Into the Darkness [Plot]

After the meeting with Leo in the forest, Ivris had eventually found her way back to the school and told Leonard of what had happened, leaving him a voicemail on his phone. She decided herself to head off to London, using the school's credit card funds to purchase the ticket. As she was heading out, however, she realized that she may not be able to accomplish this task on her own. And so, against her better judgment, she offered the opportunity to join her to Lilianna, a junior who she knew quite well, Ami, a sophomore who she knew was talented, Charlotte, another sophomore who could also prove to be helpful, and Lain, a freshman who she'd happened upon while looking for Charlotte. Time was of the essence, so these four would have to do. After allowing them to pack what they needed, they headed to Focus Island's airport. Taking them to the ticket counter, she purchased their tickets with the school's credit card funds, hoping Leonard would understand, and they waited an hour and a half before the plane finally took off.

The plane was nice, even if they were flying in economy. The first stop brought them to Los Angeles, where they had a two hour layover where Ivris read a book, too nervous to sleep, keeping an eye on her charges. After L.A. they flew all the way to London, and on the plane Ivris was a bundle of nerves. She couldn't help but worry it might be too late, or that she should've brought more help, but all she could hope for was that they'd be enough to handle whatever problems might arise. To keep herself from getting sleepy, she purchased two shots of black coffee from a flight attendant a little over half an hour before they landed, taking it in a cup to drink it later.

The flight had been long and exhausting, but they pushed through it, filled with caffeine or sugar. Finding a cab in London took just a few moments, and they all piled in. Visiting London was normally something Ivris would've tried to enjoy, seeing as she was in such an amazing city and there was so much to do here, but she was too worried to take in the sights. At last, after a long cab ride that was not particularly pleasant due to the fact that the cab driver smoked like a chimney and cursed like a sailor, they made it to the tunnels. Even though they were only at the entrance, the darkness inside was obvious from here. The cloudy day made it even more gloomy, and there was a sense of coming rain that pervaded the atmosphere. It definitely was the last place anyone would want to be on a day like this, but they had no choice. They had to save Leo before it was too late.

"Well then, let's get moving. We have a lot of walking ahead of us," Ivris said, looking at the gate but not moving for a moment. Then she took the lead, headed towards the catacombs. This was their destination, but it felt very ominous, even now. Was there a chance that they wouldn't be leaving here alive?

(We each have to do posts that add up to 2k words to move forward. I suggest we each do four posts with at least 500 words each, but if you want to do more that's fine.)

A small bag, stuffed with supplies thudded against the young woman's thigh. She hadn't had a long time to pack, after she had been approached by Professor Ivris. She had hastily thrown in spare clothes and a variety of things that might have been important going with the teacher to London, though she wasn't entirely sure how long they would be there, or what they would experience. She was supposedly brought along to provide support in something Leo related. The junior had eagerly accepted her position. She did after all carry a deep burden for Leo's death, and if she could be of assistance in anything related to his cause, she was motivated to oblige.

The plane ride from Focus Island to London was long and tiring. Secretly, Lilianna didn't do well with long travel. She found that any turbulence caused her stomach to become terribly unsettled, though she tried her best to hold in the discomfort. She had only lost her cookies twice the entire journey, and was rather proud that her stomach had up-churned so infrequently. She had attempted to spend most the flight sleeping, curled up in a small ball, in an attempt to not think about her writhing insides, though truthfully the only time that sleep had found her was during the layover in Los Angeles.

When they had finally landed in London, the young woman continued to feel a patter in her stomach. It churned again, despite the solidness of the ground. She recognized the pain as nervousness. She found herself focusing her nervous energy by playing with the hem on her skirt. The monotonous motion helped ease her troubled mind. Her mind whirled with scenarios, what if the tall stranger who showed up at the Academy showed up here? She wasn't sure that she had gotten stronger since he had, though many people had told her contrary. What if whatever they were out there for didn't work? What if it did? So many questions surged through her. The length of the taxi drive certainly didn't help any. The smell of smoke agitated her more, reminding the girl of her dead mother. Death was starting to become far too friendly with her again. She didn't care for his presence.

The girl had been relieved as they exited the cab. The sky overhead was dark and clouded, casting a supernatural glow of fear and dismay over the entire landscape. Her bag continued to sway against her thigh as she surged forward towards the catacomb entrance. It was large, and eerie, made more intimidating by the monochromatic sky. "What exactly are we looking for again, Professor?" she questioned, peering into the long maze of darkness that lay behind the gate. She could feel her body being compelled to enter, though she couldn't help but wonder what was within that would give her such a desire. She looked up at the professor nervously, waiting for a response.

When she was given one, her emerald gaze would once again find its way to the three other students that had joined her. She wondered what value each of them had that made them important to Ivris's mission, and why she hadn't assembled a group of strong teachers, alumni, or even seniors to join her. What made her and the thee girls that were also in their troop strong enough to take on whatever lay inside? She had asked herself this question endless times on the flight over, and could not, for the life of her, identify a reason. Perhaps Ivris knew something she didn't-- or perhaps no one was actually strong enough to come, so it didn't matter who she brought. "Hmm..." she was probably over thinking things again.

Charlotte’s sleeping schedule had practically been inexistent as she had just spent last night working on a design of her most favorite weapon. Being a blacksmith made her days quite tiresome when she wasn’t worried about protecting other people, her cheek from an earlier altercation was no longer swollen but she could still feel the two toothless spots. The only good sign was that the replacement teeth would be peeking out through the gum. Worse yet Ivris came in and woke her up from her slumber as she now was walking about dazed, half zombie like in stature now dragging behind her a rolling suitcase packed with an odd assortment of clothes. The only thing she did know was that Leo was still haunting her dreams, his death that is and she was searching for something that could help her forget it. She groaned though as she tried to keep up behind the teacher and Lilianna.

The flight from London wasn’t helping her sleep schedule as Charlotte had quite a particular when it came to her sleeping arrangements. A plane seat just didn’t scream, comfortable to her even in her most dreary fashion. Occasionally though she looked back and forth on the plane. She watched poor Lil wander off numerous times as turbulence picked up and either managing to reach a bag or even the bathroom. It was the only real weakness that she noticed too the Junior whom she believed to be a dear friend whom she could rely on. As it continued Charlotte finally found the comfort of looking out at the clouds that they had been flying among, the wispy vapors of water that were now being slipped through thanks to the airstream that this marvel of technology was creating. As the flight finally touched down in London, the blood vessels in Charlotte’s eyes were almost bolded from having not slept the entire way.

“M-Miss Ivris, is there a possibility that we are just going to go to a hotel and fall asleep now?” She whined as she now thought about her home. “Or better yet I could just call my daddy and see if we can stay the night there just so we can all get some rest.” She moaned exhausted following behind Lilliana as she trudged her suitcase behind her. The wheels rolling along the concrete causing that obnoxious noise. As they went into the cab, Charlotte collapsed over Lil’s lap trying to sleep even if it was just a wink, but the cab ride was more nauseating for her then the plane ride. As they continued forward she blinked recognizing the catacombs of London, “W-wait why are we even going down there?” She said now feeling far more awake as she remember rumors and stories about how all these children had gone missing who thought it would be fun to explore those windy paths.

The teacher just said what she most feared, “Oh dear Lord please save me from the possible fates that lie down there.” She basically said a prayer and made the sign of the cross over her body as she now followed trembling with fear.

Ami scurried to pack up for her trip to London. After Professor Ivris told her about the trip she immediately skated to her room and packed up in record time. Granted she merely shoved five random outfits, her phone and charger, and a bag of lolipops into her backpack. She decided to shower quickly and change before she left so at least she would feel fresh then. However a sick pain seemed to stab her stomach as she gathered her belongings. She was going to London because of something that had to do with Leo, the boy she was too cowardly to save. She blinked as she rubbed the tattoo with the word "Courage" in Chinese. She was brave. No, she couldn't protect him because she wanted to live. After packing up she headed to Focus Island's airport.

Throughout the flight Ami mainly slept. She was grateful for her ability to fall asleep at will, even at the most stressful of time. However her sleep wad shallow and exhausted. She would wake up feeling more tired and stress than when she first fell asleep. She spent most of her time on the plane snoozing, waking up occasionally for some water, eating some meals or using the restroom. Ami wasn't awake long enough for her to ponder too deeply about the true meaning behind the trip however she dreamed about it. She knew that it had something to do with Leo and possibly even with the man that killed him. However there was one reocurring theme in her dreams, a deep dark labyrinth. Ami shuddered in her sleep at the thought of that however she knew that somehow had a connection with this trip.

When arriving at London, Ami felt mentally exhausted and wanted to go back to sleep. She leaned on a pillar to make herself slightly comfortable. "A deep dark labyrinth. One that winds on and on, making anyone who enters it feel hopeless and as if as they will never find the exit." She muttered to herself. She staggered into the taxi cab Professor Ivris called and saw Charlotte lay her head in Lilianna's lap in exhaustion. She felt a sense of sympathy towards her. She felt the same way except her exhausion was all mental. She drifted off to sleep in the cab.

Ami yelped as she awoke with a start as a bump on the road woke her up. The taxi cab cursed many creative words as the cab jumped up. Ami was dazed from just waking up she only now had taken in her surroundings. A dark tunnel, a place where one wrong choice could lead to you getting lost forever. Ami's stomach turned as she realized her dream was a reality. Where they were heading was the London catacombs. She wanted to fall asleep some more however she was too scared to. "A deep dark labyrinth where all hope was lost. That's the London catacombs." She said in a barely audible voice. She shut her eyes close and leaned her head on the side of the cab. Her music had stopped playing for it had reached the end of the playlist. She could hear the Professor loud and clear and she whispered a prayer to keep them all safe.

Lain walked along with her luggage, nothing too much as it all fit in a single suitcase and a small purse slung across her shoulder. She recalled the whole ordeal. Professor Ivris had been on her way to find one of the sophomores that had accompanied them on this trip, Charlotte, when they had encountered. While Lain hadn't known the blacksmith, she had seen a girl who fit the description and pointed the professor in the direction she had seen her go and earning herself an invite to London. As it was from a professor - and they were going to London, the home of everything British - she really couldn't decline. They were going to resurrect the headmaster's son, so since time was of the essence, there was no chance to deny even if she had wanted to. She had made her way to pack her things almost instantly. She brought five days worth of outfits, folded neatly inside her case with two six-packs of energy drinks on top. Recalling stories about London from her parents, she had also packed her umbrella in the case of rain. Of course, she also brought a few electronics - specifically her phone, laptop, and their appropriate accessories. As this wasn't anything too major, she didn't worry too much about her downloaded games. All she really needed to do was have something small to entertain her mind. Raids required concentration, precision, and communication something that may not be an easy achievement on a plane, on top of the fact that she'd need her mouse to control her actions. It's difficult with the touchpad and keyboard alone. It was that fact that stopped her from bringing her personal laptop. She had taken her other one - the one she typically used for business, or in her case, school matters.

As they had boarded the plane to Los Angeles, Lain had been incredibly excited, too much so to sleep. She spent that time looking out of the plane's window and listening to music at the passing scenery in hopes to preserve the battery life on her laptop for the journey after L.A. She could be caught tapping along to the beat until reaching their first stop. Upon the start of the next flight, she occupied herself with games. She didn't really play anything major, just small indie games she found online, allowing her phone to charge through the USB cord linked to her computer while she did so. With nothing else to do, she drained her battery the entire trip. Her eyes rarely left the screen until it died upon reaching their destination. The only exceptions were to open her energy drinks to keep her awake and whenever someone she knew passed her seat to go to the back of the plane - primarily Lilianna. Overall, the journey wasn't too bad. Of course, there was that little kid behind her seat who kicked out in defiance of his father every now and then, but it was a minor nuisance. Besides, after going through three large cans of energy along the journey, her mind hadn't really been focused on the kid anyways. By the time she met up with the rest of the group after the mass exodus of the metal bird, she was bouncing around as hyper as could be. Yet, it seemed to simmer down after they hailed a cab, her bounding energy dampening.

Upon exiting the cab, she stretched her sore back and took in deep breaths. The seats in the cab weren't too comfy. That combined with the kid on the place had her spine aching - although it was mostly just the seats. She yawned, her lack of rest kicking in. She tugged another can from her bag and popped it open, gulping down the liquid before turning her gaze to the gate. They continued their walk, growing closer to the catacombs. She wore a smile, her gaze not focused on the dark skies above but what would lay ahead of them. Although, her companions seemed to be as gray as the sky. It was dull, but Lain had an idea that might brighten up the mood.

"So, Professor, did Leo mention anything about a dragon or something we might have to fight? 'Cause that'd be so cool!" Lain would act as if she were attacking a beast with an invisible sword as they moved along until receiving a response, allowing her imagination run wild with the creature she "fought." She'd ramble a bit to herself in the meantime, though at lower volumes as she still had to remember not to spill her drink. "Can you imagine? Slaying the monster beneath the London corpses? What if it's made of the corpses? Or perhaps it's made of the stone walls... Or it's the catacombs themselves - spooky!"

"We'll be fine, don't worry," Ivris said, trying to look at ease in hopes that the students wouldn't feel worried. "In any case, I'm sorry for not telling you more earlier, but time is of the essence," she stated. That, and she didn't want to scare them. Doing this alone would've been impossible. "For that reason, we won't be sleeping until the job is done, I apologize Charlotte. I'll make sure that everyone gets out safely however, and after that I promise to let you all rest. As to what we're doing here, well, the truth is this. I received news from Leo, and he's in a sort of limbo, an afterlife for souls who still have business in this world. There is good news - we can save him. From what he told me, there's an object here that will allow us to bring him back to life. However, it won't be easy. That's why you all need to be on your guard. I don't believe there will be any thing like a dragon down there," she says, answering their questions more or less, "but that doesn't mean there won't be any danger. Keep your wits about you - I don't expect this to be easy, but if we can save Leo we must. Are you all with me?" Ivris asks, looking at them but also keeping myself aware of my surroundings at the same time. I didn't sense any presences nearby, but that didn't mean there weren't any. After all, these were catacombs, which extended far beneath the earth. Who knew how far and deep the went, or what laid below. However, there was one thing certain. We could find something that would allow us to revive Leo, and that's why we were here after all. We weren't gonna give up without helping him, even if the journey ahead was dangerous. We weren't going to abandon him now in his time of need. He was counting on us, and it was up to us to help him now. No matter what lay ahead, we had to keep moving forward. That said, I wouldn't let any of the other students die either. However, if I needed to, I was willing to put my life on the line. I would be dead now if it hadn't been for Leo, and so now was not the time to be afraid. I had to do everything I could to repay him for making the ultimate sacrifice and giving his life. If not, I would never be able to thank him for saving me, and it would mean I was a failure as a teacher. Now more than ever, I would have to be courageous and hope for the best. I trusted the group I had chosen to be strong and smart enough for the journey ahead, no matter what happened. They could carry on, even if I was no longer with them. But I wouldn't let them die. I couldn't. However, I would save Leo no matter what.

Charlotte listened to her teacher, but something in the back of her mind didn't feel right about the comforting maybe it was just her own anxiety about going into the catacombs. She whined softly lack of sleep was no longer going to interfere with Charlotte. The mere fear of this section of London was enough a nightmare as it was. She gulped and nodded following behind realizing that her suitcase was only packed with half useful supplies for such an adventure. The amount of clothes she packed were also scarce as she had this plan if they were really desperate she could call her dad for such a drop off but he wouldn't have approved of these type of school field trips. The blond decided that it was best to stick close, on a subconscious level as she now tucked herself next to Lilianna who she knew was able to handle herself and also because of how friendly she had been toward her. She nodded gloomily feeling like a child for being one of the few people who were a bit upset that they never got a full nights rest, perhaps it was best though as she now was extremely twitchy from all the sounds that were about them in the catacombs. "L-leo?" Charlotte blinked as her mind flashed back to that day where she watched the boy get slain before her very eyes she couldn't stand that memory and the fact that now Ivris was informing her that there was a possibility of bringing him back. This was like some sort of fairy tale that you told children to reassure them that nobody actually died in it. A smile crept across her face and nodded that she understood now the risks and rewards that they were taking on. It was to save a life, the only question in her mind was what the price of a life could be and how this artifact was going to repay such a cost of a person's soul and body.

"I'm with you miss Ivris," She said this out loud less for her teacher's sake and more for her own as she was still trembling from the idea of slipping down here. "I-I only have one question of how we can be certain that it was someone who was hoping to bring back Leo that told us about this information? W-what if this was all just a trap for more of us?" Her mind raced now thinking that perhaps that man who killed Leo was plotting far ahead of any of them.

Ami was barely listening to Professor Ivris talking but then she heard something that literally forced her to spit her lollipop out of her mouth. She was motionless as she quietly watched the red candy fall to the ground with a silent thud. "Leo? We're going to the revive Leo? I mean I know that we're super humans and thing like that and we all have special chi powers but the ability to resurrect someone from the dead.... Is that even real?" Ami asked. She wasn't very skeptic, rather quite confused and simply awed to put it. The fact that there was an item that could bring back the dead would be a huge advantage for their side. But at the same time, if it fell into the hands of the enemy it would be a dangerous power for them to possess.

She took a shaky breath. She would not run away this time. She was brave; she was going to bring Leo back. He was taken from death at the wrong time; he simply was an innocent bystander who was killed. However at the same time he was their greatest weapon against the man who killed him, the eerie man with the large sword. She looked around at her fellow comrades: Professor Ivris, Charlotte, Lilianna and Lain. They would be the people who would rescue him. They would be the people which will soon be key fighters in the battle against the man. She looked into the catacombs with unease. Ami was never afraid of the dark, but in this situation she felt quite uncomfortable, she forced on a brave face however.

She began to listen to Professor more intently, making sure she fully heard and understood every single word. She explained how this task will not be easy and it would be wise to keep her wits with her. Ami, who usually didn’t listen to her (at school of course) for the first time nodded. She knew that being too reckless could lead to her death here. She slightly shivered in fear of that thought, at Rising Wolf she never truly knew the meaning of death before Leo was killed. For the first time she felt as if she was vulnerable. She shook her head once more before she then replied to her professor.

“Yes Professor Ivris. I’m will you. I’m ready to bring Leo back to life. I understand this will be dangerous, but it’s our only hope if we have any chance against the guy that killed him. More people will die if we don’t bring him back…” Ami trailed off in the end. She looked around and determination filled her. She felt as if she could do anything. She looked into the catacombs once more and swallowed her fears. They was about to do it, they were going to revive Leo from the dead, a task that she one thought was impossible which turned out to be true. She looked at her Professor and waited for the signal which would allow them to enter the unknown.

Lain chuckled lightly as the professor covered her question, stopping her motions of battle as the professor went on to cover what had caused them to come to sweet London. She took a sip of her drink, spinning around and walking backwards as the information spilled out. She mumbled to herself, questioning the sanity of their superior. Her earlier comment was with the assumption that he had mentioned it prior to death, but from the looks on everyone's faces and the mention of a limbo, it was evident she was wrong. "Leo told her about some limbo thing?" she spoke under her breath in less than a whisper, more than likely inaudible to those beside her. "Is she mad because last time I checked, he was dead and certainly not walking around in a ghostly body?" She laughed softly at the thought of a blobby ghost floating around with wavy, snake-like arms before she glanced over her companions, inwardly uncertain as to whether it was even possible without some Doctor Frankenstein lightening hoopla. Confusion and memory colored some of their faces, something Lain couldn't relate to as she hadn't seen the death of their fellow student.

The blonde let her smile falter for a moment and ran a hand through her curls, sinking into her inner thoughts. She had no real purpose here, no vengeance or burning passion to save the headmaster's son. She was the oddity, the filler of the party. Her gaze fell from where it was concentrated on Professor Ivris as she let out a small sigh. She was just a random freshman who could be useful in a tight situation. She lifted her head, chin slightly elevated and her lips curved up. She took up a somewhat prideful stance, a hand on her hip and her feet a few inches apart. Sure, she was essentially the extra of the team, but she'd be the greatest extra the world has ever seen.

She noticed the different expressions among others in the group. Ami, for example, had that fearless determination look about her. Her stance, the look in her eyes. Lain liked that. She watched Charlotte's uncertainty with a raised brow, but dismissed it. If this was a trap, they'd weave their way out. They had brains, power, and creativity, right? As long as they maintained those three essentials, they would overcome, right? Right - to both of those. She turned her attention back to the professor, and grinned as she gave her response to the prompted question.

"Yeah, count me in, Professor!" Lain nodded, determination shimmering in her eyes. Her relation to other students was fairly small as of then, but she'd make the big start here. She'd help them resurrect Leo and catch the killer. "I may be a freshman, but I won't disappoint. I don't care how difficult it is; we'll charge right on through anything that tries to stop us down there and make Leo breathe again. After that, we'll find the killer and take him out to lunch, give him a good old knuckle sandwich! We will succeed in this." She took another sip from her drink, waiting to enter the depths of the catacombs.

Leo's name echoed in Lilianna's head as she replayed the day that he died. It was something that she did frequently: a thought that brought a pain deep into her stomach. The pace of her breathing had become sporadic at the memory, her face pale, and her hands clammy just as it always was. She wondered why the memory always caused her to react in the way that it did. After all, Leo was no one special to her. He wasn't a dear friend: the two juniors had barely had a conversation with each other, let alone some deep connection. Yet, she could still remember every detail of his face-- the crisp, clear quality of his voice as he spoke. She often replayed the speech that he had given in the quad, the unveiling of his team house, the excitement that he had delivered it with. She had been lost in her own thoughts as he had given it, though now it was so clear that she couldn't seem to forget it-- forget him.

Bits and pieces of Ivris's statements burned into her thoughts, mingling with the memories of her fellow junior. "Received news from Leo" "Bring him back to life" the words flashed in her mind, each paired with a silhouette of the young man. Her gaze returned its way to the catacombs. Any nervousness was replaced with excitement as she was mesmerized by its darkened abyss. Even in this moment, she felt a tinge of envy make its way into the core of her being. She had been riddled with guilt since the day that Leo had died, thoughts that she should have been able to save him, that had she given the stranger the correct answer that he would have left them alone. Somehow she wished that Leo would have visited her too-- that the path that they were supposed to take be burned into her own mind instead of the professor's. Such thoughts were selfish. She knew this, and she tried to press them away.

She knew that she certainly was not the only one riddled with guilt. An emerald gaze fell upon the blonde that had tucked herself next to her own frame. The silver haired girl tenderly placed a hand on her companions shoulder, a gentle squeeze of an encouragement extending from her palm. They had become friends as the school year continued to lurch forward, even without an important passenger. Charlotte had taken Leo's death with complications as well, and her body language suggested that she was frightened by the daunting task. Yet, she had responded to the professor with such courage: Lilianna felt pride well up as the girl stated that she was willing to partake, even as she asked of the possibility that it may be a trap. It was a valid question: self-preservation in this moment was just as important as saving Leo, after all.

The gaze had fell upon Ami next, as she confirmed her position in helping Ivris as well. She spoke with bravery and determination. She wondered if this girl too felt the pang of responsibility for Leo's death, or if the idea of bringing him back was directed instead towards righting the injustice that had played out on that day. Perhaps that was what made Ivris bring the troop that she brought. Did they all have some deep-seeded desire to bring Leo back? It would be motivation to drive them deep into the labyrinth and even risk their lives, after all.

But then, how did Lain play into this hand? Lips pursed with curiosity. She didn't recall the girl being there when Leo died. She was a freshman, which meant she likely had no connection to the male at all. Her face didn't contort in pain as the boy's name was mentioned, as she knew that her's did. Yet, she didn't seem to second guess her decision to charge into the London catacombs and risk death to save the young man. Lilianna smiled. She perhaps appreciated Lain's tenacity the most. Her words and dedication were likely the most selfless of all. Maybe that's why she had been brought along.

Emerald orbs returned to the professor's visage. She had been the only one yet to give her acceptance of the challenge at hand. The confident gaze that groped the woman's face for more information was likely already an answer, but Lilianna felt the compulsion to respond anyways. "I'll do whatever I can to bring Leo back..." The tone of the words was stripped, filled with raw emotion. She wasn't scared, nor confident as she spoke, but rather resolute. "What does this artifact look like? Did Leo give you any other information?" she questioned. "What did..." she cut herself off. The questions scrolling through her mind were once again riddled with selfishness. The information she wanted was that of Leo, not of the task at hand. How did worrying of the boy, even in death, become so familiar with her? She cleared her throat. "Nevermind... I'll ask him myself once we rescue him from limbo." she managed, the statement quietly trailing off.

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