in her throat, if but for a moment. Her soft gaze trailed to meet that of another, straight ahead in the living room.
Seated in a plush armchair, with ocean eyes peering out from behind a pair of reading glasses, was a much older Gothitelle. He had been waiting for her for quite a while, it seemed. His expression was not unkind, however, and he eased himself into a standing position when Elizabeth drew nearer to him.
âHi, Dad.â She spoke, an apologetic smile working its way into her features. âI apologize for coming home late. Iâve been with Nysa.â Lifting his glasses from his nose, her father stepped closer to inspect her face. Despite her nervous, racing thoughts, Elizabeth held firm under the scrutiny. ââŠI assume sheâs helped you with what transpired this month?â he asked.
He got a nod in response. âWe figured it out. It took us a while, but we found something that worked. Iâm perfectly fine.â
Elizabeth could feel her shoulders relax when the elder Gothitelle sighed, his eyelids lowered. He seemed convinced. âI just want to make sure youâre being safe out there, especially at night. Your mother and I were very worried about you.â âDonât worry,â Elizabeth chuckled softly, âIâve been careful. Everythingâs fine.â
âMmm, nice try.â He teased, raising a brow with a faint smile. Elizabeth stifled another small laugh as she drew her father into a gentle hug, which he happily reciprocated.
Her attention was diverted upon hearing more familiar voices nearby. Looking towards the sound, she moved closer to it. âIs thatâŠ?â
When she entered the kitchen, Elizabeth found her older siblingsâFelix and Rosinaâengaged in a pleasant conversation with their mother. She was briefly taken by surprise, until a bloom of happiness shooed it away. They finally came home for the holidays! And they mustâve known of her absence, too.
Felix caught sight of his sister first, and his lips immediately turned up in a bright smile. He swept her into a warm hug, and Rosina joined in. âWhereâve you been?â the former asked, âWe were so excited to see you and you were nowhere to be found!â
âI was busy, sorry.â Elizabeth smiled, only for Felix to hold her in one arm and gently ruffle her hair. âAhh, you know Iâm just messing with you~â âFelix~â His younger sisterâs smile widened, a lilt of amusement in her voice as she gently brushed his hand away. This earned a snort of laughter from both him and Rosina. Of course, it was all in good nature.
âIâve really missed you two.â Elizabeth admitted, after fixing her bangs. The smile on her face was⊠quite sad.
âSo did we.â Came Rosinaâs reply, her eyes softening. âItâs really been a while.â
âWeâve all got some catching up to do,â Felix beamed. âBut seriously, where did you go? You were gone for hours, from what weâve heard.â
And so began a small family discussion. Only briefly touching on the subject of Elizabethâs disappearance, much to her unspoken relief.
It would be some time before everyone went to bed. Once again, the house fell silent.
Elizabeth was settled comfortably under the blankets, yet her mind buzzed with activity. While she was glad her friends could return home safely, her concern for the ghostly siblings clung strongly to her heart.
What would the outcomes of the situation be?
Was their destined fight already taking place?
Her busy thoughts couldnât keep her for long, though. For once she drifted, Elizabeth finally succumbed to the hands of sleep.
Initially, she was greeted with nothing. An empty, dark void. Nothing more.
But only for a short time.
Shadowy tendrils crept through the abyss, with a wispy substance like smoke. They trailed and danced along her skin, only to retreat at the slightest touch. Yet they would return whenever she stopped. They formed odd shapes and coiled about her fingers, until they were suddenly yanked back into the fathoms below.
A rumbling force made the Gothitelleâs body tremble.
One after another, she was bombarded with horrifying images and situations. Some of which she was involved in, others she simply beared witness to. She wasnât sure which was worse. Deafening roars and shrieks filled her ears, no matter how she tried to block them out. It was incredibly disturbing for a dream; so much so that Elizabeth even stopped to question the reality of it all. But she couldnât even hear her own voice.
Despite so many things going on at the same time, the Gothitelle could still distinguish certain entities, namely Yemir, Eudai and Whisper as they materialized and vanished erratically. Pain was evident in some way, shape or form each time she saw them. Other emotions like rage and bloodlust plagued their faces. Of course, it was hard to tell with Eudai. Altogether, it was just terrible. And on top of that, a strange sense of paralysis was working its way up Elizabethâs body. Oh, how she dreaded that feeling. Being unable to move. Unable to escape.
And amongst all the madness, a shifting form drew ever closer through the shadows. The large, bulky silhouette was quickly revealed to be a battered Dusknoir, with black ichor oozing from the great maw that was her stomach.
The wraithâs rancid face was mere inches from hers, a twisted grin stretching her mouth to an impossible degree. Bony fingers curled around Elizabethâs neck as the decaying Dusknoir stared with an intense, unsettling red eye. Delirious glee written all over her features. Her raspy voice echoed loudly as she uttered something just as disconcerting.
âWakey wakey, little sister~â
Elizabeth sprung awake with a sharp gasp, bolting upright. Her breathing was shallow, mildly labored. As if she had actually been grabbed at the throat in this dimension. Alas, it was only a dream. A horrible dream, she thought.
But that wasnât her only concern. She had woken up to what felt like an earth tremor, shaking the house considerably. It didnât last very long, but it was enough to startle one from their sleep.
So it wasnât just a part of her dream⊠it had happened in the real world, too. But what caused it? She had a sneaking suspicion it wasnât an average coincidence.
No. Something was behind this.
Elizabeth slipped a hand into her soft hair, lifting the bangs that fell over her right eye. But suddenly she stopped, and blinked slowly. She felt something unusual. Something that didnât belong.
Withdrawing her slender fingers, she lifted her gaze to find them encased in a dark, supple, all too familiar glove.
Oh, yes. She knew who this was from.
Somewhere, in the depths of her mind, Elizabeth called out a name.
âEudai? Are you thereâŠ?â
Oddly enough, there was no response. No presence, no voice. She was in full control of her own body, too.
âThatâs strange.â She muttered aloud, only to frown a little at her own voice. It was rather monotonous, but soft. It lingered like a whisper.
Something wasnât right.
Sliding out from under the blankets, Elizabeth quietly made her way over to a mirror on the wall. Heels clicked underneath her, she noticed. And when the star reader could finally see herself, her eyes grew wide.
This⊠this was the same way she looked earlier today. When Eudai was in control. But, Eudai wasnât even there. It was all the more evident when she looked closer at her eyes. The black sclera and scars were still there, alright, but the irises were Elizabethâs natural blue. And the pupils themselves, they were normal. Her gaze wasnât as intense as Eudaiâs, but it still felt a bit reminiscent to his. Perhaps that was because of her eyes as a whole.
Even so. Was this really happening?
It wasnât another dream, and this was confirmed when the ghostly entity heard voices in the hall. Talking about the event that just took place. And a strange, unrelenting pressure they couldnât seem to shake from their shoulders.
Uh oh. Her family was awake. And, eventually, they would want to come in and check on her.
Elizabeth would not have this.
Not in her current state.
She didnât know what to do at first, as panic bubbled in her chest. But then there was a spark. An idea. She quickly took action, gently lifting herself off the floor to hover. Taking off her hat and cape, she hid them in her closet and grabbed a robe. Hopefully it would be enough to hide the rest of her as she snuck back under the covers with the utmost care to not make a sound.
Just then, a voice called from the other side of the bedroom door. âElizabeth? Are you alright in there?â That was her mother.
Now, Elizabeth wasnât sure how to respond without revealing her voice. So she kept silent and brushed her bangs over closed eyes, simply deciding to feign sleep. Since no reply reached her ears, her mother slowly opened the door and peered into the room, while her husband stood behind her.
To them, it appeared as if their daughter was asleep. Nevertheless, Alina went in to check on her.
âIâm surprised she hasnât woken up.â She admitted softly, lightly stroking Elizabethâs head. Piero could only sigh, responding in a similar tone. âAs long as sheâs okay. That tremor couldâve been worse.â
âI still canât quite figure out where that pressure is coming from. Itâs⊠very strange, to say the least. And itâs particularly strong in this room.â
âYou donât think it has anything to do with Elizabeth, do you?â
â⊠Probably not. Chances are it has ties with that tremor, but I may be wrong. For now, weâll see what becomes of it tomorrow.â
Luckily for Elizabeth, the pair left almost as soon as they came, closing the door behind them. Once she was sure they had gone back to bed, she swiftly rose from hers and returned to the closet.
Naturally, she put the robe away and replaced it with her cape. However, she couldnât help but pause as she held the hat in her hands. The hatâŠ
There was something⊠oddly comforting about it. She couldnât quite explain it, but the sensation she felt was very much there. Placing it back on her head, the Gothitelle turned on her heel to face the windows.
It was too dangerous to stay here. She could feel immense power and pressure under her skin, just begging to be released. And this was not the place to give in.
She would have to leave once more.
At the door, she saw no one peeking in to watch her. Good.
Soundlessly, Elizabeth opened the window and floated out. A simple snap of her fingers would set the lock back in place from the other side. And with that, the hatted specter flew off into the night. Not daring to leave a trace of her presence behind.
She sought out a wide open space, where potential damage would be minimal. Meadows and fields were best. Thankfully, there were a good number of these in Nevora. And soon enough, Elizabeth discovered a quiet meadow with plenty of room for her to expel her pent up energy. And plenty of distance from her village.
Before she would proceed, however, the Gothitelle checked her surroundings with a single psychic sweep. No signs of life to be found. She was safe.
With that in mind, Elizabeth allowed every muscle in her body to relax and go still. Until her form began to tremble uncontrollably. She drew deep, shuddering breaths. Seconds later, her body unleashed a powerful, unrelenting flow of energy that dispersed like the rolling tide. Lavender Psychic kicked up powdery snow, blowing it across the hills and far off into the distance. Bolts of electricity lashed out, threatening to split nearby trees if they happened to be close by. The ground rumbled under Elizabethâs immense Pressure, and any local Pokemon who could sense it hastily fled the area. That is, if they hadnât been floored by it.
How could someone like her possess such raw power? It was very unnerving.
Elizabeth stretched her limbs with a subtle groan. It felt good to finally let that energy go. But that didnât shake the qualms she had for her new form. How was she going to reverse this? Was it permanent? Temporary? A situation of âone thing by day, another by nightâ? Who knew.
Once that extra energy was expelled and fully dissipated, Elizabethâs powers subsided and her Pressure let up considerably. Lowering herself to the ground, Elizabeth landed with nary a peep, and lifted her gaze to the sky. She had nowhere to go, really. Unless she felt like wandering and exploring the world, perhaps. But Elizabeth was too concerned with this strange predicament on her hands. And it was quite late.
There was the possibility of going to Nysa and asking for help. But hadnât she helped her a lot today? Would it be rude to ask for more? The sorceress mustâve been in bed by now, too.
She couldnât help thinking about that dream she had, either. What did it mean? Was there anything she could glean from it besides pure madness, pain, and destruction? What if it had something to do with the siblingsâ present situation?
Elizabeth was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a presence in her vicinity. It came to her like a drop in the water, waves rippling out towards her. Looking around, it took her only a moment to pinpoint the exact location of its owner.
The spectral Gothitelle slowly turned her head to the side, blue eyes peering over her shoulder. Her voice was still quite soft in tone, but it was a bit deeper and very audible as it lingered on her lips with a slight echo.
âYou can come out now. I know youâre there.â
{ Elizabeth is now available for asks. }
