12 FROST 120
[youtube][/youtube]
She was not stupid.
Contrary to what everyone else had ever believed about her since her first moment of stepping into the Warrens, she was no idiot. She knew what the creature was not by appearance, but by the chill that slid over of her frame at its touch. Like any other creature that’s ever been mentioned in a briefing, wraiths were feared things. Some born of fear itself, and she had to wonder how they multiplied to be so destructive. What had caused them, no one would likely ever know. Just the aftermath of them. The thing that everyone dreaded. The woman swallowed, a lump in her throat as she stared into the pitless depths of the creature’s face. Not really a face; a mimicry of one to her mind but surely a swirling mist of aether and being that she couldn’t fathom. Would never be able to.
“Are you part of my test?”
It didn’t waver in its hold, merely placed another skeletal hand on the other side of her face. It either understood her or it didn’t, but she didn’t think either option would have changed the outcome. Her heart hammered in her chest, a deafening drum that beat faster with each passing second.
Her outstretched hand met something decidedly solid. More solid than she expected, at least. It was something physical to a creature that was seemingly not. A weak chuckle left her, chased only by a wheeze and the answering silence of the wraith. She didn’t know which wraith this was, but she was certain that it wasn’t rage. Maybe not yet. She didn’t feel that surge of blistering anger, so there was that.
The woman’s cracked lips formed a smile, even as her other hand came to grasp at nothing. Drawing the creature in closer. But just beyond it were more shadows that danced in a wind that didn’t exist. The stutter of her heart was nearly painful, like the organ had finally threatened to rip itself from her chest. Which was just as well; she might not survive this.
Jieun’s hands were on her shoulder, voice pleasant as she cooed, Maybe this will hurt less.
Hurt less than what, she wanted to ask. But she would not have the chance to do so.
“The fuck are you doin’?” Jieun’s honeyed tones were gone, drowned out by the venomous hiss of Feia. She was yanked onto her feet. The woman didn’t know when the other survivor had woken. It hadn’t been that long since she had gone to sleep. But then — you couldn’t be a heavy sleeper in the Warrens. It wasn’t safe.
It wasn’t safe to leave Jieun, either. The phantom reached for the woman as she reached back, fingers slipped through each other. Her wail was a treacherous sound that gave them away as she watched Jieun trip over her skirts and fall. A hand slapped over her mouth and she was turned to face forward.
Every last ounce of strength in her body rushed forward, her exhaustion forgotten. She bucked like a wild horse newly fettered. Like perhaps her life depended on this single act. Maybe it did. Her bony wrist wrenched from Feia’s hands and her skin met with the ground. Rock bit into flesh, gnawed as she got to her feet. The woman glanced back at the last survivor. One staggered step turned into many back, and without looking back, she rushed back to where Jieun had fallen.
She was not stupid.
Contrary to what everyone else had ever believed about her since her first moment of stepping into the Warrens, she was no idiot. She knew what the creature was not by appearance, but by the chill that slid over of her frame at its touch. Like any other creature that’s ever been mentioned in a briefing, wraiths were feared things. Some born of fear itself, and she had to wonder how they multiplied to be so destructive. What had caused them, no one would likely ever know. Just the aftermath of them. The thing that everyone dreaded. The woman swallowed, a lump in her throat as she stared into the pitless depths of the creature’s face. Not really a face; a mimicry of one to her mind but surely a swirling mist of aether and being that she couldn’t fathom. Would never be able to.
“Are you part of my test?”
It didn’t waver in its hold, merely placed another skeletal hand on the other side of her face. It either understood her or it didn’t, but she didn’t think either option would have changed the outcome. Her heart hammered in her chest, a deafening drum that beat faster with each passing second.
Her outstretched hand met something decidedly solid. More solid than she expected, at least. It was something physical to a creature that was seemingly not. A weak chuckle left her, chased only by a wheeze and the answering silence of the wraith. She didn’t know which wraith this was, but she was certain that it wasn’t rage. Maybe not yet. She didn’t feel that surge of blistering anger, so there was that.
The woman’s cracked lips formed a smile, even as her other hand came to grasp at nothing. Drawing the creature in closer. But just beyond it were more shadows that danced in a wind that didn’t exist. The stutter of her heart was nearly painful, like the organ had finally threatened to rip itself from her chest. Which was just as well; she might not survive this.
Jieun’s hands were on her shoulder, voice pleasant as she cooed, Maybe this will hurt less.
Hurt less than what, she wanted to ask. But she would not have the chance to do so.
“The fuck are you doin’?” Jieun’s honeyed tones were gone, drowned out by the venomous hiss of Feia. She was yanked onto her feet. The woman didn’t know when the other survivor had woken. It hadn’t been that long since she had gone to sleep. But then — you couldn’t be a heavy sleeper in the Warrens. It wasn’t safe.
It wasn’t safe to leave Jieun, either. The phantom reached for the woman as she reached back, fingers slipped through each other. Her wail was a treacherous sound that gave them away as she watched Jieun trip over her skirts and fall. A hand slapped over her mouth and she was turned to face forward.
Every last ounce of strength in her body rushed forward, her exhaustion forgotten. She bucked like a wild horse newly fettered. Like perhaps her life depended on this single act. Maybe it did. Her bony wrist wrenched from Feia’s hands and her skin met with the ground. Rock bit into flesh, gnawed as she got to her feet. The woman glanced back at the last survivor. One staggered step turned into many back, and without looking back, she rushed back to where Jieun had fallen.
