Ravens croaked as they perched on withered trees underneath a starlit sky. The ENGINE'S mulberry gaze distorted the clouds in a palette of unnatural hues. Industrial waste, flora, and rotten wood lingered in the air as Rachel walked towards the front of Sarah's limousine. Cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes swirled towards the heavens, and shadows danced across cracked asphalt. Trees, weeds, and the bent Corwood sign swayed in the wind.
Rachel stared at Elijah as he inspected the engine of Sarah's vehicle. Shiyu stood next to him, her glowing tattoos serving as an improvised flashlight. Arthur cautiously stroked Pepper as he chatted with Emily, while Alice and Amos checked the tires. Sarah fluttered her fan as she sipped on a glass of champagne.
Elijah grumbled as he slammed the engine hood down, then lit a cigarette. "Engine looks fine, might be a blown fuse," he explained as he smoked. "We might have to hitch a ride or walk on foot."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Absolutely not!" She scoffed as she gazed down the endless country road before them. "Certainly, there is a fuse lying around this abandoned town."
"Unless we find some flashlights, we ain't going to find anything," Elijah replied as he leaned on the limousine.
"We could try to power up the town, then try to find what we need?" Arthur suggested as Emily placed Pepper on his shoulder. "He doesn't bite, right?"
Emily shook her head and chuckled as she watched Pepper sniffing Arthur's white beard.
"There is also another solution, granted we can get into the ether mines," Shiyu said as she chanted a mantra, and a ball of pure blue light formed in her hand.
"You mean kick-start the limousine with ether?" Amos asked while he stared at the orb of light in Shiyu's hand.
Shiyu nodded. "If we rewire some cables and I ingest some pure ether, it's possible I could get it running," she explained.
"Wouldn't that kill you?" Arthur asked as he handed Pepper back to Emily.
Shiyu shook her head. "Ether is not toxic to Sages. In fact, our tattoos are composed of pure ether."
"Let's just try to get the lights in town on first before we try that," Elijah suggested, then flicked his cigarette to the ground.
"Wouldn't have that issue if it wasn't for you," Sarah cackled as she swirled her champagne.
Elijah rolled his eyes, then lit another cigarette. "Let's just get this over with," he grumbled as he gestured everyone to follow him and Shiyu into Corwood.
Rachel rubbed her neck as she followed the group, her shadow jagged and twisted underneath Shiyu's illuminating light. Weathered brick buildings with busted windows, aligned cracked and pothole roads as they entered the abandoned town. Crows and feral cats dug into trash cans while raccoons scurried underneath homes. Outdated automobiles lined the sidewalks, while foreclosed Ether fuel stations aligned abandoned business plazas. Rusty furniture and broken appliances cluttered victorian style homes. Boarded-up grocery and liquor stores served as decayed snapshots of a town no more.
"What the fuck did you do, sourpuss?" Emily asked as she scratched Pepper's chin.
"Yes, please enlighten the group on how you got your nickname," Sarah harassed as she walked next to Shiyu.
"Sarah, you and I both know how he got the nickname," Alice said as she glanced at Elijah.
"Of course, but not everyone does."
"You didn't run around killing innocent civilians, right?" Rachel asked
Alice shook her head. "Not in the way you think."
Elijah sighed. "I fucked up, that's how," he said. "Before I was a bodyguard, I was private security for a company called Ether Tech."
"I remember hearing about them on the news. They went out of business after what happened here," Alice said as they turned down Main Street.
Elijah nodded as Shiyu guided them towards an electrical transformer.
"What does that have to do with you? You were just private security," Emily replied.
"The only security," Elijah muttered as he checked the breaker box. "Ether explosion in the mines, town got contaminated....hundreds died," he explained while he rubbed his neck. "I was busy fucking the mayor's girlfriend when it happened."
Sarah cackled. "Wow....of course you were."
"Shut the fuck up, this isn't funny, you psychopathic flamingo," Emily growled.
"Oh, but it is, imagining losing your life because the one guy who was supposed to warn the town and get them to safety couldn't because he was busy having an affair."
Pepper climbed off Emily's shoulder as her nostrils flared. Rachel's heart started to race as she noticed Emily's eyes twitching while her hands balled into a fist. "Hey, calm down...she isn't worth it," Rachel pleaded as she positioned her body in front of Emily.
Sarah's eyes widened as a twisted smile stretched on her face. "Oh, you wanna throw down Emily of Leonore?" She goaded then pointed at her chin. "Go ahead, hit me...I dare you!"
"Don't," Rachel said while holding her hands up in front of Emily.
Emily tugged at her hair and grumbled under her breath.
"Let it go, kid. She is right," Elijah said as he smoked.
"But?"Emily pleaded as she tugged and pulled at her teal highlights.
"Not your fight, and I don't need you defending something that I am clearly guilty of."
Emily sighed, then kicked a trash can. "Whatever," she grumbled as she sat down on the curb of the road, glaring at the abandoned building in front of her.
Sarah smirked and fluttered her fan.
"That was uncalled for, Sarah," Alice said, then crossed her arms.
"You're also playing with fire," Amos insisted, observing Rachel comforting Emily as she bit her fingernails with wild eyes.
"Oh, please, how dangerous could a street rat be?" Sarah asked as she rolled her eyes.
Amos shook his head and sighed.
Elijah flipped the switch on the transformer, then sighed when nothing powered on. "Great...can this day get any worse?" He grumbled as he flicked his cigarette butt.
"Ether mines it is then?" Arthur asked as he glanced around at everyone. "Though I think some of us should return to the limousine," he insisted as he glanced at Sarah.
Sarah blinked, her eyes darting around as everyone glared at her. "Oh...now I am the bad guy!?" She yelled with a raised eyebrow. "Fine...whatever. I provide the transportation anyway you guys solve this mess. I am going to sleep," she grumbled as she stormed off.
"I will sit back with Emily," Rachel insisted, glancing up at Elijah.
Elijah shook his head. "Nah, we need you to come along. We are probably too big to fit into the narrow passageways since the collapse," he explained.
Rachel forced a thin-lipped smile. "Figures, and I am claustrophobic," she grumbled as she stood up. "So who's going to watch Emily so she doesn't beat the shit out of Sarah?"
"I got that covered," Alice volunteered, then nodded at Amos, who returned the gesture. "Been wanting to hangout with her anyway," she explained, walking towards Emily after scooping up Pepper, who was digging in a nearby trashcan.
Rachel sighed as her anxiety spiked, recalling the conversation with Amos and Alice. She ran her hands through her hair, then looked down at Emily. "You going to be alright?"
Emily shrugged as Alice handed her Pepper. "I guess."
"Promise me you won't do anything stupid."
Emily bit her lip and sighed. "Fine...I promise."
"Are we ready?" Shiyu asked, then gestured for the group to follow.
Rachel's shadow crawled on the asphalt, lagging behind her like a cat stalking its prey. Her eyes widened as she observed it, but she kept her mouth closed. A creeping dread poured into her body while she bit her lip. She looked up at the ENGINE before forcing her attention on the group walking in front of her. The only peace she could find in her anxious mind and nervous system was that nobody bothered to pay attention to her.
Brick and mortar buildings gave way to ragged hillslopes and jagged mountain ridges. Ancient oak trees dotted the rocky countryside. Rachel glanced at the metal and wooden water towers situated near rusty reactors nestled between mountain peaks. A river with sharp rocks flowed beneath a swaying bridge, leading towards the mines. The flimsy wooden bridge creaked and groaned underneath Rachel's boots as she gripped the ropes for balance.
"Eyes on me," Elijah insisted as he watched Rachel slowly traverse the rotten bridge.
Rachel blinked heavily as a gust of wind swayed the bridge before grasping Elijah's hand as he yanked her back onto solid ground. Chemicals, metal, dirt, and minerals lingered in the air as Rachel followed everyone up a flight of stairs to a mining tunnel underneath a rundown, rusty reactor. Precious gems, silver, and gold deposits clung to the excavated tunnel walls.
"Keep your voice down while we're in here," Elijah insisted, glancing at the abandoned mining equipment. "Rachel, stay close to Shiyu."
Rachel nodded, staring at her distorted shadow projected ominously in the tunnel. She rubbed her arms as precious gems twisted her reflection underneath Shiyu's glowing orb of light. Pebbles dropped on her head as she squeezed through a tight crevice, leading to a wider part of the mines. A shimmering periwinkle light glowed deeper into the mines as they ventured further inside.
Elijah rubbed his hands on the walls, then sighed. "You're up, champ," he said, gesturing at Rachel as they approached a crevice in the tunnel. He then took off his jacket and handed it to her. "Don't handle the Ether with your bare hands."
"How much do you need?" Rachel asked as she folded Elijah's jacket.
"Just one will suffice, but it needs to be at least the size of your hand," Shiyu explained as she handed the ball of light to Rachel. "We will be right here, alright?"
Rachel sighed and nodded as she glanced at the orb of light in her hand. She looked at the tight crevice and slowly inched her way inside. Sharp rocks ripped at her jeans as she shimmied her way through. Dirt stained her clothes and strawberry blonde hair as she got stuck briefly.
"Everything alright?" Arthur asked as he glanced inside the crevice.
"I'm fine...just got stuck for a moment," Rachel replied as she gently kicked the rocks out of her way.
Dazzling indigo lit up a cavern of raw ether gemstones as Rachel pushed her way through the crevice. Speckles of mulberry dotted the gemstones like freckles. She unfolded Elijah's jacket, wrapping it around a large gemstone embedded in the chasm. Rachel twisted and turned, unlodging the precious gem, then folding it carefully into the jacket.
"You got it?" Elijah asked his voice echoing through the chasm.
"Yeah, coming back now," Rachel replied as she walked back towards the crevice in the wall.
She stumbled over a rock, the gemstone and the orb of light dropping to the ground.
"Shit," Rachel grumbled as she watched the gem shatter on the ground.
"What was that?" Amos asked from beyond the crevice.
Rachel sighed. "Dropped it, have to get another," she replied, then picked up Elijah's jacket and the orb of light.
Her heart raced as she looked up at the roof before wrapping another ether gemstone into Elijah's jacket. Rachel's eyes dilated as she felt the smooth surface of the gemstone touching her fingers. She recoiled instantly, then stumbled backwards, falling directly into the shattered gemstone she already dropped. The liquid inside the gemstone oozed onto her lips. She licked her lips, not thinking in her panic, then her body started to convulse.
Rachel twisted and turned on the floor, eyes bulging as her muscles twitched and spasmed. Her heart thumped in her chest as her shadow desynced with her movements and started to walk towards her. The chasm shook like an earthquake as ether gemstones and precious metals dropped from the roof.
"Ay kid, you alright!" Elijah yelled as the tunnel shook.
Her jagged shadow glitched as its claws stretched towards her. Rachel's eyes flickered mulberry as she hunched over, screaming. Static electricity crackled from her body as she growled while writhing in the dirt. Her shadow synced with her movements as she stared at her reflection in the gemstones. Rachel's heart slowed down, and her muscles stopped twitching. Memories played in reverse as her eyes erupted in mulberry light. Static crackled in her eardrums as the gemstones reflected memories of her shimmying backwards out of the mining tunnel, then walking backward over the rotten wooden bridge that led to the mines. Elijah spoke in reverse as he fiddled with the transformer. The blue light Shiyu held dissipated as they all walked back towards the limousine.
Rachel screamed as her eyes violently erupted in mulberry, and everything froze like a paused video. She stood up and lit a cigarrette then grabbed the ether gemstone with her barehands before wrapping it in Elijah's jacket. Pebbles dropped from the ceiling like gravity was made of molasses as she shimmied herself through the crevice.
"Shit, kid, you had me worried," Elijah grumbled as Rachel handed him his jacket back. His eyes widened as his cigarette fell from his lips. "Kid...your eyes!"
Rachel blinked heavily as a mulberry hue clashed with the periwinkle glow in the cavern. "What about them?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
Shiyu's eyes narrowed as she looked at Rachel. "She touched... no, she ingested ether."
"Yeah...kinda. I tripped, and a gemstone shattered, and some of the liquid got in my mouth," Rachel replied as she rubbed her neck. "I feel fine, though."
"You don't look fine," Amos replied with wide eyes. "Your eyes."
Rachel shrugged. "What about them?"
"They are mulberry Rache," Emily said as she crossed her arms.
Rachel's eyes widened as she saw her eyes shimmering mulberry in the gemstone reflection. She looked up at everyone, then looked at Emily.
"Aint you supposed to be with Alice?" Amos asked with a raised eyebrow as his eyes darted between Rachel and Emily.
Emily shrugged. "Shouldn't you be worried about the girl who ate something toxic and has unnatural eye color because of it?"
"I seriously feel fine...probably due to being chosen," Rachel replied as she rubbed the nape of her neck.
"Probably the only reason why you're alive, kid," Elijah grumbled as he handed the gemstone to Shiyu.
"Do you want me to thank the ENGINE for that?"Rachel jested as she touched her eyelids.
Emily shook her head. "Let's just get out of here."