It happened too quickly. The air started becoming suffocating and heavy. Ms. Ipruk grabbed her purse and pulled out the mask! She practically threw it on Sophia's face.
"Leave… Go!... Sophie…"
Again. She collapses again! But this time she almost falls on top of Sophia. She barely manages to grab her.
"Ms. Ipruk!"
"I can't seem to move."
Sophia gently props her against the nearest wall and tries to look around for Mr. Johnson. But this mask does make things hard to see! Not to mention this mask isn't suited for someone with three eyes. Of course, the gas all around them isn't helping! Where is he?!
"Listen… Sophie. You have to leave. I'll be fine… just go."
"Quit your nonsense! I'm trying to think!"
"Go… please… it's too dangerous."
"Oh please, this is not the first time my life is in danger! We are getting out of here together! I'm not leaving you here alone. I will not lose you."
"It's different this time… I can't protect… you."
"I will be the one protecting you."
"You're always protecting me. You're so loyal… I love you so much. I hope you know that…"
"Shut up! Don't say that like it's the last time!"
"I know. I'm just telling you that I love you. Don't kids like hearing that from their parents. Haha…"
If the situation was any better Sophia would have rolled her eyes. Instead she picks her up as best as she can, throwing one arm over her shoulder.
Ms. Ipruk is significantly taller than her so this must be comedic from an outsider perspective.
"Sophie! What are you... doing?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm getting us out of here!"
"I'll just be in the way... put me down..."
"Never!"
"Then… go to the final piece of this puzzle… hurry..." and then she goes silent.
She's still breathing and warm. But for how long? Sophia isn't thinking anymore. She's just moving. Leaving the dining room is easier than dragging Ms. Ipruk. The doors aren't locked so Sophia manages to get them out of there. She has no idea where Mr. Johnson went or what he's planning. Her priority is getting her teacher to safety. She doesn't care anymore, she doesn't care about this cursed mansion, no one hurts her family!
Unfortunately, she wouldn't make it far. Outside the dining room in the foyer stood Mr. Johnson and he wasn't alone. Next to him was the Shadow Beast, or Bradley. He looks calm and as if he's waiting for orders.
"How did you-"
"Doesn't matter. It's my home and I know every nook and cranny. Now, Sophia don't make this hard for yourself. I promise that at the very least Ms. Ipruk will be fine."
As if Sophia will believe that!
"What do you plan on doing to me?"
"I'll just erase your memories. It'll be better that way but if you resist I'll have to send my boy here after you and I won't promise you'll make it out alive."
Normally, she would scoff and claim that she could take down a Shadow Beast with her eyes closed! She can't though, she can't hurt him. He's innocent and he's suffering.
"So you can control Bradley after all?"
"It's for his own good. It's also not hard."
//What does that mean? He is using magic to control him obviously, but what kind of magic could do that? Maybe it's something else entirely…//
"How did the gas not affect you?"
//Keep talking. Keep revealing your secrets while I think of a plan!//
"Ha. Most people wouldn't kill a Venom Regian Wolf and use it's poison but I'm adaptable. If you do it right and rework it, you can make it only have the paralyzing effect without actually killing the target. As for why it didn't affect me, I have a-"
She wasn't even listening to his monologue. Since he decided to block the exit then she was going to take them to the last piece of the puzzle. Or whatever Ms. Ipruk meant. She summoned her wings and rushed to the library. Not much of a plan but hey! It's better than just standing there. From the foyer to the library isn't far but it's hard to keep a fast pace when carrying a person twice your size.
Also, having a beast after you doesn't help!
Good thing Ms. Ipruk broke the lock earlier so it wasn't hard getting back in. Sophia quickly and ungracefully tosses Ms. Ipruk on the ground. Sorry! She needs her hands. She makes the fastest and most unstable barrier. It only takes a few seconds for the Shadow Beast to catch up and try to break in.
Sophia is running out of time so she moves Ms. Ipruk to a safer spot and does a cleansing spell in the air so she can take off the mask, luckily it seems that the air wasn't as tainted here so it didn't take long. She turns back to her, not sure how to treat poison that isn't 'deadly' but luckily she came prepared and pulls out a catch-all antidote. She hopes that at least Ms. Ipruk will regain consciousness soon. If that doesn't wake her then surely the banging from the beast will!
//Do not panic! If worst comes to worst I'll have to fight! I don't want to but I will. But what did she mean by the last piece of the puzzle? Could it be the painting? Maybe…//
Sophia's not even sure if this will work but it's all she can think to do. She finds the journal in her bag and sets it down in front of the painting.
"I will be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing. All I know is that you're here. You have to be here. You never left right? Just like Ms. Farona, you two never left." The only sound being made was the banging of Bradley trying to get inside.
"Mrs. Johnson. I hope that you're listening. I don't actually know if your soul is bound to this painting or something else but this is all I could think of," she pauses and rummages through her bag and finds the locket again, "You wanted me to find this right? You wanted me to know the truth. You've always wanted help." More banging and booming.
"Okay. I need your help this time. I need you to appear and…"
And what? Even if she does, what can a ghost possibly do to help her?
With one last hit from the beast, the barrier finally broke.
It's too late.
-
No, it's not too late!
Sophia can fight him. She'll try to not hurt him too badly… She just wishes there was any other way. She doesn't want to hurt someone innocent.
//But it doesn't seem right to attack him! He still trusts me right? Maybe I can try to talk to him…//
Bradley begins to growl as soon as he's inside. He walks slowly towards them, the room shakes from his overwhelming presence. If there was any hope for saving this library then surely by now there is no salvaging it. Sophia faces him head on and does her best to protect her mentor. He stops a few feet in front of her.
"Hello there, Bradley? We've met before, my name is Sophia Fauve in case you were wondering. Please don't do anything rash! I do want to help you. I'm imploring you to fight against the control you're under! You are not a Shadow Beast! You have a soul and body. You want to go back to normal right? You want to live right? So don't even think about attacking me!" How this turned into a scolding, even she doesn't understand. It was like a pet owner yelling at their cat when it did something wrong, only for the cat to not understand at all and continue to do what it pleased.
"Oh Sophia, yelling at my boy? Really, you must have lost it. But don't bother, Bradley only listens to me, his dear father." He appears from behind, and stands in front of… his son.
"No. He follows his instincts. He won't hurt me! He knows I won't hurt him. Just because you have his body does not mean you know his feelings."
"Oh and a stranger like you would be able to understand him? You don't know anything!"
"I don't need to know him that well to know he doesn't want to be a Shadow Beast!"
He scowls and steps closer towards her, "He's not going to stay one for much longer, once I bring back his mother."
"By using my teacher!"
"Yeah."
"WHY? Why get Ms. Ipruk involved in this monstrosity?! What has she ever done to you!?"
"Nothing. She did nothing. But she's perfect. Almost as perfect as my wife. She has everything and is the only capable vessel," he sighs but continues with, "I want them back and this is the only way. Fate decided to make me into a bad guy so I'm just playing my part."
Sophia is shaking from anger, "You're horrible! You're simply and utterly horrible..."
"I know. It's okay though, once she's back, I'll restore my son as well and they both will live happily without me. I'll atone through hell."
"AND WHAT ABOUT MY MENTOR HUH?"
"She's lived long enough hasn't she? I don't think it's unfair at all. I'm sure she wouldn't mind sacrificing herself for someone else."
"Shut it! You're so wrong on so many levels but let me tell you this, fate didn't decide to make you a bad guy, you've always been one! You've treated everyone like your possessions, your playthings. You don't respect anyone. I don't even think you respect yourself. Your love means nothing, it's just a sham! You are complete and utter garbage and dying was the only good thing you ever did."
That might have been the last straw for him, "Bradley, kill h-"
Sophia was faster though. Before he could finish his command, she began to cast a spell to throw him back. But she stopped half way, not actually wanting to badly hurt the body, and turned her hand into a fist!
He wasn't expecting her punch at all. Much less for it to be so strong! He was thrown back a few feet and something cracked.
//Well, if I used the full spell it would have been worse…//
She looks down and notices that something fell out of her purse probably from the momentum. It was one of the vials she took. Luckily, it didn't break because who knows what would've happened if it did. She carefully picks it up and is confused.
This isn't an old empty vial but it's the Red Eyes!
How?!
How did they get here?
She didn't take them!