Dream Beyond Life's Edge

A Shadow Beneath the Monster

Sensing Leo's mana outside, Alexia left Julius' side and ran down to meet him. She opened the door and the sunset's light pierced in. "Good evening, Leo."

"Ah. Why are you here?" Leo asked.

"I was playing with Julius." Alexia couldn't help but question what Leo was doing. Parts of his clothes were torn. Dirt and mud decorated his body. His mana rampaged inside his body. Though he spoke with his usual calmness, an air of exhaustion wavered over him.

As Leo nodded, he let out an unintelligible mumble.

"How did the hunt go?"

"Not bad," Leo said. "The elementals have weakened quite a bit compared to previously, so hunting them wasn't as hard."

"Oh..." Alexia furrowed her brow. "Then what took you so long?"

"Just because they had weakened, it wasn't as if they became easy to hunt," Leo said. "What's Julius doing now?"

"He's sleeping. He was crying, you know. Couldn't you have delayed the hunt for tomorrow?"

Leo shook his head. "I've already delayed it. It was supposed to be done a couple days earlier; postponing it anymore would be dangerous. Julius—he wanted me to bring him along for the hunt, but in these times, I don't want any more danger to be brought to us. So, thank you, Alexia, for being there for Julius."

Following behind Leo, Alexia saw him glance at her groceries, sitting on the dining table.

"Have you not gone home?" Leo asked. "I thought Julius had already slept?"

"No," Alexia said. If she'd left, the risk of Julius waking up and finding both he and Leo missing were too great.

"You should go. Melinda must be worried by now."

Alexia nodded her head, took her groceries, and left.

*****

Questioning her, crushing her was Talia. Alexia saw a smile forming from Talia's lips. She grabbed both of Talia's hands and pulled her, dragging her to follow her into the festival, away from the border, from the capital, from her mother.

Releasing her hold, Alexia offered Talia a bird-flavoured cake which Talia accepted.

For the main attraction—the tournament—a line of ants queued behind them, awaiting their turn for selection.

Talia asked Alexia what she was doing. After all, Talia thought Alexia wanted to participate in the tournament. And yet, Alexia hadn't even approached the ants. Even as the orange glow of sunset came and went, Alexia hadn't registered.

Emerging from the plunging sun, the monster's shadow tainted the sky and stars.

Covering even that, a white bird came from the darkness, shattering the dome, and perching on top of one of the festival's stands. Due to its close distance, Alexia couldn't even see the monster. Its cry shot through the world, piercing and popping their eardrums. Using its long, curving beak, it wreaked havoc on the ant-full festivity.

Abandoning her friends, Alexia pushed Talia towards the white bird, moved to grab her Mom and Dad, and dashed towards the woods. The faint scent of blood disappeared as she got further and further away from the destruction. She then tripped. Rolling on the ground, she searched for her Mom and Dad and found they weren't them at all. They were just a bag of bird food she bought.

Attracted by the smell, the white bird flew towards Alexia.

Alexia turned her gaze and locked eyes with Talia's limbless corpse, smashed onto a tree.