Young Writers Society

He sighed. "I know it's your arm." He hadn't see what was there, but it was evident enough from how she had acted. He gave her a warm smile. Their argument could wait; she needed assistance right now. "Look, I'm not going to hold this against you. I don't work like that. I just don't like seeing people hurting, especially when I know I can do something to help them."

"What was that, Edwin?" asked Adamina, her words low and drawn out. Her face was neutral, but the look in her eyes wasn't assuring at all.

"I--" started Edwin, his voice quiet again. He met her gaze, desperate to convey his feelings to her. "You heard what both Leo and Auryon said in that room. They are involved with demons. Mina, how could I put you at risk?"

"Do not call me Mina. I agree that both are suspicious and potentially unworthy of my trust, but Auryon merely doubled over in pain. That hardly seems noteworthy." Actually, it did, but still.

"Adamina," corrected Edwin, though reluctantly. He drew up his courage. "Adamina Kenna, I love you. I am the most fortunate man in the world to be your husband--"

"Consort," interjected Adamina, who always seemed to like to remind him that the marriage had been arranged.

"All right, consort." Edwin had to admit that he and Adamina almost never had a long enough conversation for it to be substantial, as she was always out 'doing her duty' as the Heir Apparent to the Vanguard, who was supposed to represent the common people of the empire. It was obvious they didn't see eye to eye. "Anyways, I want to protect you. If nothing else, because you are a very important person to the empire. I have never harbored any intentions to humiliate you or your family. Please, trust me."

Adamina was silent for a few moments, thinking. Then she said, seemingly unaffectedly (though it was really a façade he didn't see through), "I understand. But Edwin, look at the door. There is no going back the way we came."

Edwin turned. Sure enough, there was no symbol on this side of the door. They were lost.

James and Laurel walked hand in hand for some time, resigned to silence despite all that they could catch up on after years of absence.

As they passed through the halls they caught sight of a boy sitting down in the hall, poking at a rectangular little tablet-like object in his hand.

Laurel drew closer to her brother, still holding his hand, but looked at the boy curiously. "Are you stuck here too?"

((Well, seems like you don't have to worry about double posting now @saentiel XD))

Frustrated by her stubbornness, he decided to take matters into his own hands. "I'm going to go take stock of what I have here so I can help you when you decide to be cooperative," he started. He turned his back to her and began to look around the room. If she expected it, he knew he would never get a chance to see her injury.

He spun around. With reflexes that someone could only gain after many, many years, he shot his hand out and grabbed onto her arm. He kept his grip tight but gentle as he pulled it up into the light. A small brand-like symbol of an owl met his eyes. Was that the source of her injury? It seemed unlikely, but what else was there?

She jerks away as it glows pale white for a moment, eliciting a similar reaction to the first time she doubled over in pain.

That's not keeping him from seeing it.

"Auryon!" he cried out, noticing both the reaction and the glowing symbol. It's undoubtedly the reason for her suffering. What kind of thing could be responsible for that? It certainly wasn't her own doing; no one would ever want that in the first place. "Why is that glowing? Auryon, please give me an answer! If you can't let anyone else know, I won't tell. I don't have anyone to tell. The other people here are complete strangers."

Don't you dare, the voice warns. I can keep this up all day.

Auryon doesn't reply, unwilling to anger the demon inside once more. She looks resigned. She's only human - she can't fight Apophis and win, and she knows that.

Realization suddenly struck him. He wasn't sure how he had been so oblivious to it before, but there was an incredibly clear explanation to this. The glowing mark was an enigma. The idea that their worlds were different meant that he didn't have to explain that to understand what was going on. He had seen similar things during his travels, and that was enough.

"Who is doing this to you?" he asked. Something had to be controlling Auryon. Whatever it was wanted to remain a secret, and that marking was most likely tied to it. "I've seen this before. I was oblivious to it earlier, but you're the host for something - aren't you? That's why you're in so much pain right now. It doesn't want to let me know that you're not the only one in there."

Dammit, Blackthorne! My turn now.

She looks up, eyes turning luminescent and from red-brown to scarlet as she grins almost maniacally.

"I heard you want to play," she laughs, daggers instantly in her hands. One is black and one's white, both oddly curved and made from some unrecognizable metal-like alloy.

He stumbled back in surprise. The effect was incredibly similar to when a Goa'uld took over its host, though he was quick to remind himself that one couldn't possibly be in control of Auryon. She would have never had the control to begin with.

"Who are you?" he questioned. He kept his eyes on the weapons, in preparation of a highly likely attack.

She circles, eyes alight. "I'm just a girl who wants a bit of fun."

Raiden looked up at the two who had spoken to him.
"Well, I'm not stuck in this area specifically, but I might be stuck in this huge mansion thing. I'm not entirely sure," he said, standing up.
"Are you guys stuck here?" he asked, glancing them over. They seemed alright, at least to him. They kinda look like a couple, with how they were holding hands.