Not All White is Pure (Part 2)

"So, in other words, you are still not able to find him?"

The entire room went silent upon them hearing those words. Arzi, with a head looking down, was about to open her mouth when a loud bang suddenly sounded from the outside.

Automatically, all of them looked to where that noise came from. Not able to gather any update, the President stood up from the swivel chair and strode his way to the doorway, avoiding obstructions and his comrades along the way.

"We'll continue this some other time," he said without looking at them. When he was about to grab the knob of the door, clouds of slow moving plum-colored smoke entered the room through the narrow gaps between the wooden door and its frame, making him paused a little before completely dropping his action.

What's this?

Shaking, he found himself stepping his feet back, one at a time. After he moved a few meters away from the still-closed door, he fleetly turned around and focused his view to Eloise. "Hey! Don't just stand there. Do something."

"Ow. I'm sorry." She took three forward steps before she stopped, standing straight while still having her calmed breath. "I just don't see anything that we should be panicking about."

"Just... do something!"

Unlike the other four persons trapped inside the room, the way their leader reacted was among on top of them. A few seconds more and the rest found him kneeling on the floor. "Please. Do something."

Without further notice, he imploded, producing a blaring echo across the wooden floor.

Arzi and Dom were still stiffened on their position, while Cruzanna was the first one to act. She made her way to the president with just a step or two.

"I guess, he was still not over it." Dom slowly walked to their unconscious advisor. "It has been years, but...."

Arzi's eyebrows arched, and her eyes narrowed into slits. She stepped closer and closer to the three, but her gaze was looking alternately to the position of the three comrades and to where Eloise was standing. She noticed that the fume was still occupying the space inside the room, little by little. "The gas is odorless."

Dom cussed. "Don't inhale it!" His voiced resonated. The nerve on the right of his neck was compellingly visible even though his black garments was hiding it.

A single second after, Arzi suddenly fell unconsciously on the floor.

"Too late." Cruzanna exhaled for around two seconds, she then looked upward, breathing a whole lung of air. Afterwards, she covered her nose with her hands as the smoke was slowly crawling near them. "Where's the others?"

The sound of her voice was toned down, but was enough for the others to hear.

"I don't know... and why there's no paper here." Eloise was still turning her head around as she search for something to use.

"We just had a clean up yesterday," Cruzanna replied.

Leaving a surrendering sigh, Dom suddenly disappeared, leaving a dark purple portal behind him. It was still not a complete four seconds when the same incorporeal gate appeared few meters behind Eloise. "Are these enough?"

"That's more than enough." Eloise then grabbed the whole rim of bond papers from Dom's hold. Without any hesitation, she began to concentrate. A faded apricot light engulped her hands, slowly growing in size.

Three seconds passed and the entire glow subsided, leaving the view of a giant paper folded fan that Eloise held. In just one mighty swing, a gust of swirling wind blew the smog away, banging the earlier door opened.

..

"So... that gives us these three senseless idiots," Allyson said as she threw her headless ragdoll on Arzi's bed. The toy landed just below the unconscious girl's right arm. "Hmmm. I wonder why her face is full of hatred. I will not waste such beauty on glorifying such negativity."

"Allyson, enough!" Dom scowled. "Respecting her silence is part of our promise."

"But--"

"I said, enough! How she handles pain and how you overcome yours are different."

"Shhh." Eloise stuffed hardened paper handkerchiefs on both of the two's mouths. "I'm trying to absorb why is that you can't shut your mouth."

Dom rolled his eyes, turning around before completely disappearing. Allyson, on the other hand, tried to speak but her words were all muffled.

"So, Eloise..." Cruzanna initiated, "do you think Henrietta can help us?"

Eloise and Allyson fixed their view to the veiled comrade. Cruzanna bit her lower lips as she spoke headfirst. "I mean, that's--"

"Actually possible," Eloise finished. "But, her current mental state will be our problem to solve first."

"Then I guess... we should just let her enjoy the celebration of their anniversary first."