Ellis blinked her eyes open, bringing up a hand to rub the shadows from her mind. Apparently this only gave them life. She looked around to find herself in a lifeless world, save only for a handful of people, and shadows that took a shape of their own and danced in nonexistent wind. 

_Heartless._ The word echoed in her mind when the others said it. She didn't have time to wonder why the name made sense to her. A shadow had taken advantage of her disoriented state, and leapt onto her back. Needle-point nails dug into her skin and she gritted her teeth. On instinct, she reached behind her to take the shadow on her hands, and flipped it off her back. Its nails dragged along her back and shoulders, tearing at flesh and staining her clothes red as blood leaked from her. 

As the disoriented shadow tumbled over the ground, Ellis took the opportunity to glance around and take stock of the situation. There were several other people, some fighting shadows, some still getting their bearings. One stood out to her though… the woman in blue fighting three of the beasts. She knew what was going on. She had answers to questions Ellis didn't yet have time to think on. 

She was drawn out of her thoughts when the shadow regained its footing and pounced on her. In the next moment, there was a new weight in her clenched fist, and her body acted on its own. Taking the double-bladed staff in both her hands, she held it up to block the shadow and threw it back again. The staff cut through the air, spinning and slicing at her unfortunate enemy. The tears on her back stung and pulled, but Ellis had no time to tend them, or ask the blue woman her questions. She'd have to deal with this creature first.