The nobility kept on their discussion, whilst Eliana simply stood and had dozed off in her thoughts. She awoke from her daydreaming as an older man slammed up the door to the mansion. He had a grey beard descending from his chin and upper lip, his old eyes were wide open and he straightened up, trying to regain his breath. Louisa quirked an eyebrow, stepping past the two Dunsworths, leaving them with their mouth open as they turned to the man who had just entered. 

“Speak up.” Louisa firmly demanded, clasping her hands together in front of her. The older man nodded, wiping his forehead as he held out a paper. It carried the seal of the royal army, and Louisa swiftly ripped it open. Her eyes ran down over the words, as she mumbled them quietly for a moment. Suddenly she paused, staying still right on the spot. Eliana took a few light steps up to her, whispering in a quiet voice to the noblewoman.

“My lady? What is the matter?” Eliana carefully asked, observing Louisa and her reaction.

She simply stuttered in return. “We’re… Moat Royal is destroyed. Lowburg has been ordered evacuated.” Louisa spoke in a louder voice, and the other servants heard the news as well. They quickly walked off in quick paces, beginning to shout inside the mansion. The Dunsworths were off quickly too, seeming to forget about their business with the king. Eliana looked up at Louisa, fear striking into her eyes. Even though the mansion had been no home, it had still kept her worry at bay. Now the horrible unknown came back, and once again she didn’t know where she’d end up. The people around the two women had all gone off in different directions, the panic spreading and loud voices roaring through the halls.

Louisa took a firm grip on Eliana’s arm, dragging her along with her, up the big staircase. Without a word, they ran towards the chambers. The door was barged in, and Louisa started grapping her different things. She pointed and gave commands for what Eliana should pack, and she simply obeyed. Louisa was quite skilled in panic-packing, as she almost nonchalantly found the items, papers, clothes and jewels she now needed. Eliana lost track of time, and before she knew it Louisa stood ready at the door.

“Gather your things, we’ll be off soon. You’ve been on horseback before, I suppose?” Louisa had an unnerving calmness in her voice.

Eliana looked up at her, and then over her shoulder.

“I-… I have to get my things, from the uh…” She lowered her voice. “The house.” 

Louisa looked back at her, sighing and nodding. “Right, your things. Be swift, we can not take too long.” She stepped aside, letting Eliana run off. 

The nobility had begun to run off. They weren’t taking their sweet time. Much like the creatures on the farm back in the Western Kingdom. The thought called forth a smile on Eliana’s lips, either that or the comparison between nobles and sheep and cows. Eliana had set off in a quick jog, which she herself found pretty impressive, given the attire she was wearing. She ran down through the main street, trying to find her way back to the plaza. The city had woken up, though it seemed many ignored it too. The citizens of Lowburg were a strange bunch. They were not delightful – well, most of them weren’t. Some would sell out their own, and some would kill for unknown reasons. But Louisa had been vital for Eliana. She had put her in a good position, and Eliana did not believe many would question a handmaiden of a noblewoman, not unless they questioned the nobility to begin with. 

A large hand of soldiers had begun the evacuation, though struggling to get some with them. Eliana ignored it, and attempted to find her way back to the house. Though she did not enjoy it, she tried to recreate the other nights in her mind, to replicate her movements. She ended up by a familiar alley, and continued down the road. The old wooden door was unlocked, and still look as abandoned as ever. No one had been in there, not by the look of it at least. With a careful touch, she pushed it open. She stepped inside, glancing around in the room. Her items stood untouched in the corner, and the two staves still stood in place. One of the staves, the one that had belonged to Jonius, had begun to rot slightly though. Eliana sighed, unbinding it from the satchel. Her own was as it had always been. Of course it was.

She carefully stepped outside again, looking towards the way she came. But Eliana suddenly stopped, blinking a few times and looking around. Something was off. It wasn’t just a gut feeling, but a feeling she had had before. Not here. Not in this world. 

She froze.

It was as if all sound was isolated again, and a simple calling led her way. She ran aimlessly through the streets, a very faint glow starting to erupt in her eyes. The feeling grew stronger. Eliana couldn’t quite describe it; freezing but warm, distant but close. Wrong, and not right.

Suddenly it grew on her, as she turned the last corner. By instinct she grabbed her staff, pulling it out. Something terrible was further ahead. It was some large, dark limps were flying around something. Without hesitation Eliana stormed forward. She now recognized the feeling, or the similarity of it at least. It felt as some sort of … necromancy? Though she could be wrong. Dark magic, for sure. The glow in her eyes flourished, consuming her eyes and turning them completely blue, with the glowing blue strings exiting her eyes. The world around her shifted. The grey and dark sensations from her nightmare returned. The plants lost their life, and the sky was all but blue. The limps had a shadowy glow around them, as they continued their work. Eliana swung out her staff, letting the blue-ish glow roll out from her eyes, along her body and rolling around the staff. The blue strings of light danced around the Walker, as the staff connected with the black things. 

They almost screeched out, swinging out for Eliana. One stormed into the essence of Eliana, and pierced her shoulder. The magic sent a shrieking pain through the woman.. With a desperate jolt, she thrusted the staff towards the limp that had corrupted her shoulder. The limp retracted, but prepared to attack again. 

There was a certain connection between the three worlds. Some things, and most things, would be affected in the Void, if affected in the world of the Living, and the other way around. Dark magi were effective. They were almost impossible to fight off for anyone without any magical gift, in the world of the Living. Spiritwalkers were trained to protect souls as they walked them towards the Afterlife. Strange things roamed in the Void, nightmarish, strangely shaped creatures. They feasted on souls, and left them to eternal damnation. The wound in Eliana’s shoulder kept hurting. Necromancy and dark arts always left pain in such a horrible, continuous way. 

She threw the staff forward again, as she did her best in avoiding getting hit by the opposing magi, or whatever had called upon those things. As she had a brief moment to rest, she whispered something to herself, charging more of the soul essence into her weapon. She roared out and charged toward with a leap, striking directly into the core of the limps. An azure mark burned into it. It tossed Eliana away in a last swing, before disappearing into the alley. She flew into the side of a house, and down unto the ground. 

She tapped back into the world of light again, seeing the life coming back to the plants and the sky. Her vision was blurry, and a horrible pain kept roaming around in her left shoulder. Something was dreadfully wrong with it.  Eliana shook her head, trying to wave away the last strings departing her eyes. Eliana couldn’t quite see the figure that was lying on the ground.
She muttered something to herself, her vision turning to black as her head fell backwards towards the wall. Her energy had dived into the ground, and she felt ever so tired.