Nevin had stepped past her. She couldn't see what he could? That this was very, very wrong? That Eteri, his dear, precious light, the woman who actually made him laugh and smile like a normal person, was still as the grave? This was wrong and something screamed at him, that things would get worse soon. Ayaka didn't seem to believe the words that had come from her own lips.
“They don't know what the fuck to do about that soul, do they?” Nevin’s voice was calm. His introspection last night had brought back something he realized he had been missing. Ever since Eteri was taken, and he got her back, he had been hesitant around her, hesitant in his daily life. He'd just passively let Ayaka take her back on the hope that these priests would know how to help Eteri - but he'd already found something that had been weakening the foul spirit. His hand curled into a fist.
“No. They don’t. This is new. This ceremony is the same I had gone through; it’s a rite of passage meant to cleanse the soul. She doesn’t have-” Ayaka paused. “Didn’t have a soul. She was able to pull it out of her friend, but no one can seem to pull it out of her. It’s...concerning. I am guessing its because she has no soul, so that fragment doesn’t want to let go of….” Her words caught in her mouth. “A suitable host.”
Nevin's jaw clenched hard. This damn thing was inside of her and didn't want to leave? Fine. “Then a cleaning won't work, will it. Cleansing implies the base material is good stock, and you are eliminating impurities. That? That is just darkness.” He growled then looked to Ayaka as an idea came to him.
“You said before. Some of the Soulless have been able to develop, cultivate their own souls. How?” It - it might be a clue, a way to help Eteri create her own to help resist the darkness that wanted to dwell inside of her.
“Dunno. I didn’t study that stuff. Normally happens when they’re young as they hit puberty. Or in some sort of life changing event. Eteri’s old enough now that we just assume she ain’t ever gonna get one. But is that really a bad thing?” Ayaka’s golden eyes narrowed as they glanced over at Nevin. “Is she a bad person now without one?”
He snarled. “Hell fucking no, I love her-”
Suddenly, a scream erupted from below them. It was shrill, and pained, and it sounded as though she was choking. Nevin shot his gaze to the scene below.
Eteri was contorted in an unnatural position; her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She looked strained, she looked like something was choking her. Her body convulsed in the pool of water.
Threads ran along Nevin’s skin. Any concern about whether or not Eteri actually loved him was washed away by the fact that she was in pain, in danger.
“This isn’t right.” Ayaka muttered. “You can’t see it but- that thing inside of her is twisting her body. It’s tendrils have extended into her limbs. This isn’t normal. Souls don’t do that. They can’t just move a physical body like a fuckin’ pupp-”
Her words were drowned out as the priest gave a pained cry. Collapsing to his knees. His hands clasping at an unseen force at his throat.
“Ayaka. How the fuck do we get in there.” Red ran rampant along his skin as Nevin spat the words out. “If you don't get us in there, they are going to die.” Or he was going to bust this fucking glass. It had withstood him running into it - but his thread boosted him, made him a lot stronger than a normal man. Hard, blazing red eyes locked onto the brown haired woman.
She grabbed onto his wrist and broke into a run, letting him go in the process. He didn’t need her to pull him along. He followed her down into a stairwell before she abruptly stopped. Nevin slammed his arms against the wall, just barely preventing himself from crashing into her back.
“Ugh...Here.” She pointed at the wall. “Most the area is enchanted but the stairwells weren’t. Most people don’t go bursting through the walls here.” He looked at her, and nodded. The red around his arm darkened.
“Step away, don't want you to get hurt.” With the curt order, he drew his arm back - and punched. Splinters of wood cracked around his fist, showering him in dust and grit. Again - another hard crash, and a spiderweb pattern of cracks appeared in the paneling. He snarled.
This fucking wall was between him and his hurting love. He didn't care anymore if Ayaka saw - he was not holding back. Crimson threads shot from his arm and pierced the wall in several places - wood no match for the strength of steel imbued within them. The following punch shattered the hole that had almost been carved out, and savage follow up blows broke enough of the wall for the redhead to charge into reach her.
Swift strides carried Nevin to her - pausing only long enough for his threads to grab onto the priest and thrust him further away, hopefully outside of the range of whatever was tracking him. Then Nevin knelt by Eteri and lifted her from the water, cradling her as she shook violently, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to his chest. He ignored the pain that lanced through him.
