Earth

It was nice to see Lord Mayfair didn't follow Helmuts example and he started helping out , that little light from up above started growing stronger maybe someone could reach there.The hole up near the celling was big enough to fit two people at once , problem was the hight was too big for any of them.Yet couldn't it be possible?

She stopped for a second , taking a few steps back trying to figure out if there was a small chance to do so in which case they wouldn't have to take all those rocks out of the way and they would escape this place much faster.
"Everyone , please.." Adelia tried talking louder so that they were listening "couldn't we just climb through that hole up there?I know it's tall but we could help eachother..."

She looked puzzled towards everyone waitting for a response.
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Helmut went near Adelia so to see the hole that she was talking about , it could work!
"I say we should try , after all it might take too long to clear the way ..."he took his shirt off revealing his young white colored skin , with no hair or scars like a childs.Yet he was pretty well build even if he wasn't very muscular.
"Since my leg feels so much better now ..I will make the jump and try getting over ."he smiled "I used to do stuff like this with my brother while we were children."He then gave his shirt to Clarice winking at her .

"Now out of the way please!" and he ran with all his speed , almost walking up the wall "Thank God with these stones , it's like using stairs!"he thought to himself.

One more jump at the right moment and he was hanging from the ledge of the crack .A little push , Helmut was now laying on his stomach on the cold ledge with one hand down towards the others so he can pull one of them up.But first he tried looking on the other side , a little light but still not strong enough to see anything clearly , even so he was sure there was a floor!

"Clarice throw me my shirt please..." while holding with one hand to the ledge he tried reaching after it "We need something to hang on to on the other side here when I'll let you people down..."
"The girls first of course!"he smiled."Lord Byron and Maximillian please grab Lady Clarice and help her up.."

Alayna had not been gone for fifteen minutes when it began to rain. And it rained hard and fast. It surprised the noblewoman too for there wasn’t a cloud in the sky when she left Magnolia Manor. Something about the storm unnerved her. This whole experience unnerved her actually. Even the unpredictable weather was playing tricks on her senses.

“What is wrong with me? It’s just a storm.” She thought.

It was not just ‘a storm’ though. Thunder and lightning entered the fray and the wind picked up dramatically. The coach shook a bit and Alayna could feel her heart start to pound in fear. She suddenly recalled the day when she learned of her husband’s death. It had been a day like this and his coach overturned when the horses became spooked. For the first time in ages, Alayna began to pray. She honestly didn’t know what compelled her to; she just felt that she should.

Suddenly, lightning struck near the coach and the horses bolted. The coachman tried to take control of the reigns but couldn’t. Alayna was jolted out her seat and landed on the floor of the carriage. Luckily she didn’t hit her head on anything, but her back hit the floor hard and she screamed. Oh God, it couldn’t end like this. There were so many things she wanted to do with her life. So many young children and others depended on her. Fate seemed to play with her though and suddenly the carriage turned over on its side. Apparently the horses turned suddenly on a hill and the coach couldn’t make the turn. Alayna covered her head as the coach turned and crashed on the side of the hill. The coachman had fallen off as well as the groomsmen but they appeared okay. As soon as they were on their feet, the coachman ran to the coach.

“My lady, are you all right?!” he asked.
Alayna groaned. She felt sore, but nothing was in pain.

“I am okay.” She replied.
“We’ll get you out of there as soon as possible.”

It took them twenty minutes to get Alayna out of there. Unfortunately the horses ran off, but fortunately there was a nearby farm. One of the groomsmen ran to see if they had any horses or any kind of transportation and the farmer happily lend them his horses, which were in good condition. Alayna was shaken by the events but was able to decide that it be best to get back to Magnolia Manor since the weather was too dangerous to travel. She did send a groomsman a head to notify the manor of the events and the other groomsman back to her manor to let them know as well. Alayna didn’t worry about the carriage but would pay for any damages. Nothing could be done about it for now. She ended up riding behind the coachman on the biggest horse loaned to them. It was hard to get on considering she wasn’t in a riding habit, but she didn’t complain.

By the time they got back to the manor, there was no one about. Alayna wondered where everyone was. The storm and the look of the manor made it seemed very haunting. Gone was the friendly charming manor. It made Alayna nervous. Telling the coachman to stay there, she wondered around the manor in the pouring rain. She didn’t know what to she was looking for exactly, but when she saw an opening near the back of the mansion, she bend down and looked inside. It was pretty dark, but taking a deep breath, Alayna entered it. As soon as she entered, the door behind her close, and it was pitched black. However, a few seconds later, torches lit up suddenly and Alayna saw she was on a massive stairway. Taking one of the torches, Alayna started down.

It took her awhile to finally reach the bottom. In front of her were several doorways. Now which way? At least the place was dry and warm. Alayna was a bit surprised by this because most basements she had seen were damp. While deciding which way to go, she thought she heard voices coming from the left doorway. Was someone else down here? Deciding to find out, Alayna went through that door way and several minutes later saw a light up ahead. Hoping it was a way out, she walked a bit faster. What she found was something she wasn’t expecting; Lady Mayfair and some of the guests on one side of the room, a strange contraption, and a large gap in between her and the others.

“Lady Mayfair, is that you? Do you know what is going on?!” she called out to the other side.

That was not expected. One second Clarice was putting rocks into a pile; the next moment Helmut was giving her his shirt to hold. His skin was illuminated in the strange light, it had a milky complexional to it. Work had never touched Lord Helmut's bare chest, nor scar, nor anything else that would affect its flawlessness. Normally, Clarice was not the kind of girl to stare at any kind of man, ever, but this was an exception.

She did not even attempt to hide her eyes flitting over him, there was no shame in what she was doing. So she held onto his shirt, still a little taken aback by his action, and the fact he winked at her. She had tried to play hard to get, but she really did not want to play anything, unless it was something that involved a private room and a lack of clothing.

"Clarice throw me my shirt please..." while holding with one hand to the ledge he tried reaching after it "We need something to hang on to on the other side here when I'll let you people down..."
"The girls first of course!"he smiled."Lord Byron and Maximillian please grab Lady Clarice and help her up.."

The cool air and Helmut's voice brought her back into reality. The heiress really did not want to give up his shirt so quickly, it smelled delicious but ever so mysterious all at the same time. She obliged and stepped up to the wall, tossing the shirt up the wall into his hands. Clarice looked over to Lord Bryon, she really did not need his help, at least not at the moment. Instead she slipped off her shoes and threw them up onto the top of the wall, running in heels would not work well. After she removed them she took a few steps back. "Grab my arm and pull me up.." With that she did not wait for a response from Helmut, he would do as she asked.

The stone ground was cool against her feet, sending chills up her spine, but she ran nonetheless up the wall like Helmut had and grabbed onto his hand as he pulled her the rest of the way up. She was not ready to let go of her feminism to allow Bryon and Maximilian to help her, mostly because she did not need it. Once she was up on the wall, Helmut promptly used his shirt to lower her to the other side. Not wasting anytime in the cramped space.

Surprisingly, there was a small amount of light on the other side of the wall, at least enough to cast shadows on various objects. Cobwebs danced through practically every single corner of the cellar. The dank darkness and wet air stuck to her skin. Clarice slipped one cream colored finger through ivory loop of her heel, letting the dust grace itself onto her now dirty feet. Normally stone was cool, but to her shock the rock floor was eerily warm...

From the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of something. Whatever it was it was on the ground, leaning up against the wall. It's silhouette was that of a humans, but something was terrible wrong. It was no human, maybe at one point. In a live beings place sat a corrupted decayed skeleton, once of the things Clarice could not handle.. bones.

She immediately attempted to take a step back, but could not... her feet were glued in place as her mind drifted elsewhere.

Vibrant green grass tickled the little girl's feet as her stunning jet black hair danced around her in twisting loops and tendrils of silky ringlets. Her eyes matched the grass and resembled the jungle in every sense of the word. It was her eighth birthday and she had finally managed to explore her Uncle's property, after so many years it was finally her's to explore. She had already crossed a few creeks and a large field, the whole time a little boy followed behind her. He was one of her Uncle's friend's sons. He was no more than a year older than her, but they had not spoken yet.

For some strange reason she wanted to speak to him though, every fiber in her body wanted to run around and play tag, jump through puddles, and roll in the dirt with this mysterious young boy, yet he stayed about thirty feet back, keeping a safe distance.

Finally they happened upon a house, it was old and dilapidated. The shutters on the windows seemed to be an odd crimson color, that of blood and the door was hanging open by it's hinges. Any eight year old girl in their right mind would never walk into a house like that, but she on the other hand was not like any other little girl. She picked fights with the boys and broke their hearts with a smile, climbed onto the rooftops of her estate to throw stones at people passing, and she was most defiantly the kind of girl that would wander into a strange building in the middle of a field.

So she did just that. The wooden boards under her feet moaned loudly with each step. Toe, ball, heel. Toe, ball, heel. She repeated to herself in her mind to keep her steps as silent as possible. As she slipped through the open door she was evoked by the shadowy depths that laid untouched in the house for who knows how many years. There was an unforgettable stench or something, rot, or decay. It was a smell she had never once encountered before in her life.

Out of naivety she followed the odor, practically forgetting she herself was being followed by the handsome young fellow. Hundreds of wooden crates were piled aimlessly along the hall and cobwebs dusted against her ivory dress turning it from a perfect glowing cream to a off brownish yellow.

First she heard the buzzing, like a thousand bees in an angry swarm, though they were only flies. Second, the full extent of the smell hit her, it resembled dirt and stale air, but something awful altogether, finally was the image. In the corner sat a dead body, maggots eating away at his flesh while parts of his skin exposed his worn skeleton underneath. That was all the could handle.

As fast as she could she ran out from the house, leaving behind the smell and utterly repulsive image that plagued her mind. Standing in front of the abandoned home's steps was the boy. His dark brown hair reflecting every color of the universe, gold, burgundy, maroon, it was endless. She had no one else to run to, except for him. The girl pressed her head into his chest letting tears fall down and drenching his shirt, and all the while he just stood there, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her until there were no more tears left to cry. The image in her head had turned into a simply figment of her imagination, it was gone.

"You're Clarice right?" The girl nodded as the taller boy spoke kindly, a small smile lit up on her angelic features. "I'm Helmut."

Clarice pulled herself from the delusion and stepped into the wall, pressing her back into the cold brick. She had not even begun to realize tears were swarming her cheeks endlessly, not because of the skeleton, but because of the memory. It was not one from this life, Clarice had never had black hair, nor had a rich uncle, but it was so vivid. Honestly, it scared her.

She had the strange desire to bury her head into the Helmut's chest, to cry, but why? So instead she stood there, sucking in her tears, hoping none of them realized what just happened.

(Sorry, I sort of did Helmut's actions for him in a few parts, as well as I had no idea if their names carried on from life to life. I originally called Clarice, Clara in her past life, but I figured this would pose less confusion. For those of you that did not catch on, the black headed girl is Clarice and the brunette is Helmut, in a past life as children falling in love. I love this role play.. just saying.)

Adelia stayed in the back ,while the bare chested Helmut was making his way up the wall.This little adventure has proven the girl how much more there is to a person not only what they let you see.This man who did nothing from the point of his arrival than boost and talk nonsens was now showing them a side of him that she herself admired.What could happen to this people that they would hide from others through devious intents?It struck her mind that if her father wouldn't have protected her like he did from the world maybe she would have been like them.This thought almost made her cry , she found it so sad , as if she could see that this tainted mask that some of them had been wearing would stop them from their own fate.

Her dreams ,which have stopped since yesterday , troubled her mind now while everyone else was preparing to jump over the wall.The words of Maximillian in that evening , she could hear them again .A song long forgotten had invaded her mind , it was strange and diffrent from anything she had ever heard before.The way Clarice followed Helmut on the other side didn't shock her anymore , in a way Adelia felt a little older ,wiser.Looking on how he grabbed her hand , their eyes so beautifull meeting like that.Did they find that person they had dreamed of?

Everyone seemed to have in some way , where was he?She looked around the room , Maximillian on one side and then Lord Byron , she couldn't recognize any of them.She was next to be taken on the other side of the wall, taking her shoes off she went near the wall , she would need help to reach up there.
She looked back at the men once again , studying every feature , waitting for them to help her up.
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And she jumped up to him , he laughed a little , he would pay to see if any other woman could pull that off while looking so angelic.Yet her eyes sometimes were anything but angelic really , she was like a piece of spicy chocolate.He grabbed her hand once again pulling her towards him and slowly with his shirt taking her down on the other side.

"Ok , Adelia next."the girl was near the wall , it seemed she wasn't very agile"Lord Byron give the girl a hand!"

While waitting for the man to do so , he felt the silence.Too silent ,he looked down where Clarice was ..."Damn this darkness."he whispered , he couldn't see anything but she didn't seem alright.

"Lady Clarice are you fine?" no answer , she was moving back near the wall.Was there something else down there?"Wait a second everyone , I will be right back."and he jumped after the woman.

It was like she couldn't even see him , she was just starring at what looked like a skeleton.So she had her fears after all like any woman.He didn't want to scare her more since it was clear that for some reason she was in a away not there.He had his shirt in one hand , walking slowly next to the poor man who maybe had been trapped here just like them .Helmut covered the remains of the dead man , the smell was stronger here.

Now he was face to face with Clarice , she still didn't see him , so he grabbed her in his arms ."Clarice " he spoke her name whispering by her ear"it's me Helmut."he felt her body coming back to life.Letting go, he kissed her on the forehead like he would do with a sister , his true urge was to kiss her on the lips and maybe if this was any other woman he would have.He would have forced her to receive his lips but he couldn't and he hated her in a way for ever making him feel like this.

Ow how she resembled in some ways that woman who had lost her life to him.He was cruel , he was tainted ...a young stray dog diseased and alone who had bitten the hand that feed him.He once kissed her forehead too , the path he had choosen from his fathers murder had his soul tarnished and soiled.Evil intent would take over him and he would marry this Clarice and take everything away from her , letting her die like a rose left to burn.That fire was Helmut , mindless and savage.

When she was hanging there , he laughed and cried at the same time.And he knew why , he had a plan and didn't stay on track and he had one now too.He needed a rich spouse , he needed a woman who would never make him feel like this ,no remorse means no pain.The things that were more important to a man like him didn't have anything to do with sentimental bull.

Helmut went back up , Adelia was still waitting there , she could see maybe the war that had started inside of him.This young child was maybe best suited , her familly was very well known , rich and powerfull.She was naive enough for him to play his cards as he wished ,she was still so pure , he wanted to crush that.Destroy that stupid look on her face , yet all he did was smile to her with the sweetest face he could ever had.He was a wolf , a hungry one , a lovely sheep like herself will be more than sufficient.He felt the urge to look after Clarice ,was she alright now?

"Son" his father was sitting with his hands tied to his back on the ground in his cell.His brother didn't come with them today , even if it was the last day.His mother was crying at the entrance , the guards didn't let her enter.But Helmut was small and fast , managing to get by his side ,cleaning the remains of blood and sweat off his face with his shirt.
"Stay true to who you are ,"he smiled , some of his teeth were gone "take care of your mother and brother."Helmut could see his tears even if he wasn't crying."Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
The men grabbed the child by his hands ,dragging him out.His old man was finally crying and yelling something.

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."Helmut said while glaring at Adelia.

Helmut elegantly took off his shirt and jumped on the rocks like a feline, reaching the other side in no time. It didn’t take too long for Clarice to literally run by his side. Of course, the situation was much more complex than that, but it was the outcome that interested Byron.

”So she doesn’t need me, nor my help.”, he thought not without anger. It wasn’t the fact that he desperately wanted to prove his chivalry in front of the group, etiquette held no importance in his eyes, but it was clear to Lord Byron by now that the fickle woman enjoyed the charlatan’s company more than his. Now this was a problem. It gave Clarice an option, therefore it gave her the possibility to turn her back on him and his plan, which he so carefully devised.

“And this brings me to the conclusion that women aren’t to be trusted” he mumbled in a very low voice,clenching his teeth. Not only where they in a tight spot – only the Lord knew if he’ll ever find the way back to his comfortable bed – but his own plan seemed to drift apart piece by piece with every moment that passed in this God forsaken place. Byron needed a new, better plan. Preferably one which didn’t involve a partner, one easier to control from it’s beginning to the end. And he needed it fast.
At first he ignored Helmut’s demand to help Adelia, in fact he didn’t hear it at all, being lost in his thoughts for quite some time. It was more than enough for him to start over.
“Forget about Phaedra, forget about the third man, I don’t need any more complications.” Byron thought it over and over again since breakfast, it wasn’t wise nor easy to do what he wanted at first. Getting away from Genevieve and this marriage was much easier said than done, that much he knew, but having her to fall in love with another was quite impossible. He knew it from the very beginning, no matter how much he liked to fantasize on the contrary, facts were facts: Genevieve Mayfair will never cease to love him. She didn’t when he treated her badly, nor when she caught him with various other women. So his mind found another way out.
This plan, however, takes time. And Lord Byron had time.

"Ok , Adelia next. Lord Byron give the girl a hand!" Helmut’s annoying voice brought him once more back to reality. The girl was waiting barefooted near the wall, her eyes going from Maximilian to him, pleading without any words for someone to help her up. The illusionist looked ill. Not “I need a hot tea and a hanky” kind of ill, but pale and worn out. He didn’t even notice that Adelia was looking at him or that she needed to be helped up. Maximilian had a blank stare in his icy blue eyes and the movements of an old man. Byron thought that maybe the lack of fresh air had some influence on the man, so he didn’t ask any questions; he just went over to Adelia and wrapped his arms around her waist, raising her small body toward Helmut.


"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Helmut said to the girl, making Byron believe that maybe the air got to his brain.
“Quite the preacher, sir Helmut, has the young missionary gotten through to you?” he asked looking at Adelia’s legs that slightly kicked him in the stomach in her attempt to keep the balance. Her slender frame was light, it surprised him how fragile it was, giving him the impression that it might crumble under his fingers.

Helmut caught her and gently brought her to the other side. Now it was his turn. Byron didn’t reach for the shirt, he just climbed up the rocks like a monkey, messing his suit and his expensive leather shoes on the way. Maximilian did the same, only a bit slower.
He was shaky on his legs, but a bit better than before.

On the other side of the wall things were eerie, least to say. Clarice was quiet, her gaze fixed on the skeleton in front, instead of being drawn to the beautiful stone on the sculpture.

He took a better look at it, ignoring the skeleton. Byron already came to the conclusion that this was not real. Everything they saw and been through was just an elaborate play made by Genevieve and Maximilian using the manor’s wide basement as stage. She had both the time and the money to pull it through, not to mention the imagination for it. He knew his wife better than she suspected and this time he won’t play by her childish rules.

Byron took the stone in his hands. “Alliance my ass” he said ready to throw the stone on the ground where it would shatter into pieces. Another stone wall opened to his left, making him change his mind. With a swift pace he entered the other passageway with stone in his hands to make light and found himself behind
“Ms. Renoldi! Weren’t you heading for home?” the tone in his voice stated surprise and sarcasm.

“Genevieveeee!” he roared in anger, smashing the stone on the floor. “What is the meaning of this?”

Suddenly there was silence.
Emma Chambers stepped forward, her heels clacking on the stone floor with precision like a ticking clock. Just like Maximilian from the other side, she kept quiet the whole time, not making use of words or elaborate gestures, walking with the group like a shadow.

On her side there was the Naval Captain John Fisher, her best friend Lady Mayfair, the Scotsman Duncan MacCraigh and Annabelle Penclave. On the other side of the seesaw, just in front of them stood the enraged Byron, a confused Alayna, Helmut and Clarice holding close to one another, Adelia and Maximilian. Right in the center of them, a little higher than the rest, was the wounded missionary Vasile, breathing slow. The bloodstain on his white shirt was too big by now to stay unnoticed.

“Lord Byron!” she called with her velvet-like voice , yet demanding.
“Maximilian Uliara!” she continued, looking straight at the illusionist. Her eyes went over to Clarice, but her lips did not open. “You have failed the task laid in front of you!”
Everyone was silent. Genevieve looked over to her with her eyes widened in surprise and her body slowly trembling from before, when she heard her husband’s call. This time she would not flinch in front of him.

It happened eight months ago. After that fateful night when everything started, Genevieve and Emma often met to share ideas and information about the upcoming event. What began as a list of at least 30 people, the two managed to narrow it to just seven: Helmut Jaegar, Clarice Adelaide Phaedra, John Arbuthnot Fisher, Duncan MacCraigh, Adelia Chevalier, Annabelle Penclave, Alayna Renoldi. “H.J.” “C.P.” “J.F.” “D.M.” “A.C.” “A.P.” “A.R.” as the runes stated. None of them predicted that both Maximilian Uliara and a young missionary by the name of Vasile would each play a part in this important event.

The plan was simple: get them together and let the magic happen. Emma knew that magic has its limits and so has their time on Earth. She asked Genevieve’s permission to explore Magnolia’s secret passageways, too make sure they were safe, “in case anything might go wrong.” She told her that most of them were deteriorated, having not been used for so long and asked another permission, to rebuild them and make them stronger. However, she did not say what kind of “rebuilding” there was to be done. Emma strongly believed in testing their will to end the dreadful cycle in which all of them had been cast away so many times by their own mistakes and pride. She also believed that this kind of test will not only reveal everyone’s true nature, but also reveal the bonds between them, bonds they would never come to accept unless faced with danger.

So she did what she had to do: play her part until the end, keeping half of the secret from Genevieve in order to test her determination along with the others. She asked Jared to take care of everything during breakfast: talk with the remaining servants, convince them in any way not to open the doors or to answer to the master’s calling. He’d been quite skillful at that, getting all of them into one room and telling them to stay put because the Mayfair’s demanded so. The rumors about devil worshipping rituals and other similar things spread out quickly and the superstitious beings didn’t want to take any part in it. None of them heard Byron’s or Genevieve’s call, nor the calls from the other servants that were in the garden at the time. However, Emma couldn’t take credit for the rain, nor for Ms. Renoldi’s sudden return. That was all fate’s part. Yet things didn’t turn out exactly how she imagined: fate decided to separate Genevieve from Byron and give each of them a different test. Heaven itself had made everything so clear for her, now that she had seen the two groups facing one another just like before, a long, long time ago.

“Everybody on this side!” she demanded, her voice clear as a crystal. “You have yet to pass the test! Get to the other side so we can leave this dark place and come out to the light. We’ll take the pathway from which Ms. Renoldi just came.”

She nodded toward Vasile, letting him know that it was best he stayed there for a while.
“After all of this ends and everyone takes a well-deserved bath” she smiled while saying this “please gather once more, this time in the Oriental Terrace. I have something to show all of you!”
No one said a word for a few minutes. Any of them had the right to feel angry for this, nothing that has happened so far was a game. It was too dangerous to be called as such.

“I apologize on my friend’s behalf!” Genevieve said in a rough voice, looking first at Alayna who asked her before what was happening. She wasn’t angry, but she held her head high in a serious manner. “I never meant for any of this to happen! Please forgive me, it is my own fault for bringing you here in the first place!”
She looked from one guest to another, asking for forgiveness and demanding something with her eyes in the same time. She was sorry they’ve been dragged into this because of her, but she wasn’t sorry for bringing them to Magnolia. She knew this was for their own good and hers. As long as the real test was still in order and none of them realized what needed to be done, she would make sure that no one leaved Magnolia Manor even if it meant holding them here against their will. Genevieve had no other choice but to see this whole soul mate affair come to an end, a happy one at least, if it was in her power to do so.

“Ms. Renoldi, I am happy to see you with us once more, although I am quite confused myself when it comes to the reason for your lucky appearance. We'll have all the time in the world to share explanations once we get to your side. I haven't forgotten about what you told me before breakfast, I believe there was something you wanted to ask me." Her eyes shifted to the other group.
"Byron, there is no time for quarreling. Sir Helmut, please steady the seesaw from your side with the help of my husband. Sir Duncan and Sir John, please get some rope and those iron hooks from over there. What Miss Penclave said sounds reasonable enough. I shall go first after we secure the contraption, but I still need Sir Vasile in the center to help me cross it. Is that alright with you, Sir Vasile?”

“Alliance my ass”
As Byron grabbed the stone a door opened leading to the other group.On the side they entered she could see Lady Alayna ,it seems she didn't leave yet and in some way had found the entrance inside this place.Since Lord Byron was already talking and was clearly in a bad mood she stayed silent , looking on the other side , she could see Lady Genevieve .
Things weren't as simple as they had seemed at first , they little adventure wasn't a simple coincidence.The Lady Emma was in front of the others ,it seems that this wasn't her plot entirely having Maximillian and Lady Mayfair involved.Adelia wasn't angry, but she felt somehow betrayed , this wasn't a joke and things could have been worst.By the look and tone they had things had gone wrong , she was going to ask for answer when they get out of here.
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Helmut ignored Byrons remark , it didn't mattered what anyone would think.Normally he would have given a witty answer but at this time he didn't have the necessary mood.Everyone was on the other side of the wall now , Clarice still silent , the illusionist looking sickly ,Adelia troubled maybe but she didn't even hear what he mistakenly had told her back then.The Lord Byron seemed ticked off to no end and his anger was that saved them maybe.

Since a door opened that revealed all the others inclusively Lady Alayna.What in the devil was she doing here?Then he noticed the strange contraption that stoop infront of him as a substitute for a floor.The group with the Lady of the manor seemed to be blocked on that side because of it.Vasile the priest was wounded , Helmut wondered how did that happen so he took a better look at the floor.

And then the woman Emma had started talking ,test , failure ...passing what?Helmut felt as the anger took over him slowly , they have been used maybe as some sort of test subjects.It seemed to him like the Mayfairs were utterly insane , what were they thinking ?He didn't give a damn about their bullshit with soulmates and eternal love or anything like that.This was enough.

First they had to get out of here so him and Byron would follow the direction given by this woman for now.Yet He had no intention to play along anymore after this .

Everything seemed to happen so fast. As bizarre as the situation was for Alayna, she managed to keep her cool. That was until Lord Byron and the rest of the guest showed up. The man was really starting to get on her nerves but she wouldn’t resort to shouting. In fact, she never recalled acting like that for it was very unladylike. Still the man needed to be taken down a few pegs and she was willing to accommodate that.

“I was on my way home Lord Mayfair, but something happened and now I am back. Now instead of worrying about me, maybe you should be more concerned about your wife and the others.” Alayna replied in her normal icy tone.

She turned sharply to Emma when she spoke. She didn’t particularly pay attention to the woman up until this point. She was certainly paying attention now. The words she said confused her to no end, but they also angered her. Was this really all a game? It felt that way. Before she could say anything Lady Mayfair started talking. She raised her eyebrows at that. So this really was planned. She doubt though the rain was planned by the Mayfairs. No one could control the weather. This whole talk of soul mates was starting to get out of hand. Alayna hated not being in control or on top of anything and to have all this happen to her and others was uncalled for. Even Adelia looked unhappy about what just happened. Alayna saw the condition the religious man was in and hoped he got across safely so he could be seen to. Turning back to Lady Mayfair as she apologized, Alayna was reluctant to forgive her. So instead for replying, she merely went to the side and waited for the others to get over here. All while she kept looking at the others, especially Captain John.

Clarice was not sure snapped her out of her daze at first. Visions of a past she could not fully remember fled from her mind until finally she felt the heat. He had his arms around her, just like the "dreams" always had. Something about the way his warm skin felt against her trembling body was comforting. His smooth words uttered softly into her ear, the words that completly brought her back to the reality, the reality that she was still in a cellar, a dead body in front of her, but this time Helmut was holding her tightly, keeping the fear out.

His arms were more like a shield, as if he was protecting a sibling though it was utterly perfect despite the lack of romantic actions. He followed the embrace with pressing his lips to her forehead, before leaving her. She was not afraid anymore, the feeling in her body came back to life. This could not have been the first time Helmut and her had met in this life. Clarice could not believe that they had not been close in another time, or place. It was all to perfect. For the moment she could have given up her vixenous ways, never touch another man or paint her lips red to get a strangers attention.

For some reason she snapped herself out of that daze as well. Helmut was just another man, that wanted one thing. Clarice was just another exception to the rules of society as she wanted the same as any young man. There would never be any sort of love between the two, no matter how much her heart ached for something real instead of the lustful romances she had grown accustomed to.

“Alliance my ass” he said ready to throw the stone on the ground where it would shatter into pieces. Another stone wall opened to his left, making him change his mind. With a swift pace he entered the other passageway with stone in his hands to make light and found himself behind
“Ms. Renoldi! Weren’t you heading for home?” the tone in his voice stated surprise and sarcasm.

“Genevieveeee!” he roared in anger, smashing the stone on the floor. “What is the meaning of this?

The cold stone floor practically shook with the tundering of Lord Bryon's voice. There was anger in his voice then another emotion she could not identify as easily. Clarice followed him down the other passage way, not wanting to be left alone in the room with the skeleton (real or not).


“Lord Byron!” she called with her velvet-like voice , yet demanding.
“Maximilian Uliara!” she continued, looking straight at the illusionist. Her eyes went over to Clarice, but her lips did not open. “You have failed the task laid in front of you!”

Task? Test? What kind of place was this? Clarice was enraged. Blood flowed to every sufrace on her body, boiling and almost ready to explode. The mistress had not come here to deal with a task, she came to cure her boredom which had been urking her at her own home. The boredom of the same life and same story, running from her past and not dealing with the present. Clarice though just perhaps this trip could bring some antidote for the same run of the mill life she lived, but the fact that a task they had been forced into completing dealt with dark corridors and dead people was not fun or an antidote for anything. All the other words spoken by anyone else did not reach the heiress, to prevent herself from killing someone she zoned out once again, completly focusing on the warmth of Helmut standing next to her.

“I apologize on my friend’s behalf!” Genevieve said in a rough voice, looking first at Alayna who asked her before what was happening. She wasn’t angry, but she held her head high in a serious manner. “I never meant for any of this to happen! Please forgive me, it is my own fault for bringing you here in the first place!”

That snapped her out of the daze as well, but Genevieve? Why her? What did the lady possess that made Clarice's anger suddenly cease? She did not know, but for some reason she simply wanted to get out of the tunnels despite her dislike of the days events so far.

"Trust me, I am just as enraged as most of you all are, but for now, let us push aside our differences and feelings to simply escape this dank dungeoun of sorts?" She used her best voice and put on her best face. If she was willing to put aside the events for an hour or so, that meant every one else was capable as well. Clarice crossed her arms over her ribs in an attempt to keep the small amount of heat she had left in her body, in her body instead of floating around in the bitter air, waiting for someone to say something.

Although it was painful for the young man to stand straight, he looked intently at the woman who gave a detailed explanation regarding the contraption on which he was now trying to keep balance. He’d seen things to be much simpler than that, thus he found a single fault in her logic: Ms. Penclave took into consideration only the physical laws, disregarding the ones who stood higher than everything else.
Vasile felt her eagerness to prove her independent and logical way of thinking, but that kind of eagerness could easily turn into pride. And pride had its own kind of stench; Vasile knew it all too well. Yet he wasn’t here to judge, he was here to encourage one’s free will.

Before he could say anything about his own plan for the device, Lady Renoldi entered the room coming from the other side. This surprised him, least to say, but more surprisingly than anything was seeing Lord Byron and the others there shortly after.

The missionary was now standing in the middle of the two groups, listening to their argument. He felt the tension in the air, the clash of egos and their feelings of anger. It was strange how the place seemed to amplify his own senses, both physical and spiritual. He felt everyone’s negative feelings like throwing knives aimed at one another passing through him, especially coming from lord Byron.
His own wound, caused by a nail, didn’t show any sign of closing up and Vasile was afraid of not getting tetanus. He had to get out as soon as possible, not only from the basement, but also away from the conflict. As they were talking, he slowly closed his eyes and everything around him faded. It was silence; he was alone with his thoughts. The light of the torches engulfed him as he felt his being rising from the ground. He looked down at his own body and at the others. It wasn’t the first time when Vasile used an outer-body experience to heal his wounds and calm the people around him. He took a good look at the guests, trying to figure out what was causing such an unholy behavior. Lord Byron had a creature wrapped around his hands and legs who was spitting smoke and whispering in his ear: “Look, look at her. She’s to blame. Look at the other one, you must surely hate him by now. Your own sloth stops you from saving yourself, sloth, sloth ..” the vile creature kept repeating Byron’s sin.
He looked over to Clarice, she had her own demon surrounded by snakes, a kind of demon with which Vasile dealt before: the succubus. The demon amplified her lust and her hunger. Saints and priests advised against gluttony because if often led to lechery. The ancient demon circled the woman in voluptuous movements, winking at him. Vasile made the sign of the cross, frightening the succubus who whispered unknown words to the young woman.

The one who worried him the most was Alayna. He’d seen her to be sad and lonely somehow just like the creature around her who feared the light and who fed on her belly, ripping energy from within. The creature looked old and crippled and it smiled to him. It was the kind of smile that would make others lose their minds with fear. Everything happened fast and Vasile knew there was a reason for why he had to see all of it. He also knew that time was not on his side.
Helmut had two little demons beside him. They were playful and mischievous, pulling the chains that held his body. They were greedy and immature and they filled Helmut’s heart with venomous ideas about possession.

Vasile felt that something was amiss. In fact, a person was missing. He couldn’t see Maximilian with the others, it was as if he left for a while, although he had to be there, he felt his presence. Heavy, dark clouds of smoke started to rise from everyone in the room except Adelia. He knew it was time to leave before the spirits got even more violent.
“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, I command you to cease! Amen” His own voice was like thunder and from the top of his head, light started to pour in and turn itself into arrows that pierced the heavy clouds and the creatures surrounding the guests, driving them back from where they came from.

Nobody had seen all of these, only for a second everyone could see a cross made of light on his forehead that quickly faded away. He called on to them with compassion and love in his voice:
“Remember human that you are bound by sin, with lies, with clamor, with weakness and sin is like a terrible beast chained to your soul. Oh sinful soul of mine, is this what you wished for?”
Nobody heard his voice, nor seen his actions and Vasile returned to his body feeling more powerful than ever.

The other woman, the strange one that arrived late at breakfast gave the explanations everyone was looking for. Well, not quite the proper explanations, her words only brought anger and disappointment. He was quite shocked to hear Lady Mayfair backing up Emma’s unbelievable explanation with apologies. No doubt about it, this was the truth: they’ve been put to a test and Vasile himself knew for what purpose. “Now it begins, the battle for your souls. Nothing is yet lost.” he whispered softly and his words got lost in the darkness beneath his feet. Everything had been revealed to him, the reason for their gathering.

I shall go first after we secure the contraption, but I still need Sir Vasile in the center to help me cross it. Is that alright with you, Sir Vasile? Lady Mayfair’s words echoed in his ears.

"Trust me, I am just as enraged as most of you all are, but for now, let us push aside our differences and feelings to simply escape this dank dungeon of sorts?" Vasile couldn’t agree more with Clarice’s words.
“Of course, Lady Mayfair, I’ll help all of you to get on the other side and then I’ll follow you shortly. Be careful because it is quite slippery, but Miss Penclave’s plan is safe and with me here to hold each of you nothing can go wrong.”
Lord Byron said nothing more and done his part perfectly, securing the contraption with Helmut. He was silent, but inside of him anger stirred like hot lava waiting to come out.

The illusionist quietly waited for everyone to calm down. It would be highly inappropriate to say that he waited for their silence with eagerness. In fact, as soon as Byron’s anger triggered the tension, Maximilian felt energy overflowing his body. The man had no idea what caused his temporary lack of vitality, but he was damn sure that the heavy air or the darkness had nothing to do with it. He felt better with each passing moment as soon as the others started to bicker.

Lady Alayna was in front of him, next to Lord Byron. Adelia was near him and Maximilian felt her presence with more intensity than ever. Maybe it was because she held Byron’s hand just a few minutes before. The thought made him uncomfortable.

Oddly enough, he didn’t feel betrayed, not even enraged by Emma Chamber’s or Lady Mayfair’s words. “You have failed the task laid in front of you!” the beautiful woman said and she didn’t sound like a crazy person.

Interesting. And here I thought that I’m the only one using tricks. No matter, I’m always ready for such games. The question is, will they be ready for mine?”

Maximilian’s icy blue eyes turned from Emma to the priest standing in the center. His gaze was locked on his face, the man looked to be..sleeping with his eyes open. Vasile looked right at him but didn’t seem to notice him and his eyes searched the room for a while. Was he truly looking for him or was it just a misunderstanding?
He drew closer to Adelia smiling at her, revealing his perfect white teeth. Her naivete and youth intrigued him. How can anyone be so innocent in this time and age? Then Genevieve stepped forward and got ready to jump on the contraption. The young man slightly leaned toward her, making the contraption move a bit.

Genevieve hesitated to jump, but Vasile’s kind eyes and assuring gaze helped her gain some courage. She pulled up her dress with one hand and stepped on the seesaw trying to keep her balance with the other hand stretched on her side.

“Silly old thing!” she mumbled and for a while she saw herself falling in the darkness beneath her feet. She closed her eyes and walked forward without opening them, reaching in front. Then she felt Vasile’s hand holding her gently and pulling her toward him. His hand was warm and soft. She opened her eyes only to see him smiling at her. She never been so close to him before so now she could see his features clearly. He wasn’t as old as she thought he was. His chiseled face glistened with light and warmth, but also with beauty. Not masculine beauty, not feminine beauty. Something else. He looked at her and that was when Genevieve felt something stuck in her throat. It was the heavy feeling of guilt. She felt extremely guilty, but for what reason and why now she had no idea. Byron’s face appeared in front of her eyes and she felt her stomach stirring and twitching, so much that she almost let go of his hand, wanting to fall on her knees.

But he already pushed her gently in front, making her take another step on the other side. Byron was holding that part of the contraption. She felt him ready to explode and for a moment she changed her mind, wanting to get back in the safety of the other side. It was too late, now she almost reached the floor.

“I’m not sorry.” She whispered just when she passed him, facing the others. He couldn’t turn to face her when he had to hold the seesaw for the others to pass.