Hidden

In the moment Hidden leapt forward her vision had faded. She could tell she was moving but had lost all rhyme or reason. Her arm was outstretched, black sludge sharpened into elongated razor sharp claws. These claws would rake forward aimed to kill the man in front of her. Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into her back of her head and sent her flying into the ground where she would roll several meters before coming to a stop. Surprisingly, she hadn't suffered too much damage from the attack. 

Teeth grinded together as the woman and creature attempted to stand. It seemed the blow had left dazed or something? Why couldn't she get up? The ground beneath her split with cracks and an infernal screech filled her ears. 'Why can't I get up?!' she thought as she pushed against it with all of her might. A sharped cold pierced through her, reminding her of the hallway she had taken to get here. Even now, that seemed like a distant memory. Claws raked on the ground in an desperate attempt to escape the cold. She didn't notice but the goo had began to churn violently as it desperately clung to her skin. 

"I promised him that if he ever fell, the robe and all it represents would carry on.  Whether either of us likes it or not, I gave my word.  This banner cannot fall."

The words were faint and distant but Hidden had heard them. Jubilex would cling to the last emotion it could, attempting to hold on with everything it had left. In its final gasp, Hidden would push off the ground and throw off Freyd's knee with it. Only her hand now remained covered in the black sludge of Raidou's creature. 

"That's not a banner, its a curse. A curse that kills anyone who bears it. That's why I will tarnish the sacrifice of all who wear it. I will make sure the sacrifices of those who bear it are made meaningless. That is my promise. that was our deal." Hidden wouldn't attack this time. She had at least regained self-control with Jubilex being left in shambles. No longer did her raw emotion drive her. Or maybe it was just Jubilex hesitating after taking such heavy losses before? 

♫

 "Leave."

The words were all that were audible in the short span of silence. Hidden's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched Shiina vanish suddenly. Wasn't the girl supposed to be their only healer left? Who was going to keep Raidou alive while they made an escape? It wasn't like the man needed much healing but still. Reaching to her side on the inside of her clothing, she would find the cool touch of a small blue stone. "Teleport Ta-" Her words were cut off as she watched Ayame charging forward with her dagger. A heavy sigh escaped the girl's lips as she moved her hand away from the crystal. It seemed she was going to need to reel in her little 'sister'. 

However; before Hidden could even make a move, disaster would strike. The beast moved in instantly on the small girl as if it had forgotten Raidou completely. She watched as Raidou blocked the attack with his arm, the appendage ripping from his avatar. Gritting her teeth, Hidden would push off the ground as hard as she could, vaulting for the boss. The boss's health was low, maybe she could finish it off before things got anymore drastic? A flash of blue light engulfed Ayame, sending her out of the boss room. Swinging her weapon, the purple aura of her dagger would strike towards the flesh off the boss... until the attack bounced off a sudden black spire. Catching herself on the ground, she would step back as the black spire would pierce into the ceiling. 

The sound of glass shattering filled the air as the final hit on the boss had been dealt. Tracing her eyes down to Raidou, she wouldn't find his figure. Confusion was apparent on her face as her violet eyes searched for where had had suddenly moved to. Instead, what she found was a red robe flapping in the stone. Weird, she hadn't seen the Wanderer take it off before. It was sort of his thing to always be wearing it right? Footsteps behind her echoed throughout the Boss room. Freyd stepped past her, heading towards the robe. Her eyes trailed further, searching for Raidou. The next item to be found was a sword, wedged in the stone. Cracks formed around the heavy blade. 

A gasp was the first audible noise she made after the realization hit her. With widened eyes the girl would stumble forward to the weapon, collapsing in front of it. The impossible had transpired, the unshakeable constant in her life crumbling at foundation. It was all she could do to sit there in silence, onlooking at the weapon.

'This isn't real. This isn't real. THIS ISN'T REAL!' 

The words screamed through her mind, but she found it impossible to convince herself of their meaning. A drop of liquid traced from the side of her face, unknown to her. How could this have happened? Hadn't she been making sure something like this wouldn't happen? 

"What are you doing here."

The cool voice spoke to her and jarred her from her thoughts. Violet eyes turned from the weapon before her to the figure that stood on its opposite end. "I-I-I don't know." Her voice shook at its core, it was completely obvious she was suppressing the feeling from bursting out. She was choking on the raw emotion that screamed to be released. Her eyes fell, falling to the coat that was grasped in Freyd's hand. "That's Raidou's robe. He needs it back." Still, Hidden refused to admit the truth in words. "You can't have it, it's not yours to wear." Hidden's hand reached out for the coat, instead finding the hilt of Raidou's sword. The weapon was too heavy to even attempt to carry. Instead, she pushed her weight onto it. 

In an instant, black sludge clung to her avatar and sunk its fangs into her. Stretching along the side of her body, the sludge would quickly began to wrap its way around her body. A sudden struggle would take place as Hidden began to claw her face, remove the sludge from it. While her efforts ended in success, long red gashes remained etched into her face as her left hand had morphed into long extended claws. Much of it was hard to see thank to her clothing though the sludge had gathered onto nearly all of her left side. 

"This is exactly what you wanted, isn't it? Die." The last word was a cold deathly calm. Though, Freyd wouldn't have any time to ponder its meaning as Raidou's sword became a projectile thrown at his body. Whether the man blocked or dodged the attack, Hidden would end up directly next to him with claws aimed directly at his figure. 

Chapter Three: Resist
"Face the impending disaster."

When her vision returned to her, she found herself staring at a stone tile floor. A voice called to her, asking if she could get up. Raising her head, she found herself looking on at a raging battle. A familiar man clad in a red coat stood, struggling to hold back the force of a monster with three heads. His health was beginning to drop considerably, but the woman was certain of his recovering capabilities. Her eyes flicked back at those that surrounded her. Many of the Firm Anima members stood there, calling out to each other. A few others remained in the fight but it seemed many of them were in the process of teleporting out. 

The white-haired girl stood up, backing away from the fight and reentered the shadows. It seemed that their situation was dire, but the boss that stood against them was also on its last leg. Most likely, the monster was baring its last fangs as its last health bar dipped into red. <<Tanabata Hydra>> was a large three-headed beast, that seemed more than agile enough to keep them on their toes. Violet eyes would onlook as the beast withdrew from Raidou before leaping into the air and slamming into the ground. A shockwave shook the ground knocking several of the remaining players in the fight to the ground. 

'Why is there an odd number of players here? Raidou seems to be the only tank going on, but he is tanking for multiple parties too? I guess we better kill it quickly to take some of the load off huh?' 

Another glance at the other players, it seemed many of them had the same idea as her. Setsuna, Freyd, and Ayame...? What was the girl doing here? When had she gotten to the frontlines? Each of them seemed poised and ready to attack at once. Ayame was most likely still in this fight because Hidden herself was still there. Stupid girl, when would she learn about stepping into fights she didn't belong in? At least it looked like she had Shiina there keeping her healed. A violet aura wrapped around her amethyst blade as Hidden primed an attack, creeping forward from the shadows. 

Her footsteps echoed as she continued down the hall. Her breath created a thin white mist in the air, something she only just now seeing thanks to the additional light. Unlike before, the girl made no hesitation in her steps and was confident with the path laid out bare before her. Surely enough, another door would rest in her path. A seal resting at its center depicted by tea leaves in the shape of a dagger. From first glance, the burning-red image on the door held no meaning to her. Hidden couldn't even begin to formulate a guess on what could rest on the opposite side. 

Stepping forward, she would find that the door let off an intense heat. The smell of blood and smoke rested on the other side. Faltering for a moment, her hand would remain stationary in the air as it extended out. Something told her this door would resemble the first much more than that of the second. Taking a breath to steel herself, the lily would push it open. Not even given a chance to make her own decision, a mighty flame rose consuming girl and door alike. As the woman burned away into ash, words would be echo through the air. 

Face the impending disaster. 

Continuing to walk, she would end up reaching the outskirts of her house's yard. How much farther did she needed to go to leave? Had she not actually completed the Trial? Did she need to go back? Something told her Simmone would be unimpressed. Continuing to walk, she found that it suddenly became harder to walk. As if a harsh win was attempting to prevent her from proceeding forward. Pushing forward, a ripping sound would become audible as the world around her would suddenly tear away and cause even the ground at her feet to fade. Falling through the air, a sudden thud as she planted to the ground. 

'Ouch that wasn't graceful at all!' she thought to herself. Turning around, she would find the door she had stepped through to get this far. What had happened? When she stepped through did she become momentarily unconscious? All of everything she just witnessed had happened during the time it took her to fall to the ground? The idea disagreed with her. Shaking her head, she would simply decide to ignore it. This entire place didn't make much sense in the first place. 

The hallway had remained cold, in fact it seemed colder as she proceeded. It was as if she was in a long freezer and each step took her closer to the fans. However, with the second door passed, the area had become brighter and she could at least make out several feet in front of her before it became impossible to see farther. From what she could see, nothing had changed in the hallway. There were no side rooms, it was just one long cold, stone, dark hallway. Boring.

Taking a step forward, she now found herself actively looking for the next sealed door. With the pattern of things, she was certain another was up and coming. Hopefully it was more like the second door instead of the first. She was much happier to stay within Aincrad than have anything outside of it. 

Simmone would assure Hidden's conclusion of the world around her and her place. The scary thought was knowing that her and Simmone had traded places. Now, it was Simmone who couldn't see herself in the mirror. A faint memory of Simmone's own mirror whispered into her mind. Hidden would watch as the dark haired woman would press her hand against it, assumedly without any result. The cat-like woman would pull her hand away from the mirror, telling her to leave. Slipping from the room, the woman would offer her a weak smile before returning to the table and cover for her absence. 

Moving towards the front door, she would stop for a moment and falter at the knob. 

"Make this happiness your own, through the trials that you must face. Make it real. Don't look back."

Against her warning, Hidden would turn. Violet eyes peered into the vision, a vision that made her happy. Simmone whispered something to Sey and he'd become bright red. She had always loved to see his embarrassed side, though she always found herself getting embarrassed before she could get him to be. Ayame was happily eating, some of the sauce had even gotten onto her face. Hidden was glad that the girl had become so happy from her frightened and feral original self.  "Go go." Simmone ushered her away, continuing to push her away. The woman was right. She needed to leave. If she stayed any longer, she would never want to leave. 

Simmone's final words would humor her, a small giggle forming. Turning back to open the door, she would call back to the woman, "At least you have an ass! That spaghetti hasn't gotten me anywhere!" Laughing and smiling, Hilda would made her way out and into her yard. A pleasant breeze rolled through, leaves fluttered to the ground. It was simply... perfect. For her though, perfect wasn't good enough. 

As normal, most of Simmone's words held no meaning for her. Instead of providing a straight-forward answer, the white-haired girl was offered a question. Which of her was truly the real Hidden? Instead of leaving the question in the air, Simmone took her interpretation of the answer. The answer was that there wasn't any, her and her other half were one and the same. Nodding, Hidden would lock eyes with the golden irises of Simmone. "I think I understand. What's wrong here isn't necessarily me or even the surrounding. The only thing that may be off is the people in it. Everything else is caused by a change in circumstance." The thought process was completely off-the-wall but it was the only thing she could make out of Simmone's words.

Standing up from her toilet seat, she would look at Simmone silently for a moment. Her happiness was fake because it was forced upon her. "I guess... I guess it might be time for me to leave then. I don't belong here... at least not yet." The voices of three drifted in from the kitchen. What would they have even thought of her absence? Would they try to stop her? There was really only one way to find out. 

"I'm sorry... I don't remember going to get that Bridal Gown. That wasn't me." Taking a breath, Hidden would move over to sit on toilet as she attempted to understand the world that was going on around her. Was this simply an alternate version of Aincrad, but she had replaced the Hidden of it? "Reversed huh? I wish I knew what that meant. Does that mean that I've become the shadow in the scenario? Is that why I am so out of place here?" The question was asked slowly and spoken softly. Simmone told her that she thought she looked better this way. A smile would form on Hidden's lips. "Of course, I'd be happy here. I'd get to wake up every day and see Sey. I doubt that Laughing Coffin or the APD ever existed here or they at least leave me alone." Hidden had almost become completely aware of her surroundings. No longer was she trying to integrate herself with it. 

"I'd be happy... but nothing would ever feel right. I'm not even speaking with the people that I know. To you, I'm a stranger wearing someone else's face." Tracing her hair back to her ear, she would tuck it there as she gazed down into her lap. The question also lingered in her head: If she looked better here, how could she be like that back where she belonged? 

The sound of high-heels clicking against the floor caught Hidden's ears before Simmone's words did. Unlike Sey, she didn't immediately push the woman away. Out of everyone, she hadn't acted at all out of the ordinary. There was a bit of information she was missing, but Simmone hadn't acted any different. Eyes raising to the point where she could see Simmone through the mirror, she studied the woman closely. Her eyes were still tinged with gold and for once it was a relief to Hidden. 

"What's the matter, dear? After all, the marriage is in a few days." Turning from the mirror, mouth wide open, she would stare stunned at Simmone. "MARRIAGE? ME?" Here words were coughed out essentially and were sounded with disbelief. She was getting married to Sey? It had once been planned but the whole business with the APD had prevented it from ever happening. 

 "Isn't this everything you have ever wanted?"

Stunned by the question, Hidden would turn her head away. Wasn't this everything she ever wanted? She had friends that visited, she was living happily with Sey, and not a single worry tread her mind. What was the matter with her? She should be more the excited. "Hey Simmone." She would suddenly speak, calmly. She simply needed to affirm something. "You've been appraising Sey and I since you got here. What do you see in me?" She had remembered the woman's answer from before. Was it going to be different here? Was she a different person here, or had just the world changed around here?

OOC Note: From the nature of how things were going, I had to reverse the order of what is happening in the post to be able to respond to it. 

The friendly nature between Raidou and Sey was unfamiliar to her, but it was starting to grow on her. The thing about it that was the hardest to wrap her mind around was Raidou being overly pleasant. She didn't remember having seemed like this before at all. Raidou and him had spoke like they were old friends. In response to Raidou's question, Sey would smile brightly. "Oh? It's moving along quite nicely. Soon, I don't even think I'll be able to keep up with the orders!" A trill laughter would cause Hidden to smile. It was nice to see him getting to enjoy himself. As for Raidou, he seemed pretty happy as well. His attitude it was pleasant, but there was something wrong with it. It wasn't the Raidou she had become accustomed to. Something in her head told her to simply roll with it. She was willing to roll with it until Raidou slid closer, his face inches from hers. Quietly, he would assure her that he had known her for much longer. The issue was not only his distance from her, but the fact that he said her name. 

Standing suddenly, Hidden would get up. There was something sickening about hearing her own name here. That wasn't who she was here. Only Sey had ever been told it because she wanted to meet him outside of Aincrad if she ever left. To hear Raidou say it and so casually... it made her want to vomit. 

Trying to push down the sickness that gathered in her throat, she would excuse herself from the table heading in the direction of the Master Bathroom. Sey would immediately respond to her need, "Love?" He would step in her direction but she would hold out her hand. "Stop! Don't you follow me!" Moving down the hall, she would skirt through their room and to the bathroom. Moving to the sink, she would tightly grasp the counter. Violet eyes met her own as she stared into he mirror in front of her. All she could see was herself, pale as ever, with snow-white hair falling over her shoulders. Hadn't it returned to its natural black before? Memories that existed outside of this place she was in were hazy, but she couldn't shake the feeling that nothing was right. It made her nauseous. 

Turning on the faucet, she would slash some water into her face to help herself cooldown. Something inside of her told her she was overreacting but did she actually feel that way? 

Chaos.

It was a good description of what was happening before them. It was painful to see how similar it had been to the twenty-third floor. Of course, she wasn't going to act out. She had learned from her previous experience. Also, it didn't seem that this decision was paramount to continuing or not. Things seemed the same here, but they were so much different than before. There wasn't a choice before. Hirru had made the choice available while this one had been thrown in front of them. With either result unknown to them, was either answer correct? To her, she didn't care too much for the boss or whatever story he could provide. Killing him was the quickest and cleanest way to proceeding. 

Angry voices bickered for a moment, insults spat in other's faces. Honestly, she could relate with it all. Maybe, for once she could relate with the people themselves. Those on opposing sides couldn't understand what was on the other. Perhaps... she should get involved? Try and help get things under control? The white-haired player opened her mouth to speak but not a sound was heard. 

'Have you forgotten what happened last time? Speak now and they will simply eat you alive. Stick to yourself, you have no allies here. Why try and help them?' You know if you try, it'll just be you getting hurt. Best keep your mouth shut.' 

The words of her own voice were cold as they hissed throughout her mind. Frozen, she stood in place in the rear of the pack. All she could do was onlook as the bickering continued. That was until the man in a blue haori spoke up. Baldur, was typically not one she could appreciate. They had worked together briefly before and the only feeling she could surmise from him was scorn. However, it was him that would begin sewing the rift in the chaos again. He sought to allow people have their opinions and whatever remained the majority was what they would stick with. An agreeable statement to say in the least. 

Finally, Hidden's voice became heard as it gently spread to those surrounding her. The words were hushed and quiet and the voice was monotone, "I don't think this really matters that much. Wasn't the point to be fast about it anyway? Thought the dude was being urgent or whatnot" The words were probably heard by few but they were the only ones she had to offer. Now, where the hell was the door? If the fight was over she could leave right?

'dude? I obviously was around Shiina too long.' 

The sound of the door instantly grabbed the violet-eyed girl's attention and her head would swing to witness Raidou entering. The man would speak, but his words would pass her and onto Sey. When had they become so familiar? It was almost odd. Her head felt fuzzy, unable to recall the time where they had actually met. Every second, she grew closer to the world before her. Long enough here, and she would forget of the other's existence entirely. As Raidou spoke to Sey, the white-haired man would reply with his normal chipper attitude he would get while serving guests. "Thanks! I didn't realize I was missing them. Glad I can count on you to bring stuff like this, saved dinner!" 

Hidden would watch his Raidou would set the table, setting her own silverware in front of her. Stretching out of her seated position, her eyes would fall on The R̷̩̭̼̎̊̒̎̉́͘͝ė̷̻̩͋d̷̹̔͋̒͘̕͝ ̷̩͈̔́͛ͅẄ̸̟́̑̒̈́́̓̓̚͝a̴̜̗͉̟̪͛ͅn̷̩̹͇̦͚͍̗̅̐̈́d̶̨̨̺̥̦͍̟̹̕e̸͇͚͒r̸̤̝̊̋́͗͆͗͑̊͆ę̶̡͈̞̜͎̹̹̙͇͑͒̽̚r̵̨̨̛̬̝̠̺̼͒͆̉͜͝? "I don't remember you guys being close enough to send each other messages." Her eyes would accusingly stare at Sey. "You're just aiming to steal my friends aren't you?" Showing her his palms, Sey would counter, "I wouldn't! Though, if their your friends why wouldn't they be mine?" A light chuckle would emanate from the man as he stirred the pot. 

"Interesting."

The word made Hidden jump as a sudden cold trickled down her spine. Simmone's voice made her feel as if she was woken up with a cool splash of water. Taking a small moment to regain her calm, Hidden would silently stare at the feline-like woman. She hadn't even heard the girl enter. She would begin to speak to Sey, once again they would reference something that was unknown to her. "I wouldn't take about anyone like that!"  she would exclaim in protest to Sey's words. What kind of Fiance told other people about their private conversations anyway? 

Simmone's eyes would meet her once more, with a gold glint to her eyes. Hidden would shrink back from this stare. As always, Simmone's eyes could always see right through her. It was annoying but it was one of the woman's featured traits. 

"I guess we are all present, at least those of us who are going to show?"

Hidden cocked her head. "Really? I guess Setsuna wouldn't make an appearance anyway, would she?" A giggle would escape from Hidden's lips but a small thought festered in the back of her mind. "Alright, but what about Shi... Shu?" A few more seconds would be spent on trying to formulate a name. The name refused to surface though. It was as if the memory of it was blocked in her mind. Continuing like nothing had happened, Hidden would say, "Ayame should hopefully be back eventually. She's feisty and hard to control. She likes me but she likes to do what she wants more." 

Sey would step forward with a pot of spaghetti with response. "Well, if she takes too long, her dinner is going to get cold." Spaghetti was one of Hidden's favorite dishes of Sey's. Why he would make it for a group though she found weird. She figured he would have gone for something fancier like he would the customers at his restaurant. 

Pathetically, the boss would fall to its knees. The armor had fallen off him, exposing his true self. All that remained of their boss fight was a sad shell of a man. Disappointing. The man was supposed to be a king right, why didn't he fight to the final breath? Why was the game giving them a choice. Pressing the only option that made any sense, she would step forward to simply listen to the conversation.

Annoyingly, it seemed she was on the side of Firm Anima. She didn't like the idea of agreeing with them on anything. However, Freyd's words matched her own thoughts. She was the one who had taken that stance on the 23rd floor. Against... the man who would step forward. A warning glare would flare from her violet eyes as he stepped forward and began to talk. As soon as she seen him pull out a teleport crystal, it would be on. No way was he going to give the boss an out and ruin their rewards. 

Instead, Hirru would take a different approach than the last. One that would... surprise her. Instead of attempting to save the boss, he chose instead to broker with the boss. Her body untensed, and instead one of her eyebrows would raise. While she didn't care for too much about the Scathers, it was different action than Hirru had taken than last time. It seemed he had changed from the last encounter. 

Stepping back away from the crowd, she would wait til a decision was made. She just wanted to get to the next floor after all. 

-Kill-

REC Roll:
202965 CD:5

Violet eyes watched on as blue lights blazed through the battlefield, crashing into the first groups. Dust filled the air and only added to the poor visibility. At this point, the rainbow hues that filled the air were becoming almost nauseating at this point. Luckily for her, Gabrandr stuck out like a sore thumb as he literally was a walking torch of blue flame. Though if she had to guess the flame that was burning off of him was wasted energy. His body wasn't able to hold in the level he was using so it just let out the excess. With the help of the player's attacks, his light would burn up in due time. 

Sam's words reached Hidden and caused her to falter for a moment. Hidden was no advocate for protecting bosses but for some reasons the words resonated with her. That was until a harsh reminder of where she was slapped her in the face.

'She's from Firm Anima, can you even really believe a thing she says? Liars and cheats working the system like they own it. They always think they know best, don't they?' 

Nodding, Hidden continued her attack. Her dagger savagely flayed at the boss's back. She wasn't going to hold back like the rest of them. They all wanted to move on right? Then why did they falter in the face of their enemy? Hidden was only here to prove her strength but what were the rest of them here for? Surely they had some kind of motive right? 

202964
BD:3+5-2=6
DMG: 30*18=540-100(-20)= 460 DMG
17 EN used

(3) Hidden | HP: 897/897 | EN: 49/96 | DMG: 30 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 5 | BH: 49 (SURV) | LD: 1 (+1 Loot) | HLY: 16 | PHASE | V.D.: 49 | V.O.: 98 | Stealth Bonus: +6 
   (Well Rested (3/3), ST Shift, REC 8)

Chapter Two: Reality
"See the unimaginable present."

The voice echoed through her mind, ringing in her ears. Stepping through the door, Hidden would become blinded by a sudden light. Bringing her pale hands to shade her from the harsh sun, she'd begin to try to get a feel for where she was. Tall mountains surrounded her off in the distance and the ground was covered with a lush green grass. A small house rested at her back and off to the side remained a small garden where slimes happily bounced around in the sun's rays. 

Hidden knew exactly where she stood. It was her home within Aincrad and it appeared to be a rather lovely day. A slight breeze rolled off the hills, bringing a floral scent to the air. A smile rested on Hidden's face when childlike laughter trilled behind her. "Nee-chan! I'm going to go explore outside!" The small girl pushed through the front door to their house and sprinted past her. Hidden watched as Ayame quickly began to run off into the distance. A thought suddenly crossed her mind. "Wait, I was going to introduce you to Firm Anima when they got here!" She would call after the girl but she wouldn't stop. Shaking her head with a smile, the dark-haired woman would simply turn to head back inside... before stopping the doorway. Firm Anima? Why would they be coming? They never were told where she lived and why would they be on their way anyway? It was just a thought that had come naturally. 

Stepping through the door, the smell of cooking wafted into the air and Hidden frowned. She couldn't cook and Ayame never did either. Who the hell was in her kitchen? That's when a voice drifted in from the kitchen. One that it had been quite some time since she had heard. "My love? Is that you?" Peeking around the corner was the loving smile of a white-haired man. Sey. 

Freezing in place, Hidden could only stare as the man casually spoke to her as if they did every single day. "The spaghetti is almost done and I made candy apples again because the other one's just happened to disappear!" A wink was shot in her direction before Sey popped back into the kitchen. Still awestruck, Hidden stepped into the kitchen after him and simply stared at the man as he continued to cook. "Any ideas on when your friends will be arriving?" Stuttering her reply she would make out the reply, "Uh I don't I know." Shrugging, Sey would continue stirring. "You know, Ayame made off with one of the cupcakes before I could even get the sprinkles on them. Reminds of someone else I know." Chuckling, Hidden would reply, "I wonder who that could be. Nobody I know." Flashing a smile at her, Sey would shake his head. 

Maybe... maybe she shouldn't question where she was. Even if only for a moment. 

The teams were cutting down the bosses health efficiently but something still remained a bit off. The boss wasn't much of a threat to be honest. Annoyingly, he kept up those machines of his although Simmone was keeping them down without a sweat. Seemed like she was too prepared for her job. If what she was doing kept them from blowing up on her constantly, go for it. 

Focusing her attention on the boss, she would find him no longer to be on the battlefield. Instead, he was quite a way up in the air. A fierce flash of blue light would flash across the ceiling of the boss from before a blue streak set straight towards the floor. Crashing into the ground, the floor at their feet would rupture. Leaping upwards, and landing off to the side, she would manage to escape the attack. Her 'friends' however did not. In fact, many of them were brought pretty far down.

Ignoring their health status for the time being, Hidden pushed forward and continued the attack. Her dagger's edge cutting through the strange armor of the boss. He was tanky, that much was certain. It was taking quite a while for them to cut through it, though perhaps it was because they were taking time to disable the cannons. 

Attack Roll

ID: 202785 | ST-I: Shadow Stitch x15(14 EN)
BD: 6+5-2=9 Hit. 
CD: 8 / No ST-B
DMG: 30*15=450-100=350 DMG 
 

Extra Roll

ID: 202788
CD: 7 | Recovery Activated
EN: 63-14+1+4+8=62 EN Remaining

Well-Rested has Expired. 

(3)Hidden | HP: 897/897 | EN: 62/96 | DMG: 30 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 5 | BH: 49 (SURV) | LD: 1 (+1 Loot) | HLY: 16 | PHASE | V.D.: 49 | V.O.: 98 | Stealth Bonus: +6 
   (Well Rested (0/3), ST Shift, REC 8)

Despite the hall no longer being as dark as it was before, the cold remained. It was an uninviting cold, but one that she was used to. Stepping in the direction she thought was forward, her steps would echo on the floor and down the hall. As she walked, she was reminded of Shiina's coin. Opening her hand and peering into it, she would find nothing. She hadn't dropped it or something had she? There was no light glittering off in the darkness so she doubted that could be the case. She simply didn't have the coin anymore. 

Stepping further into the unknown, Hidden would begin to walk faster than she had before. She was slightly more confident about her travel through the darkened place. It was dark sure but she was certain another door awaited her. She would stop as this thought occurred to her however. If she came to another door... would it be just as painful as the last? Through the first door she had faced the pain and abandonment of her life before Aincrad. What if the next day took her back... to see her mother? She wasn't sure if her heart would even be able to take that. 

Still, she stepped forward. Another sealed door, just as expected. As it opened, the hands wouldn't pull her in like last time. Instead, they would beckon her into their depths. Taking a deep breath, she would hesistantly oblige with their demands. At least this door didn't reek of alcohol. In fact... it smelled a lot like sunlight. 

See the unimaginable present.

Without weapon, Hilda could do nothing as the shadow approached. It drifted over to her and she stiffened as it caressed its cold fingers against her chin and up the side of her face. How was she to fight it without her dagger? Although, the creature was a shadow. Perhaps her dagger itself would have no effect? Lunging away, she would face the creature that would hiss at her sudden movement. The creature smelt much like her father, only this scent was much colder. It was as if it was created to smell like cheap alcohol and vomit. 

The burning sensation in her hand returned and the metal coin became searing hot. As she opened her hand, a song suddenly burst forth from it as if the coin itself was a recording crystal. As the song vibrated along the walls, a sudden shriek was made by her opponent as the song quickly gained tempo. A golden light flowed into the room from nowhere and the same mysterious pattern appeared on the ground as if Shiina was actually there singing next to her. 

The shadow pulsated on the ground in a seizure like fashion as it seemed to slowly tear itself apart to the voice. Bewildered, Hilda took a step forward towards the shadow. Plunging her fist with the coin into it's chest, it would suddenly evaporate like her father had when she had pushed him. The room slowly began to burn away like the burning of pages of a book. The world's edges seared until she once again stood in that dark hallway. Unlike before where she couldn't see anything, Hidden felt as if she could see the area directly in front of her. She was no longer blind in the dark, she had room to wander. 

♫
* * *
 

Hidden | HP: 780/780 | EN: 95/96 | DMG: 24 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 3 | BH: 42 | LD: 1 | HLY: 16 | PHASE | REC: 8 | V.D.: 42 | V.O.: 85

Demon of Past | HP: 0/195 (-627) | DMG: 138 | MIT: 6

"What are you talking about? What Fate is mine to control? Who is trying to control me?" Her questions remained unanswered entirely. The nickname was one of Simmone's if she could remember. Why would Simmone be here anyway? It simply didn't make any sense. A warm sensation reconnected her to the world as she realized it was spreading from her palm. Opening her eyes, she looked down at her tightly balled fist. Slowly opening it, she would find the most ordinary item there. A coin. One from the world of Aincrad. The coin's color had faded quite a bit, rusting in some places. 

"It's a memory of coloring."

The voice was suddenly recalled in her head. This was the coin that Shiina had fished from the fountain. Why was it in her hand now? She was in the real world and Aincrad had been... wait. When had she gone to Aincrad? In fact, she had already been through this day before. Her eyes flicked to her father who was glaring back at her as if was waiting for her to do something. Her room had been torn to shreds in his drunken rage. She was different now, she wasn't the same as before. Hidden knew what happened afterwards. She had apologized to her father profusely through her tears before escaping the house through her window after he left. Hirigana happened to walk by and cornered her in an alley again and Hilda had... prevented the problem from happening again. It was the first time she had snapped and it wasn't until she was disposing of the rest of the evidence before her adrenaline rushed calmed to process what she had done. 

The worst day of her life, that was where she was. Standing, Hilda looked to her father. "Mom would have never blamed her death on me. She loved me even if you won't admit it. If anything, she would be upset with you for how you turned out and raised me. You tried to drink the pain away and now all you can do is make others hurt." The man angrily walked forward, their faces almost touching as he stood in front of her, ready for her challenge. "What are you saying?" He asked, his voice shaking with rage. 

"I'm saying I'm tired of you taking out your pain on me. You're a terrible Father and if Mom were to see you now she wouldn't love you. She couldn't love you." Shoving him away, as her hands pushed against him, he would simply evaporate. What rested in front of her was a shadow, taking her father's shape. 

_______
202780 LD:1+6, Stealth Failed. 

The world grew cold around her as the colors dimmed. Her most prized possession was gone and there wouldn't be any recovering it. The sounds of her father's destruction had faded out and became muffled. Even his movements had come to a slow, even almost a complete stop. Closing her eyes, everything became internal. Hilda still remembered the day her mother died. Her mother had given her a goodbye hug and kiss on the forehead as she dropped her off at daycare. As always, he would watch her mother get in her vehicle and drive away. Then, another truck had slammed into the side of her car, fatally wounding her. The driver had been drunk and while he had been fine, her mother was mortally wounded. She died within the next few hours.

It was the most she could remember of her mother save for a smile. Though, these days even that was fading. A cold darkness approached her now and a murmur... a murmur that beckoned her forward. It told her to simply let go and let things happen as they should. It was convincing, the voice was. It promised rest, to absolve her from her pain and choices. All she needed to do was to let... go....

* * *

“One who shadows swirl around you, whose hold seems to snuff out that dwindling life. Can you hear me? Can you not shed light? Or is the shadow drawn stemmed from the light you cast?”

Stirring as if she was awaking from slumber, Hilda groggily looked for the source of the voice through the darkness of her closed eyes. As she searched, all she could feel was a warm light passing over her. As it did, it was as if the light burned off a heavy darkness from her. A darkness that she was in the process of succumbing to. "Where are you? Who are you? You're not the same voice that i've heard before." 

“Then there is a chance. Wilting lily, that darkness seeks to dismantle you. Erase you and claim the shell left behind. Little Hilda, if my voice is reaching you, then you still have a choice. That fate is yours to control…”

Her father stood above her, anger burning in his eyes. He had looked at her a lot like this after she had begun to get older. When she was younger, it was more of the fact that he simply ignored her. His eyes refused to meet her own and there was hardly any interaction between them. Hilda as a little girl was simply sent to her room. She had spent a lot of time at her grandmother's but after he had passed there was no one left to watch her. Hilda got the bare minimum, nothing else. Hilda was almost certain that his anger stemmed from the fact that she looked a lot like her mother. Her eyes and body were almost an exact replica, given that her mother was quite a bit curvier. 

With Hilda sitting against the corner of her room in a defensive position, her father decided to take a different direction with his anger. She watched in fear as he turned over to her bookshelf and brought it crashing down to the floor. Slamming his foot down on the wood, the shelf would create a loud snapping sound. Her bookshelf... broken. Tears welled up in her eyes filled with anger and pain. That bookshelf meant a lot to her. It was where she placed the only things that she could escape with. There was no other escape from the normal world. Throwing a piece of the shelf at her bedroom door, her father picked up a book and began ripping pages out in a drunken fury. 

"N-NO! STOP!" she yelled at her father which earned her a book slamming full force into her face. Her nose once again began to profusely bleed as its injury quickly returned. It was easy to ignore the throbbing pain as her father moved to the other side of her room. To her desk.

Hilda watched as her father froze for a moment. Picking up the cracked picture frame of him and his deceased wife, his face would soften for a moment. In that moment, the house was silent save for Hilda's quiet sobs. "You still keep this photo after all of these years. As if... this picture.... This picture could bring her back. It's not. Your mother is gone." He turned his gaze back on Hilda, tears forming in his eyes as well as he seethed with anger. "YOU TOOK THAT AWAY! DON'T YOU FUCKING FORGET THAT! YOUR MOTHER WOULD STILL BE ALIVE IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU, YOU BROKE THIS FAMILY!" 

Glass shattered, frame destroyed, picture torn. It all happened in a blur as time itself seemed to stop. The only memory of her mother... gone.

The bookshelf was lined with books, some snatched from the library at school. She never checked them out so the school had little idea where the books had ended up. Most of them she had already read multiple times. Turning back towards her desk, her eyes followed the picture that was framed and resting on it. The glass was cracked, but the picture remained intact. A picture from her Father and Mother's wedding. It was the only thing about her mother that she had managed to keep throughout the years. Hilda believed her father owned more pictures but he refused to share them with her. It was her that had ki-

A bang on the door jarred her from her recalling old memories. In fact, she had been jarred enough to actually jump a few inches off the ground. An angry voice complimented the loud banging on the door. "HILDA! OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT LOCKING IT?" Body rigid, she starred at the door in fear. It continued to pound, becoming more aggressive as the time went on. Hands clenched, Hilda would stiffly move to the door. Taking a hold of the handle, she reluctantly heeded her father's words. It would be better in the end that way... right?

A click of the door as it unlocked and immediately she would become pushed back by the force exerted on the door. A dark haired man burst in the room, anger resting behind his gaze. Her father was only in his forties but his face told otherwise. Dark circles sat underneath his eyes and his eyes were dull with stress and exhaustion. He had a beard, unkempt. With his appearance, it was amazing that he had managed to keep his job in the office. The stench of alcohol revealed itself again, stinging her nostrils. A forceful hand grasped her shoulder, causing Hilda to gasp. The burning anger of her father's eyes poured into her own that were filled with fear. 

"I got a call today that you got hurt in a fight. So glad that you think you are so above consequences that you can just do what you want." Hilda attempted to pull away from his hand but she didn't have the strength. "I-I..." Her words were cut off as her father jerked her body down and into her futon. "IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING EVERY GODDAMN DAY, HILDA. Some days its about you skipping out on classes, others its about failing grades! The hell is wrong with you? WHY ARE YOU SUCH A FAILURE!" His eyes burned in rage down on her as she kept an arm up to attempt to defend herself from any physical punishment. Those 'failed' classes were the ones she just didn't participate in. Gym, public speaking, other classes that required interaction. She had earned such a bad reputation at school that people avoided her just to stay out of the sights of Hirigana and multiple others that targeted her. 

Breathing at a speed that was only a step from hyperventilating, she tried to ignore the sound of her own beating heart. She wasn't afraid of the house, only the person that was inside. Hand shaking, she reached for the door knob. Slowly turning it, she would be able to push open the door. The smell of alcohol reached her nostrils before she even stepped in the door. As normal, the house was trashed completely with absolutely nothing tidy. Empty cans had been disposed of in random places along the floor and wrappers to various junk food remained strewn over the house. 

Slowly stepping forward, Hilda would begin to peer around corners in search of the person she didn't want to find. The kitchen was a disaster as always with dishes piled up into the sink. It was amazing that there was so much trash although there was never food in the house. Dinner was a commodity which was fine with her. She had no intention of sitting and eating in the same room as her father. She had been perfectly content with awaiting her next meal at school. 

Creeping around the hallway, she would began to make her way to her bedroom. Perhaps she could hide in there? Her feet made virtually no sounds as she walked towards the door. Pushing it open, Hilda would enter the room and then quickly close the door behind her. Clicking the lock closed on the handle, she would take in the sight of her small bedroom. One looking at her room could think her a minimalist but the case was that she had never owned anything. Her clothes were kept in a small dresser that she had owned since she was born. Some drawings from when she was much younger were etched into its wood. A desk was in the room as well, and a small smile painted itself on her face as she seen it. She could still remember dismantling it so that she could fit it through her window. Her father hadn't been happy when he found out, but she got off with it. Hilda even owned her own futon, a small floor mattress that she would sleep on. It always had bothered her because it was much lower than the dresser and desk. Finally, Hilda's eyes reached her pride and joy. 

A bookshelf.

With nothing to do but homework, Hilda had spent a lot of time reading. Books about heroes coming to save the princess use to entertain her. Hilda had always thought of herself as the damsel waiting for the hero to come to rescue her from her castle. She began to hate the books as the years went on. 

This was real life, not a fairytale. There was no one coming to rescue her. 

Released from the Nurse's office, Hilda would slowly make her way back to the entrance of the school. She did not move cautiously this time, she had been preyed on already. The others would not be making a second round. Her body still ached with pain, but it was overshadowed by the overwhelming fear in her lungs. It felt like forever since she had to face her father and it took a far different kind of courage than most things. Her steps were slow taken and seemed to echo through the school pounds. The noise was drowned out by her own beating heart. 

Why was she doing this anyway? Where was the exit? How could she leave this place? It was brutal and terrifying and she had no way of fighting back. Was this place some kind of punishment for the wrongs she had done in Aincrad? They had stripped her of her skills just to remind her how weak she really was? How pathetic she'd become if the game just decided to take everything? 

The trip was a blur, but the girl suddenly found herself in front of the rundown house that was her home. Bringing a clenched hand to her chest, an unsteady breath exhaled from her mouth. Eyes wide with fear, she stepped forward. What was going to happen now? 

ph

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