MCSM: Shattered Souls [COMPLETED]

6- In Which I Find Out More Than I Would've Liked

asdfghjkl im getting way too into this story plz kill me

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"THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" Jaqueline shouted, pacing the floor. Justin rolled his eyes, sending her a halfhearted glare from his seat in front of the fireplace. "We know, Jaq. This is crazy and impossible and a literal death trap. Yelling about it isn't going to change anything."

Jaq didn't seem to hear him, engrossed in her pacing and ranting. "And him, standing there all smug, acting like he's given us a CHOICE! As if we can just say 'no, thank you, I don't feel like DYING in your STUPID TRIALS!'"

Justin and Jandro exchanged a look, but none of us tried to stop her shouting. On some level, she was saying exactly what we were all thinking.

"And he's made it very clear that there's no way to escape." Jenni added. She was sitting cross-legged on one of the chairs, and had been giving us all worried, slightly pensive, looks.

"Yeah. He's definitely planned this out thoroughly." Jandro said quietly.

"So then what do we do? How are we supposed to get through this?" Justin asked. Jaq looked over her shoulder to glare at him. "We don't. Obviously."

I shook my head. "No. We can't just give up. There's gotta be some way, some loophole or something."

"If only we knew what he was planning. Then maybe we could find a way to beat him." Jandro mused.

Jenni gave him a weird look. "He basically told us what he was planning. Kill five of us in his probably-insane trials, and the last one gets the sword and goes home. He just wants entertainment, and to feel powerful."

"No he doesn't. He's up to something." Jandro interjected. "This whole thing with our soul...it's just an excuse. I mean, I'm not saying it's a lie, but he's using it as an excuse to use us. He wants something, something from us."

Joss cleared his throat. He had been silently leaning against the wall, not making a sound. I had almost forgotten he was there. "Isn't it obvious? He wants the swords."

"Of course." I muttered.

"But still, we don't know why. He's very smart- he told us just enough that we feel like we know what's going on, and we didn't pay as much attention to what he didn't tell us." Jandro added. Joss gave him a suspicious look.

"You seem awfully sure of yourself. How is it that you know more than the rest of us?"

The dark boy shook his head. "I don't. I just pay attention to little details, and I'm good at remembering things. "

"Remember, he and I are a team. I'm the brawn, he's the brains. Han's the smartest person I know." Jaq reminded.

Justin gave her an exaggeratedly surprised look. "You can be nice! Who would've known!"

Jaq replied with a ferocious glare, but didn't push it. I decided to change the topic before Justin made another smart-aleck comment and ticked her off again.

"303 said there were seven swords, right? The, what was it...'Seven Swords of Aristan'? Well, where's the last one? There's only six of us."

"He has it. I know he does." Jandro said assertively.

"B-but wouldn't that mean...he'd have to die for one of us to use it?" Jenni asked in a quavering voice.

Jandro sighed. "Yeah, he would. It's impossible. I'm starting to develop my own theory as to what he's up to, but I'm not...I don't quite know yet."