[Rina]

Ringo's eyes followed Ciel as she approached the really eerie-looking hollowed tree to search for where the key went. She kept under close eye on her, still rather nervous about trying to look for the key. So someone fled here but never came back out for some reason... That's reassuring (not really). She looked up, a shiver tingling down her spine upon noticing the shape of the hole bears semblance to a gaping maw. Why do haunted places have such conveniently monstrous imagery, anyway?

"Y-Yeah...what could have led them to that...?"

Hang on...did the tree just move!? Ringo blinked and rubbed her eyes for a moment to see if her eyes weren't playing tricks. Nope, it wasn't the spores, the tree actually moved. With a panic reflex, she tried to jerk Ciel out of the hole out of potential danger. She's not taking chances considering she left her behind on accident earlier.

"CIELITHINKTHETREEISHAUNTEDISAWITMOVE"

[Mari]

Music	Map
	Basement First Floor Second Floor

Ciel was busy inspecting the hidden body in the tree, trying to get a feel for what exactly had happened here, when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her still exposed waist and pull her back in tandem with a panicked shouting. Tree haunted move what now? She quickly grasped the key moments before she was yanked backward, falling either into Ringo's arms or onto her bottom if the other didn't catch her. Possibly both, if Ringo did catch her but couldn't handle her meager weight. Yet, it seemed to pay off! Moments after being pulled free, Ciel watched the tree close its mouth with a certain finality. Its wooden lips did not snap shut as if to chomp down on her, but rather slipped closed as if it had been holding its mouth open for quite a long time and simply gotten tired. It then ceased to move, forever closing off its secrets.

Ciel hesitated for a long moment before flashing a glance to Ringo. "...The forest reclaimed him." she softly mused aloud in awe. "Every part of this forest is alive. The mushrooms, the trees--but it's not an evil place. The tree was waiting for me to get out. ...That's what Myce says." Ciel went on to explain, only to develop a very bright smile and lean in to give Ringo a brief yet heartfelt hug. "Thanks for looking out for me, Ringo." she remarked in a soft, affectionate tone before moving to help the other up if she had fallen and offering to hold hands with the other as they continued. Half because she didn't want to get separated, and half because she just felt right with the other and it helped her find her courage.

"Myce gave me a mental image of where the other keys are supposed to be. They can't come with us, but they says if we break the curse, they and their people can leave. At this rate, hopefully, we won't have to be in here for much longer." Ciel encouragingly remarked before leading the other off back to the main foyer, where a surprise awaited them.

Two glowing eyes met them as they entered, only this time they were more like flashlights than a supernatural glow and had a curious look in them. Shining her light back on the source, the group would discover ... a robot? She looked almost like a life-size doll of a child at first, with her ball-jointed limbs. Yet, the flashlight eyes see to hint at a mechanical aspect of her. She was holding a pristine broom that looked like it was entirely made out of some type of metal.

"Oh, hello!" Roll greeted, bashfully smiling at the duo. "For a moment I thought you two might be ghosts." she went on to remark, but she wasted no time in continuing. "My name is Roll Light! That's Model Number D. L. N. Dash. Zero. Zero. Two. ...Got it?" Roll began rather cheerily, drawing a cold sweat from Ciel. Being around ancient robots without any true humanity or free thought/will was a bit uncomfortable for her. It was a very uncomfortable reminder of the ideal that had lead to so much death and oppression. She very reluctantly swallowed her discomfort though and approached Roll. "...Roll? My name is Doctor Ciel and this is my partner Ringo Andou. Can you tell us why you're here..?" Ciel asked in response. She was being rather cautious with her choice of words for some reason.

"Of course! . . . I'm actually lost. I was supposed to be taking care of Doctor Light's laboratory, but I haven't been able to find my way back. I was trapped on Li, but now I'm trapped here too." Roll began, only to reconsider an alternative meaning to the question. What was her purpose? "I'm a housekeeping robot. Sometimes I help as a lab assistant, though." Roll quickly added. "...And what are you doing now that you're unable to return?" Ciel softly asked, attempting to diagnose Roll's condition. The robot girl seemed to become confused by the question. Oops--You broke her, Ciel. Eventually, though, Roll reluctantly spat out an answer. "Buffering, I guess!" she replied. Ciel recognized this as an error. It had been given in... mostly plain English, but she understood what it translated to. Roll had no remaining directives. She quietly mused to herself that this unfortunate robot was low-key malfunctioning, likely caught up in a basic behavioral loop to prevent a complete loss of function. They likely had no understanding of what they were doing or why. Roll was simply going through the motions and waiting for further instruction. That explained why she was wandering aimlessly. She'd likely been attracted by how filthy this house was, only to find herself trapped inside.

It was all coming together now. There were just one more question Ciel had for this robot. "Will you come with us, please? This place isn't very safe, and I'd like to offer you a more familiar house to keep while we try and figure out how to better help you." Ciel softly requested, unable to stop treating Roll like she had a choice, even if she knew in her heart that the answer was pre-programmed. "Is that okay?" Roll replied, seeking confirmation. "Yes. I'll take good care of you." Ciel reassured, flashing Ringo a look that asked the other whether she wanted to change the 'I' to a 'We'. She didn't really want to force the other into a commitment to take care of this robot child with her, even if it was arguably much easier than the real thing.

[Rina]

One swift motion later, Ringo found herself trying to keep her footing from pulling Ciel out of the maw, but the momentum of such an action caused her to fall down regardless. Leaning over as she waited for Ciel to stand up, she came to notice the maw didn't quite attempt to chomp her down, but gently close itself off once the deed is done. Hopefully her paranoia is something that can be excused. She's been jumpy this entire evening. A moment of silence later, she was helped up by Ciel, trading glances with her as she parroted Myce's dialogue.

"You're welcome. It's still unsettling to think that the plant life were once people. At least we have a lead on where to go now."

Still feeling uneasy, she stayed close to her, suddenly alarmed by the lights that shined towards their direction. Wait, these lights feel more like flashlights... Is someone else here? Following Ciel's flashlight, her eyes led to another person. A robot, actually, if the ball-joints told her anything. She let Ciel lead the conversation as this robot seems more up Ciel's line of work than hers, listening in on what was discussed before she let Roll accompany the duo. Other than that computing error and the robotic anatomy, she could pass off as a little girl. Fascinating! Another person to keep her company should help keep Ringo at ease a bit.

"Good to have you, Roll."

But now there's a little something that's beginning to bother her...Whatever happened to the other two folk that came along for the trip? Let's find a safer place first before she brings this up.

[Mari]

Music	Map
	Basement First Floor Second Floor

"Thanks~! I was getting worried I'd only encounter mean old ghosts here. The last one was no match for my vacuum arm, though~!" Roll cheerily replied. --Hold on, did Roll just imply that she had vacuumed up a ghost? . . . Was it--...Did she? Ciel decidedly had another question just begging to be asked. "--...What have you been doing since you arrived in this house..?" Ciel asked a note of concern in her voice. "Oh! I've just been cleaning up the place. A nasty spirit tried to get something out of me. I'm not sure what it was, but it was really scary! Thankfully it didn't find whatever it was looking for..." Roll went on to explain, referencing the haunting in the basement. Leave it to a robot to frustrate the soul-sucking monster by not having one. "...You didn't happen to see any keys, did you?--Or anything else that doesn't belong in a home..?" Ciel went on to ask. "Mmmyeah! I vacuumed a few things like that up. It seems like whoever lived here did some terrible things in this house... I also found two bodies..." Roll went on to explain, her expression shifting to something very serious. She seemed slightly braver than anyone their age had any right to be. Yet, the mention of two corpses alarmed Ciel rather thoroughly. She spared a glance toward Ringo.

They were the only ones left. The only ones to survive. Silent alarm was all she gave though, not wanting to upset the other by revealing just how upset she herself was. They needed to get out of here. Now! "We need those keys, to 'clean' the house. They lead to the attic. Can you give them to us?" Ciel asked. "Mmmh--Alright!" Roll replied, holding up an arm. This arm then receded to reveal a very rubbery looking vacuum hose underneath leading directly into her body! ...Just the thought of a robot's body being treated like a tool for cleaning floors was enough to hurt Ciel's heart. It felt so very, very wrong when she thought of Roll as a person, and she really didn't have any She could only take solace in the fact that Roll likely didn't share her pain. Ciel's silent yet intense discomfort with old-timey robot racism aside, Roll set her vacuum in reverse and began expelling various things she'd vacuumed up! There was a lot of dust, some papers, and letters, some unidentified fluff, not one but two keys, the pieces of an exploded monokuma. a long piece of displaced red lace and, of course, dead bugs.

Suddenly, something seemed to block off Roll's vacuum. She awkwardly flexed her arm a bit, seeming to give a series of firm pushes before, much to Ciel's alarm, the head of a small girl popped free of the vacuum's breach! She looked appropriately disorientated. With one more push, none other than Feli was launched forth onto the ground with a hard thud! She struggled back to her feet, trembling a bit from her experience. She was covered in dust. It did not take her long to square off against Roll. "I am no spirit--!" Feli squealed, only to begin coughing in a rather sickly manner. She briefly clutched at her chest, a tear forming in her eyes. The poor thing had been inhaling far too much dust. "Oh--...Whoops! Sorry about that. I thought you were a possessed doll..!" Roll sheepishly replied, earning herself a little glare. "You are--...*cough cough* I am no puppet either." Feli corrected, struggling to say as much as she'd like to through her coughing fit. It sounded like she could barely breathe! "--Hey, didn't you come with a bow last time..?" Roll went on to ask. Feli hesitated a moment, reaching up to grasp at her head and crying out in alarm as she realized the red lace string that normally laid on her her head had been torn away and was now lost to her. She quickly looked around, hiding her head as if in shame as she tried to find the nearby lace. Her panic at the thought of losing it was making it hard for her to focus on doing a proper search for it, ironically.

[Rina]

Cleanup huh...So is she programmed to be a housekeeper-

Hold up, what was that line again?

"Wait, did I hear that right? Vacuuming a ghost?"

That's...that's not something she hears everyday. How do you even suck up non-coporeal? ...Never mind, That'd likely lead to a loop of questions that she lacks answers to. Seems like she's on the same page as Ciel. She kept watch as Ciel conversed with Roll, learning of the two bodies that ended up here. Huh, who could they be? The fact that Ciel and Ringo are the only ones actually breathing is...alarming. They went in with four, right? Ringo is practically internally screaming, but she wouldn't want to frighten anyone with her panic. That'd cause a LOT of problems. During cleanup, there seems to be a familiar face-

"YIKES SPOOKY GOTHY GIRL!"

Not a face she'd want to see, but a familiar one at that.

"Ahem, that's Feli. She's in the same world as Primp, but in another town. If you ever meet Lemres, he can tell you much more about her. He's got a green pointy hat and matching coat and isn't afraid to hand out sweets."

Huh, where did her ribbon go? It's not very conspicuous if you take it off now that she thought about it. It stood out when it's on her, but when it's off? Where would one find a string???

[Mari]

Music	Map
	Basement First Floor Second Floor

"G-Give it back!" Feli awkwardly snapped in an accusing tone, directed at Roll. Roll seemed rather oblivious to the threat in front of her, perhaps not programmed to be able to respond to a threat from a human. By 200X standards, it made perfect sense. To Ciel though, it was yet another uncomfortable reminder of what a robot looked like without its humanity. Of course, watching Roll awkwardly clean dust off of Feli while she batted the robot's arms away from her and they fussed with eachother was its own kind of silly.

Thoughtfully nodding at Ringo's words, Ciel shifted to begin searching through the debris that had been thrown out when Roll emptied her internal vacuum. One key, two key and ... Hm. Thankfully this entire house was a convenient shade of grey and gross. The lively red lace stood out to her when she saw it. Plucking it from the floorboards, she held it up for Ringo to see for a moment before hesitantly approaching the angry goth.

"

Miss, is this what you're looking for..?

"

Feli turned about and froze in place, watching Ciel carefully as she held the red lace string out to her. She didn't pick up on any ill intentions or foul thoughts, so why was Ciel getting so close to her? Feli held her breath visible as Ciel gingerly fixed the bow upon her head, carefully straightening out some of the places it had crumpled at without so much as brushing up against her hair. When Ciel stepped back to observe her work, she caught a bright blush on Feli's face.

(What just happened..?)

Ciel offered Feli a bright smile in response, declining to dignify the other's embarassment with any acknowledgement. She wasn't sure what she'd done to elicit that kind of reaction herself.

"

Are you alright, Feli..? I didn't mean to invade your personal space.

"

" . . . Yes. Who are you?" Feli asked, a little disorientated. "My name's Doctor Ciel. We're looking to break the curse over this place and free the... 'spirits' inhabiting it." Ciel explained, at a loss of better words to describe their situation. Feli seemed troubled by this, averting her gaze for a moment. "...This place has a powerful negative aura over it. I can hear their thoughts. It's ...deafening." Feli replied rather softly. Ciel had to stop and think about what exactly Feli meant by that, though. She could ... hear whose thoughts now?

[Rina]

Well, Feli's back to her senses, sorta. Whatever defines her senses, anyway. Ringo did not want to engage in conversation with her, as she's been on the bad side of her a couple of times. There was the time Raffina and Feli had this cryptic exchange, a time where she doubted her abilities, only to witness them go to work by recalling the exact sequence of events that led to a hold up... It wasn't pleasant. Feli's a scary person to be enemies with. She simply let Ciel break the ice and explain the situation. She listened to Ciel ask a question about the mansion, and, unsurprisingly, the spirits Feli can hear are crying out. Likely in agony over something. Sounds about right.

"S-S-So you hear the spirits...? Can you tell what they're saying...?"

There's a very obvious nervousness in her tone from her ghost fear kicking in. If Feli could understand their words, then that might be a clue towards freeing them. She did it with the piano one earlier, maybe the others can be pacified peacefully.

[Mari]

"...It's a terrible noise." Feli began to explain, her voice cracking a bit. She reached up to cover her ears. "Dozens and dozens of souls crying out in anguish! They will not stop screaming!!" Feli continued on to explain. Judging by her reaction, the sensation seemed to be a bit painful for the goth, as if they were all shouting in her ears. And then, Feli lost her temper. "KEEEEE!" she squealed at the top of her lungs, startling Ciel and drawing some concern from Roll. "Wretched spirits, let your loudest step forth and be heard! If only to silence you for a moment!" Feli blurted out, striking a rather threatening pose at no one in particular.

For a moment there was silence. And then, a crash could be heard from above, like something falling and breaking against the floor. All of a sudden, Feli was thrown back onto her bottom by an invisible force. A gasp of alarm escaped her and she looked up at something most mortals couldn't see. But of course, each and every one of the girls present save Roll had a form of ESP. The shadowy form of a human being stood over Feli, having seemingly shot through the air and struck her. Its form was warped and twisted, barely recognizable as a human. Monsterous were its elongated hands, disproportionate to the rest of its tall, lanky body. It could be seen reaching out to Feli, holding her head and chest down. The goth shuddered but did not seem to be immediately harmed by the action. Instead, she laid sprawled on the ground. It might become apparent after a moment that she could not move.

"..Suu--They are trapped. Their anguish is... being unable to reach the after life." Feli began to explain somewhat breathlessly. She seemed to have a hard time breathing with the creature bearing down on her. "The master of the house... It is his doing... He murdered them." Feli went on to explain, taking a moment to gasp for air. Ciel certainly wished that the creature would be a bit more gentle, but she got the feeling that trying to interact with it physically would not work. "By knowing his secret ... we are... his next target. This is our... fate. Just as it was theirs." Feli went on to lament. This time it was Ciel's turn to be concerned. "Wait! Feli... Isn't there some way to defeat him, or at least escape?" Ciel asked somewhat anxiously. "...To defeat him, his true name must be discovered... and brought to the attic where his spirit is grounded. It is... hopeless." Feli went on to lament. The sound of footsteps could be heard from upstairs. Yet, both Junko and Rosalyn's trophies were right nearby. Ciel pursed her lips. So they needed to discover his 'true' name? But how were they supposed to do that? Who would know his true name? Could it be written down somewhere, or perhaps would a ghost know it? They seemed less than friendly, though she supposed she could understand why. The grim nature of their imprisonment would put anyone in a bad mood.

[Rina]

"EEP!"

The screeching never fails to spook her. From Feli's behavior, however, she could sense them. The sudden banging only continued to pile up the paranoia, getting easily spooked by Feli getting knocked off her feet by some supernatural force. Her hair could easily stand on end at this rate, sensing this being that wasn't discernable with the human eye, yet had a presence. It was vaguely human-shape, but Ringo couldn't begin to even describe it. It somewhat clicked after seeing Feli pinned down for an extended period, but then just accepted it as if she wasn't allowed to struggle. Feli's words echoed what she heard earlier: these beings are trapped here for reasons that bind them into this world. And that reason...

"M-Murder!?"

...and they're on the hitlist until they find who this murderer's name is. Cue Ringo clinging onto Ciel for comfort. Where do they begin to finding clues!?

[Mari]

Ciel's eyes glimmered with recognition. A true name? But that would imply that there was a false name. It couldn't be, could it? A memory ran through her mind, only for her train of thought to get interrupted as Ringo clung to her in fright! She turned and gingerly embraced Ringo, one arm wrapping around Ringo's waist and the other around her upper back, under her arms, drawing Ringo fully into her embrace. Ciel then tightened her embrace, gently yet possessively holding Ringo against her, one cheek brushing against another. "...I won't let him take you." Ciel murmured into Ringo's ear, a rare mixture of passion and assertive indignance in her tone. "Wherever this takes us, we're going together--and coming back together. I promise." Ciel quietly went on to reassure, the hand on Ringo's upper back soothingly running back and forth across her shoulder blades at a plaeasantly slow pace.

Nearby, the shadowy monster of a creature retreated into the ether, losing its form and dissipating into the air. Feli promptly sat up with tears in her eyes, taking soft, sharp, all but gasping breathes. She clutched at her cest, clearing her eyes after a moment. The spirits here were tormented with grief. They had not been gentle with her. She'd been forced to relay their messages. Yet, something stranger yet laid just in front of her. She looked up and spotted Ciel and Ringo having a moment. If it hadn't been obvious by the loving way she was holding Ringo, it was clear as day when she read Ciel's thoughts. She was stunned. For a moment, she doubted her own powers. For as far as her sight reached, she had never once imagined feeling that way about another girl.

...She smiled softly. What a strange world. And not a bit of competition for Lemres' attention in sight. She was decisively okay with this new development. It made it easier to trust them. Deciding to keep her discovery to herself, Feli remained silent.

Ciel drew back, slipping her hands down and taking Ringo's to reassure her. "As for his name... I think I already know." Ciel announced, eyeing Ringo fondly and addressing her with a bright smile. "You do?" Roll curiously asked from nearby. She'd been waiting patiently to be useful. "Mmhm..." Ciel replied looking up toward the attic in thought for a good long moment. "While researching magic for a book project, an odd old man talked to me about the importance of 'true names'. It's not a name, really... It's a description. ...A true name is a word that encompasses who a person is, essentially. You can learn someone's true name by getting to know them. The word that describes them better than any other--That's their true name." Ciel explained. "All we need to do... is use deductive reasoning! If we can survive for long enough, we'll uncover the reason he killed this many people. I'll bet you anything that's the key to figuring out his true name." Ciel continued on, balling her free hand into a fist.

"...Of course! A true name can be used to lay any number of curses upon a person. It will render his spirit vulnerable." Feli blurted out, impressed by Ciel's knowledge of the occult. Her work on the Grimoire of Enlightenement had paid off in unexpected ways! "...But we won't know when we have the right name until he is there to hear it. Unfortunately, we need to confront him before we begin guessing." Ciel explained, gesturing to the stairs leading upstairs, which in turn would lead their way to the attic.

[Rina]

The assuring words helped ease Ringo a bit, but that doesn't shoo away the danger she's going to have to confront sooner or later. The shadowy figure may have retreated, but poor Ringo is still on edge. She may know why they linger, but how to pacify them is another story. Ciel...looks onto something. She spoke of the 'True Name' that is associated with the person; a concept of the arcane. It's something beyond Ringo's scope of magical knowledge, but if it gives this group a fighting chance against the spirits here, then might as well take it. And learning the True Name can be done with logical deduction? If Ringo can regain her composure, then that's something completely in her field!

"Where did you learn this? That's something new I've learned!"

[Mari]

"I learned it while participating in a school research project at Hylia's Grace Academy. We were interviewing other students and teachers to learn about forms of magic from all across our extended universe. This particular type of magic is associated with witches and warlocks. It's not an inherently dark thing, but it only seems to ever be invoked when someone wants to do very unsavory things to a person, like laying curses or enslaving someone against their will. For our purposes though, we'll just be using it to protect ourselves." Ciel explained, recounting what she'd learned. Feli seemed unimpressed with Ciel's restraint. Hey speak for yourself, lady! She's cursing the heck out of this dude! "Normally it's almost impossible to guess someone's true name within the timespan of a battle or even a day depending on how well you know someone, but some cultures have rituals to reveal them and some even teach their children their true name alongside their given name. If my theory is correct, however, we're dealing with a person so consumed by a particular desire that their true name is almost certainly related to that." Ciel finished explaining.

And then they were at the ladder leading up to the attic. Ciel hesitantly went first. It was quiet, and she was scared, but she had to be brave. Ringo needed an anchor, and she needed a friend. Feli went next, and Roll beckoned for Ringo to go before her. "I'm not sure these ladders will hold me, so I'll stay down here and wait!" Roll explained. The ladder was indeed old, wooden and not all that stable looking. It would likely carry Ringo just as well as it carried the others, but Roll was made of metal. She weighed about twice as much as the other girls, if not more! And really, nobody wanted to be trapped up there.

Ciel held out her hand to Ringo as she neared the top of the ladder, offering to help her up. "There isn't much ambient light up here. Let's stay close..." Ciel urged, not wanting to get seperated again. As the duo emerged up top, they would be surrounded by darkness in a barely lit room. Holding Ringo's hand supportively, Ciel began shining her light about to try and get an idea of what was happening. Catching movement on the opposite wall, Ciel shined her light there. The words "GET OUT" were carved into the wall. Ciel squirmed a little where she stood. Well that was unsubtle foreshadowing.

Something brushed up against her free side and she nearly jumped, turning her flashlight over! ...Feli winced at the bright light, glancing away from Ciel in annoyance. ...Oh. Ciel smiled apologetically, returning to searching the room. A moment later however, something brushed up against Ciel, Ringo and Feli's backs. The room seemed to grow colder as this happened. Ciel quickly turned back to Feli, only to find that she was still at her other side, looking behind her just as Ciel was about to. She shielded her eyes, leering slightly. "Don't point that at my eyes." she murmured. Ciel, in a panic, ignored Feli and turned around to shine the light behind them! She knew she'd felt somethind behind her. She just dreaded to see something behind her. The light fished around for a moment before uncovering a strange mist floating in the air. Exploring it with her flashlight, Ciel quicklyl uncovered a horrible face. Sunken black eyes and a toothless mouth glared at her, the spirit barely humanoid other than its face and arms. " . . . wrETCHed LIttle GIRLS, inVADE my HOME... I'll tAKE YOUr SOOOULS for THISSS!!" the ghost roared in a maddened voice, erratically screeching out certain words and syllables in his speech. Ciel SCREAMED and promptly clung to Ringo in fright as the ghost reached out toward them, its large, cloud-like hands making a grab for them. "You will sERVE as MY CHILdren in death..." he went on to screech.

Ciel promptly made a move to flee the grabbing hands, pulling or if need be carrying Ringo along with her. NOPE! That was definitely a euphemism for murder and eternal damnation in this house. "DO NOT RUN from MEEEEE!!" the ghost screamed in outrage A dresser went flying past the group, launched through the air. It emitted a deafening crack as it slammed into the door. Ciel gasped in horror at the power it must've taken to throw such heavy furniture.

Feli launched several spells at the ghost, but they simply passed through him as if he were not actually there. An old cabinet launched by, violently slamming into Feli and throwing her across the room. It then opened its door and scooped up the fallen goth, trapping her inside. Sensing that they would likely be the target of a familiar fate, Ciel stopped and pulled Ringo close to her, narrowly avoiding a table as it flew past where they'd been about to run, shattering against the wall. She held Ringo tightly to her body, careful not to allow the other to panic and run. "...Stop." she whispered, casting a glance over her shoulder. She could not see the ghost properly in the low light, but she knew he was there. "...Murderer!" Ciel called out to the ghost. "MURderer!! MURderer!!" the ghost mocked. "WHIny little brATS!!" it shouted back. Ciel could hear a drawer slam open from across the room and a bunch of silverware shift. She quickly shifted to put herself between Ringo and the noise. A steak knife flew through the air tip first, rushing out to stab Ciel in the back! ...It smacked into her but stopped dead in its tracks, falling down. Ciel yelped at the impact, but seemed to be otherwise okay. ...The knife was dull, likely laid to rest here at the end of its apparent usefulness. It was also not a throwing knife.

[Mari]

((Due to extended delay, but the thread mostly being completed, I've decided to wrap things up myself and complete the thread so that the time invested gets rewarded properly.))

In a terrifying conclusion, Ciel, Ringo and Feli were able to confront the ghost of an exceptionally evil man who ruined the lives of those around him in ever more desperate bid for control over his life. At first, the girls were at his mercy. As a ghost, he was seemingly immune to everything they threw at him. However, their bravery bought them the time to figure out his true name. Not the name he was given at birth, or even the name given to him by his creator. But a name that truly represented what he had become: Destroyer

Upon calling him this, the spirit of the man rejected his name in anguish. However, it was far too late for him to repent for his great many sins. It was not enough to condemn him for the terrible deaths on his hands, but also for the lives he destroyed and the humanity he stole from those around him. He was no callous murderer, but something far worse. Someone for whom death was not the worst thing he could do to you.

...But tonight, he was rendered corporeal when his true name was spoken. And using this same name, Feli placed several curses on him to restrain his spectral powers before banishing him to the underworld. Apparently, someone down there was very eager to claim his soul. And like that, three young girls defeated a menace whose power very well could have claimed many more lives if they hadn't acted, potentially even becoming a threat to the life sphere. The sun rose on a house that had not seen the light of day in ages, and the fog cleared. The spirits rapidly departed, and they were alone in the attic. Ciel could feel only a profound sadness at what had gone on, and wonder how exactly this old fashioned house had come to be here if the Life Sphere wasn't all that old. As if to answer them, the house began to rot around them. It rapidly detereorated, the wood becoming moldy and flimsy and even beginning to split and break apart. Realizing that the house would come down around them, Ciel grabbed Ringo's hand and carefully, awkwardly power walked their way out. The ladder leading to the attic could no longer support their weight and Ciel fell, but she was relatively okay, and she and Roll caught Ringo and Feli before finally rushing to escape.

Not ten minutes from when they'd exited that house, it laid in ruins before them. A mere shade of its former self. The house itself, no more than a traveling memory long since passed. Could any of them have known they'd been displayed through time and space? Either way, Ciel eagerly hugged and held Ringo in celebration, just grateful to be out of that horrid place with her best friend intact. It'd be a bit hard to explain this one to the police...