Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pain.

[???]'s entire being was screaming with it, writhing and sobbing with it. It consumed her whole, dragging her soul deep into the depths of agony. Her thoughts were fragmented like a shattered mirror, spraying shards of pure fear and guilt through her tortured mind. There was nothing that [???] knew other than this pain, not even her own name. It was at the very edges of her mind, begging to be known. But [???]s clouded brain could not summon up the power to think. There was only pain to be experienced, pain to be felt. There was no room for anything else.

Sometimes a flash of something else would dance across [???]'s vision, sights of people whom made her heart ache at the very sight of them, without her ever knowing why. A fuzzy image of blood spreading through a puddle of water, the gleam of a concealed knife. But, as soon as they came, they were gone again, and she was lost to once more to the never-ending agony.

It just wouldn't stop, would it? It would go on and on and on and on and on. Forever and ever. A cycle of tears and torment, only to be re-ignited by a soundless scream. [???] had long since passed the stage of speech, there was just no room left in her lungs to utter a single sound. No speech. No sight.

...

There was nothing. Nothing at all. A void of black, a space where you are left with nothing but your thoughts and the spirals. The spiraling. Spiraling until you hit the cold stone floor. But still the feeling of falling remains, of pure fear, your life and emotions and regrets and joys flashing before your eyes. Nothingness would truly be a wretched place to be, if it were somewhere. A place.

But.

..

...

Nothing is not a place. Not here.

Outside of reality.

...

....

......

........

But, truly, [???] cannot tell the difference. She's much too busy wallowing in her own guilt, regrets, and memories to notice anything around her. Too caught up in the past, and look where that's got her. Lost in her own head, blind to the void around her. Much too irritating. But, I suppose, one cannot truly blame her for her sorry state.

...

After all...

Being torn apart by wolves was a truly horrifying way to die.

...

However, I can't just leave her like this, as much as I loathe her whimpering. She cannot possibly be useful to me in such a state.

Or him. Not that he was in any better shape when I found him, but that's besides the point.

...

...

*sigh*

Oh well.

It's time to welcome another guest into my ballroom. Perhaps this time will finally be the charm...

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[!!!]'s head was foggy.

Maybe it was from when he woke up from nothing. Or later. Or earlier. Time was confusing here. Was there even time at all? [!!!] couldn't be sure. All he was focused on right now was figuring out what was wrong with him. He could feel something deeply wretched about himself, an intense feeling that seemed to exude from his very being. Nothing was making sense.

Not even his own name. [!!!] knew that he had a name, of course he did. Names gave you purpose. A reason to exist. Names were powerful. And, he felt important, like he had a purpose, a passionate calling. So it only made sense for him to have a name.

Bierce didn't address him by name.

Hm.

Bierce.

The one who pulled [!!!] out of nothing, and into the light. He had tried so desperately to recall what had occurred before he had woken up, but when he concentrated all he could remember was a dull pain shockwaving through him. It left a sour taste in his mouth, and a viscerally uncomfortable feeling, so he had uneasily let it go for the moment, letting it sink back to the back of his mind.

Bierce had told [!!!] nothing after she had woken him, leaving him almost immediately in a crumbling old ballroom to wait. [!!!] had explored every inch, and as he went he began to understand less and less about his situation. The ballroom was surrounded on all sides by a black void, a nothingness. The edges of the ballroom were cracked and breaking off, slowly floating around the perimeter of the structure. An iron statue of a headless, winged man sat in the center, emanating a slight violet glow. It was all like something out of a strange dream. [!!!] wasn't quite sure if he was awake or simply hallucinating.

Hallucinations didn't make you forget your own name.

[!!!] didn't know how much more he could handle, pacing around the circular ballroom waiting indefinitely for a mysterious stranger clad in witch robes to retrieve "something". [!!!] needed answers. Now.

Who was he?

What was his name?

What is going on?

Is this real?

Am I real?

...

Because the longer I spend in this place, the more I think about how impossible all of this is.

...

[!!!] was too lost in thought to notice the figure waiting impatiently behind him, hands on her hips. And even if he had, he would have glossed over the small person shadowed behind her, quivering in fear.

...

But she noticed him.

[???] had locked eyes on him as soon as he came into her line of sight, eyes unblinking and wide. Terror was pulsating through her, screaming at her to get away, RUN. She didn't recognize him, but just the sight of his bright red hair and sharp yellow eyes struck a nerve deep within her.

...

Somewhere, somehow, [???] knew this man. That in itself wasn't scary. Of course. The thing that frightened her the most was the wild gleam in his eyes, the dangerous glint when they caught the light from the chandelier resting high above.

...

...

But she just couldn't remember anything more, and that scared her most of all.

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Finally, they were in the same room. [!!!] hadn't noticed the two people standing behind him, but he would eventually. It was always quite amusing to witness the actions of those who thought they were alone.

It was time to get serious, however. These two were absolute wrecks. No memories, not even knowledge about who they were, much less even their names.

Suffice to say, I had a lot of explaining to do.

Alright.

...

[!!!] and [???].

[X!!d!!] and [??n].

[Xand!r] and [M?n].

Xander and Min.

...

I need you two to do something for me.

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Chapter Text

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"There is no way I would be willing to do something for you if you won't even tell me where I am, it's bullshit. Nothing is making sense!"

[!!!] (Xander? Is that what she had called him?) was pacing angrily back and forth, clenching his fists. His sharp eyes were locked onto Bierce's, flaring a brilliant yellow as they reflected the chandelier above.

"Now now, calm yourself. All will be explained in...due time. I was merely trying to engage you in conversation. It seems to have worked better than I would have liked."

"ENGAGE ME-"

Xander? stopped in his tracks and gestured angrily in Bierce's general direction, before giving up with a heated sigh and forcefully running his hands through his hair. "Just....tell me where I am. You can at least answer that, can't you?"

"Tsk. Such an arrogant attitude. You know, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar-"

Xander glared through his hands, eyes glinting dangerously.

"Alright, alright. Still, you could stand to lose the temper, mortal."

Bierce gestured grandly to the ballroom stretching high above their heads, a smug smile curling on her face.

"This is the Ballroom, a small pocket dimension I created for myself, for reasons you are not privy to learning, so stay quiet about that, you hear? This is where you will carry out the task I will set for you both to complete for me."

Xander's brow furrowed in confusion. "Both of you...? Are we not the only two here? And what's more, you'd better be joking about this place being some sort of supernatural realm!"

Bierce just looked at him with en expression of pity and/or amusement. "Oh mortal, it's alright if your mind can't comprehend what this place is, it's not necessary for what you need to do. And yes, we are indeed not alone here."

At the confirmation to Xander's question, his gaze snapped around, trying to locate the person Bierce claimed to be in the room. After failing to see any such person, Xander sighed in frustration and turned back to face her, expression displeased.

"Are you fucking with me? I don't see anybody in this room but us. If this is some sort of joke, I swear I might do something I'll regret."

Bierce's eyes flickered with confusion for a second, before settling into a calm neutrality. "Well, that's a problem now isn't it? Can't complete your tasks without the other half of the puzzle, so to speak. Here, I'll fix that little problem for you."

A scared gasp echoed from somewhere next to Bierce. She rolled her eyes, and with a weird twist of the woman's hand, a slight and shivering person materialized right before Xander's eyes, hair-covered eyes widened with terror.

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[???] (or, perhaps, Min, but she had more pressing matters to focus her attention on), was trying her hardest to not be spotted by the man pacing angrily in front of her. Her instinct screamed at her to stay hidden, that the cape-adorned (or was it a jacket? How does that work?) meant danger. Her thoughts kept getting tangled with each other, fighting for just a few seconds of her attention, while she tried her hardest to stay focused. Like a crowd of paparazzi, or a ticking time bomb.

Speaking of, this situation was going to blow up in Min's? face if she was ever spotted. It was a miracle she hadn't been called out already, although she could excuse it as being blinded by rage. It was actually quite a common phenomena. Being so focused on one particular thing that everything else escapes your perception. Such as right now, she realized. Tch.

Without quite realizing what she was doing, Min visualized a drizzle of raindrops falling down from the sky, or rather, ceiling. She imagined slipping each rogue thought into one of these raindrops, and letting it wash away into nothingness. She did this with every thought she had, until her mind felt clear, and she could focus again.

Alright.

Coming back to reality, Min was barraged by the harsh and heavily accented sound of the red-haired man's voice.

"Are you fucking with me? I don't see anybody in this room but us. If this is some sort of joke, I swear I might do something I'll regret."

Intrigued and a little nervous, Min peered upwards to look at Bierce's face, searching for answers. She didn't find anything but cool neutrality, and she was left with nothing to work with. She shifted her attention back to the other person in the room, who was tapping his boot onto the tile, creating an echoey sound that reverberated through the room. Not long after, Min felt Bierce discreetly grip her hand, and although she struggled a bit, it was a fruitless endeavor, as Bierce was clearly much stronger than her.

"Well, that's a problem now isn't it? Can't complete your tasks without the other half of the puzzle, so to speak. Here, I'll fix that little problem for you."

Before Min realized just what Bierce was implying by her statement, her hand was clenched even tighter, causing Min to let out a gasp. The intent behind Bierce's words fully hit her then, and Min tried to scramble backwards, to GET AWAY. This action clearly annoyed the tall woman, and she twisted her wrist back, which sent a roiling feeling through Min's stomach, as well as her, bringing her face-to-face with the person she was trying so hard to be hidden from.

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I was already beginning to regret choosing these two to collect the ring pieces for me.

Xander asked far too many questions for a supposedly sensible person, grating on my nerves. He was also very volatile, testing my patience with every pathetic threat he made towards my well-being. He wouldn't be able to harm me even if he truly wished to do so, however. And Min was so clingy and frightened. It was annoying to be used as a shield for her fear of Xander, of all people, making me roll my eyes every time Min would squeak when Xander got a little too close to her 'hiding place'. She clearly remembered something about their....encounter when they were alive, and it carried over to here.

How troublesome.

Hopefully, if they are introduced to each other, this whole debacle can be pushed aside, and we can finally proceed with my mission. The sooner I am given my ring pieces, the better.

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The girl staring back at Xander with shaking legs immediately sent a wave of familiarity through his body, as well as a small jolt of electricity on his fingertips. He looked down for a second, but nothing looked different about his hands. He unconsciously flexed his fingers, gloves creating a small bloom of heat between them. His mind was racing with questions and possibilities as to why or how this young woman had been hidden from his view. However, his attention was immediately brought back when Bierce made an announcement to the room.

"Now, you two. Introduce yourselves to the best of your ability, and do whatever it takes to get acquainted. I'll be waiting by the ring altar. Be quick, there's no time to lose."

With that the robed woman made her way over to the..altar..and positioned herself there, looking unamused. With a sigh, Xander shook off his nervousness and looked back at the girl, who looked a little less terrified of him, but only slightly. He cleared his throat, preparing to introduce himself. His first impression was likely trashed anyways, but it was best to proceed onwards with this conversation as if nothing happened, and put on a cheerful demeanor. A little bit of brightness would hopefully help cheer this person up, at least a little bit. He took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Hello, Ms. Whoever You Are! I am....Xander, I believe, and I'm stuck in the same situation as you are, if I'm reading the room right. How about you?"

The young woman, who had very long hair, as Xander had just noticed, seemed to recoil at his words, and clutched her necktie, breathing becoming erratic. Hearing his name seemed to have reminded her of something horrible.

Well, this wasn't going as well as Xander hoped it was going to go. Shit.

.

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Chapter Text

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"Miss!"

Xander's arm cautiously extended towards the shaking girl, in an attempt of comfort, before snatching it back. Approaching her in such a state was clearly not a good idea right now, especially considering what had triggered her into spiraling. Which was.....him.

His eyes swung back to look at Bierce standing idly next to the imposing statue. Xander knew better than to assume she didn't have any information about the connection between him and this girl, but....he sighed internally. He severely doubted he'd be able to get anything out of her, as furious as that made him. As she had said, this was her own dimension, her element.

Ridiculous as that sounded, Xander just had to accept the reality that was around him if he wanted to get anything done in this situation. This ballroom....the strange...glowing(?) statue...and the way it crumbled into nothingness....he took a deep breath. Inhale........exhale.
Alright.
He felt more..together..than he did before. Or something. Like he had caught a few drifting pieces of his essence and pulled them back into himself, filling metaphorical gaps.

A quick glance back at the young woman in front of him revealed not much more than he had previous spotted. Long hair, so long it covered her eyes (how does she see?), a lilac cardigan that seemed a bit too large for her, and a general looking school adjacent uniform. There were hardly any features that Xander could pinpoint that would determine any sort of individualism she had. This made him a bit...irritated? Hmm. He filed it away to be thought about at in a different, less stressful, time.

He took a step forward and then stopped to gauge her reaction. Her fingers began to wring out her cardigan like it was a wet beach towel, but she didn't step backwards. Alright. That was better than before at least. He had a feeling that Bierce was running out of patience (when really, did it seem like she had any in the first place?) and that he should hurry up and convince this girl to give him her name. She already knew his, clearly, but he was still unaware as to hers (but...isn't it....M--?)
He cleared his throat. No more beating around the bush. If he didn't speak now, he was afraid the silence would become so loud it would deafen him.

"Alright. I'm just going to ask you outright, since that...lady seems keen on brevity. What's your name?"

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Min was not cut out for this, not right now. Didn't he already know her name? Bierce had said it earlier to get their attention. Yes. So why was he asking her? She knew perfectly what his name was.
...
Xander. Even just thinking the name sent shivers through her. Hearing him say it himself to her was even worse. There was nothing behind the name but pain and tears. What did he do? He had to have done something. That...involved her. Right? Why else would hearing it fill her with such dread? Was he aware? Does he feel the same thing when he hears it as well?

The questions were filling her up the brim. So much so that she couldn't stop herself from blurting out a question.

"What do you feel when you hear your name?"

His eyes darted away from her and he laughed nervously. "I'm afraid I don't know quite what you mean, miss." His hand reached up to his face as if to adjust something, but it quickly fell back to his side.

"Do you feel...fear? Shock? Dread? Do you feel anything at all?"

Her hands tightened in her cardigan. He had to have an answer for her. If he didn't feel anything at all, what did that say about her? Her shoe traced a crack in the linoleum, and she didn't dare to look at him for fear of his expression.

"I suppose...hmm..." It sounded like he was concentrating very hard to try and answer her question. "I mean, I think I do? But, it's more like a familiarity. When I heard it, I knew instantly that it was mine, but not much else came with it. I'm sorry if that doesn't answer your question."

...

Maybe...

"Min."

She looked through her bangs, hoping it might cause a reaction. Her hopes were answered in the form of a shocked expression on his face, followed by him furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. There it was. A rush of unknown satisfaction ran through her. It seemed like their names had reactions with the other, but not with themselves.

Min had no clue why she had thought it would work, there was just a small part inside her that insisted that this hypothesis would be proven. A part that seemed to have been absent earlier, but had now returned to her. She hadn't even been aware she had been missing it.

Her hands finally released her cardigan, which looked like a wrinkled mess at this point. She had another question to ask. There was a nagging feeling Min got whenever she looked into his eyes, aside from all the negative emotions. They looked....off. Something just didn't seem right with them, and it would eat her up inside if she didn't get it out and ask, no matter how nerve-wracking it was.

"Do...."

His eyes opened to look at her, interrupted from being inside his own head.

"Do you really have...two eyes? For some reason I just......" Min trailed off. She really didn't know what she was saying. He answered her question by touching his hand to his face again, this time clearly lost in thought.

"I...."

Min never got the chance to hear if he had anything else to say before Bierce suddenly swept between them and grabbed them both by the arms as if they were disobedient children.

"I think that's good enough for now, don't you two mortals agree? We've got far more important matters to attend to than after all."

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My patience, already thin from these two buffoons speaking in code and acting like wary meerkats, snapped as soon as they completed their....lengthy....introduction and began asking unnecessary questions. I was growing impatient.

I was positively itching to just get them out there and begin collecting the ring pieces, where they could learn and grow from their own shortcomings, like mortals should. And maybe, if they were sharp enough, they could figure out a few things about each other. That last part was the least important to me, all that mattered for these two's cooperation was that they were on speaking terms and could move those weak mortal legs at the same pace.

I was already making a rather....special...case for these mortals, and what's a bit of action for if not to rouse the spirit? Of course, if they fail, it will be highly disappointing, but it won't be the end for them. Oh no. I wasn't about to just let these two go, not after all the trouble I went through to obtain them. They would just have to learn, preferably sooner rather than later.

I drag them both behind me, their arms in my iron grip, until they are situated in front of the centerpiece. Then, with a bit of flair, I turn around to face the two mortals. I needed to let them know who was in charge around her after all. I dreaded the redhead getting mouthy with me again, and asking far too many questions. Thankfully, he stayed silent.

"Here's what you need to know mortals." With a flick of my wrist, I pull out the soul device. It's a bit worse for wear, considering what happened to it's last wielder, but if it still functioned as intended, I couldn't care less. Both of them eye it with confusion, and the girl adjusts her bangs so she can see properly.

"This is a soul device, a soul reader, an electronic map, whatever you deign to call it, I do not care. This device will aid you in finding those pesky soul shards for me, and collecting them as well."

If either of the two had questions, they didn't say them aloud. I toss them the device and the boy ends up catching it, keeping it clutched in his hand. "If you have this on or near your person and you come into contact with one of the soul shards, it will collect and store it within the device until you gather them all."

"There will be a statue in each area I send you to, once you have them all, return to the statue and they will condense into a section of my precious ring. You do not need to know why I desire this ring."

The mortals shuffle, and the redhead looks unimpressed. "Why us? And why should we do this for you in the first place?" Ugh. I try to school my expression into looking less murderous then I'm feeling.

"Why you, you ask? Without revealing too much, and likely melting your poor mortal minds, it's because you were...freshly available. And a package deal no less. I would be a fool to pass up such a golden opportunity."

Of course, that wasn't the whole story, but I wasn't feeling keen on indulging in the boys' foolish questions at the moment, or really, ever at all.

"And as for why you should do this for me...why, do you really have something else you could be doing at the moment? I don't see a jump rope, or a ball to play catch with." I lean forward. "Really, I don't believe you have much choice in the matter. If you truly desire to leave, I could just leave you in the void I found you in. Is that a more preferable outcome for you?"

The boy clenches his fist around the device with anger. I do hope he doesn't break it under his grip. The girl, in turn, seems lost in thought, processing the information presented to her. She glances at the boy before speaking up in a slightly wavering voice.

"I...will it really be that simple? Collecting the shards and then re-condensing them? If it was really so easy, why would you not...retrieve them yourself?"

Ah, that question. Hmph. If only mortals could just keep their heads down and do as their told. But, of course, it can never be that simple.

"I am bound to this ballroom. If I leave, this dimension will crumble and promptly collapse into the void. Believe me, if I could do this myself, I would with glee."

This answer seems to temporarily satisfy the girl, who then looks around, and seems to note the lack of an exit or doorway. She clears her throat.

"What happens now?"

The million dollar question, and the end of this drawn-out introduction of the mortals' task. I smile, and snap my fingers. Ten portals materialize behind me, arranged in a row around the curvature of the ballroom. Their red glow shines on the youths' faces, painting them in an eerie hue. They have an appropriate reaction to unknown portals suddenly appearing out of thin air, the boy having a bit of a start, while the girls' eyes widen in shock. The first portal 'opens', leaving a spacious area within it for a person or two to pass through.

"That is what happens now. There is your first challenge." I point to the first portal, the mortals following it to stare at it in apprehension. "I will be...present...but of course, not in the physical realm. Don't worry mortals, I will still be able to guide you in your ignorance."

They would definitely need it.

I usher the two of them to stand before the portal, and put a hand on their shoulders. "No dallying now. You have a good enough idea of your goal, now carry it out for me. I trust you won't disappoint me?"

I ignore the way the girl tenses under my touch, and the way the boy almost immediately removes himself from me. It's not like they'll become more amicable to this as time drags on, so I might as well just...drop them in. Without much fanfare, I push them through the portal, making sure to be quick. The portal closes behind the mortals, leaving behind a seal in the form of a rather garish animatronic monkey icon. They never do look more pleasing to the eyes each time, do they? Tension seems to leave my body in a gust, and I return to the statue to commune.

It has begun.

Oh, I do hope these two don't disappoint me so quickly.

...

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Chapter Text

"Ow!"

The two adults crashed into an undignified heap of limbs on the other side of the red, glowing portal. He landed on top of Min, and accidentally crushed her into the cold floor. She flailed her arms, trying her best to push him off of her before she would start to hyperventilate. Panic was edging back into her mind, but before she could think, he used the wall nearby to leverage himself away from her, coming to a stop on one knee.

Min wheezed, pulling air back into her gasping lungs, and flopped her arms to the floor. The pain that shot up them at the contact didn't bother her enough for her to react to it. She had most definitely felt worse. She instead glared balefully at the portal, hoping to send a message back to that pompous woman back in the ballroom. Thinking about it critically, it would make sense for Bierce to push her into the deep end of the pool, so to speak, but that didn't stop her from feeling offended all the same. It was the *way* she went about it that irked her so much.

Out of the corner of Min’s eye, she could see that he had gotten to his feet. He rolled his shoulders while seemingly muttering a few choice words under his breath, and glanced around at their surroundings. A quick look showed that they were in a simple concrete corridor, with a glowing portal on either end. Nothing much was of note except the braziers along the walls, which were all somehow lit and gave off a bold light, sending shadows flickering across their faces. Her first thought was that this was somehow a...gateway? Between realms. An intermediary. She picked herself off the floor and smoothed out her wrinkled cardigan. The creases seemed to be getting more difficult to put back in place...

A couple footsteps rang out in the silence they had created. Min’s eyes fell onto him, who had taken a few cautious steps down the hall. He seemed to be peering intently at the device they had received from Bierce. Despite her continued apprehension of him, she was still tempted to approach him for no reason other than to inspect what it displayed.

"Does..it work?" Min surprised herself by asking. She shrank back instinctively when he looked back in her direction, fingers running back along her freshly smoothed sleeves.

"..Yes, yes it does." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was half convinced she had given us a faulty piece of junk just to mess with us, but no, it activates."

Min hadn't even considered the possibility Bierce could have sent them on a wild goose chase for her own amusement, but a brief moment of thought put that scenario within a valid range of possibility. It was quite easy to believe that someone like her would trick them, given her...interesting...personality. Min shamed herself for not thinking of that possibility. I *need* be better than this, for my sake....and I suppose for His sake as well, if the future has anything to say about it...

"Hey."

She hadn't realized she was clinging onto herself again. He was looking at her, a complex expression on his face.

"If you're alright, shall we proceed miss?" He didn't reach out to her, instead making a gesture down the hallway, to the other strange red portal. Min’s shoulders tensed, and she took a sharp breath in...Min....

You are capable of doing this. Finding...its not too hard is it? It's not calculus, or advanced literature, or programming, or...AP Chemistry...or...........forget it. She had no idea how to achieve the goal she had been sent out to achieve. But...

She let out her trembling breath.

"Yes...I'm ready..."

He tilted his head down, in acknowledgment perhaps..? before glancing at her. Realizing he was most likely waiting for her to make the first move, Min took a tentative step forwards, as if the floor would erupt in flames at any minute. The first step made her brave, and she took the next step with greater ease. Another step, and more advancement. Min carried one foot in front of another until they led her within a few feet of the portal. He walked at her pace, staying far away to one side, and not falling back behind her. (Hmm...) When they reached their destination, he sighed again. He released the device he was clutching to his chest, rubbing it off on his jacket coat.

"What a situation we've found ourselves in, huh?"

Min pulled at her cardigan sleeve. A cough echoed through the room, making the emptiness of the hall more obvious. It didn't seem like either of them knew what they were doing. But....before long he seemed to gather himself, nodding his head to himself.

"Alright."

Before she could blink, he pushed himself through the portal, leaving her alone in the hallway. She scrambled. The portal wasn't one-time use was it? It definitely will lead to the same destination as before..right? The mission couldn't fail this early on. But....hmmmm...

What am I doing waiting around? The longer I stay here the more of that woman's time I’m wasting, and the larger the possibility grows that the portal has changed. Just go through already!

Min took a deep breath and steeled herself. Do it do it do it do it do it do it......

She rushed through the portal after his coattails with a prayer on her breath.

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Xander was not expecting to end up in a decrepit hotel lobby, that's for sure. The portal ended up opening into a stout, wide room, with a long service desk to the right. Portraits of what looked like....monkeys...? were hung up on the walls. It gave him the creeps. A few steps into the room revealed a hallway that stretched far ahead, before turning sharply to the right. A cardboard cutout stood at the precipice of the turn, leering maliciously in his direction. He shuddered unconsciously.

"Great...another hallway..."

He turned to inspect the desk, poking at the bell on the counter, although not hard enough to make a sound. There didn't seem to be any place to hide a piece of any sort of ring here, but he guessed it was worth a closer inspection, if not for sating his curiosity of this strange place. (Although, was it stranger than the ballroom? He didn’t think so.)

The sound of the portal distracted Xander from the desk, and he turned his head to see Min tumble through the gateway, mumbling under her breath. He couldn't quite catch what she was saying, but she stopped as soon as she spotted him. The young woman seemed to take their strange environment in, bangs falling back on her eyes and brain churning.

"There's not much of note here, or any place in general where someone could hide a piece of a ring. Although..."

Xander strode over towards a large painting on the opposite wall, trying to ignore the sinister look on the illustrated monkey's face. Maybe there was some sort of hidden vault behind a painting...? His suspicions were put to rest as soon as he tried to pull the painting off the wall. It was steadfast, staying stubbornly put. Ah, it was a long shot I guess...even though it did sting a little to be wrong..

Dark hair took up Xander’s vision on his right. Min was contemplating something, finger on her lips and barely-visible eyes squinted. "Thinking about it, that woman never told us what these ring pieces were meant to look like. If we're to believe they're the size of a normal ring, this will be a difficult task indeed..."

She was right. Won't the pieces be hard to find, even with the so called 'soul device'? Speaking of..

He switched on the tablet, the screen lighting up. An outline of the room they were in came into view, followed by a number on the top of the screen. Almost the same as he had seen earlier, with the number being the only key difference.

"289...?"

What's that meant to mean?

Xander attempted to try and use the tablet like a touchscreen, to maybe see if there was an explanation or other options within the device, when suddenly a voice seemed to crackle in out of nowhere, making him almost drop the remote. The screen flickered off.

"Now....what are you two doing? Lazing around like a herd of hippos are we?"

Bierce? He thought she had to stay back in the ballroom. He took a quick glance around, but no one revealed themselves to him, to his frustration. This whole bit was getting tiring fast.

"Where are you?" He came out and shouted. "Are you even here at all?"

The voice sighed, seemingly coming from everywhere. "You never fail to disappoint me. I said I could not appear physically, but whoever said anything about appearing purely through my voice? I’m in your head love.”

Figures some bullshit like that would be in that lady’s arsenal. Min faded into the background, as if making herself as unnoticeable as possible. The appearance of the disembodied voice of the caped woman didn't seem to surprise him as much as he supposed it should. Maybe a side effect of this..interesting..situation he found himself in.

"Alright..Bierce..we want some clarification on some things before we go." He tried his best to keep the annoyance out of his voice, but it still leaked through despite himself. This woman always seemed to know just what to say to push his buttons.

"Well, if you'd just proceed forwards, like you're *supposed* to, you would find the answers to your questions presented to you quite nicely."

Xander rolled his eyes.

“You know damn well what I mean. What are these so-called ring pieces supposed to look like? Are we meant to go sniffing in every nook and cranny of this musty place for an item that’s only about ‘yay tall?” He pinched his fingers together in an imitation of a ring piece. A sigh of absolute exasperation rang throughout his brain. Xander would feel sorry for her if it wasn't for her terrible attitude.

“Min, knock some sense into the boy will you? As I said, proceed forwards and your questions will be answered then, with...sufficient visual stimuli.”

He groaned. It looked like he had to stay in the dark for longer, which was not particularly a situation he wanted to end up in. The paintings kept leering at him with eyes that were too like-like for comfort, and a certain sense of dread kept crawling up his spine.

“You know what, fine. We’ll play along with you for longer Bierce. As long as our questions do end up answered,” he said, with a clear look of disdain written all over his face. The womans voice crackled back in. “Finally. I swear, dealing with you two is going to be more trouble than its worth..” With no fanfare, it seemed the two were left alone again.

“We should go,” Xander said, fiddling with the device still in his hands. Min nodded out of the corner of his eye, and she readjusted her mauve cardigan. All eyes were set on the halls ahead.

------------------

He was ahead of her when they took their first steps into the hotel hallway. The creepy cutout by the corner fast approached, and Min eyed it with caution. Internally she knew it wouldn’t do anything, but the irrational fear remained. Step and step and step and step. The hallway wasn’t long at all, but she had no clue what was around the corner. Rooms? A lounge area? Stairs? She had no clue why he and her were even in this particular location. Were hotels...known for having spare rings lying around? Truly, she had no idea what-

“AGH, WHAT IN THE BLAZES?”

Min jumped back on instinct. It appeared the sinister-looking cutout fell over to the ground, spooking Xander, who was already very on-edge. How had that even happened? They hadn’t even gone near it in her memory. Logic was warring with a looming sense of danger in her mind. But, they shouldn’t linger here and theorize, they had places to be on that woman’s command. Ignoring the red-head to her side, she continued forward, hoping to encourage him to do the same. Her vision opened up to a short hall with rows of shiny obsidian elevators, and a gleaming chandelier above. Not nearly as grand as in the ballroom, but still, it glimmered brightly in the light.

The sole elevator at the end was open, with a curious shadowy fog within. Not the most welcoming for people who were already hesitant about moving ahead. Breathe. She could hear his footsteps approach from behind.

“Fancy,” he said, coming to a stop at her side. She didn’t want to press him on his reaction to the cardboard cutout scare, and it looked like he wasn’t keen on bringing it up either.

“Mhm.” Min mumbled.

“That elevator look strange to you Miss?” he asked, eyes on the far side of the room. It did, of course, as she had observed earlier. She gave a nod, and he shook his head, looking down at the checkerboarded pattern on the floor. “Ah, fuck it,” he whispered. “You can’t let a little scare like that deter you from an empty elevator off all things.”

He walked again with a resolute look on his face, a look that said: ‘no more setbacks, or stops, or I'm going to try and escape back the way we came’. They approached the elevator without much more excitement, and both stepped inside the elevator, their footsteps echoing a little from the stone(?) the machine seemed to be made of. The fog made it harder to see, but it wasn’t enough to obscure the buttons on the wall. Buttons that...were most definitely not written with familiar characters.

Before either of them could comment aloud, Bierce crackled back into their heads.

“Press the one two down from the top and to the rightmost side. That will bring you where you need to be.”

Her presence left almost as quickly as it appeared. It looked like she could give good help when she felt like it, or, more likely, she was just not willing to let them fumble their way into some area they weren’t meant to be and get themselves lost. A ding sound echoed. Xander had pressed the correct button, bringing the elevator doors to a cluttering close. Min could feel the elevator moving, but she couldn’t tell in what direction. The silence stretched on for what felt like forever, until she felt the machine stutter to a stop. Another ding rang out, and the doors opened again.

The sight was...so..familar? That same statue, the one in the center of Bierce’s ballroom, sat in the middle of a very small lobby area, arms outstretched to the sky. She could see cramped corridors zig-zagging out from the landing area, with flimsy wooden boards blocking the way. And the most strange of all were the floating crystal shards, lined up along the halls, starting from beyond the boards. They glowed with a soft purple light and emitted a low hum, if Min strained her ears. Her attention was brought to Xander, who had reached out to touch the statue, but with his eyes on the device still in his hand.

“Hey miss, over here,” he called over his shoulder, not looking at her. Approaching, she could see the device light up with new light. The statue under his hand was a bright yellow circle on the map, and interestingly, those crystal shards out in the winding halls showed up as well. “When I touched this statue just now, there was a...feeling inside my head. Not so much coherent speech, but just an impression. I feel like those weird glowing rocks have something to do with it.”

“Of course they do loves.”

Bierce’s voice suddenly in her head was startling her less and less with its frequency.

“Those “glowing rocks” that you see displayed on my handy device are known as soul shards. Collect them all, and one of my precious ring pieces will be condensed.”

Oh?

“I know you have seen that number at the top of the device. That corresponds with the number of soul shards present in this zone. Once you have gathered them all, you must return here and offer the device to the statue. You will then receive the piece.”

That oddly seemed...simple enough. Min could suppose why Bierce couldn’t do it herself, but them? Surely she was suited for better tasks. At her side, Xander did not look all too pleased with Bierce’s instructions, but he refrained from interjecting.

“Oh, and one other thing, before you go fulfill my destiny.”

They were listening, whether they wanted to or not.

“These halls are far from empty. The staff here are none too chuffed with your appearance, nor your intentions with this place. You must evade them or face dire consequences.” Her voice sounded extremely serious, but Min was far more focused on the thought of aggressive pursuers.

“Bierce, are you actually kidding me?”

Xander sounded pissed off.

“Not only are you making us do your chores, but we have to go into active danger to do so? That’s absolute bullshit if I ever heard!” His fist was clenched so tightly around the device it was a surprise it didn’t crack under the pressure.

“You’ll get over it. All you need is to..be a fast runner. If you’re quick on your feet, there’s nothing those fools can do to you. Despite what I might say, I do have a smidgen of confidence in your abilities. At the very least, you’ll be better than the last poor girl who attempted this..”

WHAT? The thought of Bierce having done this cycle at least once before, leading an innocent girl into danger, just to be...

Min felt sick to her stomach.

“Oh, don’t look so betrayed,” she scoffed. “It’s not like I could have told you any earlier. I wouldn’t have wanted you to squirrel yourselves away and hide. This was the most beneficial opportunity.”

She couldn’t continue with this, she couldn’t. Threats were out there, out for her, they probably wanted to kill her. All because of that sick woman and her selfish wants.

“Oh no, you can’t balk at the last step. However your feelings towards me are, the fact remains that you are here, and you cannot return unless you can obtain my ring piece. So it's in your best interests as well as mine to carry on.”

"So that's how its gonna be then huh?" Xander's voice was low with anger. Her brain on the other hand was full of helplessness at the impossible situation. It's not like they had a choice in this matter, but the stakes...their lives very well could be in danger, all this for a piece, a piece of a ring? Every fiber of Min's being was telling her to run far away from this situation, away from Bierce and murderous hotel employees and the thought of death. But she stayed, grounded to the sparse carpet underfoot.

Xander's defeated sigh was full of frustration as he sank against the statue. He looked over at her, but his eyes were downcast.

"Seriously....What *did* we get ourselves into..? Why are we in this...stupid, shitty situation..?"

Min didn't have an answer. There was no real answer to give. Her mind was still racing, but Xander brought her back to the current moment by suddenly tossing her the device. She almost didn't catch it, but her reflexes weren't that bad, and she caught it before it hit the ground. She clutched it, gazing down at the screen, still displaying the room as before. Why did he give it to her?

"I might..." Xander's voice dropped. "Just...just take it. Out of the two of us, you're probably the best navigator."

Was he...thinking of carrying through? Into the unknown hallways full of malicious danger?

"Have you...made up your mind?" She found herself saying, voice almost a whisper.

He didn't reply, just picked himself off the ground, hands half-heartedly dusting off his pants. There was a certain look in his eyes. It was...terrifying. So full of vitriol, and determination. His eyebrows were furrowed when he turned to her, hand in his pocket and hair mussed.

"The sooner we get through this, the sooner we can go back, and the sooner that I can teach that woman what's what for putting us through this. But listen to me miss, because I mean these words." He looked at her dead in the eyes, piercing into hers. " We WILL make it through this alive, if I have anything to say about it." They were honest, raw words. She could tell he meant it with all his soul.

She found herself speaking up, voice wavering as she stared back at him, eyes looking everywhere but his face.

"I'll...ok. This situation is actually insane, and I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm so scared, and I want nothing more than to get as far away from here as possible. But...I understand that this is our only choice. Can I...count on you to get through this with me?"

"Yes."

No hesitation.

Min nodded. Breathed a long sigh.

"Then, I guess the only thing I can say is stay close, huh? We're truly in this together now."

Yup. Whether they like it or not. The boards covering the entrance to the winding hallways were torn down with a well-timed kick, breaking easily into pieces. Min readied the device. Xander readied himself.

But they could never, truly be ready for the journey ahead.

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