"Like the kids, you know? And all the maids and butlers?" As soon as he said it, Nicholas knew it was hopeless. They were there because they never passed on either...they couldn't, he guessed. "Nevermind." He said, sitting down on a couch, taking Elizabeth with him to sit down...she seemed tired. "So what now?" He asked, looking around anxiously.

All this time, Jakob nudged his head hesitantly, distrustful of what he was hearing. Annabella... it couldn't have been... he had an odd fondness towards her, a mingled feeling of pity and unfeigned liking, whilst hating Hoxac with all his might It just couldn't...
"I... no, Annabella couldn't have. It was Hoxac! It was him! He murdered my parents! I SAW him do it!" he yelled, gripping his hair with both hands, as if in a fit. His eyes pointed to Orion, despair and most of all bitterness creeping up his face.
For a while, no one said anything, and Jakob's self-awareness made his reason blush. He was turning mental to the others, again. HE lowered his body to the ground, his chest raising in heaps as he breathed.
"He hit my father with a leadpipe repeatedly, from the back, like some goddamed coward, and then stabbed my mother. I saw it all... I was out on the balcony, and they were in one of the first-floor rooms. I had gotten out to take some air, parties always made me feel a bit claustrophobic. My parents came with me, but they remained inside the room. And then he came... I knew something was wrong with him, I knew it, I could see his eyes through the curtains, and I did nothing! Nothing! I stood and watched, like an accomplice. Yet he probably sensed I was there, Hoxac came out on the balcony to look for me, but I jumped off and ran away. I've never forgiven myself, nor will I forgive him." his words trailed off, eyes off-focus. "Yet I've been here before... more than once. It's funny how I don't recall you." he turned to Orion, then nodded again. "He's a murderer, and no argument will ever convince me of the opposite."

All Roma could do is look at Jakob with worry on her face. He was breaking down and she knew it right away. "Jakob, it wasn't your fault," she said softly, coming up to and putting an arm around him. "Don't blame yourself. And we're not saying that he wasn't a murderer, because we all know he was. It's just he didn't kill his own kids." She felt really bad for Jakob after hearing his story. It was hard imagining how it would be like to see your parents being murdered by someone else, and you just standing there, watching, as if it were a spectator sport.

Orion shook his head. "I don't know! I don't know!" He repeated, shaking his head again. He thought about what Jakob said, then blinked. "..You.. don't remember me?" He asked softly, opening his eyes wide. "..I remember you. At all the parties... we would go off together and cause trouble. Hoxac.. would be really angry. Ophelia would come.. she liked you," he continued, sighing. "..I.. always knew that it was you, the one who I caused trouble with.. but.. it was so long ago, I wasn't sure you would remember me." Orion shrugged, then took a deep breath. "..You even met my girlfriend..before she died." Orion stopped then, then stared at the door that went into the hallway.

He glanced back at everyone, then ushered them inside the secret room, pulling down the book and making the door closed. "..Be quiet," he warned them, putting a finger to his lips and gesturing to the couch. "Hide under there, I'll be there in a second," Orion said, flicking his gaze back to the footsteps that were walking around in the other room.

Nicholas had been listening silently to Jakob's story, and almost felt like he could relate. He supposed everyone could, on some level, but he too had also witnessed the murder of a friend. But what could he have done? They were being chased and he hadn't bothered to look back...the ironic thing was that he looks back on it all the time now. He supposed that was why he was so protective...

Nicholas took no time hesitating to follow out Orion's orders. If behind the couch was where they were supposed to go, then behind the couch it was. I just hope it's not dusty, he thought to himself as he crouched down to hide.

Jakob took in everything that Orion said, with a contemplative look to him. Orion... the parties... the troubles... his girlfriend... they all seemed so far, so distant, and yet so threateningly close memories. He tried to remember the guy's face, his behaviour, what they did together. Getting over to the couch, he whispered in the direction of Orion, not caring if he would be heard by him or not:
"How did your girlfriend die?" he hoped the hinch he was having would not be classified as true.

As Elizabeth's mind slowly came back into gear, she suddenly became aware that she was crouching uner the couch beside Nicholas, who had his arm protectively around her. She had indeed heard everything that had been said, but she had heard it from far away, barely processing it. Now that she was beginning to feel in control of herself again, she felt her heart break for Orion and Jakob, only adding to the heartbreak she was feeling at losing her best friend.
Sighing deeply she turned her face to Nicholas, blushing slightly at how close they actually were.
"Annabella needs to rest, this must be resolved and I'm afraid...I'm afraid for him, I know what he wants to do and I don't know if I can...Nicholas, can we save him? Can we save Orion?"

Nicholas sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to think. He leaned back and made himself comfortable, thinking that they might be there for a while. He shrugged his shoulders at Elizabeth's question. "I...I don't know..." He trailed off, looking into her eyes. He could tell she was distraught...so many stories about tragedy, along with a new tragedy of her own? It must be a lot to take in, he thought as he took her hand. "I'm just worried about getting out of here alive." He said, immediately hating himself for it, because it wasn't exactly comforting to have someone talk about dying when your best friend had just passed away.

Either Roma was going crazy or no one else stopped to listen to the footsteps in the other room. "Is...is that Annabella?" She quickly looked at Orion and then quickly crawled underneath the couch along with everyone else. All of the heartbraking stories were too much to take. She felt really bad now. It was as if she was the only one in here who hadn't suffered from terrible heartbreak.

Orion turned, just as the door of the secret room opened. In a sudden flash of light, the room transformed. The couch and chairs were looking good as new, and the floor was polished. The chandelier was bright and gleaming, and Orion was also transformed. His clothes were fancy and rich-like, like he was going to a party. His face was clean from blood and dirt, and his hair was looking nice. His arms and legs were working again, and he was staring at the door, where a shadowy figure emerged.

It was Annabella. She was also dressed with fancy clothing, and she was looking mighty attractive. She smirked while stepping into the room. "..My dear Orion. I thought you've died already," she spoke in soft words, a total different side of her.

Orion kept his face straight, as misty figures appeared in the room. He shook his head, then glanced around. He didn't want the others to come out -- who knows what would happen.

He turned back his attention to Annabella, not saying anything, as the other figures turned clearer.

Ophelia appeared, looking solid, as she appeared where Roma, Jakob, Elizabeth and Nicholas were. She stared at them, then sighed. "..I told you to leave.. but.. now.. you can't..." She said softly, staring at Jakob as if she recognized him, then flicked her gaze to the others. "..Now there's no hope.."

Roma gasped. The gasp was supposed to be a scream, but she was just too frightened to find her voice. She looked quickly over to Orion, hoping he'd give them orders to save their lives again. He'd been a good leader this whole way. It would have made him a miracle worker if he got them out of this mess.

Orion wasn't looking at the couch anymore. He didn't want to give it away. Instead, he was staring at the new figure who was at the door. Hoxac. Hoxac was also looking attractive, and looking like a slightly older version of Orion. He smirked a bit, then stared around the room. "Orion, lad. How are you?" He asked, stepping into the room. "How.. have you liked our little pranks?" Hoxac paused, then inspected the room. "..Something's.. wrong here. I.. feel.. as if.. someone else is here. But, how can that be?" He narrowed his eyes, then looked towards the lounge. "Who's there?" Hoxac boomed, making the vases on the tables shake.

Ophelia gasped as she crouched rigid. "..Don't move.." She warned them, before vanishing.

Roma quickly covered up her mouth, making sure she didn't make any noises to get Hoxac to look over. So many thoughts were running through her head. Were Hoxac and Annabella in this together? And is Ophelia on our side? She didn't want to disobey a spetre so she made sure she didn't move a muscle. But her one worry was Orion. What will become of him?

Orion suddenly stepped closer, then hugged Hoxac and Annabella, letting go after a few moments. It seemed like he was turning on the group, acting all happy to see them. "..I've missed you guys. I.. never.. thought I would see you guys again.." Orion trailed off, his voice cracking a but. Annabella backed away, but, she too, looked like the innocent women in the picture. Hoxac, however, just brushed aside, still having the uneasy feeling.

He suddenly vanished, reappearing standing near the couch, staring down at the group. "Well, well, well.. look what we go here.." He said, smirking a bit. "Stand up. All of you," he boomed again, sounding really evil. Orion, however, was just standing there with a stony expression on his face.

Oh no! Roma's body suddenly went rigid and tense as she stood up after Hoxac's commands. She felt more angry than scared at this point. Angry at Orion. Who's side is that idiot on?! Maybe Jakob was right to be suspicious of him.... "What do you want with us, Hoxac?" she asked in a strong voice, showing no weakness whatsoever. She was not in the mood to get into a fight with a spectre, but it seemed she had no choice. Although, she had strong doubts she would win this one.

Nicholas tried to make noise, but it was like his voicebox was broken or something so that he began choking instead. What the...? Was all he could think. Afraid to say anything, he stayed silent and closed his eyes. If you can't see it, it won't hurt you... Now he was starting to sound like a kindergardener. He opened his eyes abruptly to see Hoxac looming down on them, his heart pounding louder than a jackhammer. Was this it? He shook his head as if to shake the thought out of his head. He stood up slowly, mentally preparing himself for whatever was about to come...

Orion stepped infront of Roma and Nicholas and the others, looking at Hoxac. "Leave them alone, Uncle," Orion muttered, hoping to not get Hoxac mad. He glanced back at the rest of them, then sighed.

Hoxac, however, wasn't pleased. He stretched out his hand, then stroked Roma's cheek. "Such a soft, pretty girl," he spat, whirling around. "Humans. Survived. How can that be?!" He shouted, pushing Orion away. He suddenly went calm, turning back around. "..Then again.. they won't survive much longer, eh?"

Orion was quiet, as he glanced at Hoxac and Annabella. He knew that they would never give up mortals. They got more power and solid by absorbing the energy of mortals. People who were still alive. He also knew that he would have to make a pretty good bargain to let them go. "..I'll go. Hoxac. Leave them alone."

Hoxac glared at Orion, then shouted again. "Basta! Enough! Enough of this rubbish! I will make them die. Now then.. who's first...?" He stared at Jakob, then flicking his gaze away and staring at Elizabeth and Roma and Nicholas. "..You two," he beckoned Roma and Nicholas forward.

Roma was the first to step up, proudly and strongly. "Sure. Kill me if you want to! Just promise me that you'll never have to touch me again." She moved her hand up to the cheek that Hoxac had touched and wiped it in disgust. "But I'm not going to let you kill me without a fight!" She took out her wand. She planned to ignore the fact that magic didn't work in this house. Hopefully, Hoxac would have been just a tad bit scared at that.

Hoxac lifted up his hand to smack her, then caught sight of the wand. He chuckled, then lowered his arm. "Silly girl," he snorted, grabbing her wand and clenching his fist. "Magic doesn't work in this house. Don't you know?" He asked, going over to Nicholas and also stroking his cheek. "You'd make a fine husband for someone.. but..I wouldn't think about the future," Hoxac said softly, glancing around. "..Now.. I'll give you a choice.. rope.. or knife?"

Nicholas shook himself out of his daze and pushed Hoxac's arm away from his cheek. "I don't want either. Let her go!" He screamed to Hoxac. Whe it looked like he was coming dangerously close to killing one of them, Nicholas did the bravest thing he could think of and punched Hoxac in the face. A huge swinging punch as hard as he could. But Hoxac didn't even flinch. He just grabbed his wrist and peered down menacingly at him, getting ready for the kill. Nicholas struggled as much as he could but he couldn't break free.

"Let go of him!" Roma yelled out. No one was going to die. She would do anything and everything in her power to prevent it from happening. But what was she to do? Unlike normal fights, she couldn't punch, kick, or hit in any sort of way. But there were other ways of torturing him...verbal abuse. "Look here, you ugly, toad-faced freak! If you're going to try to kill them, you'll have to go by me first."

Jakob stared at the unbelievable scene that was developing in front of him. Wide-eyed, he noticed Orion apparently trying to create some sort of diversion, but the purpose was unclear. Then Hoxac had appeared exactly by their side, and the lad felt his veins pulsating so menacingly hard that he felt like they would burst out, filling the room with blood. The sensation made him unable to move, and the sound of Hoxac drove his ears to shattered bits of flesh. And Orion... Jakob couldn't take his gaze off of him... was he going to do nothing?
Then Hoxac took Roma. He was going to kill her and Nicholas. Not in a million years would he allow that. He got up, legs shaky, and addressed the man in an incredibly clear and superior voice:
"Listen, Hoxac. Don't you feel worthless? I do believe your methods leave much to be desired. Only a coward would attack opponents without a fair fight. Now we all know what a coward and a prick you truly are, not to mention a lame killer, but at least prove yourself to be a better ghost thingie than a man, and think before you act." his eyes were pinned on Hoxac's face, and his hatred limitless, though you couldn't really tell but for his clenched fists. Jakob hoped what pleasure and pride still lay in the Spectre would surface and slow down his actions a bit. That would have at least given them time to think of something...

Hoxac froze, staring at Roma, his face hardening. "..Shut up, little girl," he said in a low voice, not sure what to say. He flicked his gaze to Jakob, his eyes opening wide. "..Jakob. I.. remember you," he said, glancing at Orion, then back to him. "And your parents.. your.. sweet.. sweet, parents.. what ever happened to them, my dear boy?" He asked, smirking wider. He thought about their words, their words that were putting him down, then moved towards the center of the room. "I'm not strong, am I? Not good enough?! How about this: I'll kill you off.. one by one.. with.. your greatest fears," he said, stopping and looking thoughtful. "Who's first.. Jakob? You, lad, will be first." With a snap of his fingers, the room transformed.

Now the group was dressed in fancy clothes, matching Hoxac, Orion, Ophelia and Annabella. Except, Annabella and Hoxac couldn't be seen. The group, including Orion, were standing in the ballroom. A ball was going on, and Orion was acting strangely. It was as if he was ignoring them, only paying attention to Jakob. Hoxac and Annabella were the life of the party, laughing and entertaining the guests. You could see Keon and Laila going around, offering food, and Ophelia was standing near Orion and Jakob.

The fear? The night jakob's parents died. It was as if the whole scene was replaying, and everyone that was in it, was doing their part. The point of this was to make the person so crazy by their fears, that they would either go insane or commit suicide. That's why Orion was acting strangely, it was because he was just doing his part. Almost in a trance. It seemed like no one in the ball were paying attention to the group, except for Jakob. Then, Jakob's parents came into the room, dressed richly and laughing.

Ooc: I hope you don't mind, Blackened. If you do, I'll change it, but if you don't, could you play along? =P

Roma took Jakob's hand, hoping he felt reassured like he used to when she held his hand before. "Jakob, you can stand for this. Don't break down now," she pleaded him. "Please." She could see what Hoxac was trying to do. His master plot was not going to work on her. She wasn't afraid of anything - or so she thought. And she wasn't going to let anyone else fall for his little plan either. They were all going to survive in there and get out safely.

Nicholas looked around at awe at the sight surrounding him, taking special notice of the particularly nice clothes he'd been suited in. Not bad taste for a guy who's about to kill us...he thought to himself as he put his hands in his suit jacket pockets, not quite sure what else to do. Hoxac and Annabella had disappeared, and Orion didn't even seem to notice them.