(set: $job to "Software Engineer")(set: $ben to 0)(set: $mal to 0)(set:$open to false)(set:$true to false)
What is your name? (input-box:2bind $name,"X",1,"")
[[Enter Your Reality -> Proceed to Start]]
(if:visits is 1)[(set: $stolen to false)(set: $less to false)(set: $full to false)]
(if: $stolen is false)[<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Empty.png?raw=true" height = "200" width = "200">](else:)[<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Stolen.png?raw=true" height = "200" width = "200">](if: $less is false)[<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Empty.png?raw=true" height = "200" width = "200">](else:)[<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Souless.png?raw=true" height = "200" width = "200">](if:$full is false)[<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Empty.png?raw=true" height = "200" width = "200">](else:)[<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Soulful.png?raw=true" height = "200" width = "200">]{(track: 'alarm', 'play')}
(live:1s)[You wake up to the sound of your alarm that beeps on the opposite side of your room. It wasn't nearly as easy to set it to snooze, which was something you were a frequent culprit of.]
(live: 5s)[Considering you wanted to keep the job you had, you thought it best to take whatever preventative measures you could. {(track: 'alarm', 'stop')}The people that you were consistently around were pretty cool, and the ones who weren't, you hardly saw. You felt like you were making great leaps and bounds as a (cycling-link: bind $job, "Software Engineer", "News Reporter", "Research Analyst", "Fashion Designer", "Test Developer", "Marketing Specialist", "Collaborative Painter", "Poet"). It was something to feel good about, even on the rough days. (stop:)]
(live: 12s)[And those were admittedly frequent. Your migraines had been getting worse, lately. The last time you tried medication, it didn't go well. Not because it didn't help for the migraine- but because it didn't help for you.]
(live:16s)[You doubted that those that created the medication had [[someone like you in mind->background]].](live:1s)[For as far as your memories could go back, you have always been able to see auras around everyone. Bright colors, dark colors, warm colors, cool colors, a whole variety of shades and not two being the same for any two people. There overall color would typically be consistent, with a slight shift based on the intensity of their emotions.]
(live:6s)[It was how you were able to read people so well. It was bewildering to your parents and your friends- your first hint that perhaps this wasn't normal. You never said anything about it because you had watched TV. You've seen the movies. You didn't need people hunting you down to try to experiment with you or use you for their own diabolical plan.]
(live:12s)[Auras that were more translucent or transparent tended to point to more dangerous individuals. There weren't many other patterns that you've witnessed other than that. Perhaps it was to even-out nothing else about them being see-through. Or they were lacking a personal depth that would otherwise influence their aura's opaqueness. You had come up with many theories over the years, but that's all they could be.]
(live:18s)[You got up and got ready for the day. It had been strangely warm out for this time of year, but you weren't complaining. It was still comfortable. Not to mention that your work attire needn't be too formal, so you wouldn't be in discomfort for [[the day ahead->Work Day 1]].](live: 1s)[Your sunglasses could only do so much to prevent the slight overwhelmed sensation you got whenever you walked into the building for your $job job. There were a lot of people with contrasting auras. It was the pro to being able to have a more isolated space in a less condensed floor higher up in the building; you didn't have to risk biting off more than you could chew.]
(live:5s)[You kept your head down while you headed straight for the stairs. Nearly everyone took the elevator, and you had to get your steps in for the day somehow. The pacing you did for your ideas only helped so much.]
(live:9s)[As soon as you reached your floor and started heading to your space, you heard the usual warm greetings.]
(live:11s)[(text-colour:#de7b32)["Hey $name! How are you doing?"]]
(live:14s)[(text-colour:#50c06c)["Migraines again? You should really get around to checking them out. Hope you feel better!"]]
(live:16s)[(text-colour:#b431df)["Honestly at this point I'm surprised you still have your head attached. Stay strong, if you need to take less of the work today let us know."]]
(live:19s)[Your team was supportive. They could be pains, sometimes, but when it mattered they were supportive.]
(live:22s)[[[It was easy to smile through the pain->Positive]]
[[Agree with Maylene's notion of losing your head->Beheaded]]](set: $ben to it + 1)
(live:1s)[You found yourself smiling despite the otherwise sickly feeling. (text-colour:#51bf91)["Thanks. I'm sure I'll be okay. I'm really liking our project, after all. The migraine will be lost to the work."]]
(live:3s)[(text-colour:#b431df)["The offer will stand until the end of the day." Maylene] punctuated the statement with a wink before walking off to do her part.]
(live:6s)[(text-colour:#de7b32)["Seriously, $name. Taking care of yourself is the priority."]]
(live:8s)[(text-colour:#50c06c)["Yeah, we can't rob you from your ideas if you aren't well enough to be robbed from!"]]
(live:10s)[(text-colour:#50c06c)[Prose] earned an elbow jab from (text-colour:#de7b32)[Eliot] at the remark. You shook your head and walked past them to your cluttered working station.]
(live:13s)[You swore that you had been meaning to clean it up. There was even a reminder sticky note for it...somewhere in the mess. It was your way of ideating! And it was working. You could feel the final answer at the tip of your tongue. Just [[where->news of a fire]] had you put your last thoughts yesterday?](set: $mal to it + 1)
(live:1s)[You let out a dramatic sigh and nodded along sarcastically. (text-colour:#51bf91)["I think it would really do wonders in relieving the pressure if it just wasn't there at all. Has there been technology made for alive head removal?"]]
(live:3s)[(text-colour:#50c06c)["I don't know where we presently stand with the use of the guillotine, but I think most of its users are alive during its use." Prose] chuckled to themselves, even upon the playful glares they got from the others.]
(live:6s)[(text-colour:#de7b32)["I think we'd all like $name to be alive //after// their treatment, too."]]
(live:8s)[(text-colour:#b431df)["I concur. We need at least four brain cells to reach the end of our project successfully. And $name as like...at least three of them." Maylene] grinned before turning on her heel and walking to her space.]
(live:10s)[Meanwhile (text-colour:#50c06c)[Prose] and (text-colour:#de7b32)[Eliot] appeared to have an intense glaring contest. You shook your head and walked past them to your cluttered working station.]
(live:13s)[You swore that you had been meaning to clean it up. There was even a reminder sticky note for it...somewhere in the mess. It was your way of ideating! And it was working. You could feel the final answer at the tip of your tongue. Just [[where->news of a fire]] had you put your last thoughts yesterday?](align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[<h3>''Later That Day''</h3>]
You had been hustling and bustling to reach a conclusion. You wanted there to be significant progress between yesterday and today, but for some reason you couldn't make ends meet.
(live:4s)[It was in that silent moment of frustration that your stomach growled and you had no chance of ignoring it. Looking at the time and seeing that it was officially reaching evening hours, you internally groaned. Of course- how had you forgotten to eaten today?]
(live:8s)[You walked out into the main area to see the other three grouped around one of their laptops. You could hear audio playing from what sounded like the news. (text-colour:#51bf91)["Really leaving me high and dry to do all the work, huh?"]]
(live:12s)[(text-colour:#de7b32)[Eliot] jumped and spun to look at you, his hand immediately going over his heart. He looked like he was about to say something, but the news reporter started speaking again. So he settled for gesturing you to hurry over.]
(live:18s)[(text-colour:#7859b7)["...reports show that the number of house fires in the local area has escalated past any expectations from previous years. We're looking at tens of families needing to be accomodated and relocated. By the time firemen arrive on the scene, everything that isn't ash is covered in it. And the excuse is always along the same line: 'We were sure we had turned everything off.' Luckily there has yet to be any casualties..."]]
(live:27s)[(text-colour:#b431df)["This is getting weird. It would be different if it was just a couple of people being forgetful. But so many families? I'm not sure if they can call it an excuse at that point."]]
(live:30s)[(text-colour:#50c06c)["What are you saying, May? That there's some other cause besides forgetfulness? I don't think that someone would miss someone else causing a fire in their home."]]
(live:32s)[Everyone fell quiet. Instead of trying to figure something out for the job that you all had on hand, you could tell that this was taking precedence. There should be a working theory, but they were both right. Neither made 100% sense, and what other options were there?]
(live:37s)[(text-colour:#de7b32)["Who likes the news anyway! Who's hungry?" Eliot] snapped the laptop shut and started heading out. After a few moments, everyone followed [[in a slight daze.->in the night]]](live:1s)[In setting everything up for the night, your mind kept drifting to the report from earlier that day. There was something about it that bothered you, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it.]
(live:4s)[Sure, the actual fire to people's houses part was upsetting, but there was something more. For all you knew, you could wake up to your fire alarm going off.]
(live:8s)[And suddenly, sleep didn't seem nearly as tempting as it had been when you first made eye contact with your bed. What security measures did you have to stop someone from entering your place? Had you turned off all of your appliances? Were you sure about that? Would you be able to definitively say if firemen asked you later on?]
(live:15s)[Were you being a bit ridiculous?]
(live:16s)[Sure.]
(live:17s)[Was that going to stop you from triple-checking everything before getting settled into bed?]
(live:18s)[[[No.->Checking Around the House]]](live: 1s)[Your first look around your room for any haphazardly placed cords. Every so often you flick your lights off and on to make sure that there's nothing pointing to disaster there. You aren't sure what you're looking for- but there was no such thing as being too safe.]
(live:4s)[As you walk around your house, you make sure that your doors are shut and locked. They had been prior to you checking, which was in your best interest. Last thing you needed was to be locking someone in the house with you.]
(live:7s)[The stove and oven were checked at least a dozent times before you settled for them being off, for sure. Half of those times was spent in making sure you knew what it looked like when they were on, only to turn them off again and double-check they didn't have the on indicator.]
(live:10s)[Everything was looking fine. By time you returned to your room, you couldn't help feeling a little silly. You were still paranoid after all that. Was it right? Was it wrong? You couldn't be sure. But fire didn't sound like a pleasant way to go out, or lose your valuables.]
(live:14s)[It was difficult to get yourself to lay down. Even harder to keep your eyes closed long enough to fall asleep. But you managed to. And by the time you had to wake up again, you feel like you had only blinked before the [[new day arrived.->Work Day 2]]](live:1s)[You're up just before the alarm. Rather than having breakfast in silence this morning, you turn on the news while you prepare. If there was anything that happened last night, it would likely be playing now.]
(live:3s)[But there was no news of fires. Was it just an evening thing?]
(live:5s)[That may be even stranger.]
(live:7s)[You shake it off. This wasn't the way to get prepared for a new day. It was only going to distract you more the farther you followed the rabbit hole.]
(live:10s)[You were early heading out of your house. Although it was just you and you had no reason to- you felt too vulnerable in your own place. You could feel your [[movements going rigid->Rigidity]], and you wouldn't stand for it.](live:1s)[By time you reach your destination, only (text-colour:#de7b32)[Eliot] is there. He's at his laptop, and he's look like he's seen a ghost.]
(live:3s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Eliot? What's wrong? Has there been something else since last night?"] You knew there hadn't been. You were just watching before you got here. There was no reason for them to be covering it now rather than then.]
(live:6s)[It seemed to take a few moments for your words to register. Even then, (text-colour:#de7b32)[Eliot] was slow to look up at you. He looked like a fish out of water in trying to form words. (text-colour:#de7b32)["I-It's crazy."]]
(live:9s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Crazy? Eliot- you look like you had a narrow encounter with the grim reaper."] You tried to laugh it off, but it seemed that sensation of vulnerability had followed you from your home. ''Rigid.'']
(live:12s)[(text-colour:#f59650)["This sort of thing. It o-only happens in like...books and movies, $name. It only happens in fiction. //F-Fiction//, $name! More people were starting to think along the lines of some pyromaniac."] He spluttered some. So this was about the fires?]
(live:16s)[Just as you were about to reply, he rushed to continue. (text-colour:#f9c097)["But it's so- so much more than that."]]
(live:18s)[(text-colour:#fce1cd)["Pyromancy. There's a pyromancer- someone who is selectively starting and building the fires. Someone put a video up- almost no one believes it's true. They think it's all some cruel joke."]]
(live:20s)[The whole time Eliot was talking, a whole new train of thoughts went off the rails in your head. Auras never changed. Not like this. Not this drastic. It may have dimmed or had a lesser reach, but it shouldn't be doing this. It was graying out.]
(live:24s)[It spread like a plague. From head to toe, (text-colour:#d1d0cf)[Eliot]'s usually orange aura had been consumed. And in the next moment, Eliot himself grayed into a statue.]
(live:27s)[You couldn't believe what you were seeing. You didn't want to. But when your hand reached out and touched what felt like cold stone, you found yourself stumbling back. What had he been saying?]
(live:30s)[Pyromancer...pyromancer.]
(live:31s)[There was something that what- was sucking the fire out of people? Dampening their auras until they turned to this?]
(live:33s)[Tears sprung to your eyes. You weren't rigid anymore. You took the laptop from in front of him and ran out. Out of the building and away from the entrance. There was no avoiding it- you could see other people in the building graying out too. Frozen, as if suspended in time.]
(live:37s)[If you had stayed any longer...would you have ended up like them?]
(live:40s)[You were out of breath trying to walk down the street. A part of you wanted to take pause and go in somewhere. But what if all buildings were going to be hit? And hit by what?]
(live:43s)[You turned your attention to the laptop you were holding. It...needed a passcode. It had been idle for too long. You swore you could feel your heart drop out of your chest.]
(live:48s)[In the very least, the people you were passing on the street had very vibrant auras. They hadn't been infected- and perhaps they wouldn't be. You would have to [[hope->To the library]] that they wouldn't be.]
(live:1s)[Whoever was doing this likely wanted to reach the most people, first. What better place to retreat to than the library? It was sad that hardly anyone went there, anymore, but you were admittedly grateful for it now.]
(live:4s)[What you weren't grateful for was (text-colour:#de7b32)[Eliot's] brilliant passcode. It wasn't anything obvious, which would be good in any other setting. But you were a friend trying to see if he still had that video pulled up. You were a friend that wanted to save him...]
(live:8s)[...Was it possible to save him?]
(live:9s)[Who was to say that this wasn't permanent? What did you know about pyromancers? Or anything besides auras?]
(live:12s)[[[You're in a library, may as well check out whatever you can find about magic.->Make Use of Resources]]
[[Grow frustrated in your feeling of helplessness and head home.->Home]]](set: $ben to it + 1)
(live:1s)[You take a deep breath and get ready for a whole other deep dive. The number of fantasy books here is bewildering to think about, but maybe the ones that talk about pyromancers is more...limited.]
(live:4s)[You manage to approach and convince one of the librarians to help you in your search. It helps to keep an eye on another's aura and overall makes you feel more secure about your endeavor.]
(live:8s)[By time you've looked through a few sets of bookcases, you already know that you may be a bit in over your head. Time is of the essence, and yet you've lost track of it. There's a good possibility they try to kick you out before you get a chance to look through half of the books on the table, but you'd go out kicking!]
(live:15s)[You rub the sides of your head, the amount of weight falling onto you practically crashes all at once. How you weren't crumbled on the floor was beyond you.]
(live:18s)[Terrified. Absolutely terrified. You didn't know how many people this was impacting, now. Had no clue how many people were statues, no clue how many weren't aware of anything odd transpiring. Maybe there was something blissful about ignorance, here, but you could not bask in it. Nor would you envy those that could. You had to help those that were already stone.]
(live:22s)[You skimmed for keywords that would point towards any answers. The further you read, the more conflicted you grew. From what you could tell, the pyro in pyromancer was meant to be //literal//. As in, unless everyone actually had a genuine fire burning inside them to prevent themselves from statuing out, it made no sense for a pyromancer to be capable of doing what you saw.]
(live:27s)[But you couldn't close your mind to the possibility. After all, these books weren't aware of...real-life pyromancers. Right? Probably. If you thought too much on it, your head started to hurt. There were so many what-ifs that could waste your time. Time you already feel like you didn't have.]
(live:32s)[Because what if there was a time limit to unfreezing everyone? What if the pyromancer was about to burn the buildings down that held those people?]
(live:34s)[You could feel your hands begin to tremble at the thought. The page you were in the middle of turning shook with you, and you just ended up slamming the book shut.]
(live:37s)[Momentarily you allowed your head to fall in your hands. Only for a moment before you stood up and gathered the books you hadn't touched yet. You would check them out, take them with you.]
(live:40s)[When you reached the main lobby area, there was only one other individual there. No- they were leaving. All you could see was their back before they were gone.
<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Niche.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50">]
(live:43s)[Right away, you felt it again. Your blood started to go cold, and the next step you took was less smooth. Realization hit and you forced yourself to run towards the door.]
(live:46s)[It was like running in water.]
(live:47s)[You may as well be drowning.]
(live:48s)[Someone was starting to say something to you. It sounded muddled, it was likely about needing to check out, but they were silenced before they could finish the thought. Silenced before you even thought to turn around and see.]
(live:52s)[You threw open the door and practically fell out and down the steps. It was good you weren't a statue; you likely would have just lost your legs.]
(live:54s)[Had you just been in the same building as the one behind all this again? For the [[third->Pyromancer]] time today?](set: $mal to it + 1)
You thought that the capability of somewhat reading others was intense. Risky. Borderline crazy, even. But there was someone else that could do something even crazier.
(live:3s)[Someone that would start and control fires. They were selecting someone innocent, someone unsuspecting, and burning their belongings. They were causing strife! And not to mention, they were making people into statues. Because why not stop at personal things that may be able to be replaced? Why not take the next step and disrupt someone else's life?]
(live:7s)[You locked the door to your home and your bedroom door on the way in. This wasn't something you wanted to deal with. If someone could cause all these problems- surely there existed someone to counteract them.]
(live:9s)[There was a voice in your head that questioned the potential of that being you. But what could you do against fire besides burn? What could you do against being petrified besides stand and accept it?]
(live:11s)[At the same time, why //hadn't// you been turned into a statue when you were in your work place? What had stopped it then?]
(live:13s)[You rolled onto your bed and brought your hands to your face. Had it really been too much to ask to lead a normal life? Was this what normal was actually meant to be?]
(live:16s)[{(track: 'knocking', 'play')}]
(live:23s)[{(track: 'knocking', 'stop')}]
(live:24s)[Your breath catches in your throat. Your room isn't that close to your entry door. The knocking wouldn't be that loud. Your eyes are wide-open and glued to the door to your bedroom. You half-expect the knob to twist and turn, for the lock to come undone, and for you to no longer be alone.]
(live:27s)[Were you ever alone to begin with?]
(live:28s)[{(track: 'jostle', 'play')}]
(live:33s)[{(track: 'jostle', 'stop')}]
(live:34s)[You popped off from your bed and tried to go over to your closet as quietly as you can. You grabbed one of your hangers and stood by your door, trying to listen for signs of movement on the opposite side.]
(live:37s)[When there hadn't been any knocking or jostling from your door for a few minutes, you slowly unlocked and whipped it open.]
(live:39s)[.]
(live:40s)[.]
(live:41s)[.]
(live:42s)[Smoke was the first thing you noticed. And then, so did your fire alarm.]
(live:43s)[You made yourself move to grab whatever you could. Whatever you needed. It was good thing, too, because when you went to go to your main area, all you could see were flames. You coughed while running back to your room and opening a window, glad that it wasn't too far up from the ground.]
(live:47s)[When you hit the ground, [[all you did was run.->Pyromancer Home]]]You struggle back onto your feet after picking up the books that had went flying. At least something had been on the up-and-up in the past few hours. Even if they, too, came tumbling back down.
(live:2s)[As you started to walk down the sidewalk, you're quick in taking notice of the van that's trailing behind you. It wouldn't be of such high interest if not for the fact that the speed limit would suggest they be going much faster.]
(live:6s)[Slowly you stop to direct your attention to the window that was now rolled down. There was someone in the passenger's seat that appeared to be analyzing you. <img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Ness.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50">The person in the driver's seat looked like they had seen all they needed to. <img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Angie%20(2).png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50">Both had overwhelming, translucent auras. If they were able, you were sure the auras would grab and pull you in themselves. But when you looked behind you, they reached past even that.]
(live:12s)[This was alarming. And...intense.]
(live:13s)[You squint your eyes to try to reduce the registering pain in your head. They haven't done anything shady since pulling up to you. Maybe they were waiting for you to get closer.]
(live:16s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["Hey there."] The kind tone would denote anything but trouble. It sounded genuine. But you'd never felt anything or seen anything like this. Their auras were dangerous and served to throw you off-kilter.]
(live:20s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Hello. Can I help you?"]]
(live:21s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["We're so glad you asked. I'm Ness! A necromancer. This is Angie, she's a pyroma-"]]
(live:23s)[You took several steps back. (text-colour:#51bf91)["Pyromancer. As in- the one that's been burning down buildings. And...And the statues, and...stay away from me."] You held up your pile of books, as if you'd be able to effectively swing them to deter them from getting too close.]
(live:27s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Hold on." Angie] said, leaning over so you could better see her. (text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Let's start with clearing one thing up. Burning down the buildings, yes, but to push people out so they wouldn't turn into statues. That's someone else. Someone we're trying to stop. Someone that's been trying to get you, evidently."]]
(live:32s)[[[Turn to run the opposite way of the van. You will not be made a fool of, and you would not do something that could get you turned to stone. -> Not Listening]]
[[Take a few steps closer to the van again. It sounded like they knew what was going on, and could be more help than the books in your hand. -> Trust Enough]]]jostle: https://www.mboxdrive.com/untitled.mp3
knocking: https://www.mboxdrive.com/knockingtest.mp3
alarm: https://www.mboxdrive.com/Alarm.mp3
breathing: https://www.mboxdrive.com/Breathing.mp3But you didn't get very far without noticing the van that followed you.
(live:2s)[One that had likely come from your driveway.]
(live:4s)[There was no outrunning it, and who knew if there was anyone on the street that wasn't a statue yet.]
(live:6s)[The van came to a halt beside you. The driver's door opened, and a figure walked around to the front. <img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Angie%20(2).png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50">]
(live:8s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Well, aren't you something else? Been trying to find you for a while!"]]
(live:10s)[It was a wonder that you didn't see an aura around the car. This one's easily reached out and stretched past you, the level of transparency alarming. It didn't fit the tone at all. Luckily, you still had your wits and hanger about you, so you extended it as threateningly as you could.]
(live:14s)[And they had the audacity to laugh. It sounded more like a mockery in your ears, especially as your house continued to burn in the background. You narrowed your eyes at them.]
(live:17s)[She put her hands up. (text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Woah their, chief. I'm not here to hurt you! I know what it looks like, trust me-"]]
(live:19s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["You set people's houses on fire! You set my house on fire! You're the reason that people are turning to statues-"]]
(live:21s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Back it up. Now, I will admit that I've set buildings on fire, but how do you imagine I would be able to turn people into statues?"]]
(live:24s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)[[["How would I imagine you setting fires to houses and controlling the flames because you find some sick enjoyment from it?" -> Question Trust]]
[["...If you weren't, who would?" -> Open to Listening]]
]
](set: $mal to it + 1)(set: $open to true)
(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["I would never dream of being a fan, alright? Let's get that straight-"]
(live:4s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["No, no, //no//. Absolutely not. I am not going to sit here just for you to waste my time so that I end up losing my chance to help people. Give me one good reason for me to not give you a flat tire? Or- or find some other way to put you out of commission. You cannot possibly expect for me to hink you're the innocent ones, here!"]]
(live:9s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Maybe not innocent, but we're trying to help. Look- I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I've had my questionable moments. But it's not like you've been all perfect in your life."]]
(live:14s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Don't you dare start comparing yourself to me! I am nothing like you."]]
(live:16s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["No? You mean you haven't had this secret your whole life that you didn't even want to tell family? That you haven't wished to be normal and save yourself of some pain? That you're doing more harm than good in wishing that? But does that make it any worse to wish that?"]]
(live:20s)[You were seething. (text-colour:#51bf91)["Stop trying to relate to me! You can't just drive up to me, pretend you know me, and say all these things that are practically a given!"]]
(live:23s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Practically a given? I know exactly the kind of thoughts you've had because I've had them too. You are making assumptions about me just as well. You're going to regret it if you don't get in the car."]]
(live:34s)[[[You decide to believe her, despite the sassiness, there was a raw and unadulterated feeling that made you feel like you would regret not getting in the car.->Believe]]
[[You decide against believing her. Over this conversation you have grown more impatient with her.->Don't Believe]]](set: $ben to it + 1)(set: $open to true)
You didn't quite put your hanger down, but you were curious where the pyromancer was going with this. After all, if she was making claims she wasn't the one to cause the problems- maybe she actually knew who did.
(live:3s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Let's start over, alright? I'm Angie. And again yes, I set fire to your house. But it's not because I enjoyed it. If I hadn't erased Nicholas' presence in your house, you wouldn't have had the opportunity to leave again. You'd likely be a statue right now."]]
(live:7s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Who in the world is Nicholas?"]]
(live:9s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Apparently your town's resident biomancer. Big on life, but somehow even bigger on death. Sort of. He's stealing the life essence from people."]]
(live:12s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Stealing it for //what//? Is he able to give it back?"]]
(live:14s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["I wish I could say for sure. We think it's a power thing. Or even a consumption of power thing. Which is also why he's been trying to come after you so much. He doesn't get how you've gotten away as many times as you have."]]
(live:17s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["...Ever hear of knocking on someone's door to tell them they may want to vacate because they're about to turn into a statue? I still don't get why my house is burning down."]]
(live:20s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Aha, well..." Angie] rubbed at the back of her head. (text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["We weren't sure if you were sold on everything yet. Or if you would've believed quick enough in relevance to the time you had left before the marks set in. I was already afraid that I was too late with the fire. Not to mention you didn't come out when he was knocking at your door, either."]]
(live:26s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["...It wasn't you at my door?"]]
(live:27s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))[Angie] shook her head. (text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["I promise. I had only just been surveying where to put the fire so it would drive you out and not cause you harm."]]
(live:30s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["And that was what you did for all the other families homes you destroyed?"]]
(live:32s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))[She] nodded with a grim look on her face.]
(live:34s)[[[You decide to believe her, despite the appearance of her aura, maybe that wasn't a sure way to tell.->Believe]]
[[You decide against believing her. You haven't seen an exception to the transparency level of an aura theory yet, and someone that burned your house down wasn't going to be it either.->Don't Believe]]](set: $ben to it + 1)
(if: $open is true)[You finally put down the hanger. Your arm was getting tired anyway.](else:)[You finally put the books in a resting position. Your arms were getting tired anyway.](text-colour:#51bf91)["How are we going to fix things?"]
(live:2s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["I was hoping you'd ask. If you'd please get into the unalarming van, you'll meet (if:$open is true)[the rest](else:)[the third] of the team." Angie] grinned at you before (if:$open is true)[hopping back in, opening the passenger's seat for you.](else:)[rolling Ness' window back up, the back door opening for you.]]
(live:5s)[This may be overwhelmingly stupid. But you found yourself getting in anyway. Almost immediately you were hit with (if:$open is true)[two other strong auras much like Angie's.](else:)[a third strong aura just like the other two.]]
(live:8s)[(text-colour:(hsl:195,0.7969,0.749,0.3))["Heeeey you got 'em! Name's Ian. Welcome to the end of the world as you know it.(if:$true is true)[ I'm a hydromancer.]"]]
(live:10s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["And it's the start of the world as it is. (if:$open is true)[I'm Ness. Necromancy's my whole thing, Ian's hydro."]]]
(live:12s)[You were already recoiling from the all-consuming auras, but man were they loud. (text-colour:#51bf91)["...$name. Nice to meet you three, too, I suppose."]]
(live:14s)[(text-colour:(hsl:195,0.7969,0.749,0.3))["And with any luck, you'll be the one we all need."]]
(live:16s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Don't put that pressure on them right now, Ian." Angie ]reprimanded, focusing on the road ahead.]
(live:18s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Have you guys known about the whole...mancy thing for a while? And is there a dress mandate I should be aware of?"]]
(live:20s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["Only if you're aiming to be as cool as the rest of us." Ness] sat forward in her seat. (text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["But yeah! We've known, luckily knew each other before the whole...disruptance by the other three, thing."]]
(live:23s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["The other three?"]]
(live:24s)[(text-colour:(hsl:195,0.7969,0.749,0.3))["Angie's really falling that far behind? Ow- OW Ness I was kidding! Don't make her turn the vehicle around. ANYWAY. Yeah, Nicholas has two others behind him. Cyrus and Eleanor, phonomancer and astromancer respectively."]]
(live:27s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["What can they do?"]]
(live:28s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["You'll want to keep an eye out for...both of them, really. Cyrus is able to mimic sounds, stop sounds completely, can control what people hear from certain sounds. Eleanor is able to channel spacial energy, includes making gravity weird and warping space and pull between objects."]]
(live:33s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["...All I can do is see auras. What the hell? How are we stopping them?"]]
(live:35s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Through the powers of new friendships. We're going to have a lot to plan. Nessie, will you be able to keep an eye out on where Nicholas is heading?"]]
(live:38s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["Continuously on it, captain. And will be ready to pursue when we're all set to follow-through."]]
(live:42s)[You wish you could say that the ride was quiet for the rest of the time. But if they weren't talking or bickiering, they were singing to the radio as if it were the last moments on earth. And at this point, you feared that it would be. It felt like too long had passed before you [[reached the destination->Home Base]].](set: $mal to it + 1)
This wasn't worth the risk. Your parents had taught you from a very young age to not trust strangers. To not get near big vans. Two red flags to begin. And not to mention that the aura thing was still in the back of your mind. Anyone with similar qualities you had crossed before had been some level of dangerous. There was no way that you could say for sure that they were any different.
And if they weren't. If they were lying, and turned you into a statue, that could be it. You shook your head.
(live:8s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["No. Don't follow me. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away."] The threat was empty but they didn't need to know that. You turned and walked the opposite direction, your hands shaking all the way.]
(live:11s)[You needed to determine where to go from here. Perhaps following //them// was the way to go. You were still suspicious, after all.]
(live:15s)[As you walked down the streets, taking twists and turns to allow yourself the knowledge that no one in a vehicle could effectively be following you, your arms grow heavier and heavier. Maybe you should put your belongings somewhere. Maybe you should return to your office to [[check on everyone->Return to Office]] there.]The four of you entered a building that contained a different assortment of statues. All it took was one look at your face for the three to answer your silent question simultaneously. (text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))[Our](text-colour:(hsl:195,0.7969,0.749,0.3))[ fami](text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))[lies.]
(live: 4s)[You were speechless at that. You managed to nod, but only just. They started towards the basement, and it was surprisingly easy to follow them down.]
(live:7s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Alright, the first thing we need to focus on is properly getting past the two lieutenants. For Cyrus, I know that we have ear plugs on hand. We also have to agree that once we enter the space, we don't even try to speak to one another. That way we know that if we hear a voice, it's likely coming from him."]]
(live:11s)[(text-colour:(hsl:195,0.7969,0.749,0.3))[Ian] passed around the sound-stopping devices, and you could tell they were sturdy. But how in the world were you supposed to function well without being able to speak? You weren't some trained secret agent. You wouldn't be able to get hand signals, and you doubted that you would be able to remember everything said here. Not to mention, you were terrible at improvising! What if the unexpected happened, which it most definitely was due to, at this point?]
(live:17s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["There isn't much we can do in terms of what he may be masking. In the very least, if he's masking their sounds as to where they're headed, we aren't reliant on that in the first place. Ness, don't know what we'd do without you. As for El...staying out of her line of sight is the best method. If it's harder for her to locate you, it will be near-impossible for her to succeed in relocating you."]]
(live:23s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["What do these people look like? And what happens once we reach Nicholas? What's going to stop him from just stopping us then and there?"]]
(live:27s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["They'll likely be the only other people walking around by time we get there. But they're dressed similarly to us. El wears purple, Cyrus wears blue, Nicholas wears all black. It was always to help them blend in more, y'know? And uh- if all goes right, I'll be able to balance out whatever he tries to do."]]
(live:33s)[You raise an eyebrow. (text-colour:#51bf91)["If everything goes right? And if everything goes wrong?"]]
(live:35s)[(text-colour:(hsl:195,0.7969,0.749,0.3))["Then as we petrify, we know that we've at least done everything we could."]]
(live:38s)[[[Silently agree, considering how taken aback you are by such a nonchalant saying of powerful words. -> Proceed with caution]]](live:1s)[Before you knew it, you were on the road again. This time, you could tune all the noise out. You honestly weren't sure what you had to offer, but a few optimistic looks from Angie got it so you knew that was no excuse to legitimately get out of it.]
(live:5s)[It appeared that your foes were sticking true to the books- culprits tend to return to the scene of their crimes. And this time, they had returned to your office building. You didn't know how to handle it. But perhaps none of them did, either, and they were just really superb at hiding that fact.]
(live:10s)[The van was parked a couple of blocks away, and the four of you moved in synchronization that would make pool teams jealous. When you reached the door, Angie and Ian opened it for Ness to peak inside first. She turned back to you and gave a nod. They weren't on the first floor.]
(live:15s)[In pairs, you all set off on different sets of stairs. Angie and Ian on the east side with Ness and you going north. You could only hope that Cyrus couldn't hear your heart drumming out of your chest from a mile away. How ridiculous that would be to spoil your plans.]
(live:19s)[As you got close to reaching your destination, you heard a (text-colour:#50c06c)[scream] that superceded the power of the ear plugs. It sounded eerily similar to Prose.]
(live:22s)[[[Screw the plan! That's your friend on the line. You ran past Ness and through your area's door.->Means to an End]]
[[Despite your urge to throw caution to the wind, you stayed at Ness's side. This was likely one of their tricks. They were going to try to play you.->Going On]]](set: $mal to it + 1)(set: $true to true)
(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["HEY! WAIT UP."]
(live:2s)[You, most definitely, [[did not wait up.->Don't Believe]]]
(set: $ben to it + 1)(set:$true to true)
You didn't quite put the books aside, but you were curious where the pyromancer was going with this. After all, if she was making claims she wasn't the one to gray people out- maybe she actually knew who did.
(live:3s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Let's start over, alright? I'm Angie. And again yes, I set fire to those houses. But it's not like I wanted to. There's a reason why out of the blue there starts to be a whole bunch of fires. Nicholas forced my hand, he forced all of our hands. If I hadn't done it, more people would be statues right now. We may have already been out of time."]]
(live:7s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Who in the world is Nicholas?"]]
(live:9s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Apparently your town's resident biomancer. Big on life, but somehow even bigger on death. Sort of. He's stealing the life essence from people."]]
(live:12s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Stealing it for //what//? Is he able to give it back?"]]
(live:14s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["I wish I could say for sure. We think it's a power thing. Or even a consumption of power thing. Which is also why he's been trying to come after you so much. He doesn't get how you've gotten away as many times as you have."]]
(live:17s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Why wouldn't you have just knocked on people's doors and asked them to leave? People have had irreplaceable things destroyed. You can't expect me to believe that was necessary-"]]
(live:20s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["It was better their things than themselves." Ness] piped in again. (text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["There's no telling how people would react. What were we supposed to say? That there was risk of some magic turning them into statues? People have seen videos of Angie and they still don't believe. They would've passed us up as some kids playing a prank, or worse threatening to do bad unto them. We couldn't risk that."]]
(live:26s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["...You wouldn't have wanted them dead?"]]
(live:27s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))[Ness] shook her head. (text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["I promise. That's the last thing I want. My focus in necromancy stems only from reanimating what's already dead. I wouldn't wish it onto anyone just so that I can do something for the hell of it."]]
(live:30s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["So you only ever aimed to protect."]]
(live:32s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))[Angie] nodded with a grim look on her face. (text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["I always surveyed their place to ensure there was a way for them to get out."]]
(live:34s)[[[You decide to believe them, despite the appearance of their auras, maybe that wasn't a sure way to tell.->Believe]]
[[You decide against believing them. You haven't seen an exception to the transparency level of an aura theory yet, and someone that burned people's houses down wasn't going to be it either.->Don't Believe]]]You held your breath when you entered the building. It was still standing, but it felt decimated. What once was warm and bustling now stood cold and gray. Everyone stood, cold and gray.
(live:3s)[At least there was no fear or pain in their eyes. From all you know, they could've had no idea it was happening when it did. Maybe it was swift, as they were unsuspecting.]
(live:6s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["Sad, isn't it?"]]
(live:7s)[You pivoted sharply on your heel to stand face to face with a man coming down the stairs. (text-colour:#51bf91)["It is...who are you?"]]
(live:10s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["Nothing but a humble cameraman. Someone has to capture what the fire user has been doing to the society, yes?"]]
(live:12s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Yes...But how do you know they're doing the statue thing? How do you know where to find them?"]]
(live:14s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["It's less finding them and waiting for them to strike, sadly. And it's easy to see they aren't working alone. To essentially take the life from someone- to bring death- it sounds like a necromancer, doesn't it?"]]
(live:18s)[[[Agree. There isn't any reason not to with what he's presently saying.->Deal]]
[[Agree tentatively. You weren't completely sure that he wasn't just saying what you wanted to hear.->Caution]]](set: $mal to it + 1)
(text-colour:#51bf91)["It does. You wouldn't happen to have any clue as to how to fix it, would you?"]
(live: 3s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["It may be possible. They've had to have been still for a few hours, in the very least. I'm not sure how probable it is to be a way to bring them back."]]
(live:6s)[You felt your heart drop with your gaze to the floor. It was the last thing you had wanted to hear, but the first thing you expected.]
(live:8s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["However, there is something we can do in honor for them. If nothing else. We must find those that have caused such pain. Find them, crush them, by some means or another. Otherwise, they'll continue their mayhem for who knows how long."]]
(if:$mal > 2)[[[You had to do something. You liked this guy's line of thinking.->Good to be Bad]]](else:)[[[You had to do something. You liked this guy's line of thinking.->Good to be Bad]]
[[That may be a bit too intense from what you were thinking. You take a few steps towards the door.->Means to an End]]](set: $ben to it + 1)
(text-colour:#51bf91)["I mean, it does. But I don't really know all that much. New to this whole magic thing."]
(live:3s)[The man smiles and nods, looking off to the side. (text-colour:#2fce06)["Right. I've been studying it for a while. The ideas of it. Because who knows what's really lurking in the shadows?"]]
(live:6s)[You find yourself nodding. No one knew about your ability. Why would you think it was just you to begin with?]
(live:9s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["I wish to shed light on it all. Would you like to help me?"] He extended a hand towards you for you to shake.]
(live:12s)[[[You accept the hand in earnest.->Good to be Bad]]
[[You don't like the sudden suggestion to join forces with a different stranger. You politely shake your head and head towards the door.->Means to an End]]](live: 1s)[As you were agreeing to his terms, his smile broadened. (text-colour:#2fce06)["They're in it to win it, folks."]]
(live:5s)[(text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["Oh how splendid. Though, not going to lie, I was kind of hoping they wouldn't. Always fun to see the faces fall."]]
(live:8s)[(text-colour:(hsl:332,0.6432,0.4725,0.6))["Think you could pull off a warmer welcome, El? Wouldn't want to scare them away."]]
(live:11s)[You hadn't heard any signs of either of them before, but now two incredibly imposing figures stood at either of the original man's sides. You felt your head buzzing a bit in an attempt to catch up.]
(live:14s)[Just as you prepared to put your motive skills back into practice, you heard a scream. It came from the third, and the aura surrounding them extended, but it didn't nearly match him. No...it sounded more like (text-colour:#b431df)[Maylene].]
(live:17s)[(text-colour:(hsl:332,0.6432,0.4725,0.6))["That one was one of your friends, right? Wouldn't want her statue shattered. So before you start acting on impulse- have a thought or two."]]
(live:20s)[The girl, El, chuckled. (text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["Yeah, stay a while. We'll catch you up on things...So by the time the pyromancer and crew comes around, we'll see their faces fall instead."]]
(live:23s)[All the while, the original did not take his gaze off of you. He was expecting you to do something, you could tell. But you wouldn't run- not when there wasn't a point to it.]
(live:26s)[[[Maybe there was a point to sticking around. You felt like you and him were on the same level. -> Highway]]
[[Maybe you could play it off until the others got here. Maybe you could still make it right. -> Attempt at Greatness]]](live:1s)[Before you could get too far, the doors slammed shut. The locks fell heavily into place.]
(live:3s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["Oh, $name. It would've been so much better if you had agreed. Think about all the things we could've done. And it's always a shame to cancel someone out of their true potential."]]
(live:8s)[(text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["But is it true if they were never meant to find it?"] A high pitched voice came from someone who came drifting down from above, landing softly on her feet. A wicked grin that properly matched the chaotic aura storming around her took up half of her face. (text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["It's time to see where our foes lie, Nicholas. Before they come here, first."]]
(live:14s)[Your blood runs cold. And your feet start running. To the door. You tried to lift the locks from their place, but to no avail. They feel too...heavy.]
(live:17s)[(text-colour:(hsl:332,0.6432,0.4725,0.6))["Oh how the cowardly run. Your friends were much the same."] A third came from behind a corner, and was starting towards you.]
(live:20s)[You opened your mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Your eyebrows furrowed and your hands balled into fists. But they too were weighted down heavily at your sides.]
(live:23s)[You hear Nicholas tsking from behind you. (text-colour:#2fce06)["As interesting as our encounters have been thus far, this will take the cake. The saying goes to save the best for last, and this will be our last. Your last. I'm not entirely sure where you will go or what happens when I do this. And I don't care, so long as in the end, I never see you again."]]
(live:26s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)[{(track: 'breathing', 'play')}"At least you can say you tried something. It wasn't the right thing for what you wanted, obviously. But it was the right thing for me. And once I steal the gifts you have, I'll be able to identify any that pose a risk to me. You'll strengthen my own mask. So for that, I hope the statue thing ends well." Nicholas] didn't look sorry at all while approaching you. If anything, he appeared relieved.
<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/El%20Front%20(2).png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"><img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Niche%20Front.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"> <img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Cyrus.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50">]
(live:34s)[Were you really that big of a threat to him? To them?]
(live:36s)[You were never able to tell how close he got. He didn't even have to raise his hands. The rigid feeling had returned, and this time you too were swallowed by the gray. You could not move, and you were no more.]
(live:40s)[{(track: 'breathing', 'stop')}(set: $stolen to true)(text-style:"double-underline","outline","fade-in-out")[[[Stolen Soul Ending->Name]]]](live:1s)[You offered a smirk of your own to the three before you. (text-colour:#51bf91)["Planning to keep me in the dark about everything or can I at least get some names? I'll start. I'm-"]]
(live:4s)[(text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["$name! Oh, trust me, we know all about it. All about you! It was kind of obvious after you got out the first time. Have a lot of promise in you. You can call me El. I specialize in astromancy."]]
(live:7s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["Nicholas. Biomancer. He's Cyrus- and he's a killer with sounds."]]
(live:9s)[(text-colour:(hsl:332,0.6432,0.4725,0.6))["Which can be taken as literally as you'd like. But everyone loves to hate the Siren's Call."]]
(live:12s)[You nodded. It was a bit off-putting that they knew "all about you," but you'd set it aside.]
(live:15s)[<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Ness.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"> <img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Angie%20(2).png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"><img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Ian.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50">
Not before too long, the doors burst open. You were almost met with flames, but there was a pull that had you practically flying in the air towards the other three.
<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/El%20Front%20(2).png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"><img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Niche%20Front.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"> <img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Cyrus.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50">]
(live:18s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["Ah, here our old friends are. Or snakes, as they should be called, now."]]
(live:21s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["The only snake here is you, Nicholas! You'll pay for what you did to all of these people."] The necromancer Ness cried valiantly, but just as El had predicted, when her eyes fell on you, all the color left her face.]
(live:24s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["What...What are you doing here, $name?"]]
(live:26s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["Oh, don't be coy, Angie. They've found their rightful place. And soon shall you, as well. They will not stand for the injustice you have all served. The pedulum of Nemesis swings, and this time it strikes for you."]]
(live:30s)[(text-colour:(hsl:195,0.7969,0.749,0.3))["Don't listen to them, $name! They're PLAYING Y-" Ian] was cut off. Although his mouth kept moving, no sound came out. To your right, Cyrus looked awfully bored.]
(live:34s)[(text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["You can't //do this//, Nicholas. People are dead because of you."]]
(live:38s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["He's a biomancer. It doesn't make sense for him to destroy life."]]
(live:40s)[At your words, Nicholas looked quite smug in regards to Angie, who looked at a loss. (text-colour:#2fce06)["Well, if that's all you came here for, let's end this here."]]
(live:43s)[Before you could think twice on it, the other three were turned to statues. El held no hesitation in shifting their gravity so they flew up to the ceiling and shattered. The fact that they had been turned to statues should have raised alarms in your head.]
(live:46s)[But if anything, it only accelerated your heartbeat like an adrenaline rush. You felt as though a weight had been lifted off your shoulders, as your conscience flew away with them. You looked towards Nicholas.]
(live:50s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["What next?"]]
(live:54s)[What transpired was an all-out rampage. The world could do nothing to prevent the four of you from carrying out your deeds. By the end, it would just be the four of you. But what more would be necessary?]
(live:58s)[(set: $less to true)(text-style:"double-underline","outline","fade-in-out")[[[Soulless Ending->Name]]]](live:1s)[You convinced yourself to give a dignified smirk to the trio. (text-colour:#51bf91)["What made you think I'd want to go anywhere? How long do you think the other three will be?"]]
(live:4s)[(text-colour:(hsl:332,0.6432,0.4725,0.6))["I don't imagine very long. They've been keeping real close to us for a while, and we've been here for a good amount of time. They'll show up. And they'll be destroyed."]]
(live:8s)[(text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["Oh, I can hardly wait to see the traitors' comeuppance. They'll pay their dues straight to the devil."]]
(live:11s)[(text-colour:#51bf91)["Has it just been recently that they started causing problems?"]]
(live:13s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["No, they've always had a lack of control that these two have possessed."]]
(live:15s)[Or a lack of being controlled, you thought to yourself. You didn't dare speak aloud at that moment, and it was a good thing when the doors burst open. You nearly met your fate to flames, but El's gravitation pull directed you towards them.]
(live:20s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["You'll all pay for what you did to these people."] The necromancer Ness shouted valiantly when the opposing trio waltzed in. <img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Ness.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"> <img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Angie%20(2).png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"><img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Ian.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50">
Standing in a similar formation with Ness and the hydromancer Ian at either flank, Angie stood at the head, looking pointedly towards you.]
(live:24s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)[<img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/El%20Front%20(2).png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"><img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Niche%20Front.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50"> <img src = "https://github.com/Hannabellz/off-aura/blob/main/Cyrus.png?raw=true" height = "100" width = "50">
"Is that right? What we did to these people? What about what you did. Where are your dues?"]]
(live:28s)[(text-colour:(hsl:195,0.7969,0.749,0.3))["We're paying them right here, right now, stopping you. $name, you can't let them manipulate-"]]
(live:32s)[Ian's mouth kept moving, but no words followed. He ended up glaring at Cyrus, who gave an unamused stare back.]
(live:34s)[Angie's eyes searched your own, and you tried your best to keep a blank face. You knew Nicholas was watching, too. You had to try to fool him.]
(live:38s)[Speaking of, he sneered and stepped between the two. (text-colour:#2fce06)["And what are you trying to do now but manipulate them? You should practice what you preach."]]
(live:42s)[(text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["Enough with the boring stalling! I have them kept in place, petrify them already."]]
(live:44s)[Once again, you saw it happening before your very eyes. It was even more unsettling to see such strong auras start to decay, wisping a trail of color turned gray. You could see them seeping into Nicholas, who stood still in front of you. You had to act fast.]
(live:47s)[You propelled yourself forward, essentially tackling him and breaking his focus. Out of intuition alone, you felt your being tugging at the power that was seeped into him, like water-doused clothes. You imagined all of the life essence you felt returning to those that surrounded you. You heard distant screaming, but you couldn't tell for sure who it came from.]
(live:55s)[You were launched up into the air, by El no doubt, and fell none-too-gracefully back to the floor. That would leave a few bruises later, but you didn't care. All your [[focus was on Nicholas->Faded Power]] right now.](live:1s)[(text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" El] shrieked, starting to lift you into the air again.]
(live:3s)[A burst of water shot directly into El's eyes, causing her to shriek again. (text-colour:(hsl:195,0.7969,0.749,0.3))["No one wants to hear it from you. But uh- yeah $name, what did you do to him?"]]
(live:7s)[Meanwhile, (text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))[Angie] was smiling. (text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["Just as I had hoped. You can do so much more than see auras, $name. You're a psychemancer. Great for the soul."]]
(live:10s)[You blink back the disbelief in your gaze and stare between all of them. Nicholas's aura had faded from its original degree of power. Hatred burned in his eyes, but he did nothing. He couldn't do anything. For you had filled in what would've been his transparent aura. It hadn't been because of everyone else's souls he had been taking, but now it wasn't because...of you.]
(live:15s)[(set: $full to true)(text-style:"double-underline","outline","fade-in-out")[[[Soulful Ending->Name]]]](live:1s)[When you both reached the door, Ness held up her fingers. She was confident in knowing when about Angie and Ian would be at the other angle. So confident, that by time her fingers reached 0, she entered the office area with you in tow.]
(live:5s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["Ness, it's been a while. And I see that you've got yourself a new friend. Hoping they take a bullet for you?"] Cyrus had to have been amplifying the sound. You always knew these types of earbuds were too good to be true.]
(live:8s)[Your blood ran cold when you saw the source of the voice. Though his aura was well-maintained, you could tell that there was something obscuring about it. It wasn't real, or at least not how it seemed. It became even clearer with the two that entered behind him. You had never seen bloodlust before, but you were certain you were seeing it now.]
(live:14s)[(text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["You can practically smell the fear rolling off that one." El] giggled, sounding just enough like a deranged child that you wanted to leave. Immediately.]
(live:17s)[(text-colour:(hsl:332,0.6432,0.4725,0.6))["Who could really be surprised, in the end. Nessie, where are the other two? Don't beat around the bush."]]
(live:20s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["I hardly know who you're talking about."]]
(live:22s)[Ness suddenly snapped towards El, who held the collar of her shirt. (text-colour:(hsl:301,0.2676,0.4176,0.45))["Going deaf, are we? He said to NOT beat around the bush."]]
(live:25s)[(text-colour:(hsl:306,0.2789,0.2882,0.65))["With your shrill laughter and banshee shrieks, it's a wonder that //they// haven't gone deaf."]]
(live:28s)[In the next moment, Ness was flying back against the wall, an impleasant crack sounding from behind as she slid to the floor. You didn't dare to look, and silently hoped that it had been the wall that broke and not anything vital for her. You were too busy keeping an eye on the three horsemen to doomsday, who were also suddenly very interested in you.]
(live:35s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["Such a shame, you know. That someone with so much promise falls into the hands of people with so little care."] You couldn't tell if he was talking about the three that you came with or the three of them. You had a feeling the former cared a lot more.]
(live:39s)[(text-colour:#2fce06)["Now...we decide what to do with you. Do we leave your statue be? Or do we shatter you like the rest?"] As Nicholas stepped close towards you, you took as many steps back as you could. You doubted distance would help at all in combatting any of them, but you certainly didn't want them near you.]
(live:44s)[Just when you thought all hope was lost, rings of fire bound Nicholas, and water shot from too many directions for you to count towards Eleanor's and Cyrus's eyes. (text-colour:(hsl:58,0.9259,0.5765,0.45))["[[Now->Acting on impulse]], $name, NOW!"]](live:1s)[You don't know what about one simple word could make you act or give you any sense of power, like you knew what you were doing. But now was enough for it, and now you would act. For Eliot, who still rested flabbergasted in the middle of the space. For anyone else who was currently unable.]
(live:5s)[You ran towards Nicholas and willed your palm to land flat on his chest where his heart would be. You could sense them- all the bits and pieces from all the individuals he stole from. Their //souls//. You could feel them in their struggle, their not belonging where they were, their use and abuse to fuel (text-colour:#2fce06)[his] fire more.]
(live:9s)[Your hands shook while you imagined breaking a cage open to release them from the confines. They were prisoners to someone who thought they all lives were to spare for him? No. They were not just some energy for him! He was not entitled to them, to you, to anyone here.]
(live:12s)[The next thing you knew, you were being [[flung into the air->Faded Power]].]