A/N: After an extended hiatus, WLL is back! I'm incredibly thankful to have my muse up and running again, and I hope that WLL hasn't lost all of its readers; after all, the journey isn't over yet. Thanks to everyone who put up with me being slow and uninspired; you all are amazing!
This trip is slightly better than the first Corridor trip that I took, and I think that's mostly because I know what to expect this time. The all-consuming darkness of the passage's walls is still unsettling and worrisome, but I can force myself to ignore it now, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. That, in turn, without the tripping and stumbling I remember from my first journey, shortens the distance between the clearing and the gate considerably. I emerge from the exit of the Corridor shivering, chilled by the darkness, but able to keep my feet this time. Emi, Liseth and Axel exit after me, and the Corridor flashes out of existence a few moments later. My sister lets out a huge sigh, rubbing her eyes wearily, but looking proud.
"That was amazing, Thex," Axel says honestly, giving her a look that screams approval and affection. "I've never seen an initiate get a handle on that so fast."
The effect on Liseth is almost immediate; she blushes furiously, her lips stretched by a proud smile that she struggles to keep back.
"I was proficient in shadow manipulation back in my House," she says, attempting to keep modest, I can tell. "Plus, I've been… practicing. It's not a big deal."
"It is a big deal," he says. "I'm really proud of you."
She blushes even more. "Th-thank you."
The rest of us are watching them now, though Axel doesn't seem to care and Liseth doesn't seem to notice. I can't help the grin that splits my face at the sight of my sister's expression. It's so unbearably cute that it's funny, and it's nice to have a break from my own conflicted emotions for a moment.
The moment passes quickly, though, and we turn our attention back to the task at hand. Liseth's Corridor was successful, it would seem; we're standing on the cobbles of the Shiro District, outside the gate that leads into the Diviners' Quarter. Without my prompting them, my memories flash back to the last time I stood outside these gates looking in; the day after my Rite of Initiation, when a scared, uncertain, newly-placed Diviner girl took a deep breath and decided to face her destiny.
"How do we get in?" Liseth asked. "Aren't these gates locked?"
"Leave that to me," Saïx says calmly, reaching up to tighten his blindfold slightly.
As we all watch, spreading out in a semicircle around the gates, Saïx approaches them slowly, seeming perfectly composed and unafraid. He stretches out one hand, pressing his palm against the iron bars of the gates. At first, nothing happens, and I glance around the circle, seeing the same expressions of doubt on all of their faces. Saïx seems sure, though, and so we just continue to watch him, hands resting on our hips.
Suddenly, there is a blinding silver flash, leaving dark spots floating across my vision for several seconds. I blink my eyes hard, feeling tears pooling at the corners as they smart with the residual effect of the light.
"I am the Master of the Diviners' Guild, and I demand entry!"
My hands pause in their movement for an instant, and I am almost struck speechless by the sheer power and authority that I hear in Saïx's voice. It's like no tone that I've ever heard him use before, even when he is speaking to the entirety of the Guild. The raw force in his tone is enough to bowl a weaker person over. As it is, I find myself shivering for a long moment while the command echoes off of the air.
When the shock dies down and the dark spots clear away from my vision, I look up to behold four other people just as shocked as I am, along with Saïx standing before an open gate. The central iron bar bears a mark that slightly resembles a handprint, emblazoned there in dull silver, which was not there before.
"Follow me," Saïx says quietly.
Still awestruck and not daring to argue, the five of us do as we are told, following him through the gate and into the familiar woods surrounding Maison Etoile. The Diviners' Quarter is much bigger on the inside than it would seem from the outside, something I remember well from my first day. I try not to look up at the place where Mika intercepted me coming in, but my memories will not bend to my command, and I feel tears stinging at my eyes as I remember her cheerful face and vibrant emerald eyes.
She was my best friend, and now she's as good as dead.
We continue down the path toward the main house, keeping our steps silent, just in case there might be some Assassin force waiting in the trees to ambush us. Not that walking quietly would really help if there were, but I think it gives us all an illusion of safety. Axel and Saïx lead the way, with Liseth and me behind them and Emi and Pyra taking up the rear. No one speaks, and the real and pressing urgency of the mission descends like a heavy weight atop our shoulders.
We come to a stop just before we reach the manor's formal yard with its gravel path leading up to the doors, staying in the shadow of the woodier areas and watching the house closely.
"Why are we stopping?" Pyra asks quietly.
"Zane's team should still be there," Axel replies. "We don't want to get in their way while they're trying to evacuate people."
"Well, how will we know when they leave?" Pyra tilts her head slightly, looking confused.
"They'll have to leave the house to Corridor out," Axel says.
"Why?" This is Emi's voice, quieter than Pyra's.
"Because the magical auras of the instruments used in Divination would interrupt the flow of power through the Corridors and cause them to misdirect or disperse," Saïx explains calmly, cutting off the reply Axel was about to make. The redheaded Assassin thinks for a moment, shrugs, and then shuts his mouth, nodding.
"Oh," Emi says, nodding after a moment. "I get it." She still looks slightly awed to be talking to Saïx, but the shock is at least wearing off.
Since no one else seems to have a question, we press ourselves against the trees and wait, glancing periodically at the entrance to the manor to make sure no one is coming out without our noticing. The doors remain closed, though, and the minutes begin to pass into hours, the sun slowly ascending above us and sending shafts of golden light lancing down through the trees, along with a blast of June heat that, while not as bad under the shade, is still uncomfortably warm.
At last, Pyra straightens up, wiping her forehead, which is beaded with clear, crystal drops of sweat.
"We have to go inside," she whispers. "They must have Corridored out by now, or used a back way, or the roof, or something. It's been two hours!"
"We can't," Axel says immediately. "Phyra, we can't risk jeopardizing Zane's mission. It's important."
"My name is Pyra," she says irritably, for once sounding like she isn't amused with everything her cousin has to say. "And we've been sitting out here for two hours and nothing's happened, and I don't think anything will. You're the Assassin; you should know all the little tricks and things they could have used to get out without us noticing, because I'm sure they could."
There is a tense moment of silence while teal and turquoise eyes lock and engage in a silent mental contest of wills, sparking with both cousins' emotions.
"It is… possible… that they could have left under a blinding cloak," Liseth suggests tentatively, keeping her eyes on both Pyra and Axel to gauge the risk of an explosive outburst.
Everyone is silent at that, considering her statement, though the tension does not fade from the air, Pyra and Axel still blowing invisible sparks at each other with their eyes.
"Why don't we wait fifteen more minutes?" I suggest, trying to defuse the impalpable bomb. "If nothing happens, we'll assume they left under a blinding cloak and go in. If they leave, we'll be safe to go in anyway."
"I like that plan," Liseth says immediately.
"Me too," Emi puts in, nodding.
"I have no objection," Saïx says. He glances between the two Hokamas. "Pyra? Axel? What say you both?"
There is another long pause, and I am momentarily afraid that either Pyra or Axel will blow a fuse, and by proxy, our cover. My worry is unfounded, though; a moment later, both of them sigh, letting their shoulders relax.
"Fine," Pyra says, shrugging grumpily.
"All right," Axel mutters, still clearly displeased.
Slightly relieved, I glance toward the doors again, watching for any sign of movement from within.
That was a well-timed compromise. Masterfully done.
I inhale sharply, but I manage to keep myself from jerking or moving in any way, though it takes an extreme effort.
You have to warn me or… something. It scares me when you just randomly talk in my mind. I pause for a moment after the admonition, and then add, And thank you, by the way.
I apologize. I will warn you next time. His voice slides through my consciousness, warm and smooth as melted chocolate, and as familiar as the back of my hand. And you are welcome. It was the truth.
I shift slightly, my cheeks flushing with warm discomfort. I am unsure whether to be flattered at the praise or distrustful of it as just a ploy to gain my trust back.
No. Stop it, I scold myself. We're not doing that anymore.
Doing what? Have I done something?
I internally facepalm as I realize I must have thought the correction through the mental link, and he heard it. I begin to formulate an embarrassed and slightly apologetic reply, but before I can, a cloud suddenly swims in front of my vision, turning everything into blurry, erratic shapes. I'm totally shocked at this sudden turn of events; I was not expecting eye problems today. Before I can breathe a surprised word, however, the clouds have thickened, swirled, and faded into darkness, and everything dissolves.
I'm standing alone on a blank and empty street, staring down the road, a long pathway leading off into grey nothingness. All around me is silent, lifeless and colorless, except for the sky above me, which, when I peer upward, is lit a brilliant, fiery red, clouded with billowing oranges and yellows. The silence is eerie and ominous in its totality, the way it seems to consume every surrounding, swallowing it up in a soundless cocoon.
I turn my head, looking off down the opposite side of the street, but it looks the same, just a long, blank pathway that leads into a cloud of grey fog somewhere in the far distance.
Looking down instead of to the side, I notice that the road is made of cobbles. For some reason, this is relieving, though they are the same flat grey as everything else here. At least they have texture and identity.
With no other option, I choose a direction and start walking, my steps creepily muted, even on the stone. It sounds more like I'm walking on cotton balls than cobblestones, the only sound emanating from the street being a muffled series of thumps, one after the other.
The road stretches on and on into the distance, seemingly unchanging, and my feet are already beginning to grow tired, though I can't have walked all that far. The soles and heels ache as if I've strained my muscles far past their point of exhaustion. In addition to this, I can feel the air around me beginning to heat up as I walk, as if the fiery red sky is actually made of fire, its heat blasting over me in palpable waves, making me sweat, but almost instantly drying me out and baking me, then making me sweat all over again. Still, I continue walking, determined to find whatever's at the end of this road. I'm not sure why, but something tells me that whatever is there is vitally important. Whatever is there is something that I desperately need.
The heat grows more and more oppressive the longer I walk, and my feet hurt more and more with every second. Finally, I can stand it no longer; I sink to my knees and begin to crawl down the street, sweat rolling in beads from my forehead, dripping onto the cobbles below, only to evaporate in a single second and leave no trace that it was ever there. The cobbles themselves are absorbing the heat rapidly, and I can feel them scorching the palms of my hands and my kneecaps, burning the skin red and tender. It hurts, and I whimper slightly with the pain, but I grit my teeth and keep crawling, my determination to reach the end of the road still persisting.
After a few more seconds, a strange and slightly pungent smell enters my consciousness; I vaguely register that it resembles smoke before I see the small flame that's lit at the end of my white hair. I know I should be panicked that my hair is on fire, but by this point, I'm too dehydrated, burned and exhausted even to care.
But I still have to reach the end of this street.
Finally, I can't crawl anymore. I just flop down on the street, panting, trying to fill my lungs with the burning air, not caring that the hot cobbles are scorching my face and body raw. I can't move another inch.
"Your world will be engulfed in flame and sorrow and pain. All that you know will be torn down and destroyed."
I don't know where the voice is coming from, but it's odd and echoey and ominous and it sends a shock of consternation through my worn out body. I try to protest, but I can only manage a moan.
"Everything that you have known will be burned to the ground," the voice says. "All of it, turned to ashes."
The air around me grows hotter and hotter, more oppressive, crushing down on me like a physical weight.
"The destruction will come sooner than you think. Always be ready."
I try to moan again, to make some reply, but again, my voice will not sound.
Suddenly, from somewhere, I can feel a cooler spot, as if there is a fan blowing cool air onto me, though it's not very large or very effective. It's still some kind of relief, and my moan this time is one of relief.
"Always pay attention to the moon," the voice whispers. "The moon will warn you and guide you. Listen to what it says. Trust it."
The cold spot fades then, and the heat rushes back in, overwhelming. I open my mouth to scream, but no sound at all comes out this time, the heat flooding into my open mouth like liquid, drowning me in fire. I close my eyes, waiting for the end.
"Naxanz!"
I jerk, my eyes flying open, my body shuddering as it restarts. I gasp in a deep breath, panting hard, my eyes darting around wildly. Around me, my five companions are sitting in a circle, their faces concerned and, in Liseth's case, slightly frightened. A sheen of sweat is on my brow, and I raise my hand to wipe it away, feeling the tremors running through my fingers, which shake as I raise and lower them.
Saïx's hand is on my shoulders, and his lips are a tight line of concern, his face pale and tight; the shadows beneath his cheekbones prominent in his anxiety.
"What happened?" he asks softly.
I can't take it; the memory of the dream is too immediate for me to answer any sort of rational question right now. My lungs still partly feel as if they're on fire; I feel like it's a struggle to breathe.
Ignoring and putting aside my conflicted emotions, at least for now, I lean forward and bury my head in his chest, breathing in the smell of him, which is like a pine forest after a rain; cool and soothing and comforting, easing the fiery sensation.
He seems surprised at first, and even a little hesitant, but he puts his arms around me and strokes my hair gently, his touch soft and affectionate.
"It's all right," he whispers. "I'm right here. Nothing will hurt you. I promise."
I shiver again, leaning heavily into him and letting him comfort me, ignoring how wrong I know it is to use him like this when I'm still confused about my feelings. I'll worry about the aftereffects later. Right now, I just need to be held.
"Can you tell me what happened?" he murmurs into my ear after a moment, his breath warm and light against my cheek. It tickles a little, and I shiver again.
"Bad dream," I manage, my voice a shaky, indistinct whisper.
"What was it about?" he asks gently.
"E-everything… was on fire…" I pant, remembering the dream vividly once more, and sucking in another huge breath as the fiery sensation attacks my lungs again. Dark swirls are starting to swim in front of my eyes, unconsciousness creeping in again.
"Shh," he soothes me, pulling me closer to him and continuing to run gentle fingers through my hair. My head rests on his shoulder, my nose pressed into the hollow between his neck and his chest, my trembling breaths exhaled against his shirt.
"I promise it will be all right," he says softly. "You have my word. Nothing will harm you while I am here."
I close my eyes and lean against him, trembling, letting myself believe him, just this once. I need to. Otherwise, nothing will stop me from coming apart.
-Sai-
Nax is very badly scared; it's easy enough to tell that when she wakes up. Though I cannot see her face, I can feel the trembling of her body beneath my hand as I grip her shoulder, every tremor making its way from her and into me, filling me with her anxiety. Whatever her vision was, it must have been truly frightening.
"What happened?" I ask her, trying to keep my voice quiet and calm, though I am worried for her. I want to know the contents of her dream, which I am almost certain must have been a prophecy or a message from her Sight, but that concerns me less, shameful though it is, than her wellbeing.
There is a slight pause, and then I let out a slight, surprised exhale as her body slams into mine, her head buried in my chest, every tremor shivering up and down her spine and making my body vibrate as well.
For a moment, I'm too stunned by the action to know what to do, but I slowly regain at least some control of my motor functions. I need to comfort her. She's coming to me for comfort, and I will give it.
Slowly, almost as if in a dream, I wrap my arms around her tightly, trailing my fingers soothingly through her soft hair. She continues shaking as I hold her, clearly frightened beyond rationality by her dream.
"It's all right," I murmur to her, almost entranced by just the feeling of holding her in my arms again. "I'm right here. Nothing will hurt you. I promise."
It's true; if anything tried, I would gladly kill it on the spot.
I'm aware that the others are probably staring, but I can't really find it in myself to care, so sheer is my joy at having her this close. The logical side of my brain reminds me that she'll probably get over this need for contact as soon as her fear dies down, but for once, I push my logical side back and just focus on the feeling of her in my arms.
"Can you tell me what happened?" I finally ask, knowing that I do need to prioritize at least somewhat, before all my motor functions completely dissolve into a puddle.
"Bad dream," she whispers, shivering again.
So it's mostly confirmed, then; it most likely really was a prophecy.
"What was it about?" I ask gently. This information really is important, even if she's scared, and it would probably be better to have it sooner than later.
"E-everything… was on fire…" I feel her breathing beginning to speed up again, as if she's struggling to pull in enough air. Clearly, she's in no condition to share right now.
Quickly, I shift her closer to me, letting her head rest against my shoulder, my arms around her securely. She clings to me almost helplessly, and it's all I can do to keep my heart from thumping madly within my chest.
"What's wrong with her?" I hear Axel whisper, concern lacing his tone.
"I believe she has received a message from her Sight," I reply, in an equally hushed voice. "Whatever that message was… it was not favorable; it's scared her badly."
"Yeah, I can tell," Axel murmurs back. "Is she… gonna be okay?"
"She will be fine," I reply firmly, holding her protectively closer, as if to prove it to him.
"Do we need to leave her out here?" he asks, sounding even more concerned.
"No," I tell him immediately. "I will carry her if need be, but we will not leave her alone." Privately, I amend the statement to I will not leave her alone.
Another sound distracts me from Axel's conversation; a series of soft whooshes reach my ears, faintly and from some distance away. I listen hard, my arms still around Naxanz, trying to figure out what the sound is.
"Corridors," Axel says quietly; then, with more energy, "Zane. He got them out. They're leaving right now."
I cannot help the immense sigh of relief that escapes my lips at that revelation. Although some of those in my Guild still remain at my sister's mercy, it is a great weight off my shoulders to know that those remaining, at least, will now be safe.
"Come on," Liseth says, and I can hear a rustle of grass indicating that she has stood. "Let's get inside, get clothes, and then hurry up and get on with the other part of this mission."
I hear murmurs of assent from Axel, Pyra, and Emi; I know she is right, but I need to make sure that Naxanz is all right.
"Do you think that you can walk?" I whisper to her.
"I… I think so," she whispers back, swallowing hard.
"I'm going to set you down now," I tell her. "Tell me if you need help."
I doubt that she'll let me know if she does need help, but the hopeful part of my heart tugs at me with annoying optimism.
I stand up, still holding her, and for one moment, I am tempted just to carry her in my arms all the way to the house, letting her rest her head on my shoulder.
I know it is wrong, though, and so I sigh quietly and let her down, releasing my hold on her when her feet are settled on the ground.
"Hey, careful," I hear Pyra say in concern.
"I-I'm okay," Naxanz replies shakily. "Just… dizzy. Let's go, we need to hurry."
"She's right; time's wasting," Axel says. "Come on."
I follow their auras as they move up the lawn toward the doors of the house, keeping just behind Naxanz. If she falls, no matter what she says, I will be there to catch her.
She does not fall, though, and we are quickly standing in front of the doors, pulling them open to release a draft of cool air from within the manor. I can hear the sighs of relief as the breeze washes over us; the day is swelteringly hot, and the shade inside the house is like a gift from heaven.
Once we have entered the doors, my bearings return immediately. I may be a blind man outside, but Maison Etoile is my domain; I know every room and every hallway precisely.
"Axel, come with me," I say. "You may borrow some of my clothes. Liseth, go with the young women."
"Got it," Axel says.
"We will meet back up here, in the main foyer," I instruct them. "Everyone is to be careful."
"You heard him," Axel says, and I can only assume that the girls are nodding. "Everybody go!"
There is a soft sound of footsteps moving away, and then Axel's voice asks, "So, where to?"
"Follow me," I tell him, leading him toward the main staircase and out of the entrance hall.