Clock - 1

My hands reached down to the rough floor. The stone that happened to be in my way, with every groove that brought me closer to an infinitely smaller crook.

Slowly, agonizingly so, I pulled myself limp by limp, leg by leg. All closer to the closet of space that would veil me from the eyes that would watch.

The guards that I knew for a fact would check. 

Logic dictated it, I knew now that there was not just a mini boss but a full on boss monster. They had lied to us. The proctors had lied.

But I could not wallow in that, not now, and not in the foreseeable future. No, what I needed to do now was hide myself.

From the eyes of the tortured souls here. Of their sunken cheeks and faces, brought into a facsimile of life.

The dark corner grew closer, and once more I clawed. Then with a final push, one that took all of my effort I was there.

My back splayed against rough canvas as I veiled myself with it.

Now unless someone deliberately pulled the canvas from me I would not be discovered. I took a deep breath and mustered my will. I welcomed the darkness that came with the covering of my eyes.

That had come with every single blink of mine. And with that focus, with every ounce of my will. My hand was placed over my stomach and it showed.

Mana ran rampant in my center. It was faster than I could track. But with every breath that I let in, every exhale. It got that much better. That much more controlled.

And whether it was mere minutes or hours that passed I could tell that with every pass of my mana I gained just a smidgen more control.

Before it had been akin to a rampaging whirlpool, where any wrong move could spell complete disaster. But now it was more a calm sea. Endless but calm. 

I took one last steadying breath and with control I opened my eyes. But it was not to the sight of the canvas. But to the sight of the rocks and of every little crevice.

Blinking once more I found the vision to fade. Yet just as soon as it had faded so too did it come back. And with some sort of vengeance.

A hellscape, of burning souls, a tortured one came upon me. It looked me up and down and with a phantasmal smirk it burned its hand through my own soul. I looked down and felt the pain through my soul.

But then I blinked and it was gone. The hell that I had seen was merely illusory.

"Hah" I breathed out, my voice ragged.

Then another but this was not of pain, nor was it of some gradual torture. There was a change in my vision. A rumble to my brain that split it open with unbearable pleasure.

I was shown riches, gold that flowed through mountains, a river of molten crystal. A sword that seemed to split the heavens. And all above it, was a faceless woman. Who to my eyes was the most beautiful thing that I could see.

Then it opened its mouth and even if I could not hear, I knew that it was the most siren-like of words.

It coiled my consciousness with its beauty and wrapped my throat with wealth.

"Inari…"

It whispered and I could not help but sigh a hollow breath. One that flushed my face with indescribable pleasure.

Then I shook myself from the vision. The effort tore me, from inside to out, but I was able to do it. Yet it was not gone, for in my vision was the visage of a woman.

Clear white hair, draped over her shoulder in a cascade that played to my heart. Eyes that seemed to belay nothing but contempt and smugness, and even her mouth seemed to say nothing but 'I was right'

I smiled and closed my eyes once again. But there was no vision, no veil that took over my thoughts.

And in that moment I realized, I opened my eyes and gaped. 

…

…

…

A blink. I blurred my vision and undid it once more. But there was no change. It was no illusion what I had seen.

And because of the face that seemed to come only closer in the moments of my silence I could only scurry to the back of the section I was in.

She did so too, her hair cascading down her shoulders and over her breasts. I gulped and tried to back away once again.

Yet it did not work, as within the moment a hand touched mine.

"What a pleasure… to find someone of my own school, here and infiltrating this place" She purred out. Her voice unusually emotive.

"A- A pleasure too… I guess" I barely croaked out. My throat still hurt and so too did my body. But I was able to fight through it and deliver a greeting.

"Inari, what was your plan? Hide and fall victim to this illusion. Hehe- So cute… so… naive…"

The sleeve of her shirt fell onto my neck. It impacted like some sort of lilac flower, a scent so vanilla. I couldn't help myself.

My head lolled to the side, my vision unbidden could take in naught but the sight of her sleeve and the smile she gave me.

But a moment later I caught myself, I scurried to the side. We faced each other, my gaze heated with betrayal and anger still prevalent.

Yet hers, I could not help but swoon as those blue eyes of hers stared straight into mine, hidden within a smirk so small that it was like some sort of illusion.

She reached into her pocket and dragged something out. Yet while she was distracted by that I scurried to shaky feet.

But then I heard something, it was neither her angelic voice nor my own sounds. It was the grunt and groan of something else.