Lanipator Plays Amnesia

by RockinAnime

As Daniel moves through the castle of Brennenburg in search of Alexander he hears a rather annoying voice in his head. Image drawn by Hasana-chan from deviantART

11. Hide and go seekTO THE DEATH!

"Recording now."

Are you taking notes or something?

Daniel drank in the sight of the Transept. There were empty cages hanging from above that were made to house prisoners, windows littered the walls and let in a soft blue light. Despite the windows' help though, it was still too dark to see much of the details.

"Ok, Daniel, let's figure out where the fuck we are."

The transept, like those in a church.

There was a strange sound. Like that of a bird taking flight from in a bush or tree.

"Cages…"

Daniel walked onwards and was greeted by a bright light. He sadly noticed that it did not hurt Lani like it usually did.

"Woah!"

The voice was that of a male prisoner. Daniel could not be sure if he knew this one, the male voices ran together easily. Alexander's accompanying voice at the end was more than recognizable though.

"How much more, Baron? How much more am I supposed to withstand? Kill me already – kill me!"

"Well, if you insist."

"This one. Prepare him."

The familiar flash reappeared as the scene ended; it was useless like so many were.

"And thus he was prepared."

In front of him, Daniel saw a black spiral staircase that was previously hiding in the shade of the room. He much preferred looking at the windows for light though; he had been wrong about the color, there was also a tinge of green to it.

"Kay, spiral staircase…. You know, I am so confused as to where the hell I am."

The transept, you said so yourself.

"As far as I'm concerned, I took an elevator down how many stories? Like, 'deep beneath the stones of Brennenburg', and yet with like a tiny ladder climb up – after going further into the sewers, might I mention…I can see light out these windows."

Each of the aforementioned events made Daniel's body ache in memory of the injuries they supplied, but Lani did raise a very good point. Daniel was not sure how to answer him, the best guess he had is that the light outside the windows was artificial.

"Ugh, whatever. Let's see what's behind door number one!"

Pressing on was the best option. Daniel opened the door at the end of the hall and saw more darkness.

Oh joy.

"Darkness! Why wouldn't there be?"

Daniel lit his lantern and continued inside. There were sounds of crying, groaning, and panting all entering Daniel's head against his will.

No more! I've heard more than enough!

"Charming."

The sounds grew louder and Daniel lit one of the candles at a corner to make things easier.

"Not gonna waste my lantern oil."

The candle did not make things easier and the sounds were getting louder.

"Ok, maybe I will."

The loudest sound was a man sniveling, but he was soon drowned out by a woman's sad groans and a man in panic. There was labored breathing as if someone, a woman, was running low of air. There were quiet scream and sounds of pain. There was the squeaking of rats.

"It's ok little ratty-rats."

The woman that seemed low on air panted heavily and quickly; she seemed to be having a panic attack.

"Hey, get over your god damn claustrophobia."

The sounds faded into a single feeling of horror as Daniel reached the end of the hall and found another door made of wood and metal.

"Let's see what we got here…."

Inside was a thick trail of blood that led to and from an odd wooden piece.

"Bloody room."

To his right was a candle post so Daniel snuffed out his lantern's flame and lit that instead.

"Candles. Tinder."

What cohesive thoughts, Lani.

The room was hardly lit but it was better than wasting oil.

"Tinder, anything? Hey a box."

It was actually a bucket on the floor that Daniel picked up.

"Nope, nope, just a, uh…."

Thoughts of the prisoners, that girl, the crying woman, the multiple men, it all came and went. Various sounds and images rushed over Daniel as they had come and gone too often. To snap himself back, Daniel through the bucket to the wall. There was a loud clank and it was all right again. On that same wall however was an image that was far from helpful. It was a drawing of a naked body hung upside-down by the ankles using the wooden contraption in the room. Blood rushed down the body and into a drain below it as two men were actually sawing the man in half. Daniel felt ill.

"Oh my. Well that…that must have been painful."

To say the least.

A faint glimmer caught Daniel's eye and he lit his lantern to be certain of what he saw. There were two coils of rope as well as some odd pieces of it and many blood splatters covering both the rope and the floor. The glimmer had come from a dark mauve piece of the orb. Daniel hated the thing but knew he needed it and tucked it into his satchel.

"What're you? A piece of an Orb."

Daniel was staring at the ground, transfixed. A drain was below the wooden stand like in the picture and it was completely red with blood.

"Gross."

Daniel felt ill again as well as in pain. He rested one hand against the left beam of the device and was greeted with a bright light of memory that Lani had to narrate for him.

"Woah!"

Lani decided to be dramatic in his reading again.

"The rapist hanged upside down, his tears soiled with blood flooding from his belly. The saw between his legs had lodged itself in the hip and wouldn't move any further. The men stepped back and waited for the victim to drain."

There was a pause and Daniel removed his hand, convinced Lani was through. The light faded and vanished. While that was indeed an excruciating form of torture, it did seem a fitting end for a rapist.

"Cooking with Ed Gein!"

I do not know that man but if he comes to mind after that I'm sure he deserves to be the victim of this devise as well.

Next to the drain Daniel spotted the saw. It was amazingly clean and it did not seem too long. Daniel lifted it and contemplated its uses. While not very long it still would require both of his hands. Attacking with a sawing motion would take too long and end in death; Daniel swung it to see its prospects of becoming a blunt weapon instead.

"See, Daniel, if you could just learn to WEILD SOMETHING, you'd have a weapon right now."

This saw cannot be practically used as a weapon, Lani. A person as violent as yourself should know that.

Daniel left the saw behind and Lani groaned.

"Whatever…doesn't seem to be anything else in this hallway either, so…."

Lani was right, and so conserve oil Daniel snuffed the lantern out and ran down the hall instead. His legs were not appreciative.

"Run, a-run, a-run, a-run, a-run, a-run, a-run-a."

They had reentered the main room and Daniel shut the door behind him.

"And here we are, back in the main hall. Still no monsters…."

Why, Lani? Just…why must you always bring them up? You think perhaps I'll stop being afraid if I don't hear about them constantly? Would that be so terrible that you have made it your mission to focus every second of this horrendous journey on monsters? Well, bravo to you and you dedication!

"There aren't very many puzzles here either…."

Because it is a demonic castle, not a game!

"Are we just, like, lucking out, Daniel?"

Not if you continue to mention it, because we have firmly established that every time things go right something must go horribly wrong!

"'Cause I don't know if you deserve it."

Daniel was midway through opening a door when Lani said that and nearly lost it; not with immediate rage though, this time it built up.

"More darkness!"

I don't deserve it? After all of this…bullshit? I have burned my hand, fallen God knows how many stories in an elevator crash, fractured – if not broken – my legs, have YOU still inside my head, my only real form of communication is with a jawless man, I still have next to no idea about who I am or the history behind any of this, I'm still being followed by the shadow which is apparently from an Orb's curse, monsters are after me almost everywhere, I have recently become hydrophobic as well as claustrophobic, my sanity is always on the brink, I may already be crazy, and I have to go kill an old man who is apparently fucking magical! And YOU…have the AUDACITY…to say that I do not deserve a break amongst all of this? FUCK YOU, LANI, NICK, OR WHATEVER THE BLOODY HELL YOUR NAME IS!

Revenge was served with a bright light.

"OW! AHH – NOT DARKNESS!"

OH BOO-FUCKING-HOO!

The voice that starred was one of the men.

"Let me go, you brute!"

Lani obviously mocked this with a whining voice.

"You brute, you savage!"

Daniel's former self spoke in a calm tone.

"The cradle is ready."

Alexander spoke in a more devious version of a calm tone.

"Good."

The man spoke in bewilderment.

"You? You are a man…how can you partake in this?"

Did this man know Alexander was not a mortal? Did he simply start to see him as a monster?

"Because I am a man!"

Daniel asked a question that was on the mind of both his selves granted the odd nature of the question.

"Is he all right?"

There was a silence filled only by the sounds of metal clanking; chains Daniel presumed.

"…is he all right? What the fuck are you talking about?"

It took so long for Alexander to respond it was obvious he was searching for something to reassure Daniel's former self; a lie. If it had been true he could have answered immediately, but instead he paused.

"He is one of the wicked. Don't pay his lies any attention."

The man was weeping; Daniel lit a candle knowing this would take some time.

"I'm not a bad man."

"Took ya' long enough with that one."

"It was an accident…"

Alexander's words held that familiar force of command to them. Even if he was lying or embellishing, he made Daniel want to believe his words.

"He set a man on fire."

The man gave a poor attempt at defending himself.

"It wasn't my fault!"

Lani mocked the man with the same whining voice.

"I didn't start the fire!"

"Why won't anyone listen…?"

"It was always burning since the world's been turning!"

Daniel's former self did not pay the prisoner the slightest bit of mind; he was still focused on Alexander.

"That's horrible."

Though not exactly Alexander's original intention, his words made Daniel remember and worry like Lani's did.

"Of course – we are dealing with monsters here."

The ending flash came and went with Lani's words and Daniel running down the hall.

"Not the literal monsters that you face, Daniel, but, you know, man-monsters, like you."

I AM NOT A MONSTER!

"I'm still betting you're an evil son of a bitch, Daniel."

I AM NOT!

"I am not gonna…I am not going to, you know, just sit back and say you're not a monster."

I am not a God damn monster, Lani! If anything, YOU are!

With more force than was necessary, Daniel swung the metal door at the end of the hallway open. Immediately across the room Daniel saw what he knew was the cradle; he even knew it to be properly called the Judas Cradle, a small metal pyramid atop wooden posts used for impaling.

"Ew…."

Shackles hung from the ceiling and Daniel saw not so much as a drop of blood on the cradle. It must have been cleaned rather well. To the right was a collection of burlap sacks and Daniel could feel the influence of the Orb radiating from them. He moved two and found another piece, more of a light violet than a mauve color, resting on the ground.

"Well…pretty sure I know where this one goes…. Hey, hey! Wow, just right behind the first thing I check? That's too convenient."

Never look a gift-horse in the mouth, Lani.

Daniel collected his prize and continued his search of the room; he found another bright light.

"Piece of an Orb…AH! God, my lantern's like a flash bang!"

Daniel was not certain of what Lani was referencing but the meaning was clear. The prisoner from before was the star again, only now he was crying and begging.

"No, no, please. I'll do anything. Whatever you want. Anything…I'll do anything. I'm innocent!"

"Are you really though?"

The flash reappeared and left as Daniel found himself agreeing with Lani's words, if only because he knew the man's crime.

"Is anybody really innocent?"

Daniel wanted to say he was, but he was no longer sure. Once the flash had completely vanished Daniel saw and collected a tinderbox that was sitting on a chair.

"Tinder! Tinder is innocent; it sits on a chair and watches."

Daniel looked to the cradle and grew hungry for its story. He hoped his touching it would have the same effect touching the saw's accompanying frame did. Daniel was right, and Lani narrated with a few pauses and comments as Daniel stared at the pure white light.

"Oh wow, that's a really…. The arsonist kept crying as he was slowly lowered on…on and off the impaler. Oo, not fun. It didn't take much to break him. They had meant for him to die, but the torture was working beyond their expectations. It wasn't the method, it was the arsonist, he was different from the others. They could make him forget again."

Lani's voice was cheery at the end as Daniel slowly connected the voice of the arsonist to previous encounters. He was the man in the prison saying the man should have known better than to go into a burning house. He was the one who sounded like Daniel in the second dungeon, calmly speaking of his lost memory and his wounds. Of course, he was the man whose cries Daniel had just heard. While screams did not hold much of a resemblance to speaking voices on most occasions, Daniel was almost certain he was the main man who had being screaming as the woman cried.

"Why? What?"

Daniel removed his hand from the filthy object, even though it did not appear dirty in the least. While no blood was on the cradle, there was a large path of it on the floor.

"I'm confused."

I don't see what's so confusing about it.

Daniel ran from the room like before to save his oil. His legs were still in agony, but the various stories of torture made the pain, as well as his sanity, slightly less apparent.

"Straight down the hallway…. Run, Daniel! The creeping, crackling sound is gonna get ya'."

Daniel closed the door behind him and walked to the final door, not including any above. The bird-like sound of flapping wings sounded again.

"Flutter, flutter, flutter…are there birds in here?"

Past the door was more darkness. This was like the tunnel system the girl and her mother had made. The girl was running from Daniel. She was crawling through the tunnel and running away the moment she was out. If Alexander knew a prisoner had escaped…if that bitch was his downfall….

"Find her!"

Lani paid no mind to the outburst; there was a rat.

"Little ratty-rat, you gonna show me the way?"

The rat ran to and along a wall as Lani spoke in an endearing voice.

"That's not the way, ratty-rat, that's a wall!"

The rat squeaked.

"He agrees, it is a wall."

Daniel could not stand having even two parts of the Orb, the effects were already difficult to handle. He entered the metal door in search of a third piece though.

Only for now…only for now….

Inside Daniel saw a rope hanging from the ceiling. At first he did not understand it, but he remembered how it was used when he saw the metal weight below it and the crank on the right wall.

"Hm, let's see here."

The device was too much for Daniel at the moment, so he went to the small layered table by the left wall. There was another illustration like in the saw room, but this one was for the device located here; the victim was a woman. Daniel averted his gaze to a tinder box on the lower shelf.

"Tinder, the only thing I really care about…other than lantern oil."

Daniel knew he had to come to grips with the torture devices if he was to finish the quest the victor. He stared at the drawing for preparation and was happy that it did not show anything particularly gruesome.

"That's a painful one too."

Daniel was in no mood for quips; the Orb pieces were heavy on his spirit and soul.

"Where is the one in here?"

The next piece was here somewhere. Daniel circled the room and saw the usual saving grace: a cupboard.

"Must be in this thing…"

The doors squeaked loudly as Daniel pushed them aside to show an Orb piece that seemed almost clear despite being a very light blue.

"Yoink, piece of Orb!"

The hunger for justice and pain was being kindled in Daniel more and more each time he collected a piece. He went to the crank, wanting to hear its story as well.

"A crank…"

Daniel glanced back at the weight and rope before returning his attention to the crank. He touched the handle on the left side a giggled it, waiting for the bright light. There was no light and Lani read nothing.

I must have to actually turn it….

He moved to look at the crank head on.

"Well I gotta stay on this side for this…"

Daniel turned the crank and heard as chains rattled.

Odd…the contraption has rope, not chains…unless it's the chain of the weight but this chain sounds much longer….

"Hey…"

A woman moaned in pain; she sounded worn and tired but Daniel kept turning after only a moment's pause.

"That sounds painful."

The chains were louder and the woman made small screams. Daniel paused but kept turning. There was a low groan in his mind, muffled and painful. He turned himself around to see the rope lifted to the top as he heard the sound of victim's being disjointed and even ripped apart.

"Perhaps I should have stopped at some point…"

Daniel looked at the ground and saw it covered with blood. He looked to the weight and the walls around him.

"Ok, those bells are annoying me, so we're gonna run out of here now…"

Daniel was breaking. He had no idea what bells Lani was speaking of, his sense of direction was failing him, and his pain only multiplied as he heard the pain of others. In a panic he lit his lantern and looked around himself after stepping out of the doorway. He saw the walls and every stone but he was convinced something would be there. Something had to be. He put out his lantern and ran. The moment he exited the door the castle groaned and shook again.

"And-"

Daniel closed the door, frightened and worried, and the castle slowly calmed. There was fog on the ground and Daniel's vision was blurred with terror and pain.

"Something stupid this way comes."

But you're already here, Lani. We can handle a lesser stupid.

At least Daniel was up to making quips again. As the ground beneath him creaked Daniel slowly stumbled to the spiral staircase. The railing was a god-sent given his weak legs, but he was still well aware this may prove to be a terrible idea.

"Now let's try the top of these stairs up here…"

Lani grunted as Daniel pulled himself upwards, relying more on his arms than his legs.

"Spiral staircases…Daniel's new worst enemy!"

Lani chuckled. Perhaps he would find it less funny if he were in this situation of blinding pain instead.

"You know, Daniel, it's not gonna be nearly as hard going down when I toss you down these."

Fuck you, Lani…

At last Daniel reached the top and was promptly greeted by one of Alexander's portraits.

"Hey, how's it going?"

The upper level looked like the earlier portions of the castle; portions before monsters, the bedroom, and so on.

"Alexander."

Closer to the stair-top was a portrait of the crucifixion. It appeared to be just after Jesus had been nailed and propped-up. Daniel looked away, hunching over to cope with pain. He heard a light thud, as if a book had fallen to the floor. The fluttering sound of wings sounded again.

"…know there's a door right there, but…"

Daniel used the railing of the stairs as a crutch as he made his way to Alexander's portrait. The man looked cold, cruel, and dignified. He was indeed a baron.

"S'up, freak?"

Daniel inwardly groaned.

Every time….

Lani hummed and the flapping sound of a bird's wings presented itself again as Daniel made his way to the only door on this level. Inside was a single room fitted to be another office or study. It was well lit and came complete with bookcases, decorations, a large rug, and the always present couple of a desk and chair. To the left was the one thing that did not quite fit with the room's theme: one of the layered metal end tables littered with a saw wheel, a hammer, scalpels, and a tinderbox.

"Tinder! While I ignore the saw blades, the hammer, and the…"

The desk was covered with brown paper, old books, an old oil lamp of an eastern design, a bottle of ink with a quill, and a neat coil of white string.

"R – string!"

Daniel took the string and left the drawers alone for now. He turned his attention to the first bookcase and saw a precious jar of lantern oil waiting for him.

"Oh my God…praise be to all the-"

The fluttering sound happened again and Daniel looked back for its source.

"Ok, seriously, are there birds in here?"

Nothing came forth and nothing made a sound. Daniel collected the oil as his ears began ringing. The ringing was annoying and grew steadily painful as it persisted.

"Let's see, I got string now."

Daniel looked through his satchel to consider what he could use the string on.

"Uh…oh my God, maybe I can make, like, a flail."

The pieces of the Orb called to Daniel, glimmering in the room's light. Daniel lifted the blue piece out of his bag and stared at it in wonder, the ringing sound leaving his ears. He made himself snap away from its grasp, shoving it back with the other pieces in his bag.

"No? Ok, uh, how 'bout a…meat flail?"

Oh brilliant idea, Lani, what could possibly be more threatening?

"No, ok…bucket flail?"

The glass jar did seem an appropriate companion for the string, so Daniel fastened it just below the opening where it would hold on the best.

"Glass jar with string…ok. I'll deal with that as I can."

Daniel returned his focus to the desk and opened the side compartment, finding one of Alexander's memory capsules.

"Hey, another one of these guys."

He crouched down and reached for the capsule. His touch brought on a screen of white and Lani's dramatic reading after an annoying screech.

"Ahhh!"

Ugh….

"Is it you, my love, I-"

Lani had started with a whining voice of mockery, but the words seemed to tell him a more appropriate tone was needed. He started again with a heartfelt, depressing, and even serious voice, one completely different than any Daniel would associate with Lani.

"Is it you, my love, I miss the most, or is it perhaps myself? I know what I have become, I am not blind. I am a monster to them, a demonic sultan perched on a dark mountain top."

Lani broke off to note how impressive Alexander's words were.

"How poetic."

Lani, I'm going blind, please hurry up.

"There is little I can do to redeem myself. The Black Eagle fears me and after Napoleon's defeat it is only a matter of time before they will demand my head on a platter. I must remove myself from this land. This is the time – This time it must work. If I can't return home now, I shall perish."

Daniel's eyes could take no more of the light and he released his grasp, causing the light to fade away.

Simply knowing you're a monster isn't enough, Alexander. Your head should be on a platter. You don't care about your crimes; you only acknowledge that you've committed them!

"Somebody pissed off somebody…"

Daniel opened the top drawer of the desk and found another piece of paper.

"Paper . Notes on torture, here we go."

Notes on Torture

There are quite a few things to be said about torture. I had figured that the reaction I would get from the victims would be highly individual. Thankfully this is not the case. The humans all have a very similar approach to dealing with physical pain and the terror of anticipation.

I can't stress enough the importance of restraining the victims before proceeding. Even the most timid creature can break out in fits of violence where their strength exceeds their expected prowess. If proper care has been put into breaking the victim, this should not be a problem, but it will also hinder the effect I am after. The right steps to take are, therefore: to restrain while the victim is still dazed, proceed by presenting the form of torture you are about to apply,and then to continue with the actual act.

The point of presentation is to infuse terror. The human mind is extremely efficient, as it will trigger itself into greater fear simply by imagining it. While applying pain, make sure to avoid massive damage as it will prove more efficient if the process can be sustained. Also, apply the pain in doses, if possible with breaks to let the body settle. If you are whipping or cutting the victim, strike once, wait for the pain to subdue, then strike again.

As long as the body suffers it will continue to produce the vitae and saturate the blood with its properties. Only with careful performance will the victim yield maximum effect. If the victim doesn't behave as expected, it is likely that all will be for naught. Before this happens, feed them the Amnesia drink and try again later.

"The Amnesia drink! Hey, hey, Daniel…you been chugging on something?"

Only for good reasons, Lani.

After tucking the note among the others in his journal, Daniel checked the other drawers and found nothing.

"That's all of it."

Daniel's legs cried again from abuse and Daniel crouched down, somehow not increasing the pain. With his legs in this state it was easier to apply pressure and if needed he could ignore his dignity and just crawl.

"Do the duck-walk."

How is this even like a duck?

The portrait of Alexander stared down at Daniel, making him feel even more insignificant and that was enough to motivate him back to his feet in defiance.

"Don't know why I was possessed to do that…. All right, Daniel-"

The Orb pieces pulsed through the bag's material, calling to Daniel. The blue piece he had held was especially loud and forceful as Alexander's portrait seemed to become more and more threatening.

"That shimmering blue light…"

Daniel returned to the room, away from Alexander's stare.

"Shimmering in the light…enchantment! …I didn't miss anything over here did I? No…"

The Orb pieces pulsed and felt as if they were becoming a part of Daniel's body.

"Let's see…let's fill up some of that lantern oil."

There was hardly any left, and hardly over half the lantern was full after Daniel added two more jars' worth. There was only one jar left like usual, along with twelve tinderboxes, five vials of sweet laudanum, a hammer and chisel, a leg of meat, a glass jar with a string, a crank for God knows what, and three Orb pieces of various colors including red, purple, and sea-green blue. Closing the satchel, Daniel made himself stop worrying over the portrait and made his way down the stairs.

"Yeah, Daniel, if I could I would throw you down these stairs."

As I would you.

The fluttering sound of wings came for what was at least the twentieth time.

"Think one of these birds would do it for me?"

There was nowhere left to search in this area, and hopefully the other would have no monsters either. After all, these areas had been by Agrippa for so long and the room he was in seemed untouched by monsters. That meant safety, right?

"That's the door I came in through, so…that's the door I leave through. 'Cause I can't think of anything else to do in here."

Daniel exited the room and made his way to the Nave.

"'Cause I already grabbed these Orb pieces…"

After the door was closed and Daniel was standing in darkness he heard the distict sound of water splashing. He quickly lit his lantern and saw nothing.

"Splash, splash…"

Soon Daniel remembered the water monster in the well and reentered the room.

"Is that you splashing in here?"

A torch was burning in the room so Daniel put his lantern out and away. He looked at the rope hanging above the well and followed it with his eyes to a crank that controlled a pulley system.

"Wait a minute…crank…"

Cautious as always, Daniel went to the edge of the well.

"I know! You're hungry, aren't you?"

Better to feed it then have it hunger for me I suppose.

Daniel's own hunger had long since past so the meat would only ruin the contents of his satchel. He tied it to the end of rope, securing it tightly and sweating as he leaned over the well to do so. Lani laughed a bit.

"Oh my God, you're hungry! Ok, I'll feed you monster."

I hope it appreciates this.

Daniel went to the crank and began lowering the meat into the well.

"Don't worry, here you go. Gonna…nice, little snack…."

The crank could no longer turn and Daniel heard the monster fiercely devour after the meat. No water splashed out but Daniel hurried to look down to possibly see a change.

"Don't be a pig! Chew! Chew!"

The rope swayed but there was no other visual difference. Daniel realized that the monster had no idea it was him who had fed it and that he probably should have kept the meat to throw. It may have been hopeless now but Daniel ran to lift it back up.

"Ok, you know, if you're gonna be like that you're not gonna be able to eat the rest of it. Huh, how about that?"

Daniel turned the crank quickly but when the rope came back up it only held a bone.

"Hu-bu-ta-awww…"

Well that's better than nothing.

"Who's a piggy monster?"

The monster was silent as Daniel went and took the bone. The only sound was a small gurgle from below.

" I am so confused."

Daniel went to leave and heard the monster snarl and writhe in the water.

"Shut up, I fed you!"

A nicely sized rock was resting beside the well, and a thought struck Daniel. The monster would not know that he fed it, and it would not know if he hurt it either. He took the rock and held it over the well.

"Shut up."

He dropped the rock. Shortly after, as Daniel walked away, there was a splash from the rock followed by a louder splash from the monster. It was satisfying.

"No, you! I'll drop a bigger one!"

Daniel grabbed a rock roughly three or four times the size of the last one and dropped it down the well. It splashed and Daniel began to leave again. The hellish beast splashed and growled in anger and possibly pain. Daniel looked back to the well.

"Ok, if you're gonna be like that…you stay down there."

Two was enough for now, as Daniel had places to go and knew he was tempting fate. He left and closed the door behind himself.

"Manners of some monsters…"

Agrippa's voice reached Daniel before the sight of him did.

"Daniel, good to see you…"

"Yeah, good to see you too, Agrippa – shut the fuck up!"

"You seem to have found all the orb pieces used in the Transept. Go to the Choir and find the rest."

Daniel nodded and made a note of his new mission.

Thank you for your help.

"Choir…kay."

Lani whistled as Daniel traveled down the second path to the Choir. The path had a few turns, unsettling sounds from the castle, and a pile of rocks and boulders against a wall.

"Rocks…"

Along the way Daniel found a wooden door like in the other hall.

"Door…let's explore, shall we?"

Inside was a bookcase with the usual clutter, as well as a tinderbox.

"Tinder!"

Books and papers were on the ground between the bookcase and another desk that was also littered with the usual things. Its chair was upright and a note rested in front of it on the desk's top.

"Paper…candle…"

Despite all of his time in the horrid darkness Daniel still did not have night-vision and had to light said candle to read and save his oil.

Agrippa Channels Weyer

Weyer taunts me from the other side. I trusted him with my true reason for my efforts and still he insists on me releasing Agrippa. How an enlightened man can show such lack of compassion in a seat of power disgusts me. I can't bring myself to part from Agrippa as he is and has been for centuries my only link to the worlds beyond.

Weyer claims he tries his best to release me from my banishment, but that he needs me to give him Agrippa first so he too can help. If he could guarantee success, I would happily oblige, but how am I to part from him if my return might be denied. I know what they are capable of, I have seen their deception.

Optimism is a most hopeless feeling, but I must retain it. I shall prepare for his release.

To release Agrippa without killing him, Weyer told me to feed him a tonic made from a paralyzer, vitae, and Tampter.

"Ok, I just need to find those things! …Oh, thank you."

Is someone else there? I don't need anyone else in my head!

The poisonous fungi should work as a paralyzer if I can find the internal gland from a large specimen. The Choir seems to be a fertile grounds for this sort.

"Ok, so look for fungus."

I should then be able to extract its contents with the proper tools.

The vitae could be extracted as usual from any agonized human victim's blood.

"Ok, so I need blood."

Most of the blood here is dried though, and it may create a different effect.

"See Daniel, you should've kept the knife."

Lani!

I just need large amounts to distill it properly. Remember to collect this during the next torture session.

Tampter on the other hand will prove more difficult. I don't think it exists in this world.

"Ah, damnit…"

Please let it be in a vile or something somewhere….

Simply writing the word with these letters looks wrong. I believe it's a property of the secretion in the water dwelling Kaernk.

Ah, so that's what they're called.

"Is that what those water monsters are called?"

….

"Wait…the secretion of the water dw – OH! Heh-heh, I just got that inadvertently, awesome."

The bone! Oh thank God! We'll have to work fast though, it may not last long.

I will have to address Weyer with this as he will have to supply me with a host. Also a properly prepared well should suffice to contain it.

Daniel tucked away the note and wrote down the items he needed to make the tonic Agrippa had asked about earlier.

He'll be so pleased!

Another bookcase was to the right and it held something that made Daniel pleased: laudanum.

"Laudanum…how much laudanum do I have, Christ?"

Daniel checked; he had six vials in his satchel, as well as twelve tinder boxes and one jar of lantern oil.

"God, Daniel, if you don't start getting hurt soon we're gonna have nothing to do with that laudanum."

I'm in pain but I believe it's best to wait for fresh wounds. Having excess laudanum is a very good thing, Lani. I don't want to have to use it; I simply want it there in case as a comforter.

Daniel began searching the desk and found another capsule in the right compartment.

"Oh, one of these things again."

He reached out and touched it, waiting for Lani to read as he withstood the blinding light. Lani wailed as the light came on and read nothing. He mumbled at first but then said nothing, repeating this a few times seemingly to aggravate Daniel before settling into his acting portion of the reading.

"In court, the order…spew politics at each other…sit quietly in place, willfully forgotten. Once in a while someone will notice me and lose themselves in a silent cower before regaining their senses. They all know I am the one and the same Alexander who helped their fathers and grandfather to found this great Order. I've seen them take their fathers' places, and they too will grow old and pass away. While I remain the same, aged not by time, but by anguish."

Daniel released the capsule, his eyes stinging.

"Ok, dude, seriously, you don't seem to have a problem. I mean, you're immortal, apparently…why are you going through all this shit?"

While Lani pondered Daniel checked the drawers; the bottom was empty, the second held tinder, and the top was empty.

"Tinder! Uh…nothing."

A quick look around and Daniel moved on.

"I mean, really dude…you have no reason to…be hatin' on all these people."

Daniel lit a torch by the door for later and went to a metal lined door that most likely led to the Choir.

"The Choir!"

Now Daniel's suspensions were confirmed. Past the door was a long hall that was lined with candles, all or most lit and glowing brightly.

"Oh, a nicely lit place too."

Something was crackling, most likely wood, as Daniel walked along. There was a section with no candles but instead doors on either side. He opened the door to the right and saw more lit candles and a sort of table or altar in the center. Upon entering the room he saw a large star beneath it, decorated with strange runes or pictures of some sort.

"Table…"

There were metal bands on the table, two for the wrists and two for the ankles. Dried blood stained the spot where the back and head would have laid. Even if the ingredients for the tonic were on Daniel's mind he would have dismissed it as being too dry.

"The ritual began…"

Daniel was hardly able to remember what had happened here, but vague memories pushed and pulled at him. He busied himself with the surrounding tables that held the candles. Among the usual clutter of torture rooms was a tinderbox.

"Tinder!"

Across the room was little else, but another tinder box hid on the ground behind a stand holding two large sheets of paper.

"More tinder."

Under the other table was a metal bucket that held nothing inside.

"Trashcan…!"

The rest of the room was empty as well as disturbing. Daniel knew the other room would be no better but he went to in anyway.

"Ok, let's see what's in this one; perhaps some more tinder."

The room looked similar, but the altar was turned the other way, there were more candles, and a note rested atop the dried blood.

"Or not…um…a letter…uh…there's nothing else, I'll read the damn letter."

Daniel took the letter and blacked out with a whimper. He felt weak and fell as his memories from before broke their way into existence.

"Blacking out…"

In the darkness of Daniel's world, he heard his old voice speak. He was reciting the contents of the letter.

"15th of August 1839 – The blood wards are failing. The Shadow beckons and its cry disarms my actions."

"Excuses, Daniel!"

Vision returned, but it was a blurred vision of the past. The altar had a victim; a man with a sack over his head and some form of cloth dressing his lower half writhing in pain.

"Woah! Hi there…buddy…"

"Hurry, no time to spare. You have to kill another."

I…I can't…

"Daniel?"

"Alexander produces a knife. He wants me to cut the flesh."

The sound of metal scraping across metal was loud; the knife was being sharpened.

"Do it, save yourself. He is a murderer, Daniel. He is evil – a cold blooded killer."

That's right…I am the innocent here…I deserve to live!

There was a knife on the previously empty table to his right; the blade twisted in waves for added agony. The knife called to him.

"You really did this, didn't you?"

Daniel looked back and forth from the knife and the man. The man deserved it, and the knife was there. Daniel deserved to live more than this man, and more than any of the other criminals.

"Hurry!"

"You psychotic son of a bitch!"

Daniel took the dagger.

"Alexander,"

Lani mocked Daniel's speech.

"Alex-OND-er!"

"you must let me be. I have to concentrate."

"Pleeeeeeease!"

SHUT UP!

Daniel was having far worse concentration issues than his former self.

"Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill – let it come."

His former self was unfazed; he was calm and systematic. Daniel's current self was still shaking, but slowly he found himself becoming one with his old self.

"Daniel…"

The victim was now decorated with green paint. Symbols covered his chest and glowed in the candle light.

"You are taking far too much pleasure in this, buddy."

Daniel readied his dagger and saw his vision become black once more as he went to cut.

"Touch the man…"

The flesh was severed by his hand as his past self faded out and Daniel himself picked up where he left off, the whole time carving the skin from memory of the movements.

"Please, I didn't do anything. Muh-muh-muuuh!"

Lani laughed but Daniel paid it no mind.

"Daniel?"

"Pain the man, cut the lines. Paint the man, cut the lines."

"NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!"

Daniel's former self takes the dialogue over.

"Please! The man cries."

Daniel spoke to the quieting man he could not even see.

"Hush, hush – now you sleep."

Vision was his once more, but the man was gone. Lani half-laughed as Daniel continued on about his accomplishment, lost in his past.

"Oh my God!"

"I did well. One life for another."

Lani spoke both as Daniel and as one with a mental retardation; Daniel would get to him about that insult later, but for now he was convinced Lani was a product of the Shadow and only wanted him gone.

"DANIEL DO GOOD!"

"You hear me, Guardian of the Orb, I did all this for you. Now, once more, withdraw your shadow from my domain."

"DANIEL DO GOOD!"

The door behind him squeaked open and Daniel could hear his own heart beating. He turned to the door. Lani acted with the voice again.

"Daniel!"

Shut up, Lani, or I will find a way for you to be next.

Somehow calm, Daniel left the room and walked into a bright flash.

"Waaaa~!"

Daniel's former self spoke for them both.

"Alexander. There isn't much time. I can feel it. We must act swiftly. I will do whatever it takes."

Daniel sounded determined and ready. The light faded away and Daniel was now standing where he was before at the altar with rose petals falling onto him from above. They went into the floor and ceased falling rather soon.

"Woah, now I'm in American Beauty."

The castle settled itself and Daniel left for real this time.

….

"So, Daniel, I tota-"

Another victim, identical to the one from before, was hanging upside down from the hall ceiling.

"Hi…?"

It…must be an illusion.

Daniel walked into the body to prove it to himself, but the lifeless corpse swung from the contact instead of becoming nothing. Daniel shuddered and moved around it, his eyes fixated, as Lani made squeaking sounds. Once around the man, Daniel could clearly make out what was painted on him. The symbol was an S in paint that was a sea-green which shone brightly atop the filthy skin.

"Hey, hey, hey, you did not cut the lines, Daniel! Screwed up your sacrifice. The man's painted…"

I WILL SACRIFICE YOU, LANI!

Daniel headed back towards the room, bumping the man again and causing Lani to squeak, before he came to his senses and turned back. The man was still swinging and Lani continued to squeak.

Perhaps the other way…

Daniel turned and saw another man hanging upside down.

"Oo, another one. Can I throw shit at them?"

Daniel was in the second room now, and hitting them sounded right. They hadn't been cut, and this was the cleanest alternative. A small hammer was on an end table; it seemed as good a weapon as any for hitting a corpse. He threw it at the second one, Lani's grunt of effort included, and hit its chest. Lani laughed in victory while Daniel slightly smiled.

Monsters…all monsters….

"Ahh…I'm too easily amused."

Daniel turned and traveled down the hall way, slightly ashamed that Lani's entertainment was also his own this time.

"Anyway yeah, Daniel, you're a monster…and I totally called that!"

You have no concept of what a monster is and is not, if a good man kills a monster he is a hero, not a monster himself. I sound like a broken record the way I have to repeat myself thanks to you!

Down the hall was a stairway lined with far less candles that led to another metal-lined door.

"Now, what's behind this door? A monster, I'm guessing."

Lani we have long since passed the monsters, so long as we are near Agrippa we are safe.

"Oh! Another area…probably…teeming with monsters..."

Lani, every door is 'another area', so let it go.

Daniel opened the door to the Choir's main hall as thoughts of his victims flowed through his mind. The paint on their chests was well done and artwork within itself, a true artisan he must have been not only to paint it but to cut it so well.

"Cause Lord knows, I am well overdue."

Lani groaned as Daniel wished he could, though Lani's sound was more than likely from him stretching his back and arms rather than frustration. The door squeaked as it normally did as Lani made breathy sighs or yawns. The area was very dark and filled with moans of the deceased.

Perhaps I spoke too soon about the monsters….

"Well, this is dark as shit. Um…"

Alexander forcefully entered Daniel's mind like he did in the morgue. He sounded impatient and frustrated.

"What are my intentions, Daniel?"

Lani attempted to say something but was overpowered by Alexander's words.

"Salvation. It used to be yours. But now you only seek misplaced revenge. How do you justify your violence? Is it for the greater good? Are you doing the world a service?"

Daniel had many retorts for what Alexander said, but only when Lani said such things. Coming from Alexander the words had a new power; an immense power. Inching forward was more than Daniel could handle but he did to prove he was entirely Alexander's slave.

"I dunno."

Lani proved useful in these situations; if Daniel could focus on his hate for him his fear of Alexander could not flourish as well. Daniel moved along the left wall, rushing himself through the darkness.

"It is you who caused all this pain and death. If you had accepted your fate and submitted to the Orb when you first discovered it, none of this would have happened. It is curiosity in league with your selfishness that is killing us both."

"Tinder."

Alexander had stopped speaking, perhaps because he lost power, or because he had said all he felt was needed. Somewhere though Daniel felt it was because he could hear Lani as well and the non-caring stupidity was too much. Daniel crouched down to collect the tinderbox and stayed down in the darkness, unsure of what was in it. The last time Alexander had entered his mind he shook the castle, and the time before that a monster showed shortly after.

"We're gonna stealth crawl this one, Daniel."

My only hope is that it's an unnecessary precaution….

"Even though I do believe you totally deserve to get eaten."

SHUT UP, LANI!

While defensive, Daniel had taken Alexander's words closer to heart than he did Lani's. He was not suited to deny any such accusation at the moment. Stones shifted somewhere it what Daniel assumed was a vast room based on the large stone pillars. A thick red fog flooded the room but it had no effect other than terrifying Daniel. The fluttering sound came again as Daniel faced a pillar that sat next to the wall.

"Sh…"

Daniel paused and tried to look past the fog. He could see nothing more than before and heard nothing either. Lani whispered to him.

"We must hunt quietly…"

We are the hunted, Lani, not the hunters. I would give anything to change that though.

"For the demon stalks us."

I don't…you…no….

Daniel crawled further and the rocks shifted again, slightly louder this time. It settled like before and on Daniel went. On the ground there was a spread of large leaves and vines, beneath which Daniel could see the red flesh that had hurt him so many times before. The red fog was somewhat explained now.

"Don't step on the puss things, those hurt."

Rats squeaked and scampered somewhere around him, the plants crackled with each of his movement, and some sort of machinery was moving with the rocks. Daniel tried to look out again but still saw nothing.

"Keep your eyes peeled, Daniel."

The only thing in view was the faint light from two torches in front of him. There was clearly a door, or at least a doorway, between them and it was a bittersweet sight. The room may have been safe, or may hold the very monster he was trying to avoid. He insisted he had to go though as the room most likely held the orb pieces. Plenty of plant life blocked his path and made it difficult to move past in his lowered position.

"Why are there trees growing down here?"

The door was metal with a barred window yet no lock. Daniel stayed behind it as he opened it so that anything inside would not see him. Monsters usually gave immediate responses to such things but there was no roar or snarl.

"Let's see…"

Inside was just as dark as the outer area, with a few candles lit in the distance; they offered no help unless Daniel were to stare straight at them when he was near though.

"So confused…"

The door squeaked shut by Daniel's hand and the walls shook in minor protest. The candles were past a large, circular opening. The attached area was shrouded in red like before, but Daniel could make out a figure. Lani's words were juvenile in tone but clear enough for Daniel to understand what was there.

"Oh, awesome – maiden! Maiden! Maiden! Maiden! Woo! Maiden!"

It was an Iron Maiden dead center of the room, surrounded by archways that most likely housed doors to torture rooms; the darkness made every observation of Daniel's mere guesswork. He stepped closer and closer to the artifact, curious, and walked up the platform it stood on. Daniel was already too close to the contraption for comfort when it flung its doors open, releasing a cloud of thick red fog. There were screams trapped with the fog that flew out, attacking Daniel's ears and sanity as he stumbled backwards, looking to the light above which came through a single hole above the cursed thing. Lani was far from fazed.

"Maiden!"

The room swirled around Daniel, but at least the lighting was better. The orb pieces in his satchel pulsed with terror and anguish. As ironic as it seemed, Daniel believed the Iron Maiden would be his salvation.

Your story…give me your story!

"Don't worry, Daniel, she just wants to give you a hug. Give her a nice hug."

Daniel reached into the Maiden, resting his burnt hand against the spikes. His hand was almost numb to the metal as the bright light came to his eyes to give Lani a new selection of words. Lani used various accents, none of which Daniel could place.

"The forger stood absolutely still. The casket had been closed but a faint light made its way inside. A myriad of spikes pointed at him. Glittering as they waited for his body to slip just for a moment. His knee jerked and he felt blood trickle down his leg. In pain his head fell slightly forward. It took him a while to realize his eye had ruptured and begun to leak."

Daniel released the spikes as barely a drop of his blood was drawn. After all he had withstood, the spikes gave little pain.

"That would be kind of painful wouldn't it, Daniel?"

I suppose….

His legs made him bitter as he continued through the area more soulless than scared. The orb pieces were sucking his life away rather than filling it with fear, and he knew that if this continued as he gathered the other pieces he may very well die before his mission is complete.

"I do believe there was something said about um…Orb pieces here."

In the back of the room was another human0sized cage but nothing of use.

"I'm guessing they're in these rooms."

The far right archway was a thin cut out of stone, hardly wide enough for two men. Inside there was another cage – this one with spikes, a bone, and no orb piece.

"Unless I actually have to kill a monster to get one at one point – which would be amazing!"

Daniel walked back to the Iron Maiden, wanting her comfort of justice served.

"Maybe I have to lure them into this thing? Maybe it'll go in a blind charge – RAAAAWR! Jump – NOOOO! Blsh – adadadada~!"

…I believe you are insane.

"I'm over thinking this…"

Daniel entered another 'room'. There was bright red staining on the back wall and in the midst of it an equally bright red piece of the Orb.

"There it is…so the other question is how many pieces are down here?"

There are six in total, so there should be three here.

Daniel calmly continued, his breaths catching every now and again and becoming whimpers that kept him from fully crying. He had to be strong, no matter what had happened and no matter what he had done.

"I know there's tinder down here!"

Daniel collected the infernal yet holy box and moved on. The area housed so many archways and places to look.

"Always has to be tinder where there's torture going on. Anything in here?"

One of the other 'rooms' held no equipment or stains but a small vial was in its corner.

"Why would you put laudanum down here? That stops pain. You don't want to stop pain in a torture room."

It was unconventional but Daniel was thankful anyway. Daniel's breaths continued to shake as tears started welling in his eyes. He had done so much; so many wrong things were done by his hands.

Alexander made me this way…it is his fault and he must perish!

"Oh Daniel, grow the fuck up."

SHUT THE FUCK UP, LANI! I SWEAR TO CHRIST YOU WILL GO WITH HIM!

"Wow…really losing it buddy…too bad I don't have any you know, like, anti-psychotics."

Daniel was lost in rage and delusions from the past. He found himself walking down a long hallway and opening the door back out after collecting only a single piece of the Orb. With a deep breath Daniel lowered himself again and left the torture room. Lani made a sound as Daniel moved and panted before he spoke.

"Best way I can think to do this is just to hug the walls. We're gonna eventually find our way all around this."

Around one of the massive pillars was a pile of bones including a skull and a ribcage. Daniel's breaths shook even more, they were becoming louder and the orb pieces fueled his fear.

"Yesh."

Daniel tried to force his breathing to calm down but that lasted only for moments at a time. Red still soaked the room, making it impossible for Daniel to see past his own nose.

"Let's see here…da, da, da…"

The rocks settled again as Daniel moved past a fallen pillar. Lani mumbled something but Daniel could not have understood it even if he did care enough to try. The wall had ended with a deep pit that most likely led to death. Reluctantly Daniel moved down the middle of the area rather than the edge.

"So much for my sticking to the wall pattern…"

Soon a door became visible past the red fog.

"Ok, that's where I came in, I think…"

Daniel touched the frame, recognizing it just enough to leave it.

"Yep, entrance…"

The opposite wall was now where Daniel stayed, moving along side it now. His feet shifted along with what sounded to him like booming noise as the same fluttering sound came again. Plant life was everywhere again as Daniel left the wall and moved to an odd piece of stone. Before he could examine anything or go on he felt a chill blast through him, magnified by the Orb pieces. There was a curious-sounding groan from a monster, from an unknown source lost in the room's echo. Daniel hurried to a pillar, something to hide behind and against as the noise finished.

B-but Agrippa is near! There can't be any monsters! Not here, not anymore!

"Where is it?"

This was maddening. Daniel hurried at his full height, desperate for speed and salvation. His prayers were somewhat answered when he saw a door.

"Let's get out of here, Daniel."

It was the same door to the hallway but he did not care, Daniel left anyway.

"Cause we don't know where that thing's coming from…all we know is that they can't go between zones, suckers!"

What do you mean 'zones'?

Once back in the entrance hall of the Choir Daniel watched the door intensely. It did not matter what Lani said, that monster could and would break down this door.

"Hm…let's see, still going completely insane, Daniel?"

….

"Yeah…let's see, we need blood…for that tonic thing."

Daniel thought he knew where to look and ran back up the stairs to leave this rotten Choir.

"So we can at least go collect some of that I'm guessing…while you're, uh, you know, being a bitch!"

LANI, I WILL HANG YOU UPSIDEDOWN WITH THESE MEN!

Daniel entered the Nave as a fly pestered him with its buzzing sounds.

"So let's go to that, uh…place where that guy got sawed in half; there was a drain under him."

It appeared that Lani had had the same thought as Daniel. The door squeaked shut and welcomed Daniel back into darkness as the fly continued.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz…"

Daniel lit his lantern and made his way towards the second gateway as Agrippa greeted him from afar.

"Ah, you again."

I found Weyer's recipe, and I believe I can get an ingredient back here.

"Yes, Agrippa, shut up."

"Incredible – you found Weyer's recipe. There might still be a chance."

The water monster splashed in its room as Daniel made a note.

"Yes, I found Weyer's recipe – shut up water monster!"

Daniel entered the Transept and Lani gave the understated version of how Daniel felt.

"I am so sick of everything."

I suppose that's one of the few things we have in common, but unlike me you aren't physically doing anything.

Lani sighed as he and Daniel looked over the expansive room and its doors.

"Now which one was the one where the guy got sawed in half?"

I believe…the one to the right.

Daniel ran for the door, afraid the area would break like the others if he did not hurry.

"This one over here, right? I think."

The hall past the door led to pure darkness once more and as before it begged for the lantern's use.

"Who put out my light?"

They passed a corner and saw a lit candle; Daniel put out the lantern.

"Nope, there it is."

A rat squeaked.

"Little ratty-rat."

Why must you always sound so endeared when speaking of vermin?

Eventually they reached the metal door with its barred window and Daniel pulled it open. The wooden frame stood under the light of a hanging lantern; they had been right about the room.

"Here we are…"

The drain beneath the wooden structure was stained an orange-red, as was the stone around it. Daniel crouched down and saw beyond the bars to a draining pipe. Blood was most likely gone by now, but a try was a try. He opened the small gate, staining his hands in the process, and saw a large collection of blood. There had been word of problems in the sewer, though Daniel was not sure if that applied here. Whatever the case, they found what they needed.

"Yep, there it is. All right now, let's just use that, and…"

Daniel took the jar with string tied around it and lowered it down. Blood filled the jar and ran off the side as it was removed, partially covering Daniel again.

"Bloop. Hey, it worked."

Daniel closed the gate, becoming quite ill from all the blood. If he had simply put it back with his things they would all be covered in blood, so despite the mental repercussions he wiped it clean on his shirt sleeves. There was an extraordinary amount; it looked as if he had just killed a man. He tried to clean his hands by wiping them on his pants but that only stained his clothes alongside his skin. Lani returned to singing in Latin, or at least the parts Daniel could understand were Latin. One of the odd things Daniel remembered was a quality of opera; no matter the language the singers used you would most likely only understand a few words because of their pitch and tone. An opera singer could have sung plain English but to Daniel it would like beautiful gibberish half the time. While not an opera singer, Lani did have a similar effect.

"Foedus dominus! Sonti - …tinder!"

League master…of sons? Lani just because you can say Latin words does not make them correct.

Daniel could remember the meaning of Latin words and spot that the first two Lani used were both in the nominative case, meaning they should both be the subject and cannot coexist as such (unless of course foedus had been used in accusative or vocative singular as the versions sounded the same, but it still was not right without more words.), but he could not remember the layout of the castle and how to bypass the monsters. Selective amnesia is a bitch that way. Daniel collected the tinderbox from beneath the illustration of the man being sawed in half and left.

If the trick to leaving this castle was Latin I might have stood a better chance and not be injured.

The halls were still drenched in darkness save the one corner lit by a candle. A rat, probably the same one from before, squeaked as Daniel's head pounded. He could feel the blood mat his sleeves to his skin and he knew his arms would be stained as well. At last Daniel emerged to the main area.

"Kay, Daniel, are you still freaking out here? Ok, head pounding hard shaking, good."

You have an odd definition of 'good'.

"That's much better than we were."

This is a bit of a hollow victory, Lani.

Daniel ran onwards, looking up briefly to see a body suspended in a cage.

"'Sup, dude?"

He could not be bothered by the damned and the dead, Daniel had to hurry for reasons he was not positive about. His ears rang again as he approached the main door and left back to the Nave.

"Ah, good old water…"

You have water? Why is it you seem to be in safety and luxury while I'm here?

Daniel made sure to think that before he had actually entered the Nave, in case Agrippa was to hear.

"Was there something else…?"

I found one more ingredient, but I still have to search the Choir again.

"What?"

The thought of returning there was terrifying though, and chatting with Agrippa was much better so Daniel returned to where he was strung up.

"You are a good boy, Daniel –"

Lani used the mentally challenged voice again and it took every ounce of Daniel's control to not yell at him.

"DANIEL DO GOOD!"

"- and I appreciate your company, but I believe you have more important thing to take care of."

"DANIEL GOOD!"

Daniel's hands twitched at his sides; he wished he could actually hit Lani.

I understand, Agrippa.

Daniel left, not wanting to understand. He did not want to get the Orb pieces or face monsters anymore. All Daniel wanted was to leave this place and be safe. He wanted adventure no longer, and found his past as an archeologist now one of horror. Anything could happen and one of the worst things did. His job had landed him a curse and in this living hell; Daniel wanted no more part in any of that or this.

"PAINT LINES, CUT FLESH!"

Lani's mockery was not even right. The words were wrong and so long as Daniel was in the Nave he could not think a thing. If anything motivated him towards the Choir it was the promise of freedom to think whatever he wanted towards Lani.

"Daniel good…"

A rat squeaked and a man groaned as Daniel hurried to the Choir's entrance. The noises did very little; they were simply background sound now. A more annoying sound was that of Lani chewing; he had water and snacks apparently. The stone walls around Daniel settled in place under the castle's pressure as he ran down the hall and entered the Choir.

"Ok, Daniel…watch, the monsters waiting there: 'I SAW WHERE YOU WENT MOTHER-FUCKER.'"

LANI!

The Choir was still drenched in darkness and red fog. The door shut loudly behind Daniel, making him nervous as any sound did in areas like this.

"Ok, Daniel, let's figure this out, shall we?"

Daniel stayed low and moved away from the door, guided by the pillars.

"Now there's a bridge down that way…right over here, actually."

Stones moved and settled loudly around Daniel and he kept moving. A rat squeaked repeatedly, it was possibly being hurt.

"Something down this way as well…"

Stone and plants were all around, but the plant life made loud sounds as Daniel moved through them. The stones settled shortly after though, possibly masking his sounds.

"Another bridge…"

Daniel found the start of said bridge and moved across it, hoping the monster did not reside atop it. The stone was turning green further down the bridge and Daniel could not figure out why. A rat squeaked again as plants rustled.

"Be very, very quiet, Daniel…"

The bridge seemed to have no point when Daniel came off of it to the same surroundings as before. He moved around one of the end posts and heard a monster moan. The sound echoed all around Daniel, hiding its source no matter how hard Daniel listened. It persisted for what seemed like a long time as Daniel looked around himself for any sign of the beast.

"Don't anger the cow…"

Lani, I don't care how much that sounded like 'moo' to you, shut up!

The rat squeaked again as Daniel moved, staying low and constantly looking back. His head pounded and every sound seemed like it was blasting his ears. It was hard to breathe and any sudden change of sound, even the simple rustle of plants, was enough to break him further. Daniel hated this place; he wanted to return to Mayfair. Memories of that place were dim and almost nonexistent but Mayfair had to be better than this. Daniel came across a fallen pillar he could have sworn he had seen before. At this point simply crying behind it sounded nice.

"Calm the hell down, Daniel, we don't even see it."

Is that supposed to make things better? It could appear at any moment and slaughter me, and by extensions you, and you want me to feel better because I can't see it?

A child cried out; weeping. The gender could not be determined from the cry, but the child sounded even younger than the little girl; the little bitch.

"See? Nothing to get your panties in a bunch about…"

I don't even understand that and I'm insulted.

Daniel had reached a wall and traveled along it now.

"I'll admit I'm doing a pretty good record of not getting you killed, considering how much I fucking hate you!"

All you have done this entire time is identify rooms and ramble on with insults and confusing things I don't understand in the least! Stop acting so entitled and like you're such a good person. You are no better than I, and are probably much worse than I am! I may have killed, but I killed the wicked for innocent life. You have done Lord knows what considering how little you have actually cared for the dead you claim make me a monster! You are not holy, you are not a good man by any means; you are a bastard!

There was silence. Stones still settled and occasionally the walls shook slightly but the silence of Lani made everything seem silent.

"Probably doesn't help that I have no clue where the fuck I am right now, Daniel…"

And I do?

"So I'm probably going to get us killed down here."

Oh joy, I get to die with you.

"And by us, I mean I'm getting you killed."

If I die you die, Lani.

As if the world were giving Daniel a parting gift, Daniel saw a jar of lantern oil sitting between a pillar and a large rock. Light was not allowed here but Daniel gratefully took the jar for later.

"'Cause quite frankly, I'm not gonna die if you die."

…you're lying. You are an illusion. You exist solely in my mind, however real you may seem. If I die, you die.

Denial was Daniel's friend.

"Crawling around in this goddamn crypt, looking for Orb pieces…"

Sanctuary was in sight; there was a door surrounded by light. It could have been the same door from before or a different one, it was hard to tell here, but either way it was a welcomed change. Daniel stayed to the wall though, collecting a rock that had been in his path.

"Don't worry, Daniel, we got a rock. We will smash the crap – hey…fungus."

Indeed there was a cloud of green fog surrounding a patch of mushrooms. The ingredients of Weyer's tonic came to mind as Daniel felt accomplishment sweep over him. A particularly large and seemingly inverted mushroom grew in what was roughly the center of the patch. It was shining with slime so rather than dirty himself further, not that it made much difference now, Daniel hit the mushroom with his rock. It stuck to the slime four hits in a row.

"Ew…"

Daniel gave up and threw the rock instead, promptly shattering the mushroom to reveal a center bulb and a puff of blue smoke.

"Ew!"

The bulb was a poison gland and Daniel took it, noticing how hard it's outer layer was before putting it in his satchel.

"Yeah, just, touch that with your bare hands, go ahead…"

The noise was not greeted by and monster sounds but Daniel hurried into the door as if one were charging.

"That's safe…"

Daniel shut the door behind him and walked down a long hallway.

"See, Daniel? Have I led you astray so far?"

It's possible you've tried but I've been repressing the memories of our time together even if those are practically my only memories.

Down the hall was a bull made of metal, brass Daniel thought. A small collection of fire was beneath it and its purpose was clear. A pipe extended from the bull's mouth most likely to release smoke and maintain the brass' shape. There was a panel across the bull's back like a saddle with a hook on both ends on it and on the main brass of the bull so that it could be tied or locked shut. No prisoner could escape the bull.

"Brass Bull, huh?"

Daniel wanted its story. He was not sure how such things had become comforting to him, but hearing the wicked receive punishment was now a treat. Daniel reached out to touch the panel and saw the bright light come forth.

"The traitor did not know what to think of the brass bull…enter it."

Read all of it, Lani.

"Only when the fire began to scorch his skin and cook his flesh did he realize it was his tomb. His screams of pain echoed inside the brass chamber and travelled through the complex instrument which was the bull's head. Outside the man could hear the brazen bull bellow."

Daniel relinquished his touch and saw the light leave.

"Charming. Where is that orb piece?"

The only place to look aside from the bull was around the pillars. Orb pieces had not been directly involved with torture devices yet so Daniel searched the pillars, immediately finding a thin blue piece behind the first one he checked.

"Maybe in the brass bull…"

May as well.

Daniel lifted the panel open and saw no signs of an orb piece or even staining from use.

"No?"

The wood below was the only thing that showed use as it appeared to be in the midst of transitioning into ash. Lantern oil was somewhat scarce at the moment and the firewood was as good a light source as any so Daniel lit it.

"Oo, I can light it, awesome. Ha, cool…"

You are too easily amused, Lani.

Daniel stood back up and watched the brass reflect the light which warmed his feet. After a few moments the panel slammed itself shut and released the pained screams of one of its victims. Daniel stumbled back and looked about himself in panic as the man screamed from beyond his grave.

"I'm sorry phantom man!"

The bull shook and what sounded like the groan of a monster, or even 'moo', came from the pipe that extended from its mouth. For Daniel though the sound could have been from anywhere. As the sound proceeded and Daniel saw nothing behind him he understood just what its source was.

"Did I hurt you, Daniel? Head pounding, hands shaking, shut the fuck up, Christ."

WHY ARE YOU NEVER SCARED!

Daniel headed back out, neglecting to finish his search for the orb pieces.

"Wait, so, one two…I have all the pieces of the damn formula already."

He had reached the door when Lani posed a question that stopped him.

"How many pieces of Orb do I have?"

Daniel counted only five.

"I don't even know how many I need. How many do I need?"

Six if I recall correctly.

In case he was not correct, Daniel flipped through his journal for the answer he knew he had written down.

"Da, da, da, no those are notes…I don't need to listen to notes, I need to listen to diaries."

Lani quickly read over a few small things Daniel had written.

"Agrippa, the dying man, wants a tonic to save him. One note speaks of a mixture made with three ingredients. The remaining orb pieces can be found in the Choir. An orb is needed to enter the inner sanctum…ok, so that means I probably haven't finished that, even though I have actually no fucking clue how many pieces I need."

Daniel was not sure of his reasoning but he opened the door and lowered himself once more to leave. He had to travel along the other wall now and moved over the fungus to do so.

"Breathe deep, Daniel."

Fuck you, Lani.

Plants rustled, a rat squeaked, and stones shifted loudly. A pillar sat right against the wall, meaning Daniel had to slightly alter his approach until he had fully gone around it. He peeked out from behind the pillar's base but saw nothing new in the darkness and fog. The sounds persisted as Daniel reached the same open trench, though now he was presumably on the other side.

"Kay…. This is a real elaborate fucking place. Who would need to build this? I mean honestly, what are the points? Like, what is the point of this room?"

Torture.

"What – who needs a choir? Who needs this place? I mean this feels like it should just be an attachment of the dungeon."

In essence it is, but this place is a harder test to prisoner; they know they have come to a place worse than the dungeon.

"…you know? It's a torture chamber. And I'll tell ya', choir in high school was boring, but I wouldn't call it torture."

It was not worth it to Daniel; he just continued on. Lani sighed after a little bit.

"So that…little glowing thing over there…"

There was nothing glowing, but soon the settling of stones was even louder. Lani groaned.

"I'm guessing there's like one more door – oh that was a bridge piece."

The walls shook again.

"See, this place is just falling the fuck apart."

There was mention of that earlier. Where I woke up had suffered a lot of damage but nothing was there, in retrospect it probably was the safest place to start even if it was so far away from Alexander.

"Into the miasma, Daniel…"

A rat squeaked and after so long in dark silence a monster groaned. It sounded closer than before and Daniel moved behind the base of a pillar that was right against a wall so that he had a corner.

"Cower and hide, Daniel. Cower and hide…"

The walls shook still as Daniel looked out, not sure whether he should hope to see the beast pass him or not see it at all. His head pounded with fear and expectation of something. He looked back, then to the ground of the corner; he could have sworn he saw it in the fog.

"Don't look at it."

He dared another look, just to be sure. The monster groaned again. Metal dragged across the stone ground and squeaked as it bellowed. Daniel wanted to run but he might very well run towards the creature by mistake. He was certain the squeakes and dragging sound of metal was getting closer and he moved forward, slow enough so that he could flee if he had gone the wrong way. Lani said something but Daniel could have cared less even if he could have understood him. The squeaking grew louder still; Daniel had no idea how terrifying the sound could be before now. A section of stone extended from the wall and a pillar was nearby against the wall to create a three-sided box. Hiding was the only real option now and Daniel occupied the spot the moment he saw it. He positioned himself to see just past the corner of the stone extension. The monster moaned loudly and Daniel saw it pass by. The fog obscured it but it took large steps and looked like it was a green color. Daniel turned to face the stone, unable to handle what he saw or even fully process it. Its head had no proper profile; it looked only like an oval from the side.

"Don't look at it, Daniel. Perhaps he will ignore us."

Daniel could not think or breathe. The beast was so close and all that hid Daniel was fog and hope that it would not look towards him. The creature made a low, frightening sound. It could not be more than a foot or two away and it sounded as if it were right next to Daniel's ears. Daniel shook and stared at the corner of wall, his eyes stuck wide open in fear.

"Maybe…maybe I'll get us killed for once."

The monster growled before the squeaking metal that accompanied its movements started again; it was either leaving or coming closer. It moaned and sounded further away than before, as impossible as it seemed it was leaving. The walls shook more violently as the metal squeaked on.

"Is it this easy to hide from a monster?"

Don't complain.

"It's like closing your eyes and being like, 'I don't see you!'"

The monster's sounds ceased, meaning either it had paused or was gone. Daniel waited in his corner.

"It literally is this easy to hide from a goddamn monster? This is the childhood equivalent of pulling the blanket over your head, only I think it's even dumber because I don't even have a blanket."

Never complain when things are going in our favor, Lani.

Looking out, Daniel saw nothing but the red fog. He moved forward still low to the ground. He was technically free but he felt confined as if in a tunnel. As if he were in the tunnel the bitch had made with her bitch of a mother. He had to find her before Alexander learned that this had happened on his account. Alexander had been good to him and he had allowed a child to escape as if he were useless. Daniel lost himself and angrily whispered.

"Get her back!"

"What?"

Realizing what he had just done, Daniel clamped his hand over his mouth and listened. The monster made no sound to signal it was returning, but Daniel made himself move on in search of a safe room.

"Daniel, I…are all these monsters just blind, or -"

The monster moaned and Daniel hurried himself into a spot similar to his last hiding place.

"Assume the position, Daniel."

Metal squeaked as Daniel stared at the new corner of stone. The monster gave a low roar and the walls shook with it, as did Daniel.

"Assume the position!"

I'M IN THE BLOODY POSITION!

"Stare at the rocks. Who knows, maybe it might see you this time."

LANI!

Daniel's breathing was already labored but he held his hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. The metal squeaked and the monster growled as if it were leaving again.

"Or hell, might smell your fear, you never know…. Seriously, you might want to stop peeing."

The insinuation was insulting like most of Lani's comments but insults were not worth the brain power Daniel was busy using for fear. Lani sang using DAs until the shaking walls stopped him.

"Ok, I'm getting kinda tired of this place just, like, archeology just kinda falling down around me now…THAT, and I'm getting tired of staring at this fucking corner. I wanna turn around, but every time Daniel sees a monster, from what I hear…"

The monster groaned and the walls shook even more.

"From what I hear, when you look at the monster they know you're there and it's like, 'ruua', but when you're not looking at them…it's like, 'eh, ignore him. It's just Daniel.'"

The sounds had died as Lani continued his rant. Daniel snuck out of his hiding place and resumed searching.

"Which is kinda my thoughts around this whole thing: it's just fucking Daniel, you know? Daniel can't do shit."

Well I'm terribly sorry, why don't YOU lead us through the pits of hell, keep us alive, solve puzzles, and all this other shit I have to do!

"The only thing Daniel's good for is…'painting the lines, cut the flash.'"

Paint the man, cut the lines. If you're going to insult me and have a go at my sanity, at least get the words right.

"Paint the lines, cut the flash, or whatever. Paint the man, cut the lines, that's the line."

Amazingly, another door came into view. It was lit like the others and Daniel nearly sang its praises. Lani huffed as they moved to it.

"Difficulty curve in this game…you know, I think you just have to have a high tolerance for, like, these stupid tense situations if you wanna – AH!"

Sweet revenge via bright light was served in the hallway past the metal door.

"Ah! And really fast adjusting retinas."

Alexander spoke like a teacher to Daniel's former-self.

"The wheel is good for keeping your victim still during the procedure. They can be bound across the circumference or simply stretched across, tying limbs to the spokes and rim."

Daniel continued down the hall as Alexander spoke.

"All tools are, by this point, useful and you may administer the torture in any way you like. But the forte of the wheel is the gaps."

Another door showed itself and Daniel entered a partially lit area and settled by lit candles as Alexander continued still.

"When you have decided that the victim shall die you can smash their limbs with a hammer, making them fold in between the frame."

"Charming..."

Daniel's former-self spoke up, sounding shy and concerned for a moment.

"But they'll die – too quickly I mean."

"Daniel!"

"No, don't worry. The human body is much more resilient. They can survive for days until they finally succumb."

Daniel walked in the light of the candles, finding a large mallet in a dried puddle of blood. Squeaks assumed to be connected with the wheel were heard just before the light came again and left.

"Look at this, Daniel! A sledgehammer…Daniel, sledgehammer!"

Daniel picked it up, remembering its uses.

"Weapon! Monster! BASH!"

The hammer hit the ground repeatedly by Daniel's hand. It was evident that the mallet was only fit for use on humans as opposed to monsters though. The beast was dragging metal, doubtlessly a weapon, and was far faster and stronger than Daniel. Bringing the hammer would only slow his movements and prove to be of no use in battle against one of the creatures so Daniel dropped it back to the ground.

"Ugh!"

Near the hammer was a lifted section with stairs leading up to the wheel Alexander had talked about. There was blood on the ground and stairs but not the wheel. Two drains were set in front of the wheel and seemed to do little good. A coil of rope was in the far left corner and was clearly reserved for binding victims. The corner on ground level was glowing though. Daniel hopped down and saw amongst the dark mauve glow was a purple piece of the Orb. It was the last piece of the Orb.

"Whatever."

Daniel took the piece and put it with the others, unsure of what effects this might have.

"Is that all of them? Oh my God, is that all of them? Can I leave this goddamn place…?"

Daniel left the wheel room, feeling rather nauseous and losing his mind, and lit a torch in the hallway before checking his satchel. He had orb pieces of red, purple, green, black, aqua, and dark pink. He looked over the notes in his journal and checked off the one about the orb pieces.

"I got them…I got all of them, ok, I accept this. 'Cause honestly, I'm sick of staring at fucking walls."

The metal door creaked open and Daniel returned to his stance near the ground.

"Back to your duck-crawl, Daniel. Quack. Quack!"

The second quack was in a higher pitch. Daniel was just mildly annoyed, but he felt like he should also be insulted by the voice being used with him. His head pounded as all the sounds of the Choir persisted as they did; he could hear his blood pumping. Lani hummed briefly as Daniel went along the walls.

"Where was that bridge? That it right there? That's it. See, Daniel, right across there is freedom. Wanna make a run for it?"

More than I should.

Freedom seemed a beautiful and impossible word to Daniel right now, and getting to it faster was all that mattered now.

"Let's make a run for it."

Daniel stood at his full height and ran. He ran over the bridge and across the way to the door.

"Monster not even chasing me; WHAT A BITCH!"

Daniel had reached the door and made his way to freedom and safety. His hopes soared and he felt that things would be much better now.

"Seriously…I mean, come on."

Running was now Daniel's friend whether his legs like that or not. He ran up the stairs and down the hall which now had no corpses hanging in it.

"What a ridiculous circumstance."

Daniel did not notice the missing bodies, but he made sure to calm himself before entering the Nave again. The door shut behind him and Daniel entered the dark hall, walking calmly until the castle shook and screamed like it always did right before the red flesh took over everything. Lani mocked the roar of the castle as Daniel hurried towards Agrippa.

"Hey, Agrippa, got all the shit."

"I see you have all the orb pieces you need. I know I have no right to ask anything of you. But if you could find it in your heart to gather the ingredients for Weyer's tonic before attempting to mend the orb, there might be a chance for you to save me."

I have the ingredients now, and I will help you, Agrippa.

"Save you…?"

"Please, my fate is in your hands."

"I…I got all the pieces, do I just shove 'em down your throat? Blood, poison…spit…"

The ingredients had to be treated properly, and Daniel only had the upper levels left to search.

"You know what, there's a laboratory back here, I think."

Yes, it was boarded shut though.

Daniel noticed his slip but Agrippa said nothing. He hurried as if nothing had happened, hoping that being this high up really was out of Agrippa's range. As Daniel ran fog came at him in interludes until he reached the laboratory door and saw it was still boarded up like before.

"But it's boarded up and Daniel is weak as shit and can't pry a two-by-four off the wall…"

It's nailed to the bloody – nevermind!

Lani sighed as Daniel returned to Agrippa to let him know.

"You know, Agrippa…"

"I see you have all the orb pieces you need."

"Yes! God, you know what, fuck you. Fuck you!"

"I know I have no right to ask anything of you."

Agrippa had to be growing weaker; he probably could not remember saying any of this before. Daniel hurried down towards what was the only door left on this level; he had to hurry for Agrippa's sake.

"Fuck you! I'm going wherever the fuck this is taking me. 'Cause I assume since I haven't been over here, that this is where I need to go."

Daniel reached a lit door and went through it.

"The chancel, yeah, that. I'm going there."

The door led to more stairs up a lit section. After the first corner Daniel gasped as the building rumbled around him. Slowly he continued up to the door that was in his sights.

"Kay?"

What had he done? So many people had died by his hands, or at least his orders to Alexander's servants. The little girl who ran; he had the servants go after her as well.

"Is she dead?"

Wind echoed through the stairwell.

"Monster?"

Daniel's head was pounding again as he pushed the thoughts aside. He reached for the door but Lani's words had made him hesitate. There was a slim gap between the door and wall and Daniel could see a green light beyond the door. He waited for signs of anything else but none came.

"Blue room…"

Green room.

"I don't see anything…"

Daniel eased the door open, still seeing nothing. He edged out, seeing blue flames burning on torches and stone ground covered in green light. Inching forward and keeping an eye trained to the right, the only pathway, Daniel tensed and froze and the sound and sight of a monster. He backed away quickly, stumbling over his feet and saw a second one appear. Daniel panicked, he thought he saw a third one but he was not sure. They all looked the same and were the same as the monster from earlier with the large flap of skin with no jaw.

"Oh, well this is awkward, uh – CAN WE TALK THROUGH THIS?"

The beast slashed its long iron claws across Daniel's chest twice. The pain rivaled even that of when he jumped to the second bridge earlier.

"OH GOD!"

It was dark. Daniel had fallen and knew he was fading out of cautiousness and into death. He was sorry to have failed both himself and Agrippa. The last thing he saw before fading out was the sight of the beasts standing above him and the last thing he heard was Lani's shouts.

"AHHH, Daniel, no! S - …Sleeeeeeep! …awkward."

There were booming sounds and the idle sounds of a monster. Daniel was alive. He was horribly injured again, but he was alive. Daniel was not aware of what was happening around him but he could hear the sounds of a prison minus the screams of the damned. He felt himself being taken somewhere, and by the feel of it he was being taken there by the beasts. The monster roared after it had released Daniel and his vision began to return; it was still dark. His head pounded as he drifted in and out of cautiousness, seeing the monster beyond iron bars. Daniel lowered his head weakly and shut his eyes. When he reopened them again the monster was leaving. He shut his eyes again, woozy from blood loss. Blood had spread and stuck itself to his vest, gluing it to his skin. The wound was still bleeding but not as heavily. Being alive after all that had happened was nothing short of a miracle. Daniel breathed slowly as Alexander spoke in his mind.

"You had me worried. Quite frankly, I'm not sure what to do with you."

"Uh…"

"I hold no grudge against you, Daniel. We are so very much the same, you and I."

Daniel weakly went towards the metal bars and looked out at the abandoned prison he was now in. Torches burnt outside and Lani and Alexander were the only others present.

"Well…I wouldn't go that far."

"Did you really drink from the Amnesia mixture?"

Alexander sounded both bewildered and amused. Daniel searched his cell desperate for a way out.

"Maybe."

"It does explain so much of your behavior. You never did finish what you set out to do."

"Uh…"

"You talked about redemption. How you would face the Orb's shadow and save our work – and me? I will grant you another chance to redeem yourself. You can wait here and stop the shadow. Thank you – friend."

Alexander's words burned Daniel both with their presence and their meaning. They were not friends, Daniel would not save Alexander, and he would not wait for the shadow to come for him.

"You're welcome?"

Escaping the cell was going to prove a challenge though.

"Well, Daniel…don't drop the soap, I guess."

Ugh, what does that even mean…?

"Welcome to prison again."

A/N: MORNING. Ok I don't know what time it is you're reading this but it's now around 6:50 am for me. Power went out, took a nap, woke up around 1 am with power restored, and then wrote amnesia fan fiction. Time well spent. I found out watching horror and psychological movies help motivate me so A Clockwork Orange being available on Netflix instant watch is perfect. I just realized I'm rambling about pointless stuff so onto notes about the actual fan fiction. The next chapter is the finale where I will feature all of the final game play, there will be one chapter after that where I will have the bonus ending Lani had to his Let's Play series as well as an explanation of how the hell that was possible (that part is purely my imagination for a bit). I will then write Lani's Let's Play of Amnesia: Justine as a separate fan fiction and review Mangaminx's Let's Play of Amnesia before commiting to making a fan fiction for it. I probably will, but I want to see if there's enough of a difference at long parts so I'm not basically writing the same thing and I also need to make sure there's nothing I simply can't justify in there. Random note of this chapter for any hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy fans, in Word on page 42 is where Daniel sees the monster and also where he explains why the hell he knocked himself out 500+ door puzzles away from his target.