A quiet winter air was pierced by a lone whistle. Desperate battle cries rose as hundreds of soldiers mounted the ladders within the safety of the trenches. The dark sky was covered in clouds of light grey smoke, lit up by flashes and flames of bursting bombs and gunshots. From the trenches, the battlefield above was ruthless.
An explosion shoved a young soldier onto the frozen trench floorboards, scrambling her senses; she hazily blinked in an effort to clear her mind. A soldier to her right who was also knocked down, deliriously stumbled to their feet and attempted to climb a ladder, only to tumble back down dead.
Blood penetrated the air and filled her nostrils with a rusty iron stench that made her nauseous. She gripped her rifle in vain to steady her shaking hands.
The thought of dying scared her but the thought of letting down her fallen comrades scared her even more. Bile rose in her throat. She swallowed, got up, and forced herself to step over the bodies and grab the side of the ladder.
What was once a thriving forest filled with lush underbrush and teaming with life, now was a barren wasteland; filled with barbed wire stretching as far as the eyes could see. Explosions had ripped jagged holes in the razor sharp field, giving passage through the iron jungle into the vast cratered field beyond.
After making her way topside, she ducked low and tried to make her way through one of the openings in the barbed wire diving to the ground as a hail of bullets screamed her way. Cursing at the enemy, she cradled her rifle in her arms and belly crawled through the opening as fast as she could to the other side.
A nearby explosion made her teeth rattle as the blast unceremoniously threw her into the water filled crater on the other side of the wire. Trying to stand up she attempted to grab her rifle but lost grip of it once more as pieces of a mangled body slammed into her from another explosion.
Muddy water streamed down her face and her ears rang loudly from the explosion . She sluggishly rose from the bottom of the crater with a small grunt. Blearily, she took in the quagmire of craters stretched before her.
Each step she took brought her closer towards the enemy trenches; the land behind her became littered with countless bodies of both dead and wounded. Yet, with all the commotion happening all around, she was able to see the enemy lines come into view more clearly.
Soon enough, she was close enough to see the faces of her enemies as they fired their weapons. Yelling at the top of her lungs she brandished her rifle and jumped into the enemy trench, alongside her fellow soldiers, and faced the enemy directly on their ground.
The time had finally come, rifles were now being fired point blank at each other; bayonets clashed, and the screams of those being hit echoed in the air. She too swung her rifle and a sickening crunch was heard as it struck an enemy in the face.
Shoving aside the dead body, she took a few steps forward only to be stopped abruptly when a blast went off just beside her. The sound was deafening and white light burned her eyes. She instinctively raised her hand up to cover her eyes.
The sizzling heat was the last thing she remembered before being flung into the air and slammed into a trench wall....
***
Lynn lurched up from her bed and rubbed her face.
Damn another nightmare. Not wanting to dwell on the bad memory, she threw aside the sheets and swung her legs out from the bed and felt her bare feet touch the cold floor. Standing up she opened the curtains nearby and took a moment to observe the bustling street below.
This part of the city was never at rest even late at night or early in the morning as the surrounding area was always bustling with people heading to and from their workplaces. Though that was hardly surprising as this was the Capital of Midgard. Glancing over her shoulder she took note of the time before letting out a sigh. Well no use staying cooped up in here. Might as well get the day started.
Feeling an itch, Lynn reached up and scratched the blonde mess that was her hair as she made her way over to the dresser and proceeded to briefly mull over what needed to be done for the day as she got dressed. She had to go buy some ammo and medical supplies as that last monster hunt burned through a bunch of my bullets. Then she needed to go and stop by the guild to see what jobs were available.
After fastening her armor and putting the compass, map and money pouch onto the waist of her bodysuit accessories, she slipped on a pair of thigh-high boots before making her way out of the room. She shut the door behind her so as to not wake the other occupants in the inn.
She sluggishly walked down the carpeted hallway. The lantern lights above gave off a cozy glow. Spiral wooden stairs at the end of the hallway took her down to the ground floor near the entrance of the building.
Pangs of hunger made its way through her stomach as she went to the empty dining hall. It was about forty past four in the morning, and technically the place had not even been opened yet.
She strolled past sets of tables and chairs that were clean and orderly; pots of decorative plants adorned the center of each table. Taking a seat at the bar at the back of the dining area, she felt a wave of nausea hit her. Damn, I could go for a glass of water.
"You know if I didn't know better, I'd say that you look like shit."
Lynn blearily looked up to the speaker of the voice. "And who was the one that challenged me to a drinking contest?"
A lean woman, with half of her hair braided and the other swept over her shoulder alluringly. Intricate tattoos adorn her tanned skin. "Well, maybe next time you shouldn't try to outdrink the owner of a bar."
Lynn laid her forehead onto the cold counter surface of marble and closed her eyes. "Shut it Awela, it's too early in the morning for this."
"Aw, and here I thought the legendary Lynn O'Hara could handle her alcohol." Mirth filled Awela's voice as she playfully nudged Lynn on the shoulder.
"While I am all for continuing this meaningless banter, can I get some water, please? I'm arid." Just as Lynn finished her sentence, her gut groaned in protest, reminding her of an empty stomach. "Yeah, and I'm hungry too. Sorry about that. A meal, too, please?"
"Sure thing honey, what'll you have for breakfast? The usual, I assume?" Lynn tiredly nodded and Awela headed into the kitchen.
As Lynn enjoyed the comforting feeling of the marble counter, she was interrupted a few minutes later when Awela came back out and placed a plate of sizzling food in front of her along with a cup of steaming tea. "Here you go. Lemon tea helps the brain work better than water."
"Thanks, you're the best, Awela," Lynn said. She smiled as she accepted the cup and downed half of its content in a single gulp. without noticing a happy look on the older woman's face.
She made a twisted face as the lemon hit her taste buds, but it felt good and her thirst had finally been quenched. She put the cup down and turned to Awela's special dish: a thick vegetable soup served with baked bread. The smell was ambrosial with a light garlic tone and seasonings that wafted through the closed space of the unopened dining room. Waiting no more, Lynn started to munch on her food. A relaxed silence settled between the two of them for a long moment.
Awela raised her finger. "Oh yeah, before I forget, after our conversation yesterday on the shortage of crystals, I did some asking around and heard that a new shipment of supplies and mana crystals just came into the port. Seeing as you are planning on heading out on an expedition soon, I believe that you maybe wanted to restock your group?"
Lynn paused her spoon of soup mid-air to look over at Awela with raised eyebrows. "A shipment you say?" She put the spoon into her mouth before continuing to speak with her chin puffed and her voice muffled. "Been a while since I heard that kind of news."
"Swallow before you talk, hun," Awela said. Her eyebrows knitted as a mother who was displeased with seeing her daughter acting rudely. Putting a hand on her hip, Awela continued. "I know, right? I mean, hell, you could go out and harvest your own crystals and all, but the purity just wouldn't be the same as the ones from the mainland."
Lynn pursed her lips and sighed. "Isn't it kind of ironic that in order for us to have an easier time to harvest crystals we need to buy crystals to help augment our powers."
Awela snickered at the defeated look on the blonde's face. "I mean what's the worst that happens with a crystal shortage? Your sister going full mad scientist again and knocking you out. She already does that with the crystals you guys go out and harvest in the wild."
"Yeah, she did all kinds of experiments on those unrefined crystals we harvested while on previous material expeditions, I don't know what will happen when she finally gets her hands on the refined ones. She'll probably do more research and testing. And guess who her favorite test subject is?"
Awela playfully ruffled Lynn's hair with a burst of loud laughter before gently drawing her hand away. "Is that why you keep your hair short these days?" Awela asked.
"That's one of the reasons, yes. But that's not the only reason why it's short." She twirled a part of her hair out of habit before grimacing slightly at the quirking strand. She pulled on it until it became acceptably straight.
Awela had a Cheshire grin plastered over her face. "I dunno sweety. While I do miss the cute little ponytail you sported in your earlier days, this bob-cut style isn't a bad look on you either." Lynn leaned back from the counter and tipped her chair, to balance it on the back two legs. "I mean if you say so. I guess I wanted a new look to show I started a new page in my life."
She shrugged absentmindedly before dropping the chair flat on the ground. "Anyways, before my younger sister decides to include me in her quest to find the perfect volatile mixture, I'm going to go out and shop for some supplies, and probably pick up some crystals you mentioned along the way as well."
"That sounds like a plan," Awela commented. "The old Jax must have his shop open right now."
"Does his shop even have a closing hour?"
"Nah."
Lynn pushed herself up from the counter. "I'll be leaving now. Thanks for the food. Delicious as always."
"Sure thing. Don't worry about it."
Lynn nodded then turned and made her way to the exit. She was about to take her leave when Awela cleared her throat and pointed at the coat rack next to the door. "Don't forget your cloak!"
"What would I do if you weren't here!" She reached over and grabbed her favorite ash gray cloak from the hanger. Upon donning it, she made her way out of the dining room.
***
Vehicle and pedestrian sounds mingled in the air as they moved down the street. The vendors lining the sides shouted out their newest deals and wares to the passerbyers.
She bumped shoulders with more than a few people as she navigated her way down the crowded street even at this early hour. Being in the market zone and all, where the most trades and transactions took place in the capital, it was ordinary that the streets were always lively.
Taking some time to peruse the weapon and armor stalls lining the sides of the street, she noticed many merchants calling out to the passerby for the purpose of selling their offered wares.
Ruefully, she shook her head and continued to walk down the street. After a few turns she found herself in front of a store that was well known and regarded highly when it came to dealing in the magic side of business. She quietly opened the door in front of her, and was welcomed by a short statured man sitting behind a wooden table whose surface was littered with mechanical parts and tools for whatever he was doing.
"Why, if it ain't my favorite freelancer." His husky voice broke the tranquility that set the chamber as a totally different world from outside the bustling street. "What can Jax's Emporium do for ya today?"
Lynn smiled at the middle-aged man whose canine teeth were shining with gold caps. He had a scar crossing his thick dark eyebrow on the left side and it created a facial expression that sometimes scared his own customers away.
But Lynn felt comfortable with that trait of his, having known the man for years since she still worked for the military and he had been a black market supplier the government secretly worked with.
"What's up, Jax! I heard from a little bird that a new shipment of crystals just came in. I was wondering if you have any?"
Jax put a hand on his chest and let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh dear, the fact that ya have to ask hurts me so much! What type of merchant would I be if I didn't have what the client wanted?"
Lynn snorted humorlessly. "Alright, cut the crap, Jax. Only yes or no, please."
A familiar business smile graced his features as he gestured to the back of the store. "I do, actually. Before ya came in, I've finished sortin' through the crates and yes, two stocks of pure Caerulus are waitin' to be sold."
Jax left his chair and motioned for Lynn to follow, passing racks showcasing neat and organized equipment and weapons of all sorts, labels gracing each one: Long-swords, battle-axes, spears, rifles and pistols were among a few of the sections.
The two of them proceeded to walk to a back hallway. Bright lights that illuminated his store soon disappeared in the dim corridor leading to a large door in the now cold air. There must be a storage room behind it where he keeps his most valuable wares. Lynn was humored, it was so like Jax, the man who secretly loved darkness.
Jax pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the thick iron door. A strange array of light hues radiated into the hall from the unlit room behind the door. There was a mixture of blue and purple shining in the dark.
"Girl, ya should consider yarself lucky," Jax said as the lights slowly turned on. There was a crate sitting in the middle of the room. "Come here and see what's in that crate."
Puzzled and curious at his statement, Lynn walked over to the crate radiating a purple halo. She opened the box and reached inside to pull out a crystal about the size of her palm.
Her eyes widened at the beautiful violet crystal in her hand. "This…"
"Aye," Jax proudly nodded his head. "Ostrum that ya seein'. The only stock I got my hands on."
"Well damn… I don't know what to say, Jax. You've outdone yourself again." Lynn was unable to tear her gaze away from the small piece of crystal. "This purity… And an Ostrum? This… this is amazing."
Jax's grin grew at her reaction. His gold teeth sparkled as he spoke. "I know. I have great customers who've reserved these for ages, at a pretty good price, of course. And I don't intend on sellin' the rest to ordinary guests."
Lynn pursed her lips at the underlying meaning. Being rich did have benefits and while she wasn't poor, these crystals were probably out of her price range.
"Don't be so upset," Jax kept his business smile on and waved his hand lightly. "Like I said, ya lucky. Ya my favorite customer and my first customer of the day, so I'd like to offer ya a discount."
"Is that you, Jax?"
The man burst into a peal of laughter and answered after a moment, "Surprisingly, it's still me. So ya take it or not? It's a one time offer, ya should know that."
"What's the going price for this?"
"I originally sold it at the price o' 10,000 Rul, plus 3,000 Rul for reserving cost."
"Kill me, Jax," Lynn said bluntly. Just as she suspected, she couldn't afford that high of a price, she would rather spend her Rul on Caerulus' types of crystals. Those were fine enough for what she wanted.
"Haha, girl, I'll sell it to ya 7,500 Rul. How does that sound?"
That was an unusually sweet discount coming from Jax the merchant, and Lynn knew him well enough to understand that he was truly being generous to her. "Well I did make a good amount of profit from the last job so I'm not hurting on money. I know this type of deal won't happen twice. I so do want to own a piece of Ostrum."
She had only brought about 11,000 Rul and quickly calculated how much the cost of ammo alongside the medical supplies she originally wanted to buy would be. After full consideration, she came to her final decision. "Fine, I'll take one."
"That's my girl." Jax laughed again, his voice booming and echoing. He pointed towards another crate. "Since ya here anyway, I also got another shipment of powdered crystals. Perhaps ya want to top off ya suit?"
Lynn looked down at her outfit and subconsciously poured her mana into it, a warm comforting feeling engulfed her body as the parts of the suit that were made up of the powdered crystal glowed a light blue hue. "Yeah... I guess I could use a refill soon, but not quite yet. There's still some use out of this batch as my transmutation doesn't burn through my mana that quickly. " She stopped the flow of mana and the suit ceased to glow in response.
"Well, ya might want to pick some up now while ya have the chance. Just sayin'."
"Calm yourself there buddy, I'll still buy some, okay?" Lynn sighed, knowing that she had just, again, let herself fall into Jax's words. This man was a smart businessman and he knew exactly what to offer his customers. "I'm just saying I won't be using it right away."
He clasped his hands together cheerfully and nodded. "Splendid! Well, ya know the process. Pick what ya want and meet me up at the front."
He patted Lynn's left arm, too short to reach her shoulder, and started to walk out of the room. She looked over her shoulder and mused. "Oh, and what'll stop me from robbing you silly if you leave me alone in this wonderful room?"
The sound of laughter yet again filled the air, before a serious tone filled his voice. "O'Hara, ya one o' the most honorable people I've ever met. Ya not goin' to steal from me, because that's how highly people think o' ya."
"While I do appreciate the kind comment, I haven't done anything to deserve it."
He pursed his lips and then smiled, "Don't be modest. If it wasn't for ya, many of us here would've been dead. Myself, included." He clapped his hands and cleared his throat. "Now then, let's put that aside and go back to what we were doin'."
Jax turned on his heel and left Lynn inside an open storage room full of treasures. Literally. Every crate here contained precious materials or items that were worth a fortune and could create one hell of a dangerously powerful battle set if they were to fall into the wrong hands.
Lynn finished grabbing the ammo and medical supplies she had originally come here for and placed them into a random wooden box she picked up in the corner of the room. Making sure the heavy metal door closed behind her, she walked back to the front of the store where a handful of people were there looking at the wares.
She approached the counter where she deposited the items in the wooden box before reaching into one of her pockets and pulling out some Rul coins and setting them on the counter, right in front of Jax who was sitting on his high stool watching her.
"Hm, the correct amount." He commented. "What else can I expect from my lovely freelancer?"
"Well, seeing as how I basically get the same thing every time, it's not hard to remember their prices."
Jax nodded in agreement. "Ya not wrong. But do me a favor, will ya? Don't waste these materials. I know how ya and ya sister like experimentin' on these things."
"Correction," Lynn picked up all the items and stowed them away in a new bag Jax handed to her, "My sister likes experimenting, and I'm just the test dummy which definitely isn't fun."
"Well tell ya sister, good ol' Jax said 'hi' and to treat her older sister better." "I'm sure she'll listen to that advice. Anyways, I'll catch you later Jax." Lynn waved her goodbye and left for the busy and noisy street. She suddenly missed the quietness inside Jax Emporium.
Right, now let's find my little sister and the others and see what they're up to.
Seeing as she got what she had come for and then some with the Ostrum, it was now time to return home after the short shopping trip.
She briefly considered visiting a well renowned laboratory equipment shop that was right around the corner at the far end of the street that she would be passing by for some purchases. However, it was still quite early in the morning, so she doubted the shop would be open. With that, she kept heading back to the inn.
The inn in question was an aged building with a neon sign with the words "Stella Inn", it was situated on a branching road leading towards the bars and restaurants lining both sides of the seat.
Situated behind the inn, to the north, was the scientific district of the city, recognized easily by its flying zeppelins and air balloons transporting a variety of goods all across the city. But what really stood out was the crown achievement of Atlas: The Relicium where the most talented people in the nation gathered for a greater purpose. The giant circular tower's pure white marble walls stood in stark contrast to the cerulean sky above.
Unlike Aika, who visited that area weekly, Lynn had only been to that side of the city a handful of times.
Many job offers asked Aika to join the scientific community, and to Lynn's astonishment, her sister decided to remain as a freelancer rather than accept the invitations.
"Technologies," she clicked her tongue in thought, but brushed them away as she stood at the inn's front door. Upon opening the door a sudden ring resounded to announce that guests had entered the premises.
"Well, you came back quickly, happy shopping?" Awela greeted her with her usual playful tone. "Seems you've got your crystals."
"One of the earliest," Lynn replied, patting the bag hanging from her shoulder. "This really is an excellent shipment."
"That's what I've heard, sweetie. No need to thank me for informing you."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot." Lynn grinned at Awela. "Your source of information is always fast and reliable."
"Haha. What do you know? It pays to be an information broker." Awela chuckled, changing the subject. "Oh, right. Your sister is still upstairs."
"Still? I thought she'd go with Claudia and Serah since they were going to go to the guild this morning."
Awela waved a hand nonchalantly, "Dunno, they said she was busy so they didn't want to bother her."
Lynn frowned. "Busy hmm, well that can only mean Aika is already in her scientist mode, fun times ahead I see." She readjusted the bag on her shoulder quickly before heading up the stairs and down the hall to a room where her sister was staying. Upon reaching the door she lightly rapped her fingers on the wooden door and waited for an answer.
"Yeah? Door's open."
Lynn entered the room where her sister was fiddling over something on a stainless steel desk that took up a whole corner of the small space. Lying on the surface of the desk were several pieces of equipment, with papers and notes scattered about. As Lynn came closer, there was a glass jar holding a piece of bluish colored magical crystal sitting on the middle of the desk.
When Aika was absorbed in her scientific research, these kinds of messes usually escalated beyond her working table; so Lynn had a reason to believe that her sister had only just begun whatever she was doing.
"What are you working on?" Lynn asked. She went to the desk, and even though nothing had spilled off the table quite yet, by force of habit, she looked down as she was used to stepping on some of the many things that Aika 'accidentally' left around on the floor during her research.
As she approached the back of her sister, she perched her chin lightly on Aika's shoulder, as she observed a dark blue powder template in her hands. Aika's oval face was adorned with thick glassware that covered and protected her eyes.
"I had an idea about augmenting your abilities and wanted to test it out," Aika replied. She quickly put the template down along with the dark glassware and turned around to look at Lynn before her eyes caught the bag hanging from her shoulder. A smile formed on Aika's lips as her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Are there any crystals in there?"
Lynn set the bag on the desk, pulling out one of the faintly glowing crystals from the inside. Sharp diamond in shape and pulsing a faint violet, the crystal fit perfectly in the palm of her hand.
Aika gasped at the sight and eyed the crystal. She snatched it from her sister's hand and pulled it close to herself. She treated the crystal so gently as she raised it under the white light from the ceiling lamp.
"Oh my god!… This-is-great! An Ostrum. Exactly what I need to finish this project," Aika exclaimed in pure exhilaration. "Oh my, how pure this thing is! Unbelievable!"
"Yes, very rare, very pure, very expensive." Lynn pressed on the last part on purpose, although she was sure that Aika gave very little attention to that. "And pray tell, since it involves me, what is this project? Will it result in burning my hair again?"
Aika shook her head. "Nah, not this time, you should be safe--for the most part." She gave Lynn a bright, innocent smile that was anything but reassuring.
"Right." Lynn rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Well, what is it that I need to do this time?" she asked again.
Aika started to tinker with the crystal in her hands as she answered Lynn. "Well, after I grind a little bit of the crystal and add the collected powder to the mixture, which I've already prepared, I'll need you to ingest it. Just swallow the mixture, no water, or else everything will be ruined. Then, if all goes according to plan, you should gain a boost to your reaction time for about two to three minutes? But that would only be if I were to use Caerulus. But, heck, this is Ostrum. Maybe its duration can reach thirty minutes in length! I realize you can sense when metal comes in close proximity to you since your ability is transmuting metals, so I thought maybe this would be a way to fine-tune it."
Aika paused to catch her breath before returning to her endless babble. "As for the possible haywire situation, there's no guarantee of what might be coming. It can be of no effect at all, or it can lead to a temporary loss of senses. Just a hypothesis, though. I'm certain there will be no harm to you. You know, I will never do anything that would hurt you, for the most part, at least."
Lynn couldn't help but feel doubtful and worried about her own health. Aika was a wonderful sister, caring and everything; but Science Aika was a little questionable. Lynn laughed dryly. "Sure. I believe the 'never do anything that hurts me' part. But, if this goes wrong, you owe me a round of ale."
"And if this does work, you're buying me a round then."
"Fair enough, so you want me to take this now?"
Lynn waited as she swirled back to her working table, carefully putting the Ostrum crystal onto a tray that she had just pulled out from the cabinet that hung from the wall above. She put her glassware back on, picked up a handheld grinding knife, then slowly carved out a thin layer of the violet crystal that fell onto the tray as finely shaved pieces.
Once she was done, Aika proceeded to tap the pieces into a small bowl which contained who-knew-what ingredients and gently mixed them up. She poured in some more chemicals, mixed, and the mixture became a blurry mess of colors.
It was quite a big portion for only one or two swallows. Lynn mentally gulped, but then her sister continued to divide the mixture into several vials for storage, keeping only about a spoonful for the immediate experiment. Lynn could deal with a spoonful. She steeled her nerves and mentally prepared herself for the session.
Aika, with the spoon in hand, approached Lynn. The strange concoction swirled in the spoon as she presented it to her sister. However, Aika stopped and shook her head. "How about we head outside first? Just in case."
"Just in case?"
"In case you puke or something. Wouldn't want to get Awela's floors dirty."
"Oh gee, your concern for her is great," Lynn chided. "What about me?"
"Bah, I'll pat your back and tell you everything's fine," Aika beamed at her as she put a hand on her shoulder. She held out a vial filled with the questionable looking liquid to Lynn.
Aika reached over and grabbed her bow that was lying up against the wall and walked out of the room. Lynn raised her eyebrows in confusion and wondered what Aika needed her bow for as she followed her sister downstairs and out the backdoor, into the backyard.
"Now for this experiment I'll fire an arrow next to you and I want you to see if it seems slower in flight to you."
Lynn blinked in disbelief. "Okay? That sucker's going to move really fast though."
"Humor me then. Are you ready?" Aika grinned, a strand of her long pink hair slid down from her left shoulder. She looked completely positive that there would be a favorable outcome from this experiment.
Lynn glanced at the vial in her hand and swished the contents inside gently. There was no strange smell, nor was it as slimy as she had originally thought. "Yeah, let's do it." She activated her suit's power and activated the suit's Aegis effect, an energy shield that helped protect the user from most but not all damage. Couldn't be too cautious whenever it came to her sister's experiments.
Aika gave her thumbs up in encouragement. Lynn downed the vial of mixture in one gulp. The liquid was tasteless and did not make her feel any different.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened until her sister raised her bow. Aika, a quick shot, seemed to be drawing her bowstring back much slower than usual. The world around Lynn seemed to slow down and her senses sharpened. This was not something she felt everyday. When the arrow was finally released from the bow, she saw it vibrate and bend as it flew through the air.
With how slow it seemed to be flying through the air perhaps she could try and catch the arrow. She flexed her hands and prepared herself. When it entered her proximity, she reached out and grasped onto the shaft of the arrow, feeling it come to an abrupt stop in her left hand.
Before she could celebrate her small victory, the world around her suddenly sped up again and a headache began to pound directly into her skull.
Well shit... I know this feeling.
She barely had enough consciousness to realize the familiar aftermath that usually superseded a new experiment; the pain took over her sensibility and made her fall to her knees.
She hugged the sides of her head against a resounding ring as her vision became blurry and a moment later, everything was an empty state of darkness…