𝐼𝑁𝑁𝑂𝐶𝐸𝑁𝐶𝐸 𝐿𝑂𝑆𝑇 // 𝐴. 𝐷𝐸 𝑅𝑈𝑁𝐸

𝑋𝑋𝑋𝐼𝐼

| XXXII. Sed Haec Hactenus |

—

Marion allowed herself to be pulled inside by Mélie, unshed tears resting in her eyes. For the past week or so, her emotions had been running on overdrive... the smallest things would set her off, whether the emotion be happiness, or anger, or panic. Now, she was panicking.

"She– they– Mélie, we can't leave them out there!" Marion argued, and Mélie glared at her.

"There is nothing we can do!" Mélir spat, grabbing Marion by her biceps, and shaking her. "You think I want to leave my brother out there with those fucking things?"

"Both of you, shut up!" Lucas shouted over them both, his hands frustratedly clenching at his sides.

His command made the entire room go quiet, save for the incessant squeaking just beyond the heavy, oaken door. Lucas was a quiet boy, a bit stuck in his shell... he usually wasn't one to raise his voice like that.

"Arguing will get us nowhere..." The alchemist-in-training continued, voice softening.

Marion sucked in a deep breath as Mélie released her, crossing her arms over her chest, and cupping her now tender biceps. Lucas was right... and in all honesty, so was Mélie. There really wasn't anything they could do but hope Arthur and Amicia could get themselves out of that mess.

The dark-haired girl clenched her jaw, willing away her tears of fear, frustration, and anger– every negative emotion under the sun.

This was just great. Now she was cross with Mélie when they needed each other the most, yet she couldn't shake the feeling of her firm grip, the way it left her arms tender and... and brain buzzing.

Marion squeezed her arms tighter, trying to be rid of that nasty pit in her belly... It was an ugly feeling, one that hadn't reared its ugly head in a while. It just needed to come in a moment where she needed a sound mind. The girl tried to even her breathing, in and out, over and over again. She couldn't control the anxious beat of her heart, anxious from worrying over her friend, and lover, anxious from reminders of memories not yet dead and buried.

Rodric's hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her trance, making her quickly swivel around, and slap his hand away.

"No– no, I... I need..." Marion choked out, willing her voice to sound stronger than she felt. It didn't exactly do much. What did she need?

The next few words were a blur; Marion was too focused on quite literally everything else to hear the 'Now look what you've done!' from Mélie, and Rodric's angry 'You were the one who started it!'.

Marion only pulled herself to the present when the door burst open, and Amicia and Arthur came barreling up the stairs. They were both shaken– that much was clear. Shaken, and seemingly unharmed. Marion could tell from the slight tremor of Amicia's slender fingers that whatever was out there most definitely gave them hell.

"Are you alright?" Amicia asked everyone, her body almost naturally finding its way towards Marions.

The dark-haired girl nodded, though there was still a bit of a haze within her brown eyes. Amicia reached over to tuck a stray curl away from Marion's face, matching frowns decorating their pallid faces when Marion flinched away. The girl sucked in a deep breath, grabbing Amicia's hand and squeezing it tight. She wouldn't let herself get like that... not with Amicia, whom she cherished so much.

"No, What the hell is going on?" Mélie responded, patience very quickly wearing thin. She turned to her brother, scanning him for any visible injuries. "Arthur, did you get bitten?"