Aubrey felt... good. Confessing her story to Seraphine had been oddly therapeutic, all things considered. Granted, she had held back some important details—like not being the Aubrey from this world—but it was still cathartic. The look on the girl's face when she'd realized she wasn't lying was priceless too. She wished she could have taken a picture of it.
Seraphine didn't trust her, of course. She wouldn't be much of a Hunter if she did. But at least she'd given her some semblance of credence. That had to count for something, right?
Either way, it was enough for now.
Maybe they'll even become friends in time? Who knows? Stranger things have happened.
If there was one thing she'd learned from this conversation, it was that Seraphine was very much a woman of principle. She might not believe everything Aubrey said, but she wouldn't let that sway her from pursuing the truth. She was like a bloodhound—tenacious and determined. It was endearing in its own way.
More importantly, having a third party investigate the Luminous Consortium and The Iron Circle would be extremely helpful in exposing their plot. She couldn't afford to draw too much attention to herself without revealing her cards to her enemies.
Having someone with access to resources beyond what she could obtain on her own could only be a boon. She couldn't afford to draw too much attention to herself without revealing her cards to her enemies. But if Seraphine could do the legwork for her...
It would also be nice to have a friend who wasn't an Unhallowed. Someone her own age, or at least close enough, to talk to about normal things. That'd be a nice change of pace. And if Seraphine ended up siding with her in the end... well, that would just make things even easier.
As Aubrey walked through the district, she let her mind wander, thinking about all the places she'd yet to explore. She hadn't even gotten to the good parts of Thornhaven yet. This whole place was a labyrinth of dark streets and secret passageways, with various interconnected subdistricts leading off into the unknown.
There had to be some kind of information broker around here, right? Someone who could help her fill in the blanks.
Aubrey continued exploring, eventually finding herself walking down a familiar backstreet—the same one where she heard the strange melody that brought her to a narrow plaza where a masked street performer wearing a dark robe performed for a group of people.
Just as she recalled the tunes, the same hauntingly beautiful melody permeated the air, drawing her attention to the crowd of people gathered at the far end of the plaza.
The same masked figure and the quintet of small figures draped in similar fabrics, just as before. The only difference was that this time, fewer people were watching the performance.
As the melody continued to play, the performer swayed and moved their body in a mesmerizing dance, their arms twirling and whirling with an otherworldly grace. Meanwhile, the small figures moved around them in perfect sync, dancing to the music performed by an unseen choir.
It was surreal—the music, the movement, everything. Aubrey couldn't tear her eyes away from the spectacle.
She took a few steps closer, then stopped, feeling as if she'd just walked into a dream. Everything around her seemed to blur together, fading away into a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds. She felt dizzy, disoriented, like she was falling through a void.
Aubrey blinked, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. When she opened her eyes again, the world had returned to normal, and the crowd was gone.
Huh. Did they just... disappear?
She looked around, but the only ones left in the plaza were the masked performer—who now stood still, facing her—and the small figures, who continued their synchronized dance.
"Um..." Aubrey said, not knowing what else to say.
The performer bowed deeply, then held out a hand toward her. The small figures stopped dancing and also bowed, their arms outstretched in a similar gesture.
Is this an invitation? Or a challenge?
Aubrey looked at them for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then, curiosity getting the better of her, she stepped forward and took the performer's hand.
To her surprise, the hand she grasped wasn't the warm and pliable flesh of a person's limb but the hard, segmented wooden joints of a mannequin. She nearly recoiled from the shock, but the performer's grip on her was firm.
The small figures gathered around her legs, wrapping their thin, almost insectoid limbs around her thighs and calves. Their embrace wasn't constricting, but it was firm enough to make it clear they had no intention of letting her go.
"What—" Aubrey began, but the words died in her throat as the masked figure suddenly grabbed her shoulders and spun her around, its hands pressing down on her back. She felt herself being pushed forward, guided by the small figures holding onto her legs.
It's leading me somewhere.
Aubrey let herself be led, following the directions of the small figures and the push of the masked figure's hands. She passed through an archway that led into a narrow passage, where she saw several doors lining both sides of the walls. Each door had a symbol carved into its surface—a sigil of sorts.
The masked figure stopped in front of one of the doors, reaching out and placing a hand against the sigil carved into its surface. It glowed briefly before fading away, and the door swung open, revealing a dark room beyond.
The small figures released their hold on Aubrey's legs, and she stepped through the doorway. The masked figure followed close behind, letting the door swing shut behind them.
Once inside, Aubrey found herself standing in a circular chamber with no windows or other exits. The only illumination came from a single orb of crimson light suspended above a table in the center of the room. On the table sat a wooden box, intricately carved and polished to a mirror shine.
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Aubrey looked at the masked figure, who had moved to stand beside the table. The performer placed a hand on top of the box, then gestured for her to approach.
"Um... okay?" Aubrey said hesitantly, taking a few steps forward. She stood in front of the table, looking down at the box.
The masked figure nodded once, then lifted the lid of the box, revealing a glass orb nestled within a velvet-lined interior. The orb was filled with a swirling, multicolored liquid that seemed to glow with an inner light. It reminded Aubrey of a lava lamp—the way it moved and shifted in constant motion.
As she stared at the orb, the small figures gathered around the masked figure's feet, their hands folded neatly in front of them. They stood motionless, watching her with those glassy eyes of theirs.
Aubrey swallowed nervously. She had a bad feeling about this, but curiosity got the better of her once more. Reaching out, she placed a hand on top of the orb.
Instantly, the liquid inside the orb began to swirl faster, swirling and churning until it became a vortex of colors. Images flashed through Aubrey's mind—flashes of faces, places, and things. It was like watching a movie on fast-forward, but somehow, she understood what she was seeing.
She saw a blindingly white room with a single chair in the center, its occupant... a young girl with disheveled red hair... strapped down by leather straps. The person's face was obscured by a blindfold, but she could tell that the woman was in pain—her body twisted and wracked by tremors, sweat dripping from her skin.
An o-ring held her mouth open as she whimpered, but no one responded to her cries. Tubes and wires protruded from various parts of her body, mainly around her neck and chest, some connected to machines while others snaked into the floor or ceiling. They fed her nutrients and fluids and other things that kept her alive.
The girl struggled against her bonds, tears streaming down her face.
There were men in white coats around her, standing in a semi-circle. She couldn't make out their faces, but they seemed to be speaking to each other in hushed voices.
One of them, a woman with dark hair tied back in a bun, reached out and placed a hand on the girl's head, stroking her hair gently.
"It'll all be over soon," she said in a soothing voice. "Just hang on a little longer. Now... try that falsetto once more."
Aubrey snatched her hand away from the orb as if it burned her, taking several steps back from the table.
"What the hell..." she gasped, shaking her head to clear the visions from her mind. The small figures continued to stare at her, unmoving. The masked figure stood motionless, their hand still resting on the lid of the box.
Aubrey looked at them for a moment, then asked in a trembling voice, "Who are you?"
The masked figure didn't respond, remaining silent. It continued to stare at her with those empty sockets, its expression hidden behind the porcelain mask.
"Answer me!" Aubrey shouted, her voice echoing through the chamber. "What did you show me?!"
Again, the masked figure remained silent, their posture unchanging. The only sound in the room was the soft hum of the orb and the gentle whisper of the liquid inside it as it swirled and churned.
Aubrey stared at them for a moment, then turned and ran out of the room, pushing past the small figures and out into the alley.
She kept running, her heart pounding in her chest, until she reached the end of the alleyway. Then she stopped, leaning against a wall and panting heavily. Her legs trembled, and her head swam with the visions from the orb.
Who was that girl? What had they done to her? And why did it seem like... Aubrey knew her?—wait... it couldn't be…
The young girl in the vision...she looked like... a younger version of herself from this world. Aubrey's eyes widened, realization dawning on her. Was that... her? Had she been that girl? Did that mean she had suffered that torture and torment? It had felt so real. That pain... those emotions... She could still feel them.
Aubrey sank to her knees, her breathing ragged. She grasped her head, digging her fingers into her scalp. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she fell forward, curling up into a ball on the cobblestone ground.
A roiling sea of dark thoughts and emotions swirled inside her. She wanted to scream, to rage, to tear down the walls around her and destroy everything in sight. Instead, she bit her lips, gritting her teeth so hard she tasted blood. Her body trembled, but she held herself back, forcing down the storm inside her.
If she let it loose now, she might never stop.
What did she do during moments like this? She could play her guitar, but she left it back at the cathedral. The alternative...
She took deep breaths, steadying herself. Slowly, she stood up, leaning against the wall for support. As she made her way back to the small plaza connecting a nexus of narrow alleyways, she hummed an old familiar tune from her memories, keeping the melody steady in her mind. It helped calm her nerves and focus her thoughts.
Her voice grew louder as she walked, humming becoming singing. She needed the release.
As Aubrey sang, the words flowed out of her, rising from the depths of her soul. Each note resonated with the emotions inside her—a catharsis that cleansed her mind and spirit. Her voice carried across the empty streets, echoing through the deserted alleys. It was a haunting sound—both beautiful and sad at the same time.
It didn't matter if anyone heard her or not. She didn't care. She just needed to sing. To let the music flow through her and carry away the darkness inside her.
As Aubrey continued to sing, her voice grew stronger and clearer, taking on an almost ethereal quality. She closed her eyes, letting the melody envelop her as she surrendered herself to the music.
She sang until her throat was raw and her lungs burned. She sang until there were no more words left inside her. And when the last note faded away, she stood there for a moment, letting out a shaky breath. She looked up at the sky, which had grown dark with clouds. The air smelled of rain, and thunder rumbled in the distance.
The system message appeared in front of her face, snapping her out of her daze. Well, at least something good came out of it.
Huh? Delayed much?
The only time she received several system messages at once were during Unhallowed Harmony's concerts. No one was around, but did people hear her singing somewhere? Probably from the surrounding buildings' acoustic. No one bothered to open their windows or doors to applaud her, so she assumed that must be it.
Oh well. Experience is experience.
Aubrey ran a hand through her hair and sighed.
"I need a drink," she muttered to herself, pushing off the wall and making her way toward the main street.
Suddenly, terrified screams began to echo through the alleys around her, coming from multiple directions.
What the...
Aubrey ran toward the sound, stopping when she reached an intersection between two alleyways. She peered around the corner, spotting several people fleeing from an apartment building down one of the paths.
From the doorway emerged a man, his body twisting and morphing into something monstrous. His limbs elongated, growing thick and leathery, and his head stretched into a grotesquely misshapen shape. His back sprouted tentacles that writhed and squirmed.
He lumbered after the people, moving with a jerky, ungainly gait. His mouth opened wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth and a long, forked tongue that lashed out at those too slow to escape.
More screams erupted from nearby as people raced down the alleys. Another monster appeared, shambling out of another doorway. And another. And another. They all looked similar, their bodies morphing and shifting into twisted abominations.
Aubrey backed away, her eyes widening in horror. She had seen this before—during that underground fighting arena. But this was different. There were more of them, and they seemed to be emerging from everywhere at once.
What's going on?!