Knock Knock
"Lady Endori, this is Serine. Permission to enter your room, please?"
"Permission…granted."
Serine enters Endori's bedroom. Endori is sitting up in her bed, rubbing her eyes as Serine approaches her.
"Sigh, milady, I warned you to not go to sleep without at least taking down your hair. Now you have messy bed hair…"
"It's fine, mother Permasi can fix it easily. Besides, I just had the best nap ever! I dreamed that my true love and I were living a happily married life, and on our honeymoon we–"
"Don't tell me that your 'true love' is that Vex guy…"
Serine responds to Endori's excitement with mild annoyance.
"Tehee, you know me well, Serine. I can't help it–ever since I first heard of him and laid eyes on him, I couldn't stop thinking about him. Even more so now, it's like he won't leave my head!"
"But Endori, why him of all people? We hardly know anything about him! He looks like some shady loner."
"True love can't be explained, Serine. Once you finally experience it yourself, then you'll understand!"
"Tch!"
Serine lightly clenches her fist, cursing under her breath.
"Besides, anyone I pick will be better than the boy my father chose for me. This burning desire in my heart must be from the goddess herself; she made our fates align."
Endori's face is blushing red as she lets her lovestruck imaginations run rampant.
"I just think you should think about this more carefully, Endori. A good man is hard to find, which is why I am personally content with waiting."
"Well, I've thought about it and dreamed about it. My heart agrees, my mind agrees, my body agrees, the universe itself agrees–what else do I need to wait for? In fact, I plan to confess to him when he reappears! Speaking of, has he returned?"
"No, Vex and the others are still missing."
"Why are people around me disappearing? Is this my curse? I still don't really understand how it works…"
"None of us do, Endori."
"Ah, oh well, I'm sure that wherever Vex disappeared to, he is solving the mystery!"
GROWL
"Endori, are you hungry again?"
"Seems like it. It feels like I can never stay full for long, despite how much I eat. Maybe my curse truly is to make things disappear…"
"That could be true, Endori. Regardless, I'd better start preparing the food, else you become malnourished."
"What's going on inside my body?"
Endori ponders in confusion and slight discomfort as she rubs her stomach.
___________________________________________________________________________
"Here are your drinks, Drip and…Drip's friend?"
"Thanks, Lily! Her name is Tenri."
"It's…nice to…meet you, Lily. Thank you."
Drip invited Lily to the stomach to have fun. This place reminds me of the beach in my home country mom used to take me to for swimming training. Though I don't wanna swim in that dirty liquid–Lily doesn't want to melt.
Drip introduced Lily to his friend, Tenri. She is taller than Drip and is a different color.
She is also much quieter.
"Lily, please bear with Tenri. She tends to be reserved around strangers, but I promise she's a different person when we're alone!"
"C-come o-on, Drip! D-don't say embarrassing things like t-that!"
"Whoa, Tenri, you look as red as Drip right now."
"Right? She gets so shy in public that she becomes as red as me, despite being a platelet cell! Just wait until I tell you she's my girlfre–"
"Finish that sentence, and I will make sure that you are Endori's next meal!"
"Sorry. You know I like messing with you, Tenri!"
"Hmph!"
Tenri puffs her cheeks and pouts at Drip. She seems kinda scary, but Lily can tell that she's not really upset with Drip.
"Tenri and Drip share a special bond, right? Lily's happy for you."
Lily is…I am happy for them, but why does Lily…why do I feel…?
"..."
"Lily, are you okay? Got something on your mind?"
"I'm a bit thirsty. May I have some of your drink?"
"I wouldn't mind sharing, and I'm sure Tenri wouldn't either, but I don't think these drinks are suitable for outsiders. The ingredients are from Endori's body, so I won't even ruin your appetite by describing what's in it. Go on, you can talk to us about what you're thinking–perhaps we can make it better!"
"I understand Lily. She needs to take a moment to think about things herself. We shouldn't pry into her thoughts too much, Drip. After all, there are certain things that we share exclusively with each other, and we wouldn't dare expose it with even the nicest of people or close family."
"Sigh…you're right, Tenri. I've been kinda pushy with positivity, but if we ignore our true feelings, then that does us no good. I'm sorry, Lily."
"It's okay, Drip. You have been a nice friend to me…"
"Whenever I want time alone here, I like to go to the piers and stare at the waves, watching Endori's food slowly dissolve as I gather my thoughts. Perhaps you should try it, Lily."
"Just be careful not to get too close to the acid."
"Lily will be careful. I will be back shortly."
SIZZLE SIZZLE
SIZZ
I am grateful for my new friends–especially Vex. Well, I'm not sure if he considers me as a friend, but he's my savior, so he's special to me.
But I miss my old friends.
I miss my hometown in the forest.
I miss my dad.
Above all, I miss you, mother.
Mother, I'm trying to stay strong just like you taught me. I even repeat my own name often, just like you told Lily to, so that I can feel more confident and strong.
But it didn't work!
It didn't stop those bad guys from attacking our village!
It didn't stop them from kidnapping us!
It didn't stop them from taking us apart!
It couldn't stop that woman I hate–it would have given her power to control me!
Since Vex rescued me, I could feel happiness again, but I still feel empty.
If Lily were stronger…If I were stronger then…
CRACKLE
POP
"Sniff…sniff…"
Oops, my tears are falling into the acid.
Tenri was right; it is relaxing to watch the food melt…
I wonder if Vex is really in this place. I hoped so, but no one had heard of him.
What if…I never see mother again?
Crystal…crystal…crystal
"Who's there?"
A quiet voice whispers into my ears the word "crystal". It feels like someone is whispering in Lily's mind, but no one else is near me!
"Wait, I remember, I remember! A goddess lady spoke to me in my dream. She said that I can become stronger if I find nine special crystals and offer them to her. There's a crystal somewhere inside this body!"
If I can find it, then I can leave this place and become strong enough to find mother and save her.
"Okay, I–Lily won't give up! Goddess, please keep mother safe until Lily becomes strong enough to rescue her. Lily promises to find those crystals!"
Lily notices something moving in the stomach acid. Could it be, could it be?!
"The crystal is in the acid! It looks weird, but maybe because it's been inside this body for too long. Lily will get a little closer."
GRUMBLE GRUMBLE
SPLOOSH
"--?!!"
RAAAWR!
"Lily doesn't think that's the crystal anymore!"