V.
Louise shot up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat, her skin clammy and her pajamas clinging to her damp skin. She felt shaky, confused, and bizarrely wide awake. She looked over toward the other side of room where Camille's bed sat under the window. Camille was bolt upright in bed as well, and had a look of stoic concern on her face. She shook her head slowly at Louise as if to communicate that she wasn't sure what, but that something had suddenly pulled her out of a deep sleep also, and that it was likely whatever had disturbed Louise. The only illumination in the room was from a streetlight just outside the window, its beam distorted by the thick fog. Louise's first reaction was to reach for the light switch, but as she did Camille shook her head implying she thought ill of the idea. She cautiously and ever so quietly got out of bed and came over to Louise. In a hushed tone she said to Louise, "We felt the same thing when we came back here earlier tonight. Well I feel it again, only much stronger, and I know you feel it to. There is a foul magic in the air, and though I don't think it is necessarily looking for us, if it becomes aware of us it may very well prove hostile. I think the best course of action is to stay in here and take sleeping and watching in shifts, and if-" Her planning was interrupted by a strange sound out in the hallway. At first it sounded like labored, pained footsteps, however after a loud thump, it was replaced by the heavy sound of something being dragged awkwardly.
Louise, whose attention had been pulled to the door of their room by the noises in the hall, slowly turned her head back around to face her sister. Camille's face was one of strained concentration as she desperately tried to process all the details of the situation and work out a plan while keeping her cool demeanor which she was only barely holding onto. Louise placed her hand on that of Camille's to calm and reassure her sister. "It will be alright Camille. I'm here with you. I'll take first watch, you get some more sleep."
Camille looked anxiously at Louise. "We don't know what's going on out there. As the older sister it is my responsibility to-"
"It is your responsibility to be well rested and ready to handle our meeting with the churches' representative tomorrow. I've always been a bit better than you at combat magic. I'll take the guard for now. You can return the favor in a few hours when I need rest."
"Very well." Camille looked a little defeated. She didn't like admitting her own shortcomings in comparison to Louise, but in this case she couldn't endanger them both by being stubborn. "But you must wake me the moment you perceive even the slightest bit of danger."
"Fair enough. Now go get some rest." Camille crept back to her bed and laying on her side, her face turned to be trained on the door, shut her eyes in an attempt to fall back to sleep. After about fifteen minutes her efforts were successful. Louise in the meantime had busied herself with the opposite focus, and attempted to keep herself from dozing off. She pulled some catalytic stones from her bag on her nightstand and began charging them with destructive spells, that with a quick word and the flick of the wrist she could loose a powerful blast on any unwanted intruders. The entire time she made her preparations the disturbing noises continued out in the hallway. Slow, purposeful, heavy footfalls continued to sound on the wood floors just on the other side of the hotel room door. Louise tried to shut the noises out, to ignore the grating, incessant, cacophony that was painfully testing her patience. There would be moments where she would think it had ceased, but just as she had relaxed for a moment they would renew, which made it all the more nerve-wracking and unbearable.
Suddenly Louise was startled by a heavy thump on the door, as if some great weight was thrown against it. It was followed by a wet scraping noise which was accompanied by a low moan. A moist flopping sound happened afterward, and then the awkward dragging was heard again. A minute passed before Louise took another breath. Even then, her breaths were shallow and controlled, as though she were afraid that even the simple sound of breathing would be a horribly dangerous folly. Her nerves were reaching their end, and she almost lost herself, the temptation to fly out into the corridor and face whatever was out there, just to make something decisive happen, was almost overpowering. Their door was never disturbed again that night. The heavy footfalls and other sounds persisted though, a muffled moaning or low heavy speech occasionally piercing the still dark. Louise awoke Camille who attempted to analyze the situation carefully, her rested mind more cautious to act than Louise's own fried nerves.
" No attempt has been made to force the door, or attack us. I'll take my watch but keep our position as one purely of defense. I won't antagonize whatever is out there unless I absolutely must. If morning comes and the sounds continue, we may have to alter our approach. Until then however I don't plan to engage an enemy that I know so little about. It is your turn to get some sleep little sister. Let the eldest handle this now."
Louise lay down in Camille's bed so as to be further from the hallway and the source of the noise. She was terrified that she would be unable to sleep, being too distracted by the horrible, persistent clamor just beyond their door. Despite her concerns however, her exhausted body insisted that she rest, and before she realized it, she had slipped into a tortured, haunted sleep.