It came back. Smaller than the last time, but the monster undoubtedly came back. All the blood in her room, her lamp shattered on the floor, her nightstand knocked over… Her right hand clenched tightly, her eyes focusing on just the monster. The rest of the room seemed to fade away, her glare unblinking.

“GIVE THEM BACK!!”

Her body, at first feeling heavy like lead, suddenly felt light as it charged forward, blade emerging from her left hand as she slashed at the creature. However, it jumped away from her and onto the ceiling, laughing giddily at her attempted attack. But that laugh… It was Kat’s laugh. The damn thing had the nerve to use her laugh! Narrowing her eyes, Amaris used her right hand to throw a dagger at the monster, who scurried away toward the door. At least until she grabbed for the fallen shotgun and opened fire, the scattershot blowing apart its abdomen. It screeched but continued moving with its remaining forelegs, heading out the doorway. Amaris clenched her teeth as she followed after it, taking aim and pulling the trigger when it was at the top of the stairs. A click sounded from the shotgun, Amaris tossing it to the side as she realized it was out of ammo.

As she chased after it, she saw its body start to regenerate, repairing the damage from the shotgun. The creature scurried down the stairs, Amaris jumping off to the side to cut it off. Her hands grabbed the closest thing to her, which was apparently a side table near the couch, and threw it at the monster. The side table blew apart when it crashed against the monster, the small thing momentarily stunned by the force of the blow. Amaris was quick to close in on it, sword ready in her hands as she swung downward onto it.

A yellow tendril would suddenly appear from its back, slamming into her midswing and sending her flying across the living room. Her back met the TV and the stand it was on, breaking apart the furniture with the wooden wall splintering behind her. When she looked up, the creature was lunging at her with an open maw. Holding her sword up in time to block its clamping jaws, Amaris began to stand up and push away from the wall, her blade between the creature’s teeth. That same tendril from before lashed out, but the pinkette caught it this time with her right hand, using it to pull the creature downward and slam it against the floor. The ground caved in some from the impact, Amaris dropping her sword to grab the tendril with both hands. Using all of her strength, she turned her body and swung the creature by the tendril away from her, its body smashing clear through a wall and into the kitchen.

The tendril was suddenly limp in her hands, Amaris looking down to see it had been ripped off from the swing. Tossing it to the side, she charged forward as metal claws grew out of the top of her hands, entering the devastated kitchen next. The counters and cupboards were all broken apart, dishes shattered on the floor with the creature’s body half hanging out through the wall. It didn’t stay stunned for long, using its legs to pull itself out to lunge again at her. Amaris was ready, catching the creature by the neck and slamming it down onto the white tiled kitchen floor.

“JUST DIE ALREADY,” she yelled, claws burying themselves into its neck. The girl didn’t look away, even as dark purple blood splattered out onto her face and clothes. No, she wanted to see this monster die. She lifted her arm and the monster, bringing it back down to slam it repeatedly against the tiled floor. Shards and bits of tile flew out, blood splattering out more and more until the creature’s head fell off, her claws cutting through it. She momentarily stopped, panting heavily as she stared at the head and then body. It was still for a few seconds, the legs then twitching. With a cry, she smashed the creature’s body against the floor again.

If it was going to regenerate, she’ll make it much more difficult for it to come back! Her other hand grew metal claws and she began to tear through the flesh of the monster, blood and limbs flying out as she worked on reducing it to bits. Even when she saw the core, the very same pronged core she had put away in her nightstand, she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to stop. She had to make sure it was dead! As the mass of its body became smaller and smaller, her vision began to blur as tears began to streak down her cheeks. When she struggled to see what she was doing, she finally stopped slashing and ripping the monster, the girl’s body hunching forward as the claws retracted back into her body.

Her body shook with sobs, and through her tear-filled vision, she spotted the core just under her. Grabbing it, she rolled over so her back was facing the indentation in the ground of the monster’s body. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she openly cried as she clutched the pronged core close to her chest. The core would glow faintly, and in her mind’s eye, a vision began to form.

She could see colorful construction paper on a circular, pink rug, realizing that was the one in Kat’s room. A box of crayons were to the side, seeming like it was in preparation for an arts and crafts project.

“Ah, scissors… Where are my scissors?” It was Kat’s voice…

Was she watching something through Kat’s eyes? Kat stood up from the floor, and began to look around her little desk to find her scissors. But the only things she could find were pencils, more construction paper, and glue.

“Maybe Amaris has some? But it’s the pointy, grown-up scissors. I just gotta be really careful with them! I have to make this card for her!” Amaris would see Kat turn away from her desk, running out her room and into the hall, soon heading for Amaris’ room. She quietly opened the door and tip-toed inside, little hands reaching out for the drawer of the night stand. Pulling it open, she’d peer inside… and see that pronged core that was flashing quickly.

“What is this,” Kat asked, reaching in to grab the core. Right away, the girl would laugh once she touched it, unable to set it down as a dark mass began to grow over the core. The girl herself was overcome with joy, unable to stop her laughing as the mass grew larger and larger over her hand. What followed was a small gasp, and then a maw of teeth lunging toward the girl’s face.

In a panic, Amaris sat up and threw the core away from her, the thing hitting a corner of the kitchen and falling to the ground. The pinkette’s hands shook uncontrollably, Amaris holding them together to get them to stop but to no avail. That monster… First those children, then Emilia, and now her own family. This couldn’t be real, right? It had to be a nightmare, a nightmare because of her last fight with the beast. There was no way her family was taken like that… There was no way…

She crossed her arms over herself, her hands rubbing her upper arms in a futile effort to comfort herself. Closing her eyes tightly, she waited to feel the arms of her mother, her father, or Kat’s to be around her, telling her it was going to be okay and to stop crying. The only noise in the room were her shaky wails, her body lowering down so her chest was against her knees like a ball.

“Come back… Please…!”

“It wasn’t easy, but I got the whole story written here,” Nyx stated, offering a small notebook to Nessa. The tall woman took the notebook, taking a quick glance at the farm house to her left. Police cruisers were parked along the road, blockades in place to keep people and other automobiles from interfering with the investigation. Nessa’s eyes eventually settled on the pink-haired girl from yesterday - Amaris, the one without any record in this town or even Shimmercrest. The girl was sitting on the steps of the porch, a blanket around her as another female officer tried to calm her. Well, she was calm now, but the girl looked like she was in shock, her pale blue eyes distant. Looking down at the notebook, she read through Nyx’s report, slowly turning the pages as the truth came to light. Shutting it, she offered it back to Nyx and turned to face the farm house.

“A monster… Ih was a monster dis whole time?”

“It wasn’t easy for her to explain it all, but from what I gathered and the core she showed me, I think she’s telling the whole truth this time,” Nyx said calmly, looking worriedly at the girl. “She really didn’t want to part with the core, though. She claims that the monster would come back if she’s too far from it.”

“Ih’s likely, buh too much of a risk tah test ou’ in theory. On da other hand, is also a risk for her tah be carrying around such a dangerous item,” Nessa said with a sigh, running a gloved hand through her hair.

“Yeah, and get this.. I touched that core, and it made me feel really happy. Unnaturally happy, I mean. I was laughing and feeling like that for no reason. It was really weird, honestly.”

“Nyx, do ya mind if I ask ye something?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“I wan’ ye tah keep an eye on dat lass. I don’ think she’s guilty of anything buh.. Dese happenings have only happened tah her so far. Jus’ tah see if she can lead us tah another clue of wha’ dat monster really is. Righ’ now, we barely have much information to work with. Can ye handle dat?”

“Yeah, I can do that. Kid’s pretty shaken up after all that, though, so it might take me some time to question her some more. But I guess that will kinda make it easy to keep an eye on her.”

“Dat’s alrigh’, try tah learn a little from her tomorrow. If I can make a suggestion… I heard of a bartender in da city dat migh’ have spiritual powers. Perhaps she can help in looking into wha’ dat core is.”

Nyx nodded and walked away, figuring she should start by getting the kid away from all this. If there was anything she might need, she can stop by tomorrow, after it’s been cleaned up some. Even as she approached the girl, Amaris didn’t look up or acknowledge Nyx, not until the blonde woman crouched down to be eye level with her.

“Don’t worry, kid, I’ll keep an eye on you. You’re really shaken up by all that’s happened, so you can stay with me for a while,” she told her gently, speaking slowly. Amaris would blink once and then nod, clutching the blanket tighter around herself. Nyx stood up and then moved to the side, bending down a little to help the girl to her feet. To say that Nyx was expecting to take care of a young woman like this was something she wouldn’t have ever guessed in her whole life. Still, there was something about this that didn’t seem right. An interdimensional monster was unheard of in these lands. How could they fight against something like that? From what Amaris had said for the report, standard weapons were almost ineffective since the creature would just regenerate.

Once Amaris was up, Nyx settled her arm around her to help guide her to Nyx’s black car, knowing it was best to not ask any more questions for the time being. Nessa was right - just looking at the kid showed she was in no condition to answer any more questions. It might have her think about what happened here, and make her relive the experience all over again. And it seemed like the last case, the one about the missing Emilia, was heavy on her mind as well. Nyx’s brow furrowed a little, concerned for Amaris as she opened the passenger side of her car.

She carefully and slowly let go of Amaris, letting the girl move forward and settle herself in the car, sitting down on the black leather seat. Closing the door once she was ready, Nyx walked around her car and sat down in the driver’s seat, noticing from the corner of her eye that Amaris was looking out the window. Of course, she was staring at the house. Nyx sighed softly, somberly, as she started up the car and turned it to drive away, all the while with Amaris turning in her seat to watch her home get further and further away. There was no one to return to now… It didn’t feel like home anymore.

Sunlight crept in through the blinds, falling onto Amaris’ face as she slumbered. Though the light soon had her stir and slowly wake up, the unfamiliar room caused her to jolt up and quickly look around. Right away, she saw Nyx, no longer wearing her jacket and face cover, sleeping on a chair near a table. The woman’s head was resting on the table, short blonde hair splayed out and obscuring her face. Seeing her there, the only part of this room that was familiar, helped to ease Amaris as she gazed around the room. It looked like a motel room - cheap TV, a bed with plain red sheets and blankets, and the walls bare of any decor.

She recalled Nyx helping her settle into bed but.. That was about it. Pushing the blankets off herself, she got up and walked over to the far end of the room, to the bathroom. Stepping inside, she turned on the light and was greeted to her reflection, a puffy eyed, blood stained mess. Her ponytail was half done, her eyes still bloodshot from all her crying last night, and her clothes were both stained and feeling crusty from that monster’s blood.

I look like shit.

She sighed and closed the door behind herself, reaching up to undo her ponytail and letting her pink hair fall. With her hair tie in hand, she pulled her hair up and redid the ponytail, looking herself over a moment. Her eyes would look at her hair for a moment, quickly drawn to their reflection in the mirror. Amaris reached for the faucet and got the water running, leaning forward to splash the cold water on her face. Wiping at her eyes a bit, she slowly stood up straight and shut the water, looking at herself again. Face dripping wet, her eyes didn’t look any better from before. As much as she wanted to shower, she didn’t have a change of clothes with her. She’d have to… go back to the house to get more clothes.

Her hands gripped the edges of the counter, remembering yesterday, what happened when she got home. Tears began to form again in her eyes, Amaris quickly wiping her eyes with her palms to stop them from running. She’s already done so much crying… she didn’t want to keep doing it. But it still hurt just knowing she couldn’t hear their laughs.. couldn’t have mom’s cooking again.. help dad with the farmwork.. and play with Kat again. And she lost her chance of calling them ‘mom’ and ‘dad.’ They never got to hear it. The tears came back quickly, this time streaking down her cheeks before she had the chance to wipe them away. She lowered herself onto the floor, back facing away from the mirror as she sobbed quietly, sniffling as her nose got runny. She brought her legs up and hugged them close to herself, crying into her pants.

Maybe… Maybe I should have let that thing kill me.

She could feel that monster’s core in her back pocket, wondering what would have happened had she not fought back, if she had just stood there and let it kill her as it did to her family. But even if she wanted to, would her body have let her? Both times she saw that monster, her body reacted on instinct, moving to kill it and anything in league with it. It didn’t feel like it was survival - to kill it before it could kill you - but something more than that. She wasn’t sure what it was - she just knew that it had to die, no exceptions.

But she had to be alive for a reason. Perhaps her presence was the only thing that was keeping the monster from regenerating again, as it did before when she left it behind to go to work.

Work!

She quickly got up and rushed out the bathroom, wiping her face and nose with the back of her hand and cleaning it against her pants. Her rush startled Nyx awake, who woke up with a little jump as she watched Amaris run by. The pinkette grabbed the phone receiver and started dialing, trying to get hold of her workplace.

“Hi, it’s Amaris,” she started, doing her best to keep her voice steady so it didn’t sound like she had been crying moments before. “I know, I’m not at work… I lost m-my family yesterday, and I… Okay, thank you for understanding. Mhm, bye.” She hung up, sitting down on the edge of the bed with a small sigh.

“I think you should call it quits with your job,” Nyx said sleepily, still waking up as she rested her head against her hand, propped against the table. She yawned and gazed at Amaris with sleepy purple eyes. “After all that’s happened, you really think you can go back to work and have things be normal?”

Amaris looked up at her with some offense in her eyes, averting her gaze to look at the carpet in front of her instead.

“I have to try… I’ll have to find someplace to stay, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to keep staying at the house… I don’t know if I can bring myself to, either.”

Her hands clutched the sheets tightly, Nyx’s eyes looking more awake after hearing that.

“Kid, before you decide on all that, I do need your help on something,” Nyx started, lifting her head up and settling her hands on her thighs. “I didn’t want to bring it up yesterday because you were.. Out of it and fragile. Well, you still look fragile but anyway - Nessa basically wants me to keep an eye on you for investigation.”

“Investigation? Am I a suspect?” This caught her attention fairly quickly, wondering if they thought she was responsible for what happened to Emilia and her family.

“No, not like that,” Nyx said with a shake of her head. “You’re basically the only clue we have.”

Amaris raised a brow, getting up to sit on the edge of the bed closest to Nyx, waiting for her to explain.

“Everything that involves that monster, the only thing that connects it all is you,” the blonde continued, keeping her voice calm. “You’re the only one who has encountered something like that that we know of. For all we know, there are probably no other survivors aside from you. We also need to look into researching that core you got from it. From what you told us of that monster, there’s never been anything like that in this world. So we need to gather as much information as we can about them.”

The pinkette lowered her gaze a bit to look at her hands, the fingers of her left hand tracing over the lines of her right palm. “I see… You want me to help you with this. But I have to ask: do you think there are more of that monster out there?”

“Hard to say, honestly. You might have killed the only one in existence, or there are more out there, prowling on people. Later today, we’ll head back to your house and get you cleaned up. You have to look presentable, you know?”

“Yeah, I feel pretty gross with all this monster blood on me.”

“Exactly. Can’t have people freaking out about that when we head to the city, right?”

“The city? We’re going to the city!?” Amaris was so surprised, she stood up from where she sat, eyes wide.

“You got it, there’s someone I think you should meet. If there’s one thing this girl can do, it’s to hear a lot of information. And if that doesn’t work, she can help us out with learning more about that core.”