Working With Phantoms

Oncoming Sadness

July 20th

Madran arrived back in the Velvet Room to find that everyone but Sheila had arrived.

"Hey, everyone, are we ready to get working on this palace again?"

"Yeah, I mean, I just hope that Futaba'll be ok after this crap."

"True, true. Seeing that last mural before we left worried me. Like, did those men just read her suicide note to her like that? I know it was all 2D and crap, but something like that surely represented what happened in the real world."

"Her palace shows the most distortion of all. She can't even comprehend the outside world anymore, so it's just barren. All of the shadows that Maya, Chicory, and I talked to all were very protective of Shadow Futaba and attacked us due to how we 'bring bad omens.'"

"Yikes. Um, if I remember what Makoto said, this may be because she's used to pushing people away that, when help does come, she doesn't know how to respond."

"Exactly. The quicker we get this palace done, the better, both for our and her sake."

Sheila then walked through her door.

"Hey, everyone, sorry I'm late. Uh, what's the plan for today?"

"Well, we're taking on the next area opened by us breaking through the first door."

"Gotcha. Well, let's get going."

The group then left the Velvet Room and arrived back in the palace, where Philemon took them to the Safe Room. Philemon then split with Wysteria and Suga, with the trio leaving for the door across from the Safe Room. Madran then scanned for Akira's group.

"Ok... hmm... they're coming up the stairs as we speak."

Madran then watched as Akira's group walked up the stairs with much toil and trouble.

"Hey, why don't you guys just warp to the Safe Room?"

"I mean, well, I guess we forgot."

Madran then waited for the group to catch their breath.

"Ok, well, by now, Butterfly's group is very well ahead of us. Once y'all have caught your breath, please, let's get started."

Madran then waited for Akira's group to recover from the stairs and nodded.

"Well, let's get moving."

Madran and Akira then led their groups down the door to their right, which brought them to a cavernous hall with what looked to be a ramp across from them. Madran then spotted Shadow Futaba standing by the ramp.

"Ah, you've come... follow me."

Shadow Futaba then turned around and went into the lamp, with everyone else following her. However, Madran looked up the ramp to see a boulder rolling at them, which caused her to pull everyone back.

"Ok, um, let's not do that."

"Goodness, does she want us dead?"

"Everyone, calm down. We can take the edges of the ramp up. Observe."

Maya then leapt on top of the ramp and onto the edges, which were thick enough to hold two feet in a reasonably stable manner. Maya then walked across it and arrived at another side of it.

"Hey, everyone, c'mon!"

The group then followed Maya and arrived in another room next to the boulder ramp with many floors that suddenly crumbled when a hint of a footstep was suggested to them.

"Ok... hey, Rumor, what's up ahead?"

"Why don't you come and see?"

Madran then advanced forwards to see a massive room with various coffins lying in a grid-like pattern. However, once she stepped forwards, several shadows emerged from the coffins and transformed.