Click.
Clack.
Click.
Clack.
The faint, hollow sound of bones rattling together echoes through the room as the little skeleton boy waddles clumsily over piles of littered bones. Its empty eye sockets scan left and right, taking in its surroundings with a childlike curiosity as it stumbles into an open space—a room that feels like a world all its own.
Wide, open grasslands stretch before it, green blades swaying lazily in a breeze that isn't real. Tall trees encircle the clearing, casting dappled light across the countless red and black flowers that blanket the earth like a patchwork quilt. The sun—brilliant but artificial—bathes the area in golden light, its warmth an illusion that gives the landscape an almost serene beauty.
At the center of it all, a large orb of water floats, untouched by gravity. It pulses gently, casting faint ripples across its surface as though the very air surrounding it whispers secrets. Leena stands still, her figure bathed in the sunlight, but her expression remains as cold and distant as ever. Her crimson eye, sharp and unwavering, and her other eye—a crimson red flower with an abyss of darkness at its core—are fixated on something deep within the water.
Her hand rises slowly, almost absentmindedly, reaching for the orb. The tips of her fingers hover millimeters from the surface, her breath barely audible.
'It won't be long now...'
Just as her fingers nearly graze the surface of the orb, the water trembles violently. The ground beneath them shudders, sending shockwaves through the grass. The trees groan and sway, their leaves rustling as if in protest. Leena freezes, her outstretched hand pausing in midair.
The space around her begins to crack, jagged lines forming in the air itself, distorting the room as if reality is being torn apart.
"No," Leena mutters, lowering her arm and lifting the other in a gesture of command. Her voice is soft but resolute. "I want to be 100% certain."
As if obeying her will, the fractured space begins to stabilize. The cracks slowly seal themselves, the tremors easing into stillness, and the orb of water calms once more.
But amidst the chaos, the little skeleton boy stumbles, its bony limbs flailing as it tumbles and bounces from one spot to another, desperately trying to reach her. It trips, flounders, and struggles, each step filled with frantic energy as though the trembling earth beneath it poses a dire threat. Its tiny skeleton hand reaches up, trembling with fear and desperation.
Leena sighs, her gaze softening as she watches the pitiful creature.
"Your acting is horrible," she says with a faint smirk, bending down to meet its hand. The skeleton boy jumps in joy, clattering about with glee, completely unfazed by the surrounding chaos.
From within its own skull, it pulls something—a flower, dark and delicate. With the utmost care, the little skeleton boy hands it to Leena, its bony fingers quivering in excitement.
"Skelly boy… Who do you think it is?" Leena murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper as she absentmindedly takes the flower from the tiny skeleton's hands. Her other hand swipes across a holographic screen, her crimson eye flickering with faint interest.
"Her disciple is in here. Good luck finding them, Leena." Mirelith's mocking voice rings through her mind, a memory, or perhaps a warning. Leena's gaze sharpens as she observes the figures moving within the dungeon, each a potential sacrifice, each a pawn in the greater game.
She points lazily at the image of Cora. "What about her?" she asks, her voice void of emotion. The little skelly boy tilts his head, his hollow eye sockets staring blankly at the screen before he violently shakes his head back and forth, rattling his bones.
"So, not her..." Leena muses, her gaze shifting. She points next at Ryua. "And her?"
Instantly, the skeleton flails its arms in an X shape, jumping up and down as if protesting vehemently. It waves its hands, pointing wildly until Leena's eyes land on Oda.
'Oda? Based on his story, that shouldn't be the case,' she thinks, narrowing her eyes in thought. She turns back to the skeleton. "Are you sure?" Her voice carries a slight note of curiosity, though her expression remains blank.
The little skelly jumps up and down furiously, nodding its head with determination. Then, without warning, it turns and points at Itto, Rotû, Bein, the prince, and finally Kael, one after the other in quick succession.
"Ugh." Leena groans, slapping her own face in frustration. "You damn little thing. You're so obsessed with guys fighting," she mutters, her voice dripping with annoyance. With a sigh, she reaches down and punches the top of the skelly's head. The little creature doesn't seem to mind, nodding enthusiastically and jumping around, swinging an imaginary sword made from a stick, mimicking the fighters it admires.
Leena's attention drifts back to the screen. Her gaze locks onto Kael, her eye glowing faintly with interest. "I guess I'll let you live… for now. I don't really need a weak sacrifice," she murmurs, her voice trailing off as she waves the screen away.
Her eyes darken as she looks out across the vast green landscape, taking in the false beauty of the room for the last time. The time is approaching, a moment she's been waiting for, planning for. With each step, the grass beneath her shifts unnaturally, as if nature itself is aware of the bloodstained purpose that drives her forward.
"Mother," she whispers, her voice carrying an eerie calm, "you must remember our agreement."
As she walks down the grassy slope, tiny droplets of blood rise from the earth, suspended in the air like red raindrops frozen in time. They gather around her, swirling and coalescing into vaguely human shapes, silent witnesses to her descent.
"This will be your final meal," Leena murmurs as the figures silently follow her, the blood-red forms casting shadows that flicker like ghosts in the sunlight that isn't real.