It kind of hits her as soon as she's back in the foyer that she has no idea what to do.
//Perhaps I should head upstairs? They look unstable but it's fine since I can just fly up there.
Or should I go speak to Bradley again? I still have doubts. I can also head to the basement...//
She shakes her head and decides it's best to go upstairs.
But first she makes her own little light orb since the lights probably won't work. //I'm cool. I'm calm and in control.
I can do this!//
She summons her wings and flies up to the second floor. Once she lands she notices how it's in even worse shape. Arguably worse than downstairs. The most noticeable thing is how a pillar fell blocking part of one hallway. Hopefully it doesn't lead to anywhere important. Another hallway seems to be less 'cluttered'. Just as she's about to walk down there, she suddenly hears something from the other side.
It's coming from the darkest part of the floor and she has no idea where it leads to. But she can make out a low growling sound.
It sounds familiar... could it be?
If it's what she thinks it is, then she can't just ignore it!
She walks slowly and carefully to the other side.
The growling is still very low but she can hear it clearly now. It's coming from one of the bedrooms towards the end of the hallway.
Wait. These rooms don't look too extravagant or big. Could this be the servants' quarters?
When she reaches the bedroom, Sophia is sure that behind the door, it's there. She carefully opens it. Trying to make little as noise as possible.
Ah, she was right. As always.
Before her, she could almost barely make it out since it blends within the darkness but there's no mistaking it.
It's an ugly and fowl, Shadow Beast!
Shadow Beasts are considered monsters, evil and a gateway to Death's Doors. They're soulless creatures from hell itself! These beasts will rip any living being apart into shreds just for a taste of their soul.
But to Sophia, they're just pests.
Sophia has been dealing with them for over 20 years now! So she's gotten used to it. Actually, Shadow Beasts used to be rarely seen but they started plaguing most populous parts of the continent soon after the Draconic Wars began. Many believe that it's their fault. That the Dragons spawned them to use for their war but it's just a rumor. There's also a rumor that the world is coming to an end and these beasts roaming our world is a sign. Another rumor says that the Underworld is vanishing and they have nowhere else to go but here. Blah blah blah, it's rubbish! The Gods haven't said a word and no one's proved anything substantial. So as far as she's concerned, Shadow Beasts are nothing more than a nuisance.
It seems to be resting? Sophia moves as close as she can without disturbing it. After outweighing her options, she thinks it's best to trap it and deal with it later. It's just too troublesome to fight a beast right now.
Sophia creates a light barrier to contain it but then she realizes something. The beast hasn't noticed her yet. There was a nagging voice in her head that something wasn't quite right.
///"Sophie dear, there must be a reason it's here. Don't you find it strange and interesting?"///
All she's done is walk inside quietly but it should have noticed her instantly since she didn't use any spell to mask her presence. Normally, she wouldn't make this kind of mistake but the environment she's in is draining and out of her element. She also won't admit it but she's extremely nervous.
Regardless, the Shadow Beast should have noticed her and either attacked immediately or fled. Shadow Beasts are chaotic and violent they don't 'rest' like other corporeal beings because their bodies are mostly made from dark energies and souls they've consumed, which later will be tainted. When they need to 'rest' or escape they can dissolve at will and fade into the shadows. Which is why dealing with them is so annoying!
Anyways, the point being that this Shadow Beast looks like it's sleeping? Resting like a normal creature? How is it possible that it hasn't sensed her? Is there something wrong with it? This is honestly the first time she's witnessed anything like it.
Since it's trapped in the barrier, she decides to take a closer look at it. Gods. Other than being overwhelming hideous she can't see anything wrong per say.
Wait. There is something.
It's not sleeping.
It's calm, too calm.
It shouldn't be this calm it's a being of chaos for hell's sake! It should be trying to break out, snarl at her, or anything really!
It should at least be 'glaring' at her but its eyes are gone?
Shadow Beasts don't have normal eyes exactly. They have empty eye sockets except for their red light pupils. In reality they are reflections of the souls they have consumed and tainted beyond recognition. Shadow beasts are just that, shadows. The souls they consume satisfy their longing for warmth and belonging. But it doesn't last for long. They are greedy by nature and won't stop eating souls until they've reached a corporeal form.
What's wrong with this particular Shadow Beast is that it doesn't have red eyes. Sophia also can't sense many energies from it. It reminds her of a husk. How long has it been here starving?
She turns from it and starts pacing, her thoughts running wild.
//Has it been here before Bradley moved in? If so, then who brought it here? What if Bradley brought it here? If he did, why didn't he say anything? Is this some sort of trap? Or is there really another party at play? If so, where are they and what do they want? One thing I can deduce is that Bradley is not innocent in this. He is hiding too much information. Does he truly want us to cleanse his house? What if-//
Then she heard it. A low whistling.
A few minutes pass and the whistling gets louder. Sophia is frozen in place because it's coming from the beast itself! She slowly and carefully approaches it again. The beast is definitely making that noise and it's weakly clawing the edge of the barrier trying to escape.
Or more like it's trying to get her attention? It's concerning.
This is perhaps one of the most foolish things she's ever done. Entering the barrier is risky because even though she can leave it anytime she wishes, she will still be in close proximity with something dangerous. But letting it loose is not an option. Sophia would rather put herself in danger than put everyone else at risk. Besides, Sophia has dealt with these pests before, if it tries anything she's ready to take it on. She takes a few more minutes to ease her nerves and pulls out a light staff. "Okay ugly little pest. I'm going inside now... please don't kill me."
Foolish. She feels foolish.
Once it senses Sophia inside the barrier does it finally stop whistling and scratching. It slowly walks over to her and Sophia tenses, thinking it's going to attack. Instead of attacking though, it begins whistling again. Although, this time it sounds more structured and familiar. Sophia has definitely heard this tune before.
She's racking her brain trying to figure out what it is and then it hits her!
The beast is whistling… the song "Dear Mom and Dad" from famous pop sensation, Joy Coy!
Joy Coy, formerly part of the Fruities, made a shocking solo debut with this track title! Everyone thought it was going to be a heart warming song dedicated to her parents but it was the opposite. The lyrics being "Dear Mom and Dad you are deadbeats, Dear Mom and Dad your tears mean nothing to me" turned many heads! The song became a big hit for its shocking lyrics and catchiness. Even Sophia who doesn't like pop, enjoyed it quite a bit.
Hm. Okay, so that solves one thing.
But what the absolute fuck.
//Why does a Shadow Beast know a pop song? Am I hallucinating? Is it something in the air?//
She's so confused, Sophia might actually cry.
//I almost wish it just wanted to kill me, it would make a lot more sense!//
After the beast finishes it's 'performance' it goes silent. It doesn't do anything besides 'stare' at her as if it's anticipating something. She doesn't know what it could possibly want from her. She highly doubts it wants a little pat on the head and words of praise. She doesn't do anything, holding her ground and trying to understand.
Sophia isn't sure what to take away from this bizarre experience other than maybe this pest has some parental issues. Get in line!
As she's trying to think of a more logical reason for this phenomena, the beast startles her when it starts growling again, more aggressive than ever before! Sophia thinks it's time to get out the barrier before it decides to rip her throat out. Just as she thought that it lunges for her and she barely manages to dodge. It's faster than she assumed it would be! She quickly uses her staff and strikes the pest right in its snarling face. It falls flat on its back and stops moving. One blast from the light staff won't kill a beast but it will paralyze it temporarily.
She quickly makes her escape.
Sophia feels like she's just wasted her time. Almost half an hour and all she's done is interrogate a Shadow Beast? If she can even call it that. All she learned is that it's weak and likes pop music. How is that helpful at all?
Oh well, no use dwelling over it. It's time to move on!