[Vizor]

Darkness surrounded me as I awoke. I groaned as I started to stand, but found myself unable to. I was bound to the ground by shackles around my ankles and wrists, and my wings were bound as well.

My memory finally came into focus. I remembered Xirox's knowing grin as he wrapped one of his tentacles around me and knocked me unconscious.

I growled. Oh, he was going to get it when I found him.

"Now, now, don't be alarmed at your present situation."

I jumped, looking all around me until I found the source of the voice. A girl with pale skin and a black cloak, with black and red wolf ears peeking from her black hair. Her eyes shone blood red in the dark.

I let out a low growl. "Who are you?"

"Oh, no one that you know," the girl chuckled, "But call me Crescent."

She grinned as she said it, revealing sharp, bloodstained fangs.

"You're a vampire, I assume?"

Crescent nodded. "Clever one, you are. Of course, that's why I needed you out of the way."

"Where am I?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. That would spoil the whole mystery element!"

I scoffed.

The shadows next to Crescent started to swirl before taking the form of a large, sleek black wolf with red dragon wings and amber eyes. On her nose was what looked like reading glasses.

Crescent smiled as she noticed the new reptile-canine. "Ah, Tempest. There you are."

Tempest gave a nod of acknowledgement to Crescent before looking at me. Her eyes gleamed maliciously.

Crescent chuckled. "I see. Alright, why not. Do your worst. Avoid the neck, though. Wouldn't want him dead before we... execute the plan, now, would we?"

Crescent laughed before disappearing into shadow.

———

[3rd]

Xirox opened the door to the cabin with his tentacle, walking in with a still furious Inferno with him. Anatox was sitting on the couch, sharpening one of her knives when she looked up at them.

"What the hell-?" She muttered, standing up and putting down the knife and whetstone. "What happened?!"

Inferno growled. "I'll tell you what happened. Addie's a zaitorn traitor."

"What?" Anatox couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What do you mean?"

Xirox spoke up. "She attacked me in the woods. I didn't provoke her or anything. She's crazy, I'm telling you. And Harm's still on her side for whatever reason."

"Well, the crazy part's nothing new. Why would she attack you?! She doesn't really seem like the type to attack without warning like that."

Xirox shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's working with the forgotten characters. Saw her talking with a few of them earlier."

"Who, Finnley?" Anatox said, "Finnley's not one of the bad ones. Haven't met her other friends, but I take it they're not bad either."

Xirox walked to the kitchen and then returned with some bandages to wrap around Inferno's injury. "I don't trust any of the likes of them. Don't try to convince me otherwise, because you won't."

Anatox sighed, and walked into the other room.

As she entered her own room and closed the door, she called out, "Gradient, can you hear me?"

Sure enough, the yudae appeared. Unnervingly, he was in his killing state, so he was mostly pitch black instead of his usual gray and white. His black-toothed smile still sent chills down my spine.

"Yeeees?" Gradient said, drawing out his reply in a weird, creepy way.

"I need you to find Addie," Anatox instructed, "Don't kill her, obviously, but tell her to meet me in the meeting place. She's with Harm, he'll know what you mean."

"And... why do you want me to do this?" Gradient questioned.

"Because there's something off about Xirox's side of what happened," Anatox said, "I don't think she'd attack one of her own characters like he's implying."

Gradient didn't really know what she was talking about, but nodded anyway, disappearing to go search for Addie.

———

A short chapter. And Gradient's here again (and looking for me. That's fun 😅)

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