With Every New Encounter

In the end, we decided that she stays there while I go find Yota.

Out of the valley, I go into the main streets. My heart feels so light now, I'm not in front of that withered corpse anymore.

My chest is light full of relief while I run through the loud and noisy streets. All of my senses are sharper, I seem to feel every step more hardly, it's like my senses are up to max. But even if my chest or even better, my body's light as a feather there's still this part of the guilt. Maybe not even guilt, more like worry? She's still there. In that dark valley looking at that corpse. Her eyes are now glued to it, and her thoughts are raging all over the place. The whole time we were there she didn't even think of looking at me, even if was trying to get her attention, the rage she was feeling was stronger.

But that's understandable, right? Because that was the first time, we saw something like this. Not a murder, but a slaughter.

The ground is making barely any sounds. It's natural the ground is natural. With hard black stone.

It's getting darker and darker over time. The sun is setting down making places without any light blue and purple. Districts have walls, big walls over 40 meters high. But no matter that this district is large and has a lot of trees and meadows, inhabited by all sorts of different animals. Leto district is beautiful, it has even mountains in the district, but of course small mountains. The animals are from all sorts of animal groups/types. I could name a few, but there are so many that I don't recognize. I can tell that the bird that's flying above me is from Strawberry Forest. It's pink with a shade of red.

Looking away from the bird to observe my surroundings. There are no people whatsoever. The main streets are empty?

I speed up a bit so I could jump on the house in front of me repeating the action from before. But slight movement appears in a corner of my eye. Naturally, my eyes advert to it. There standing and looking at me. In the middle of the street that was empty just seconds ago. The one who's standing there is the girl that Ovia was chasing.

I focus on her to see that her hair is covering her eyes. She looks like she's around 14 years old. The more I look at her the more I realize.

She's trembling, her hands slowly moving toward her face. She covers her face poorly while tears run down her face. Her cheeks are red and her eyes are scarred and broken.

''Please…Please…Don't blame me…''

The words that she let out were about to break her. Her words sounded like something filled with guilt. The crying mixed with her broken speaking made my chest heavier. I couldn't tell what she wanted to do. But just when I reached out with my hand and my words started to get out, in a blink of an eye she disappeared.

She disappeared while the crowds full of people appeared again.

The cold and ambient atmosphere disappears with the sun setting away.

But the encounter doesn't disappear right away. The scene was vivid and real. The scene was quiet and her voice was the only thing that made the coldness cut deeper.

What happened? Where was I? Although she looked weak and broken, I could feel that if I got closer, I would be torn to shreds by her pale white hands… But even so, I couldn't stop my hand from reaching out.

The sun is set. The street lights turn on. Cozy orange and yellow light shine through them.

I can't spend any more time here I have to get Yota.

I run forwards again and turn right on the crossroad. And there I see it the place where we stayed today. As fast as I can I get there. I run up the stairs and knock on the door with my clenched fist.

''Hey! Yota open up!''

It's been 10 minutes since I left Ovia there! I can't leave her there any longer!

Even after banging on the door, there's no response. He may not be here, but he said we'd meet here in three hours. It's been three hours and a half.

I try opening the door again but it's locked? The door doesn't feel locked it feels like it's stuck like something's making the door stuck on the other side.

Why would Yota try to make the door stuck? It makes no sense.

The thought of breaking the door down comes to my mind. But the door being stuck and Yota being late isn't a good excuse.

But even after clarifying to myself that that's not a good idea. My paranoia from the withered dead body and the appearance of that broken girl makes my heart beat faster and shoot adrenalin into me. Still knowing that what I'm doing could make me end up in big trouble with the consequences of having to pay for the door. I can't stop the fear and interest of what is behind this door.

So, with putting a little bit of Ectoplasma into my right leg I kick down the door.

The door goes flying in through the hallway and landing in the middle of the room. Just as the door hits the ground it makes a strange sound. A sound of a heavy object falling onto something wet. The sound is like a splash.

I get in and try to make out what are the insides of the room and what was the source of sound I heard.

The cold wind blows in through the windows.

With my eyes, I focus on the window. The window is open and…?

Just as my eyes make out what's wrong with the window I reach toward the light switch, but the moonlight overtakes me.

The room is reviled.

The wooden floor has pools of blood on it, the walls are covered with blood as well and not only the windows are broken, but the furniture as well.

Falling onto my knees that room is getting burned into my brain.

The awful smell of blood fills my head. And the terror of the scene appears on my face.

And with an angered and disturbed voice full of disgust and deny, the only word that comes out of my mouth is.

''What's going on?''