Chapter 16: Torn

The note baffled me. It talked about something called Tampter: the saliva of a water-dwelling menace we were all very familiar with. Another interesting ingredient on the list was called Vitae, which was apparently the blood of a tortured being. The thought of it made me grim, but I didn't say a word. The last thing on the note was a poison gland from fungi. Does that mean we have to go back to the Sewers? No, we can't. The ladder broke when we made it to the top. Maybe it's somewhere else?

What interested me most was the title written at the top of the old piece of paper. It read: Agrippa Channels Weyer. Oh, I remember! Agrippa asked me to bring him anything that had to do with Weyer. So, this note must be of some importance. Maybe we have to gather these ingredients, but what are they used for? I was about to continue reading when Daniel placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Felix, hold onto that note. We'll focus on it after we find the orb pieces in the Choir." Daniel said, exiting the small room that we had found the paper in. I was reluctant to follow, for I wanted to finish reading, but I didn't say a word. We continued down the ominous corridor, twisting and turning with the walls, until we reached the door that lead into the Choir. We went in with no hesitation, pausing only to take in our new surroundings.

The Choir Entrance was just a long hallway, lit by candles lying against the wall. I could see the wooden floor dip down to our front, indicating that there was a staircase leading somewhere. I could also see two doors, and we slowly made our way over to them. Isabelle and I went to the one on the right, while Daniel went by himself into the other one. A quick examination of the room proved that it was useless.

There was some sort of table with shackles on it in the center of the room. The floor was painted with a strange symbol, and I vaguely wondered what it meant. Two tables line the wall, filled with tools and other devices that I knew where used in some sadistic way. Other than that, it was practically empty.

I glanced at Isabelle before exiting the room, making my way over to Daniel. When I saw the man, I stopped cold. He was standing in front of the torture table, shaking uncontrollably, and frozen in place. He was reaching for objects that weren't even there, muttering under his breath and acting abnormally. Isabelle and I watched in stunned silence as Daniel turned towards us, grinning evilly. That's when I noticed his eyes: they were glazed. After a few more moments, he soon came to a halt, color flooding back into his emerald eyes.

"Daniel, are you okay?" Isabelle rushed over to him, voice laced with concern. I stood in the doorway, watching her fret over the man in silence. Daniel convinced the woman that he was alright, but I could hear his voice quivering in fear. I wonder what he remembered… I doubt it's that important, though. We should get moving.

"Come on, let's get to the Choir." I stated, gesturing towards the staircase. Isabelle shot me a look of contempt, which caught me off guard. What did I do now? Daniel nodded in agreement, setting off toward the metal door that lead into the new area. We were far more uncertain in opening the entryway, dimly wondering what horrors awaited us. Daniel cast one last look at me before opening it.

I was awestruck at the sheer size of the Choir, even though it was nearly impossible to see. It wasn't dark, just excessively misty. Massive columns rose from the ground, vanishing somewhere into the ceiling. I could see more pipes running across the roof, and in the distance, more spiked cages. After a few minutes of gazing at our new environment, Daniel took a step forward, only to come catapulting back when the silence shattered with a voice.

"What are my intentions, Daniel?" A deep, elderly voice rang out through the Choir, "Salvation. It used to be yours, but now you seek only misplaced revenge. How do you justify your actions? Is it for the greater good? Are you doing the world a service? It is you who caused all this pain and death. If you had accepted your fate and submitted to the Orb when you first found it, none of this would've happened. It is curiosity in league with your selfishness that's killing us both."

"Who… What was that?" I asked, frantically looking around the room in an attempt to pinpoint the voice. Daniel's expression was a collage of anger, confusion, and dejection.

"That was Alexander," He replied flatly before continuing into the red mist. Isabelle and I were baffled.

"But, he's in the Inner Sanctum. How could he talk to us?" Isabelle and I asked in unison, but our question was cut short when a familiar unearthly moan sounded from our front. I could see the faint silhouette of the bladed monster heading our way. That's when things exploded into chaos.

In panic, we all bolted in different directions. I saw Daniel run to the right, vanishing into the mist with Isabelle. I sprinted to the left, using the wall and pipes to guide me. I kept running until I could no longer hear the metallic scrapes and clicks that the monster produced. Slowing to a halt, I realized that I was all alone. Damn… Isabelle and Daniel ran off in a different direction, so I have no idea where they are. I guess I should just continue looking for the Orb pieces… I paused to take in my new surroundings, quickly realizing that there was something to my front.

Thanks to the torches that evaporated the mist, I could barely make out a door. Timidly, I jogged over to the prison-like entrance, peering through the metal-barred window to make sure nothing was waiting inside. It was still too hazy to see anything clearly. With a shrug, I gently opened the door and went inside, making sure to close it behind me. I could make out some sort of object in the gloom, and my uncertainty came flooding back. Should I go look? Maybe I should wait for the other two… No, they have no idea where I am, it'd take too long. Taking a deep breath, I entered the room, my eyes never leaving the strange device on top of the short staircase. In my peripheral vision, I could see blood smeared across the ground, staining the stone floor. There were alcoves in the walls, cages hanging loosely from the low ceiling. When I reached the foot of the steps, my gaze wandered around device. It looked like some sort of casket, but it was standing up right and more cylindrical. The face of a woman rested on top of the mechanism, obviously carved in stone. The face was cold, almost expressionless. I was about two meters away when the casket suddenly flew open, eliciting a scream of terror as I flew backward, landing roughly on my side.

"Holy shit…" I panted, climbing to my feet. My sudden burst of terror slowly waned as I made my way back to the casket, mesmerized by the myriad of spikes. What a way to die... I thought, feeling sympathy towards the mechanism's earlier victims. Now, there must be something important in here. I should get back to looking. Turning away from the casket, I focused my attention on the alcoves. A faint red glow in one of the nooks caught my attention, and I knew instantly it was what I was looking for.

I reached down to the dirty floor, grasping the Orb piece in my hand with no hesitation. I watched for a moment as the relic changed colors, finding it strangely calming. Okay, I should get going. I didn't run far, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find my way back. Maybe Daniel and Isabelle are there?

I made my way to the door with haste, pausing only to make sure no monsters were erupting out of the mist. When all was clear, I retraced my steps, staying close to the wall and letting it guide me. I passed by the strange plants growing from the cracked stone floor, bones and other atrocities tangled in the roots. I could see the bridge in the distance, stating that I was close to the exit. I almost let out a sigh of relief, but a sudden scream froze me in my tracks. I listened as the wail echoed throughout the Choir, keeping still until the sound faded into the distance. That sounded like Daniel! Did he get hurt? I knew that leg injury would slow him down… I just hope he's okay.

It took a few more minutes until I found myself by the exit. I sat down, unsure if I should leave or wait for my friends. I tensed up as the groan from a very familiar monster sounded to my right, and I reached for the doorknob. I wasn't sure how, but the small movement alerted the demon to my position. It suddenly broke into a sprint, charging over to my location with surprising swiftness. Instantly, I threw open the door, letting out a panicked gasped as I began to stumble. No, this isn't going to happen again! I quickly regained my footing and slammed the door shut before bolting up the staircase. Surprisingly, the monster didn't break down the door.

"That… that was too close," I panted, trying to calm down. I collapsed onto the wooden floor, shaking slightly. I sat there for a few moments before heading back down to the door. I can't just leave, not yet. Tentatively, I opened the door, peering into the mist to make sure the demon was gone. When my eyes landed on Daniel and Isabelle, my blood ran cold. Oh no, this looks bad, doesn't it? They paused a few meters away, idling by one of the massive stone columns. Isabelle's eyes met mine, and I could almost feel the anger rising from the woman. I was about to speak, knowing that Isabelle would soon erupt into chaos about my departure, but I was too late. She stalked over, Daniel following closely.

"I've had enough of you abandoning us!" She snapped, "I never knew you were such a coward, Felix!"

"Isabelle, let me explain-,"

"No, I want you to shut up! What if Daniel and I hadn't found you just now? We would've searched the whole Choir for you! And what if you were off elsewhere or chatting with Agrippa? I would've thought you were dead. Quit running off like that. I've had enough of it…"

"And I've had enough of you," I retorted, striking the woman across the face. She let out a yelp of pain, recoiling to Daniel's side almost instantly.

I wasn't prepared for Daniel to hit back, and when he did, my entire skull exploded into pain. I stumbled back, caught off guard by his sudden willingness to defend Isabelle.

"Don't you dare hit her!" He hissed, shielding the whimpering woman from my view.

"She clearly deserved it," I bit back, vision blurred from Daniel's attack. The man stared at me in disgust, clearly wanting to beat me further, but a faint moan in the background told him otherwise. We didn't say a word as we made our way back to the Nave. I trailed in the back, not wanting to face Isabelle or Daniel, seeing how they despised me at the moment.

I'm such an idiot.