There was nothing left to contemplate, a change had presented itself before me, all else was secondary. Leaning my head on the planks of the barrel I removed them one by one. This power seems to move object I'm in contact with to a spot within the range of my sixth sense. The opposite, meaning to get something within this range close to me, couldn't happen. Apportation? Of course not, it's literally the opposite, importation reminds me to much of customs... I suppose given how I use this magic mispport would be a fitting name. So, mispporting the planks next to another barrel so they would make as little noise as possible, an opened wide enough for me to crawl through was created.

Given that I was sitting on my legs for who knows how long I needed some to time for the blood to flow back to them, taking this small breather an attempt to formulate a plan of action was made. Only I wasn't even allowed that luxury, as luck would have it someone entered my range. Both his outline and output many times larger than our outputs combined, a guard out on his patrol. Leaning my head back to the barrel I waited until he almost exited my range before mispporting a plank behind him, naturally he turned around to investigate the noise and when he stopped to look down at the plank I casted a new spell. I gathered the energy around his torso but due to the way he had leaned down my spell also caught his face.

His screams echoed inside the structure, that was no sound a human should ever made, much rather it sounded as the wails of a beast desperately clinging to life. At least no one forbid him his screams. Fortunately his song was cut short as the man collapsed to the floor and all noises seized, only the light remained, using him to illuminate my surroundings, to give away my position. Only the light and the smell. A smell so gut wrenching it brought me to tears from trying not to gag. But the smell wasn't new, no, for a while before I was trying to ignore it to distract my mind with anything else and it was working, that is, until the charred, and still burning, remains of the guard joined in.

I finally looked down, at my hands. The entire underside was charcoal black and peeling, falling off to expose the red muscle underneath. This... there is no turning back from this and soon I be joining that man waiting to succumb to that very fate. The more I stared at my hands the tighter I gritted my teeth, my jaw reached the point of breaking before I finally let it out.

-FUCK ALL!

I wasn't even allowed to scream, the only sympathy they will see will be from the gravedigger not me. I quickly got up to my feet, putting all my strength on them, they were shaky at best but good enough to carry me into the darkness. Strike, hide, repeat and see how far I can go. That was the best I could do, that was all I needed. Naturally the rest of the group gathered round, all with different reactions, one vomited, others covered their face or averted their gaze, one run away outside of my range. In total there were four guys, with perhaps more that hadn't rushed over.

Unfortunately I couldn't just burn the three men before me, when I tried gathering the energy only one took shape, so I executed it, the man bursting in flames seemingly out of nowhere catching them in surprise which I used to light a second one. Ten seconds was all it took before for the freeze response to fade on the third guy and I needed six for that spell. The remaining target booked it away, failing to catch a him before he exited my range.

It was time for me to move, if I stayed to much in one place it would be only a matter of time before it was my turn to be caught. Even in top condition there was no way that I could outrun the adults... Aren't I also an adult? let's not get into that. The path I was taking could barely be called a path, fearing that I would bump into something and give away my position with each successive step I navigated the gaps between barrels. Someone entered my range, without losing time read his path and casted a spell, seven seconds later a fire broke down right in front of him, catching his face and clothes on fire, taking him out.

His scream sounded different than the ones before, instead of them being a result of his pain he was intentionally trying to scream as loud as possible. And I soon found out why, one by one people entered my range. Two people pushing around boxes as they sprinted towards my latest victim, closing in.

I had no time to conjure any fire, they would be upon me long before the spell was ready. So putting my entire body against a nearby crate it hot showered by my inner energy spreading out. Whether this would work or not was a gamble, one out of necessity. Mispporting the crate between myself and one of the men, it landed straight on his head, crashing it got sandwiched between the crate and the ground. The wavelength dissipated, as energy escaped his body. Was that what death looked like?

I tried to move, to gain what little distance I could but my legs failed me, I spluttered face first to the floor. I suppose that little stunt I pulled had some physical side effects, that or my body was nearing its end.

Captain: To think that you would be so much trouble. And here I thought my gut feeling was always right.

The man had stopped, looking over me, I could barely turn my head to face him, but what he said, the way he said it... So this wasn't just some random abduction. Cadence was their target all along! I wanted to laugh out loud at this, at fate itself but all I could utter was so meek in comparison.

-Why?

A weak voice befitting of a dieing girl, I couldn't even keep my eyes open.

Captain: In your next life be more careful of the people around you.

He scoffed at me before continuing.

Captain: But you sure look miserable. I doubt that anyone can recognize you like this. Not that it matters anymore.

-What's this? Rubbing salt in my wounds.

I scoffed back as I released my spell.

-Thanks for running your mouth I guess.

The captain, masterfully jumped back avoiding the flame entirely before dropping his lantern to the floor, and jumping with his knife at me, aiming for my head. With all my strength I pushed my body beyond its limits turning it around I raised my hands, putting the between my face and his blade. As it pierced through skin I was surprised from the pain, to the point of losing my focus as my head rolled back. His strength was naturally greater as he easily pushed my hand back, putting up a struggle was naught but futile. So I didn't, instead of pushing him away I redirected it's trajectory to my left, worsening my injury both during its flight and when it made contact with the ground.

My body was locked in this awkward position and with him landing on top of my right arm, I heard it pop out of place. As much as I wanted to scream out in pain I needed to focus on my magic, the moment he recovers is the moment I die, that's why I need to kill him before that. Only I wasn't fast enough. As he pulled himself away from me, his body collided with my unfinished spell, resulting in it escaping my control and the energy dissipating, there was no time for me to construct a new spell. Pushing my inner energy to its absolute limit it was as if an epiphany hit me, like a picture just became clear after putting on my pair of glasses.

If only enlightenment was so easy to reach. Deciding not to rely on this mysterious "power" I put all my remaining strength on my torso pushing my body up bringing my open mouth right next to his neck. I bit the man. Warm blood rushed down my throat, an awful taste filled my mouth, one that by no one should ever taste as I felt his scream reverberate throughout by body. Everything that I had on my stomach rushed upwards as I bit even more ferociously into his flesh. If the vomit didn't leave my body I would drown only the wound I inflicted wasn't deep enough, I couldn't put enough strength behind my jaw to rip a chunk of his neck off.

In one last attempt to keep alive longer than him I coated my mouth cavity with inner energy, layer upon layer of mispport to take away all that touched it. For what it lacked in range it made up in speed, which was multiplicative of the area I was in contact with, meaning that inside of my mouth it had the strongest effect, it did wonders in helping expel the now mixing taste of nightmares. Ever still activating the magic distracted me long enough for the man to recover from the shock, punching me repeatedly in the side of my face in hopes that I let go. In a way that did played in his downfall since I could no longer keep my body finally gave out falling limply to the ground, dragging that piece of flesh with it, boosted by the force of his punches.

My final mispportatoin was that piece while he collapsed on top of me, his wound to grievous to 'save it' by applying pressure. Clinging to my consciousness with all my being, what little remained I saw it. The moment his energy finally escaped his body leaving nothing than an empty husk behind. Only instead of mixing with the outer energy it rushed to me, entering my body and getting assimilated by my own.

Truly what a fascinating mystery. And what an absolute tragedy... There was no way for to get out of here, I could no longer feel anything. In the end was this my purpose? To die a nameless wretch, drowning among the scum. And then what? Those where but grunts, lining the pocket of those behind them, all too easy to replace. Why was my fight over? I definitely didn't wanted it to end here, in this place. And what about her, who is going to fight for her now? That's right this isn't my place to fall, not while the fight's just started. Not while they are out en large. They might have been aiming at Cadence but they made an enemy out of me. Out of...

-Alexandra! I am Alexandra.

Having said that I was still laying on the ground, unable to move anything else expect my mouth, which appeared to be more that fine. Little by little I felt me strength, my senses were coming back, minus the pain. Could it be a result of that foreign energy that entered my body? Even if that was the cause of my miraculous recovery that was no excuse to keep her waiting anymore. I had to use my hands to get up, I doubt I'll be able to use them after today so might as well...

Stumbling my way towards the barrel I fell to my fours quite a number of times, even if my strength was back that didn't meant that I was in any shape to act. Finally I fell upon her barrel, my energy rushing out, covering it. Mispporting it away I fell even further down, onto her person. I was truly running in borrowed time. I tried removing her restrains with mispport but I found an error in that plan, my energy wouldn't spread past the points of contact. I never thought that my energy would be obstructed by another's, regardless of the case I had to rethink my approach and fast at that.

-Listen carefully. Run, run and hide. Today was no coincidence, I am being targeted and by proxy you. Trust no one...

In the midst of untying her, memories, information, about Estelle flooded my mind, ones that Cadence especially detested since the subject was about family. Right she's just a little girl, telling her to give up on her family was far too cruel, even for me.

-Be very careful on how you approach anyone, make sure that no one is on your tail when you do so, less you make them a target.

My inner energy wasn't spreading even when I placed my forehead directly on top of the rope so, as a result, I bit into it. Not with the intent to sever it by force, rather to surround it inside my mouth for maximum coverage. It finally worked. She jerked her hands free as I fell to the side, that last spell was my limit. There's no struggling anymore I can tell.

-Live on...