Getting out of cover, the growing ball of ice forming in the middle of the room had begun to crack more intensely. Tiny spikes grew all around its surface, the limited moonlight and my own flames just barely making the needles visible as the situation immediately registered in my head. Getting out of cover was a bad idea. "I'm sorry." The ball of ice exploded into millions of tiny pieces. My arms flailed to create a wall of flame to melt the projectiles away, but the speed that they traveled enabled some of them to go through. And what went through hurt like hell. "AAAGHH!!! FUCK!" My body was riddled with dozens of pinpricks even as I kept my guard up. It wasn't devastating as a singular spike of ice piercing through my abdomen or anything, but a death by a thou

In the grand scheme that was life and all that encompassed it, my propensity to think up of random bullshit just to pass the time was unparalleled by none that I knew in my general circle. Kind of pretentious, really, but a hyperactive imagination was both a blessing and a curse if the one to have it was as prone to depression as I am. I mean, really. Spiraling thoughts plus a vivid imagination equals thinking up a ton of fucked up scenarios ranging from me killing myself to me seeing the aftermath of my stupid actions wrecking the few people that I really gave a shit about. Regardless, it was still a skill that served me well both through my old life and this one. "And that's the gist of it." I let out a sigh as I finished my explanation for Kelvin's presence. In hindsight, I probably should've checked the other two staircases before I just decided to scale the highest of the