Ryoiki: Return to The Beyond (6)

EPILOUGE: F.E.A.R.

The mechanical hiss of the door made the young wolf twitch.

She carefully stepped out into the room she was familiar with...

Ahead of her, was a tree.

It was decently large and lacked leaves...but was covered in a strange space like pattern.

The unfortunate wolf cub walked forward...fearful.

Celani watched from an observation room.

The pink and white wolf girl carefully inched to the tree...

Savannah. Subject 019.

A young 12-year-old girl, for everyday of her life so far...was forced to sit in front of the tree for several hours.

Celani had no clue how they had found her, but it didn't matter, she was one of the few people to have a positive reaction to exposure to the tree...the result of operation seed.

But Savannah had different business today, after her time, however.

Savannah, as she had for everyday since birth, sat down on the floor before the tree...

And it began.

There was a painful ringing in her ears, as had always happened.

Savannah tried to cover her ears...but it never helped.

There were sounds hidden inside the ringing.

Whispers of conversation, threats, growls, and hisses...

Savannah began to whine and twitch in pain...

But it would only get worse.

Celani watched as Savannah let out a blood-curdling scream. Her once blue eyes turning completely black.

Black tears began to run down Savannah's face as she whined and shouted.

The air around Savannah began to shimmer and twist, and the tree began to glow...

In Savannah's vison, she was somewhere entirely different.

By this point, she was used to unfamiliar locations whenever she had her 'journeys'.

She found herself walking around in a snow-filled yard, a destroyed military base in front of her...

She walked around silently, tears still rolling down her face...

Celani watched the crying Savannah, she was originally scared of these experiments herself...but eventually, she became indifferent.

Savannah continued to walk around the snowfield...until she heard a growl.

Turning around, Savannah saw a...thing crawl out from under some debris.

It had melted flesh, was wearing the armor of a soldier, and had glowing yellow eyes.

The creature growled and began to shuffle towards Savannah.

But then...her saving grace.

On several of Savannah's trips, she had encountered it...

A butterfly. With wings resembling shards of rainbow glass...

It flew past Savannahs face.

"Woah-! Hey! Friend!!!" Savannah called, running after the butterfly.

She burst through the door to the old base, as more of the shambling creatures appeared.

The butterfly leads Savannah up a set of stairs, and down a slope.

Savannah slowed down as she reached a small marsh area littered with rocks...

"What...?" She mumbled, before noticing the butterfly further away.

"Ah-! Come back!!!" She shouted, running after it.

The butterfly flew into a dark cave, then down a metal stairway.

She didn't pay much attention to the local around her as it slowly changed into a metal facility, much like the only place she had ever seen...

The butterfly stopped however, showing Savannah something...

A giant purple ball of energy...

Savannah stared at it in awe...but not for long.

A shock brought her back.

"AGHAAA!!!" She yelled, falling onto the floor, and gripping her shock collar.

She was back in the test room...staring at the tree.

Two guards came and scooped Savannah up...but her day wasn't over.

The guards carried her for several minutes...

Aria's meeting had been going, oddly, well!

A group of Severance's benefactors had come to the hidden base on Sycano for a meeting...and a special demonstration.

Using the body of Eliza, the wife of one of Severance's beneficiaries, Lazar, Aria could appear in a 'physical' way.

Eliza had worn a black dress, Aria's favorite color, for the meeting...

When Aria took possession of Eliza, it changed her dramatically...

First off, Eliza's blood vessels ran a deep black.

Next was the growths, strands of void which covered Eliza's eyes and displayed Aria's. Along with growing Aria's antlers.

"And with all that in mind..." Aria said, finishing her talk on Severance's mercenary earnings...

"I may show you, our work."

With the announcement, the two guards holding Savannah entered the room.

She was shocked to see so many people in one room! All different shapes, sizes, and colors.

Aria pulled up a chair at the front of the room, and Savannah sat down in it.

"...Hello-?" Savannah said, looking at everyone confused...

"...That is a child." One of the benefactors said.

"A special child." Aria replied, holding Savannah's head in her hands.

...Red symbols began to hover around Aria and Savannah.

Savannah focused on the other side of the room as she felt Aria snatch control of her mind.

The air in front of the doors to the meeting room began to twist and morph...

"...Woah!" Lazar exclaimed, standing up.

The air continued to twist...until.

In an explosion of rainbow energy, 3 figures appeared.

Parker, Waakhound, and Dolly.

"...Welcome to Ryoiki." Aria said to the trio.