Chapter 3: Tainted Light

The Forgotten Manor

~~~~~~~(I)~~~~~~~

That night, Will dreamt again. It was one of those noisy, feverish realistic ones. He found himself back on the S.S. Oceana. He was running. He didn't know what from. Didn't know why. All he knew was that something was after him, and that it would get him and murder him if he didn't run.

So he ran. Through hazy, boiling air and oily shadows, he ran in a direction that seemed pre-planned out for him. The meters stretched out infinitely before him as the unseen menace got closer and closer. Fear and panic drove him to push himself harder, but nothing he tried did more than gently steer him a couple of meters forwards.

Something sharp and cold grabbed him by his neck and suddenly, the infinite hallways was gone and he was falling, falling into the dark water below, falling as his mother screamed his name and Madelis laughed and Keta told him that he was weak, weak because he couldn't get away, weak because he ran in the first place…

Drowning in the churning, ice cold sea hauled him out of the dream. He sat up in bed, shivering and alert, searching the dark interior of his room because he felt the horrible suspicion that he wasn't alone.

The door to his room creaked open, slowly, soundlessly. Crescent stalked into his room, Het jet-black hair covered half her face. The moonlight shining through his window cast a pale light on her visage. A singular, crimson eye glared at him.

Suddenly, Will couldn't speak. He wanted to call out to her, but it was as if his mouth stopped working. His muscles were slack. Useless.

She slowly approached him, placing one shapely leg in front of the other as she skulked closer. Her clothes rusted softly as she sat down on his bed. Crescent never broke eye contact, never took that singular, blazing eye off him as she moved closer and planted a pale hand on his chest, sliding her other hand up to his jaw. Her weight shifted the bed a little more in the darkness.

Her breath was hot on his skin. She slowly moved atop his chest, her body pressing down on him through a fragile layer of cloth. Her chest pressed against his, the motion careful and tender. She inched closer, bringing her face towards his until she hovered a mere inch above him. Her hair caressed his bruised cheek. That single, unblinking eye of hers burned with an emotion he couldn't place.

Slowly, deliberately, she brought her hands up, caressing his skin…

…and wrapped her delicate, stone-cold fingers around his neck and squeezed.

Alarm coursed through Will's body. He couldn't move. Couldn't think. He willed his arms to obey, but they remained slack by his side. He wanted to buckle and thrash and fight, but his body refused to do anything.

Paralyzed. Useless. Weak.

Red flashes played across his vision. Slowly, he began to black out.

Her fingers kneaded his throat with an almost sensual intent as she applied more and more pressure. Her expression was hewn from stone, emotionless and devoid of mercy, devoid of passion, devoid of anything.

Will blinked. The darkness dimming the edge of his vision wouldn't clear.

"I warned you," Crescent spoke in a slow, clear voice. She leaned closer, screwing her slender fingers tighter around his throat.

Will's windpipe swelled, and he gagged. His vision narrowed, then slowly dimmed. He heard something break with a wet crack -

And then she was gone. For several long, painful seconds, Will fought against the paralysis that had overcome his body, choking, wheezing. He came upright in the inn's bed and choked down a cry. His heart pounded so hard that he thought his chest would burst and his lungs burned and itched. He took several deep, gasping breaths of air, then brought his hands to his throat. He could steel feel Crescent's fingers kneading into his flesh, digging into his throat.

The musculature felt raw and painful to the touch.

Will blinked several times, struggling to order his thoughts and stave off the mounting panic. Crescent was nowhere to be seen. His door was closed.

He spat a curse into the night.

Fighting the sleep out of his head, he sat down on the edge of his bed and lowered his head in his hands. His body felt sore and painful. It took him a minute to get his frantic breathing back under control. Slowly, his heartrate went back to something with three digits, then back down to two.

"No…no more herbal tea before sleeping…" he muttered to nobody in particular.

He got out of bed, got himself a large glass of water and downed it in one go. It hurt to drink, but the cold liquid did soothe the burning itch inside of his throat.

Next, he sent Mightyena out. The Dark-type Pokémon did a slow three-sixty, didn't see anyone to maul and then turned his large, curious eyes to his trainer.

"Notice anything weird, please wake me," Will said.

Mightyena cocked his head to the side.

"Precaution. Night."

Mightyena circled around the carpel, found a good spot and promptly laid down, curling himself up in a little ball before closing his eyes.

With that taken care of, Will dropped down back into the bed and closed his eyes again. It took him far too long, but eventually he was able to shake off Crescent's accusing glare and drift off again.

The next morning, he woke up early, thanked Mightyena for keeping an eye out and recalled him again. He grabbed a quick shower, got dressed and then headed downstairs again.

Aelita found him almost immediately. "Will, there you are! I was looking for you yesterday!"

"Had to wait for nightfall for the music to start," Will explained, his throat still sore from the scuffle at Team Xen's hideout. He could talk, but only with plenty of water. "The others took the entire day."

"Wait, hang on a sec."

Aelita got up from the table and quickly hurried towards the kitchen. She came back carrying two enormous mugs of steaming hot morning juice.

Will gratefully accepted his coffee, took a big swig and nearly burned his mouth. Just the way he liked it. "Oh…" he grunted. "Coffee."

"Tea is still better for the stomach."

He had some choice words for that tea. "Coffee doesn't try to throttle me at night."

"I…can't say tea has tried that either, but okay, " Aelita replied. "So what did you find? In order, please."

Will nodded. He'd spent the last couple of days chasing down leads on East Gearen City in preparation for their journey to Route 3, then taking care of loose ends. "First, I joined a gang."

Aelita nearly spat out her tea.

"Don't laugh, it's true." Will thought back to Karrina's strange assignment. As the secret watchers in Gearen, Karrina and her people thought it their responsibility to try and keep the criminal element under control. So when they got word of a rival gang trying some Pokemon smuggling stint in Amethyst Cave, they knew they needed to spring into action.

"This is Karrina you're talking about right? She tried to help you before.'

Emphasis on tried. It was very likely that Karrina's misinformation had cost them everything. "Yeah. Still not sure how to feel about her. She tried. She tried in Amethyst Cave as well, right before taking on the big honcho."

"Yeah?"

"She fell down a wall, broke her ankle. So I had to step up. I beat the rival gang leader." Combusken and Pidgeotto had apparently put the fear of Arceus into those people, because the entire gang packed up their stuff and fled the moment their leader lost. "Karrina was so thankful, she gifted me a Pokemon."

Aelita leaned back in her seat and stretched her arms above her head. "Now I know you're making stuff up."

"Yeah?" Will said. "Houndour, come out!"

With a flash of white light, the newest addition to his team appeared. The quadrupedal little canine glanced up at Will with curious eyes. The bony crest on its forehead, shaped like a skull, still unnerved Will whenever he looked at it.

"A Houndour!" Aelita gasped. "Didn't Madelis fight with its evolved form?"

Will nodded, reaching down to pet Houndour's head. The little guy was shy, but the dining hall wasn't very crowded yet. "Understanding the enemy gives you an edge, I assume."

"Yeah, knowing the ins and outs of how your enemy fights will allow you to counter them more easily, that much is true," Aelita said. "Okay, so you wiped out an entire gang. What then?"

"Next, I searched for a library hidden underground built by the ancient magical humans who lived before us."

Aelita blinked a few times in apparent confusion. It looked like she wasn't sure if he was joking or not. "You, ah, did what now?"

Smiling, Will brought her up to speed about the Garufans and their weird practices. He left out the little bit about the insane woman and her actual, magical powers that might make her an actual descendent of the Garufan people. He wasn't too sure if Aelita could handle that one yet.

"And you met all three of these people…but none of them could help?"

He nodded.

"And that was fine? That was all the client needed?"

He nodded.

"And that took you the entire day?"

Grimacing, Will nodded.

Aelita sighed. "Okay. So nightfall?"

At Chrisola Hotel, the people had been terrorized by someone making music and dancing the night away, so they'd hired someone to look into that. By the time Will got there, things got…difficult.

Just not for him.

"And that is where I met this weird, beautiful dancing man," Will continued.

Aelita stared at him. "…okay. Didn't know you were into that."

"What, no! Not like that! I'm not – listen, he danced, and – don't look at me like that, I'm tired and he was really charismatic okay?" He paused. "I like girls."

"If you say so," Aelita said, smirking in a way Will really didn't like. But then she winked. "Just teasing. And what was this magical, beautiful man's name?"

"Right, so Rorim B – I asked him what happened to Rorim A, but nobody knows – and he was a guest at the hotel."

"Oh, Rorim!" Aelita exclaimed. "Yeah, I know about him. Isn't he this traveling artist? Didn't he come from Terrajuma?"

Will shrugged. "That's what he said. He had a disagreement with Moustache at the reception so I had to help him find members for his troupe so he could do more music."

"…yeah, okay, sure, that might as well have happened. How'd that work out?"

"Rorim transformed them into dancers with the power of groovie - "

Aelita reached across the table and placed her hand on his forehead. "…No fever. Must be a concussion."

"What?"

"Do you not hear the words that are coming out of your mouth, Will?" Aelita said, her eyes sparkling with bemusement. "At the very least, that must be some leftover head trauma from Carotos Mountain. I'll ask the Eldest for more herbal tea."

Will snorted. "I'll have you know that I only hit my head three times while you were gone."

She laughed. "Alright, so you failed to find a library, kicked the ass of an entire gang and then made Rorim B dance harder. How'd all of that work out to our advantage?"

"Enough money to buy some serious supplies for the journey ahead," Will fired back.

"Ah, money. The wonders of capitalism."

"You can't buy new shoes with herbal tea."

"I was joking – my Pokemon need to eat, too. So that was your journey into East Gearen City? Anything else?"

"I…"

…

Will stood in front of Melia's door, holding the Room ID pass between idle fingers. With Jenner's absence, the lab felt hollow and empty.

He stood there for what must have been minutes. Then, he unlocked Melia's door and entered.

Her room hadn't seen any visitors for the past two weeks. A fine layer of duty was already starting to gather on her furniture. Despite that, the room still smelt clean and fresh.

Will glanced at the table in the center. The cloth draped across it was the same type Melia had taken with her for their picnic. A picture of her and Professor Jenner stood nestled in-between an opened letter and a brown suitcase packed with clothes. They looked so happy together.

A bunch of letters lay atop Melia's dresser. Back-and-forth notes between her and her father.

At first, Will ignored them. They were none of his business.

But…Melia was dead in part because of him. And Crescent still had Jenner alive somewhere. He had a feeling he would see Jenner again before all of this was over. Knowing even a small part of Keta's motivations had messed with his head, shifting his entire perception of their conflict.. The least he could do was try and understand Jenner's considerations in this. Get to know what had pushed the man to do…what he did.

So he sat down and read through the little notes.

"Hey! I know I don't see you often because of work, but how about we grab dinner sometime? I have a lot to tell you! – Jenner"

"Ooh, I've been in the mood for some tasty food. Those jobs you send me on are brutal ya know! Let's discuss a time and place, okay? :] – Melia"

Will frowned. If Jenner had a lot to tell Melia...why hadn't he ever come clear? Or at the very least, why hadn't he ever told Melia that she was adopted?

"Hey, can I sleep over at Venam's house? There's going to be a really rad movie night and I don't wanna miss it! Plzzz 3 – Melia".

"As long as you get all your work done and clean your room, it's fine with me. Seriously, it's awful! /3 – Jenner"

Evidently, Melia had taken his command to heart. Her room was spotless now.

"You seemed a little sad today. Is everything okay? I don't like it when you're so down. It makes me sad too, you know? :( xoxo – Jenner"

"Yeah…I was just being teased by some of the kids on Route 1. They told me Hapi wasn't ever going to evolve with a trainer like me raising it….I'm just wondering, if it's really okay for me to have a Pokemon? Am I really up to the task? I dunno, the other kids make it seem so easy. I'll get over it, probably. Don't worry about it. – Melia"

"Now now. Perfection comes with time. You're still new and you have a lot to learn. But that doesn't mean you're not doing a good job already! When I was small, it took me 3 years for my Klink to evolve fully into Klinklang. These things just take time. Believe in yourself. Whenever you think you're alone, just remember that I'm your #1 fan and I'm always rooting for you! :D] – Jenner!"

Will had to look away for a moment. He'd vowed to go into this as rational and objective as possible, but…Jenner had obviously poured so much love into these letters. Had that all been faked? And the man was a trainer himself, too! Why hadn't he fought to protect Melia?

He didn't understand. Jenner could have avoided so much tragedy. He simply didn't get it.

"You're such a drama queen, you know that? But I appreciate your words a lot. I won't lose hope again. Love you, dad! – Melia. P.S. Where did you put my audition CD? It was on the table, but now I can't find it."

"Oh, right…it fell on the floor so I picked it up and placed it inside the wardrobe.- Jenner"

"Oh good, I thought you took it to share with your co-workers…that video is so, so, so embarrassing. – Melia"

That was such a mom thing to do, picking something up and then stashing it somewhere completely different.

…how many years had Jenner been a legit good father to Melia? How much of that had he faked? If…if he hadn't faked any of it, how could he have possibly gone through with sending Melia to a horrible fate with Team Xen?

Will simply didn't understand. He turned away from the notes and turned his attention elsewhere.

…Melia had plastered a bunch of movie posters across the wall. A little note was scribbled on the bottom left corner.

"Hey, I ordered these posters online and they just came in today! They're of the movies you, Ren and I saw the other week! Finding your favorite movie poster was a bitch, so I gave up, but I hope the rest is still awesome! – Venam."

Will stared at that scribble. Ren, Venam and Melia had been friends for years. Jenner had known them, too, for years.

Only for Team Xen to tear that all down in the span of a single day.

"I'm going to stop them, Keta," Will said. "Watch me."

…

Will looked away from Aelita. "No," he said. "Nothing else."

She shot him a skeptical look. "If you say so. Maybe – "

"Oh, Aelita?" One of the older men in the dining hall called out. "Sorry to interrupt, but could you please make the volume higher? Miss Volta is on the news!"

Aelita smiled. "Of course Mister Hendricks. One moment." She returned to the counter, hopped over and retrieved the remote from underneath. "Alright, let's…" her expression fell. "Wait, Will, listen in!"

She put the volume way up, and Will suddenly heard the voice of the news reporter echo across the room.

" – delving into a mysterious, but disturbing phenomenon that's plaguing East Gearen City. Translucent flora have been appearing throughout the streets of this dark city! Reports say this started just after a tremor unfolded around 3 am last night. Citizens that have been caught in the crosshairs of this strange event have been moved to Chrisola Hotel or Route 2. Needless to say, if you're planning on a trip to East Gearen City…hold off for now. That's all we have to report. As usual, I'm Volta, your lovely host and this has been your daily Gearen News."

"Yay! Volta!" The older man exclaimed.

"Oh no…it's gotten worse," Aelita said. "We've gotta go get the Eldest!"

Will downed the last of his coffee and then ran after her. As it turned out, Aelita and him were thinking the exact same thing: another Xen attack.

But the Eldest didn't seem to think that. "And if not?" She sternly told the two of them. "If this isn't a Team Xen action, what then? Aelita, this could be very dangerous!"

"Heading off to Akuwa Town in and of itself is dangerous too!" Aelita protested. "Besides, this can be another way of training for both Will and I."

The Eldest sighed. "I suppose I cannot stop you. If you are going, at least take these with you!"

She handed each of them an expensive Super Potion.

"Wow, thank you Eldest!" Aelita gratefully said. "Come on, Will, we don't have time to lose!"

Thankfully, Joe the trucker had yet to leave. Since his route into Gearen was now blocked off by ghostly trees, he didn't have a way to get to his work. He dropped Aelita and Will off at the train station near Route 2.

The train station, as it turned out, was already crawling with refugees. Aelita stood arguing with one of the police officers overseeing the entire effort, but when Will dragged his gaze across the crowd, he spotted someone he knew.

"Miss Chasity?" He said, waving at Venam's mother.

When she noticed him, her eyes immediately lit up. "Oh, Will, how glad I am to see you! I don't know if you've heard, but East Gearen City isn't doing too hot right now. These weird trees have started appearing and they're blocking off parts of the city! I came to Route 2 for safety, but Venam went to go check things out. We…got separated, and I haven't heard from her since."

"Venam is in Gearen right now?" Will asked.

Chasity nodded vigorously. "She's been having it rough ever since…you know, and I'm afraid she'll do something rash and get herself hurt. These officers won't let me pass because I don't have a Pokemon. Please, Will. You're her friend. Can you help her?"

"I'll find her," he replied.

"Thank you, Will. Please, be careful!"

Will joined Aelita, who was still held up in a discussion with the officer.

"Another one? I won't repeat myself. The city is dangerous right now. We need to take care of all the refugees and the moment we start letting refugees back into the city, things are going to fall apart."

"Take a good, long look at me," Will shot back, staring the officer in the eyes. "Do I look like a refugee?"

Frowning, the officer scratched his scalp underneath his hat. "I don't – "

"That's what I've been telling you!" Aelita hotly said. "We're going back in there to help, but be helped! We're both trainers, good ones! We might be able to put an end to this!

The officer sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll let you through. Don't get into trouble, don't cause trouble. I don't guarantee we'll be able to send help."

"That's fine," Aelita said. "Come on Will. Let's get this thing rolling!"

Together, they stepped onto the train back to East Gearen. Since Aelita had literally never been on a train before, Will let her pick where to sit.

Being on this train again…it sucked. Every time he thought he had things figured out, new information or events would fly in out of nowhere and smack him in the back of his head with a chair. These trees…if this was related to Team Xen, what would happen next? Would he finally figure out why they'd been after Melia this entire time?

They would never tell him of their own volition. Maybe…maybe one of their Admins knew. Madelis had gotten away. Next time…next time, he might be able to get her to talk. How though? What would make a hardened criminal spill their plans to their enemy?

"Hey, Will, you alright?" Aelita suddenly said, shaking Will from his thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"You're spacing out...and I didn't think it was the right way. What's up?"

"…Venam's in the city," he replied.

"Venam. Melia's best friend, right? Wouldn't she be happy to see you again?"

Will looked away.

"Oh…Will, don't tell me she blames you for what happened?"

"She never said that," Will quickly replied. He didn't want to give Aelita the wrong idea. "But…why wouldn't she?"

Aelita exhaled a quiet breath. "I don't think I can answer that for you, Will. I don't know her. I only know what you told me – and I have no reason to doubt what you said for one second – but it's still how you interpreted the events. Her version…how she experienced it might be different."

That…made sense, Will supposed. "We'll find her. From there…" he shrugged. "I don't know."

"Oh, we'll find whatever's causing this mess and deal with it!" Aelita said, smacking her fist against her palm for emphasis.

Will hoped that this was the kind of mess violence could solve.

The train finally stopped back at Gearen Station. Aelita hopped up from her seat and hurried towards the exit. "We're finally here!" She said. "Man, I've never been in a big city before."

Another police officer began balking when he saw them get off the train meant to evacuate people. He insisted – a lot more than his buddy – that they got back on again. Thankfully, Karrina swept in just in time. She explained how the two of them were with her – despite having never seen Aelita before – and then took them with her to the exit.

Aelita bounded outside, took one whiff of the refreshing Gearen City odor and visibly died inside. "Gyah! Yuck! This place smells terrible!"

"That's the city for you," Karrina deadpanned. "I assume by that reaction you've never been to one of the big cities before?"

"No, I've never left Sheridan before," Aelita timidly replied. "That place is in the middle of a forest…"

Karrina nodded. "That'll do it. Oh, uh, what was your name again?"

"I'm Aelita. Thanks for helping us, back there."

"Don't mention it. Not only did Will help me out with a certain doctor, they helped me thwart some hooligans down by Amethyst Cave. So helping you guys though that particular hoop was the least I could do. Not that that was an equal return in any way, but…you take what you can get."

"Wow, Will, you really did beat a bunch of thugs back then?" Aelita said.

"I told you!"

"And now I believe you!"

"Hey, you guys are here to help right?" Karrina interrupted. "If so, head by the abandoned sewers. That's where all the problems have been coming from."

"What about Venam?" Will asked. "Where is she?"

"Venam's already down there checking it out. She hasn't come back yet, though."

"We'll look for her." Aelita promised. "Come on Will, let's go!"

This situation was just insane. It wasn't that translucent trees had popped up around the city, it was more like East Gearen had partially shifted into a Rift dimension or something. Like two pictures overlapping, segments of a ghostly forest had crossed over into Gearen. Those trees and segments of shrubbery weren't much more visible than Keta's spirit had been, but they were completely corporeal. They could be touched, and they had taken root everywhere. Roots crawled through walls. Branches stuck through windows and ceilings.

Grass grew into people's homes for crying out loud. If this was Team Xen's plan, it was a weird one.

Finally, the two of them reached the sewer entrance, but it didn't look like they'd be getting in that easily. Amanda stood in front of the entrance and she had a whole squad of officers with her.

"Will?" She said. "What are you doing here? This area is supposed to be closed off!"

"Amanda," he greeted her. "We're here to help."

Amanda frowned. "Help? I don't think you understand what's going on here, Will. This is a city-wide emergency! Civilians are being evacuated, you can't be here!"

"I led them here," Karrina said. "Amanda, you said yourself that you don't know how to handle this. Will and Aelita might be able to help!'

"If I just let you waltz in there, and you get killed, we'll all be in that much more trouble," Amanda firmly said. "I can't let people pass unless they really know what they're doing, and Will has only been a trainer for a month or so."

Will didn't have the energy to argue with her. Thankfully, Aelita chimed in almost instantly. "Will already has two Gym Badges. The Gym Leader he beat more than half a month ago is already down there, isn't she?"

"Eh, that's true," Amanda said. "Look, I have standing orders not to let anyone through unless they're skilled trainers. If – and that's a big if – I let Will through, he's gotta go alone."

"No, we – " Aelita protested, but Amanda wouldn't hear it.

"I have official orders, so even if I didn't agree with them, I gotta follow them. I can't let you through if I don't know for certain you won't die down there, and none of us can afford to have their Pokemon weakened in a battle to find out."

"Fine," Will spoke up. "I'll head down there, alone, and link up with Venam."

"The longer we argue, the bigger the chance of Venam and her people dying down there," Karrina pointed out.

Amanda scoffed, crossing her arms. "Okay. Fine. I'll let you through, Will. But you better come back alive, you hear me?"

Will's plan happened to line up with that. "Aelita?"

"You can do this Will!" Aelita replied. "I've seen what you're capable of. I'll work with Karrina over here, see what we can do from our end."

"Be careful, then," he urged her.

"Will, you are the one heading into the danger zone. Worry about yourself," Karrina said. "And good luck."

Aelita handed him one of her potions. "If nothing else, kick some ass down there!"

The Abandoned Sewers had it even worse than the surface. Semi-visible trees had spread across the entirety of its interior, with several even sticking out of the water.

Will pushed forwards through ghostly grass and shimmied past translucent bushes that pulled and tugged at his clothes. Still, the route itself hadn't changed much from his time down there with Ren. It took him only a few minutes to find something that really didn't belong down there.

A door that glowed in an incandescent yellow light. It hadn't been down there last time.

Please don't teleport me into the sea, Will thought, before taking a deep breath and stepping through the door.

It wasn't a teleport – not really. Will stepped through the door, out of East Gearen City and into the freaking courtyard of an enormous mansion. He saw well-kept trees, a marble road and hedges that were so neatly kept that someone must have trimmed them with a straight razor.

Venam and her two friends stood in the middle of the road that led towards the mansion, checking out their surroundings while standing in full view of anyone peeking out of the mansion's windows.

It was such a Venam thing to do that Will simply sighed.

"Can someone explain to me what an entire courtyard is doing in my sewers?" Venam demanded.

"Who knows?" Luca, the cheerful gal, replied. "Maybe the courtyard was here first, then in that case, why is there a sewer in their courtyard?"

"Impossible," the guy, Lenny, shot back. "I've been through this very door many times before. It's supposed to just lead to a back room storage."

"Either way, we need to make this stop," Venam said, still standing with her back to the entrance Will had just come through. "Otherwise Gearen will be consumed by ghost trees!"

"Venam. Never heard of taking cover?" Will said.

Venam whirled around, her hand halfway down her pocket before she recognized him. "Will? Whoa, did not expect to see you here."

The two studied each other's expressions for a moment. "It's been a while," Will replied. "Got a plan?"

Venam blinked ,then glanced back at the mansion. "There's a big-ass gate in the way. We gotta find a way around, or something. You can see the mansion, right? Whoever's living there has something to do with all this! I'm gonna give that dude a piece of my dumbass mind!"

Okay. Venam seemed as extraverted as always. That was a good sign, wasn't it? "Let's take a look around, find another way in," Will replied.

"Hey, Will, be careful man," Lenny yelled after him. "I've got such a bad feeling about this."

The hedges on either side of the gate had openings in them, man-made and freshly maintained. They were like cubicles in a hedge maze. One of them contained a numerical code scratched into a plaque someone had hung there. The other, at the very center, contained a pedestal with a key on it.

Will stared at the key for a moment. It didn't look abandoned or forgotten, it looked presented. As if someone wanted him to find it.

He hesitated, then slowly reached for the key. He didn't feel anything strange about it, or spotted anything around him.

If this was a trap, it had to be activated by someone taking the key, wouldn't it?

He snatched the key from the pedestal and leapt backwards.

Nothing happened.

That put a bit of a dent in his trap theory.

So it had been left there for someone to find.

Will returned to the intersection with the key in hand. Luca shot him a questioning look and he motioned at the gate. She clasped her hands together in excitement.

Nothing wrong with a positive attitude, Will thought in bemusement. He approached the gate, which was easily three times as tall as he was, and observed its lock.

The key seemed like a perfect fit.

Will inserted the key and the gate swung open with an ominous creaking noise.

"Bomb," Venam said behind him. "Let's keep going you guys. Nice job Will!"

They headed deeper into the courtyard, passing by four large rows of flowers. A second gate sat nestled between a second layer of hedges, and this time Nim wasn't around to turn it into a fun game.

"Maybe we should turn back," Lenny said. "If there's two gates, they must really not want us here."

Will looked around again. The situation was…exactly the same. Another entrance to the left of the gate, hidden behind a patch of tall grass but perfectly maintained otherwise.

He passed through, and found himself at the other end of the locked gate. He shot Venam a questioning look and she shrugged.

Someone had inserted a metal bar between two protruding hooks, physically barring the gate shut. Once removed, Venam was able to easily push the gate open. "You're on a roll, Will. Good to see you're as sharp as ever. This was the last gate, let's go look at this mansion!"

They passed through the next section of the courtyard, which didn't contain any more flowers. Instead, someone had built a large temple-like structure with a pair of Absol statues atop. A water moat separated the back of the temple from the mansion, which wooden fences installed to keep people from falling in.

"The doors are closed as well," Lenny called out when Venam tried to open the door. "I'm serious. We should turn back."

A part of Will agreed with Lenny. This place felt all wrong. He felt like someone was watching him, judging him.

"Knock knock!" Luca said as she tapped her knuckle against the two large, wooden doors. "Anyone home?"

"Why isn't anyone answering?" Venam snapped.

"Maybe there isn't anyone to answer?" Lenny offered.

"Surely someone is here!" Venam insisted. "Why else would this place exist?"

"I got it!" Luca said. "This is someone's holiday residence! Which is why they're not there!"

Venam turned to look at her friend. "Luca, love ya, but sometimes…you say things."

"Wow, that's what my mom told me too!" Luca replied. "I definitely say things!"

"So what now?" Lenny asked.

"Hmm…" Venam took a look around, then spotted what looked like an open window. "Look! That window over there is open! We can get in that way."

"So we're going to break in then?" Lenny protested. "That sounds like a good idea…not."

"Yep. Like I said, if this isn't taken care of then Gearen is done for."

Lenny sighed. "If I must, then I'll tag along…"

"Cool!" Venam said. "Creepy manor, here we go!"

The four of them clambered through the open window and headed inside. Will was the last through, but once he made it inside he almost wished he hadn't. The air felt…hostile. Like this very mansion didn't want him inside of it. Like he was an intruder about to be dealt with extreme prejudice.

Whoever had designed the mansion loved the colors red and black. Large, black tiles paved the floor of the massive living room. Two staircases, one at each side of the room, led to a higher tier, with literal red carpets placed across them .The furniture was…not quite white, but definitely pale.

"Damn, take a look at this place," Venam said. "The décor is definitely…intimidating."

"Aw, this place looks like it has no treasure at all," Luca said, disappointment dripping from her words. "This place looks just like my aunt Sally's house. Maybe she moved!"

"…Luca, didn't your aunt die last month?" Lenny asked.

"Oh, yeah," Luca confirmed.

Venam was about to speak when a harsh voice cracked through the air like a whip, silencing the bunch of them.

"Who's there?"

A man strode through the living room with large, angry strides. Will cast one look at him and knew the man was trouble: he wore what looked like a gray and red ceremonial robe, with a deep hood covering most of his head. He fixed the four with a furious glare. "Denizens of the outer world. Just how did you stumble in here?"

Will looked at the man. For some reason he could not understand, took an instant dislike to him.

"Finally, someone showed up!" Venam loudly replied, positioning herself at the front of the gang. "You have a lot to answer for! I dunno how you're doing it, but you being here is making our world go through some tough shit! These ghost trees keep appearing in East Gearen City!"

Oh Venam, Will inwardly sighed. As subtle as a blow from a sledgehammer.

"Gearen City? Not Kugearen?" The man murmured to himself. "Interesting. So, a way to my mansion has appeared and as a result, chaos has reigned over your world. Am I getting that correct?"

Your world?

A sense of unease spread through Will's stomach. That…sorta suggested this man was from a different world altogether.

"Yup!" Luca confirmed.

"It seems our worlds are quite literally colliding. But I have not opened up any path of this sort."

"Doesn't matter!" Venam snapped. "It's your mansion, your problem. Fix it now!"

"Venam…" Will said.

The man bristled. "To come into my estate unwelcomed, and demand something of me takes some nerve," He growled. "Leave. I have no concern over your world."

Venam angrily stepped towards him. "Not until you FIX things. Have you not been listening?"

"Venam!" Will urged.

"What?" She snapped back.

"So be it," the man declared. "Stay, but you may find out that this isn't the outcome you wished for. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Indriad Theolia. You will remember it."

"Cool, I'm Venam, and these are my friends, Will, Luca and Lenny," Venam shot right back.

Indriad gasped upon hearing that. "Did you…? No, never mind."

"What?" Venam said.

Indriad began walking towards them, and it was everything Will could do not to take a step backwards. "Tell me, do you know of the dual prophecies? They're written down in an ancient language on the statues outside, but I shall summarize. In the prophecies, there is mention of eight individuals. Four lights, four darknesses – "

"Wow, kind of a cliché prophecy," Venam interrupted. "Lemme guess, chosen people of good and evil, right?"

"Not necessarily chosen. As long as you fit the description, that's all that's required."

"What are these descriptions?" Luca asked.

Will spotted movement. Behind Indriad, but also to the upper left and the upper right of Indriad. "He's not alone," Will urged.

"Who cares?" Venam said. "Now listen – "

"Well, that's irrelevant for now. I just wanted you all to know that little detail. However, as you have all refused to leave, there's something unfortunate that I must do. Me telling you all this was just a way to buy my servants some time. As of this moment, all the gates and doors have been locked. You will not be leaving my estate."

Great. Terrific. They'd have to blow their way out, then.

Luca laughed sweetly. She had zero sense of danger. "That's a nice joke. Anyway, we want you to be serious!"

"I'm dead serious, actually," Indriad said, his voice low and menacing.

A chill ran down Will's spine. His gut told him that he was in danger.

"What do you think this is?" Venam shouted. "You can't just keep us here!"

"As if we'd just sit around and let you keep us hostage!" Lenny snapped. "We'll fight our way out!"

Finally Lenny said something useful!

But Indriad merely scoffed at his words. "You think far too low of me. I'm not an ignorant fool like you. But fine, if that is how you want to play this game, I'll cheat a bit."

In that instant, three other individuals appeared out of thin air. Will caught a brief glimpse of a pale young woman clad in an old-fashioned maid's outfit. Her dead, black eyes bore into his as her hand snatched out and seized his wrist. A sense of power and purpose emanated from her body, far too much like that of Mewtwo, and even as Venam shouted at Indriad to let them go at once, the man ordered the women to lock them up.

Lock them up and seal their souls away.

The world slowed down, seconds stretching out into eternity. Will felt something akin to someone's hands plunging into his chest and grasping something – not my heart something else please don't take it it's mine I can't live without it please – and trying to tear it from his body. It threatened to leave behind a darkness, a gaping void so vast, so empty it frightened him, terrified him to his core – what core I have nothing left they took me I'm not whole please make it stop –

An enormous pressure built within his head, wordless, soundless but so real, so painful and it expanded and built and became unbearable, so unbearable that it would kill him, it would burn his mind and scatter his thoughts –

Yawning, gaping blackness. Someone plunged their hands into his being again, much more forceful this time. They pried at his ribs. Pried at his heart. Pried at his soul. A wordless scream tore from his mouth as they pulled and tore and something came away and he was gone, leaving a yawning bloody trench through his being and he was gone.

Everything was red.

So very red.

But that did not last.

"Hey…" someone whispered.

I can't feel my body. I can't feel. I can't. I…

"I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm working on setting you free. Just follow my directions, okay? They're easy, promise."

Crescent. Please don't leave me.

"First, I'm going to need you to be calm. Can you do that, please? Just listen to my voice. I will help you."

Melia…is that you?

"Yes, like that. Good! Oh…I can see that your soul holds great potential. I can see why father put you in such a state. I'm so sorry."

Nim? Are you there?

"B-But don't worry! Like I said, I'm working on getting you out. I-If it's not too much trouble, could I ask you a couple questions? You can just focus yourself on the answer, I will understand. How are you feeling right now?"

`Sadangrysafehelp –

Nostopfocus-

Stop.

Focus.

Someone is with you. You are safe.

"Safe? Oh, you feel safe with me! That is good to hear! I really do wanna help…I've been trapped here too. For a long time."

The pressure around him lifted somewhat. Thoughts flickered back into existence. Memories coursed through his mind.

"I-I'm almost done…Just one more question. I did ask for a couple, right? What makes you happy?"

Mom…Melia…Ren and Nim and Aelita and Venam. Keta's soul smiling down at him. Combusken sitting next to him in the chilling wind -

"I see…friends and family? I wish I knew how that felt. But I'm glad you've felt this happiness! N-No, that's not true. I have felt this way before! I had a friend long ago. I can't remember her name, but her face resonates within my mind. A-And not to mention my own Pokemon! They've gotten me through so much. U-Uhm…I'm done. That's all there is to it. So…why isn't this working? Oh! That's why…One second!"

When Will woke up, everything was quiet. The ceiling was white and unfamiliar.

"H-Hello! I freed you from your prison!"

He glanced towards her voice. Someone leant over him, someone who looked familiar, staring at him with large, silver eyes that were so full of worry and concern and sympathy –

"Melia?" He whispered.

The blond girl leaning over him blinked in surprise. "Who? N-No, you don't know me. Uhm…can you move? Can you get up? Oh, it was unwise to come here. Father is a horrible person. If he finds out that I freed you, he will do horrible things..."

Will tested his arms. They worked. Legs too. His mind was lagging behind. The girl, blonde and silver-eyed and so filled with concern – no, it wasn't Melia. She was much younger. She wore what looked to be part of an old-fashioned…

…maid. Uniform.

The memories surged to the front of his mind and he got up immediately, searching around the room for the people who had taken his friends –

But he was alone. With the girl.

"I couldn't find your other friends," she said. "I'm sorry…But for now, you should l-leave. I'm going back to my room now."

The room tilted dangerously and Will steadied himself against the mural he'd been lying on. It depicted a blonde haired girl with a ponytail. Where the hell was he?

"Wait…" he stammered, still unsteady on his feet. "Hold on!"

He staggered after the girl, leaving the strange room behind. He found himself back in the living room, just one tier higher. He could see the entrance Venam and the others had come through with him before.

The others…

He had to find them!

Will took a random guess and wandered up a black set of stairs, his feet muffled by the thick red carpet. He peeked around the next corner and saw a pair of stone-faced maidens flanking a double set of black doors.

Those maids…they'd taken him before. He couldn't let them get close again.

Will turned back the way he came and entered a different room.

There, he saw the blonde girl from before, anxiously walking back and forth between a desk and a window. He looked up when she heard the door creaking open and gave a cry of alarm when she saw him.

"W-Wahh!? What are you doing in my room?!" She exclaimed. "Didn't I tell you to leave? You can't stay here!"

She turned and ran up the balcony above her room. Puzzled, Will walked after her, where he found her cowering atop her bed.

"Easy," he said, slowly stepping backwards to give her some space. "I'm not going to hurt you,"

"You actually followed me! P-Please, just tell me what you want."

"My friends?" Will reminded her.

"L-Like I said before, I don't know where they are," the girl said with an anguished voice. "They're certainly not in the manor. I've looked everywhere for them, I swear!"

This girl…was scared. Terrified even. But she wasn't scared of him, he could tell that much.

"What are you so afraid of?" Will asked.

"Didn't you realize what my father did to you!" The girl yelled, looking at him like he'd lost his mind.

"…yeah, to me. Why are you afraid?"

The girl bit her lip. "H-He…he'll do horrible things…if he finds out…" she stammered.

She was…scared of her own father?

Images flashed before his mind. His mother, tearfully telling him to run. Jenner, imploring him to save Melia while he was being sucked into another dimension. Keta, physically restraining a Legendary Pokemon with his own two hands…

She was scared of her own father.

"I don't understand why you won't leave…" she whispered tearfully "Before you said you felt safe, but if you really don't leave soon…"

Nobody should have to fear their own parents.

"…I'm getting my friends out," Will said. Then, he extended his hand to her. "And if you want, I will get you out of here as well."

She stared at him. "You…haven't given up, have you? Even through my father's endless cruelty, you decide to push on…"

Always, he thought.

"Your bravery…" she took a trembling step towards him. Her arm twitched, as if she wanted to take his hand then and there. "It's so admirable." She dropped her arm again and a pained look crossed her face. "I wish I were brave like you. Then maybe…"

"It's never too late to be brave," Will said. "Never."

The pain in her face grew, and she gritted her teeth. Then, with a cry, she kicked at her bed and said, "I – I've decided! I'm going to help you get your friends back! I'm tired of being afraid. Of being…" She shook her head. "Father may be strong, b-but-!"

She darted towards him and took his hand. Her hand felt so small in comparison to his. The girl was small. How old was she? It couldn't be more than eight or nine.

"I won't let father scare me anymore!"

"Good," Will said, offering her a reassuring smile. "That's very brave of you. What's your name?"

"It's…my name is Marianette. What is yours?"

"Call me Will."

"Okay…" she craned her head around, quickly glancing across the room. "Will, if we're going to pull this off, I think our best chance is to confront Father head on and let him know. I- I know it sounds like a bad idea, but if Father finds us snooping around he'll be extremely angry."

Will had half a mind to tell Combusken and Houndour to burn this entire place to the ground, but he quickly dismissed that idea. There might be innocent people stuck in here like he was.

"Father is…strange. If we set this up to be some sort of game, he'll agree to it," Marianette continued. "He loves to be cruel and put people through horrendous trials. It's…entertainment for him Or…perhaps something more. I don't know, but please trust me."

"I do," Will said. Man, had Venam chosen the wrong asshole to piss off…

It didn't matter. He'd have a talk with her after this was over. He'd follow little Marianette's advice…and then he would come for Indriad, too, if he could.

"Where is he?" Will asked.

Her eyes nervously darted around again. "On the same floor as us. We should hurry, or it will be too late."

"Is this your bedroom?" He asked.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Bed…room? No, this is my room! It's my favorite room. I have everything I need in here. A bed, books and…um…a window?"

Will just looked at her.

"The bed is really comfy…" she shyly said, casting her gaze to the ground.

"I'm getting you out of here," Will said. "Come on Marianette."

Will led the little girl out of the room and back into the hallway. Marianette's idea to confront her father meant getting through the two maids standing guard in that very same hallway. The same maids who had somehow tore his soul from his body.

Will, who hadn't liked that very much, had his own plan for getting past them, but Marianette wanted to take the lead.

He'd told her he would trust her, so he followed along.

"You…" one of the servants spoke upon seeing the two of them approach. "What are you doing out of your confinement/"

He wasn't sure if they were speaking to him or Marianette. Just one more reason to get her out of that horrible mansion.

"Uhm…excuse me, but please let us through." Marianette urged the two. We wish to speak to – "

"Master Indriad isn't seeing any guests at this point," the other maid spoke in the exact same voice as the first.

"We insist," Will growled.

"Guests?" Marianette mumbled, her voice pained. "I'm his daughter…"

Perhaps she was his daughter, but he sure wasn't her dad.

"I can't do anything more for you," the first maid said.

"F-Fine, maybe I'll just go cause trouble and get Father to leave his room!" Marianette shouted, balling her hands into little fists. Will didn't know where she scrounged together the courage to do that, but he was impressed.

The maid furrowed her brow.

"Imagine how furious he'd be if he found out that you all just let me cause p-problems!" Marianette continued furiously. "Who knows what'll happen in th-that case!"

The two maids exchanged a meaningful look. It was strange how suddenly they just…forgot about Will's existence.

"I-I suppose we can let you through for just a little while," the other maid said. "But I beg of you, please behave in his presence."

No promises, Will thought.

With that, the two servants scampered out of the way, likely seeking a solid bunker to hide down once Indriad inevitably exploded.

Marianette sagged the literal second those maids were gone. "Phew…that was scary! I thought I was gonna puke! B-But that was just a practice round for what's gonna happen next…"

Will reached out and patted Marianette on her shoulder. He wasn't sure if he could do that, didn't know how Indriad had hurt his daughter. Best to err on the side of caution. "Well done. Let's go meet the man."

She took the lead, shoving open the door to Indriad's lair and barging inside. Indriad stood in front of the window with his back to the door. A perfect chance for a sneak attack if Will had ever seen one.

But considering Indriad had literally torn Will's soul from his body before, he wasn't sure he liked his odds there.

"I don't remember allowing anyone to enter this room," Indriad said, his voice oozing with disdain.

"…Father," Marianette said.

Indriad turned around, casting a furious look at his "daughter". "And why is William out of their confinement? You freed him, Marianette?"

Marianette's tiny frame shook as she confronted her father. "Y-Yes. I freed Will."

A sneer played across the man's features. "So not only are you disobedient, but you are also a traitor."

A traitor.

His words echoed a feverish trail across Will's mind. What father – no, what human spoke to their child like that? What person spoke to any child in that way?

Indriad turned his back to her. "I could not have imagined I'd have raised such a distasteful and disgusting child."

A blazing rage took a hold of Will's heart. This "man" was below contempt, below mercy.

Keep. Your mouth. Shut, Will snarled at himself. If he let his feelings get the better of him like Venam's had, he would ruin Marianette's plan, her confidence and very likely his only chance at getting everybody out.

"C-Call me what you will, fine," Marianette said with a little voice. "But we're not here for this. We're here because we've decided to fight back against you!"

Now that got Indriad's interest. He turned around at once, looking at Marianette with…was that wariness?

"Is that so?" He slowly said.

"I propose a game. For the souls of everyone you're keeping captive here."

Indriad scoffed. "You have nerve, girl. Too much of it, perhaps. But I must admit, your proposition…intrigues me. I'm surprised by your initiative. Say, what is to stop me from crushing you, ripping Will's soul from your hold, and then punish you severely?"

Will saw Marianette's plan fall apart inside of her head, and decided to interfere after all. "I thought he'd be man enough, Marianette. I really did. Guess he's just like her."

…What her? Will had no clue. He was bluffing through his teeth. But, the way Indriad's eyes narrowed and shot towards him – just like they had when Indriad first recognized his name. Somehow somewhere, this asshole had heard of Will's name and he had bothered to remember it.

"Speak then," Indriad snarled. "What are your conditions?"

Will could almost see the gears churning in Marianette's head. "Will and I will rescue everyone and if we're successful, we all get to leave without interference. In addition to that, you will close the path to this world. That way, the collision between this world and the world Will is from will cease."

"And what if you're not successful?" Indriad urged her, a hungry look in his eyes. "What happens then?"

Marianette looked away. She worked her jaw, then said, "Then you claim ownership…of all of our souls…Myself included. I'm including myself in this game. It's all or nothing. I won't back down from this!"

Will glared at Indriad. The ball was in his corner now.

"Your stubbornness…it reminds me of your mother…but, that being said, I accept these terms. Throughout this manor there are three fields. Each with a trial I shall present to you. At the end of each trial is a soul of one of your friends. Free them and freedom is yours."

"G-Got it," Marianette stammered. "We'll get right on it then."

"I will be absent from here on out, to ensure that there is no interference in this game. I'll be waiting to see just what you two can accomplish."

Will knew, in that moment, Indriad would never let anyone leave his house alive. At the very end of this conflict, there would be a reckoning, and if Venam and her friends were to survive that reckoning, Will had to make sure that Indriad would not.

His parting words spoken, Indriad disappeared into thin air, and Marianette stormed out. Will shut the door behind them and watched as the kid slumped against the wall and clutched her head.

"Th-that was so scary…I didn't believe that would work out! Will, I can't believe it! Somehow, you know my father?"

Will laughed, then knelt down in front of the girl. "That, Marianette, they call a bluff. I've never seen that guy before, but he seems to know my name. I had to use that."

"Oh…oh!" Marianette said, gasping. "That was so smart! And it worked! Although…now we have to fight through trials and save everyone…"

He gave her a little nudge. "And we can do that, too."

She looked up at him. "Yeah…now that I have you, I think we can! Say…if we're a team…I've read about leaders in groups having cool nicknames. In that case, d-do you mind if I…" she fidgeted nervously. "If I give you a nickname?"

"Sure," Will smiled. "Go ahead."

"Hm…Let's see, your hair and your clothes…they remind me of a tree! A willow tree! And it fits with your name! Oh, your name shall now be Willow! The man who cannot break! Come on Willow, let's win this game!"

For a girl who lived in such extreme circumstances to still have such a strong sense of right and wrong…it was amazing.

Will didn't know Marianette, but he sure as hell wanted to.

"Sure, let's win," Will smiled at her.

Together with Marianette, he made his way back down to the living area again. He spotted one of the servants sitting on the couch, staring blankly ahead. It was only when the two of them entered her field of vision that she turned to face them.

"Well…just take a look at you two. Two peas in a pod," she spoke in a voice that was utterly devoid of emotion. "It is very unusual for Indriad to have guests. Very interesting…"

"I don't plan on staying for dinner," Will said before he thought about it.

The maid focused her dead eyes on him. "That is not your choice to make."

"See Marianette? She just invited us to dinner."

"F-Father gave Willow and I trials to complete around the manor! If we're successful, we can save the three Father trapped within this world."

"Oh?" The maid said, cocking her head in puzzlement. "Only three"

"Eh?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret. There is a group of rebel Servants who wish to rebel against Indriad. But I won't tell you who…you'll have to find them yourselves. Whether or not you want to do this is up to you, but I feel like the result of this may be of use to you in the long run."

"Uh…okay. So what is the trial?"

"Three other maids have been scattered across the area. Find and defeat them in battle. Only then will your trial be complete."

"O-Okay!" Marianette said. "We can do that! …I think."

As they moved on towards the eastern wing of the house, Will turned to address Marianette. "You keep referring to that man as your father."

"Uhm, yes? That is because he is my father, regrettably."

"No Marianette," Will said. "Okay, he might have…uh…sired you, biologically, but there's nothing fatherly about him. A father protects their children. A father teaches their children. A father loves his children, Marianette, no matter what happens. Indriad is nothing like a father. He's less than a man, and only deserves your contempt."

"Oh…I wish I could have experienced all that myself. Is your father like that, Will? Did he teach you that?"

"Yeah, he – "

Will stopped in his tracks.

"Willow?"

"My father…" he muttered. "I..."

He drew a blank. His memories went back to the S.S. Oceana, but when he tried to go further back, recall his life before that…he couldn't…quite…remember…

Remember remember remember –

"Willow!" Marianette cried out.

"Why can't I remember…" he muttered. He felt his back hit the wall. He leaned his head forwards into his hands, bending over, trying to think, trying to remember.

He fought so hard, but he came up blank.

That wasn't good. That was very not good. It was very –

"Remember," he snarled at himself and Marianette backed away in fear. "Remember…why can't I…"

"Willow…you can't remember?" Marianette asked.

"No, no, I just…" he breathed. "Just need to…"

He had a great, massive, gaping hole where his memories before the S.S. Oceana were supposed to be. Where had they gone? Where had his memories gone?

This is insane, you're just being hysterical! He told himself. Of course you remember!

But he didn't. He couldn't remember.

Oh god, why couldn't he remember?

Suddenly Marianette stood in front of him, looking up at him with those large, gray eyes. "Hey, Willow? What's wrong? Come on, you can tell me."

"I can't remember…" he muttered. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his heartrate spiked. He brought his trembling hands away from his face and felt the hysteria creeping up on him. "Why can't I remember?"

"Maybe…restoring you didn't work out completely," Marianette suggested. "Father – Indriad sealed away your soul. Not everybody recovers from that. I tried my best…I really did…but sometimes, people lose things. Sometimes, he makes people lose."

"You're…you're saying Indriad did this?" Will whispered.

"I don't know," she admitted. "He could have. He would have. He likes toying with people. He likes hurting people. You are hurt, aren't you?"

Will clenched his fists. He railed against his panic, fought against his breathing, focusing only on the growing feeling of contempt he felt towards Indriad and how that contempt slowly morphed into something far uglier, far fiercer.

Far more useful.

He thought he'd felt true hate when he realized what Zetta had done to Melia. He thought he'd felt that same hate when he learnt what Madelis had done – what she had planned to do.

But this…this felt more sickening. More personal.

He felt Marianette's hands clutching his arm, tugging at him, urging him to get back to his feet.

"Come on Willow!" She pleaded. "You're unbreakable…right?" She grunted with exertion as she tried to haul him to his feet by herself. "So don't break! You have friends…right? You...grah! Want to save them, right?"

"Yeah," He muttered. All these teleports and Rift dimensions and now this mess – it was no wonder his mind lost its marbles. Yeah, that had to be it. An unhealthy dose of bullshit in his reality, that was the cause. He'd wind down with time. He'd remember with time. "Yeah."

Will climbed back to his feet. Unbreakable. He had to be unbreakable. For Venam, Luca and Lenny…but also for Ren and Chasity, whom he didn't want to suffer more.

For Marianette, whom he would get out of this hellhole if he had to carry her himself.

So be unbreakable damnit!

"Alright Marianette," he said. "Where's the first trial?"

~~~~~~~(II)~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

LIterally as I edited this chapter was when I figured out that Rorim B was Miror B backwards. I am an idiot.

Ahum. Moving on.

So I always experienced Chapter 3 as a very intense, yet short story chapter with implications that would be far-reaching, but not immediate. I feel like my adaptation of the events mirror that. Not much fighting, but more emotions to write and far more personal – and are I say, more disturbing than the previous chapter.

As for the Interceptor's – Will's – memories…I vowed to write this novelization with a heavy focus on the story as it unfolded. No spoilers except for the incredibly eagle-eyed readers. With that being said, there is a very serious, huge plot reason for the lack of memories. If I didn't mention the lack of memories, I would risk either breaking the immersion or outright breaking the canon.

Unacceptable.

But if I DID draw attention to the lack of memories, I might raise some eyebrows too soon. After all, the game only brings it up somewhat late in the story. So, that would threaten spoilers.

So I made a compromise. I will keep my promise: no spoilers in this story. You will experience the story as you did in the game, with the events unfolding like they do in the game…mostly.

Anyway, lengthy notes over. I want to thank all the people who left a review/comment on this story! You're a big part of my motivation to keep chugging these chapters out. And with that said, I will see you all with the next update!