Barbara
*The mote shone even brighter.* `Holy (3/3)`

*And then, Brad was real again. Kneeling on the yellowed cobblestones of Traverse Town, awash in darkness, he felt the sensation of something against his skin. He heard them- screams of terror and the gnashing of monsters. But he **Heard** Them. And then, he saw them. He could see, smell, maybe even taste.*

*Standing at the center of a shimmering magic circle, Brad rose to his full height. And for the first time in who knew how long, he sucked in a deep breath. Summoning a familiar weapon into his hand- a comically large stick, now burning with white light, he let himself smile.*

*"I will atone."*

*And for a moment, he wished he'd heard those same voices that had found him here, upside down in a trash can.*
Ethel
`"Remember that. You failed. You couldn't protect him. You held him back. You always held him back." His smile never broke. "An' now, he's gone. It's all yer fault. A sword's duty is ta protect its wielder, an 'ere ya are, stripped of everythin'."`

*The mote of darkness hovered above a rooftop. Screams filled the dimly lit town, as streetlights failed in the eternal night. It was all she could do. She was in no condition to move. She was in no condition to even think. If she even had arms and legs with which to move, she knew she would not. All the darkness could do was sink deeper and deeper, drowning in an excess of its own filth. And more and more poured into her, as if responding to her anguish.* `Dark (1/3)`

*She caused this. She caused all of this. The deaths of hundreds, thousands. All swallowed into the all-consuming void that had ripped out from the door. Soon, the whole cosmos would be assimilated, and the stars would go out. It was only a matter of time. She tried to soothe herself. Nothing to do about it now. Just to let the world fall away, until she too disappeared along with it.*

*And yet no matter how she tried to let go, something kept her distracted. As though she was being kept above deep water, by someone's tenuous grasp on her. But no one was grabbing her. There was no one holding her. Who would even want to hold her up? No doubt, everyone would just leave her to die. And yet still, as if there was anything worth living for, she pulled more darkness into her.* `Dark (2/3`

*Her eyes lingered on a broad back. Glistening blonde hair that had once held color, and bulging muscles now cloaked in pristine whites and blues. A body that burned so bright, she had to look away- only to realize that she could see. She stumbled back, only to realize she could walk. And when she hit the rooftop, she realized that she could feel.*
Linda
"Ugh..." *Solitas rubbed at her face, groaning. She had spent so much time feeling the emotional pain, that she had completely forgotten what physical pain felt like. She felt so weak. Weak in a way she had never felt before. She was barely able to get on her hands and knees, let alone stand. But that was when she saw it.*

*Right where her face hit the wood, a deck of cards had spilled. And a single card faced her, as if mocking her.*

*Solitas tightened her fists. A voice, one that wasn't quite her own, echoed in her mind.*

*"Tha Tower represents sudden change. It represents somethin' unpredictable. Maybe that jus' happened, or maybe it's already happened. Ya basically never wanna pull it. It's funny ta bring up to people who don't know tarot allat well. They assume somethin' like Death is the worst. But whenever ya see tha Tower..."*

*She squeezed her palms, trying not to bristle. Even more darkness responded to her call, tendrils of shadow beginning to swell and encircle her. A rune-etched circle blossomed from beneath her body, and slowly, she rose to her feet.* `Dark (3/3)`

*And silently, she took off in the opposite direction. She didn't know what to do. Where she would go. But she couldn't do this alone.*