Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Aurian!" Mai said, when she saw and heard the girl come to. So she was there with them, thank Jack. Maybe things were ok, maybe they could work this all out...

Sadly, they didn't even have time to talk to Arel before everything went to s**t. The caverns around them seemed to shudder and groan in the wake of several loud BANGs that rocked the ground and ceiling alike. Dust and debris filled the room, making it difficult to see what was going on. Mai twisted painfully, frantically. She was still stuck! The ghost struggled to listen to what was going on, her eyes burning from the invasive dust that choked the air.

It sounded like a war was being raged around her. It didn't go on for as long as it felt, probably only a few minutes before things because eerily quiet all the dust and smoke settled. At this point Mai was feeling utterly claustrophobic, squirming and pulling at her restraints in a near panic.

Then she stilled as people entered. These new people were definitely not their friends. She watched the red-haired man that was now addressing her group. This.. Ben. She watched him closely, listening carefully to each word and noting each gesture. Almost felt like her very life was hanging in the balance here, so she remained alert. When then man and his companion left, her eyes moved to their new guards.

Ah. Good job, Night. Her fellow ghost was already keeping the two guards distracted. She quickly and quietly resumed working at the ropes again. They had to get out of here, now!

Damn it all, why were these ropes tied so tightly? She wasn't even sure if she was loosening them at all. She froze when she noticed one of the guards turn and look in her direction. Their eyes locked and for a moment she was sure he would come over and do something awful to her. She tried to think quickly... and her first thought was oh so predictable.

"Hey you," she said, her voice dropping into a low and silky tone. She tilted her head, smiling seductively at the guard. "You look bored." The ghost squirmed underneath her restraints, doing a good job of putting her best.. assets.. on display. "Why don't you come over here," she purred, her eyes full of promises. "And untie me?"

[a little after Night's post after this but uhhh, TIME DOESNT MATTER RIGHT]

Night was running off with one of the hunters, tackling him. Vaith almost couldn't believe it, his bonds turning free that moment as if inspired by Night's recklessness.

"Aurian, Lacie, Mai movemovmove--!!"

Vaith shouted, urgently, desperately. He had grown to really like his team, constantly backing him up and bringing in their support. He didn't want them to die now, especially when Arel had previously put such a permanent spin on it. If he didn't mean the ghost definition of dead or the dissipating definition .. Well, there was really only one left. Everything, the Amytiville's lack of survivors and being taken hostage .. being left for the hunters as they broke into this hellhole, confirmed Vaith's suspicions. He had never wanted this. Never, for them. It was too terrible, lacking mercy.

And then he hit clean air. Forest surrounded him as he exited out and jumped into the deep damp fog. His body shook from the effort it had taken him to get out and from the lonely ache of not having his team mates with him.

He just...left them there. He left them to fend for themselves! Lacie! The little reaper ghoul who had become one of the dearest watched over of their small group, she was strong though, Night could believe in her. He hoped though that Aurian and Mai gave the stupid hunters a good a** kicking.... and....Vaith...He hoped Vaith went into some kinda of rage mode or something. His tail flicked as he stared at the cavern.

He'd be here, He'd wait here until one of them come out...until all of them come out.

"Come on guys, Come on guys...." He breathed in. Please....Please come out. Don't die, don't stay caught...please come back....

Don't leave me alone again.

The few minutes she spent alone in the caverns felt like a lifetime. There was only the sound of her boots hitting dirt as she moved, and she felt as if all of creation could hear her running. She needed to find him, find Vaith. She was afraid to yell out for him, but she did it anyway.

"Vaith!" she called in as loud a whisper as she dared. She sent her wisps forward and back, lighting the corridors so she could quickly see if there was anyone in them. She tried not to think about who else might be lurking around the next corner. She might never catch up to him. She might run into someone who had one of those weapons. And on top of this, she was experiencing regret. She'd left Lacie and Aurian alone back there, tied up. Sure, she'd loosened their bonds, but.. what if they still couldn't get out? What if she'd abandoned them to some horrible fate? The ghost would never forgive herself if something had happened to them because she'd left them behind. She faltered, slowing to a hesitant walk as she looked ahead and then back, torn.

It was all too much. Damn it, damn everything in this fog-blasted place. Mai still had no idea what the hell was going on. She stopped, leaning her shoulder and head against a wall to recover. Could she even go back? She hadn't been keeping track of her turns. Where was she now? Where was anyone? The loneliness suddenly threatened to overwhelm her, pull her into some despair that she'd never escape from. She turned her face so that her forehead was resting against the bare rock and she allowed herself one stifled sob. Several of her blue wisps floated close to her, their soft flames pulsing in gentle waves.

Ok. Get it together. Mai scolded herself for being overly dramatic. So what if she was alone at the moment? Stop whining and find the others. She shakily pushed herself off the wall and dusted herself off. Better to concentrate on one thing. Find Vaith. Clearly her only option was to continue forward, so she did... fervently hoping she was running in the right direction. Was he near? Could he hear her? "Vaith-!"

And then suddenly he was there, standing just a few feet away, his back to her. "Vaith, there you are!"

It was odd, but things seemed to slow down at that moment. She was moving toward Vaith, but she noticed there was a curious echo to her footfalls. Step. That was her foot hitting the dirt. Step. Well.. that one wasn't her. It sounded like it was coming from behind. Step. Her footstep definitely. And then another dull *thump* that wasn't her at all. Funny thing to notice at a time like this. It seemed significant, like something she should pay attention to...

Still, these were peripheral thoughts. They vied for her attention, but they were not loud enough to pull Mai's focus away from the reaper in front of her. He was standing so close now. Close enough to touch. She reached out to him, and her arms went around his waist in a tight embrace. "Vaith I..."

She was interrupted by a sudden and terribly familiar buzzing. Her body stiffened as a searing, stabbing pain exploded throughout her from a singular white hot point in her lower back. The agony of it caused her to release Vaith as she arched her back and staggered a few steps away. Her head was thrown back to release the wild scream tearing from her throat. She had never in all her life screamed like that.

Why? It was the only thought she could muster.

It was a brief but eternal moment. That scorching torment, burning through her entirely. Burning her away until there was nothing of her left. Her short, but visceral scream ended, and somehow she was still standing. Mai took a step toward Vaith, but her eyes were empty. ".. found you," she finished saying. But was it even her speaking? Or just an echo of a thought, escaping the husk of what used to be her. The world went white, and her body fell forward, toward Vaith... but there wasn't anything to hold her together anymore. There was nothing at all. She came apart as she fell toward him, pieces of her vanishing like so much smoke. There was nothing left but a cold breath on the air by the time she would have fallen into his arms.

All that remained of Mai were the few softly glowing wisps that hovered in the empty air. Even these, tied to Mai's fear as they were, soon shuddered and died one by one. They went out like flames extinguished by an unseen hand, disappearing with the softest of sighs in the silence. The last to go out was the wisp that had followed Lacie diligently from the caverns. It seemed to struggle with the inevitable as the wisp floated close to the reaper, sputtering and fading. But it could not sustain itself, and it too went out with the barest hint of a lamenting whisper.

Lacie ran, no longer knowing remembering her path. She collapsed outside of the cave, her legs no longer able to support her own body.

Her eyes glimmered upon seeing Night's form. "N-n-night.." She began, no longer caring about shyness or over familarity. She threw herself into his arms, her arms clutching Night's upper arm wishing, hoping, wanting an explanation. "M-m-..v-v-.. Auri." She couldn't even coherently form her words. Lacie couldn't get rid of her anxious feeling that things weren't all right.

"It isn't all right.." She repeated once more. Her body knew but her mind rebelled against the notion. Everyone would be all right. They had to be.

Aurian was tired and injured and really, really confused. She'd heard of the Hunters - fought them, even (but just the once). From what she knew, Caelius was meant to be the boss - or one of several - not an... underling. Or was she remembering things wrong again? See, this was what happened when people zapped you with lighting! They forgot things!

Stupid Hunters. Well, Aurian wasn't staying here for another zap, no thank you. She gave her bonds an experimental tug. Then she tried a little wiggle. You know what, ******** this s**t. Aurian shifted to her shadow form - it was like she just dropped down into her own shadow.

The extra shadow - a little obvious due to its glowing red eyes - made a fast, if jagged, beeline for the exit.

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