Chapter Three: "Now we are in the game."
The flashlight scanned the hallway as Linian, Dark and Krad walked slowly though. Krad would glance back every now and then to see if there was a spirit following them, but he would only see darkness in the hall. A sudden crack of thunder made them all jump as it rumbled outside.
"That doesn't at all make it more ominous." Linian muttered. With kyu'ed as he tried to hide on Dark's shoulder.
"Come on, lets keep going." Linian said. The floorboards of the corridor creaked and groaned as the trio walked over them. When Krad stepped on one, it collapsed in on itself and he gave a cry.
"What happened?" Linian asked, pointing the flashlight at Krad to see his leg was stuck in the floor.
"One of the floorboards collapsed and my foot is stuck." Linian handed Dark the flashlight and brushed away the loose pieces of wood.
"Pull your foot out." Krad did and he stood.
"Thanks Linian." She nodded and knelt.
"Pass the flashlight." Dark placed it in her open hand and she pointed the beam down the hall to yelp. Within the hole was a body of white human bones.
"What on earth?" Krad muttered and Dark looked at the body with wide eyes.
"Are those human bones?"
"I think they are, Dark." Linian said, stock in her voice.
'You three are the newest victims, are you not?' Dark yelped in surprise. Linian frowned. She slipped into the hole and took a step closer to the body.
"Who are you?"
'I was brought here against my will and confided in this school. Left to die like a common animal, like you.'
"Confided, You mean to say that there's no way out?"
'I'm afraid not, this school is of its own reality. Plans on top of one another, like a maze, all created by vengeful spirits. Innocents are brought here and left to die.' Linian shoot a glance at the other two angels.
'This nexus is cursed, and completely controlled by the girl with the blood scissors.'
"Akane?"
'So that's her name? Beware, she's a devil child. She is the one that controls it all and she is the one that closes all the spaces.'
"What do you mean by that?"
'This Akane, she was the murderess that killed her fellow students. She and the other vengeful spirits are always pulling victims from your world and trapping them here. Eventually they either die from hunger or go completely insane and kill themselves.'
"So we were pulled into here by vengeful spirits, why?"
'I don't know, neither the motives that fuel our capturers or a way to escape this hell, but if I could get you some advice.'
"And what's that?"
'Work together and stay together. Three heads are better then one. It's too late for me but maybe you can find a way.' Linian stood, drawing a feather from her pocket, taking it between her middle finger and her pointer finger of her right hand.
"I may not know your name, but at least I can give you a chance to be free and search for happiness in the next life."
'You would do that?'
"Think of it as an eye for an eye. You gave us information, it is the least I can do."
'You don't have to.'
"I am the Linian, the bronze angel. Speaker of the dead and I give you the gift of freedom." Linian shut her eyes and the feather glowed a soft bronze. Tendrils of bronze light ruffled though the loose strands of her hair and wrapped around the bones of the body.
'Thank you Linian.' Then the presence vanished and Linian exhaled deeply. Dark hopped down and let her lean on him.
"Come on, we better keep going." Dark lifted Linian out of the hole and followed. They soon came to some stairs and Linian tripped.
"Oof! Ow..." Dark knelt by her side.
"You okay?"
"I think so." She winced. "I think I twisted my ankle though." Krad lingered on the stairs, watching for spirits as Dark examined her ankle.
"I think you twisted it pretty good. You better keep off of it for a little bit until we can make a splint." Dark turned.
"Here, climb on." Linian wrapped her arms around his neck. Hooking his arms under her legs, Dark lifted her onto his back.
"You comfortable back there?" She nodded. Dark smiled and started to climb the stairs with Krad following. With curled up in the crook of Linian's neck and started to doze off. Linian smiled as the little bunny slept, his ears brushing gently against her cheek. Krad glanced around to see a door in the hallway on the left side marked 'Infirmary'
"Dark, there's an infirmary. Perhaps we can rest there." Dark nodded. Krad walked up to the door and turned the handle to find that the door wasn't locked. Krad lifted an eyebrow at that but shook it off. Beds with a thin layer of dust sat in a line along the wall and cabinets with medicines and tonics lined the other wall.
"These beds are surprisingly clean." Dark remarked.
"You would think there would be more dust." Krad agreed. Dark gently let Linian slip off his back and on to one of the beds as Krad searched for supplies that could be used to make a splint.
"I thought you could heal, Linian." Dark said as he sat down next to her.
"I used too much energy talking to those spirits and allowing you two see them. If I rest, I probably regain enough energy to heal." She shivered, despite it not being cold. Dark draped his coat over her shoulders and she gave a slight smile.
"Thanks." Dark nodded.
"I found old wood and a couple bandages." Krad said walking up. "That will have to do." Krad knelt next to her foot and encased her foot in a makeshift splint. After a few moments, he stood.
"There, that should do."
"Thanks Krad." Krad stretched and walked aimlessly around the room. Linian lay down on the bed she was on and yawned. Dark chuckled as he wrapped his coat around her like a blanket.
"I don't why I'm so tired." She muttered with her eyes heavy. Dark placed a hand on her forehead.
"Try and get some sleep. I'll stay here." She grunted then her eyes closed and she drifted off. With curled up on her stomach and fell asleep as well.
"It's amazing how she can sleep." Dark murmured.
"She's been though worse, hasn't she?" Krad asked over his shoulder and Dark shrugged. Dark's eyes fell to the girl as she slept. She looked so utterly peaceful. Dark gently brushed a stray piece of black hair from her face.
"I've always wondered why you're so drawn to her, Dark. You know she isn't like you or me." Krad remarked as he leaned against a wall with his arms crossed.
"What are implying?" Krad shrugged.
"How is it that a simple girl like her could captivate you so much? Has the Phantom thief Dark fallen in love?"
"Don't be stupid, I haven't fallen for her." Krad's eyebrow lifted.
"Really, because your actions say otherwise. Actions speak louder than words, Dark."
"Oh shut up, Krad."
"What will you do?"
"What?"
"What will you do if she dies?"
"That's not going to happen."
"How can you be sure? She is like you or me, Dark. She's part human, which makes her in danger of being killed. You and I are immoral, she isn't and I'm correct, she'll be the one to end up dead."
"Shut up!" Dark snapped. "I don't care if she isn't immoral like, what I know is I'll do everything I can to keep her safe and to make sure escapes alive."
"It's a lost cause." Krad muttered. Dark glared at his other half then turned back to Linian and With, who were still sound asleep. Linian began to moan and bite her lip. Dark touched her forehead and her moaning continued.
"Shh, It's okay Linian."
"Help...M-Me..." She murmured and Dark touched her face.
'What is she dreaming about?' He wondered.
"Dark, we're not alone anymore." Krad warned. Dark looked up to see spirits, these ones black and red like flames coming up from the floorboards. Krad drew a feather and blasted them back, keeping them from reaching the edge of the room they were occupying.
"Dark, we better get out of here!"
"She's not waking up!" Dark shook Linian but she didn't stir. With opened his eyes and started to bounce on her stomach, even then she didn't wake up.
"Aw crap." Dark scooped her up, coat and all and dashed for the door to find it was rooted in place by long black hair.
"Oh that's just great, now what?" Krad smirked. Dark turned to see Krad make a run for the cabinet.
"Krad, what the hell are you doing?!" Dark exclaimed. Krad punched the cabinet open and pulled a bottle from the cabinet and dashed back. Dark caught a glimpse of the label. Rubbing Alcohol. Krad doused the hair then flicked a small flame that he produced. The hair lit, leaving behind a bad smell and the door free to open. Krad kicked it open and they dashed out with Krad slamming the door behind them.
"God dammit, What the hell was that?!" Dark asked as he set Linian on the ground.
"I'm not sure, I think they were evil spirits." Linian started to cough and Dark held her up as she hacked. Her eyes opened.
"What happened?"
"You would asleep and we were attacked." Krad told her.
"By what?"
"Spirits."
"What color were they?" Krad and Dark shared a confused look.
"Black and red like flames." Dark said and Linian's eyes widened. She looked at the door of the infirmary.
"So that's why..." She muttered.
"Why what?" Dark asked perplexed.
"Those spirits were vengeful, it's a good thing you got out."
"What are you talking about?" Krad asked as he knelt next to them.
"Spirits are similar to people in the sense that there are good natured people in the world and ill natured people. The spirits that are helpful and good glow electric blue and the bad vengeful spirits are black and glow red like fire."
"So why didn't you wake up?" Dark asked.
"I don't know, probably something that spirits did." Krad looked back at the door.
"It's safe to assume that we shouldn't go in that room again."
"That's probably a smart choice." Dark agreed, pulling Linian to her feet.
"You both what this means right?" Linian asked and the two gave her a funny look.
"What does it mean?" Krad asked.
"It means we're in the game, and there's no backing out. It's either win... or die."
A/N: ANNNDDDD I'm back! Yes, this was hopefully really creepy. And this makes you realize just how much hangs in the balance. Anyways, I only own Linian, Akane and my characters. Hope you enjoyed this creepy installment. TTFN!