Welcome back to Hello Charlotte, everyone. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the first chapter. Please remember to COMMENT and VOTE; it means a lot to me. Plus, I like talking to you guys and hearing your opinions. Also, remember to watch the video; it goes with the chapter. I'm sorry this took so long; by the way, my health and school have not made this easy, but I'm back.

The song is: Devotion by No Party for Cao Dong.

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-Charlotte-

It was cold and damp in the tunnel. A soft dripping sound echoed in the darkness. The rich scent of wet earth filled the air, but just beneath that was a sharp, bitter smell.

I guess that stuff would still be here.

I could feel Ivo watching me as I let out a soft huff and began running my hand along the tunnel wall. The stone bricks there were slightly damp, with quite a few of them covered in a fine layer of moss, making it a bit harder to find what I was looking for.

Dammit, where is that stupid thing? It should be right around here...

"Um..." Lorithia began softly.

"What?" I asked as I briefly glanced over my shoulder at her.

"If you want, I can light up the area a bit. It shouldn't take more than a simple fire spell," Lorithia offered, a small smile on her face.

Compared to Ivo and Atlas, who could see in the dark with no issues, Lorithia and I had trouble seeing the finer details. However, Delilah might've been worse off than any of us if her holding Atlas's hand was anything to go by.

Delilah gave a small chuckle. "That would be great, Lorithia."

I shook my head. "No. Don't do it just yet; if you do, it might just blow us all up," I warned Lorithia as I glared at the tunnel wall.

I should've just taken the stupid thing out before Ivo, and I left.

"What?" Lorithia screeched, her eyes going wide.

"Why would that happen, Charlotte?" Atlas asked after a moment, his face pale.

I looked over at them, a scowl on my face. "You two, don't smell anything strange?"

"There's the rust?" Atlas said with a frown.

"Gunpowder," Lorithia muttered after sniffing the air. "Wait, why is there gunpowder!"

"The Church wanted to make sure their secrets were kept, well, secret. Dragons and dragon chimera don't care too much about security unless it's territory related. And even then, they'll just kill you on the spot," I explained as I shrugged.

Ivo let out a small snort. "Didn't do them any fucking good, though."

I looked up at him. "They were drugged up lunatic cult members who abducted children. Do you really think they had the functional brain cells to think two steps ahead?" I told him as I rolled my eyes.

"Ivo, I'm pretty sure if something can stop you, it doesn't need security," Delilah pointed out with a sigh.

"He technically just ripped the church's front door off and killed the priest in the middle of a sermon. By the time I felt like looking for him, I caught him plucking out someone's eyes next to a burning pew," I told Delilah as I continued to run my hand along the tunnel wall.

"That's not true," Ivo protested.

I looked up at him with narrow eyes. "Bullshit, which part isn't true?"

"I threw a body through the window first," he reminded me, a smile on his face.

I opened my mouth to say something, but just let out a huff and shook my head.

Really?

Ivo just gave a small shrug at my question.

"I...don't think that makes it better," Atlas slowly said after a moment. Although to his credit, he no longer sounded shocked at Ivo's eating habits.

Lorithia spluttered slightly. "You don't think that makes it better?" She exclaimed as she looked at Atlas with wide eyes.

Delilah sighed, a small smile on her face. "Vincent likes to make grand entrances, and Ivo is the same."

I frowned as I tried to imagine Vincent doing what Ivo had done. But honestly, I couldn't.

Ivo grinned at me as he instantly knew what I was wondering. "It's because my father wouldn't do what I did."

"Yeah, somehow I doubt that," I muttered.

Ivo shook his head. "No, I mean, I left the village mostly intact and just killed everyone. If you had somehow summoned my father instead of me, well, there would be no village, only a giant crater."

"I don't need another you. I can barely handle one," I replied instantly.

I saw Ivo glance at Lorithia. I don't know what she was thinking, but whatever it was caused Ivo to laugh softly.

I scowled as I continued to search the wall, gritting my teeth each time my fingers brushed across the wall only to find nothing.

Lorithia let out a small huff. "Why are you laughing at me?"

"Your thoughts are loud," Ivo chuckled. I didn't even need to look at him to know that he had a smirk on his face.

At his answer, Lorithia began spluttering.

I felt a section of the tunnel wall shift beneath my fingers, and I gave a loud sigh of relief. "Fucking finally! I knew the stupid thing was somewhere around here. I should've just taken it out before I left," I grumbled as I removed the small stone block out of the wall.

I tossed it off to the side, a dull thump echoing out as the rock hit the dirt floor. I reached up, standing on my tiptoes a bit so that I could look into the hole. In the darkness, I could just about make out the thin thread-like wires inside the hole.

What was it again, green and red? No, purple and blue.

I scowled as I glared at the wires for a moment.

"Charlotte?" Ivo said as he came a bit closer to me.

I ignored him as I continued to glare at the wires.

God, I feel stupid. The riddle went red like roses and purple like bruises.

"Is that how we disable the traps?" Ivo asked me.

I nodded as I took a step back. "Yep, can you pull out the-"

"Red and purple wires?" Ivo finished for me; he was staring at me with an odd look in his eyes.

I nodded, a slight smile on my face.

"I'm surprised that Revali didn't warn us about the traps down here," Atlas said more to himself than any of us.

I yawned; the exhaustion from the mountain trail combined with the stress was starting to catch up with me. "It's because he didn't know. The church made and installed them," I sighed as I stretched. "He was never actually involved with any part of the cult, even less so when shit really hit the fan."

Honestly, that's probably why Kessel and him ended up as friends. In a town of lunatics, they were the only ones with common sense.

I heard a small ripping sound as Ivo tore the wires free, then a second later, a loud thump echoed throughout the tunnel, followed by the loud splash of something hitting water.

I smirked, "There goes the gun powder. Those fuckers prepared for just about everything except someone literally busting down their front door."

"Between all the safeguards and the town's near isolated location, I'm surprised people still managed to end up on the mountain," Lorithia said as she slowly looked around the tunnel.

I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, some of those tourists were probably, no, definitely used as sacrifices. Besides that, you can't fix stupid. If someone is enough of a dumbass, no amount of safeguards short of locking them up will stop them from getting into trouble," I told her in a pointed tone as I stared at her.

Lorithia flinched, and I saw her cat ears droop slightly beneath her silver hair. "You're...never going to let me live that down, are you?" She asked slowly, as she gave a small chuckle.

I grinned at her. "Maybe if it weren't so funny then, I'd probably forget about it.

"I suppose it's better than you holding a grudge," Lorithia sighed, although she didn't seem upset about it.

"Did that disable all of the traps, Charlotte?" Delilah asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, that should be it. That rust I smelt earlier is more than likely from the pressure plates. Since no one was here to look after the place, they rusted up."

"Considering what happened on the mountain, we should still be careful," Ivo sighed, a scowl on his face. He was looking down the tunnel with narrow eyes; if he noticed something in the darkness ahead, he didn't say anything.

I saw Lorithia snap her fingers; a small orange spark flared to life, briefly lighting up the tunnel before disappearing. She let out a huff, and I heard her grumble a few curses under her breath before she snapped her fingers again. This time the small spark grew, flaring out into a small ball of fire.

Delilah chuckled, a look of relief on her face. "Ah, never thought I'd be happy to see a ball of fire."

"Sorry that it took so long; with my spellbook, it's a bit easier. Without it, I have to go off of memory," Lorithia said with a smile.

Ivo scowled as he crossed his arms. "Whoever took it is more than likely the same asshole feeding the barrier, keeping us trapped here."

For a moment, it was silent; all of us technically knew the answer to Ivo's question, especially after seeing Revali walking around.

I ignored the way my stomach had started churning as I turned around and began walking down the tunnel. "If we're quick enough, we can probably get your spellbook back," I told Lorithia softly.

"Really?" Lorithia asked. I didn't look at her, but I could hear the surprise and happiness in her voice.

I nodded. "Yeah, we should keep going; with the traps disengaged, it shouldn't take us too long," I called over my shoulder.

~~~

"Wow, it's warm down here," Atlas muttered as he glanced around the tunnel.

Atlas was right. The chill that had cloaked the earlier parts of the tunnel had just about disappeared. In its place was a strange, almost cozy warmth.

I stretched, not bothering to hold back the small purr I let out as I did. "That's the only good thing about these old caves," I mumbled. There was a slight pressure behind my eyes like something was pushing on them gently; while it was more uncomfortable than anything, I knew that a headache was coming on.

Once this is over, I want to take a nice long nap in the sun.

Delilah giggled. "It reminds me of my greenhouse back home," she said with a grin. She'd clung to Atlas's arm after she got tired of holding his hand.

"You have a greenhouse? I figured that you just grew plants wherever you wanted," Lorithia said with a scowl on her face.

"I don't know why you're surprised about her having a greenhouse. That's the least strange thing about her," Ivo chuckled as he stared down at her.

"Not everyone can be a walking anomaly like you, Ivo," Delilah replied with a shrug.

"Okay then, if I'm a walking anomaly, then what the fuck is Charlotte," Ivo huffed.

Leave me alone, Ivo.

"Adorable," Delilah said, not missing a beat with a smile on her face.

"Leave me alone. It's not my fault that I-" Lorithia began to protest.

"Don't know anything about contract demons?" Ivo finished for her.

You really are just going to keep messing with her every chance you get, huh Ivo?

Ivo gave a small snort as he glanced at me. "Like you wouldn't or haven't been doing it too?"

I just shrugged but didn't say anything out loud.

Lorithia's eyes widened as the fur on her tail bristled. "Stay out of my head, dammit!" She hissed. "How do you deal with him," she asked me as she pointed over at Ivo.

I scowled as I tried to ignore the familiar awful ache spreading across my skull. "Do you want an actual answer or..." I trailed off as I stared at her.

"Serious answers please," she said instantly as she tried to ignore the way Ivo looked like he was trying to hold back laughter.

I was silent as I just stared at her for a few moments then, I shrugged. "Either get used to it or fight back," I told her in a matter-of-fact tone.

Lorithia blinked slowly, then she took a deep breath, covered her face with her free hand, and groaned loudly in what sounded like frustration. "How in the fuck did I find someone that's more trouble than Eizen?"

Delilah smiled slightly as she gave Lorithia a gentle pat on the back. "If it's any consolation, Ivo has actually mellowed out a lot over the years."

Lorithia shook her head. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up," Lorithia sighed.

"You're halfway to Charlotte's advice, I suppose. You don't act like you want to run away every time I talk to you," Ivo pointed out, giving her a small smile.

"I figured if you were going to eat me by now, I'd be dead already," Lorithia sighed again. "Not like I could win in a fight against you anyway," she grumbled.

"There you go; looks like you're finally learning," Ivo told her, his tone a bit warmer than before. He actually sounded pretty pleased about that.

I stopped walking and glanced around the tunnel. Beneath the smell of wet dirt was the hint of something familiar and disgusting. It smelled like dirty rainwater left to fester in the sun.

We shouldn't be there yet.

I narrowed my eyes as I tried to see through the darkness ahead. I could just about make out a small form. I saw the figure move as it did. I could've sworn I saw a flash of black and purple scales.

I shook myself a bit and rubbed my eyes. When I looked again, there was no figure. I reached into my shirt, looking for my flask out of habit only to stop as I glared down at the floor.

This is the only time I shouldn't get drunk. Not that it would help.

"Help what?" Ivo asked in response to my thoughts. I could hear the concern in his voice, which made me glance up at him with a grimace on my face.

"My head just hurts," I mumbled as I closed my eyes for a second.

"It does? Actually, you do look a bit pale," Ivo said, a frown on his face as he came a bit closer.

"I don't want to hear that from you of all people," I huffed.

"We can stop for a bit if you want, Charlotte," Delilah offered.

I shook my head very carefully. "I'll be fine." A second later, I realized what Ivo had initially asked, and my eyes flew open as I looked up at him. "Wait, you don't have a headache too?"

"No," Ivo told me, a scowl on his face as he crossed his arms.

"Is...that supposed to happen?" Lorithia asked hesitantly as she looked between Ivo and I.

"No, if either one of them are in pain, the other should feel it," Atlas reminded her. I could see the confusion and worry clear on his face.

I pinched my arm, making sure to use my claws. At the same time, I felt a small sharp sting I saw Ivo winced slightly.

"I felt that," Ivo sighed.

While I was a bit worried at the same time, my head was hurting so much my brain actually felt numb. I shrugged. "Then it doesn't matter. The markings are working like they're supposed to," I muttered.

I was about to turn around and keep walking, but Ivo stopped me, grabbing my arm.

"You didn't eat or drink anything weird when we got separated, did you?" Ivo asked me as I scowled up at him.

I rolled my eyes. "No, there wasn't actually any food or water up there. Besides, even if there were, I wouldn't have eaten it anyway."

"What did you even end up having to do during the mountain trial?" Atlas asked me.

"Huh? Well, I ended up playing some games with the previous Lords of the Mountain," I answered honestly.

"It doesn't sound too bad, but I know it wasn't that simple," Atlas said.

I gave a small snort. "Playing red light green light with a walking mangled corpse isn't really what I'd consider simple."

"Let me take over Charlotte," Ivo said. It wasn't a request. In fact, it sounded more like a demand.

"No, I want to keep going. It's just a stress headache," I insisted as I tried to escape Ivo's grip on my arm. But there was no give on my end and none on his. I narrowed my eyes as I stared at his hand.

Really? Are we really fucking doing this?

"Are you sure, Charlotte? You're really pale," Delilah asked as she released her hold on Atlas and came over to Ivo and I.

"Not you too, Delilah," I groaned.

"Just stop being stubborn and let me take over Charlotte, you know I can tell when you're at your limit," Ivo huffed as he scowled at me.

I glared up at him. "I'm not being stubborn; you owl-eyed asshole!" I snapped as I snatched my arm back, only to wince immediately after.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second to try and get my bearings. There was a slight buzzing in my ears that wasn't doing my headache any favors. That disgusting scent I'd smelt earlier seemed to fill my nose and throat, causing them to burn as it choked me. I slowly opened my eyes, my gaze instantly going to the floor as I slowly realized something.

I took a step back, watching with wide eyes as the area I'd been standing in just seconds before returned to normal. It was like watching someone poke a memory foam mattress.

"We should've been skewered," I said softly, which caused everyone to go silent and look at me.

"W-what do you mean?" Lorithia asked, her eyes growing wide as the color drained from her face.

I scowled as I pointed to the floor in front of me. "I think the pressure plates are still activated." As I spoke, I stepped back onto it, this time noticing the tiny click that happened as the floor shifted ever so slightly.

"Don't just step back on it, Charlotte," Atlas exclaimed as a look of panic flashed across his face.

I let out a soft hum. "I mean, what's weird is nothing's happening. The other traps aren't active because if they were, Lorithia would've gotten shot full of arrows when she leaned against the tunnel wall earlier."

"Did...did you use me as a fucking test dummy?" Lorithia asked me slowly. I could see the fear and rage crawl across her face; she sounded legitimately hurt at the idea.

I sighed as I shook my head. "No, I didn't. I didn't even notice the pressure plate thing until now because of the headache. So just calm your tits, okay?"

"Then we should go back to the entrance to fix it, right?" Delilah asked me.

"I need to go back to the entrance. I'm the one who messed it up," I corrected her. "I got the wires mixed up because of habit," I admitted softly.

"You're not going back there alone, Charlotte," Ivo protested immediately.

I just ignored him; at this point, I was starting to get more than a bit tired of Ivo hovering over me. "Let's see..." I muttered as I closed my eyes and tried to focus. "Red like roses and purple like bruises was the way everyone used to say it when they didn't want anyone else to catch us. But that's wrong...it should be red like a rose and yellow like the sunshine. Red deactivates most of the traps, purple deactivates the cameras and unlocks the doors."

As I opened my eyes, I couldn't help but notice the strange look on Ivo's face. He looked like he wanted to say something but was almost afraid to do so.

What is it, Ivo?

He shook his head. "I was just thinking, what if the pressure plates are active, but the actual spikes are rusted and stuck." As Ivo spoke, I couldn't help notice that he was looking in my direction but not exactly at me.

I could tell that Ivo was partially lying to me. I'd been around him long enough to recognize that much. I would've called him out any other time, but at the moment, I was tired, and my headache was only getting worse. I said nothing as I turned away.

"That would make sense considering we did smell rust." Atlas pointed out.

"You're probably right, honestly," I mumbled as I stared down the tunnel.

"It'd probably be a bit safer if less of us were walking through the tunnel," Delilah suggested. When I looked at her, I noticed that she was looking at Ivo like she was waiting for him to agree, although she didn't seem to be expecting him to.

"Fine, you're right," Ivo huffed after a moment or two.

"H-huh? You actually agree with me?" Delilah said, a shocked look on her face.

"Is he alright?" Lorithia asked me with wide eyes.

I shrugged. "He's tired."  Ivo tended to get easier to talk and convince when he was tired, but both Delilah and I knew that already.

"Shut up before I change my mind," Ivo grumbled, shooting Delilah a glare.

Delilah went first, letting out a small giggle before she disappeared. A second later, Atlas shuddered before letting out a small chuckle. "That always feels so weird." He said as the markings on the back of his hand glowed briefly.

Lorithia's eyes grew even wider if that was possible. "No, you are not hijacking my body! No fucking way!"

I flinched as her yelling made my head throb.

"Would you shut the fuck up? Why in the world would I go with you," Ivo snapped as he walked over to me.

"But I thought-" Lorithia began.

"Just because I have two contracts now doesn't mean I just use two vessels now. I go with Charlotte, I always do," Ivo told her like it was something extremely obvious.

Lorithia nodded slowly. "R-right."

I said nothing as Ivo vanished. A small, almost soothing warmth spread from my chest and into my fingertips as my contract markings glowed for a second.

"Finally," I huffed softly.

Lorithia glanced at her contract markings before looking at me with a weird look on her face. "Does that hurt?" She asked hesitantly.

"No, it feels a bit weird at first, but you get used to it," I told her with a scowl. "Why? Do you plan on letting Ivo possess you sometime soon?"

"No! I just...I was curious because I don't know a lot about how contract demons work," Lorithia told me quickly.

"Charlotte's just messing with you, Lorithia," Atlas chuckled.

I smiled slightly at Atlas. "At least let me have my fun. My brain feels like it's melting out of my ears."

"If you want, I could probably make you something for that," Lorithia offered.

"Nah, I need to be alert right now. If I didn't, I would've gotten drunk before we even stepped foot in here," I told her, waving away her concern.

"Are you going to let Ivo take over so that you can rest for a bit? You still look pale," Atlas asked as he came a little closer to me.

"No," I answered instantly.

For a second, I saw a brief look of surprise flash across Atlas's face. "If you're sure."

I nodded but said nothing. Ivo was hiding something from me. I didn't know what, just yet, but I sure as hell would find out.

~~~

I jumped slightly when Atlas suddenly grabbed my upper arm.

"Don't just grab me like that," I huffed, my tail flicking out as I looked up at him.

Atlas wasn't looking at me. Instead, he was staring ahead with narrow eyes, his face pale.

"Atlas?" Lorithia said softly, glancing at him.

"There's a bunch of spikes blocking the way," he informed us.

I squinted as I followed his gaze, just barely able to make out the rusted rods protruding from the floor.

I didn't hear a click either, which means...

"I really hate to say it, but maybe that asshole was right," Lorithia huffed as if she knew what I was thinking.

I looked over at her with narrow eyes. "He can hear you. Don't encourage him, dammit," I grumbled.

As if to prove my point, I could hear Ivo's soft chuckle echo within my thoughts.

Shut up!

"Is there another pathway we can go down?" Lorithia asked with a scowl. "Those spikes look like they're really stuck in there."

I shook my head. "No. Besides, we don't need another pathway."

"Huh?" Lorithia said as I walked forward, my scales coming up.

I heard Atlas chuckle as I approached the spikes.

However, I froze, a strange bitter taste covered my tongue, and my nose burned. As a loud hum buzzed in my ears, I could only stare down at the spikes with wide eyes, my stomach churning.

"Oh my god," Lorithia whispered from behind me.

I said nothing as I stared down at the small, child-like skeleton skewered by the spikes. It had clearly been here for years; the tattered dress it wore was faded and crusted with disgusting-looking yellow stains. The bones were picked clean and covered in a light brownish yellow dust.

The skull's jaw was open in a silent scream, black empty sockets staring up at me, almost like it was mocking me.

"Charlotte," Ivo said as he suddenly appeared beside me. He said it like a warning.

"It's so small," Delilah whispered. Her eyes were wide, and her face was a bit paler than usual.

For a few moments, I was silent, and so were the others as they waited to see how I would react.

"I know her. Well, knew her," I admitted softly as I reached out to grab one of the skeleton's arms.

The bone was rough to the touch like sandpaper. I scowled as I carefully began to lift the skeleton off of the spikes. It was like moving a limp doll. A soft clacking noise echoed out as the bones shifted against each other.

"You did?" Lorithia asked gently, finally breaking the silence.

"Yep, her name was Megan," I huffed as I worked. One of the spikes was buried deep between the skeleton's ribs; another was slightly wedged between a few of the neck bones.

"She tried to rope a few other kids into escaping with her. Tried to convince me to come with her too, even though I told her it wouldn't work," I grumbled. My chest felt a bit tight, it didn't hurt, but it was definitely uncomfortable.

"So there's more of them," Atlas said. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes on the ground as he spoke.

I shook my head. "No, the others were too scared or out of it to go with her. I ended up staying up late to see her off," I sighed as I carefully set the skeleton down. I leaned it against the tunnel wall ignoring how my lungs felt like they were trying to strangle themselves.

You made so much noise about escaping, but you didn't even make it halfway, idiot.

"Do you want to bury her? She'd probably be grateful." Lorithia asked as she came slightly closer to me. She glanced down at the skeleton-like she wanted to help but didn't know where to start.

I let out a short, humorless laugh. "In this hellhole? Fuck no, she'd probably rise from the grave just to curse me out."

Brushing the grime from my clothes, I walked back over to the spikes. "Charlotte, I-" Ivo began; however, I waved him away.

Don't, just fucking don't, Ivo. Until you're ready to tell me whatever you're hiding from me, don't even bother.

Ivo flinched slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Charlotte, I know what this place does to you. You don't want-"

I gave a loud sigh of frustration as I rolled my eyes. "Oh, just shut up," I hissed, flicking my tail out. "You always say that, that it's for my own good. I don't need your bullshit so just shut up!" I snapped.

Lorithia looked between Ivo and I with wide eyes biting her lip. She looked like she wanted to say something, thankfully though she chose not to open her mouth.

Gritting my teeth, I began clearing a path through the spikes. Instead of just bending them, I yanked them out of the ground using way more strength than necessary. But I didn't care, it was either this or getting drunk, and I really preferred the first option right now with the way things were.

I took a deep shuddering breath and tossed the twisted spike I held off to the side, a low clang echoing out as it hit the ground. There was a soft buzzing in my ears, a small tingling running along my skin, and a slight tightness in my chest. But it felt good, distracting.

I didn't feel any less angry, but now I had something else to focus on besides the rage. Without waiting for them to say or do anything, I stalked forward.

Eventually, I came to a stop as the tunnel opened up into a familiar wide room. The faint smell of old candle wax and dust entered my nose, but I ignored the numerous half-melted candles cluttering the floor. My eyes focused at the center of the room, watching as a familiar-looking figure absentmindedly tossed a skull up and down as though it were a ball to play with.

As the sound of multiple frantic footsteps entered my ears, I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before turning back to face everyone.

Instantly the look on Ivo's face told me everything I needed to know. "So this is what you didn't want me to see," I said. There was no anger in my voice, just cold and exhaustion.

"Charlotte-" Ivo began softly.

"Quiet," I sighed as I turned back to face the figure.

It was all there plain as day, no bullshit, no excuses. A younger version of myself the way Rebecca had always wanted me, quiet, bruised, and obedient. The familiar white and blue sundress I'd worn a thousand times before hanging off her painfully thin shoulders. The tiny clipped wings just barely curled around herself.

But I wasn't angry. Disgusted, and tired, but the anger was replaced with something like a cold empty void.

I could've sworn I heard Lorithia say something, but I couldn't focus on anything but the figure in front of me. Suddenly it, this thing looked up at us, but its eyes were dull, empty of emotion. It was like the thing was looking through us, not at us.

It blinked slowly as it stopped tossing the skull for a moment. "Megan really left." It muttered, but it didn't sound sad. It spoke as if it were stating a fact.

"She's dead," I told it. "She died without even making it halfway."

The longer I stared at the thing, the more my stomach churned, and the buzzing in my ears grew.

It let out a soft hum as it glanced at me for a moment before it began tossing the skull again. "I told her it was useless," it muttered.

At its words, I suddenly heard a snap like the sound of a rope finally giving way. I stalked over to it, snatching the skull out of the air mid toss, which made the thing look up at me. I could see my reflection in its empty eyes, and I hated it.

"You are going to die here," I growled through gritted teeth as I glared down at the thing.

"Charlotte!" Ivo called out to me, there was a frantic edge to his voice, but I ignored him.

"You're going to die here cold, alone, and afraid," I continued as I threw the skull against the wall. "All because you were too fucking stupid and proud to ask for help when you had the chance," I snarled.

"Master wouldn't let me die," It told me softly.

I laughed, an ugly humorless sound. Reaching out, I grabbed the front of the sundress with both hands; despite the creature's see-through appearance, it was surprisingly tangible. "She does not care about you. She has not cared for a long fucking time. You're useful for keeping the other kids in line, and that's it."

For a brief moment, I saw the thing's face twitch slightly. It's emotionless mask cracking for a second before it returned to staring blankly at me, although with a noticeable glint. "Stop lying to me, don't talk about Master that way," It said, a tiny bit of anger leaking into its voice.

Realizing I was close, I smirked slightly. "Make me. Not that will, you're so weak and pitiful that nothing you do will stop me from going to that attic and cutting that bitch's throat. You're a dog that only knows two tricks; shut up and sit still."

It, no, she growled softly, the emotionless mask crumbling as rage twisted her features. She pushed me away from her with a snarl, and I let her, stumbling back as the room began to shake, the candles rattling on the floor.

Something coiled around my waist, yanking me back just as an enormous colosseum of blood and bone erupted from the floor right where I'd been standing.

I could help the little manic laugh that left my mouth as Delilah set me down next to Ivo using her vines.

"Charlotte, what in the fuck did you do? Why did you do something that stupid," Ivo asked as his hands roamed over me, looking for injuries.

Still laughing, I grabbed his hand. "Because seeing her like that was pissing me off." For some reason, all of this was just really fucking funny to me.

"Are you alright, Charlotte?" Delilah asked with wide eyes as she retracted her vines

I nodded. "I'm fine," I told her; the excitement buzzing in my veins made me giddy. "Besides, even if I weren't, we have much more important things to worry about," I said as I brushed myself off.

I turned back to where the other version of myself had been standing. She was gone, but in her place stood a disgusting writhing mass of flesh and faces. The mass had lumpy pale that resembled curdled milk, blue veins spread across it like a spider web. I could see faces just beneath the creature's skin; their mouths open wide in a silent scream. It was like looking at someone screaming with a sheet stretched tight over their face.

The younger version of me was the head, her body buried in the skin of the creature from the waist down. Her arms were pulled back and buried at the wrist. The mass of flesh was tall, towering over all of us, its back just barely grazing the ceiling. It stood on long, thin, spindly arms, its misshapen fingers dragging slowly across the ground, causing a soft scraping sound to echo around the room.

"Wha-what is that?" Lorithia whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

"Exactly what it looks like. Every face in that mess is one of the kids who died here," I sighed as I adjusted my gauntlets slightly. If I was right, we had a tough fight ahead of us.

The younger me looked up at me, rage twisting her features. She bared her teeth as she screamed in what sounded like pain and despair.

I glanced over at Ivo, who was glaring at the creature, his therion hand already out. "There are so many souls."

I chuckled softly as I let my scales roll over my skin. "Do you think you can absorb them all?"

Ivo gave a small snort, a smirk spreading over his face. "Of course I can, Charlotte. Who do you think you're talking to?"

Delilah sighed and shook her head as she raised her hands, the palms glowing with a familiar soft green light. "I swear you two cause trouble just because you can."

"Do we really have to fight this thing?" Lorithia whimpered, her cat ears lowering. But that didn't stop her from gathering magic, her hands sparking with purple lightning.

Atlas gave a small laugh as he readied his bow. "Compared to the monster in Kiree-Kiree, this one isn't so bad."

The creature screamed again. It was a piercing sound like sandpaper on glass; then it reeled back, it's limbs scuttling backward as its body shifted like jiggling jello. Then it charged.