The Color of Mending
Walking through the Land of Canvases reminds me of the movie Sleeping Beauty. People are sprawled all along the streets, draped across carts as if they suddenly fell asleep while doing their daily activities. It was a little unnerving, having to step over people who were laid across the street. They were gray too. Their bodies had lost their colors and emotions. Husks of beings; it's a phrase that comes to her mind.
The sun shines overhead, most of its cold thin light lost in a torrent of gray clouds. The sun itself is a bright white dot burning for no one. The warmth reminds me of a bright winter day. You can see the sun and feel its light, but it does nothing to actually warm you.
Vermillion stumbles beside me. She grits her teeth and pushes forward. Her ankle is swollen in its boot. Ever since the last fight with the Dead-Color she's been limping. The only solace she can find is that they're not walking in sand anymore, but the actual city. "We're almost there." She breathes out the words. I look towards the castle. It was still far in the distance; no matter how much we walked it was always far off.
"Really?" I step over another person. Vermillion nods. "It doesn't look too far off." I side glance at Vermillion. Vermillion nods again, not sure if its sarcasm. We've been walking for what seems like forever. We've gone through countless back roads. We've gone through buildings, hell we've jumped over a building to cut through. The castle was still far off. I clench my fists and shove them in my pockets. Vermillion knew this place the best, it was her hometown.
"Grif, how much… farther?" I look up to the griffon. They coast along the air above them. Their wings beat slowly as they land on my shoulder. Their nails dig slightly into my skin, but I pay no mind.
"Like Vermillion said. We're almost there." Do griffons have depth perception problems? I shoot a look to them, and then look back to the castle. No way was it close. At least there weren't any Dead-Colors. I was expecting the city to be crawling with them, but I hadn't seen any besides the one at the gate.
"How come we couldn't open the gate at the castle?" My feet were beginning to ache. This was more walking than I ever wanted to do.
"No gates can enter the castle." Grif takes off my shoulder. "It's a safety procedure."
Vermillion stumbles again. She grabs a lantern post, not lamp, and pauses. All her weight is pressed on her other foot. "Are you ok?" I take a step towards her. She stops me with a red eyed glare. Her mouth screws down into a frown. "Stupid question, I know." I offer her a hand. Vermillion's lips are pulled into a frown. She takes the offered hand; I can feel her side press into mine. Even with the heels of her boots Vermilions still shorter than I am. Her styled bangs tickle the side of my face. The long red locks are pulled back to connect to the base of her braid.
"We haven't run into any Dead-Colors." Vermillion walks, limps, in synch with my steps. I nod and look around. The buildings, the weeds growing out of the cracked ground, the cars, they're all gray. The plants are wilting, they bend under their heavy heads; their petals scraping the floor. "It's a little discomforting." She confides.
"It could be good thing?" Grif soars in a circle above us.
"I doubt it." Vermillion warily scans the area. "They could be grouping up, trying to create an army." She swallows thickly and stops walking. I stop with her. Even Grif stops flying. They land on a lamp and listen in. "We have to be careful."
As soon as the words are out of her mouth a loud scream pierces the air. It sends us on alert- Vermillion sliding into a fighting position, still favoring her other leg, and me; clutching at the Pigment. The scream echoes around us, bouncing off the vibrating windows and into the next alley. The scraping of heels is heard next.
Around the corner, a shadow dances along the pavement. It's stretched out against the buildings, becoming taller and taller as it approaches.
Merle behind me, Vermillion ushers me away.
A long fingered hand grips the side of the corner, its painted nails dig into the concrete like butter.
Be careful, I motion for Grif to come with me. The two of us back away, down the alley leaving Vermillion.
A head pokes out from the corner next. The chalk white paint on its face hasn't changed with the transformation to a Dead-Color. The clown painting tumbles into the alley and with a discordant scream announces its presence. Vermillion pushes down the racing of her heart and clenches her fists. The droopy hat that the clown wears bounces against its back as it dances forward. The cracked bells on its feet jingle in the otherwise silent alleyway.
Vermillion starts forward, cracks spreading beneath her heel. She leaps forward. Then, immediately stumbles into the ground. Ah, Vermillion grits her teeth. The shadow stretches over her. She looks up, eyes widening. The Dead-Color slams its foot down where she lay. Vermillion rolls out of the way, slams her hands against the ground, and pushes back into a standing position. "Crap." Vermillion looks towards us. She motions us forward with a black gloved hand.
I nod and slink out of the alleyway. Vermillion could deal with this, I knew she could. Still, my heart wouldn't stop ramming; it pounds away in my ears drowning everything out. The clown Dead-Color pays us no mind, its small beady eyes focused solely on Vermillion. It slams its gloved hand down. The buildings shake with the force sending dust to flutter down. Vermillion dances out of the way, her hands grab its wrist and she tugs.
The Dead-Color lurches forward. It gives a harsh yell and tugs back. Vermillion doesn't give; she digs her heels into the cracking street and yanks more. The Dead-Color raises its other hand. It whistles through the air. She leaps out of the way, the hand barely clipping her feet. With a yowl of pain, Vermillion slams into the ground. Her shoulder takes the brute force.
"Vermillion!" I stop around the corner. The Dead-Color turns its head, only its head, and looks down. The rest of its body follows. I take a step back. It's hard to breathe, something presses down on my chest. The Dead-Color advances slowly. It swings its foot back.
The bell jungles ominously, I barely hear it over my heart. I grab at the corrupted Pigment around my neck. "Precure Primer and Gloss." The twisted transformation wraps around me in cool water. Not exactly water, but something similar. My skirt and boots appear, but the crop top and one glove, again, do not show up. "The Color of the Unforgiving Earth," I leap over the foot easily. "Cure Aero!" I land with a stumble, hearing the building crumble behind. Clouds of dust and debris kick up covering the street. Large chunks of concrete fall to the ground, thudding heavily in the air.
I leap outside the quickly expanding cloud of dust. The particles cling to my uniform and skin, dirtying it. I land near the now standing Vermillion. Her arm is limp at her side, a bruise forming across her whole shoulder. "Why did you transform?" Vermillion grits her teeth. I glare at the girl, then my gaze softens. I reache a tentative hand forward.
"Vermillion, I don't like to see you or others hurt."
"I can do this." Vermillion's eyes are glassy. The Dead-Color immerges from the clouds of dust; it swirls around its gaunt body. The clown dips forward with a growl. The two of us scatter, leaping opposite ways. Its head snaps to lock gaze with Vermillion. It doesn't see me coming. I slam into the back of its neck with a loud yell. The Dead-Color lurches forward, again, and towards Vermillion. She summons her paintbrush in a bright red light.
"The Pigment that blazes within the heart," Vermillion draws the circle of paint in the air. With a swipe of the oversized paintbrush the circle shoots forward. "Vermillion Spiral!" The clown Dead-Color reaches an oversized glove forward. The circle of paint splats against its palm, but isn't enough to slow its momentum. The hand slams into Vermillion, flattening her in a spray of concrete dust and fragments.
"Vermillion!" I scream. The Dead-Color gives a jarring laugh, or something similar. It digs its feet into the cracked street, pushing all its weight into Vermillion. I scream her name again, dashing forward. The large pencil appears in my hands, the code coils around the point, an electric blue waiting to be fired off.
Red oozes from beneath the Dead-Colors glove. It dribbles against the building and into a puddle below. Ribbons burst forward, spiraling in a torrent with no direction. Some spiral around the Dead-Colors arm, looking like wet tissue against skin, others spiral uselessly into the air towards the sky.
"The Pigment that tranquilizes the heart! Aero Recode!" I shoot forth the code. The electric blue code is lost in the waves of red. The Dead-Color gives off one last scream. The ribbons of paint overtake it and wrap around it like a red bud. The ribbons peel back like petals and decay midair. In the midst of the fraying ribbons falls Vermillion. Her uniform is torn up, the skirt frayed at the edges, her shirt revealing more skin than usual, the ruffles on her shoulders gone. I leap through the remains of her attack. I gather the thin girl in my arms and land without falter.
Vermillion is gasping for air, her eyes glassy. Tears, blood, and pieces of the building cling to her cheeks. I wipe away some of the fragments and tears. "Clancy, are you ok?" The fire in her eyes isn't gone, yet. I lay her down on the quickly repairing, but still gray, street. The transformation pings off immediately, the cuts and bruises vanishing. Her now blonde hair fans around her head like a halo. "Clancy?" I call her name again. She lets out a sob.
Clancy breaks down completely. Her face crumples and tears flow freely. Her hands cover her face as she lets out more sobs. She babbles nonsense repeating: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, till it blurs into one word. She lets out broken sobs, interrupting her repetition.
I don't know what to do. I sit there watching her sob and shake. Tentatively, I rest my hand on her shaking shoulder. She doesn't pull away from the touch, but she doesn't embrace it either. Grif circles around the two of us restlessly. They fidget, moving close to console Clancy, then at the last second pulls away. I can't do anything to stop her. I've never been in this type of situation; I don't know what to say, only that I can offer her my presence. If she wanted my help she could seek me out.
We lie on the ground for a while after the Dead-Color is long gone. Clancy's sobs for her home are the only noise around. The only tears for this desolate city. The somber atmosphere draws me in. My heart feels heavy in my chest. Clancy was the only one who could fix this. No, we can fix this. I feel tears prick at my own eyes.
Clancy shifts and sits up. She wipes furiously at her red eyes. "I'm sorry." This time the apology is directed at me. I shrug and remove my hand from her shoulder.
"Take as long as you need, it's your home." Clancy offers me a sad smile. She stands and I follow her lead. She still limps, but overall she looks better than before. The large bruise on her shoulder is still there, but it's faded. We walk in a grave silence, not daring to disturb the people. "Are they asleep?" I finally ask. We pass a young girl curled up on a park bench. She clutches the air as if before she was holding something.
"They're shells. The real people are lost right now." Grif answers. This is what would have happened to those girls at the soccer fields if they were left alone. The answer weighs heavy on my heart. My steps feel heavier. "We can get them back, don't worry." Grifs attempt at optimism lands on deaf ears. The silence prevails.
Even if we had wanted to, I don't think we could have come into the castle through the gate. The doors are busted and bent into weird statues. The metal is cracked and a giant black 'X' is spray painted on. This is only the beginning of the destruction around the castle. There are guards in ancient knight looking uniform. They're still against the castle gate, which is in pieces now, holding onto their halberds and spears. We pass them without a greeting. The entrance courtyard is in as much disarray as the rest of the city, if not more. The grass is brittle, crunching beneath our feet. The potted plants are overturned and guards are behind them.
We continue on.
We walk up some stairs on the side of the large room. They spiral endlessly upwards. The walls are a light gray, cracked stone. The stairs are as well, leading me to get a headache. My head was pounding actually, a pulsating that makes it hard to focus on anything other than that. It was like I was the one crying. I place my hand on the wall to steady myself.
"Merle?" Clancy stops. Her eyes are still puffy from earlier. I try to focus on her words. Through the splitting headache it's hard to hear.
"Give me a second." I grit my teeth.
"What's wrong?" I feel her hand on my shoulder.
"Headache." I take a step forward. I don't get headaches, ever. Not even when I've gone three days without sleep, or when I've worked on robotics and coding for a day. Never. But, I can feel my head split open. What the hell.
"Headache? On the second floor is the medic wing." She speeds up the next stair. "You stay here, I'll get it for you." She speaks in a flurry and dashes up more stairs.
"Wait!" My own voice rattles in my head. She descends the stairs quickly. Her eyes are wide as well as red. "…lets go together." I don't meet her gaze. Don't push yourself too hard.
Every so often a small hole, not really a window, is cut into the wall. Probably to keep the castle residents from going crazy on these steps. The light that passes through is ovals on the stairs. The light is thin and gray as well. Everything is gray. Light gray. Dark gray. Everything. I feel like I'm going crazy, the meaning of the holes lost on my headache filled mind.
Finally, we get out of the tunnel of ascending stairs. Out into another gray hallway. Clancy directs us to another hallway filled with rooms. Some doors are cracked open; I look through the sliver to see a maid sleeping half on the bed and half off. Finally, we reach the medical suite. The door is shut tight, but with a few bangs it opens. The nurse is asleep on the bed; the blankets are pulled to cover her. I'm not sure if someone did it afterwards, or if she was asleep on the job. I decide the later.
Clancy is quick in locating the medicine. She opens the first drawer and goes through the bottles. By this time my headache is fading, but I accept the pill gratefully. She grabs a paper cup from one of the cupboards and fills it up for me as well. "You seem to know your way around here." I comment idly. I swirl the remaining water before downing it.
"I spent a lot of time in here." She confesses quietly. Was she a nurse aid? I throw the paper cup away. "I was always getting hurt in practice." She gives a bitter laugh. Tears prick at her red eyes, but she won't look at me directly.
"I was next in line to become a Precure." She fidgets against the counter. "But, I guess I skipped most of the training." She gives another laugh. It hurts to hear. "I was sent to protect the Chroma room too," She looks to her feet. Her knuckles turn white against the counter. She doesn't speak much after that, letting her memories consume her. She rummages through the cabinets looking for anything to pass the time. 'We should rest a little,' is what she tells us.
Grif rolls their eyes constantly, circling the opposite counter. They tap their claws on the marble top, clink, clink, clink, clink. Even I'm beginning to feel a little irritated.
"Clancy we have to hurry." Grif urges her. They pounce into the air and glide towards her. Clancy narrows her eyes and shuts the cabinet she was looking in.
"Fine, "she shuts the cabinet. She opens her mouth, then hesitates. "It's weird." She pulls at the edge of her shirt. I raise an eyebrow and cross her path towards the door. "Some of the cabinets look like they've been riffled through." Her brows furrow in worry.
The sun is high in the sky now. Through the large windows, the clouds have parted for the time being. How long have we been here? I look away and pick up the pace. Clancy seems more frantic the closer we get to the Chroma room. Her shirt edges are frayed with as much as she tears into it. "We're almost there." Grif informs.
Down the hall is a large door. Weird circular carvings decorate it. A large circle is carved in the middle, seven diamonds surrounding it. Lines extend from the largest circle outwards, connecting to even smaller circles. Circles and weird squiggly lines dot around them. Guards are sleeping at the base of the door. Something dark gray is splattered at the bottom of the door and soaked into the carpet. I push down the bile in my throat.
"This is it." Grif shoots forward.
Clancy stills beside me. The air buzzes. The windows to the side of us burst inward. Glass shards and metal slice into the air and us. I give a scream and duck. A flash of red and Vermillion blocks most of the debris. A Dead-Color rolls in. It stands and with dainty white hands wipes the glass shards from its dress.
"I told you they would be here." Tessur pulls himself through the broken window. Anneis follows, landing with a heavy thump. She stands and flips her long hair. He looks smug, shooting a glance to his partner. She gives a growl and crosses her arms.
"Good! This can make up for your previous failure!" Her eyes narrow and her jaw is clenched. Tessur scowls.
"I'm not the one who can't follow a simple plan." Tessur points towards us. "Dead-Color, destroy them."
The Dead-Color gives a twirl of its short dress and shoots forward. In the small hallway theres only two directions to go. Forward or backwards. I turn and run back the way we came. Vermillion goes to attack it directly. Metal screeches in protest and the sound of the windows shattering draws my attention back. Vermillion lands in the glass, the Dead-Color gone.
She launches forward towards Monochromes' followers. A loud yell rips from her throat as she slings her fist forward. Anneis intercepts it easily, blocking it with her forearm. Vermillion shoots backwards and delivers a spin kick. Anneis blocks that as well, grabbing her ankle. She smacks Vermillion against the floor, doesn't let go, and throws her through the hole they crawled from. Vermillion gives a scream as she drops out of view.
"That's one down!" Anneis cackles.
"Two." Tessur holds up Grif by their wing. The griffon angles their body trying to dig their claws into his wrist. Tessur gives him a rough shake.
I grab my Pigment. "Precure Primer and Gloss." The transformation doesn't take. No cool, refreshing feeling of the uniform. No energy surging through my veins. Just cold, hard reality. I grip the cold stone harder, feeling its sharp facets dig into my palms. "Precure Primer and Gloss." I repeat the incantation. Nothing.
The feeling of fear sends chills through my body. The exact opposite of what the transformation gives. Anneis laughs her booming laugh again and advances forward. She extends a large hand. "Give me the Pigment Aero." I take a step back. Something gray flits in the corner of my eye. The Dead-Color from earlier pulls itself from the window. The dress it wears is torn. The mask on its face is skewed showing one black hole where its eye should be. The feathers dip on the mask as it advances as well. I step backwards again.
I rip the Pigment off my neck. Extending my hand to the side, I feel the wind from outside pick up. The Pigment dangles from my hand, ready to be dropped at a moment's notice. My heart is ramming in my chest. "One step closer. One step and I drop it."
Anneis and the Dead-Color stop. "You wouldn't." She hisses the words out. She takes a step forward. I let the string slip down my grasp. She gives a yell and shoots forward. I clench my fist, stopping its descent. Anneis stills.
"I don't play around." I narrow my gaze. "We're pretty high up. What would happen if I dropped it?" All three enemies don't comment. I eye them warily, waiting for one of them to move, to twitch. In the corner of my eye something red sparkles. I will myself not to look, staring straight ahead at Monochrome's followers. Anneis' looks back to Tessur. He nods.
In a flash Anneis disappears. I let go of the Pigment. She reappears outside, hand outstretched to collect it. I yell, bending over the broken glass, feeling it pierce into my skin, reaching for it as well. Red overtakes my vision. Wet painted ribbons envelop Anneis. She gives a scream shooting towards the ground.
Vermillion's black gloved hand is wrapped around the equally dark Pigment. She stands on top of a large curved ribbon. I turn my hand over and the cold stone is returned back to me. "Be careful with it." She winks.
"I will." I can't help but smile at her.
The Dead-Color gives a screech and runs forward, effectively killing the mood. Vermillion hops into the hallway, the ribbons from outside flood inwards. The Dead-Color is swarmed in the ocean of red. Tessur curses from behind, dropping Grif in the commotion. Grif flies off and out of the hallway.
Vermillion whips off her golden belt. "The Pigment that burns the heart." With a red flash it becomes the oversized pallet knife. "Pretty Cure! Vermillion Flash Point!" Vermillion slices through the ribbons with ease. The sparks from the motion leap off the blade, licking at the paint ribbons and the Dead-Color. It gives a screech as it bursts into ashes.
The ribbons themselves turn to ash as well. The hallway is filled with it, making it hard to breathe. I raise a hand to my nose trying to block it out. Vermillion launches forward with ease. She spins, dragging the blade across the carpet. "Vermillion Flash Point!" She's a red blur as she races towards Tessur. He grins and ducks down. The pallet knife arcs over his head. It slices into the door like butter. The circular design gets a new mark. Vermillion has no time to move.
From my angle, I can't see what happened. All I know is that Vermillion shoots backward, her body arching forward as if punched. I fling myself to the side, barely dodging Vermillion. She leaves craters in the hallway as she hits the ground. "Vermillion!" I run towards her. She dry heaves, blood spilling from her mouth. She makes a wrenching, gagging noise.
"Vermillion!" I push back the red locks hiding her face. More blood drips from her mouth.
"I'm fine." Her hand grips mine. "We need another way in." She sits up. Her hand squeezes mine, her other wipes at the spit and blood dripping from her lips. Her gaze shifts from behind me to the window. I can sense what she's thinking. "…You're not afraid of heights, right?"
"…no…" I don't like where this is going.
"I won't drop you."
"No."
She stands on surprisingly steady feet. I draw myself up as well. I turn facing Tessur. He frowns and raises his fists. If he could do that with one hit, there was no way we were getting past him. Vermillion's idea was looking more and more like the only option. With a flash, the pallet knife from the door becomes her golden belt, looping around her hips. Another flash and the paintbrush shows up.
"You won't be able to pass me with that." Tessur grins smugly.
"I don't need to." With a swipe of the paintbrush, red ribbons gush out. They arc out the window and towards a spiral tower. The Chroma room? I don't have time to think. Vermillion scoops me into her arms. With a leap she jumps out the window. I can't tell who is screaming. Me? Vermillion? The both of us? I cling to her chest, feeling the air rip around us. It pulls at my dark skin and hair. She lands on a large ribbon, her knees bending from the force.
True to her word, she hasn't dropped me. Yet. She runs down the ribbon, her hands digging into my skin. She laughs. "Don't worry! I won't drop you!" She leaps again, the distance towards the Chroma room shortening my half. The wind picks up more. My heart rams in my chest making music with the howling of the wind. Looking behind Vermillion's shoulder I see someone gray leap up. Anneis.
"Anneis is behind us." Vermillion turns her head at my words. Her boots click as she speeds up. Anneis disappears in a blur. She reappears in front of us, hand slung back to punch. Vermillion leaps over her attack. She snaps her boot forward, catching her right in the eye. Damn, I wince at the cracking noise. Anneis howls in pain, she clutches at her eye and sways on the ribbon.
"Anneis!" Tessur's scream barely reaches my ears.
We pass over the crouching woman and land on the roof of the Chroma room. Vermillion's boots slowly slide down the curved edge of the roof. I bite back a scream seeing the ground inch closer. Don't look down. Don't look down. I think I've developed a fear of heights. The ribbon stretches and catches the edge of her boots, steadying us.
"Ok, time to let go Merle." She bends and lets me down. I stumble back. My feet sink slightly into the ribbon. It sways in the air. I reach my hands forward and grab Vermillion's. She squeezes them. Her red gaze narrows behind. "Tessur is coming. Merle I need you to get off the ribbon." She steps back and pulls me off.
I step off and let go of her hands. Anneis stands on the ribbon. She sways, clutching at her eye. Tessur appears beside her. He grabs her shoulder and they rush forward. Vermillion drops the ribbon. It frays, the pieces scattering to the wind. This doesn't stop the followers however. They teleport. The clacking of shoes draws my attention to the other side of the roof.
"You'll pay for that!" Anneis spits the words out. Her gray hand drops revealing a black eye. Ouch. I wince again.
"This ends here." Tessur growls.
"My sentiments exactly." Vermillion leaps forward. She spins in the air and slings her leg forward. Tessur blocks with his forearm and lashes out with a fist. In the air, Vermillion blocks. She lands a little back and launches into another attack.
I can't do anything, but watch. The two trade several blows. Vermillion dodges by mere inches every time Tessur throws a punch or kick. Tessur blocks all of her attacks with ease. Wait, where's Anneis- a rough hand grabs my shoulder. I slip backwards, hands grabbing for the nearest thing. I grasp Anneis' shoulders and pull her down with me.
She gives a yelp and straightens bringing me back up. I stare into her brown eyes. The eye she was kicked in is swollen shut while her other is wide. I look down. This position… I clutch at Anneis' shoulders, her own arms grabbing my body.
"…" I can't speak.
"Wanna let go?" Anneis avoids looking at me.
"…I don't want to… drop." My heels brush the edge of the roof. Dying or clinging to my enemy. Anneis steps backwards pulling me up. I let go of her and back away towards the top of the dome roof. My hand immediately goes to the dead Pigment. Anneis takes one step forward before she's taken out by a red blur. Vermillion twists in the air, her feet planted firmly in Anneis' stomach. She spins and launches the woman off the roof.
Anneis gives a scream as she falls off.
Vermillion is taken out in a similar fashion. Tessur rips past me and punches Vermillion. His brown eyes are narrowed and a snarl drips from his lips. Vermillion shoots off the roof with a chocked scream. I race forward, hand outstretched for hers. I scream her name, my fingers grasping nothing but air. Shit! Tessur turns towards me.
"I have to do everything myself!" He advances. "Anneis is useless and we didn't even need them." He grabs the collar of my shirt. Tessur yanks me forward till we're eye to eye. I stare at his gray and white skin. Vitiligo? Is that the name for it?
"Give me the Pigment." He commands.
"No." I narrow my gaze. I can't just threaten to throw the Pigment with how close he is.
I grit my teeth and grab at his hand. First Anneis and now him! I yank his pinky back hearing a snap! He lets go with a howl and clutches at his hand. "Son of a-" Tessur doesn't get to finish his curse as Vermillion leaps up. The large pallet knife glints, reflecting the gray scaled sun. It's held high over her head, ready to slice down any enemy. She arcs it downward. I step backwards, feeling the wind from the slice brush my cheeks.
Tessur teleports the last second, still clutching his hand. Her momentum doesn't stop. The pallet knife cuts right into the building. Vermillion lands, digging the knife into the roof deeper. "Vermillion Flash Point!" The knife shines. Light explodes, blinding me. I cover my eyes, feeling the waves of heat wash over my skin. The roof beneath our feet crumbles with the impact. Flames lick at the falling stones, smoke and ash rising above our heads. I fall into Vermillion's arms. She lands gently among the falling stones and flames. The orange of the fires casting shadows across her dark brown skin.
"Let's get that Pigment fixed, quickly." She sets me down.
"I'm sorry." A new voice draws are attention across the small circular room. A person stands near a pillar in the middle of the room. Their hair is white and spikes to the side. Sharp bangs curl across one eye, while a lock of hair curls straight up over their other eye. They lean over the pillar, their arms crossed on the stone. Their eyes are as bright as their hair, a distinct silver.
"Hello Clancy!" They grin brightly.
"…Etihvv!"
Afterword: This chapter was fun to write. I think I'm going to stay with 1st person tbh because it's easier to write.
I hope you liked this chapter and leave a comment. Or a critique or constructive criticism. Don't be scared to tell me what didn't work or what you liked! Anyways I'm tired so good night.
