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[i][color=#DC143C]Breath...[/color][/i]

She had to steady herself in the darkness...

Penny's charge at the beast had been [i][color=#DC143C]unexpected[/color][/i]. The other girl had taken off before Vanna had an opportunity to put a single word in edgewise. True to her Elementum the decision had been lightning fast. Honestly the lady of Diana felt a tad ashamed at not being ready to follow Penny's lead but none of her training had quite yet prepared her to quickly work with others. On the contrary her training begged her to stay patient and wait for the opening. Wait to slay the beast. 

But nonetheless she couldn't help but feel [i][color=#DC143C]guilt[/color][/i]?

Watching Penny slam against the wall, hearing the sickening crack of her no doubt dislodged shoulder, only heightened Vanna's feelings of failure. It was her job to protect the others and it didn't take an expert to glance at the room and assign her a failing grade. The other girls were at a loss. No one seemed to have an answer for the situation. 

[i][color=#DC143C]Breath...[/color][/i]

Let it all fade away.

[color=#DC143C][i]Focus...[/i][/color]

She could do this. 

As her free hand reached down Vanna barely registered Dana's cries or Nicole's calls. The dark room may as well just contain her and the Void. She would clear a path. And it started with a single step.

Literally.

Well that's if one considered a flying shoe to be considered stepping. 

Vanna knew she needed to get the beast's attention and with limited options what better speeding projectile to use than her own shoe. Everything the Void beast had shown indicated it was one of the lower class monsters and that meant it behaved more like an animal than a man. It acted on impulse, not reason, and that was Vanna's opportunity. This was how she'd buy the opening for the others to escape past the beast. 

She'd figure out her own escape later. 

As her makeshift projectile found its mark Vanna had but one word for the creature:

"[color=#DC143C]Come![/color]" She called out, voice filled with steely determination.

It was not a boast, not a challenge or even a cry to arms. 

It was [color=#DC143C][i]an order[/i][/color]. 

The beast would [i][color=#DC143C]obey[/color][/i].

And now, Aether flowing through her body, she'd be ready for the retaliation. She had been fortunate enough to glimpse the core during Penny's ill-fated attack, and she'd make sure that attack wasn't in vain. The plan was simple: if she saw the opportunity to dodge and riposte with her makeshift blade at the Void's core, she would strike without hesitation. But her priority was dodging the first attack. She'd only go for the counter attack if she was certain her chair leg could strike true. The Aether in her body had pooling for quite a while; the strength, the speed, would give her a way to prevail. But dodge or strike she hoped that the distraction would at least buy the others the moment they needed to escape. 

What was the saying?

[color=#DC143C][i]Do or die[/i][/color].