Colin's posts

"......." Cain was silent as he saw this happen.

"I... uh..." he stammered.

"Wow." he said.

"That was... hella impressive, Erica." he commented.

"I didn't think you were capable of doing that." he went on.

"Anyway, are you... all right?" he then asked.

Cain thought for a moment.

"Well, generally one needs to empty ones mind." he said.

"But that's something that one has their own way of doing." he went on.

"It can take-" he continued, before Erica suddenly felt herself stumble slightly, and felt herself start to fall forward, having tripped over something that had been knocked on the floor.

"Woah, hey, watch out!" Cain exclaimed, seeing this.

"Try and catch yourself on the desk!" he added, but knew there was little chance of that succeeding. It was her best shot, however.

Cain sighed in response.

"I know, I know." he said.

"For some reason, you're having trouble focusing your demonic mana." he commented.

"Perhaps it's because you yourself aren't a demon." he reasoned.

"But the general best way to harness mana is to focus slowly on it." he went on.

"We need to find a way for you to focus your mind like a laser."

Kiah was waiting there for about 40 seconds more, before the one in question showed up; Zeke.

He looked like he had a headache going on, and it seemed like he was physically struggling with something... but he was making his way there. He stopped when he saw Kiah, and sighed.

"Hey." he greeted her.

"Fair warning, I don't know how safe it is for you to be close to me." he warned.

"I feel like... something is on me. Something's trying to control me from without." he continued.

"But I can't SEE anything that would do so." he admitted.

"It's frustrating beyond all belief!" he growled, as a tiny burst of archangel mana started to erupt from within him, but he managed to contain it and bring it back.

"Right, in your case, your mana is in your arm." Cain told her.

"You'll need to essentially guide it up to your eyes." he continued.

"Try imagining a bit of it clustering together into one spot, and then travelling up your arm and into your eyes." he went on.

"Close your eyes, drown me out, do whatever it takes to try and imagine that." he said further.

"And you should be able to actually SEE the mana on people." he said.

"All right, give it a shot."

Cain looked over toward Kiah, and nodded.

"Thanks." he said.

"Come on." he told Erica.

"We'll need some quiet and privacy, but I should be able to help you before this help arrives." he reasoned, as they started to head off.

It was at that point, Kiah received a text from the one she'd been texting earlier.

I have my doubts, but I'll trust you. it read.

I'll be there in about 5 minutes. the next one told her.

Cain just sighed.

"I can't either, to be honest." he said.

"But Dad showed me how." he told her.

"I figure you might want to be able to see the stuff to help people or see what you can do." he went on.

"But you need to focus the demonic power in your eyes." he then said further.

"I'm half-demon, so it's as simple as me thinking about it, and it activates, but you might need to actively concentrate on it. I might be able to help with that if you'll let me."

"Hold up!" Cain called to her.

"Excuse me a moment." he said to the others, before following her.

"Erica." he said.

"I have a question." he told her.

"Can you actually SEE the mana?" he asked.

"Like, crawling on people?" he asked further.

The one who had received the text growled a little, before bringing a hand to the side of their head.

"Ugh, damn it." he cursed.

Honestly, I'm willing to help, but not sure if this is a good time. he sent.

I feel like I'm dealing with demonic mana myself, right now. he then sent further.

I've isolated myself in one of the empty dorms here, because I don't know what's going on. he added, before putting the phone down.

"Rrrrgh, what IS this?" he asked the air, stress and irritation in his tone, but he still sounded like himself... for the most part.

"Indeed." Cain agreed.

"For this immediate space, we need a case-by-case basis." he told her.

"We need to come up with some way to... isolate... an 'antidote'... for your mana, though." he then said to Erica.

"Essentially, a way to have the many slough off the mana, and have it just... dissipate once it has nothing to cling to." he went on.

"And THAT is going to require some extensive, quick-fire, testing." he went on.

"The biggest thing will be that it's demonic. Or has aspects of it now." he continued.

"And that is strong stuff. We need to find some way to counter that."

Ilias slowly got to his feet and put a hand to his head.

"...yeah. Yeah, I think so." he replied.

"I feel... like I was in some weird haze or fog of... something..." he went on. "But now I'm in the clear." he continued.

"An apt way to put it." Cain interjected.

"We just need to find a way to do what Erica's done for the two of you, to the rest of the world." he told them.

"Simultaneously." he added.

"....pardon me, but that task sounds... insurmountable." Ilias commented.

"I know." Cain replied.

"But being an alchemist is all about redefining reality, and what is possible." he added, in a statement that would make any alchemist proud.

"...wow." Ilias mumbled.

"Yeah, it's pretty overwhelming." Cain said.

"But you're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah... yeah, I think so." Ilias responded.

"Cool. Anyone else here?" Cain asked further.

"Kiah is." Ilias replied. "As for anyone else, I... admittedly, I don't know." he went on.

"Hazel was here earlier, but... I'm not sure if she's still around."

Ilias looked over towards her, and nodded slowly.

"...yeah." he said.

"Yeah. She did." he repeated.

"And I feel... SO much better." he admitted.

"...I have no idea what's happening, but I know I feel better." he went on.

"...what IS going on, anyway?" he asked.

Ilias was silent for a moment, before looking at her.

"...she's in the back." he said.

"Is trying to solve an 'unsolvable' equation." he continued.

"Says if anyone can solve it, she can." he went on.

"...she's been at it for a while now." he mumbled.

"If... if you can help her, please. I'm worried."