Shlrk—!
Kyra's knife had struck its target, and the body hit the floor. But suddenly, the body on the floor withered away into non-existence. Darius' body that had just taken the knife to the ground was nothing more than an apparition. The real Darius stood further back with an angered look on his face.
"For fuck's sake… If I hadn't spawned an apparition in time you would have gotten me there…"
Darius was fuming. He went to the wall where his hat had been punctured and took it back, wearing it on top of his head. The knife that was stabbed into it—he threw to the floor. We were all currently weaponless, except for Celeste and his glass shards.
"That was a close one, you know?!"
"It was supposed to be," Kyra said back.
"Tsk! You're good-looking but you have an attitude I despise!"
I stepped a foot back, readying myself for whatever came next. At this current stage, I couldn't predict a single thing. There were twists around every corner of this building, and Darius with his apparitions was one of them.
Suddenly, Darius picked up one of the knives off the ground. He raised it, pointing it towards us. As we were ready to counter against what seemed to be an an attack, he tossed it lightly onto the floor in front of us. It was clearly not even an attempted throw. I was confused.
"Have your knife back," he told Kyra. "Take it as my peace offering."
Suspicious, Kyra slowly crouched down to pick it up while keeping his eyes peeled on him. Darius raised his arms with closed fists to prove he wouldn't spawn-in any apparitions.
"See? I'm not trying to do anything. You can be rest assured."
"What are you trying to play at?" Kyra asked. "First you attack us with an army of tenants, and suddenly you're trying to make 'peace'? Who are you and what are you trying to do!?"
He smiled. "I've already told you who I am. I'm Darius!"
"From Heathen, right?"
Kyra's words were unexpected to Darius, as seen by his reaction.
"Heathen?" He was clearly trying to play dumb. We shot him glares in response. To this, he gave up his fake expression of confusion and put on a wider smile instead. "I see you've been doing your homework."
So he's from Heathen!
It was the first time ever we'd come across someone who went along with our assumptions.
"What is Heathen trying to do? What have you guys been using this building for?" My curiosity got the best of me.
"None of your business, small-fry. What makes you think I'd entertain such questions from a Fractless?"
Kyra was getting fed-up with the way he talked down to me. "Answer his questions!" She yelled.
I could tell that her sudden raise in voice irritated Darius. "You're making me lose my patience, you know?"
"You think I care?" She shot back. "Do something about it. Try anything. I can see everything."
Darius reopened his palms and spawned-in numerous tenants on his side of the hall. His anger had clearly grown past its containment. He looked like he wanted to silence Kyra for treading on his pride.
"Don't act all cocky just because you had a Fractal Activation…"
Kyra readied the knife she'd been given, aware that danger was about to ensue. She noticed me on the side, with a foot back and weaponless.
"Klyson, you need to go now."
"What…?"
"I've been telling you since earlier, you need to leave this building while the exit is open!"
"But you, and Sav and Celeste…"
"Go with him, Sav." Kyra realized that it was both me and Sav who didn't have any means of fighting. Only her—with her knife—and Celeste—with his glass shards—had something to use. Sav nodded and joined my side, motioning to head towards the door to the staircase. I hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to stay back and help or go downstairs and leave, then I felt the emptiness in my hands.
What can I do without a Fractal? What can I do without a knife?
There was nothing for me to provide in this current moment, just as the useless Fractless I was. I'd only be getting in their way if I stayed behind to fight. I didn't want to burden Kyra like I already had when we'd first been ambushed. I couldn't give her that same fear of my possible death again.
This is the right choice.
I turned foot and joined Sav at the door to the staircase. As I hurried over, sensing that the onslaught of tenants was about to be unleashed, I heard Kyra behind me talk.
"Back me up, Celeste. Put Trajectory and those glass shards to good use."
I saw Celeste nod and ready a shard in his hand.
As I turned to look back towards Darius and his force of tenants, I was surprised to find only Darius standing alone at his end of the hall.
The tenants were nowhere to be seen.
"Not gonna use those tenants anymore?" Kyra asked.
Darius shook his head. "Like I'd said before, with the current state of your Fractal, what could they possibly do against you?"
"Nothing."
"Exactly. They're useless." Darius then smirked. "That's why I'll be using another apparition that isn't a tenant."
"Huh—?"
Shluk—!
I watched as a glass shard shot right through the back of Kyra's head, flying out of the front of her forehead.