The first thing Nyx saw when she arrived at the roof was her crumpled sister.
"Laurelyn?! Laurelyn! Are you okay?!" she yelled uncharacteristically as she ran to Laurelyn.
Laurelyn was gazing at the patch dark sky in front of her, almost nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
It was starting to snow again, white flakes against the darkness.
Nyx panted. There was no one in sight, and she could smell that the enemy had left.
"Laurelyn! La - "
"Yes, I'm fine." Laurelyn rolled her eyes.
Nyx breathed a sigh of relief. Then she tensed up again.
"Who attacked you?! Who can hurt you so badly?!" she cried as the smell of blood reached her nose and the crimson shone before her eyes.
"The Hunter," Laurelyn said, her voice steady and calm.
"What?! He... he came for our princess, didn't he?!" She was panicking.
"He did."
Nyx hissed. "Screw him!"
She could see Laurelyn's sadistic smile and the cunningness and trickery in her eyes, and she didn't like it one bit. The last time she had seen it, their enemy had ended up killing her only friend, even if they had killed him in the end.
She didn't want anything like that to happen ever again.
"Nyx, it's fine. Nothing like last time will happen; you're barking up the wrong tree."
"Very funny."
"Sorry. That wasn't intended," Laurelyn sighed, "but really, Nyx, it's okay."
"...Laurelyn... it is not."
They were silent for a while as Nyx helped Laurelyn up.
"As soon as all this is all over, we can get back to laughing at how Xander fails his life," Laurelyn said.
Nyx cracked a small smile. "I would like that."
As Laurelyn limped to the hatch, leaning on Nyx, they met Xander, who was just climbing off of the ladder. It seemed he had been looking for them.
His dark brown eyes widened. "Nyx, L-Laurelyn."
"Xander," Laurelyn shot.
"I-I'm here to apologize. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I was just... tense from seeing her unconscious and I should never have spoken to you in that way. I - "
"Gosh, you sound like an idiot," Laurelyn chuckled, cutting him off. "It's okay, stupid. I'm not mad at you."
It was like the swirling turmoil of emotion had been tossed away by his few words.
"Really?" Xander gasped out.
"Yes, Xan'."
Xander smiled slightly, but then grew stiff as if remembering something. "Are you alright? I smelt the Hunter."
"Yes, I'm fine, and he was here."
"Are you... are you playing your mind games on him again?"
"Of course. I want to fully feed his ego until I smash it."
Xander turned to Nyx. "Nyx... talk some sense into her!"
"I have tried," Nyx mumbled.
Xander wilted.
"...Come on." He went to Laurelyn's free side and helped Nyx with supporting her.
About ten minutes later, they made it downstairs, back to the room Aurelia was in.
"I'll get a first-aid kit," Xander said and ran off.
Nyx pulled a chair over. "Sit."
Laurelyn rolled her eyes. "I told you, I'm fine."
"Stop being so prideful! You need to rest..."
"No."
"Please, Laurelyn..."
"I'll have to pass," her sister said sarcastically. "I'm not that weak."
"I do not think you are weak..." Nyx threw her hands up in frustration. "I think you are strong... I worshipped you as a kid, and I have always remembered how you always beat me at combat, with or without weapon. I just... why?!"
"Why what?" Laurelyn asked.
"...Lau - "
"I GOT IT!" Xander shouted as he ran into the room, interrupting their serious moment. Then he saw their looks and swallowed. "Um... did I do something wrong?"
Laurelyn and Nyx just sighed and the older one rolled her grey eyes.
♤
"All done," Xander announced.
"Finally!" Laurelyn groaned.
"Yay..." Nyx muttered.
Both she and Xander sighed.
"What? Something bothering you?" Laurelyn asked.
"Aurelia," Xander said.
While Nyx, at the same time, said, "The princess."
"What about her?" Laurelyn asked curiously.
"She's still unconscious," Xander said, "and I'm worried."
"And it does not seem that she is waking up..." Nyx added.
Laurelyn rolled her eyes. "Calm down! She'll have to sooner or later."
"How do you know that?" Xander asked.
"No one faints out of nowhere!" Laurelyn said with another eye roll. "And yes, I am worried about her too, but honestly! I know what's happening. Relax."
"What if she had a heart attack?! Or a panic attack?! Or she was poisoned?!" Xander panicked. "And if - "
"Gosh!" Laurelyn cut him off. "I said I know what's happening to her. You don't faint from panic attacks, Xander!"
"Well of course I don't. I'm - "
"No, you idiot! Panic attacks don't make people faint," Laurelyn growled. "Their heart rate increases and fainting is when the heart rate decreases!"
"Oh..."
"Idiot!"
"Hmph."
"Is there anything we can do to help her wake up sooner...?" Nyx asked, ever the rational one.
"No. We've got to wait," Laurelyn sighed.
Xander bit his lip. "Oh..." He paced along the length of the room.
Nyx's mist-brown eyes followed his movements, moving back and forth as he moved.
Laurelyn watched both of them as she finally sat down on the chair. Silently, she listened to the winter birds calling out their mournful sonds outside. Then she glanced at Aurelia.
She knew what was happening to her.
When would Aurelia get out of the void she had created for herself?
Laurelyn knew that was what was happening. She'd gone through it before, after all.
But the person who'd gotten her through it was dead.
She just hoped that there was someone Aurelia cared enough about to wake up for.
♤
The light.
It was clear to Aurelia now as she realized that she wasn't in liquid darkness anymore, that she was meant to have it. It was hers. She just needed to get to it, but now that she couldn't swim up anymore, she had no idea how to reach it.
She needed it, and it was just there, waiting, but she couldn't get to it.
Aurelia reached for it, desperate but helpless. She tried to jump, but the gravity was too strong and it tied her to the floor.
It felt like there were weights tied to her, and her knees collapsed. She sprawled on the ground, crying out in pain.
She didn't know what reason there was for her to leave. It wasn't like someone was waiting for her to come out.
But she did know why she wanted to get out of here. This place was cold and dark, lonely and frightening, exactly what she hated. It brought her back to the attic of her home, if it could even be called that. Maybe just house would be more accurate.
She wanted to scream and cry, but she wouldn't.
Instead of doing that, she would leave.