Of Phantoms and Thieves

Ghosts

The Phantom Thieves were well rested and ready to go. Their priority now was to rescue Sojrio Sakura and get the old man back home. Their footsteps echoed softly down the obscure hallways. Not a Shadow in sight, the teens made their way through the palace. Living things no longer dwelled in this realm. Mist grew thick and heavy as the thieves descended a set of stairs. The once concrete walls and floor were now entirely made of wood. Little lighting could be found.

“There is a strikingly small number of Shadows down here,” Yusuke muttered.

“I don’t sense anything ahead,” Futaba remarked. “But the distortion has gotten worse.”

“We’re heading deeper,” Ann concluded. “Deeper into his heart.”

“If only there was more lighting,” Ryuji breathed. “This place is giving me the creeps.”

“I don’t like how it looks either,” Haru whispered.

Silence. Vibrating out of the darkness came a horrid shriek.

“Gah! What was that?!?” Ryuji cried, jumping and grabbing Ann.

“Ah!” Ann hugged him back.

“There’s something in there!” Futaba exclaimed. “And it’s coming fast!”

“We should run!” Morgana shouted.

“It’s too late! Follow me!”

Futaba rounded a corner and pointed to a ledge. The Phantom Thieves lifted themselves up and hid. As soon as they had done so, the Shadow came, tearing at the walls and ceiling as it passed. It let loose another shriek and disappeared.

“What was that...?” Ryuji asked. “It looked like a... uh... what are those things called?”

“A griffin?” Futaba offered.

“Yeah, those.”

“That Shadow was freaky,” Ann added. “Do you guys think that’s what tore up the room back there?”

“It could be,” Haru replied. “There were feathers in the room, and the walls and ceiling were ruined.”

“That would make sense,” Yusuke agreed. “If that is the case, then we must be cautious of this Shadow.”

“If we get caught by it, we’ll be ripped to shreds,” Morgana murmured. “We should hurry.”

Once Futaba checked and was sure that the coast was clear, the Phantom Thieves advanced. They ascended sets of stairs, leaving the cold, wooden, lower levels. Gold and candlelight greeted the teens once again. They had made it to the other side of the playhouse, skipping the lobby on the main floor and avoiding the theater.

“Where do you think Boss could be?” Ann asked as they peeked around a corner.

“He could be in any of these rooms,” Ryuji growled. “Where do we even start?”

“I think I remember where the cells were located,” Morgana told them. “That might be a good place to start.”

“And it appears I forgot to take out the trash,” a voice grumbled. “Well played, Phantom Thieves.”