"It seems like attacking the caravan was the right way to send a message to get someone into this godforsaken castle… but where the hell is she!?"
─── ♡ ♢ ☀︎ ✩ ☽ ♧ ♤ ───
As they descended the staircase, Dr. Alde noticed the lighting was darker than when they'd entered. He paused, causing the others to stumble at his sudden stop. They peered at him curiously, before noticing the change in light as well.
"Miasma." Frankie whispered. "Master, let me go ahead of you."
Dr. Alde shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. We just need to be careful. In miasma this thick, one could get attacked or begin seeing their greatest fears or worst memory. I will continue leading the way."
He continued descending the stairs at a noticeably slower pace from before, exercising caution with every step. Soon, the shadows overtook them, plunging the group into complete darkness.
"Frankie," Dr. Alde called out, his voice echoing in the darkness, "can you summon Tempest for us?"
"I can try."
Silence. Then a low buzzing sound, reverberating through the darkened halls, a small, flickering light flashing shadows against the walls as a spark grew from Frankie's stomach cavity. The spark stretched, its features becoming more and more defined: a long, tapered snout, pointed teeth, jagged horns, angular whiskers…
Its body zigzagged, crackling through the air, emanating a low heat as it turned its head around to examine the room.
"Tempest." Frankie extended a finger, scratching it under the chin. It tilted its head towards his hand, closing its eyes in pleasure. "We just need a light. Thank you, buddy."
Tempest blinked knowingly at Frankie, before turning back around to gaze at Dr. Alde.
The doctor, who had turned to look at Tempest, continued walking, unknowingly running straight into a shadowy figure that had been lurking behind him.
Dr. Alde stumbled back, before squinting through the darkness, cursing under his breath. He tiptoed forward before gasping and throwing himself backward, eye widened.
A tall man stood before him, long black hair trailing down his back, his face pale and sunken, skin clinging to the bone surrounding his hollowed eyes. He wore a long, red coat–similar to the one Dr. Alde donned–with a large red hat and torn white pants and boots.
The man stooped down, raising his hands to cup Dr. Alde's face, who was too frozen to move. He could only stare in horror as he got closer, skin melting off in sections from his face and hands, revealing the bone hidden beneath.
"Why… aren't you looking for me…?" He rasped, gripping Dr. Alde's face tightly. "Don't you love me anymore…?"
His thumb trailed towards Dr. Alde's eyes, the left hand reaching up to pull back the hair covering the right side of Dr. Alde's face, revealing burned flesh and a shocking lack of a right eye.
"You've already lost the right eye…" he giggled wickedly. "Why do you need the other one?"
Dr. Alde squeezed his eye shut as the thumb brushed past his cheek towards his eye, his heart pounding.
Suddenly, he was yanked back, an arm snaking around his waist. He was hoisted up, his eye startling open.
He was hanging over Frankie's shoulder now, looking back at Delphina and Syzygy as they dashed away from the shadowy figure. Dr. Alde snapped back to reality, blinking away tears he didn't know had formed.
"Frankie…" Dr. Alde croaked. "Thank you."
"Of course, master. Always."
─── ♡ ♢ ☀︎ ✩ ☽ ♧ ♤ ───
"Seems like no one has been here for ages…" Altair mused, eyes adjusting to the dark. "And it looks like it's only going to get even darker up ahead. Here, allow me to…"
Altair's voice trailed off as he unclipped a golden ring attached to the fabric hanging from his shoulder, placing it above his head. It began to float and emit a warm, radiating light: the kind angels' halos were known for.
"Guide us to the Panacea lily," Altair murmured. The light wavered before concentrating into a beam, pointing them down a dark hallway.
"Wow…" Asmodeus whispered. "Is that how you found me?"
Altair smiled, nodding. "Indeed. Come, let's-"
"Wait!"
A voice rang out, echoing through the corridor. Asmodeus and Altair turned to the source to see a man in a pointed cap, followed by a tall oni and a small girl.
Asmodeus squinted, before opening his arms wide and striding forward. "Igor! Long time no see!"
Ignis' face turned bright red as he approached, burying his face in Asmodeus' arms out of shame.
The demon released him, holding him by the shoulders to study him closer.
"You've healed up well!" Asmodeus commented. "Mind if I take a look at your eye?"
"Go for it."
Asmodeus motioned for Altair to step closer, bringing the light with him. Brushing Ignis' hair to the side, he examined the magician's eye, half closed due to the thick scarring.
"Looks good." Asmodeus flashed him a smile. "Of course… severe burn scars tend to last forever." Asmodeus' face became grim as he looked down. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you and the doctor…"
"Ah… it's okay. You did great. We wouldn't have lived if it weren't for you."
"I am sure you both would have survived… hah, believe it or not, I've tended to Dr. Alde many, many times. Always getting into lab accidents, always getting cut or scraped… or burning his finger on a hot mug of coffee!" Asmodeus barked out a laugh. "You're both very resilient. Ah, Igor, speaking of Dr. Alde… how is he?"
Ignis' face turned red again, blurting out, "I actually go by Ignis now."
Asmodeus' pointed ears perked up, and he pulled out a notepad, scribbling hurriedly onto its surface. Ignis couldn't make out what he wrote, but he trusted Asmodeus could read it.
"Good to know. I'll keep that in mind for next time."
"Thank you…" Ignis could hear soft snickering from Ginger and Kintsugi. He cleared his throat before forcing out: "A-anyways… I… actually haven't seen the doctor in a while. It's actually been almost five years now…"
Asmodeus noticed the discomfort in his face and voice, quickly changing the subject. "No worries, Ignis. Anyways, me and Altair should get going. I'm looking for the Panacea lily."
"Ah! Wait, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about!" Ignis stopped them, talking hurriedly. "I overheard you guys talking about it. I'm actually looking for it too."
"Oh?" Asmodeus's face was one of surprise before it became one of understanding. "Ignis, I don't think you'll find what you're looking for-"
"Please!" Ignis cried out a little too loudly, gripping Asmodeus' shirt collar. His voice softened, quieted, as though it threatened to break. "Please, just… just let me try…"
The demon's eyes conveyed no emotion as he looked down at Ignis, who had bent his head down, hands and shoulders trembling, still holding tightly to Asmodeus. Finally, his expression softened, raising a hand to gently stroke the back of Ignis' hair.
Ignis looked back up and Asmodeus readjusted his cap for him.
"Don't cry, young one…" Asmodeus soothed.
Looking away at this, Ignis muttered indignantly, "I'm not gonna cry…"
Asmodeus let out a soft laugh, before releasing Ignis, who did the same. "Come with me and Altair, then. We'll give you light and company."
Ignis nodded, waving over his companions who'd been hanging back the entire time. The two looked at Ignis knowingly, but opted not to say anything about what had just transpired.
"Let's depart, then. Altair, dear, please lead the way."
Their footsteps echoed down the marbled halls, the deepening darkness causing a thick silence of unease to settle on the group. Asmodeus and Altair took the front, guided by the light from Altair's halo, with the other three taking up the rear.
When the light grew brighter, the beam getting stronger, Altair looked up and around before turning to the others. "We're almost there. Just a little further, now."
Altair turned back around, the light shifting every shadow in the hall.
Every shadow… but one.
Asmodeus' eyes flicked towards the dark figure, which moved quickly–a blur streaking across the hall, heading towards…
"Altair!" Asmodeus turned on his heels, barreling towards Altair and pushing the angel to the side, causing him to nearly lose his footing.
"Azzy, what-" Altair cut himself off when he noticed the beast leaning over Asmodeus, pinning the demon's arms down. The angel quickly drew his sword, the curved blade appearing out of thin air in a flash of light. It hooked near the end–perfect for ripping.
"W-wait!" Asmodeus cried out. He squirmed, before a deep, blue flame flickered in his palm. "I can-"
"Don't fight back, dear…" a sultry, feminine voice echoed from the beast. It began to take on a more coherent shape as it pressed its now voluptuous chest to Asmodeus', leaning in close. The demon's eyes widened, tears welling. "I know you'll want this."
Altair spun around, tossing his halo to the other three. "Run! Now!" he bellowed, pointing down the hall. "I'll stay with Asmodeus!"
Ignis and his group nodded, casting another glance at Asmodeus who had gone still before rushing down the hall.
"No…" Asmodeus cried. "I don't want to. Not again."
He squeezed his eyes shut, tears falling to the floor as the beast leaned in, closer towards Asmodeus' neck, strands of dark miasma falling from its head like long hair.
"I'll make you feel really-"
Shing!
Altair's blade sang out, cutting off the beast's head with clean precision. Before the head fell to the floor, it dissipated into thin air, its body following soon after. Even though the beast was gone, Asmodeus refused to move, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
Up. Down. Up. Down. Updownupdownupdownupdown. His breath came out in gasps. Heave in. Out. In. Out. Inoutinoutinoutinout.
He let out a desperate cry, his hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his skin as he turned on his side, sobbing uncontrollably. Altair knelt down, placing a gentle hand on his chest and shoulder.
He lowered his voice, moving and speaking calmly, gently, and swiftly. "I'm going to sit you up against the wall."
Altair carefully adjusted Asmodeus, tilting him to rest his back against the cold wall. Still, Asmodeus could only gasp and cry, his shoulders shaking as he fell forward, burying his head into his trembling arms.
He sobbed, loudly, but all he could hear was the pounding of his heart and the painful ringing in his ears. All he could feel was the cold floor, the sting of his nails digging into his palms, and…
The gentle strokes of Altair's hand on his back. A voice echoed in the back of his mind, "It'll be okay. Keep crying. I'm here. Breathe in… hold it… breathe out…"
Asmodeus swallowed, his tongue feeling like thick cotton in his mouth, his breaths still shaky but slowly… very slowly… he regained control over them, focusing on breathing in through his nose, holding it there, and exhaling through his mouth. His sobs were reduced to hiccups, his trembling reduced to shakes, and his clenched hands easing up. His tail, which had curled tightly around his ankle, uncoiled, until it stretched out across the floor.
Altair's hand remained on Asmodeus' back, the gentle rhythm never letting up as he watched over Asmodeus with a softened gaze.
Raising his head slowly, as if it weighed a ton, Asmodeus looked up at Altair, eyebrows scrunched together in fear and shame.
"I'm sorry-"
"Don't apologize to me." Altair whispered, soft yet firm. "There is nothing you need to be sorry for."
Asmodeus opened his mouth before closing it again. He gnawed on his lip, before nodding shakily. He looked forward again, eyes growing distant, before he shifted, lowering his body to lay his head across Altair's lap.
"Is this okay?" Asmodeus croaked.
Altair's hand began to smooth out Asmodeus' hair, stroking his head. "Of course. Stay there as long as you need."
His wings unfurled from the ring at his back, sweeping around his body and folding around himself and Asmodeus, creating a white tent..
The demon's eyes blinked close, his breathing slowly returned to normal. Altair raised a finger to gently wipe away a lingering tear from his cheek.
He began humming a gentle tune–one that felt familiar to Asmodeus–luring him to slowly drift off.
"Sweet dreams." Altair murmured. "I'll protect you for forever and all of eternity."
─── ♡ ♢ ☀︎ ✩ ☽ ♧ ♤ ───
White petals glowed in the dark, tiny particles of light floating in the air like tiny stars in the blackened atrium. A timid finger reached out slowly, gently running a feathery touch across silky petals.
He was tall, towering, muscled and powerful, but he always preferred the finer, more delicate things. Often, he would think back to his past and wish he'd never made that first diamond.
As he strolled through the atrium, he noted how well preserved it was. Completely machine operated and had continued running for over one hundred years. The Stars Kingdom was truly a marvel of engineering–such a shame that such magnificent technology was now regarded with disdain by everyone.
Well, almost everyone.
In the corner of the room, cross-legged before a defunct auto-storage locker, was Savant. Ripping into the metal and carefully disassembling the circuit boards, storing the pieces off to the side.
After roaming around, Armel returned to Savant's side, concern growing with each passing minute.
"Is this darkness… normal?" Armel posed, sitting down to watch over Savant. He was hard focused on dismantling the machines, only responding after what felt like ages.
"No." Savant leaned back, turning to look at Armel. His eyes fell to Armel's fingers, which twirled one of the glowing flowers in his hands. "At least these flowers are giving us some light."
"Yeah…" Armel raised it above his head, admiring the glowing pollen that drifted down. "I wonder what it is."
"Lilium panaceam." Savant stated curtly. "It's a miracle drug."
"Oh?" Armel leaned forward, closing in on Savant. "How do you know that?"
Savant averted his gaze. "Well… a long time ago, my entire family became… very sick. Including me. Every day kept getting worse and worse for all of us, so I eventually ran away and found myself here. In the Stars Kingdom. I bypassed the atrium's security–with ease, mind you–and found these flowers. As well as a giant storage filled with pills made from them–and an incredibly advanced farming system. The machines were… incredible."
"Is that why you brought us back here? For the machines?"
"In a way. Anyways, I popped one of those pills in my mouth and I was almost instantly cured. I took some back to my family and healed them."
Armel blinked. "Wait, so you just took a pill you didn't know about?"
A smirk grew on Savant's face. "Of course. Why do you think my hair is white?"
"What!?"
Savant burst out laughing, a rare sight for Armel to see from his normally uptight and egotistical companion. "I'm messing with you. But still…"
He turned around, sweeping his gaze over the countless rows of lilies. Sighing, Savant leaned his head back against the machine, exposing his throat and prominent Adam's apple. He laughed softly to himself, before looking back up at Armel.
"After I healed my family, I'd come back here all the time. I learned how to build machines like these, how to maintain them…" Savant sat up straight. "I even stuck some inventions in a hidden compartment in the tallest spire! But those are old now. Not my greatest inventions, so I don't have much attachment to them. Although… the materials might be useful…"
"And… what would you consider your greatest work?" Armel asked, perhaps a little too smugly.
Savant rolled his eyes. "Shut up. I know what you want me to say."
Armel flexed his hands, feeling bare at the lack of the strength inhibiting cuffs on his wrists.
"I truly do think that they are your greatest invention…" Armel whispered. "They let me feel normal."
Studying his face, Savant nodded curtly. "I see… I suppose I'll have to make you some new ones."
Perking up, Armel scooted even closer. "Really? You'd do that for me?"
"Of cou- ahem. Well, I can't just have my assistant breaking my machines without trying, now, can I?"
"Heh. I suppose not."
Armel opened his mouth to say more, but tensed at the sound of distant voices. Savant looked over at him, hearing them too.
Someone else was in the atrium.
The voices grew louder and clearer, footsteps tapping lightly against the tiled floors.
"...beautiful flowers…" came a male voice. It was gentle and reverent, in awe of the Panacea lilies.
"Are the petals what we're looking for?"
"Not quite, Ginger. These flowers are incredible, but they lose all of their healing abilities and value if the head is removed. Actually, we need to carefully extract the entire plant down to the base of the roots like so…"
Savant's eyes widened. He shot up, calling out, "Wait!"
Ahead of him were three figures, who all turned to stare at the sudden intrusion. They looked wary, unsure of what to say or do.
"Don't… don't pull the flowers out." Savant quieted, walking towards them. Their faces were dimly illuminated by the glowing lilies and as he closed in, he recognized one.
Pointing at the tallest, Savant's voice became drenched in ire. "You!" he spat.
Kintsugi let out a deep, long sigh. "Hello, Savant. Fancy seeing you here."
"You left us to fend for ourselves! I thought we were your favorite prisoners."
The oni shifted, squinting into the darkness. "Ah… Armel. I see you're here as well."
"Unfortunately."
"Ah… you two know each other…?" Ignis interjected.
Sighing again, Kintsugi forced out a response through gritted teeth. "Yes… they were, ah… just colleagues."
Savant tilted his head to look over at Ignis, frowning. "So is this your new genius? The one you left me and Armel behind for?"
"I didn't leave you guys behind! We weren't friends!"
Armel stood, feigning dramatics. "I thought we were closer than this, Kintsugi. You guarded us so well all those years we were together, but apparently we're "just colleagues"."
"That's what he said." Savant nodded. "We got along, didn't we? You told us about your condition and family, and we made you whatever invention you asked for. It's only fair you repay such kindness!"
Kintsugi cursed under his breath, turning around. "You guys figure out how to get the flowers. I'm going to wait outside."
"Wait wait wait! Don't go so soon." Savant held up a hand, before turning and striding to the right hand wall, the one that was mostly a giant, metal door. He tapped on a cracked screen off to the side, illuminating his face with a pale green light. After a few moments of typing, the doors began to creak and groan, sliding open slowly. "There are seeds and pills stored here."
Ignis appeared at Savant's side, eyes wide as he gazed into the giant storage room. Hundreds–maybe even thousands–of luminescent, transparent green cubes stacked upon each other lined the giant room. Pills, pastes, oils, and seeds…
"Incredible…" Ignis mused. "What a beautiful storage room… it makes one wonder, how did the Stars Kingdom fall so badly when its technology and healthcare was so advanced…?"
Savant shrugged. "Who knows? I've heard stories that King Icarus was so greedy he locked away all of the medicine here, decreeing that they could only be used on him and his family. But that was over a century ago. Not many mortals live that long, and most of the immortals don't care for mortal conflicts."
Ignis reached a hand out to touch one of the transparent boxes, only for it to flicker and dissipate. He quickly drew back his hand, as if he'd just touched something hot. The box's wall reappeared, flickering back on. He approached once more, this time committing to grabbing the small seed packet that rested inside.
"Incredible. If we can grow this flower, we'll be able to cure anything."
"Not everything," a voice came from behind. They looked to see a man standing there with two toned hair, carried by another man with green skin. Two aquatic looking people stood a little further behind, carrying an assortment of-
"My inventions!" Savant rushed forward, ignoring the man in front of him and rushing straight to Delphina and Syzygy. "You- you broke into my-"
He turned to look at the man being carried on the shoulder of the towering Frankie, his eyes widening in recognition when he noticed Dr. Alde.
"Oh- doc… Dr. Alde, it's…" Savant stammered, his face turning red. "It's you… I…"
"In the flesh."
"How- how'd you get into my stash of inventions? And into the atrium?"
"Your passwords weren't very hard to hack," Dr. Alde replied flatly, causing Savant to grimace as if he were being scolded by a teacher for having bad grades. "And the atrium was already unlocked."
"Oh, ah… yes, I… I see… did you… did you see anything I could improve?"
Armel looked on from the distance, before chuckling to himself. Kintsugi angled his body to him, cocking an eyebrow up. Noticing Kintsugi's curiosity, Armel began speaking fondly. "The professor is usually pretty good at keeping up his egotistical act, but he acts like a desperate fanboy or student when he's around his idol."
"Idol?" Kintsugi squinted. "Who, that guy?"
"Seriously? Haven't you heard of Dr. Alde? He invented steam power twelve years ago, when he was just twenty-one."
Looking away, eyebrows furrowing, Kintsugi huffed. "Well I knew Dr. Alde invented steam power, I just, uh… never got around to knowing what his face looks like."
Ginger sighed beside them, before going to join Ignis who was still in the storage room. "Ignis, look, did you see? The inventor of-"
She looked up to see the shock and horror etched onto her magister's face as he retreated further and further into the storage room. He swallowed, before forcing out, "Y-yes… I… I see him, Ginger."
"Frankie, please let me down now. I saw someone I'd like to talk to…"
Frankie obliged, carefully setting Dr. Alde, not removing the arm around his waist until both of Dr. Alde's feet were firmly planted on the floor.
Taking two shaky steps forward before regaining his rhythm, Dr. Alde excused himself from Savant and looked around the room as he approached the storage unit.
Impressive machinery… he thought to himself, before turning to catch a glimpse of the face peeking out from the storage unit. They locked eyes for a split second, before Ignis disappeared back behind the wall.
"Igor…" Dr. Alde called out gently, walking forward. "Igor, I know that's you."
Sheepishly, Ignis stepped out from the dark storage unit, fixing the cap on his head and adjusting the gloves on his hands and smoothing out his pants and cape and making sure his glasses were adjusted on the bridge of his nose just right and making sure his belt-
"Igor." Dr. Alde called out again. Ignis quickly walked up to Dr. Alde like an excited puppy, although his face easily revealed his dread. "I have not seen you in forever. It doesn't look like you've been eating well… you've gotten so thin…"
Ignis' face turned red as Dr. Alde studied him. "Dr. Alde, I'm…"
Dr. Alde looked up at Ignis, causing Ignis to turn away. Those intense eyes that once held a burning passion… one was missing, the other one step away from listless, half-lidded and bearing heavy eyebags. Ignis' lip quivered as he suddenly bowed his head quickly, his hat falling to the floor.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Alde!" Ignis blurted out. "I'm… I'm so sorry, I wasn't there for you when you needed it, and I know you hate magic and it seems like I suddenly left you to go study magic, but-"
Bending down to pick up the cap, Dr. Alde lightly dusted it off before setting it on Ignis' head, adjusting the cap so it was just right.
Tears began forming in Ignis' eyes as he lifted his head. He turned to lock eyes with Dr. Alde, before bursting out into tears again.
"I'm so sorry… I still don't know how to cure you…"
"Dear child, when did I ask for that?" Dr. Alde's voice was soft. Gentle. He always was, when speaking with someone who had genuine interest in learning like Ignis did. The doctor's eye became solemn as he stepped closer to Ignis, running his gloved hand on the back of his head. "I never needed a cure, I just wanted you to stay by my side."
Ignis stepped forward a little, burying his face in the crook of Dr. Alde's neck. "I'm sorry… but I still want to try…" he whispered, voice frail and threatening to break at any moment. "I want to help other people, too."
Nodding, Dr. Alde patted his back gently. "I understand. Be sure to take care of yourself, though. You've gotten skinnier… I didn't raise you to shirk meals."
Chuckling to himself, Ignis straightened up, quickly wiping his tears dry. "Says you. You only drink coffee for breakfast and lunch."
"I've… gotten better." Dr. Alde cast a glance at Frankie, who was admiring Kintsugi's muscles and scars. Delphina was talking to Ginger, who was admiring her long tail, and Armel and Savant were busy looking over Syzygy's mechanical umbrella. "I have someone who insists on cooking for me each day. Ah… I can't refuse, either. It's delicious, after all."
Ignis flashed a warm smile. "How'd you come to take him in?"
Dr. Alde lowered his voice to a whisper. "He was one of Victor's experiments. I guess his parents brought him in when he died. Victor managed to bring him back to life, but his parents were disgusted by his appearance, so they didn't want him, and Victor didn't want him either, so he kicked him out. I found him a few years ago–kind of like when I found you–and since then, Frankie has been staying with me."
"I see…" Ignis cast a glance at Frankie again. He was smiling while Kintsugi complimented his own scars. "I'm glad you're being taken care of, at least."
"You've got your own bodyguard as well, it seems." Dr. Alde motioned to Kintsugi. "Although… is he just for appearances? I know how strong you are."
Ignis' face turned red and he let out a soft groan. "Ginger–ah, that young girl over there–insisted on him coming with us."
"Do you care for her a lot?" The corner of Dr. Alde's eye crinkled. "Even after only a second, she already reminds me of a certain young assistant I used to have, too. He was a real troublemaker sometimes, but so full of passion and curiosity. Not to mention that strong desire to help."
"Ah… haha… I wonder who that troublemaker was…"
"I came over because I wanted to invite you to come back home… I've left your bedroom untouched all these years. But it seems…" Dr. Alde's voice trailed off, before he shook his head and continued. "It seems you've started creating a space of your own."
Ignis nodded once. "Yes. They have curses of their own as well. I'd like to keep finding a way to help them."
Dr. Alde tilted his head. "I understand. But you won't find a cure for that here. These lilies can only heal physical illnesses, and curses are afflictions on the soul. They can't heal scars, either. I suggest you look elsewhere, perhaps with the gods?"
"The gods…" Ignis echoed. "Well, that's simple enough. Some of them are easy to find. Perhaps I could go talk to Dives… after all, he loves staying in the Diamond Kingdom."
"Mm. You could, although he can be a fickle god. Besides, it would seem that your new friend over there might've already been blessed by him."
Ignis' eyes swept over Kintsugi's body again, at the golden scars. "You think that's the work of Dives?"
"It's very likely."
"I see…" Kintsugi noticed Ignis staring at him, flashing him a toothy grin and a wave. Ignis waved back, before turning to Dr. Alde again, suddenly becoming serious. "You must be here for the same reason as well. Perhaps all of us are."
"The Queen's decree."
"Exactly."
Dr. Alde rubbed a gloved finger on his chin. "It certainly doesn't bode well for the future… I'm sure the Queen will face major backlash for this. Of course, she's powerful. Perhaps she believes she can fight back against the people."
"On and on and on about that woman!" came a voice cutting through the darkness, youthful but dripping with vitriol. The darkness in the atrium grew even darker, the lights of the lilies dimming until they were completely swallowed in shadow. "She isn't even the rightful queen. Surely you all realized that, or are you perhaps too self absorbed to notice the comings and goings of the royal family? Or are you all too hateful of royals to care?"
Suddenly, everyone felt the ground beneath them disappear. A strong, slow heartbeat echoed through the dark. Any sound made was immediately drowned out: no apologies after bumping into another person, no questions asked to the mysterious voice, and no demands.
The darkness quickly relented, revealing they had all been transported to a large, open ballroom. The shadows still dripped on the walls and from the ceilings but now everyone could see each other and–up a large, spiraling staircase on the second floor balcony–the person who had brought them there in the first place.