"Is it... really true?"

The crickets are chirping outside with the hot summer bleeding through the open window. Nine friends are gathered together in a small circle, a couple standing, and the rest remaining seated on the wooden floor.

After his question, Len looks over to Meiko with an uneasy expression. She rapidly nods back in a quick way to confirm her previous statement.

She keeps her volume low so that Miku isn't able to hear them from across the room, but loud enough for only Len and the circle of friends to hear. "Yes, I read the scroll when Miku left it and it clearly said that the person who takes the blessing receives a punishment."

"But why would they receive a punishment?" Luka inquires, then logically states, "If the tower is meant for the Messiah to go in with the idea that they'd take the blessing, wouldn't it be reasonable for them to actually obtain the blessing if they're to save the world?"

"It says in one of the middle paragraphs that the Messiah is intended to bring along nine companions, which should make sense since there are nine blessings that the Messiah is 'supposed' to receive. Which I bet the companions are there to take the blessings for the Messiah," Meiko informs. "It said there was a blessing on each floor- excluding the first floor- for a total of nine blessings. The Messiah is to go to the top of the tower and pray forgiveness from God by lighting a fire from the altar."

"Hold on for a second, but specifically what does the scroll mean by 'punishment?'" Rin wonders aloud.

"The last paragraph said 'sacrifice,' so-" Meiko's eyes widen, "... death."

Gakupo shakes his head as he tries to clear up the conversation with their situation. "Wait... nine blessings in the Tower of AI, each on one of nine floors... before the top of the tower? So wouldn't that mean Miku..."

He let's himself pause midsentence and each of the friends turn to the tealette. She's silent, focused on the materials all spread out on the table with the empty, open bag next to the piles of items. She hasn't questioned the group or even mentioned a thing if she was eavesdropping on their conversation, and nor has she said a word right now with their silence. She's too focused on packing for her trip.

"... is going to receive all those punishments?" Gumi softly continues. She leans back on the wooden pole attached to the rooftop and averts her gaze to the floor. She avoids eye contact with the others as she can feel them giving her their attention, one after another. "She wouldn't be able to reach the top if that were to happen. One blessing and..."

"We have to go with her," Kaito interrupts. He starts shaking his head like he's saying they have no other choice. "We must go with her to the tower and get those blessings in her place. We love her, don't we?"

They all quietly nod their heads.

"Then we have to... We have to sacrifice ourselves... No matter what happens out there, whatever happens to her... we must do everything in our power to protect her from those blessings... even if it costs us our own lives."

"But... but-" Rin starts bursting into tears.

"We love her, don't we!?" Kaito erupts.

She flinches, nodding her head as she wipes away tears.

"We must..."

Everyone dares not to speak a word. All of them are gritting their teeth, pondering his idea. Ia even looks like she's about to get teary-eyed, and so does Mayu. Regardless, deep within their hearts, they knew what Kaito was saying was true. They'd do anything for Miku- all for her- and they knew that since they first met her.

"I'll tell Miku we're coming with her." Ia sniffs and wipes a tear from her eye. She stands up from the circle and walks to the tealette.

They watch Ia and Miku converse. Once Ia starts taking things from the pile and stuffing them in her own bag, they hear her say loud and proud, "Don't be silly, we won't let you go alone; we're coming with you." And to that, Miku flutters her eyes with a curious, yet genuine, expression as she then turns her head to the other eight.

They look back at her with false smiles.

- × * . * × -

"Hey, guys?" They can all see Miku's intertwined hands tremble in her lap. "Are any of you... scared?"

They're all shocked by the sudden question, but the answer was easier thought than said. They would all agree on that nonetheless, however, saying it to Miku face to face is not an option. She wouldn't understand their situation, and all the more if she knew, she'd do anything to selflessly face the danger ahead to save her friends.

'Of course we're scared- we're all scared. More than anything...' Mayu silently replies.

Miku disregards everyone's silence by thoroughly thinking over her question again. Diving head on into the terrifying, consequential questions that have arisen from her mind, she wraps her fingers around the red jewel strung on her necklace.

"Haven't you all thought that maybe... the prophecy might not work. What if I go into the tower and I'm not forgiven? What will happen then?"-

'It won't be your fault, it'll be ours if we don't take all the blessings,' thinks Luka.

"-Maybe it was all a mistake and I'm not actually the Messiah. It could've been you or somebody else entirely..."

'The scroll had been entrusted to you and so was the duty of the tower from the oracle. We're nothing but your mere companions,' thinks Kaito.

"What if none of this works and Earth is still in jeopardy?"

'The world is relying on all ten of us... if all goes according to plan, it has to work.' Rin bites the bottom of her lip as anxiousness flows in her bloodstream.

The rain and tranquility both seem everlasting, but Len, with his full attention on Miku, speaks up for all nine of them. "That's for us to find out." Rin perks up at her brother. "The Messiah is born every fifteen years and whatever happened to the last one we'll most likely never get to hear. It's the Messiah's responsibility to go to the Tower of AI and plead forgiveness. Miku, you're the Messiah and that means you're going to be responsible. Whatever happens at the tower happens."

Rin is on the brink of tearing up. 'But, Len, I'm...'

"If something goes wrong, we'll find out-"

'... scared.'

On instinct, Rin takes Len's hand. He doesn't deny it- he needed the comfort as well. For a second all her bad thoughts cease to continue. Just for now, she wants this moment with her friends to be perfect... not worrisome.

"-together..."

But the bubble of her state of tranquility pops and she's reminded of the tower and their responsibilities when they reach it. The rain outside may have died down to a complete stop, but Rin's still thinking of its darkened skies. She firmly holds his hand.

'I'm scared for my life... I don't want to die young.'

✧

While the eight casually shared laughs around the empty campfire, Luka was still propped up against the tree with Miku resting on her shoulder. She watches their conversation from afar. However, with being in the proximity of the group so that she could hear their chatter, she allowed herself to softly butt in whenever- just so she wouldn't wake Miku.

"Hm... what about Rumble of Thunder?" Mayu eagerly sits up and leans in closer to the group.

"I think that would go to Gumi without a doubt," Ia replies unhesitatingly.

Gumi blinks. "Me? Why?" She presses her elbow to her dress and a hand to the bottom of her chin.

"You read... fast," Ia slowly nods while backtracking her thoughts. "Like the way lightning strikes in a flash."

"But that's lightning not thunder..."

"Lightning, thunder; tomato, tomahto."

Rin has her hands folded in her lap, sitting right across from Ia and Mayu, she leaves her eyes to the fire pit and says no more. She's busy with her thoughts, a queasy feeling rises from the pit of her stomach. Len who was smiling along with the rest, glances at his sister to see if she was laughing, too. Except she wasn't. Still caught within her mindscape, she doesn't notice him until he lightly bumps her shoulder.

"Rin, are you okay?" he inquires.

Meiko adds in, "Yeah, Rin, you're not looking too well. If you need water or something, just talk, okay?"

"No... no, I'm fine." She embarrassingly laughs to clear the heavy atmosphere. "It's that..." Starting off in a whisper that only Len and Meiko can hear, she gradually amplifies her volume for the remaining others, "I... really don't think we should be joking on this topic. The world is near its end if we don't make it soon and... you know what will happen at the tower. I don't think we should be laughing about the... consequences taking the blessings will bring."

"I mean, we're just trying to lighten the topic by laughing to make it seem less scary, I suppose," Ia explains.

"No, Rin has a point." Kaito concludes, "We shouldn't be joking about this topic."

Mayu sighs and stretches back. "Fine. Rin, what do you want to talk about then?"

Rin quickly returns to her red dress and fiddles with the fabric. Smiling, she bites her lip as she proceeds toying with the dress. "Our memories together..."

All but Rin exchange glances and sudden smiles brighten their faces.

"You mean like that time Gakupo accidentally burned our food for dinner?" Gumi laughs.

"Hey!" Gakupo exclaims.

Seeming to all drop the topic Rin had been the most anxious about, she lifts her head and her content mood slowly seeps back in, first revealed by a small grin on her face.

"Or that time Miku was teaching me to sew and I kept pricking myself that blood started to get all over the white fabric?" says Len.

"Or when Meiko and Kaito randomly dared me to have a staring contest with one of the sheep and you and Len did nothing but encourage me even more," Luka pipes.

Rin chuckles, "Yes, those memories."

- × * . * × -

Gumi bends down in the tall grass and cradles a handful of twigs in her arms. She saunters to the fire pit and throws them to the center atop the burnt twigs from past use earlier that day.

"So we're still going through with it?" Gakupo hugs his legs to his chest and watches Gumi take a couple large rocks.

She bends down to the twigs and smacks the rocks against one another as sparks fly off. "Yes. No matter what, this is the plan we're going through with."

"What if Miku's actions don't go according to plan?"

Once more, Gumi scrapes the rock against the other and a small flame ignites. Spreading to the other twigs in the pit, the flame erupts into a giant fire. "We'll-" she takes a breath, getting to her feet "-improvise. It's okay, our acting will convince her eventually."

The fire crackles in the silence and the once-giant flame has quickly died down to a much smaller ember. Since the tower sealed away the Fire Banquet, Gumi's manmade fire wouldn't last for much longer- she would have to continuously add in more fuel for it to stay aflame. As for putting it out, her water source was near, but they restricted themselves from using too much of it. The world was dying and so the vast supply of water had been drying.

"Wait, I still don't get it. Why are we acting out our betrayals? Can't we just take the blessings before Miku does without saying anything at all? I feel like making her think it's a betrayal will only hurt her more..."

Gumi picks up her hard cover book by the rocks of the fire pit and takes a seat diagonal of Gakupo. She opens the book and starts reading as she speaks aloud:

"Gakupo... if one of us were to say nothing while we take the blessing, Miku'd try to pry another for an answer as to why said person took it. If we were to tell her something or... we said something else before we took a blessing- like 'don't worry' or 'we'll miss you,' or something of that matter- Miku would notice something's up. When that happens, she could then try to take a blessing rather than one of us." She looks up from her book to Gakupo's eyes. "Whether she figures it's to save us or not, it could happen. We can't let her emotions get in the way of saving her. Acting like we're... betraying Miku will confuse her, giving each other time to take a blessing before she can... and she won't have time to stop us..."

"But that means the last memories Miku will ever have of us will be our betrayals. Once Len takes the Fetal Movement of Magma, Miku may never figure out we did this for her sake. Her last memories of us will be..."

She presses a finger to the crease between the pages. "No matter what Miku discovers after we're gone, those final memories of us won't be betrayals nevertheless. We never betrayed her to begin with, this is for the world's peace, for Miku to save everyone else in the world who matter so much more than the nine of us." Gumi softly smiles to herself. "But..." A frown creases her face. "I know this is the right choice, this has to be what we're fated to do, but... I- ... I don't know..." she mumbles and props her chin under her fist. She bites her lip, looking at Gakupo with uncertainty.

"You think we should..." With his eyes staring blankly into the night sky, he fixes his gaze towards the fire until he notices something to his left in the bushes. Miku's there, meeting his stare eye to eye, which only causes him to wonder how long and how much of the conversation she's been hearing.

Gumi chirps, "Hey. Guessing you couldn't sleep, too?" She stifles a laugh.

'... return to the Village of Youth... and let the world perish on its own?' Gakupo sighs.

Under that faux smile of hers, Gumi can't express how much she pities Miku.

'I want to forget you're the Messiah...'

- × * . * × -

Everyone else already began climbing the cliff except Rin and Len. Rin was reluctant in reaching to the top as she pulled Len to the side at the same time he was preparing to climb. They stand before one another and he curiously tilts his head, setting his shepherd's crook to the ground.

Out of nowhere, she bolts forth and throws her arms around him.

"So this is it..." she lightly sobs.

He softens. Squeezing her back in their embrace, he comforts, "I'll always be there for you regardless of where we are."

Tears well up in one another's eyes; she buries herself on his shoulder and holds him tight to drain the life out of him. He can't but do the same.

After some time, they pull away and wipe their tears clear off their disheartened faces. Rin giggles to dismiss their sorrows and pats Len on the back while she pulls him close to her as they walk over to the cliff.

They comfort each other in their climb to the top.

✧

They all nod in response to Kaito suggesting they'd hurry to the tower.

Mayu stares long and hard at the tower like she's in a one-on-one staring competition with it. She holds her head high and clenches a fist to her side. She's terror-stricken by the Tower of AI; she assumed all of her friends would be too nonetheless- Miku included- but like Rin and Len, she happened to be one of the youngest of the group. Being young meant she hadn't thought much about dying- she'd never thought it'd come this soon.

Thinking about her floor containing her blessing, she shimmies her hand into Ia's, and ultimately wraps her fingers in her own. As she concentrates on the tower, Ia had perked up acknowledging Mayu. With a silent breath, she walks them to the tower along with the rest of their friends.

- × * . * × -

"We share joy and pain..." His hand on hers, he pulls her arm and flings her out of the room, "... and you'll share this blessing!"

Kaito can still hear the slamming of the doors reverberating in his ear drums. He's knelt to the floor right before the Blooming Wave and Miku isn't here to see him expose himself like this- much to his pleasure- except he's petrified and still as a statue. He can't believe what he'd done. Out of all the others, he's the first of his friends to leave Miku like that. The adrenaline rush of throwing her out the room...

Bang!

Bang!

The stone walls echo the banging from the opposing side of the door. Softly, her voice, although faint through the thick, solid doors, calls out to him and he can barely make out the words.

"Kaito! Kaito!" There's even more pounding. A quiet whisper barely reaches his ears, "How could you... Kaito, please, you're not like this..."

He's frozen in place and wide-eyed by her words. "I..." A tear rolls down his cheek. "No..." He wipes his tears away and gets to his feet. "I can't regret this now," Kaito quivers. He raises his trembling arm and grabs it by the wrist to cease its shaking. The red jewel falls in between his fingers and dangle from the string of his bracelet.

He releases his hand from his wrist and begins reaching towards the Blooming Wave. Kaito pauses as he notices his hand shaking erratically.

"Stop shaking, Kaito!" he laughs a little to ease the mood. He continues to reach his hand forth. "For Miku..."

✧

"Take this as a lesson and never let your guard down."

Meiko is a statue on the steps of the pedestal. She can feel the floor beneath her continue to rumble depsite it having worn off minutes prior. Her eyes well up in tears and the hilt of her sword slips out of her hands. She feels numb, weak enough that every part of her body has lost all connection with her brain. The blade of the sword clangs to the floor and Meiko collapses to her knees. Soon enough, she's a rushing waterfall, tears streaming down one by one.

"Fool!" She plants her hands to the ground and repeatedly punches the stone flooring. "'You're weak?' 'You're just a coward?' Foolish!" she screams at herself. "How could you say those things to Miku? She's... the strongest person I know... The bravest..." Meiko smiles. A tear drops.

She lifts her head slightly and sees her reflection in the iron blade of the sword staring back at her. She realizes her face is a red tint and her hair unkempt as it's clipped back in her high bun. Her fiery red eyes are gleaming rubies brightly set aflame like the Fire Banquet. She adjusts herself so she's sitting on her legs and snivels. She picks away her tears by rubbing her face, then looks over her shoulder to the blessing.

"Right now if Miku were here... she'd tell me to be brave." Meiko rises from the ground. "I can't let her down." She smiles past her tears as a way to cheer herself up and walks toward the blessing. "I won't let her down."

✧

"... If you were given the choice, wouldn't you choose power over a sibling as well?"

The doors shut close as Ia remains faced towards the Grace of Sunlight. She doesn't think twice about Miku or her friends, but readily extends a hand to the blessing shining little rays of sunlight onto her forehand. She won't think about these sorrows at all and nor does she want to. She needs to complete the mission at hand with no spare time to even begin to regret her decisions...

... That is, until a resounding voice on the other side of the door chills her spine.

"F-fine! If that's how you're going to be, th-then... you won't be the only one with a blessing!"

Mayu had ran into the blessing's room and upon immediate entrance, she stuck herself to the wall next to the doors that altogether rang a slamming sound in her hears too suddenly. With the doors closed, the entire room is now shrouded in darkness. Like those stormy days in the village when every house had been enveloped in shadows inside and out, this is fairly reminiscent.

Except, there shines a very dull light in the center of the room, only illuminating everything within a couple inches of its vicinity. There she can make out the deep purple blessing, Peaceful Darkness.

She stumbles to the ground, yet catches herself with the wall. She looks up to the Peaceful Darkness.

For a second, the light around it flickers even brighter- perhaps illuminating an inch more- before shrinking back to its original brightness.

"Ia... are you..." Mayu mutters under her breath.

(Could the contradicting blessings be connected somehow...?)

"Don't," she breathes heavily, "... not without me..."

✧

"Gakupo..." Miku croaks, "... everything I believed from you guys... was all a hoax, wasn't it?"

Gakupo clasps his hands together and closes his eyes. Miku clutches his garments as he concentrates on praying. He can hear her soft sobs in the silence of the tower.

"Please protect Miku, bless her and our friends as we venture further into the tower. Bless everyone who takes the blessings and bless Miku in making her way to the top of the tower," he mumbles.

"Wasn't it!?" she hollers.

He makes the Sign of the Cross, then lowers his arms. He walks up the last set of stairs, sets foot on the floor- a tremor-like rumble- and throws himself to the Trembling Ground, leaving Miku behind on her scraped knees watching him, astonished.

He has his arms outstretched to his sides, presenting himself to Miku and the rest of the group following in her pursuit. The doors slam a loud and heavy sound. Gakupo drops his arms and whips around to the caramel-colored blessing right in front of him. He reaches a hand for the center, yet unexpectedly, he curls his fingers back into a fist, and utters to himself.

"Was that the right thing to do...?"

✧

"'He who considers thyself a hero shall expect the unexpected.' Miku... expect that this is for your own good."

The book slips out of Gumi's hands and plummets to the floor so that its cover shuts itself closed. She stuffs her hands in her face and cries. Her tears manage to wet her palms and seep through the gaps between her fingers.

"I... I pushed her away..." she weeps even harder. "Miku, please tell me you're not hurt. I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean any of it! I promise... I didn't want to leave you... but I had to. Forgive me..."

Her hands are still stuffed in her face and she suddenly hears a small spark of electricity. The tiniest sound of a spark flickers, and so does the next, and the next. She looks over her shoulder and the Rumble of Thunder is letting loose the little sparks she's been hearing that scatter across the circular blessing.

Her heart is beating a thousand miles a minute. By the looks of it, the blessing already seems harmful rather than a lure for the Messiah to take. Gumi gulps and reluctantly turns her head back to the direction of the door where her book had dropped to her feet.

Shaking, she bends down and turns to a random page.

"'He who considers thyself a hero shall expect the unexpected,'" Gumi reads aloud. "The same quote I read to Miku..."

✧

"I trust you." Tears begin to roll down the tealette's face. "If I were to say I trust you... that wouldn't change a thing, would it?" Miku laughs facetiously, teardrops dripping from her chin.

Luka didn't expect her to say those words. Out of all, she was ready for Miku to reply that she'd lost all trust in her and the rest of her friends. Tears form in the corners of her eyes, but before Miku could see them fall as a sign of remorse, Luka closes her eyes and gulps. She removes the fabric around her arms and sways with the Rondo of Whirlwind.

"Not one bit," she smirks.

Lies. All of it- a lie. The words had almost struggled to fall from her lips like there was a wedge in her throat trying to prevent her from telling such a lie. She can no longer contain her guilt and just about gives herself away by breaking down, but fortunately the doors close on her in an instant.

She extends an arm to the solid door and begins weeping uncontrollably.

"Why... why did it have to come to this?" she cries. "I can't- I can't act like that towards you! Do you know how hard it was for me to lie to you, to not break character when you said you trusted me... even though you knew I would betray you?"

Hum...

Hum...

The Rondo of Whirlwind resounds another song with its rushing wind. This time, a softer and slower melody... A lullaby. Luka perks up and wipes her tears away, curiously eyeing the blessing that's creating a familiar song.

'This lullaby...' The music triggers a couple memories in her mind that she'd long forgotten. 'My mother used to sing this to me... and I used to sing it to Miku when we were little... when she couldn't go to sleep or when she was feeling sad...'

"Why are you playing this music?"

Luka knows well that the blessing nor the tower cannot reply- let alone hear her cries- but the question slipped away from her before she had time to think. She stares long and hard at its shining green symbol; its light intensifies.

"You're trying to calm me... aren't you?" She averts her eyes to the floor and nods. "I can't regret this now... not any longer."

✧

"No." She doesn't turn a head to Len's voice crying out to her in the dark. "Rin, no matter how much you're thinking about it- the Garden of Silver Snow- the answer is no!"

She holds the crook and her clenched fists close to her chest. "Ia was right... I would."

"Rin, wh-"

"I would choose power over some stupid sibling."

Rin faces the blessing and uses Len as a boost towards the room as she shoves him back. She launches herself to the pedestal and the Garden of Silver Snow while hearing Len's plea behind her: "Rin! Stop-!"

With all her heart, she wishes she could.

Tears start to fill her eyes as she passes those solid doors and throws herself in.

'This is it... the last time I'll ever see you.'

She turns her head back to see Len one last time. The guilt of all of this is killing her. But that smile still plastered on her face dismisses any ideas that she had regret to begin with. Tears flee her eyes that that and her smile altogether could've given them the impression of tears of joy.

Her tears freeze up from her proximity and the temperature of the blessing; the doors close before they could even fall to the ground. Even being enclosed within the room, she continues to cry, and each drop continues to freeze up.

Rin holds out a hand so one of her frozen tears land in her palm. She stares at the crystal blue reflecting within.

"I'm so stupid... Why would I choose a blessing over any of you? Len..." she lets the tear fall out of her hand and firmly clutches the shepherd's crook to her chest, "I miss being your sister."

✧

"Len... You're going to leave me, aren't you? Just like everyone else... just like Kaito and Meiko and Ia and Mayu a- ... and everybody else who left me for a blessing! Isn't that right? Aren't I right?"

He's speechless. "Miku, I... I w-"

"Will?"

"Won't... I... I won't."

Every lie he spits out won't ever change Miku's mind. She has the right to believe he's wrong and she's absolutely correct. He doesn't know what else to say and blurting out the truth straight to her face will only lead to her breaking down earlier than expected.

The ninth floor's room opens its doors to display the blessing.

"Len... with these last moments before I go to the top of this tower... don't lie to me, please. I know you're going to turn your back on me, I know it even if you say you won't or you say nothing at all, but all I beg of you before you do..." his heart's pounding in his chest- he's anxious, "is walk with me to the bottom of the next stairs. You can betray me afterwards and take the blessing I know you want... all I want is for you to come with me before the top. Then you can leave me.

As anticipated, she knows his moves all too well. However, he's blind to her own. Still full of questions, he curiously stares at the back of her head like he's prepared for anything more she's willing to share.

"I want to feel that someone would be there for me when I get to the top. Even if they won't be with me when I'm there, knowing they at least cared enough to walk with me before then... I pray that isn't too much to ask for."

She doesn't give him time to reply- allowing the fifty-fifty chance that would determine her last impression with him and her final outlook on Len. If this was her way of sparing him an excuse to show his care, he took it. He walks with her the distance there and every footstep feels like they've been traveling for a year. Miku kicks a golden torch that she soon picks up to notice its embroided detail and claws curving towards the center.

They walk further into the room until they reach the bottom of the steps. She narrows her eyes to the floor and lets a tear grace her pale cheek.

"You can leave me now," she says hoarsely.

Len doesn't move an inch away from Miku. Just like hers, his heart is beating rapidly, but all for a different reason. He can't just leave her here, completely alone like their group's never been.

'I don't want to leave you. Of all people, why-? Why did I have to be the last one to abandon you?'

"... L-leave me, Len!" she commands. "Take the blessing and leave me... just like you want."

He watches Miku drop to her knees, helpless as if her legs had gone completey numb. For a while he debates if this was even for the better. Can he just leave the blessing and stay with Miku? He knows she doesn't want to live alone back in the Village of Youth- she needs one of her trusted friends. But then he remembers that that isn't what the world had planned. Without taking his blessing, living with Miku is pointless. The world would still be falling apart and they, along with every human being, would crumble.

Miku weeps. She weeps and weeps and weeps and it's throwing Len off guard. Finally, he gets his feet to budge that he makes a break for the blessing before he can regret it all.

He holds out his shepherd's crook so that Miku would eventually notice and turn her head his direction. She does. The Fetal Movement of Magma shines a warmth against his body as he forces a faux smile to his lips.

"Goodbye, Miku."

✧

Kaito sprawls his fingers out to the Blooming Wave that an immediate surge of power rushes through every part of his body and deprives him of his energy. Exhaustion pulses through his veins. He feels weak, but maintains his strength so he does his best to keep his head held high.

A bright blue light surrounds him and he suddenly feels himself being submerged in water from his chin down. Kaito's being pulled into the rushing current. Not even a whirlpool is engulfing him, but the raging waters crashing about that the sea itself is dragging him further down until he's entirely dipped in.

But with every step she takes, she feels the exact opposite. Meiko feels her life being sucked out of her by hellfire erupting left and right wherever she stepped. Rather than being torn apart by it, it's as if she's the one tearing herself apart. Left, right, left... there's nowhere to go, and wherever she did go, there was always a burst of heat from below.

Ia coughs as she wraps her hands around her neck. Her mouth dry- everything's dry- from the sweltering sun. She's on her knees and the drought spares her no mercy that if she'd cry for help, her words were weak against the Grace of Sunlight's punishment. Sweat drips from her forehead that it, too, robs her of her strength. If she fully collapses, getting up would be nowehere far from impossible.

Within the void, Mayu screams with all her might so that someone- anyone- would reach out to her from somewhere and save her from this neverending nightmare she never wishes was a reality. Every passing moment she's enveloped in darkness, she can physically feel her sanity slip away from her. At first a centimeter, then an inch, then a foot, a yard, until she can't feel it anymore. Every question that comes to mind spawns even more, so much that her mind fills with thoughts that she can't even decipher between normal, or crossing the border line of sane.

However, if the world were to open up beneath him, would that border line continue to exist? Or would it disappear entirely? Gakupo falls back and is sent plummeting down an endless hole to which he finds no end. The earth had erupted into a tremor moments prior until a crack had split beneath his feet so that he's lost all balance. He flails his legs as he falls to his own demise- but his head hits no bottom. And it still doesn't for a second... a minute... for what feels like hours...

Then a crash. A loud crack of thunder tears the night sky apart and Gumi can hear it loud and clear in her ears. Each strike makes its way closer to her. She can hear it. Suddenly, a shock jolts her body as she howls in pain. Her scream rings throughout the night, but the immense pain flowing through her dies down her cries. She restrains herself from screaming, but succumbing to the power of the lightning is inevitable.

Wind pangs Luka's face and so does her pink hair as it's sent in an uncontrollable frenzy in the air. These gusts are too strong for her that she's certain they'll literally sweep her off her feet. Luka tries to hold back against the wind, but she's nearly taken as it forces her to her knees. When she opens her mouth to take a deep breath, she can feel it literally being taken away from her... and so does the air in her lungs as it rides away with the wind. Luka's out of breath and feels she can't escape the strength of the hurricane.

Rin tries in her best attempts to warm herself up; she hugs her shoulders to produce warmth. Her teeth chatter in the frozen cold and each exhale is like her mouth drying up from being frozen solid. Hesitantly, she shivers as she brings back a hand to the front of her face for examination. Her fingertips are turning blue. Rin quickly puts it back on her shoulder and rubs it in place. The cold penetrates her skin and so her bones chill to ice. The feeling rushes through her bones and even deep, deep down on the inside, everything seems frozen- even her soul.

Her brother would kill for that cold and she could say likewise for the warmth he's having to put up with with the flames surrounding him. A gigantic fire ignites beneath Len's feet and he can just feel everything melting away with the heat. He collapses to the floor, his face pressed near the center of the inferno, but what did it even matter if he was to burn away into scattered ashes anyway? As if there was still the slim chance of hope this torture would stop, he extends a trembling hand to try and crawl his way out of the fire. He raises his arm once more, but before he can force himself over another inch, it drops to the floor. The rest of his body lays motionless.

"Even though you... you..." Miku huffs, clenching the scroll to her chest while her tears resume to fall.

'Drowned in a raging sea,'

'Danced in hellfire,'

'Suffered in a merciless drought,'

'Forever lost my sanity to the haunting Darkness,'

'Were swallowed by the earth,'

'Had been struck by lightning,'

'Were torn up by a hurricane,'

'Froze to the soul,'

'Crawled through fire,'

We share joy and pain.