ST;A-LK-

Overarching the ivory pillars erected from the mystical tree was Llafiella, the Gallant Kingdom. The infected dew from the vines in the outskirts had reached its maximum potential. Massive pools of blood-colored dew stained the ivory architecture and the lands of the kingdom, leading to packs of the mottled infected harvesting it for their ivory queen. Ivory statues of children embracing each other were decked across the palace grounds. Ivy green vines and tendrils wrapped around the shattered parts of the palace grounds, indicating that the tree's influence was beyond substantial.

There were larger amounts of infected that were bloated from engorging on the dew, carrying it on their arduous journey into the Llafiella Palace. The regular infected and the bloated wore tattered red shawls that peculiarly fused with their mangled skin, dripping from excess dew consumption. The shawls covered their parasitic heads and protected them from the sun. Other red shawled infected carried more flagellation whips, attacking each other and themselves for unknown reasons.

Lyn clung onto the top of an ivory white pillar erected in quartz with her right hand, examining while she placed her feet on its sides. She leapt off and into a small desolate wooden cabin, eyeing the entrance to the palace itself.

The ivory white tower, which was the same exact monument Lyn and Alfaic had envisioned themselves journeying to for support, was a high-rise colossal building that upon first glance, could reach the orange heavens above. The palace itself, a dilapidated and crumbling white tower, was wrapped by the influence of Elaina's merriment and forgiveness for her sins in Llafiella. But the corruption did not dissipate beneath her kindness, and her trapped entity remained as the goddess to pray.

Lyn watched a group of red mottled infected whip themselves in front of a statue of a child posing with their arms extended outwards. The infected prayed and bowed to the statue repeatedly, hoping to obtain a sense of some nourishment in return for their continuous worship. They splashed dew across their shawls, and even onto the statue itself.

"What has this place done to these things...?" Alfaic whispered. "They're praying to... the statue?"

"Yes." Lyn said.

"Yeah, I know, but for what?" Alfaic continued. "Normally, praying is for hope and worship, but these things been through the worst already. I don't think anything's gonna change them."

"I do not know." Lyn said, turning to face the exit of the cabin. She watched as one of the red mottled infected strolled by. Yet instead of disregarding her as the infected from the outskirts did, it gurgled in defiance against Lyn's presence and raised its slender-holed arms to attack. Lyn slid beside it as it struck downwards, missing. She decapitated the infected's parasitic head off before driving Alfaic downward in its torso to execute it.

"So, these ones are different," Alfaic mentioned. "Think they see us as a threat now."

Lyn watched as the exit wound from the creature spewed the infectious dew from the blood-red pools beside them like a fountain struggling to activate. She backed away after a single droplet landed on her skin, which burned her as much as the parasitic saliva did at the fire station. Lyn clicked her tongue and swept the dew away from her arm, stepping back even further.

"Damn, not that one too," Alfaic said. "Are you okay?"

"Painful." Lyn said, clenching onto her arm.

"Looks like we'll have to be careful," Alfaic said, summoning itself to float beside Lyn's side. It eyed the blood-red pools of dew outside. "I think this liquid is harmless. Those creatures drinking it must have mixed it with their stomachs or something. You'll need to be careful and take them out without making a mess."

"Okay." Lyn said, swiping her hand twice to rid the dew away. She stepped outside and grabbed Alfaic by the handle, rushing through to the entrance of the palace grounds. A towering set of giant white doors, which were guarded by a phalanx of infected with their whips, blocked Lyn's path. Lyn released Relámpago and Alfaic by her side, prepared to slice through the brigade to gain entrance.

The phalanx screeched in unison, attracting the opposing parasitic infected from their prayer to join them in the battle. As the phalanx charged, Lyn rushed forward with her twin blades, slicing the blockade in half to separate them. Each of the infected charged at her with their whips, raining down overwhelming blow after blow down upon Alfaic.

From behind, two of the infected grasped Lyn's shins and seized her to prevent her from moving. Alfaic floated behind Lyn and sliced both of their arms off as Lyn remained with Relámpago to defend her front, launching rapid fire slashes with her lightning blade to fend off their infectious grasp. Lyn backflipped onto the end of an ivory pillar and ejected herself forward, slashing through the rest of them to dispatch them instantly.

Although she did defeat them, their dew splashed across Lyn's arms and legs, forcing her to stall until the pain subsided. Additional infected arrived with their whips, readying to attack her. One of them lashed their whips out and wrapped Lyn's leg in a bind. Alfaic sliced through it, catching back up to Lyn to free her. She grabbed Alfaic in midair and sliced through their parasitic heads with supreme accuracy, dispatching them in quick succession.

Lyn flung the dew from her hands onto the ground, finding herself getting used to the burning sensation of its infectious acid. Alfaic remained by Lyn's grasp.

"That should hold them off for a bit," Alfaic said. "We should head inside."

Lyn nodded and turned to face the gigantic white door. Before she placed her palm on it to force it open, a peculiar bubbling and churning sound stopped her from advancing. She turned her head and watched a section of the blood-red dew rapidly boiling and bubbling.

She watched as a towering black-cloaked figure arose from the bubbling dew, wrapped with tendrils and flesh-tight carapace to support its arms and bulky legs. Its glowing white eyes opened as it unraveled its arms, growling as its menacing aura approached Lyn. Its feet slammed against the pools underneath, creating a splashing sound each time it did as it dragged itself to her.

Lyn seized Alfaic in an instant and dashed forward, leaping to perform a flip. She slashed Alfaic down upon the cloaked figure, but found it unnatural to see it blocking with its steel-like arms. It caught Alfaic with a separate tendril and launched Lyn backward toward the ivory door, slamming her against it.

"Damn..." Alfaic hesitated to speak. "Lyn, are you okay?"

Lyn stood back up with a blank expression, sensing no pain from the creature's attack. She snatched Relámpago from her side and launched another assault toward its bulky legs. But the creature anticipated the lightning fast slashes, stomping down on Lyn's torso to stop her from attacking. It lifted her up and impaled her chest with a fleshy spike, sending gray liquid spewing out from the exit hole.

Lyn, who had the increased pain tolerance from learning about the acidic infected, sensed a new disturbing feeling entering her body. The same saliva-based sting entered her chest, forcing her exhale dramatically as pain surged through her wound. She sliced down upon the fleshy spike to free herself. She limped backward as she struggled to remove the spike from her chest.

"Lyn!" Alfaic cried. "Damn it!"

As Lyn began breathing abnormally while she retreated to the ivory door, Alfaic lunged forward to distract the creature. She wrapped her hand around the spike and yanked it. Each subsequent yank would create another surge of overwhelming pain until she finally removed it successfully, regenerating her skin with her healing ability.

Yet the pain still subsided. She slammed the door open, finding herself sprawling on top of regal striped carpet to escape the fiend that injured her. She put pressure on where her entrance wound was with her left as she summoned her full strength to close the ivory door shut. Lyn rose her right hand and summoned back Alfaic to her side. As the door completely closed to the outside, the fiend stalker gleamed its eyes at Lyn's presence, vowing itself to locate her in the future.

"Are you okay?" Alfaic asked.

"I'm fine," Lyn muttered, pressing her hand on where her wound was. "I felt it."

"Damn. Do you want to take a break or something?"

"No." Lyn bluntly stated.

"Look, if you need to-"

"No." She repeated.

"Okay, okay," Alfaic paused. "I think you're right, anyway. Right now, we should be more worried about this place..."