It was happening. Again.
No. They're dead. If they're dead— since they're dead, this can't be real. One of the bats was swing through the air. It certainly felt real. Okay, real. But if they're dead then this can't physically be happening. So... a memory? A painful one, to be sure. One of the assailants leaned down into Gruffydd's face to taunt him, but he wasn't paying attention. A memory. My memory. I'm reliving my memory. Why am I reliving my memory?
There was blow from the other bat, and a voice echoed through the streets, "It is deserved."
Yes. of course. What else does a monster deserve? Choose not to be a monster? I wish. It's just what I am. A remorseless killer...
Wait...
"No." The scene before him froze, a bat mid-swing, a set of lips mid-jeer. "It is not deserved." Gruffydd blinked, and he was standing in the dark room again. The white beast stood before him, chained.
"What nonsense is this!?"
"A monster is remorseless in its slaughter. You are me—or at least, a part of me—and if I was doing that to myself, what is it?" His Shadow was silent. "Enough of this, then." The White Beast strained against its its bindings, and a chain snapped. A piece flew across the room, each link larger than Gruffydd's head. The Beast glowed noticeably brighter than before.
"And what is this? You belong nowhere. Ever drifting, ever wandering. You will never belong."
"Did you hear them? They say they care. If they care, then I belong with them. And even if that falls apart, I find it hard to believe I do not belong anywhere. And even if you're right, I deserve a place as much as anyone! I will make a place for myself if I must!" Another chain snapped, and the Beast's glow intensified even further.
"Even if you do, you are still a killer. Three human lives, gone!" The voice was growing raspier.
Gruffydd's voice was quiet as he tturned to the darkness. "And I will regret that for the rest of my life. But I will have that life. I will not let my regrets keep me from the life that is my right!" Gruffydd could hear another chain shatter behind him, and to glow from the Beast grew even brighter. "I will not shackle my heart! I will not chain my soul! Another chain, what Gruffydd knew to be the final chain, snapped, and the Beast roared. Its glow was intensely bright, and the entire room was illuminated. He heard the massive creature charge, and soon after heard the shattering of stone. The glow slowly faded with distance.
Gruffydd turned to find a hole int he wall to his right, with a now pale glow streaming through. He walked to and passed through the hole, and looked up to see the source of the light—the moon, full and bright. He looked around himself to find that he was in a small wooded clearing. He remembered this place. When he was five, before he and his family had moved to Japan, his parents had driven him out, far away from city lights, to see the sky. That had been a moonless night, but even with its light he could see the beauty of the sky above him. He could feel his parents' love in this place, like he had when they first brought him here.
Gruffydd blinked, and he was not alone in the clearing. In front of him, in the center of the clearing, stood a giant, a gargantuan figure well over his own height. Antlers adorned his head, his ears were pointed, and he could see long nails at the tips of his fingers. He held, in a reverse grip, a massive blade, too large—Gruffydd thought—for even the giant to wield in one hand.
"You have found me at last. I am thou, and thou art I. I am Herne the Hunter. I am both man and wild thing. Call on me when you have need, and I shall strike down what assails you." Herne began to glow a bright, blinding light. Gruffydd shielded his eyes with an arm. The light, almost a physical force, pushed him back, and he fell to his knees.
The light was gone, and Gruffydd felt like shit. He didn't know it, but he had been struck by lightning. His mask had floated away from him, as if a cloud of smoke. Gruffydd fell forward, supported himself with his hands, and wretched up some sort of black gunk. It faded into television status fairly shortly.
It didn't take him too long to regain his footing, and he was largely silent in the confrontation with what he could only guess was Kazuo's shadow. If it was able to dredge all of their shadows from... he didn't really care to think about how it had gotten a piece of his self from inside of him, but charging headlong into a fight probably wasn't the best idea. He didn't care for the taunting, and probably would have replied if he didn't feel like shit.
Then there was the man the rabbit mask. It was... strange. It didn't seem hostile, and he doubted this sort of behavior would be how a lure would act. That said, he didn't like the idea of following some strange... thing around in this place. And not having a name? Curious, but "curious" doesn't engender trust. His classmates certainly had words for it though.
Then that one girl—what was her name?—did... something, and he was feeling a hell of a lot better. Gruffydd turned to her, "Thank you," and then turned to face the rest of the group. "I can't say I fully understand what's going on here, but Ms. Sasaki at least seemed to know something about that hole we fell through to get here, so she's our best chance to get out of here. I don't exactly like the idea of following... this... person, but its really the only lead we have on finding her."