[The Daniels Estate, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 10:35 AM, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
Only a few minutes had passed since I had entered The Null.
Cathy was still in her room, thinking about all that had happened and regretting it. Erika was nowhere in sight, suspiciously, and Amelia was cleaning the downstairs hallway with a mop, jauntily humming a tune.
Jack had finished raking the grass of the lawn back onto the dirt patch the three of us had destroyed the previous day by landing unceremoniously outside.
Jack Daniels: "Whew..." Jack said as he wiped his forehead of non-existent sweat and threw the rake down, making his way back inside the house.
Jack Daniels: "Man, I've gotta take a pee break after all that!" Jack muttered to himself, pulling out from the pocket of his jacket an earphone case, putting in the two earbuds into his ears and listening to famous artist and musician 'The Weekday'.
Jack made his way upstairs, to the second floor bathroom.
The house had at least six different bathrooms, three downstairs and three upstairs. He decided to use the one closest to his room, the upstairs hallway bathroom.
He walked down the hallway, enjoying his music and smiling and he passed by Cathy's room.
Out of pure curiosity he decided to take off his right earbud and press his ear against the door, nothing, she must've been asleep.
Jack Daniels: "Oh well!" He shrugged and continued walking down the hallway and into the bathroom.
He had locked the door, but unbeknownst to him, a strange energy had begun flowing through the walls of the room.
Jack then started to pee.
Toilet Head: "Yes, yes, yes…" The sound came from the toilet, Jack was not paying attention and was looking at the ceiling, enjoying his music.
Jack glanced down at the toilet.
Jack Daniels: "What…"
Out of the toilet rose a man's head, the man had short black hair and eyes and looked to be in his thirties—A complete stranger.
But something felt familiar about him.
A shiver ran down Jack's spine and he started feeling nauseous.
Toilet Head: "Yes… Yes!" The man uttered once more.
Jack's eyes widened, he blinked once, twice. And screamed as the realization hit him.
Jack Daniels: "Huh?! W-where did you come from?!"
Jack fell backwards, his fall broken by the door, he quickly pulled up his pants as the stranger opened his mouth.
A jet of water came from his mouth and shot out at Jack's head.
With a huff Jack dropped to his knees and onto his palms, dodging the jet.
Jack Daniels: "Oh boy… I'm sorry for peeing on you! But what the heck is this about?! Who are you?! Ah!"
Toilet Head: "Yes! Yes… yes…" The stranger in the toilet responded, shooting out more water at Jack.
Jack reached for the door handle, but out of the keyhole came out the head of the same stranger, except smaller.
There were now two matching heads of this stranger in the same room of different sizes and in two different places at once, this had to be the work of The Syndicate.
Jack Daniels: "Ah! Another one?! I didn't know they hired freaks like you!" Jack punched the keyhole, the tiny head retreating back in and then popping back out, its mouth opening to spit a spray of sawdust at Jack.
Keyhole Head: "Yes, yes... yes..."
The head in the keyhole said as it shot out a stream of sawdust towards Jack's head, it was pressurized like a laser beam, so Jack once again dropped to the floor and pushed himself up, kicking the door open.
Jack Daniels: "Yes what?! Ah! James?! Erika?! Who— Damn it!" Jack looked around the hallway and hid behind the now open bathroom door.
He peeked inside, once.
A jet of both water and sawdust aimed right for his eyes, he fell backwards just before it could hit him, a speck of it entered his left eye.
Jack Daniels: "Ack! This— Who are you weirdos?! Leave me alone!" Jack said as he rubbed his eye, getting the sawdust particle out.
He stood up and shut the door, leaning against the wall.
Jack Daniels: "Phew... I didn't think I'd get to have another battle so soon, and in my own house too… This isn't good, we're in danger. I've got to tell the others."
The hallway itself was very beautiful, flower vases lined the hallway as they were laid on top of small wooden tables with drawers.
A head came out of the vase in front of Jack, his eyes widening again at the sight of it.
Vase Head: "Yes, yes yes..." It muttered to itself as its mouth opened wide
Jack took the chance to sprint down the hallway, every subsequent vase alongside the right wall had a new head growing out of it, all resembling the same strange man and all uttering the same sentences.
They began shooting at him from their mouths with flower seeds, many pressurized jets of flower seeds.
Vase Heads: "Yes! Yes! Yes!" They all chanted in unison.
Jack took off the jacket off his arms and raised it above his head like a covering to protect himself from the onslaught.
Jack Daniels: "Leave me alone! You… Yes weirdos!"
Jack made his way to the end of the hallway, where Cathy and James' guest rooms were. Jack barged inside of Cathy's room.
She sat up startled from her sleep and instinctively threw a pillow at him.
Cathy Ariston: "What...?! Oh, it's you... What do you want, you bloody idiot? Can't you see I'm sleeping? What's with all the yelling anyway…?"
Jack took a deep breath and slid down the door, lying at the bottom of it with his legs stretched out to the other side of the door, forming a sort of barricade with his body.
Jack Daniels: "Yikes… Okay, so… There were heads coming out of everything! First there was a head in the toilet and then the keyhole and then the vases shot at me and—"
Cathy rose from the bed, throwing another pillow at him.
Cathy Ariston: "Slow down! Blabbering buffon. Hold on… So, you're telling me heads started coming out of holes to shoot at you? Wow, that's so funny, go away."
Jack Daniels: "Yes! With increasingly smaller projectiles in pressured streams! They have… Optimal velocity!"
Cathy snickered and shook her head.
Cathy Ariston: "Wow, getting all sciency on me? Ha, ha, very funny Jack... Why don't you go tell Amelia or Erika? I'm going back to sleep… This pillow's gonna haunt me with its softness, forever."
Just as Cathy turned around, yet another head rose from the opened pillowcase of one of the pillows on the bed.
Pillow Head: "Yes yes..." The strange head uttered and opened its mouth, shooting a stream of pressurized sharp feathers.
They didn't stop on Cathy's aura, something strange happened. They passed through it.
She quickly put her hands to her eyes but it was too late, a few of them had already stabbed her stomach and arms.
Jack Daniels: "Cathy! No! First Step: Apex!"
Jack moved in a blur, his eyes began glowing, he quickly kicked Cathy's shin as the aura began flickering, his foot connecting with her leg made her drop down to the floor, Jack caught her and they both rolled underneath the bed itself.
Cathy Ariston: "Wh—What the fuck?! Jack?! What was that?! It— My arms! Ahh... It hurts. Why didn't you warn me sooner you asshat?!"
Jack Daniels: "What?! I literally just told you! You didn't listen to me! But anyway— how did the feathers get through your aura?"
Cathy Ariston: "I don't know! Shut up! Maybe it'll leave if we're quiet..."
The head on top of the bed looked around, being unable to find its targets.
Pillow Head: "Yes..." It said as it retracted back into the pillow.
The room was suddenly very quiet, other than Jack and Cathy's heavy breathing, her aura seemingly flickered to life again, pushing Jack back against the foot of the bed.
Jack Daniels: "Ow! I'm fine..." He rubbed his head as they both remained quiet.
Suddenly, a deep voice could be heard behind them.
Bed Head: "Yes yes yes... yes... yes..."
They both slowly turned to see a giant head forming from the back of the wall under the bed, glowing into existence from the wall itself. The head's large black eyes stared back at them.
Something seemed familiar to Jack about them, the head's mouth opened.
Cathy Ariston: "Quick! Move your arse, you moron!"
Cathy grabbed Jack and threw him towards the door with too much panicked force, the door flung open and Jack fell back against the railing of the staircase leading downstairs.
Cathy flew out from under the bed, pulling the blanket from up top with her to cover the underside of the bed with, but it was too late.
From below the bed, the head began shooting out a massive beam of wooden blocks, about the same size as a nightstand's legs.
Cathy shut the door with a flick of her wrist but the wood burst through it anyway, she threw herself down onto the floor and to the left of Jack, both ducking from the beam.
The beam itself hit a large window just above the foyer with a beautiful mosaic design, the window broke, shards of glass flying everywhere as the wooden blocks flew outside onto the lawn, the mosaic was no longer recognizable.
Jack Daniels: "Holy crap... Look! They're glowing!"
Jack pointed to one of the stray wooden blocks that fell alongside them, it had been glowing with the same white light as Jack's eyes, a faint white mist around it.
Jack Daniels: "Cathy, I think these are imbued with Flow! It doesn't look like they know how to use The Ten Steps… This is raw, that means it's super dangerous."
Cathy Ariston: "Is that really that important right now?! If we die, I'm suing you! W-what's Flow anyway?!"
Jack grabbed the wooden block and stood up, moving to Cathy's left side. He took a deep breath and threw the wooden block back into the beam, not before imbuing it with his own Flow.
Jack didn't know what he was doing, it just felt natural.
Every single other wooden block in the beam exploded in splinters. Cathy quickly ducked behind Jack, no longer confident in her aura to protect her. Jack took off his leather jacket and used it as a shield, closing his eyes.
The wooden blocks burst all the way into the room, and into the head's mouth, causing it to explode.
Bed Head: "Ye-Yeeeeessss!—" The head yelled out as it popped grossly, flinging the bed upside down and throwing wood and debris everywhere through the room.
Jack Daniels: "Hah... oh man, I think we killed it."
Jack put his leather jacket onto Cathy and went over to the now fallen door.
Cathy Ariston: "Be more careful! Don't lose your eyes idiot! We have no idea what this is! Ack… damn it… They did a number on me."
Cathy clutched her abdomen in pain and pulled out the earlier feather that got stuck in it, the aura quickly flung it away, embedding it into the wall.
Jack gave her a quick nod and made a shush gesture as he peeked inside the room.
The head was simply gone, no blood, no guts, just destruction and wood.
Everything suddenly felt way too quiet.
[The Daniels Estate, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 10:40 AM, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
Jack Daniels: "It vanished back into the wall! We're clear."
Jack went out into the hallway again, his gaze landing on Cathy.
Jack Daniels: "It's gone, for now, whatever they are. Ay, you alright girl?"
Cathy winced in pain and stood up.
Cathy Ariston: "Don't 'girl' me, or you're losing a ponytail. And yeah, I'm fine. We should... Probably get help."
Jack chuckled and stepped closer.
Jack Daniels: "Hey, I'm just trying to make you feel better, you got hit in the 'gas tank', so… do you want to be healed?"
Cathy's eyes widened, her arms crossing.
Cathy Ariston: "What? Gas tank—Excuse me? What did you just say?"
Jack stepped closer until he was face to face with her.
Jack Daniels: "The Third Step, Ruach, allows me to heal myself or others… I mean, that's how I healed myself at school. You know, in the inner courtyard? Before… Ahem, anyway. So, do you want to be healed?"
Cathy's eyes narrowed further in anger.
Cathy Ariston: "You?! You could heal yourself and us all this time?!"
She paused for a moment. "If he could heal himself, if he can heal me… Could he have healed Normand?! Could he have done something?!" Is all that was going through her mind.
Cathy Ariston: "Just… Answer me this! Could you have done anything about Normand?!"
Jack sighed and leaned against the staircase's railing.
Jack Daniels: "Nah. Sorry. He didn't look controlled like Keito did. And he even healed himself in battle! Probably using Ruach. That was just him being devoted to a lie. He must've liked The Boss a lot."
Cathy shuddered and ran a hand through her hair.
Cathy Ariston: "I… Fine... Whatever, just make it quick. I'm only agreeing because of this stupid aura that's somehow dumber than you. I swear, If I end up starving because of this, I'm eating one of you."
Jack smirked and reached out, closing his eyes, the faint white mist still radiating from them, his hands began glowing with a white aura as he muttered.
Jack Daniels: "Third Step: Ruach..."
The white glowing aura stretched out, enveloping Cathy's purple aura, the wound on her stomach and arm began healing quickly, tiny white glowing particles floating from her pores.
Jack opened his eyes and turned, looking down at the now broken mosaic on the foyer floor.
Jack Daniels: "Oh man... Erika is gonna kill me for that."
Cathy Ariston: "Yeah… Hey, thanks, I guess."
Jack glanced back at her, sensing her tension. Pulling back his hands. The aura withdrew back onto him and disappeared.
Jack Daniels: "No problem. You know, I've been meaning to ask, now that we sort-of have time to breathe... What happened to Jasmine? Where is she? She hasn't called us."
Cathy turned to face him, a dawning look of realization across her face.
Cathy Ariston: "Fuck... I... J-Jasmine got taken. By The Boss."
Jack Daniels: "Oh."
Jack paused, going very still as he looked away from Cathy.
Jack Daniels: "I'm sorry to hear that… We'll get her back though! We're fast and strong! And yeah! Okay? No crying, please?"
Cathy sighed and punched the wall weakly.
Cathy Ariston: "I feel so weak! Ugh, it's annoying! Shut up."
Jack Daniels: "You're fine, you're one of the strongest people I know, that's why you're still here, isn't it? That's why we're here. You've been helping us."
Cathy chuckled weakly and smiled at him.
Cathy Ariston: "You cheeky bastard, you always know what to say… I'd hug you if I weren't in a metaphorical straight-jacket."
Jack Daniels: "Dunno, sis says my charm's hereditary!" He shrugged and continued looking down into the foyer.
Suddenly an even louder sound came from Cathy's room than before, a loud growl and the same repeated words in an even deeper voice than the Bed Head.
Room Head: "Yes... ye-ye-ye!"
A ginormous head grew from the room, pushing out of it and almost knocking Jack and Cathy down over the railing, but Cathy managed to grab Jack and float above the stairs with him.
Cathy Ariston: "Wah!? These stupid things… Ugh! What sort of ability is this even?!"
She growled in frustration, the head opened its mouth. She lifted both of her hands and closed her eyes, the entire staircase railing flew up, ripping the metal supports and pressing them together again to make a giant sword with spikes.
Room Head: "Yes-ye-yeeeeees!" The head yelled as everything from within the room itself began flying out of its mouth, including the paint on the walls.
Cathy also acted, throwing the railing into its mouth, spearing the giant head but it was too late, the bed flew out of its mouth and knocked both Cathy and Jack down into the foyer.
Jack Daniels: "Ow... I think we killed it, but your room is destroyed… My back's fine though."
Cathy Ariston: "It's only a guest room, dummy. Get up."
Cathy flew up again, looking over the stairs, indeed the head vanished again in the same glowing light.
She sighed and flew back down.
Cathy Ariston: "I'm getting tired of this little back and forth, we have to get to the bottom of this. Let's find Erika."
They both nodded and made their way down the ground hallway, bumping into Amelia who was mopping the floors.
Jack's eyes glowed, his hands shot out, grabbing the mop mid-air, spinning it and putting it back in the mop bucket.
Jack Daniels: "Hey Amelia! Be more careful, someone could lose an eye." He smirked and glanced between her and Cathy.
Amelia Orwell: "I-I'm sorry Master Jack, you startled me! I heard loud noises... Is everything okay?"
Cathy scoffed and shook her head.
Cathy Ariston: "No, we need to find Erika, where is she?"
Amelia Orwell: "I wouldn't know Miss Ariston, Mistress Erika always disappears during this time of day. I could assist you with whatever problem you're dealing with!"
As if on cue, another head emerged from the mop bucket.
Bucket Head: "Yes... yes..."
It quickly shot out a jet of pressurized water, Jack moved in a blur. Amelia squeaked in surprise and backed up.
Jack Daniels: "Second Step: Titan!"
His skin hardened in a crystal-like white matter, he took the stream of water to the face, it broke through the defense for it was coated in Flow.
Jack fell backwards onto Cathy's aura, bleeding severely.
Bucket Head: "Yes! Yes!"
It turned and shot a pressurized jet of water towards Amelia, she ducked, but it was too late.
Her right arm was hit by the water, which now had Flow in it.
Amelia Orwell: "Ah! M-m-my arm!!"
She fell backwards onto the floor, a large chunk of flesh had been taken off.
Cathy growled again, trying her best not to get angry, she lifted her hand, slamming the bucket onto the ceiling and then flipping it and slamming it onto the floor, crushing the head.
It dissipated once more.
Cathy Ariston: "Damn it! Are you two okay?"
Cathy groaned and ran a hand through her hair again, a nervous habit she had to calm herself down.
Jack was bleeding from his cheek but he got up, tugging on his jacket and then helping Amelia stand. Amelia slowly stood up, her bleeding hand shaking terribly.
Jack Daniels: "Good as can be! Heh…"
Flow was now within her bloodstream, awakening her body.
Amelia Orwell: "Oh my goodness... Master Jack! We're... we're bleeding! W-w-what was that? Was that a fabled 'rat'? I've never seen one before—"
Jack chuckled and patted her shoulder.
Jack Daniels: "Nah, rats are smaller, I'll bring you one next week if you'd like. That was a... let's call it a Head. Ay? A Bucket Head."
He looked back at Cathy for approval, she rubbed her forehead in annoyance.
Cathy Ariston: "She's bleeding, you absolute moron! Do something with your... crazy kung-fu… Ugh, I can't believe I just said that. This whole thing is messed up."
Jack Daniels: "Ay, cap'n." He said, smirking.
Amelia was horrified. She squeaked as Jack stepped closer.
Jack stepped up and grabbed her right arm, putting his hand over the wound.
Jack Daniels: "I was planning on showing you Flow later but... I guess it's necessary. Third Step: Ruach..."
Small glowing white particles, the same ones the heads emitted upon disappearing, started coming out of Jack's very skin, from every pore and from Amelia's wound.
The skin, the flesh, the muscle tissue all began healing quickly, from both of them.
Cathy trembled visibly at the sight, still thinking of Normand.
Cathy Ariston: "Good? Fine. Hurry up." She spat out the words, glaring into his back, hoping it would burn a hole through him.
Amelia's hand quickly healed, the glowing particles fading away.
Amelia Orwell: "Master Jack... T-thank you... I don't know what to say... W-why do I feel so tingly?"
Jack put his hands in his pockets and stepped back, leaning against the wall.
Jack Daniels: "M'well, ya see... I've been paying attention, these things, whatever they are, seem to be utilizing either a very basic level of The Ten Steps, or Flow itself. But as far as I could tell, it's most likely just raw Flow. You've got that water in your blood right? Well, it had Flow in it. So, consequentially, your body is now producing natural Flow. You've been awakened, Amelia. Your core is now producing Flow."
Jack raised his hand for a fist bump, before Amelia could bump fists with Jack—Cathy threw the mop at him, he ducked, chuckling.
Cathy Ariston: "Don't you dare laugh, you mole. This isn't the time or place for— Ugh! Whatever, does this help us in any way?"
Jack Daniels: "Nah... I've come up with a few theories though: One, we're completely alone. There's only five people in the house including me, everything is relatively quiet, police haven't shown up at our door. Can't be an attack from any outside forces, it must be someone in the mansion. Two, these head thingies are either using Flow or they're made from it, that means that whoever is causing this also is well-versed in Flow and such... Three, Flow means the natural awakening of a Holiness in someone, so..."
He looked at Amelia.
Jack Daniels: "What'd ya get? Your first Holiness should manifest, if you get lucky though you might get all three awakened, but I doubt it. So… What'd ya get?" He rubbed his hands together, chortling, to which Cathy hit him on the head with her right hand.
Amelia stepped back, clutching her newly healed arm to her chest.
Amelia Orwell: "M-master Jack... I don't understand, this is all too much! A Holiness? I don't think I have any such th—"
She backed up until she hit something, the tinkling of a bell.
The three of them turned to look at a floating golden hand-bell with a purple handle and a white cursive text on it, reading 'Amelia Orwell'.
Amelia glanced between the bell, Cathy and Jack, clearly scared.
Amelia Orwell: "U-u-um... Is this m-my...?"
Jack laughed and stepped closer.
Jack Daniels: "Wow. I didn't think my theory was correct!"
He reached out to touch the bell, but before he could Cathy dragged him back to her.
Cathy Ariston: "Wait! You idiot. We have no idea what this is or what it could do... Be careful."
Jack smiled and stepped closer to the bell, Cathy let go of him.
Jack Daniels: "Thanks, but I know what I'm doing. This is just a normal bell. Kinda."
Jack picked up the bell, turned it over a few times before handing it to Amelia.
Jack Daniels: "Yeah I have no idea how this works, it's your ability though! Try it out! Make a wish or something."
Amelia extended her hand out to shake the bell, staring in disbelief at it and nodding gently, she was scared, but wanted to be helpful anyway.
Amelia Orwell: "Very well... I... I wish for a new mop?"
She rang the bell, it began glowing in a golden light, and suddenly, the mop that was on the floor suddenly transformed, it looked entirely brand new, the mop threads were golden and the wood was a dark shade of acacia, white markings and lines dotted it.
It looked expensive for a mop.
Amelia Orwell: "Oh my goodness! I-It worked! Yay! Oh this makes me feel like opening gifts for Saturnalia!"
She laughed and clasped her hands together, picking up the mop and handing it to Jack, who turned it over a few times.
Cathy Ariston: "What's Saturnalia? Is that some sort of holiday?"
Jack Daniels: "Oh, it's the day they celebrate in memory of The Fracture and the appearance of Saturn's Blue Eye. I'll fill you in later, you wouldn't know cause you're Risian. But, this... This seems pretty useful... Hey, what are you going to call it?"
Cathy scoffed, snatching the mop from his hand.
Cathy Ariston: "Don't you dare make fun of my country. Ugh! Is that seriously important right now? Fine, we'll talk later. Amelia, try and wish for us to know where Erika is or something… She might be able to help."
Amelia smiled and twirled, clearly happy.
Amelia Orwell: "Okay… I think I'll call it… Tinker Bell! That's a fitting name!"
[The Daniels Estate, Havok, Piasu, Ryomania, 10:45 AM, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
Cathy rolled her eyes and hovered closer.
Cathy Ariston: "Okay, great, whatever. Can you use it to find Erika?"
Amelia nodded gently.
Amelia Orwell: "I can try... I wish to find Mistress Erika!"
She rang the bell.
A strange golden line started showing itself to Amelia, hidden from the sight of everyone else. It glowed like a thread, just above the floor, but Amelia could see it.
She pointed to it.
Amelia Orwell: "Look! There's a golden thread leading the way, s-should we follow it?"
She glanced between them for permission, both Jack and Cathy looked down, trying to find the thread but couldn't.
Jack Daniels: "A thread, huh? And only you can see it... Alright! Lead the way pipsqueak!"
Amelia blushed at Jack's words, but started leading them down the hallway anyway.
Amelia Orwell: "M-Master Jack, I'd appreciate you to not belittle me with such vocabulary... I'm not that tiny..."
She glanced back at him, Cathy rolled her eyes again.
Cathy Ariston: "Just keep walking, don't listen to him, that's just how he jokes."
Jack Daniels: "Speaking of which... A dog walked into a bar..."
Cathy turned to Jack, he glanced away pretending not to see her, while smirking.
Cathy sighed in frustration.
Cathy Ariston: "So annoying!"
They continued walking down the left hallway, Tinker Bell gently tinkling as it followed behind them, under the stairs leading up to the second floor.
Cathy Ariston: "Hey, Amelia? Where's Erika even been? We haven't seen her in hours since we had breakfast."
Amelia Orwell: "Mistress Erika likes to workout after breakfast, that usually takes a couple of hours, and after that…"
She paused, looking back at them as they kept walking.
Amelia Orwell: "Between ten and eleven AM, Mistress Erika usually spends her time in the basement... I'm not allowed down there."
Jack leaned in, whispering to Cathy.
Jack Daniels: "I snuck in there, once, when I was like six or seven, all I saw was a bunch of dirt and dust, maybe even a few wooden beams? But that's it."
Cathy Ariston: "Dirt, dust, wooden beams... Sounds like a mineshaft. Got it."
They continued walking, past the maid's quarters, Amelia's bedroom, and down past a large iron door leading beneath the mansion.
The room they entered looked unfinished, there was no covering to the floor, it was dirt, as Jack mentioned, a few lone barrels sat in the corner with bags of flour, potatoes and other ingredients.
Cathy Ariston: "Wow, you weren't kidding, this place looks like something out of CraftMiner, ugh... and it smells earthy."
Jack Daniels: "Nothing like how I remember it!"
Wooden beams held up the ceiling, also made of dirt, roots sticking out from it from outside trees and plants.
The center of the room had a large dug out tunnel with lanterns and rocks, roots and even more dirt.
Amelia Orwell: "Wow... it's beautiful, in an eerie sort of way..."
Before the three of them could even take a step, the entrance door swung open, revealing another giant human head peeking out from it, like those from earlier, followed by a bunch of smaller heads.
They all came out of various vases, pots, jars, things from the kitchen, Amelia's bedroom and bathroom. This time, they all had long spindly legs. They all continued chanting.
The Heads: "Yes, yes, yes, yeees!!"
Jack grabbed Amelia's hand and the three of them ran down the tunnel.
Jack Daniels: "Hah?! We gotta go! Oh man! So much running... I haven't done this much cardio in a while… Hah…"
Amelia Orwell: "Waaaaaah! Ack… bleh… Oh dear— I would suggest not speaking! I may have accidentally swallowed a bug... I don't like it here… Ah!"
Amelia whined, glancing back at the rapidly approaching creatures.
Cathy Ariston: "Shut up! Just focus on running! Turn left here!"
They made a left, the tunnels seemed to go on in multiple directions, lanterns and rooms everywhere, with wooden crates, tables, weaponry, everything wooden.
Jack Daniels: "Amelia! Use your Tinker Bell, try and stop them!"
Amelia Orwell: "Okay? I wish these spiders would f-fall!"
Tinker Bell rung once, twice—
The ceiling shook and lots of spiders began falling from the ceiling, as if an earthquake was happening.
Amelia Orwell: "Ahh! They're in my hair! They're in my hair! Master Jack, help!" Amelia yelled, as hard as she could, trying to swat the falling spiders off her hair and clothes.
Jack Daniels: "Oh damn. We should've tested that out more… What?— Ah, sorry! I can't really help, while they're still after us! Just keep running…"
Cathy grumbled and began throwing the spiders off of both Jack and Amelia, she was unaffected by her aura which pushed the spiders off of her.
Cathy Ariston: "If I had those on me, I'd scream too!"
The trio continued running from The Heads, which were completely unaffected, they weren't shooting like the others however, these were a different type.
There was a room at the end of the hallway, it looked like there were no other tunnels and the door itself had a bunch of strange markings on it, it was made of mahogany.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, giant roots shot out from the left wall, pushing the trio over and cutting off The Heads.
The Heads: "Yeees—" They yelled as rocks fell upon the tunnel from the impact, blocking it off.
Jack stood up first, helping Amelia stand as Cathy hovered up.
Amelia Orwell: "I-Is it over? Those roots stopped them..."
The room at the end of the hallway opened.
Erika Daniels: "Hey homewreckers~ You're not meant to be down here."
Erika leaned against the doorframe, chewing bubblegum loudly and resting her wrists on her baseball bat as she pushed it into the ground.
Cathy Ariston: "Yeah?! And what the hell are you doing down here? You've been gone for hours! We had to fight off a bunch of—"
Erika Daniels: "Creepy heads? I know. I sent them after you. They're a part of my first Holiness."
She chuckled and stepped closer. Cathy closed her eyes, fuming, but trying to be respectful.
Jack Daniels: "What? No way… That was Hey, Soul Sister?! I thought it would've been way way more normal, actually. Cool!"
Cathy Ariston: "Why would you do that? And what's with the roots then... Is that also you?"
Erika patted Jack's shoulder, smirking.
Erika Daniels: "Relax. I was just testing you, remember, you need training. So, I decided to give you an early start. And it technically counts as training for me too. It's been a while since I've had to use something other than my Divinity."
She peeked over his shoulder at Amelia, who was brushing her hair with her hand.
Erika Daniels: "And you, sweetie, I wanted you awakened. You've been with us so long, I felt as if it was time you'd get your own powers. What'd you name it? Is it a Holiness or a Divinity?"
Amelia Orwell: "Um... It's this bell over here, I can make wishes to it and things happen..."
Amelia pointed to Tinker Bell as it hovered behind her.
Erika reached out and grabbed it, shaking it a few times before handing it back to Amelia.
Erika Daniels: "Aww, your first Holiness… Cute. I'll take a picture of it later. Anyway, you two should follow me to the garden for training, Amelia, you stay here and clean up this mess, you can do it way better now with your little bell, right? Oh and don't go through that door back there. Ever. I mean that for all of you."
Amelia Orwell: "V-Very well Mistress Erika, I'll do my best, cleaning here...!"
Erika then walked past them, lifting her hand, the roots that blocked the tunnel suddenly went back into the wall, taking a few fallen rocks with them.
The Heads were no longer there.
Jack Daniels: "More training huh? Hey wait—You didn't explain the creepy heads or the roots! How are you doing that? What's your Divinity? I had a sort of embarrassing issue in the bathroom, so I gotta know!"
Erika Daniels: "You peed on one, didn't you?"
Jack Daniels: "Accident. Plus, it appeared there while I was peeing what was I meant—"
Cathy Ariston: "Okay! We get it! No more pee talk! Erika, what the hell was all of that about?"
Erika smirked as she opened the basement door for them, leading them back up into the left foyer hallway.
Erika Daniels: "Relax, I'm still on your side. I'll explain my ability once I talk to James. He should be around here. You two should wait outside in the garden. I'll be in my room, preparing... Okay? No hard feelings?"
Cathy sighed and nodded gently.
Cathy Ariston: "Yeah, sure, okay... No hard feelings. But you could've just done all this by talking! You freaking weirdo… Fine, we'll go outside, right Jack?"
Jack was collecting dust off the wall with his finger, not paying attention, Cathy cleared her throat and Jack turned to her.
Jack Daniels: "Huh? Oh yeah, yeah, training, I'm in."
He grinned and did a fist bump, glancing between the two of them.
Erika Daniels: "Welp, I'm gonna go... See ya later kids."
She turned and walked away, leaving them with their own thoughts.