"Argh!" Arlyne groaned as her eyes fluttered open, her vision still hazy as she tried to piece together what had happened to her.
The last thing she remembered was the sudden onslaught of monsters swarming around them like a wave of chaos.
Arlyne's heart raced as she struggled to compose herself, her mind still reeling from the lingering fear that gripped her. She desperately tried to recall the events that had unfolded, but her memories remained clouded and elusive.
But what troubled her most was the unsettling sensation that she couldn't remember everything, as if.... there were gaps in her memory, dark and foreboding.
"-Ha-Ha-Ha-" A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered a deep-rooted fear that had gripped her, leaving her paralyzed with terror.
It wasn't she was fear of those bony monsters instead something else that carved deep inside her as if she would always remain in fear.
Clamping down on her rising panic, she gritted her teeth and slowly forced her body to move, scanning her surroundings for any signs of their companions.
"Pearl?" Her voice trembled slightly as she called out, spotting Pearl lying motionless on the ground.
With a sinking feeling in her chest, Arlyne crawled towards her friend, shaking her gently as she pleaded, "Wake up, Pearl!"
"Argh... Five more minutes..." Pearl mumbled in response, shifting her body to find a more comfortable position.
With a mixture of relief and agitation, Arlyne's expression softened as she watched Pearl's peaceful slumber. However, her momentary respite was short-lived as her gaze shifted to the entrance of the cave.
"W-Wake up, Pearl!" Arlyne's voice trembled with urgency as she spotted something outside that filled her with both fear and astonishment.
"Hmm~" Pearl mumbled drowsily, stirring from her sleep.
"WAKE UP BITCH!!!" Arlyne's voice rang out, laced with a sense of urgency and panic.
"H-Huh? Wh-What happened?" Pearl's eyes shot open as she jolted awake, immediately noticing Arlyne's horrified expression.
Turning to follow Arlyne's gaze, Pearl's breath caught in her throat as she beheld the scene before her.
"OH MY...." Her voice trailed off, barely audible, as she was utterly thunderstruck by the sight unfolding in front of them.
'Tuck, Tuck...'
The sound of bones shifting and clattering filled the air, forming a grotesque mountain of skeletons that loomed ominously in the distance, casting eerie shadows in the dim light.
"E-Eli? Where is Eli?" Pearl's voice trembled with urgency as she turned to Arlyne, her eyes wide with concern.
"I-I don't know, I just woke up," Arlyne replied, her own voice tinged with uncertainty as she rose to her feet and stepped out of the cave, her gaze fixed on the eerie spectacle before them.
Pearl followed suit, her steps faltering slightly as she joined Arlyne in surveying the mountain of bones with a mixture of awe and trepidation.
'Ting'
'Tack'
'Tang'
The sound of battle echoed in the distance, drawing their attention. Exchanging a glance, Pearl and Arlyne wordlessly made their way towards the source of the commotion, carefully scaling the mountain of bones with a sense of determination and growing unease.
"-Ha-ha-ha"
Breathing heavily, Eli collapsed onto the throne.... his body drained from the exertion. He closed his eyes, allowing the fatigue to wash over him as he gradually faded from the soul world.
In Eli's absence, a reddish-black entity materialized... this time it was accompanied by the pink chains and two white ethereal entities.
With a snap of its fingers, the two bluish substances appeared before it, hovering in the air. The reddish figure observed the scene, its presence commanding the attention of the others.
Suddenly,
"Interesting... You are not truly human, are you?" a voice emanated from one of the bluish substances, tinged with curiosity and intrigue.
"A good nourishment..."
The reddish-black entity murmured, reaching out to touch the bluish substance.
"Nourishme--"
"PUFF!!"
"PUFFF!!"
Before the bluish substance could respond, it abruptly burst into particles, dissolving into the air. A similar fate befell the second substance, as it disintegrated and flowed towards the two white ethereal figures, their forms flickering briefly before stabilizing once more.
Outside,
"hmm" Eli groaned softly as he slowly opened his eyes.... only to be greeted by the sight of two peaks barely concealed by fabric.
"Oh! You finally woke up," Pearl greeted him, her lavender eyes filled with concern as they locked onto Eli's ruby-red gaze.
"Sigh...Yes" Eli released a tired sigh, making no move to shift from his comfortable position atop Pearl's thighs.
He wasn't an idiot to give up the comfort of the soft thighs beneath him.
However, a soft sensation on his legs caught his attention, and he glanced downward to see Arlyne, gently massaging his legs with her hands.
'That's a bit much,' he thought, attempting to protest, "A-Arlyne, there's no need for you to do that!"
"A-Arlyne, there was no need for you to do that!" Eli said, however,
"It's fine, at least I could be somewhat useful," Arlyne replied, her voice tinged with frustration and gloom.
Eli observed the sombre expressions on both Arlyne's and Pearl's faces.
Eli couldn't help but sigh deeply, "Is it dawn?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Yes," Pearl confirmed, offering him a small, sad smile as she ruffled his hair.
"I'm sorry," she apologized softly, echoing Arlyne's sentiment.
"I'm sorry," Arlyne repeated, her voice equally remorseful.
The air filled with an atmosphere of regret and unease as Eli contemplated their apologies.