damned_institute | Night 66: M1-M10 Hallway

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Night 66: M1-M10 Hallway

[M7]

Dinner went by too fast, and as the intercom announcement came on and the change to night officially started, Sora pushed himself to the edge of bed, caught in the tight hold of dread. He didn't want it to become night. He didn't want to change again. He'd gone to a lot of effort to make sure that he didn't end up repeating the events of last night, but something could always go wrong.

Landel cut to the chase pretty fast this time around, and no other clues were given out. Did that mean that the rebel group hadn't been able to get through, or had they just run out of clues to give them? Did that mean they were on their own? Sora let out a breath and tried to manage the panic that was bubbling up in his chest.

Link was still here. Sora had hoped that his roommate would make a move to leave the second that night came, but it didn't look like that was the case. Of course not. If Sora was honest with himself, he'd known from the start that someone like Link wasn't going to leave him alone here.

Sora forced out a shaky sigh. He didn't feel anything yet, but he knew that it wouldn't be long before the darkness started to take over.

"I know you're worried," he said to Link, "but it's fine. My other friend should be here soon, so..." He wanted as few people as possible around when the change went through. Hopefully Tsurugi would get here soon, and then Link could leave.

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It took time, but the Heartless were persistent. With only one goal that could exist in their minds for any length of time, there was no option but to keep trying until it reached the hearts it needed or it died trying. Which was why the Anti-Form didn't let up. It continued to claw at the door, aiming high where the desks weren't in the way.

But these doors were built to keep any patient in (and to keep monsters out), and for that reason its efforts were almost pointless. Its claws glanced off the door like they were bad of paper instead of something that was more like hardened rock.

The next idea it had was to try and ram the door open, and so it backed up to get a running start and then slammed itself against the door with all its weight.

The door barely budged.

At least part of the plan was working, as the doors didn't seem to be giving any leeway. That meant they were safe, for now, but Kyousuke wasn't stupid enough to lower his guard from just that. They had to act carefully, and there was still the question of what to do next. If they were really going to go through with the surgery somehow, they had to find some way to stop Sora's movements completely if they wanted him to live through it. The thought weighed down on him heavily. ... He didn't want this kind of responsibility. He never asked for it. But he couldn't turn away from it, either, so in the end, there was really no choice but to see this through to the end. Sora's decision... wasn't in his control.

Kratos was right about one thing; as long as they didn't scare him away somehow, the creature wasn't going anywhere with two targets. Last night it had been the only thing he was able to manage, but since there were two of them, there was no need to resort to that. They were probably enough to keep it occupied.

"... I have an idea," he said, keeping his focus on the door, just in case. "The problem when he's like that is his speed. If he starts running, we won't be able to catch him. ... But he's vulnerable when he attacks. If I act as bait, you can use that as an opening."

It was their best bet, as far as he could tell. He was already slower from his injury, and he didn't have any weapon, so this was about all he'd be able to offer. The thought of actually going through with it was admittedly terrifying, but even so, it was something he was willing to risk.

Kratos's fingers twitched as monster-Sora slammed into the door; in fact, before he knew it, his sword was halfway out of its sheath, his attempt at restraint an utter failure in the face of countless years' worth of conditioning himself to react in exactly that way.

He exhaled slowly as the door held. Those things were certainly built solidly, and why not, since they were meant to cage the sometimes violently insane...something about that was perversely amusing; perhaps it was that they actually had Landel to thank for such a sturdy barricade.

"...provided he can get through the door, which I'm starting to doubt." He gave up and fully drew his sword; as cynical as he was being, Kratos acknowledged that Tsurugi's plan was about the best they could do at the moment. A part of him vehemently protested that he couldn't stick a child in danger like that, but there was method to the madness in that he was the only one with a weapon, and probably the only one who could properly handle a sword. This was just how things would have to be, another life in his hands. "We might need to take the initiative."

The Heartless gave the door another try, throwing itself bodily against it, but once again it did nothing. It could feel the hearts just on the other side of the barrier, could tell how they were twisting with emotions: conflict, uncertainty, anger, fear.

It wanted those for itself, wanted the good feelings and the bad, wanted to be anything but a void.

And in the end, something clicked in its limited mind, and it realized there was another way around the door. The Anti-Form's body literally melted into the ground, becoming a puddle of darkness against the floor, moving through it. It allowed it to slide under the door as if it was nothing.

The dark spot might be difficult to notice even when it appeared in the hallway, as there weren't many lights to judge by and the hall itself was so dark. Still hidden in the floor, the Heartless started to move around behind the two targets. Maybe this time, it would succeed.

Kyousuke made a small glance to Kratos' sword as he drew it, a little wary considering the situation, but he hardly any right to protest, so he kept his reservations to himself. He had no know way of knowing how eager the man would be to use it, but he seemed reasonable, and apparently Sora trusted him with his life. ... He'd just have to trust in that, for now.

"... That may be better," he agreed. "We're not accomplishing anything by waiting."

That in mind, he moved closer to the door, intent on pushing the small barricade out of the way. There was a small flicker, right in the very corner of his vision, and for a moment, he paused, trying to get a reading on it, but it was gone as soon as he saw it. The hallway was empty... Had it just been his imagination...?

He frowned, but continued on unaware; the floor was the last place he would have thought to look.

Kratos likewise moved toward the barricade to begin moving it out of the way, but as soon as he placed his hand on the nearest desk, he could sense that something was wrong. It was too quiet. The monster had been making quite a racket previously, but now, he could hear nothing. Perhaps it was regrouping, scuttling around the room too quietly for them to hear through the thick, wooden door, but his gut was saying otherwise.

He froze, hand still on the desk, as he strained to hear any sound at all, to catch any proof that Sora was still indeed inside the room. There seemed to be no way for him to escape, no plausible scenario that said that his simple "feeling" was right, and yet he could not shake the thought from his mind that he'd overlooked something, as he had many times in the past.

Kratos's eyes flicked to the side, double-checking for a form poised behind them, and yet he too did not think to look down, being unaware of the literally shadowy nature of Sora's new monstrous form.

"...Tsurugi," he began, intent on voicing his concern.

Once he'd positioned himself firmly behind the two humans, the Heartless rose up out of the floor, fully formed yet again. These two were both familiar -- one from the night before, and the other in a different way. The second one struck him as a threat somehow, in a way that might have only been subconscious.

Or maybe it had something to do with the sword in his hand. Not a key, but still dangerous.

Either way, the Anti-Form had no interest in letting them get the jump on it. It sprang off the ground toward Tsurugi, targeting the weaker one in hopes that he could tear through and finally reach the heart that had been withheld from him.

Once again, there was no sign of Sora, or of any of the regret that he'd expressed throughout the day. The Heartless was an empty husk, but one with claws and hunger, and it would not stop.

"... Yeah," Kyousuke responded. There was no need to ask what was on Kratos' mind, because he could sense it too; the quiet could mean a number of things, and he wasn't naïve enough to think it was something good. He paused yet again, trying to focus on their surroundings. The area still seemed empty, but he remained motionless, no longer satisfied with just that.

Then, at the very last second, something changed, and he found himself whirling in the other direction on nothing but pure instinct. Just as the previous night, however, the creature was much faster than he was, and by the time he faced it, it was already launching itself towards him, and there was no time to do anything but try and brace himself as he was shoved onto the ground. Claws cut deep into the boy's arms, the only defense he had against having his chest ripped into a second time.

Finally, he heard it, but by then, it was too late: Kratos turned just in time to watch a jet black, Sora-shaped mass speed by him and throw itself at Tsurugi with claws outstretched. There was no time to wonder how Sora had managed to get past both of them undetected, though; he had to act before the monster could do more damage.

Normally, this would be a simple, two-step affair: the first step would bring him close enough for a swift, vertical cut to sever the arms, and then the second one would provide stability for the following, neck-level horizontal cut to decapitate while the target was presumably still reeling from the initial attack. Obviously, though, none of that could be used here.

In the end, he just improvised. Kratos reached out with his free hand and tried to shove the monster back to put some distance between it and Tsurugi. At the same time, he swung his sword down so that the hilt would collide with the side of Sora's head. Hopefully, this would take care of things shortly.

Unlike the first time, his prey managed to protect itself, even though shielding his chest with his arms would only get him so far. Still, the Heartless scratched red marks down Tsurugi's forearms, as if it could claw right through them and eventually reach his ribs.

But the one with the sword wasn't going to stand idly by. No, those with hearts, they protected each other. They cared.

Honestly, the Anti-Form hadn't expected to be shoved, and that was enough to take it by surprise. When the sword swiped down, it caught him in the head, forcing him to backpedal further until he landed on all fours. He lifted a bloody claw to its head, and while the pain throbbed there, he didn't bleed. There might be more darkness swirling out of that area now, but that was the only indication that he'd been hurt.

Clearly, he couldn't take down the weaker one until he took out the one with the sword, and so the Heartless switched strategies and leapt straight for Kratos, hoping to find an opening so he could pin him to the ground.

Kratos couldn't have acted any sooner. Kyousuke was able to keep his arms in place, but the more the black claws sank into them, the harder it became to maintain. The exposed cuts burned, and when he placed his free hand on one arm, it stung even more. He gave a small hiss of pain, and kicked himself back onto his feet as quickly as he could.

He wanted to dive right back into to the fray, since even like this, he wasn't completely helpless, but instinct held him back. ... Not yet. Kratos was the creature's target now, and if they both tried attack with the wrong timing, they'd only end up in each other's way. He did, however, move to shine the flashlight directly on Sora's face. The motion had been a stroke of luck last night, and he knew he couldn't count on it to be effective again, but they could use even the slightest bit of hesitation on the creature's part as an opening, and those precious split seconds were what he was counting on right now.

[sorry for lateness! :<]

The blow had only been strong enough to repel the monster for the time being, and while that was a dissatisfying result, Kratos's first priority had been to get the thing away from Tsurugi, and that certainly had been accomplished. While the monster recovered, he glanced back hastily toward Tsurugi, noting the gashes and resolving to take care of those at a more convenient time. Not much more than a second could be spared, though: out of the corner of his eye, he caught the monster lunging for him instead, having apparently decided that he was the better target.

He twisted to his right at the last possible moment as Tsurugi aimed his flashlight directly at Sora's face. The monster's claws ripped cleanly through the top of his shirt as he turned away, but Kratos paid the pain little mind as he tried his hand again at knocking Sora out, this time swinging his left hand down for a karate chop to the monster's neck, near where his ear would normally be.

When the light hit its face, the Heartless immediately pulled up one of its arms to try and shield its eyes. Yellow as they were, they weren't made to absorb light, and it had to fight against the instinct to back away, or even to run. But it had spent last night just running and running, and all that had gotten it was some blood spilled.

It wasn't enough.

Kratos smacked the Heartless in the neck, causing it to jerk away, but in the end a blunt attack wasn't going to do much good. It would need to be pierced or slashed into in order to do any real damage. Therefore, it retaliated, pressing forward again. This time it aimed a claw for Kratos' face and tried to slice across it diagonally. The face was a weakness on most things, humans included. If it injured its target there, it'd make him much easier to take down.

The light didn't do much in the end, but that was about as much as Kyousuke could hope for; better a small reaction than none at all. As it was, however, they were at a serious disadvantage. They had to be careful about how they did things, whereas the creature Sora had become was tenacious and could fight however it pleased. The longer this went on, the harder it would be for them.

... In that case, they'd just have to fight at the same level.

He wouldn't be able to use his avatar in in a closed in space like this, since there simply wasn't enough room for it, but there was one thing he could do. He focused his willpower, and let his aura surge, blanketing him in a strange black light that seemed to glow despite the darkness. Using that, he charged at Sora with all his might, hoping the sheer force of it would be enough to knock him out for good this time.

For a precious couple of seconds, he was strong and fast enough to compete at Sora's level, but he wouldn't be able to see whether he'd caused any damage right away. Instead of dissipating back inward like it should have, the light radiating from his body simply flickered out as though it had used the last reserves of a dead battery. All of Kyousuke's physical strength vanished along with it, and he sank to the ground, now exhausted to the point of pain. His head reeled and his vision spotted black and gold, on the verge of unconsciousness, and simply fighting off that took what little focus he had left.

Kratos barely registered that once again, Sora had managed to shake off a normally crippling blow before the monster's claws were once again headed his way, this time at eye level. He jerked back in an attempt to avoid them, but it was difficult to see them in the dark, and the monster had recovered faster than he, still only human, could move...

He staggered back with a strangled cry of pain, hand pressed to his face; Sora's claw had managed to tear its way across his forehead and down to right below his eye. He dared to remove his hand and look down at his palm, shining in the faint lights of the hallway. How deep was it? How...Meanwhile, the blood was beginning to drip down the entirety of his cheek; he could taste the saltiness of it at the corner of his mouth.

There was no time to tend to it now, though; he couldn't leave Tsurugi alone to deal with Sora. Wiping what blood he could off on his shirt sleeve, Kratos looked up in time to see the boy collapse as the aura around him--what sort of powers, part of his mind wondered for a moment--melted away into thin air.

Not even bothering to see where Sora was, he gathered himself and sprinted toward Tsurugi as fast as he could. He had to get there first, or else Tsurugi would be at the monster's mercy.

The creature's claw sliced through skin like it was made of paper, drawing blood. But he'd missed Kratos' eye, the most vulnerable place, which meant that it might not be good enough.

The Heartless didn't even have a chance to consider its next step, to figure out who to target and where, because Tsurugi raced toward him, enveloped in a sudden burst of power and energy. It was the power of his heart, cloaked around him like a suit of armor, and that all crashed right into Sora.

Thrown back, he hit the wall and then collapsed to the floor, body slumping with what registered in some part of his mind as pain. His head spun from it, but while that had taken a lot out of him, he was still in better shape than Tsurugi himself, who had fallen to the floor.

The Anti-Form picked itself back up slowly, trying to avoid the light even now. These two were weakening -- if he kept at it, then he could take them both down. Wouldn't that be a treat? Two hearts, and strong ones at that.

... This was bad. Kyousuke couldn't even begin to comprehend how he'd managed to drain himself so much by using so little, but he didn't have the luxury of being confused, because the fact was, he had next to no chance of defending himself right now. He had to recover quickly, before it was too late.

He wasn't out for the count quite yet, but the consequences of exhausting himself were far greater than normal. He only barely held onto consciousness, and the only thing he could really manage to do was stagger his way back onto his feet, but even that didn't last long. Once standing, he swayed awkwardly, every muscle in his body screaming at him protest. In the end, he didn't have the energy for it, and sank back down onto one knee.

Not yet... He couldn't afford to be done yet. He tried yet again to stand, but the attempt was even more pitiful than first, and he didn't even make it onto to his feet.

In the end, a Heartless was stronger than an average human, and so the Anti-Form settled itself on its feet before Tsurugi managed it. Its yellow eyes fixed on the boy, struggling to get his balance, so weak -- and yet that heart was pulsing in his chest, calling to it.

This was it. This was its chance.

In the blink of an eye, Sora raced forward and forced Tsurugi back to the ground. He still remembered the attack from the night before and his claws sought out those same spots, looking to open up the wounds he had already given Tsurugi.

But then one of his claws settled right above Tsurugi's chest and started to dig in, trying to push past flesh to the boy's ribcage. If it could wrench that open, then it would finally get its prize.

He tried, but in the end, there was no way for Kyousuke to resist. His arms had too many deep cuts to act as a shield, and he didn't have the strength to try and push or kick Sora away. The claws sank right through his shirt and the layers of bandage, slicing away his scabs and digging even deeper. In an instant, his chest was covered in blood, which began to pool out as his heart rapidly pumped more into the wound.

As the creature tried to pry past his ribs, he gave a strange, strangled-sounding inhale, and his breath became ragged and disjointed. He could barely even breathe anymore, and something metallic was beginning to build in the back his throat. In face of this, he still struggled, still tried to put of some kind of resistance. He fingers fumbled weakly and blindly, trying to find the flashlight he'd lost in the scuffle of being pushed down again. ... He didn't know why. He wasn't even sure what he was doing. The only thought in his mind was that he had to do something, because it couldn't end now, not here, not like this. But he couldn't even grab it, his fingers too slick and weak. The handle slipped away from him, pushing the light towards them so that he could see what was happening to him far too clearly.

In the end, Kratos simply could not get there fast enough, and as he watched Sora slam Tsurugi into the ground, a familiar wave of panic overcame him--not because he was worried about Tsurugi, but because suddenly, time was rewinding. Breakfast earlier had caused him to recall that regrettable incident outside Altessa's house; the scene unfolding before his eyes now was doing much the same, except the memory this time was far more disturbing.

He knew well how that memory resolved, too, had even experienced her manner of death for himself, but in the moment, his flashback-induced panic became so world-shattering and frenzied that all he could think about was the possibility of Lloy--Tsurugi dying and the need, the absolute need to stop the monster - it was no longer "An"--"Sora" - at all costs. And those two combined proved potent enough to overcome the last of his self-imposed restraints, so that when Kratos finally collided with the two, it was not with the intent to simply subdue, but to destroy.

The approach was even simpler than his previous, carefully avoided two-step attack: a powerful thrust aimed to pierce through the upper back, fueled by the singular desire to save Tsurugi at any cost.

The boy beneath him was nothing more than prey now, laid out and bleeding, his heart throbbing underneath his ribs, as if it was trying to push its way out. Maybe it realized that its home had been disrupted, that it could no longer remain in that body. Maybe it would come to him.

The Heartless was ready for it, even lifted its claw high above its head so that it could give the killing blow, plow its claws deep beneath Tsurugi's skin and literally pry his heart from his chest--

But then, two things happened. The flashlight rolled in just the right way to shine on him, which served as the first distraction, and then Kratos came in with his sword, piercing it through him from behind.

The blade, which might have had a harder time cleaving through the Anti-Form's dark skin otherwise, made its way cleanly through thanks to the light. The tip of the blade forced its way out on the other side of the Heartless' body, through its chest, and black smoke spilled out of him like blood.

When the blade was removed, Sora collapsed to the ground, half on top of Tsurugi.

... There was nothing else he could do. Kyousuke swallowed thickly, trying to dispel the contents that risen to his throat, and squeezed his eyes shut, prepared for the inevitable. All that was left was to be ripped apart, and while he was resigned to it, he didn't accept it; even knowing what was to come didn't stop the waves of panic and dread and the voice in the back of his mind screaming at him to move. ... But it was over. He was already lost.

Yet that final blow, the source of all his dread, never came, and wondering why, he risked opening his eyes. The black creature remained over him, claws still poised over its head, but he was less focused on that than the steel tip now protruding from its chest. He could only stare it at as black rose out from where it had penetrated, stare more as the blade was removed. He watched helplessly as the body fell at his side, looked up the man standing over him, and back to the dark mass that had fallen on him, in a state of pure shock.

...What...? What just happened...? The pieces were all right there, but they didn't add up, no matter how much he looked at them, he couldn't begin to comprehend them. He just... He didn't understand. Even the pain and heavy bleeding from injuries was forgotten, as he lay frozen in bewilderment.

For a few seconds, his mind remained blissfully blank, but as soon as the monster's body hit the ground, Kratos realized exactly what he'd just done.

He feebly reminded himself that Sora had asked him to do whatever it took to stop him, that he would have wanted him to protect Tsurugi first and foremost, but that argument hadn't meant much the first time something like this had happened, so it certainly didn't hold any water now. In fact, nothing else seemed to be taking hold other than four words, cold and damning, that repeated themselves over and over in his head: 'What have I done?'

Thus, all he could do for several, long seconds was stare back at Tsurugi in utter shock, heart pounding loudly enough in his ears to drown out the world around him, even the sensation of blood dripping slowly down the side of his face. Finally, though, Kratos tore his eyes away, and in doing so, seemed to return to his senses.

He wiped his face again on his sleeve, struggling to keep his arm from shaking, and dared to look at Tsurugi again, this time seeing the dark stain on the boy's chest, although the recognition came slowly, as if he were wading through a dense, mental fog. He had to...he had to take care of that...couldn't let him bleed to death...

Kratos reached out with a hand and directed what little focus he still had on Tsurugi's injuries as the spell ring blazed out from beneath his feet. "First Aid." The mana obeyed sluggishly, finally leaping out and surrounding Tsurugi's chest with a faint green aura before the spell began taking effect.

Kyousuke heard words being spoken, but in his current state they didn't register, nor did he try to process them. Soon a gentle, refreshing light fell on him, sinking into his chest and helping repair the wound. It didn't completely heal it, but it took care of the worst of it, patching together the parts that had been cut the deepest, so while his chest remained sliced open, the bleeding slowed considerably. He began to cough up some of the blood he hadn't managed to swallow, but there wasn't enough to be worrying; just the last remnants from a particularly severe penetration that was now (mostly) sealed.

He attempted to sit up, or at least his body did; mentally, he had completely shut down, and seemed to be moving on autopilot rather than consciously. The attempt failed, however, and he ended up laying back down immediately. He was still physically exhausted, and he'd lost a lot of blood, so even trying to lift his head was dizzying to the point of nausea. Even if he made it to his feet again, he'd only end up blacking out.

So in the end, he simply stared up at the ceiling, unnaturally quiet, even for him. Somewhere in the back of his mind was a voice telling him to be upset and angry, but he didn't have the energy even for that. He couldn't even think to try to move the body still half on top of him. He couldn't think or feel anything at all, still too stunned to process anything.

... For the most part. For reasons that had nothing to do with his injuries, it was somehow hard to breathe, and he found himself tensing up, still unable to move.

It likely didn't have any to do with the healing spell that Kratos that had just performed, but slowly the darkness started to peel away from Sora's skin, flaking off and disappearing into thin air as he slowly reverted back to his own form.

His claws became fingers again. His eyes, while closed, were no longer yellow. His clothing was splashed with color once more, until he finally looked like a boy again.

But what had also stayed was the wound in his chest and his back, and the blood that now stained his body. His chest didn't move. His fingers didn't twitch. He was completely still, draped partly over Tsurugi. There was no way for the two to ignore what had happened, even if it had been necessary. And if he looked slightly peaceful even in lifelessness, maybe that was for the best.

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Night 66: M1-M10 Hallway

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Just going to sneak one last post in here...