WARNING: UPSETTING CONTENT.
Includes potentially emotional content about loneliness, death and fears.

The air smelled like damp grass.
With blindfolds wrapped tightly over their eyes, the young adults had to rely on their remaining senses.

Their ears could pick up on the faintest buzzing sound, some better than others. Each person could also hear movement from someone that wasn't them.

There wasn't much to go off taste-wise, not that they were sure how that would help them anyway.

Touch seemed like it could be the most useful sense, but when they held their arms out to feel their surroundings, they were met with air.

A familiar voice blared from a speaker, letting the young adults know that there was atleast some form of communication between themselves and other people.

"Trainees, this is Oren.
As you know, your next task is to escape the rooms you are currently in.
You have been put into two separate rooms.
The twist we didn't mention... you're in pairs.
We can hear and see everything you do."

"Hey there, you beauties!", chimed in Faizah.
"Faizah here.
I'm not grading you in any way, I'm just here to watch.
Good luck!"

"Thank you for that, Faizah.
Now, trainees, there are a series of tasks you must complete.
Once they are completed, you will be able to leave."

"Hence the name
'escape room' ", added Faizah.

"You may use the supplies in your backpacks.
You can remove your blindfolds in three, two, one... now!"

Raphael pulled his blindfold off and let out a relieved sigh.
He gave his partner a quick nod and a small smile.

"Oh nice!
Glad to have you as my partner, Raphael", smiled Makoto.

Meanwhile, in another room, Rhiannon removed her blindfold, her eyes widening when they met with a pair of glaring eyes.

"I took my blindfold off the second they closed the door", said Ashryn.

Rhiannon gulped.
"Oh boy.
Always thought I'd die at your hands but not this soon."

★★★

The room was dark, with just one light stopping it from being pitch black.
The walls looked and felt like brick. Ashryn thought that was good to know. After all, she was rather good at kicking through brick.

Don't ask.

There was a solitary square in the wall, with metal bars on it.
Rhiannon looked through it, after being boosted up by Ashryn.
Outside was pitch black, but Rhiannon could make out the faint outline of a tree.

"Where is this place?", questioned Rhiannon.

Ashryn shrugged.
"Don't know, but I think that's the point."

"Well they transported us in a car or van, so it must be outside of the agency building", said Rhiannon.

Which means we're near some kind of forrest", said Ashryn.

Rhiannon raised an eyebrow.
"How do you know that?
We've never been allowed out to look at our surroundings."

Ashryn froze, but remained calm on the outside.
The cogs in her brain turned rapidly, desperately trying to justify her previous comment.

"You saw the tree too?", asked Rhiannon, pointing to the square in the wall.

"Uh, yeah!
Obviously.
My sight's pretty great."

Rhiannon nodded.
"That's good!
Let's look for some clues then."

When Rhiannon turned around, Ashryn exhaled quietly, hed breathing a little shaky.

★★★

Makoto watched as Raphael squinted his eyes at a brick.
Raphael knelt down beside it, his demeanour reminiscent of a father squaring-up his daughter's first boyfriend.

"Do you speak brick?", asked Makoto.

The silence was too unbearable for them, so they broke it the first way they thought of.
They usually welcomed silence, and found it quite comfortable, but this was a completely unknown situation.

It stressed them out.

"That brick looks different to the rest", said Raphael, pointing to the brick in question.

"It does?"

Raphael nodded.
"It's sticking out a little more than the rest."

Makoto was skeptical, but when they looked closely, they saw that the brick was pushed out further.
They approached it and knelt down. Makoto wrapped their hands around the brick and gently tugged on it.
They wiggled it around a little, in an attempt to free it.

It came out, knocking Makoto back due to the force they used.
Raphael rushed over to the newly made hole and reached for the small grey card that was resting in it.

He then turned his attention to Makoto.

"Did you find something?"

Raphael nodded and held his hand out, pulling Makoto up when they grabbed it.

"A small card... with writing on it!"

"They key you seek lies under feet."

"Under feet?", repeated Makoto.

Makoto lifted their left foot up.
"Like, under our feet?"

Makoto and Raphael checked under their shoes, but found nothing.

"Let's look around the room", said Makoto.
"You take that area, and I'll stay here."

"No!
I... uh, no.
I found the brick, so it's better if I stay here.
The clues might be in one area."

"Then we should both stay here."

"Yeah but your
'cover more ground' idea isn't so bad.
You go over there and I'll stay here", said Raphael.

"Oh... ok."

★★★

"Ugh, where's the d*mn clue!", exclaimed Ashryn.

"Hey, it's ok!
We'll find it."

"I don't have time for these stupid games.
I have better things to do."

"It's part of our training.
All we do is train, what other things can you be doing?"

"Having a life?"

"Oh, you have one of those?"

Ashryn raised her eyebrows at Rhiannon's comment.
She turned to face her, both hands on her hips.

"I could paralyse you in three easy steps and you have the nerve to be cheeky with me?", questioned Ashryn.

Rhiannon shrugged.
"You can't disable cameras, and I don't think you'd risk the trainers seeing that."

"You're a right smart*ss, aren't you?"

"Look, I'm just tired and I miss my family, ok?
I know there's some part of your heart that can understand, or atleast try to understand me."

Ashryn's face softened.
It wasn't noticeable.
Ashryn probably didn't even notice it herself.
She thought she could never have something in common with Rhiannon, but now things had changed.

She missed her family too.

Ashryn sighed.
"Look, I'm going to give you some advice, ok?
Listen up because this is the only time I'll ever give you advice."

Rhiannon nodded.
"What is it?"

"This whole 'understanding' bullsh*t is just that-bullsh*t.
You can't expect to reason with people."

"That's your way, but I choose to believe there's good in-"

"That twin brother of yours.
What's his name?", questioned Ashryn.

"Mikey."

"Right, so if I put a búllet in Mikey's head-"

"What are you-"

"-would you try to reason with me?
Try to understand me?"

"I..."

"I'm waiting."

"I don't want to talk about this."

"You'd be pretty mad, wouldn't you? Maybe throw a couple punches-well, try to."

Ashryn stepped closer to Rhiannon, her dark eyes burning into Rhiannon's. There was something intense and dangerous in Ashryn's eyes, but Rhiannon couldn't see it.

Then again, if she knew what Ashryn was going through, maybe she'd be able to see it.

"Ever since we got here, you've been trying to understand things.
Understand people.
Well, let me tell you this-when you try to look for the good in everyone, it'll shock you, terrify you, to see that some people just don't have it."

The blonde woman's words stung.
They burned deeper than any comment someone could make about Rhiannon's appearance or her hobbies.
No.
They burned deeper because they attacked the things she believed in.

Rhiannon turned around, unable to bear this interaction any longer.
When she stepped forward, her right food collided with a brick, making her groan.

"Ah, mother-who put that thing there?"

After the initial pain wore off, Rhiannon crouched down and reached for the brick.

"What are you doing?", asked Ashryn.

"The brick-it's sticking out."

The brown haired woman pulled it out, groaning once more when her elbow hit the ground.

"Wow it's really not your day, is it?", teased Ashryn.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes.

"Look, there's a note."

When Rhiannon picked it up, Ashryn marched over and snatched it out of her hand.

"Wow, whatcha got there, Rhiannon? Mind if I take a peek?
No, of course I don't mind Ashryn, we're a team after all!", exclaimed Rhiannon, earning a glare from Ashryn.

"The key you seek lies under feet."

"Right, kick your boots off girl", said Rhiannon, reaching for her shoe laces.

"I think we'd know if they put a key in our shoes", said Ashryn.

"Fair point."

"But what other feet could they be talking about?"

"Underground, maybe?"

"Underground?"

"Yeah, like under us.
Maybe we have to dig?"

"We don't have any digging equipment."

"Let's check in our backpacks!"

★★★

Raphael studied the note carefully, flipping it over every couple of minutes to see if he missed anything.

"There's nothing over there-oh, Raphael, you've been looking at that card for ages!
Come and look over here."

"No, I'm fine here."

Makoto threw their arms up in frustration.
"What is it with you?
I thought we were getting on."

"We are."

"So then why can't you let me in, even just a little?"

Raphael scoffed.
"You can talk!
You've been shutting your best bud Rhiannon out for ages."

"That's not true."

"I know all about her efforts to get you to open up to her."

"Yeah, well... that's in the past."

"Maybe the argument is... but the problem isn't."

"I didn't think you cared about our friendship", said Makoto.

"I don't, but... I care, somewhat, about you."

Makoto's eyes widened.
"You do?"

"Don't get excited.
It's only because of what we've been through", replied Raphael, referring to HoloBot.
"Besides, I'm trying the whole
'friend'
thing out."

"Well, you know, friends open up to each other."

"I shall refer to my previous point-you haven't been opening up to Rhiannon."

Makoto exhaled sharply.
"I've tried!
She just... won't listen."

"Why not?"

"I don't know!
She's just been hellbent on turning me into a fighting machine."

"But that's not what you want.
You said you never wanted to hurt people.
Why wouldn't Rhiannon-wait...she doesn't know your reason for preferring peace, does she?"

Makoto hung their head down.

Raphael scoffed.
"You two walk around like you're the greatest friends that ever lived, and you haven't even told Rhiannon why you don't fight?"

"I tried to!
I really did.
She just tries to change the subject."

"Then change it back."

"I don't want to push her away."

"So you'd sacrifice your own peace of mind, and your own happiness, for her?"

"I wouldn't put it like that-"

"If there's one thing I can teach you, it's this-we're born alone and we'll die alone.
Everything in between is just filler.
If you don't put yourself first all the time, you're not really living your life, are you?"

★★★

"The only things in here are bolt cutters and an old walkie talkie", said Rhiannon.

Ashryn groaned loudly.
"This is impossible!"

Rhiannon squinted at the walkie talkie, a wave of recognition washing over her.
She held the walkie-talkie up to the light.

"What are you doing?", asked Ashryn.

"This model looks familiar.
My Dad's company used to make these", said Rhiannon.

"Now is not the time to brag about being rich!"

"No, I'm not-forget it.
This specific model was recalled because of a defect.
It overheated and exploded whenever it touched steel for a long enough time."

"And that helps us... how?"

"I'm sure I can figure out a way to rewire this thing.
If I do, maybe we can create a smaller, controlled explosion.
Then we can blast a hole in the floor."

"D*mn, Hendrix.
That's not a bad idea."

A low grumble surprised the pair, and Ashryn rushed to the square space in the wall, in an attempt to see if the noise was coming from outside.

"Uh... Ashryn?"

"Shh, be quiet!
I'm trying to listen."

"No, Ashryn-"

"I swear to-"

"Just look!"

Ashryn let out a frustrated scream, before turning around.
"What is-oh my... f*ck."

The walls started shifting, the grumbling noise getting louder and louder.
The walls moved closer, by about three inches.

"The walls are f*cking moving?", exclaimed Ashryn.

★★★

"This is hopeless", frowned Raphael. "I've been bested by this riddle."

"Wait, look at this walkie talkie!", exclaimed Makoto.

"What?"

Makoto handed Raphael the walkie talkie.
"Rhiannon mentioned one of these before.
From her Dad's company."

"Her father owns a tech company? When did she tell you that?"

"Uh, during the first couple weeks of being here.
Why?"

"You remember something she told you from that long ago?"

Makoto nodded.
"Yeah, I like to take an interest in people's lives.
Anyway, do you think there's something you can do with the walkie talkie?"

Raphael pressed a few buttons, before furrowing his eyebrows in confusion when he noticed some writing on it.
His eyes widened.

"This is a Haplong-Triamph communicator!
They were recalled due to a malfunction with them during the first month or so of release."

Makoto frowned.
"Oh.
So it's useless to us?"

"On the contrary, this is a marvellous discovery!
We could-"

"Uh, Raphael?", called out Makoto, their voice a high pitch shriek.
"The walls!"

A confused Raphael looked up, his face gradually turning white as he stared at the moving walls.

"What do we do?", asked Makoto.

Makoto frantically paced around the room, their eyes widening with fear every time they looked at the moving walls.

"Hey, hey, Makoto, stop!
I need to think.
Just calm down for a minute."

Makoto shook their head.
"I-I can't..."

"It's fine, we'll be ok-"

"I need to get out!", they screamed.

Raphael leapt up and grabbed Makoto's shoulders.
"What's gotten into you?
Don't you want to win this?"

"Enclosed s-spaces... h-hate them."

Raphael's face softened.
"Oh..."

"Stupid, r-right?
I've j-just always h-hated them."

Raphael shook his head.
"No, no it's not stupid.
I... truth be told, I'm afraid of the dark."

"You are?"

Raphael nodded.
"That stays between us though, ok?"

"Is that why you didn't want to move away from the light now?
And why you sleep with the light on?"

"Yes, but, Makoto... I mean it.
You can't tell anyone."

"I'd never do that."

Raphael raised his eyebrows, clearly taken aback by Makoto's response.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Where was the loud laughter?
Where was the dark room he'd get shoved into by the kids who found out about his fear?
Where were the merciless cackles that mocked him as he lay in the foetal position, with tears streaming down his face?

"Y-You really mean that?"

"Your secret is safe with me."

In an effort to tear himself away from the memories that had begun to resurface, the tall young man looked away.
His eyes landed on the small device attached to Makoto's jacket.

"What?
What is it?
Oh no, is it a spider?"

"No, no... your contact bar."

Makoto looked down at the small black device on their jacket.
The contact bar was the formal name for the device Minerva showed them when they first started.

It was what agents used to contact other agents, and to track their whereabouts.

"Let's contact Ashryn and Rhiannon!", suggested Raphael.

"Isn't that cheating?"

"Oren didn't say what we couldn't use", said Raphael.
"Uh, do you know Ashryn or Rhiannon's code?"

"Rhiannon's is 189", said Makoto.

★★★

"Hurry up!", yelled Ashryn.

"I'm trying!"

"Your Dad owns a tech company for heaven's sake!"

"Yeah, but hacking and rewiring isn't my specialty!"

"Just-"

"Rhiannon?
Hello?
Rhiannon, this is Raphael.
Can you hear me?"

Rhiannon looked down at her contact bar.
She pressed her thumb on the small circular button and moved her face closer to it.

"Raphael?
Yes, I can hear you."

"Good.
How far are you with the riddle?"

"Uh, not very far.
Are your walls moving?"

"Very much so, yes."

"Right, well... are you both ok?"

"Yes, we're fine.
Look, do you have any idea of what the clue could mean?"

"Well, we thought that maybe we had to blast a hole in the floor, to find the key underground.
Like, under feet as in the measurement?"

"That's... rather brilliant actually.
Did Oren help you?"

Rhiannon rolled her eyes.
"No, I used my brain thank you very much."

"How far have you gotten with the plan?"

Rhiannon frowned.
"Not very far.
I'm trying to rewire the walkie talkie to create a small, controlled explosion when it comes in contact with the steel bolt cutters for a while.
Wait, you've looked in your backpacks, right?"

"Yes, we have.
I must say, that is an ingenious idea."

Ashryn grabbed Rhiannon by her jacket and spoke into her contact bar.
"Quit flirting, Robo Boy.
We've got a demonic room to get out of."

"Why'd you have to mention demons, man?", whined Rhiannon.

"You guys, I'm really panicking here", said Makoto.
"I know I'm normally calm, but this room is really freaking me out."

"Me too", said Rhiannon.

"In the interest of teamwork, I shall agree", said Raphael.
"For teamwork, of course.
Not because I'm terrified.
No, not at all."

Ashryn clasped her hands together. "Get a grip!
How are we supposed to save a whole town if we can't even escape a room? Raphael, you rewire the walkie talkie, and talk through the process so Rhiannon can do it too.
Makoto, look for any weak spots in the walls, ok?
And then look for something to break it with if the first plan fails."

Ashryn spoke with such confidence, and her 'no bullsh*t' attitude was exactly what the others needed right now.

"Rhiannon?
Listen carefully...", started Raphael.

★★★

In the control room, a perplexed Faizah looked at Oren.
He had a smile on his face as he watched the trainees work.

"I thought they had to work it out as a pair?", questioned Faizah.

Oren nodded.
"They do.
But them working as a team is much better."

"Alessa's expecting them to have done this in pairs."

"I know.
But Alessa's not here, is she?"

Faizah chuckled at the mischievous spark in Oren's eyes.
"And what if I decide to tell my best friend about your antics?"

Oren smiled.
"You won't."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you know how important teamwork is.
And you want to see them succeed just as much as I do."

Faizah smiled, before raising her hands up.
"You got me there."

Oren chuckled.
"I'm just saying, we don't need to be stone cold people towards them. They're people, just like us.
And they didn't ask for this."

"I know.
You've got the biggest heart, Oren. That's why you're so great."

Oren smiled brightly.
He looked away to hide the tinge of red that had appeared on his face.

Faizah laughed, her face lighting up. She nudged Oren, making the young man chuckle.

"Who designed this escape room by the way?", asked Faizah.

"Uh, Alessa did."

★★★

Rhiannon jumped in the air, a bright smile on her face.
She twirled around, before lifting her jacket up to speak into her contact bar.

"Raphael, you genius!
It worked!"

"It did?", asked Ashryn.
"Blast this place up!"

Rhiannon felt a bubbling feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Everything just suddenly felt so real.

"What are you waiting for?", asked Ashryn.

"I-I can't.
What if I did something wrong?"

"You can't have done something wrong. Not if you listened to me", said Raphael.

"B-But, b-but what if I misheard you, or I missed a step or-"

"Rhiannon, listen to me", said Makoto. "I know you're scared and I know you're doubting yourself, and do you know what?
I'm scared too.
And I'm doubting myself.
But the person I don't doubt... is you."

"How can you say that?
I've been kidding myself thinking I could make friends in a heartbeat. Truthfully, we've only known each other for a short while."

"You're right.
And in that short amount of time, I learned how important life is to you.
You do what's right because you care. You push through the pain because you care.
That's why I know you've done this correctly."

A laugh escaped Rhiannon's lips, and she blinked a few times to free the tears that were locked in her eyes.

"Because I care?"

"Because you freaking care."

Emboldened by her friend's words of encouragement, Rhiannon took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
She counted to ten, before opening her eyes again.

"I'm ready when you are, Raphael."

"Good.
In five, four, three, two, one!"

Rhiannon and Raphael pressed down on the button of their devices.
A purple spark fizzled from the device and leapt out, creating an even larger spark.

"Get back!", exclaimed Rhiannon.

Rhiannon rushed over to Ashryn and threw her body over hers.
Makoto grabbed Raphael's arm and dragged him away from the explosion.

When the loud, cracking, sound of stone splitting faded, a faint ringing noise replaced it.
Rhiannon shook her head to get rid of the noise, and Raphael tried pushing his thumbs into his ears.

"Did it work?", asked Makoto, with their eyes still shut.

Ashryn slowly walked towards the hole that had just been created.
She had seen a lot in her lifetime already, but a chilling feeling ran along her spine as she got closer to it.

Buried underneath the rubble, was a small plaque, no bigger than two hands. The plaque was a sienna brown colour. The scratch marks on it told the story of it's strength.
The strength it had to withstand so much.

On it, there was one named engraved, with some words underneath it.
The plaque read:

SEPIA NORMANBY
Young Sepia was only fourteen when she was k*lled by traitors who wished to destroy all this agency stood for.

Headstrong and compassionate, the young agent worked tirelessly to create a place for the lost to go to.
She was once one of those
people-confused and afraid of the world around her.

She achieved so much, including saving the lives of one thousand orphans across Plurg and the neighbouring towns.

She wasn't alone though.

For those who find this plaque, Sepia would want you to know this:
people need each other to get by.
Forever. Always.

A few moments later, Raphael picked up a plaque he had found in the hole they had created.

ODELION BRANKIRST

At the age of twenty, Odelion was k*lled trying to protect his friend, his kindred spirit-Sepia Normanby.

He was a troubled soul, who spent most of his youth without a home.
When he stumbled upon the agency, he found a place where he could finally settle.

Odelion was a quiet person, but this quiet young man was pulled into the hilarious antics of the adventurous young Sepia.
The pair would get up to so much mischief together, but they had bigger hearts than they let on.

Sepia opened up Odelion's heart, and for once in his life, he had a reason to carry on.
He'd do anything to protect Sepia, who had become a sister to him.

He was the only other agent who believed in Sepia's dream of helping the lost.
In fact, he helped her make her dreams a reality.

She once asked him how long the effects of feeling unwanted lasted, and he replied "forever."

She then asked him if there was any point in pursuing her dream then, to which he replied "always."

Those two words became a catchphrase amongst them, but it also served as a reminder for all agents who came after them.

For those who find this plaque, Odelion would want you to know this:
we are never alone in this world.

____

Hi!

I have a holiday for a few weeks, so after I've finished my assignments, I'll be focusing on writing as much as I am able to.

Due to how long this chapter is, I've decided to just ask questions to everyone individually via messages, but you're more than welcome to comment-you know how much I love reading them!

I'd really appreciate feedback on the detail, character work and pace of this chapter please!

One thing I would like you to take from this chapter is this:

People are important, and forming connections matters. There is so much beauty in being able to turn to others and to enjoy life with them.

Yes, with that comes pain, but in the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson-"tis better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all."

I know that sharing my experiences with others has gotten me through hard times, and that I wouldn't be the person I am today without the people who I met along the way.

DoodleYeet

LeMystical-Puffle

ruesbennett

SoniczurcX

bardsarethebest