As Esmond's eyes lose their last gleam of life, Arthur shifts his attention to the staircase. He can hear noises and voices from the floor above.
"Sooner or later, they'll start suspecting something's amiss. I need to take down as many as I can, and fast," he whispers so Nyx and his mother can hear.
"Can I give you a bit of help?" Aria's voice rings out just behind Arthur's ear, catching him off guard, as always.
"Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Doing what?"
"You know…"
"Fufufu~"
"..."
"So, about the help?"
"What kind of help are we talking about?"
Responding to Arthur's question, Aria whispers in the ancient tongue, "Lumina pallent, umbrae valescunt."
*Snap*
At the sound of Aria's fingers snapping, all the lights around begin to dim; they don't go out completely, just slowly lose their brightness as the shadows seem to grow stronger.
