Erica was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah. Yeah, ok." She said.

"Honestly, I'll do just about anything to help right now." She admitted with a sigh.

"If you guys need a more private place, go use my office." Kiah offered

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫

No huge rush. Don't take forever. Kiah sent in return before sighing.

"I wonder if Cain can help with that." ]She said quietly.

Meanwhile, Erica sighed as they reached Kiah's office and closed the door.

"Alright." She said, leaning agains tthe door.

"Tell me what to do."

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫

Erica nodded before just taking a deep breath to try and do as he said. She didn't know how well it would work, if it would work at all. All she could do for the moment was hope that maybe, just maybe, it would.

After about five minutes, Kiah sighed before making her way to the front entry way of the lab to wait for the one that she knew would be coming to arrive. The gameplan had been to have it that Erica greeted them and tended to the mana, but she was obviously a bit preoccupied for the moment.

So it wasn't going to go too well with that, of course. She hoped that maybe, just maybe, since he didn't sound too bad through the texts, he wouldn't be too bad. Maybe he'd be able to quell the feelings at least a little.

Or maybe it would all spread tothe others there. No way for her to know.

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫

Kiah just sighed after a moment or two.

"Fair." She commented.

"But come on, we know... at least kind of? What's going on." She added before leading him back to where the others were.

"And once Erica and Cain are done, she'll be able to get it off you." She added as they walked past the office, just as Erica growled.

"Cain, this is going nowhere." She half snapped. She was frustrated, and it showed.

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫

"That is something that I've never been able to do." ERica commented as she started to pace a bit.

"I'v enever been able to 'laser focus' on anything, and it's why I can't learn an instrument." She added with a light chuckle.

"But that's never really been much of an issue." As she paced, she sighed. She was starting to feel ... odd.

"And even then lately, I've been having even more difficulty with maintaining focus anyw---" She started, pacing before sighing.

"It's frustrating to no end." She half growled.

"Do you have any tips or tricks?" She asked as she reached the wall and started to make her way back to Kiah's desk.

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫

Erica did just as he said, managed to catch herself on the desk and avoid having her face meet the edge. She avoided a possible bruise, laceration, or chipped tooth. Somehow. Once avoiding that, she lowered herself to a more natural position, her hands on the desk above, her on her knees, her head down.

It seemed like maybe something had h appened, but there really was no way to know for sure. All that Cain did know for certain, was that Erica had done something that seemed that it could be impossible.

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫

Erica didn't move, didn't even seem to be breathing at first in the quite office. It really wasn't surprising though, Erica's breath was normally barely audible anyway.

Cain just approached, kneeling down and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Erica?" He asked, his voice curious, a little concerned. Erica didn't respond though, stayed where she was.

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫

Erica was silent, not moving for about thirty seconds. Even then, she didn't move, but she did at least speak.

". . . get it together?" She asked, her voice sounding... off. He couldn't place it, just knew that she didn't sound right.

"What do you mean?"

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫

Erica nodded.

"Of course." was all she said before doing it... exactly, and quickly. Cain was able to literally watch over the next couple of minutes, the mana travelling from below her shirt, up her neck, and her face, to her eye.

She didn't move after that, though.

---

Kiah paused and looked around,.

"... am I the only one who felt that?" she asked. She couldnt' tell you 'what' it had been, but she had definitely felt a change in the air.

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫

"I am fine." Erica answered before falling silent again. After a few seconds, she shook her head.

"...I..." she started, bringing a hand to her head.

"The fuck?" She asked before looking around, and seeing Cain. As she did so, he could see the marks on her face, and how her one eye was almost black for the moment.

"What happened?"

♫Born of graves and left below ♪ Painted ashes, painted snow♫