Private Prophecy of the Four: The Singularity Pt. 2

[Romi Jade]

AKAR TSIS, TEMPLE OF THE SITH
After: Midnight Mass

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Deep within the bowels of Akar Tsis on Tython, Romi Jade continued to languish in her captivity. Suspended in the air by energy binders, she hovered motionless, a silent specter in a dimly lit cell. The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily upon her, casting a pall of darkness that seemed to seep into her very soul.

The cell itself was vast and cavernous, its walls adorned with ancient Sith glyphs and symbols that pulsed with a malevolent energy. Shadows danced and flickered across the stone floor, casting eerie shapes that seemed to twist and writhe with a life of their own. The air was heavy with the scent of corruption, a tangible reminder of the darkness that permeated every corner of the temple.

Romi's once vibrant spirit had been dulled by weeks of torture and captivity. Her body bore the bruises and scars of countless beatings, each one a cruel reminder of her own mortality. Yet, despite the pain and suffering, a spark of defiance still burned within her heart, a flickering flame of hope amidst the encroaching darkness.

As she hung suspended in the air, Romi's mind raced with a mixture of fear and determination. Though weakened and battered, she refused to yield to the despair that threatened to consume her. With each passing moment, her resolve hardened, a silent vow to never surrender...to never let her spirit be broken.

Suspended, a faint shimmering figure materialized before her, taking on the form of Johannes. Though she knew it was just an illusion, her heart fluttered at the sight of him.

"Well, look who decided to finally drop by," Romi said with a wry smile, "What's the occasion?"

Johannes grinned, his features bathed in a soft, ethereal glow. "Just thought I'd swing by and see how you're holding up," he replied, his tone light and playful. "You know, typical husband duties."

Romi chuckled, despite herself. "Oh, you know, just hanging around," she quipped, gesturing to her restraints. "Nothing I can't handle."

Johannes shook his head, his expression turning more serious. "You always were one for understatement, my love," he said softly.

Romi's smile faded, replaced by a look of genuine concern. "I'm managing. Somehow..."

Johannes reached out a spectral hand, his fingers brushing against her cheek in a gentle caress. "You're stronger than you realize, Romi," he said, his gaze filled with warmth and affection. "Don't ever forget that."

Romi nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

With a final smile, the illusion of Johannes began to fade, dissipating into the ether like a wisp of smoke. Left alone once more in her cell, Romi drew strength from their conversation; it was the only source of warmth she could find.

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Briana Sal-Soren | Lossa Aureus
FYI: Brandyn Sal-Soren | Darth Solipsis | Rik Perris​

 

[Lossa Aureus]

Location: Temple Of The Sith - Akar Tsis
Equipment: Jumpsuit and Armor, Sith Robe
Accessories: Bracelet, Echo Stone
Weapons: Lossa's Saber, Turmoil Saber, Red Bladed Lightsaber, Concealed Blaster, Nasty-Stabby
Tools: Fusioncutter
Ship: The Zipper
Tags: Briana Sal-Soren Romi Jade Darth Solipsis

They had separated from the gathering of a Ritual turned hedonistic violence. Her presence in the Force as they walked like the undisturbed surface of a pond. A seamless unknown hiding what was beneath it as Lossa remained blank on the surface.

Having mentally removed herself from their troubles to focus on their goal.

The whole ordeal had turned into a fevered pitch of feelings that she didn't have the time nor energy to process in the limited time window they had. That she could not and did not want to process just yet. Briana no doubt would want to speak on the matter, and it would be a good opportunity for reflection about the matter. Even as she tried to put it off for later, a heightened sense of wrongness settled over her. Something was off and not quite right with the situation around them. And it settled into her mind, drawing out a sharp and deep frown as they walked the halls down further into the newly christened Sith Temple.

She hadn't switched off the helmet integrated recorder just yet, and hadn't wanted to remind herself she would need to review it. That she would need to watch it happen again.

The sudden dousing of her emotions by the sacrifice and wash of the dark side had come as a surprise. Not entirely sure if the wrath and discontent had truly been diminished or simply sated in that sacrilegious act. Her undisturbed presence in the Force now marred, as if a single drop had landed. Throwing ripples across that blank surface as she wondered about the possibilities.

While her steps never stopped, the urgency to find Romi and leave this place was a little less pressing than it had been as she pondered.

The issue now being able to leave with Romi in tow. Or if their teacher would have the strength to move under her own power at all. From the sight of Pietro and Romi atop the altar, neither seemed to be able to muster the strength for any kind of meaningful struggle. An effective thing the Sith or whatever they called themselves had done. Something she almost could admire if it hadn't hindered their future escape. A flicker of annoyance at having to be hasty and being unable to linger settling over her. A few breaths passed as that string of thoughts played in her mind.

Eyes widening as she finally registered how foreign the idea was supposed to be to a Jedi proper. Never mind while rescuing the person in question.

The cadence of her steps hiccuped a single time. Silent and abject horror of not only admiring the work of these fiends, but also of wanting to remain in this place to examine their methods.

The strange feeling of unease gained a name. Recognized it as the same sensation as being watched from afar. Knowing that something, or someone was watching you at their leisure without being seen. A chill formed in the base of her spine that spider-webbed its way across her whole body at the thought of being watched in this place. Fear rooted itself where the chill formed, dancing across her mind until a violent urge to squash the unknown watcher rose from the depths of her soul.

Her presence in the Force now a harsh series of ripples as the whisper of the dark once more bent her ear and made her feel as though she should be the one spreading that feeling.

Not being made to live it.

These thoughts passed through her within the time it took to fix that single hiccup in her walk. Her body began to ache as the cold chill spread from muscle to bone, and a familiar presence clawed its way into the back of her mind.

That zing of fear snuffed out as she finally stopped to speak to Briana. The helmet covering her face hid the rising worry in her eyes. Her voice laced with the static buzz of the speaker but not removing the panic that sent her words forward.

"We need to hurry. Somethings. Not right." Sparing a look to her cousin as the number of different hallways to get lost in began to dwindle. Behind the screen of the visor, her eyes darted across the different camera feeds, swearing something had moved just beyond her eyesight.

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[Briana Sal-Soren]

Outfit: XoXo | Equipment: Lightsaber, Echo Stone | Tag: Lossa Aureus , Romi Jade , Darth Solipsis ​

Under normal circumstances, Briana always knew what to do, regardless of whatever predicament she might find herself in.

Under normal circumstances, Briana always had something to say, the right thing to say, regardless of the topic.

But perhaps, for only the second time in her twenty-something years of life, the young Sal-Soren heir was rendered speechless, simply going through the motions, her benumbed senses echoing through an inner silence as profound as that of the watchful stars.

Death was not a stranger to her, nor was the touch of darkness, yet this experience stood apart. It wasn't so much that it was unique; it was more that it unearthed all that she methodically suppressed beneath those impenetrable layers of emotional duracrete, forcing her to confront it head-on.

It was the horror of witnessing another tragedy unfold just a few mere feet away, coupled with the stark realization that it was beyond her power to intervene. That even she, Briana Sal-Soren, was limited in what she could accomplish.

Thoughts of potential interventions to halt the ritual, to rescue Romi, to prevent the Ashlan priest's death, and all the ensuing 'might-have-beens' and 'what-ifs', spiraled through her mind like an X-Wing in a tailspin. It was only when her natural instincts surged to the fore, compelling her to concentrate on the task at hand of attempting Romi's rescue once more, that Briana began to navigate out of the cold depths of the maelstrom.

Her head snapped to turn towards Lossa, lips pulling into a line and her brows furrowing.

"Yeah...I feel it too," Briana admitted as she came to a stop beside her cousin, her voice betraying nothing of the emotions that'd been roiling through her a moment ago. Reaching out with the Force, Briana tried to brush against the cloak of darkness that seemed to hang around them in perpetuity, seeking any hint of what might be lurking just beyond their perception.

Something had been off since the moment they'd ventured into this section of the Temple — since the moment they'd set down on planet, really. A sharp pain touched her mind in response, but it wasn't a presence that she could quantify or make sense of.

A likely result of the darkside muddying their surroundings.

"Be on your guard and put up your mental shields if you haven't already." Briana didn't know how well Lossa's mental fortifications were, or if she even had any to speak of. It wasn't a typical ability that Jedi learned, surprisingly, but it was something she'd had to practice during the brief time she'd been brain buddies with Gatz Derrevar .

Giving a final glance to their surroundings, Briana charged ahead with Lossa.

Hopefully, they'd all be out of this waking nightmare sooner, rather than later.

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[Romi Jade]

AKAR TSIS, TEMPLE OF THE SITH
After: Midnight Mass

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The air in Romi Jade's cell was thick with the stench of damp stone and despair. The dim light from flickering torches outside the cell cast eerie shadows across the rough-hewn walls and the cold, unforgiving stone beneath her suspended form seemed to leech the warmth from her body, leaving her shivering despite the oppressive heat that pervaded the depths of this twisted place.

The cuffs bit into her wrists and ankles, sending sharp jolts of pain through her already battered and bruised body with every slight movement. She had lost track of how long she had been held captive, the days and nights blending into an endless cycle of suffering and darkness.

By this point one would start to have trouble differentiating between what was real and fake...

She pondered over the faint echo of the power she had once wielded with such confidence. Solipsis had torn information from her mind with a cruelty that defied description, leaving her feeling violated and vulnerable...and then to be paraded in front of his minions... Yet, even now she tried to find a flicker of hope in an otherwise bleak existence; it was hard.

Alone in her cell, that hope seemed distant and fragile. She could feel the weight of her captivity pressing down on her, threatening to crush her spirit. She closed her eyes, trying to center herself, but the horrors she had witnessed and endured were etched into her mind. The desecration of Tython, the bloodbath in the throne room—images of death and darkness that haunted her every waking moment.

In the oppressive silence, Romi's thoughts began to drift. She contemplated her identity, now that her power had been stripped away. The Barash Vow she had taken—a vow of isolation and penance—had seemed noble and right at the time. But now, in the face of such overwhelming darkness, she wondered if she had been naive. Had she truly understood the weight of her decisions? Was she still the Jedi Master she had once been, or had she become something else entirely?

Unbeknownst to her, Briana and Lossa were navigating the labyrinthine corridors of Akar Tsis, their hearts filled with determination. They had felt their mentor's call, a desperate echo that had guided them to this forsaken place. Every step they took was fraught with danger, the dark presence of the Sith Temple pressing in on them from all sides.

Her thoughts turned to Solipsis, her nemesis, and the source of her torment. His ambition and cruelty knew no bounds, and she knew he needed her alive for some greater purpose.

As the moments dragged on, Romi steeled herself for what lay ahead. The fight was far from over.

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Briana Sal-Soren | Lossa Aureus
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[Lossa Aureus]

Location: Temple Of The Sith - Akar Tsis
Equipment: Jumpsuit and Armor, Sith Robe
Accessories: Bracelet, Echo Stone
Weapons: Lossa's Saber, Turmoil Saber, Red Bladed Lightsaber, Concealed Blaster, Nasty-Stabby
Tools: Fusioncutter
Ship: The Zipper
Tags: Briana Sal-Soren Romi Jade Darth Solipsis

Briana confirmed her suspicions with a few single words. It wasn't just her own unbalance in this place. The quiet that hung between them no doubt from the ritual they had just witnessed. Still uncertain just how she felt about the matter. Feeling as if she had been split down the middle with her own thoughts. A part of her had almost enjoyed the scene, while another part of her felt beyond horrified by witnessing it.

Maybe, if they got out of this safely, she would be able to find someone to talk to about the polarized feelings she was carrying on the matter. Another matter for safety though as she pulled the Omnilink forward and mentally navigated the screen through her helmet.

"Should be alright mentally. How-" Cutting of her own words as she paused the mental command to her screen. They didn't need to delve into how they were feeling right now. Romi needed rescue, not to wait on them to share a moment. "How familiar are you with this temple?"

The omnilink flared to life as a translucent map unfolded, showing them the area they were standing, as her mind focused on their surroundings before looking around. A white lined arrow appearing where they stood as she began to plot a path forward. The radar inside her helmet began to work, but it gave them little to go on. A strange sort of static blurring the markers of others in the area and sending them to different spaces on the map randomly.

"Allllright. Awesome sauce. I don't think it's just the force that got messed with." Her helmet nodding slowly as she disabled the radar function and looked around again, flipping her visor through the different vision selections before making an aha sound.

"Thermal is working. Got footprints. Weak but not cold yet." Lossa directed them forward, once again. Following the fading tracks.

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