Chami, still feeling tired but rested, woke up on the couch in the common area. She let out a yawn and slowly opened her eyes, the morning sunlight filtering through the windows. She noticed the others were up, gathered around a table having breakfast.

  Kurovika noticed Chami stirring and walked over to her, holding a cup of steaming tea. "Hey there sleepyhead. You slept like a log.”

  Chami took the cup and smiled faintly. The handle of the cup was black due to Kurovika's Necrospace but since Chami was immune to it, she didn't pay it any mind. "Yeah guess I was tired... How long was I out?”

  Kurovika shrugged and replied, "Oh, only for about 10 hours. You really needed that rest.”

  Chami took a sip of the tea, feeling the warmth spread through her body. "Damn...I was out for that long? I must've been really exhausted.”

  Kurovika gave her a sympathetic nod and sat down next to her. "You were. You fought against Necrospace and broke its hold on Evelynn. Of course you were exhausted after that.”

  Chami sighed, knowing that Kurovika was right. "Yeah...I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It was a pretty intense battle. But I'm just glad that Evelynn is free and back to herself. That's all that matters."

  Speak of the devil, Evelynn and Svenja took a seat next to Chami, setting their plates down on the table.

  Svenja, with a mouth full of toast, swallowed her food and chimed in. "Yeah, it was a close call. But thanks to you, Chami, Evelynn is safe an’ sound. Ye did good, lass.”

  Chami smiled weakly, still feeling drained. "Thanks, Svenja. I just did what I had to do. I couldn't let Necrospace control Evelynn. I'm just glad it's over now.”

  Evelynn, her eyes still carrying a hint of fatigue, added. "You did more than just that, Chami. You saved me from a living nightmare and brought me back to the light. I'm forever grateful to you.”

  Evelynn leaned in, brushing her fringe out of the way to reveal her other, previously corrupted eye before adding: "You did more than just that, Chami. You saved me from a living nightmare and brought me back to the light. My other eye is no longer corrupted. I'm forever grateful to you.”

  Chami's smile grew warmer, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "You don't have to thank me, Evelynn. I couldn't just stand by and watch you suffer. It was the right thing to do."

  Draley, sipping on her morning energy tea, spoke up from the other side of the table. "Speaking of your corrupted eye, how is it now?”

  Evelynn shrugged, her hand moving instinctively to touch the side of her face. "Well, it's no longer corrupted. It's back to normal. The dark energy that Necrospace inflicted on me is completely gone now, thanks to Chami. It feels really freeing, to tell you the truth.”

  Svenja, a glint of curiosity in her eyes, leaned forward. "So, like, do ya remember anything from when ya were possessed by Necrospace? Or, like, was it all just a dark void for you?

  Evelynn nodded slightly, a mixture of confusion and recollection on her face. "I do remember some things, but it's a little hazy. It was like I was trapped inside my own mind, watching everything through a fog. I couldn't control my own actions, and all I could feel was this overwhelming darkness consuming me.”

  Kurovika, her expression softening ever so slightly, piped up, "That sounds...terrifying. It must've been tough, fighting for control inside your own head.”

  Evelynn nodded again, a shiver running down her spine. "It was. The battle for control was unlike anything I've ever experienced. I felt suffocated and trapped, like I was lost in a never-ending nightmare. And not to mention how every time Necromoon used my corrupted eye to spy on me, I went blind for a long while…”

  Chami's eyes widened with a tinge of concern. "Wait, what...? Necromoon could use your eye to spy on you? I thought it was just for him to mind control you.”

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  Evelynn's expression darkened slightly, her hand going back to her face. "No, there was more to it. When Necromoon infused a bit of his energy within me, he also gained the ability to use my eye as his own. He could use it to spy on me whenever he wanted, and I couldn't do anything to stop him. He used it to keep tabs on me, and my punishment for attempting to escape would end up with me going blind.”

  Chami's expression shifted from concern to anger. "Wait, you mean he could literally see through your eye? Like a camera feed...?”

  Evelynn nodded, a sense of violation in her voice. "Yes, exactly like that. It felt like he was always watching me, like there was no privacy or escape from his gaze. And whenever I tried to fight back, he would punish me by causing me physical pain and blinding me with my own eye.”

  Chami's jaw clenched tightly, her anger growing. "That's messed up. Using your own body against you... That's just wrong on so many levels.”

  Svenja finished up the last of her breakfast, chiming in with a curious gaze aimed at Chami. "Say, Chami. Ye're the Acolyte of Possession, yeah? So what 'bout the other 7 Acolytes?”

  Chami nodded, taking a sip of her tea before responding. "Yes, I am. There are indeed eight Acolytes in total. We are each tied to a specific Aura Type, like myself with the Possession Aura Type. Why?”

  Svenja leaned back in her seat, her question still lingering. "I was jus’ curious. What are the other Acolytes tied to? I dunno much about ‘em, an’ I thought maybe ye could gimme some insight.”

  Chami nodded, understanding her curiosity. "Of course. Each Acolyte is indeed tied to one of the eight different Aura Types. There's the Possession Aura Type, like myself. Then there's the Projection Aura Type, then Augmentation, Conversion, Extraction, Creation, Emulation, and Interaction.”

  Svenja's eyes widened in curiosity. "Wowsers... So where are these Acolytes?”

  Chami sighed softly, her expression growing serious. "Truth be told, we're not entirely sure. Being Acolytes doesn't necessarily mean that we're active in the world, running around and battling enemies. In fact, we often reside in various places like sanctuaries, remote domains, and such. We are Acolytes of the Aura Types themselves, and as such, we tend to focus on training and maintaining our connection with the energies we are tied with.”

  Svenja hummed thoughtfully, absorbing the information. "Huh, so it's a lot more complex than I thought. And the Acolytes don't just go around fighting evil, right? It's like a spiritual thing for y'all.”

  Draley, who had been silently listening in, spoke up, her tone laced with curiosity. "This 'Depravity' seems to be getting worse and worse with each passing day. It's almost like it's slowly consuming everything in its path.”

  Chami took a deep breath, sensing the weight of the situation. "Yes, you're right. Depravity is like a dark, unstoppable force that feeds off negativity and despair. It spreads like a cancer, corrupting everything in its path. It not only affects individuals but also the very energy of the world itself."

  Svenja stood up from her seat, grabbing her dishes. "Oi, then let's go find the rest of the Acolytes so we can have y'all aid us in the fight against the Darkness!”

  Chami shook her head sadly, knowing that it wasn't that simple. "I wish it was that easy, but finding the other Acolytes isn't as easy as you might think. We are scattered across the universe, hidden in secluded places, training and maintaining our connection with the Aura Types.”

  Svenja frowned, her enthusiasm slightly dampened. "So what're we ‘sposed ta do? We need all the help we can get, an’ the Acolytes would be a huge asset to have with us.”

  Chami sighed, her expression solemn. "I understand your concern, Svenja. We need all the allies we can, and the Acolytes would indeed be a valuable addition to our cause. But finding them won't be easy. We'll need to be patient and gather information. The other Acolytes are hidden for a reason, and simply searching aimlessly won't help us find them.”

  Draley, who had been silently listening, spoke up softly. "Chami's right. The other Acolytes have their own reasons for hiding. Plus, trying to find them might draw unwanted attention from the Darkness. We need to be cautious and strategic about it.”

  Evelynn, who had been quietly observing the conversation, decided to give her input. "Perhaps we should focus on gathering information first. Maybe there are clues or hints leading to the whereabouts of the other Acolytes. We can't afford to blindly search without a solid plan.”

  Chami nodded in agreement with Evelynn's suggestion. "You're right, Evelynn. Gathering information should be our priority. We need to consult resources, research tomes and scrolls, or maybe even seek out certain individuals who might have knowledge about the hidden locations of the Acolytes. We can't afford to act haphazardly and possibly attract unwanted attention from the Dark forces.”

  Svenja nodded in agreement, although she still seemed a bit disappointed. "Aight, I get it. We needa be strategic an’ all that. But how long do ye think it'll take us to find clues and stuff? I mean, the Darkness ain't exactly known for bein’ patient.”

  Chami sympathized with Svenja's impatience but maintained a steadfast tone. "I can't give you a timeframe, Svenja. This process might take days, weeks, or even longer. The Acolytes have deliberately hidden themselves, and unearthing any clues will necessitate caution and tactfulness. We can't expect to find the Acolytes in just a few days.”

  Svenja let out a frustrated sigh but understood the need for caution. "Alright, I get it. It won't be easy, and it could take a while. I just hope we don't run out of time before we find them.”