"You ok kid?" Dion asked.

"I'm scared. What is this house? It's not nice." Dillee and Oolong tried to speak to the kid together. "Young chapette, you are in good hands, I promise thee." Said Dillee, holding a leafy hand out. "Yeah, you're alright, kid. Come on, we'll take you to the safe room." Said Oolong, smiling away.

The child took Dillee's leafy green gesture and walked with the two. It was a lot for him to take in. An unfamiliar place, strange happenings and full of strangers of all sorts of varieties. They asked him his name along the way. "My name is Tom. I'm 10, and I don't know why or how I got here; I just want to go home." Poor kid… He must be freaking out with how many weirdos he's having to be around right now.

Dion put her hand on his shoulder as Dillee and Oolong walked him into the room. He didn't react much more than feigning a smile at her.

"They say you shall be fine in here, boy. My keen senses aren't detecting anything out of the ordinary, so they are probably right." Dillee handed Tom a cranky Joe's havre bar that he had stashed away. Luckily, being rammed full of preservatives, it has a long shelf life, though why he had a full bar was anyone's guess.

Tom looked at it and looked back at them walking out the door. "Thanks," he muttered as they left, shutting the door behind them.

Now that someone's been found, we could proceed forward. None of the doors on the sides were able to open as we passed by. Probably a good thing to be fair; if there are no living voices making themselves known, I'd rather not waste any time.

It seemed Dion was going to be our Wardi whilst we were in here, however, so you know what? This is the Dion arc; readers have fun with her now, whilst I cry in the back with Horace. #replaced #hurt feelings

I'm glad it wasn't our first time in such an eerie location. The powers gifted to me keep my spirits high, but for the others it's not so easy.

Only a year ago we had that call out to the estate in the swamps. Ghosts are not our forte, but we got those kids out. But this is not the time for reminiscing.

One thing I've picked up on as we ventured further down this corridor. It's not nearby, but there's a lot of it regardless: a strong smell of iron, which likely means there's either some sort of smithing locale inside the home or there have been a few victims.

And it seems like one of our new friends has picked up on it too. "I hope that's NOT WHAT I think it is." Piped Horace

I ignored him; morale is low, and I'm not feeding anyone's psyche with bad thoughts. Especially not Slimmy Kryptic. We need him stable, just in case non-physical types are lurking about.

Squelch, squelch.

fuck I thought quickly, glancing down. Dark red liquid all over the floor. There's no mistaking that consistency; it's blood for sure. "Keep walking; we should try to reach the next area."

The smell of blood was hard to ignore, but everyone was on alert, looking around. As quickly as that house interfered with us last time, it was probably fully capable of doing the same again at a moment's notice.

Dion could feel something, something in the walls...watching their every move. Calculating an opportunity to strike or lure one of the group. What it was, she couldn't say for sure, but the malicious intent was there. She looked back to see where everyone was. Almost shouting from fright as a headless figure seemed to silently have rushed towards Horace and Oolong at the back of the line before dispersing into thin air.

MC spoke to Dion; looking back, he couldn't see what got her spooked. "What's up? Did you see or hear something? Dion didn't respond; turning, she simply waved her hand to say keep going forward.

The group couldn't have predicted it, but the lurker in the walls had them right where it wanted them to fall.

Children's laughter began to echo around the corridor. The ceilings shook, and the pictures on the walls danced around as if possessed. Weapons were readied, but they could not protect against what happened next. All went silent after a brief bout of ghostly introductions. From the grounds came tiny clawed hands and voices belonging to demons. Little widdle sickle, slash slash DrØp. Off roll the heads of thieves in my STED. I pick you and you and the REST; it's time to put yourselves up for a test.

A moment of circus-like madness, a picture that could have been framed for all to see and cherish. The demented faces of a group that will perish.

Some did the splits, others a clean face plant, but nonetheless ... the hands did not discriminate. A door and another, then two more, did open, and hands grabbed the legs of two and pulled the group apart.

Dion with Slimmy, Horace with Oolong, Dillee with Bo and Mc with Grinzy. Screams and scrambling came from the group as they clawed the floor in protest. Down below they went.

"Fuck what's going on! Can you all hear me !?" Dion shouted. No voices came.

Slimmy was panicking and curled up in a ball, trembling with fear.

Damn it, I need the others. She rushed over to Slimmy and comforted him with a hug. His abnormally slender and nimble appendages wrapped around her tightly; she could feel he was getting more and more scared, and his heart practically exploded from his chest.

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Turning round and readying herself, the headless figure she saw before slowly walked towards them, only now armed with two long chains with spiked balls at the ends being dragged along the floor. It sounded like wood being sawn only amplified as it ripped up the floorboards. Splinters flung up and at the armour of the figure.

Despite its lumbering slow movements initially, it has begun changing colours and in turn unleashed a twin attack that launched the ball and chain towards Dion and Slimmy. Slimmy dived out of the way and peppered the figure with energy bullets that pushed it backwards. Dion attempted to grapple with one of the chains in an attempt to wrestle it from the figure.

A futile attempt; it simply resummoned it after letting go.

A brief look away, and Dion could see the impact of the ball crashing into the walls did absolutely nothing. So, the walls just instantly repair any damage; the floor does not self-repair? Dion thought to herself. Dion jumped back towards Slimmy. "Slimmy, I'm going to grab him, then I need you to shoot the floor. Got it? Slimmy, in response, trembled and lurched back far in surprise; he shook his head and tried to grab Dion's hand as she charged forward. Oh nO I haTe ThiS PresSuRE! Anxious thoughts raced through his mind as he blasted the floor in a circle where the two grappled.

Dion, with a great lift and slam, suplexed the figure, and both began crashing down into the floor below. "Shield me from danger, oh great one!" A bright green light erupted upwards, followed by a splosh and sploosh of two bodies hitting the watery substance below. The figure thrashed around fizzing and dissolving, slapping the water in panic. As it ended, the fluids surrounding Dion drained away. And that was when she noticed the door in the wall light up.

Slimmy, get down here. The way out is through a door here! His nimble and overly long limbs helped him drop down into the room like a spider dangling from a thread. His soft landing was noted with a nod by Dion, and the two proceeded through the door. Four companions had returned, yet MC and Grinzy had not.

"Hey bud, any idea what we can do here?" Grinzy grinned at MC, who was trying not to lose his shit dealing with his temporary companion. I haven't zinged in a while; give me strength, please. MC began trying anything to proceed. Punching the walls, door and the floor. Each time it resulted in an outburst: Bugger, fuck and ah, why isn't it more like paper!?" MC shook his hands from the pain, hoping it would help. That's when he noticed that Grinzy was no longer in the room.

"Grinzy? Where've you gone, mate?" MC's heart rate began to creep up; a chill in the air formed. And slowly in front of him a red mist began to rise and change shape in the air. He could see fingers forming, flesh and ligaments attaching to bone, and grotesque squelches as a person began to take shape. Headless, just like the other pairs foe. No weapon yet; prevention would make more sense here. MC thought whilst pulling out a very basic old spear he had in his inventory. He shoved it downwards through its torso straight into the floor. Arms flailing around in what he assumed was pain, he found it hard not to laugh at how anticlimactic that just was.

"Fate denier, must I aid you in all your accidents?"

Silence and stillness. It had been a while since that familiar voice had made an appearance.

Annoyed and relieved, MC blurted out, "Tofla!?" into the frozen room. A darkened fissure formed in the air; the serpent eye slowly materialised into view. The deep, booming voice was oddly calming.

Tell me, how did you fall into such an obvious trap like this? There was a tone of humour in Tofla's voice compared to the usual dry and emotionless one that MC remembered.

Well, it wasn't bloody intentional, MC thought. Though he did find it funny, despite being a little annoyed.

"Travelling along the woods, we reached a cabin and heard screaming. Obviously, we couldn't just ignore it. Then the cabin seemed to have a mind of its own, and we were forced into this place." A long-winded sigh came from MC as he became more and more frustrated at the thought of it all.

MC could hear Tofla trying not to laugh. "Hm-hmph-ha-HA! Oh, that is unfortunate! Do try to keep on track with things; I do not have eyes on all of you."

Curious about the words, he tried to pry information from Tofla, but it was no use, for an entity like Tofla is prepared for such trivial things. "I know thy words pique interest, MC. The threads are weak and fickle, however. Attention must not be drawn to the plans in place; too much time and effort have been put in to make it happen."

"Thanks for the vagueness, MATE. So, what can you tell me?" frustratingly tapping the floor with his boot MC had no patience today. Grinzy popped through the ceiling like a balloon and then reinflated their massive head. "I was not expecting you to have company, and especially not another important individual like them. Grinzy, it has been a very long time since we last met."

"You know this floating smiling head? Surely, I can get at least some information from you, Tofla!?" MC's frustrations turned tapping the floor into taps and booting the floor. Tap, tap, THUD.

Grinzy turned upside down. The grin became a sad smile, and a croaky voice burst forth from it. "As we bathe in warm glows, the sproutlings come forth. How good to encounter you again, Tofla. And yes, MC. Whilst it has been many millennia since we last met, we are INDEED friends, hee-hee."

"How fares the investigation? Grinzy, are you making progress on the source of the incident itself?" Tofla asked, shifting the air around them all to one that was one filled with warmth despite the cold, piercing void the eye was coming from.

"We know the person, but we don't know how or why. One thing has become clear: Earth is where it all began…" Grinzy's voice trailed off into a croaky, ribbity cackle. MC, feeling left out of the conversation, decided to chime in.

"Can you have a reunion some other time? I'm so bloody confused right now." "No, the grownups are talking; you're not the chosen one. There's a much bigger picture here." Grinzy responded quickly. The door opened, and MC skulked into the corridor.

"Be careful, Grinzy. An Invørsår came to be here not long ago; it stands to reason that many of the forbidden arts may have also returned." The word frightened Grinzy. His mouth wide open.

"How? We destroyed the scripture; it shouldn't be possible for those wicked things to return."

"That is something I do not know. It is not something we can focus on right now either; the projects at hand require attention. MC is dealing with the Invørsår that manage to be summoned.

"Then that leaves us on Earth, investigating the origin point and the one fighting on Scion." Croaked Grinzy.

"For now, yes, but it seems there's a new issue that's risen… Rising Dawn. They are fanatics of Serilia. Or so they claim. His friends, they are fighting with a member of that group as we speak. Let us reunite another time. I've deactivated some of the traps here, but I need to return. I have grown weak, travelling to such a distorted place. Go, help this lot get back." Tofla's voice faded, and the room returned to normal. Grinzy returned to their normal grinning self, floating in the air.

"About time you finished up in there!" MC said from outside the room. Grinzy floated past the still flailing figure, and into the hallway.

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