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[color=gray][i]Halloween Festival, Near the Haunted House[/i][/color]
[sub][b]Mentions:[/b] [@Punished GN], [@AtomicEmperor][/sub]

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[quote=Mr. Devola][color=#f49ac2]"You don't sound so good Layla. Maybe... Maybe I can help you?-"[/color][/quote]

Layla's head twisted, her entire body stiffening. 

[i]Help?[/i]

What did he mean by help? Was he… referring to his powers? Ah, what was it again. He dealt with emotions, right? Layla couldn't remember entirely. And in that moment, she felt a heavy weight of anxiety.

She couldn't remember what he could do. And he wanted to… to help?

The last time someone wanted to help, someone ended up dead. Yes… Yes, how could she have been so stupid? When Jack portrayed himself as a saint, whisking her and Void to the Void. When Britney simply prattled on about how ‘she cared’ and ‘this was for the best.’ 

She trusted the people who wanted to offer her help.

And what did she get for it?

What did she get for it?!

[i]Void was dead.[/i]

[i][b]Eaten.[/b][/i]

Her friend. The one who promised she'd see her family again, who was gonna keep her safe from all the monsters that plagued her.

Layla couldn't breathe. She could feel the tight, helpless grip of grief dig into her again, tearing at wounds that had barely set.

She couldn't risk agreeing to Mr. Devola, could she? She didn't even know what she was agreeing to!

[quote=Mr. Devola][color=#f49ac2]"Well, long story short, we were raided by Police Officers. Federal police, actually, government agents more like. Magical people, like us. They attacked.”[/color][/quote]

Layla’s face paled at that. The police did what?! What the- Why? Why would they do such a thing?

What exactly did she miss?!

[quote=Mr. Devola][color=#f49ac2]”I can show you if you don't mind me using my power."[/color][/quote]

Now there was the kicker. If she was hesitant before, this was the incentive to agree. 

But, she felt she couldn't see a damn thing, as she stared up at Mr. Devola. He was impossible to read, appeared perfectly amiable. Did he have a darker motive?

Everyone did, when it came to the Sycamore.

[i]Everyone[/i].

It was like she was looking at a light in dark waters, unaware of the jaws held open, waiting.

But she wanted to know.

Did she risk trusting Mr. Devola like she trusted Jack? Like she trusted Britney?

She waited to hear the voice of Void in her mind, usually giving perfect advice. But right now? Dead quiet. She couldn't even decide what Void would say in this situation.

[color=7ABBFF][b]“I.. I don't know…”[/b][/color] She started, her hands wringing as she stared as the ground.

She was really on her own, all alone.

Well… what was the worst that could happen?

She couldn't lose Void twice, could she?

The pain in her chest, the grief, the pain, could she shed it somehow, even temporarily? Like with how Miss Vorpal did at the speakeasy? 

She looked up at him, a resoluteness in her eyes.

Maybe, maybe she’d let Mr. Devola ‘help’. 

[color=7ABBFF][b]“Uh… sure… Do whatever you're going to do.”[/b][/color]

And she reached out to the light in the dark waters.