I slammed my fist down on the table. "What do you mean, they escaped?" 

The Shadow in front of me stared at the ground. "We don't know how he did it, sir. The Ssundee boy somehow managed to escape, and he's begun to get to the other rooms to get the others out-"

"Stop there." I said, and the Shadow froze. "You mean to tell me that the Ssundee boy, the weakest of them all, managed to slip past you?" 

"I-I don't know how he did it, sir, I was powering the room exactly as you ordered, he must have managed to find the door."

"If you were doing as I told, that should have been impossible to do!" I yelled, and it flinched, but didn't move from his position. 

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't 'I'm sorry', me." I glared at him. After a few seconds of silence, I spoke up again. "Well?" 

It jumped a bit. "Y-yes?" 

"Oh, quit your stuttering. It makes you look weak. How many of them have escaped?" 

It didn't quite look at me, but it spoke in a tiny voice. 

"The boy managed to free the Sky boy, and they split up to go into two different rooms, the one with the Deadlox girl and the Jason girl." 

I breathed in, and out. I calmly stood, and threw a table that stood next to me at a wall. It crashed into pieces on impact. 

"You mean to tell me that you fools let my biggest piece of ransom escape? How idiotic could you be?" 

"Sir, we still have the Sky girl, and by the looks of it, it will take a lot to get her out-" 

"It was supposed to be impossible for any of them to get out!" I exclaimed. "You are an idiot for letting the Ssundee boy out, and your mistake will cost you." 

It backed away from me at my words, but I knew it would be no use. I snapped my fingers, and the Shadow exploded into black sand instantly. 

"Useless waste of energy." I muttered, kicking the pile of sand. 

Suddenly, a splitting headache started in my head, and I nearly collapsed. 

I gritted my teeth. "Hello, Jin."

"Let....me....go...." His voice spoke, and I grinned at the sound of it. He was growing weaker by the day. This vessel was days away from being used up, I could tell. 

"Hmm, let's think about that. No." 

"You have someone else, why do you need me?" 

"Because.' I straightened, and the headache ceased. "I feel like it would be a waste of resources. When a pickaxe hits red, you don't throw it away. You use that sucker until it breaks." 

With Jin quiet, I could finally think. What to do about those brats escaping...

Just then, a familiar person walked through the door, and I grinned. 

"Shane. How's the new form treating you?" 

"Alright. Works better than a mortal body." 

"Well, that's a no-brainer." I said. 

He stood in silence for a few seconds, looking at the floor. "I saw him." 

"Who?" 

"My brother." 

I leaned back against a wall, unfazed. "Yeah. And?" 

He hesitated, then looked up at me with a grin. 

"He was unconscious. You were right, he is pathetic." 

I laughed. "Didn't take long to knock him out. Never does." 

"I can't believe I ever looked up to that idiot. He held me back." 

"Damn right he did. But hey, you've got a better deal here. I give you a more powerful form and a high place when the plan is complete, and all you have to do is complete a few missions." 

"I'll take it that my last victory is going to do me well?" He grinned, his white eyes flashing. 

"Don't push your luck, kid." I said. "You may have done well getting those brats here, but that doesn't mean I owe you. It only means you followed orders." 

"Of course." 

"Besides, it won't matter that you brought the kids here if they manage to escape. Some of the other Shadows don't perform as well as you. Two of the brats have escaped, and if they're left alone, all of them will follow."

"I don't understand, how is that a problem? They're children, surely they're easy to overpower when it comes to you." 

"You're right, but this vessel will be useless in a few days. It'll be a complete waste of energy to have to go track down the brats, subdue them, and put them all back in the rooms with new Shadows powering them. It's more tedious than it is worrying. But, at the same time, those kids are my one way ticket to an immediate yes on whatever I want from all seven. I plan on not losing them." 

"If you don't mind, I may have a solution to your little issue." Shane said, a smirk on his face. 

"And that is?" 

"Send me and a few Shadows to the hall that leads to the Fear Rooms. They couldn't get past me before, there's no way they'll be able to do it now." 

I thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "I like the way you think. Do just that, and do whatever is needed to get them back in those rooms besides killing them. I need them alive." 

"Of course." He said, and left the room. 

I laughed to myself. Those brats had no idea what they were about to face. And once they were dealt with, I could finally move on to the next stage. 

----------------------------------------------

Wkh ghprq jurzv lpsdwlhqw,

Wkh rog sxsshw'v hqfruh gudzv qhdu.

Dqg d gdxjkwhu zloo pdnh d vdfulilfh

Iru wkh rqh vkh krogv prvw ghdu.

Hint: Think bold.