Illias' eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but he nodded quickly.

"Oh yes." he said.

"Yes, very much so." he told her.

"She's dedicated, and brilliant, and she's the best tech we have here." he went on, almost raving about her.

"...why?" he then asked.

"Oh... and you're welcome about my guiding you." he quickly added, trying his best not to be completely timid and starstruck.

"She can be." Illias admitted.

"But... I do like that about her..." he then said quietly, blushing a little.

"I enjoy working with her, seeing her every day." he continued.

"And she's done a lot for the Unit. I can't see this place without her." he went on.

"......." he then went silent, and seemed to just be smiling to himself now.

Illias had now frozen in place.

"Ah... ah... ah..." he stammered.

"I... I... but... you... she..." he stuttered further, before shaking his head and slapping his cheeks lightly, his face as bright red as anything at the moment.

"That is... well... I mean..." he mumbled, before sighing.

"So it comes to light THIS way, huh...?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders forward in defeat.

Illias was still rather embarrassed, his face still red.

But he watched as Casey got to work, marvelling at the marker.

"...woah." he said.

"Wait, what?" he then muttered.

"What is that thing?" he asked.

"That's not a regular marker at all, is it?" he asked further.

Illias was silent for a moment, before stepping forward and hesitantly taking it.

When he did, he seemed to freeze in place, his eyes almost hollow.

"...ah... ah..." he stammered.

"Ah." he blurted out, as the mana within almost seemed to pulse through his body, but it always returned to the pen. He seemed to be stuck like that for about 10 seconds, before he shook his head vigorously, and handed the pen back.

"I..." he said, trailing off a little.

"I am suddenly VERY aware of my own mortality." he commented, which was a weird thing to say. As a gorgon, he wasn't immortal, but his lifespan was QUITE long. For him to be aware that he was going to die one day was odd for a gorgon as young as himself.

He also seemed to have massive black bags under his eyes now, as well.

"....yeah." Illias replied.

"Yeah, I... I'm fine." he said.

"...I think so, anyway." he then corrected himself.

"I just... can't help but suddenly be preoccupied with my death." he told her.

"It's like... I can almost 'see' it happening? If that makes sense?" he went on, trying to find the words. "Like the vision of it is right in front of me." he added.

He then rubbed his eyes, and when he brought the hands away, the black bags under his eyes had grown a little, and he looked that much more exhausted and distressed.

Illias just made his way to a chair and sat down in it, looking ready to outright collapse.

"....man..." he said.

"I really feel weird." he told Kiah.

"I dunno, just... I feel off." he said further.

"Wish these death visions would go away, too."

Illias shook his head.

"No, no, I'm fine." he said.

"Seriously. I'll live." he told her.

Then, as Casey finished the rune, it started to glow with an eerie aura, and darkness seemed to fill the area. Then, it seemed like a weird hole opened up in the wall, and a cloaked figure stepped out of it.

"....." it was silent, before looking around again, and then seeing Casey.

"...different location." he said to her.

"Why am I HERE?" he asked.

".....oh?" Gregory asked, looking at Illias.

"Well?" he asked him.

"Speak up." he said.

"Oh, right." Illias muttered.

"We're going to destroy one of those statues, and we believe there to be a soul trapped inside." he said to Gregory.

"Can you detain the soul and make it so we can ask them some questions?" he asked him.

"....." Gregory was silent for a moment, and shrugged.

"Sure." was all he said in response.

".... I have heard of them." Gregory responded.

"Trust me, they've been keeping all of us VERY busy." he said.

Illias looked confused, but didn't say anything, as Gregory then looked over to the statue, and sighed.

"Also, yeah. There's a soul in there." he confirmed.

"Trust me, if you could hear what I'M hearing, you'd be going crazy right now." he then said.

"....why?" Illias asked hesitantly.

"Because it's making sounds of horror and agony that not even your worst nightmares could hope to aspire to achieve out of you." the reaper said bluntly.