Gate of Memoirs/Chasing Shadows - Start

The party tries to cheer Nick up, but a shadow from the past pays them another unwanted visit…
Portrait 	Dialogue
Music: "Cordelica" 	Music: "Cordelica"
 	
*Nick: ......
 	
*???: Heeey! Nick!
 	
*Nick: Hah, my hearing must be going. That toy soldier's voice on the wind, of all things...
 	
*Haido: Nick! Hi! It's been so long!
 	
*Nick: What?! Where did you-
 	
*Silvie: I ran into him in the woods over there, along with this girl. Her name's Annette.
 	
*Annette: Howdy!
 	
*Annette: (Wow, Haido really wasn't kidding. He looks like a warrior!)
 	
*Nick gives a nod, his fierce look softening somewhat at the sight of her uniform.
*Nick: They're sending even young lasses off to war now, huh.
 	
*Annette: Oh, no. I'm part of the marching band! I'm on an errand to bring news to and from the soldiers.
 	
*Annette: The best feeling in the world is seeing the smiles on their families' faces.
 	
*Nick: Heh. Good on you, lass.
 	
*Silvie: Nick, Haido says the people in that town are searching for their missing children.
*Silvie: They suspected it was the work of bandits, but Haido's search party confronted some kind of dark spirit.
 	
*Silvie: Haido remembered you and came out looking for us.
*Silvie: What do you say, Nick? We should give them a hand.
 	
*Nick: ......
*Nick: Look, I don't really have the time to be chasing wild stories of spirits.
*Nick: Kids will be kids. They probably ran off to play, got tuckered out, and fell asleep somewhere.
*Nick: They'll be back before you know it.
 	
*Silvie: Nick...What are you talking about?
*Silvie: You know it could be more than just that!
*Silvie: How could you be so heartless? What happened to you?
 	
*Nick: ......
*Nick: Aaaagh. I don't know. I don't...
*Nick: I'm so damned tired, lass. I just don't care anymore.
 	
*Silvie: ?!
Music: "Roaring Soul"	Music: "Roaring Soul"
 	
*???: Hehehehehhaa...
*A sudden cold wind begins to pick up, and an eerie silence sets in.
*A familiar flash startles the party, manifesting the shadowy creature Annette and Haido faced before.
 	
*???: About time, Niiiicckk...
*The dark spirit watches Nick carefully, as if sizing up the huntsman.
 	
*Nick: Who—
 	
*Annette: It's-It's the spirit thing we fought in the cave!
 	
*???: Hehehhhahaha...I will punish the wicked...
 	
*Nick: What...?
 	
*With a derisive snicker, the spirit slips away into the forest.
 	
*Nick: What do you mean by that?! COME BACK!
 	
*Silvie: Nick! Wait!
*Silvie: I've never seen him like this!
 	
*Annette: That spirit is all kinds of bad news! We have to go after him!
Portrait	Dialogue
 	
*Nick: Grr...Where did it go?
 	
*A whisper drifts out between the snow-tipped trees, its words dripping with malice.
*???: Niiiiickk...
*???: Oh, Niiiiickkk...So lost and alone...
 	
*Nick: Where are you? Show yourself!
*Nick swings his blades angrily, as if he could cleave the very air and cease its taunts.
 	
*???: You're powerless, Nick.
 	
*Nick: *cough* Ugh...!
 	
*Silvie, Haido, and Annette catch up in time to watch the spirit throttle the life out of Nick.
 	
*Silvie: Nick!
 	
*Annette: Ugh, the shadows...They're choking up the air! I can't breathe—
*Annette: *cough cough!*
 	
*Silvie: Haido! We're both constructs; it won't be able to affect us!
*Silvie: You take Annette to safety! I'll try to break Nick out of its grasp!
 	
*Haido: Alright! Come on, Ann!
 	
*Annette: *gaaasp* I'm okay! I'm okay, just give me a while!
 	
*Silvie: Nick, hang in there!