"Cough Cough."
Aaron's hoarse voice echoed through the mausoleum as the falling dust entered his lungs, slowly choking him.
If I don't do something soon, we'll run out of air…
He looked at the locked door before sighing deeply, causing him to cough again.
Earthquakes shook the chamber, dislodging stones that narrowly missed his head, falling with a cracking sound to the ground.
One of these rocks fell from the high ceiling directly onto the glowing core that lay in the center of the room.
As it hit the surface of the sphere, it vaporized instantly; however, a small crack appeared in the orb.
Aaron furrowed his brow as an irritating buzzing sound entered his ears, disturbing his thoughts.
He grimaced yet continued to watch the core with fascination as it began to pulsate with a pink light.
Without warning, the orb flared up, bathing the chamber in a magenta glow and releasing little balls of light that floated in the air.
Around Aaron's body, the turquoise barrier had once again prevented him from being harmed, yet curiosity inched its way into his mind.
What would happen if I touched one of these balls?
It was a foolish thought that was likely dangerous, yet he slowly moved his right arm outside of the force field, reaching for one of the nearby orbs.
His hand brushed against the ball, and a cool chill wrapped around his entire body.
It's so cold…
As he attempted to pull his arm back into the barrier, he was suddenly struck with a mind-numbing headache that made it hard to think straight.
Illusory voices rasped through his ears, whispering about suffering and pain.
Pain, Pain, Pain, Hurt, Hurt, Hurt…
The words echoed throughout his mind as his left arm slipped back into the barrier, without command.
He stared at his hand, confused at why it was moving on its own when it suddenly wound backwards and then rushed forward, slapping him across the cheek.
Aaron recoiled sharply, accidentally pulling his right arm fully inside the barrier, cancelling out the effects of the magenta light.
Touching his burning cheek carefully, he looked at his left hand with a betrayed expression.
T-The voices wanted me to feel pain? Did they cause my arm to do this? But if it affected me this much with my body inside the barrier, then…
His lips quivered slightly before stabilizing as he stood up.
Slowly turning his head to the center of the room, he watched as another burst of light flashed through the room, illuminating Eleanor and the red-haired man's figures.
Aaron widened his eyes, standing motionless, realization dawning inside his head.
The two individuals gradually stood up, each with a frown plastered across their faces.
He watched in shock as the red-haired man reached towards the ground and removed the bloodied blade from the deceased girl's body.
Dripping crimson blood fell to the floor as he placed both hands on the hilt.
His expression darkened as he turned the weapon towards himself and thrust it at his chest.
Aaron had no time to react and was only able to watch as the man was impaled on his blade.
"Clang!"
The echo of metal against metal reverberated through the chamber as the man's black feathered wings instinctively protected his body from the attack, turning a shade of metallic gray.
H-His wings are metal?
The blonde-haired Aaron stared in shock before he suddenly remembered Eleanor, who was also affected by the magenta light.
Her eyes were glazed over as she held a dull rock between her scratched palms, hitting it against her skull with all the force she had.
Gashes dripped with blood as she hammered away against her pristine skin without a care in the world.
Aaron's mouth widened with all sense of self-preservation vanishing as he ran with all his force towards her.
Are they trying to kill themselves!? This is insane!
Nearly slipping on a protruding pebble, he reached the blonde-haired Eleanor, watching as blood fell from her face.
He jumped at her, ripping the rock from her hands and throwing it as far as he could away from her.
The girl paused for a moment before bending down and grabbing another stone, this time sharper.
His heart dropped as Eleanor raised it above her head, aiming it toward her right eye.
"N-No!"
Reacting quickly, he managed to get it away from her before she blinded herself permanently.
Only a few meters away, the red-haired man continued his assault upon himself, yet was thwarted each time by his wings.
At least I only have to deal with Eleanor… I don't know if I could get that sword away from that maniac…
His thoughts raced as he tried to come up with a solution while also restraining the aggravated girl.
She attempted to headbutt him, but he barely dodged, pushing her gently against the ground, moving his arms under her head, preventing her from bashing her skull against the hard floor.
"Phew…"
He sighed in relief; however, he knew his job wasn't finished yet.
The crystalline core again burst with bright light, but this time the turquoise shield burst to life, protecting him and Eleanor together.
Her attempts at self-harm slowed as she relaxed against the stone in a calm state.
Aaron smiled, releasing her from his grasp and observing the force field that protected him.
"This shield… It saved us again..."
As the words left his mouth, almost in reaction, he noticed a small crack forming on the barrier.
Oh no…
Without another word, the shield shattered into tiny pieces that immediately dissolved into thin air, leaving the pair vulnerable to the core's attacks.
"T-This is bad!"
Pulsating light gathered within the crystal, nearing expulsion, as Aaron jumped atop Eleanor in an attempt to shield her from the orbs.
The magenta glow burst forth, striking Aaron's body, suddenly blurring his coincidenceness in and out as he gradually passed out.
I…I can't pass…can't pass out now…
His thoughts grew sluggish as his eyes slowly closed, delving the young boy into a dangerous slumber.
…
Aaron's eyes shot open suddenly as sweat fell from his forehead and onto the chair below him.
W-Where am I?
He looked around in panic, yet all that surrounded him was a blank white room with a single wooden chair that he sat upon.
D-Did I die? I-Is this heaven?
The thought terrified him, but a calm, playful laughter danced and echoed throughout the space.
"No, silly!"
Aaron turned his head to the childish voice in confusion; however, there wasn't anything different about the room.
"You didn't die, of course, but you will!"
It spoke again, this time trying to hide its amusement.
Aaron watched as the white space gradually reformed with a pink-haired child appearing before him.
Its body was a blurry mess, with the hair being the only trait that he could see clearly.
He tried to speak, yet found that his voice was blocked like it had been when he had faced backlash earlier.
"Oh, Aaron… How unfortunate… I thought you'd have something fun to say, but it seems like I was wrong!"
The child giggled, twirling its pink hair with an unknown limb that protruded from the center of its chest.
Aaron looked at it in disgust, thinking quietly to himself.
W-What is this thing… It doesn't even look human…
"So you're interested in my appearance? I'm flattered, but that's not important right now. Let's talk about you!"
Stepping closer, the pink-haired kid placed its central limb against Aaron's forehead without another word.
"Don't worry, this shouldn't hurt. I'm just going to dissect your memories a little and create a perfect little trauma for you!"
Its blurred face gradually formed a crooked smile that made chills run down Aaron's spine with the creature's cold fingers pressing against his head.
The blonde-haired boy sat nervously as the childish creature silently tore through his mind, looking for traumas to manipulate.
"Hmm… This is tricky… What did you do to this place? Ah finally! There it is! Let's just open this up– Wait… It couldn't… No… No… No…"
Aaron furrowed his brow as the pink-haired thing fell backwards onto the white floor, shaking at such speed that he wondered if he was having a seizure.
Its blurred face had revealed itself slightly, showing an expression that even Aaron understood.
Terror.
The child's voice exploded at him as if it were throwing a tantrum, with the bright space around him vibrating rapidly before shattering completely, fracturing his mind.
"I… You… LEAVE!"
Agony coursed through his body as he fell through the dark void, motionless and soundless, waiting for something, anything, to happen.
That 'something' happened in the form of a floor.
His body hit against a solid patch of darkness, stopping his fall instantly.
Aaron's head still ached; however, he gradually stood up and shook off the pain of the fall.
I should've broken every bone in my body and died… How am I still alive…?
He twisted his finger before turning his gaze ahead of him to an unusual surface that stood out in the dark.
A solid doorway sat alone in the void with a name carved deep into the wood.
"Eleanor."
Author's Note: Chapters are now every other day.