Quest for the Eighty-Eight Keys

Chapter Thirty: Rufus Has Been Captured

WARNING: NIGHTMARE, MILD DESCRIPTION OF MAJOR INJURIES, MENTIONS OF BLOOD, PANIC ATTACK, MENTIONS OF SELF-HARM, STRANGLING, AND KIDNAPPING!

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Lucy opened her eyes to find that she was floating in a black abyss. She looked around herself frantically, searching for something, anything. The abyss felt like a black ocean that she could breathe in. Her body felt as though it was being weighed down by tons of invisible water. Her brown eyes were wide with alarm at her surroundings. She opened her mouth and tried to call out for help, call out to anybody who may hear, but no sound came out.

Her stomach turned and her heartbeat became erratic. Her breathing started to become shallow as she tried to keep herself calm. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't possible. But...what was happening? She had no idea.

Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through the heavy darkness, making her body tremble under its thunderous might, "you!"

Fear enveloped her being at the sound. Her stomach dropped and her heart pounded so hard that she could hear it in her ears and felt it in her chest. Her eyes were impossibly wide and she froze, as if she was able to move in the first place. Her mind raced but didn't stop long enough for her to make sense of her own thoughts.

The voice sounded again, "this is your fault! We're dead because of you!"

Lucy gasped when Yukino suddenly appeared right in front of her. The sight was horrifying. Her dear friend was clothed in only bloodied and dirty rages that remained of her clothes. Her body was covered in festering burn marks and blood, a handful of long cuts littered around, while her left leg was twisted and discolored, so much so that Lucy couldn't help but cringe at the sight. The dead celestial wizard's eyes were merely black pools, gashes laying over them, which resulted in streams of blood flowing down her face.

Yukino was clearly unhappy, her arms crossed over her barely-covered chest, her brow furrowed, and pale lips pulled into a deep frown. Lucy trembled at the sight, tears burning her eyes. Her friend leaned closer, causing Lucy to struggle in the ocean of black, heavy water-like pressure, desperate to get away but not able to put any distance between herself and her dead friend.

Yukino sneered, her face inches away from Lucy's, "this is your fault. If you were more competent, if you tried harder, you could have saved us."

"I-I'm sorry." Lucy's response was whimpering as fear rushed through her veins and panic pooled in her gut.

"You're sorry? That's a great excuse!" A second voice scoffed.

Lucy looked to her left to see the source of the new voice, finding that Sorano was floating there. Yukino's older sister was completely naked and her body was almost mangled. Whipping marks and burn wounds covered her body, leaving almost no room for unmarred, healthy skin to show itself. Her fingernails were gone and her once captivating eyes were just as gone. Lucy choked on a sob at the sight of the empty eye sockets, blood, and mucus pouring out of them.

Sorano continued with a sickeningly sweet smile and a tone that matched, "you're such a good friend, Lucy! You've taken spirits that don't belong to you and are now dragging your friends along on a mission that doesn't concern them at all and is only causing them harm! How selfless and kind you are!"

Lucy shook her head. "No, no! I-I didn't plan for a-any of this to-to happen!" She was barely able to register the streams of tears that flowed down her cheeks. Her breath came in shallow quick gasps as she struggled to maintain some amount of control over herself.