Skipped footsteps were heard in a different part of the facility. Little Aurora was skipping down a hallway. She had seen what her mother had done and decided she wanted to go explore. It was a common sight even at the beginning for her mother to do outrageous things in the name of her daughter. However, she had never lifted a finger against the researchers or the soldiers. Plenty of other people had been manipulated by her strings but never killed. It wasn't something Aurora was used to seeing and she decided maybe to take a little respite away.

  The skips echoed down the hallway. No guards or researchers were down this way since it was a bit too close to Glade and her area. However, Glade was very fond of Aurora and enjoyed when she knew that the little girl was nearby. There was no reason for her to fear since there was something Glade was hiding for the researchers. Of course, it wasn't complete and the only time she was able to show it off was when Aurora came by. Since Aurora was the only one allowed to walk freely among the facility. She knew the times that the guards came to each area since it was impossible to be everywhere at once. Since most of the guards focused their time focusing on Gale's and Mist's rooms. Since those were the two dangerous ones. Mist had the ability to mess with moisture and Gale could take the very breath from your body. Those two were constantly guarded. It was a shame since these interactions between Glade and Aurora were unsupervised. Aurora knew that Glade had quite an astonishing ability. Of course, without Aurora's help it could very well kill her, and it wasn't yet completed since there seemed to be a few things missing. Even though the talent was admirable whatever she created couldn't stand up against what she was being imprisoned by. The fact of the matter was they needed someone well they needed at least two more people. One of them at least was within reach, Mist. The other however was far away or so they thought.

  Glade seemed to have found an ability to be able to create weapons within her body by using things that exist inside the body. Things like iron, zinc, copper. Of course, she wasn't allowed to come into contact with any stronger minerals or materials. She had a hypothesis that maybe just maybe if she could get in touch with ore or even the ground, she would be able to feel the different minerals inside suck them into her body and create weapons. So far all she'd been able to create was small things pins, thimbles, things like that. Small things she could hide to keep away from the guards just to practice. Of course, she would never be able to use any of them on the guards since they were heavily armored. Even if they did come in there was nothing exposed to be able to take advantage of. However, the first few times she did it she could feel a drain and a strain on her soul. However, when Aurora first started coming to her, she would use her ability to heal and that gave Glade a little bit more.

  One time Aurora was able to get a tree branch into Glade. It was only for a moment she touched it, and it withered in her hand. It turned to nothing there wasn't even dust. As she did so she could feel a small surge shoot throughout her body. She realized that while Aurora could help revitalize her to a point that small branch seemed to have given her back the vitality, she had used to create these small little objects. Which meant that she could take life from the very ground around them. So, it was a good thing that they kept her suspended and in man-made materials and nothing that she could use. Everything was manufactured nothing came from nature. It was all cold. Even touching it she couldn't feel a single thing that she could connect with. It was all what the researchers like to call plastic. However, if she could get free maybe just maybe she could find Isa and then she could do something about the problem she was having.

  Aurora walked to the glass and tapped on it. "Glade, Glade!"

  "Yes, Aurora." Glade couldn't really move but she tried to shift her eyes in Aurora's direction.

  "Mother did a bad thing." Aurora swayed back and forth standing in front of the intercom.

  "What are you talking about?" She rolled her eyes a bit wondering what the hell Eclipse did now.

  "She killed some of the guards and a few researchers. Also, someone's outside." A small giggle escaped her lips as if she was telling a secret.

  "Wait, what?" Glade tried to move making her restraints twist a bit.

  "Yeah, someone is outside." She gave a small smile trying to contain her laughter.

  Glade took in a deep breath. It was all lacking devoid of anything, but what was absolutely necessary. Even if she could find something it wasn't enough to do anything with. She wasn't shackled, but at the same time she could not move even the little trinkets she made the needle and such. It would take her forever to break out. "Did your mother say why?"

  "No, not to me. Although, the researchers did something they shouldn't of. They..." Aurora trembled a little bit.

  Glade could hear the change in her respiration, and it wasn't something she enjoyed hearing. Her brow furrowed. "What did they do?!"

  "They tried to take more. Mama got angry and before I knew it everyone was dead, and mama was just standing there laughing. Covered in blood. She was just laughing covered in blood." Aurora's voice kept breaking as if she was about to cry or perhaps laugh.

  "Hmmmm, that sounds like something Eclipse would do. You said someone was outside?" She was curious and it also meant that someone was aware of this place other than the higher ups from the walled city government. Which could be a trap of course.

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  "Yes, mama was going to wait for them. She told me to stay, but I didn't want to. It was red and awful more than I've ever seen before." Of course, Eclipse was doing that through her dark threads which she could use to talk with people close to her. In Aurora's case she could only speak through the shadows around her since Eclipse's threads couldn't touch Aurora directly.

  "Hm, Eclipse shouldn't have done that in front of you, but I understand why she did. Without you our brightness disappears." Glade let out an exasperated sigh. "If there is somebody attacking this place who knows if their friend or foe." Glade clenched her fists trying to hold back her anger. Even though Aurora was capable of protecting herself there still wasn't a reason to subject her to that level of violence.

  "Mama seems to think they're friend, maybe. She said that it was pirates or at least that's what I think I heard. One of them tried to get in but one of the guards before mama killed him hit the panic button and the turret outside was shooting anything that came up. When I ran away, I heard the door open." Aurora's voice cracked a bit even though she tried to hide it with a small giggle.

  "What?! Wait are you telling me that someone might have actually gotten inside?" Glade wasn't sure how to process that. The base had all manner of defenses outside of the guards. She didn't have a full load out of the place but from what she heard approaching the base without invitation was suicide.

  "It's possible." Aurora pushed her index fingers together trying to remember everything else that happened.

  "Why didn't you stick around?" Glade tried to mask the annoyance in her voice since Aurora had already gone through enough. However, she was still frustrated at the amount of unnecessary danger Eclipse subjected her to.

  "I was scared, and it was close to the time to come see you, so I decided to do that." She continued to push her index fingers together looking down at the ground not wanting to look in Glade's direction at the moment.

  Glade let out another exasperated sigh. "Alright, Alright. Knowing your mother she's probably playing a game with whoever came inside. Oh lord." Of course, Eclipse would do something this rash when they could be working together in order to free everyone. It just went to show how much Eclipse's mind had been through over the long time they had spent hold up inside this place.

  "What is it auntie Glade?" Aurora finally looked up in Glade's direction. She put on her best smile lowering her arms trying to relax just a little bit.

  Another sigh escaped her lips. "I'd imagine either she's trying to find you or whoever came in has been tasked with finding you and there's no way they can get down here. You're the only one who knows the route. You need to go back up and find your mother. I want to talk with these outsiders. We need to find Isa." Even though this wasn't the best plan there was no way Glade could get out at the moment. She couldn't rely on Eclipse either at least until she snapped out of this current breakdown she was experiencing.

  "Auntie Glade we're not supposed to say our real names." Aurora put on her best pouting face leaning forward trying to be bossy.

  "She's the only one that was granted her real name because her mother would not stand for it. However, Val is dead and the only thing that remains of her is the ground that this place stands on. She's in another facility somewhere and we need to get her out. Once we do that, we can be unstoppable. Now, please go back to where you were and then when you find these new people if you find them before they find you. You bring them here, okay?" Glade let out a small giggle enjoying that Aurora was finally relaxing a little bit. She didn't want her to start acting like her mother and showing signs of mental fatigue.

  "Are you sure?" Aurora relaxed a bit placing her hands on her hips. She wasn't against leading the outsiders here but making her mother mad wasn't something Aurora wanted to do either.

  "Aurora!" Glade only raised her voice slightly to show Aurora that it was time to get moving.

  "Okay, okay. What if mama finds me first?" Aurora jumped a bit letting out a small squeak. It was followed by a giggle since the sound was funny to her.

  "Well, if mama finds you first then whoever's in here is probably going to die. So, go find the nice people whoever they are and bring them back here, okay?" Glade let out a sigh feeling as through she just ran a marathon. This was exhausting and it was completely Eclipse's fault, and she would answer for it regardless of the intentions.

  "Alright. Oh, I brought you something. One of the guards had it. I'm going to put it through the vent. It should land right on top of you and then I'll go. I'll see you in a bit Auntie Glade." Aurora dropped what sounded like a stick into the slot which usually delivered her food.

  It tumbled down and fell cleanly across Glade's chest. She took in a deep breath and moved the stick to her hand grasping it firmly and absorbing the energy that it gave into her. Another deep breath as her body pulsed moving the plastic around her as a devious smile crossed her lips. With a little more she just might be able to free herself. She was intrigued by these visitors and maybe just maybe they could finally get the hell out of this place.