Without a Trace | KotLC AU

Chapter 2 - Biana

"Tam?" Biana called, limping around Solreef. She and Sophie had just arrived and decided to split up because that was always a good idea. And her leg was killing her. She was pretty sure she had done something to her ankle when she fell, as well as the cut.

Unlike Everglen, Solreef was in perfect untouched condition. Except it was completely abandoned. Very unsettling.

"Biana!" Sophie called. "I found him! And he has no idea what's happening either!"

"Great!" Biana limped in their direction. "Hi, Tam. We're just as confused as you are."

"What happened?" Tam gestured to her leg.

"I fell through the floor in my room," she shrugged.

"You guys look different," he observed.

"Yep," Biana sighed.

"Wait, I think I know why!" Sophie started to pace. "Vertina said that Edaline thought I was dead a hundred years ago."

"But... we're not— are we?" Biana asked.

"If we are older," Tam furrowed his brow. "Then where have we been for the past century?"

"I don't know," Biana looked at the ground. She had just woken up in her bedroom.

"Maybe Vertina will tell us?" Sophie pulled a large shard of mirror out of her pocket. "If it works."

Biana shuffled over to Sophie and looked over her shoulder, watching a small, glitchy, shape form in the mirror.

"S-s-s-s-Sophie!" The girl in the mirror stuttered.

"Vertina, please tell us what's going on!" Sophie urged.

"Look," Vertina said. "I'm kind of broken, but everyone else can explain without get-t-t-t-ting cut off. Just get to the hideout in Mysterium! And then—" she cut out and disappeared.

"Ugh, no!" Sophie groaned.

"So we know we have to go to Mysterium," Tam mused. "That's a start."

"Okay," Biana nodded. "Let's do that!" She stepped forward— and received a shock of pain for forgetting that her leg was dying. She sucked in a breath, trying to stay standing. And failing. Biana clenched her teeth, fighting a sob.

"We should find Elwin," Tam suggested, helping her up.

"That's a good idea," Sophie wrapped an arm around Biana, offering support. Biana didn't want to weigh her down, but she was starting to get light-headed, so she gave in and leaned on Sophie.

"To Mysterium?" Tam asked.

Biana nodded. "To Mysterium," she breathed. She was ready for some answers.

Mysterium was usually very lively and active.

Not today.

"Oh God," Sophie muttered.

The usually crowded streets were empty, and ash floated in the air from a few of the buildings that seemed to have been burnt down.

"I hate this," Biana sighed. "What the heck happened?"

"And where's the hideout?" Tam asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have a guess," Sophie said.

"Spit it out," Biana told her.

"Well," Sophie started. "Maybe it's in Slurps and Burps. Since Juline was part of the Black Swan? And... ugh, never mind."

"No, I think that's a pretty good idea," Tam assured her. "Except..." he pointed.

Biana followed his eyes to one of the burned buildings. And it was exactly where Slurps and Burps used to be.

It was just as bad inside. Shelves were melted and knocked over, and ash covered the ground as if nobody had been there in years.

"Maybe we should look for clues?" Biana suggested. "Or something."

They began to look around and searched for ten minutes without anything. Until Biana limped into the back room of the shop, where she found...

A footprint.

"Sophie, Tam!" She yelled. "It's not much, but I found a footprint."

The three of them gathered around it and then... they didn't really know what to do. It was literally just a footprint.

"Maybe we should look around here a little," Tam suggested.

"Yeah," Sophie agreed.

Back to looking. Again. It felt like they were getting nowhere.

Biana began to look at some of the stuff left in the back room. Empty elixir bottles. Broken gadgets. But one thing in particular caught her eye.

She picked up the small object and blew off the ash, sending a small cloud into the air.

It was Dex's panic switch.

"Huh," she breathed. Why would he leave it here? And did this connect to anything that happened?

And should she press it?

She was toying with the idea when Sophie gave a short scream. Biana's head snapped up just in time to see Sophie get pulled out of view.

"Sophie!" Tam yelled, hurrying over to where she had disappeared.

Biana hopped over and began looking for anywhere Sophie could have gone. "Where did she go?"

"Wait," Tam cocked his head. "I can hear her."

Biana held her breath, straining to hear what Tam heard. She sucked in a breath when she finally picked up a few words.

"Please— I don't—"

"Sophie!" She shouted through the wall where the sound was coming from. The noise stopped. Biana leaned closer and pressed her ear to the wall. She could hear footsteps.

Suddenly, she was shoved back by a panel in the wall opening, revealing a secret room of sorts and someone dressed in black, who was holding a knife to Sophie's throat.