Theo’s head-mounted light swooped over the walls surrounding them as he stood protectively over his mother and sisters. [i]Appease me[/i] his mother had said, translating the words that had appeared before them. It didn’t sit right with Theo. [i]Appease me[/i]. Appease who? The tall seventeen-year-old blinked in confusion before taking the light off his head and holding it in his hand instead. His free hand came up to ruffle through his curls as he focused on what was happening before him again. Cosette had done something? His eyes strayed to the statue she tried to hide behind her back, a spark of recognition somewhere in the back of his mind. Where had he seen it before?

An ominous feeling settled into Aurélie’s chest as her mother’s voice was suddenly right beside her, talking to Cosette. She and Cosette had been very far away from her mother, and Theo, and, yet now they were here in the same room? Or well, a different room. This was not the same four walls where Auri had finally caught up to her little sister. The fear of something happening to Cosette still made her heart thump in her throat, making her slightly shaky. 

As Sabrina spoke to Cosette, Aurélie rose up from the ground once more, brushing off little pieces of sand and gravel that had settled into the skin of her bare knees. A cold breeze grazed the skin of her shoulders, but somewhere while following her sister, she must’ve lost the sweater tied around her waist. With the light of her phone, she illuminated her sister and mom before her so they could see eye to eye, but the restless figure beside her made Aurélie glance up at Theo. He was deep in thought, and it was the shadow behind Theo that made Aurélie’s heart jump a little before her father came into view. 

He was here, too? Just what the hell had happened? She angled the light of her phone his way, the sight of him making her eyes widen ever so slightly. Red fluid above his eyebrow reflected the light with a glint. [color=rosybrown]”Dad, you’re bleeding.”[/color] Yet her father didn’t seem to hear her or chose to ignore her. As she studied him more closely, she realised she had never seen this particular look on his face before. Seemingly out of nowhere, the man stalked forward and grabbed Cosy’s flashlight without pardon, and while she was still processing that particular rough move, a loud groan was heard not far from them. Both Theo and Aurélie’s lights illuminated the scene beside them. Somehow, the Egyptian man was here too, but he was on the ground, clutching his nose while their father shook out his hand. 

As Aurélie audibly gasped at the display of violence, Theo’s eyes narrowed. If he had to back up his father in a fight, he would, despite not knowing what the hell it was about. Yet it seemed the man on the ground was not willing to fight back, choosing the higher ground. Their words were harsh, though, and Theo moved forward only to be stopped in his tracks by Thierry’s statement. [i]"Do you really think I want them here?!"[/i] The son swallowed and straightened his back like he’d been lashed, and his sister’s keen eyes would notice a common sight in her brother’s eyes; hurt, quickly shifting to denial.

It just pissed Aurélie off. Did it matter why they were all here? They were in a [i]predicament[/i] and here her father was, not seeing if his family was all right, but punching a random man in front of his kids instead. Saying things without regard. Real stellar fatherhood. Cosette’s cries pierced the room as she clung to their mother, and the two oldest siblings just stared at the scene in front of them. As Thierry finally faced them, he’d see a son who was battling some serious cognitive dissonance, and a daughter with angry, judgeful eyes. It was as if he finally acknowledged that they were actually here, even though it was now very, [i]painfully[/i] clear he hadn’t wanted them to be, and the eldest hoped that statement hadn’t reached Cosette through her cries. 

Bristling, she went down on one knee and took off her small backpack, setting it down in front of her and rummaging through it while illuminating her items with her light. Her camera hung in the space between her and her bag. At the very least, she could be useful by using her training, though her first aid course mostly covered burns, bruises and cuts, not fists to noses. Not a lot of that happens in a coffee shop. Before she could do or offer anything, though, the man she wanted to help said they should go, and walked down a corridor to their left. Blinking, with tissues and her small first aid kit in hand, Aurélie stood again. 

Theo moved to join, but as Cosette cried firmly and unmoving on the floor, and his other sister wavered in between, he realised he couldn’t leave them just yet. Instead, he watched Mr. Andrew and his father go down the hallway, his curls bouncing a little every time he looked between those left behind in the chamber and the now-empty hallway. His eye fell on a symbol above the door, and he tried to wrack his brain on what it could mean. When it suddenly clicked, a barely audible gasp fluttered from his lips. [i]Death[/i]? With his light, he shone above the other doors, quickly recognising the worth of rebirth. It was an often-used symbol in the Egyptian pyramids and texts. [color=steelblue]”Maman, look.”[/color] He said, thinking his mother may be able to make more sense out of it.

Before he could fully process everything, shuffling to his left made him turn and shine his light toward a passageway, only to shine on the Egyptian and his father. They- what? Blinking, Theo realised it was a loop. 

The ominous feeling inside Aurélie only grew when she witnessed those who went through the hallway come back out another one. Surely, there was a way out of here. With a sigh, she quickly walked up to the pair, standing in front of the man clutching his nose. The source of the words that followed Aurélie since last night. She wanted to question him about it, badly.  [i]They become Gods[/i]. [color=rosybrown]”Here. Let me see.”[/color] Not taking a no for an answer, she curled her hand around the man’s wrist and removed his hold from his nose. She put some tissues against it and shone her light from above. [color=rosybrown]”Not broken. Hold the tissues, tilt forward and pinch, it should stop the bleeding.”[/color] 

Every so briefly, her eyes slid from the man to her father and narrowed a little. Still, as her eyes drifted to the drying-up blood on his forehead, she realised she needed to check him out, too. Though, maybe she should let her mom do it, she was skilled as well. Aurélie took one last look at the Egyptian and then firmly nodded her head, signalling that he was okay. 

Theo surveyed the scene. One man clutching his face, one little sister crying, one occupied mother because of it, one hovering big sister and one unsteady father. Who apparently didn’t want them here? Theo had thought his father was excited about sharing this experience with him, but that didn’t seem fully true now. He had done such a careful job at brushing the writing and enjoyed the explanations and compliments his mother had given him about his work while his father had already strayed away on his own. Maybe Theo had ignored some signs like Aurélie sometimes said he did. Though, maybe it was just a matter of proving himself worthy. 

And maybe it was this drive that led him to pivot, shining his light in front of him as he walked toward a corridor with ‘rebirth’ above it, disappearing into the dark, narrow hallway at a steady pace. He could find the exit, and they’d be thankful for him.