Sheira's POV

Why is it dark here? I walk around for a couple of minutes and it seems like I am outdoors. There are trees and bushes everywhere. Everything seemed bigger, or maybe I was just small. I looked down at my small hands as I moved my fingers, it felt so real. I lifted my head and looked at the pitch-black sky.

In front of me, it seems there are two people, the woman is kneeling and the other one is standing and... Holding a sword.

Horror seized me as the sword sliced through the woman's neck. "No!" I screamed, witnessing the brutal act.

"Sheira!"

"Go, Sheira! Run!" urgency echoed as a man gripped my arms tightly from behind. "What's happening?" I pleaded. "Run and save yourself!" he urged. The word "Dad" echoed in my mind. Confusion overwhelmed me. "Dad?!"

A chilling sound of a knife cutting through the air. The man was killed.

What? Dad? Why?!

Please don't go, please don't leave me alone. Please...

I immediately ran away from the scene as fast as the wind. The wind blew gently with creepy voices in the background as I continued to run away from the sound of steps following me from behind. I took a glance behind me to see the shadows of the person chasing after me. He is dark and tall, with a face like death. My heart pounded, my eyes saw nothing but darkness. I sense that he is coming closer and closer, I can no longer look behind, and my heart skipped a beat. I feel like invisible fingers are running along my spine. The fear spread from my hair to the back of my neck. He grabbed my hand and covered my mouth with his bloodstained left hand.

HE CAUGHT ME!

I gasped. Suddenly, the scenery changed from a dark spooky place to an empty bedroom. My skin crawled and my bones trembled.

Yuri... his figure pops up in my mind as I scratch my head confused.

Is it a dream?! But it seems more like a memory. A memory of when Yuri found me when I was little. He saved my life... but the victims, are they Mum and Dad? My brain's filled with tons of questions.

I sighed. Why should something like that appear now?

Lying on a bed under a white blanket, a small lamp dimly illuminated the room. A man stood beside it, and I sighed, grappling with unsettling questions flooding my mind.

"Who-"

"You're awake," a voice responded.

It's Eamon. He leaned against the wall and looked outside the window. He seems tired with a pale face. What is he doing here all of a sudden?

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Duty," he answered me with a flat face. Well, that's Eamon. But still, he doesn't seem to be okay.

Maybe the commander commanded him to look after me. I pull off a long sigh. I should get up and talk to the commander.

My body is very stiff as I try to get up and sit on the bed for a while. The sky is not that bright anymore, maybe it's been hours since the expedition. Did I faint and fall asleep on the way back here?

"Did you carry me here? Eamon?" I inquired.

"I commanded one of your squad members to carry you here," he replied.

"Oh, thanks."

After a few minutes of sitting, I rose and walked to the window. Outside, confusion gripped me. "Why is it so crowded?" I questioned.

Eamon sighed before explaining, "A lot of people are gone."

"What do you mean, 'a lot of people are gone'?" I pressed.

"A number of citizens vanished without a trace," he added, closing his eyes.

"What? Like the case that happened a year ago?" I asked in disbelief.

"m," he nodded.

Confusion swirled. Soldiers fell in the expedition, and now this? A massive blow to humanity.

And...

Aria, Blair, Cara. Why?

The room morphed from a bedroom to a dining room, the unsettling revelations lingering in the air.

***

I stand before the dining table, watching them train outside with a huge smile.

They've dedicated the entire day to rigorous training in the yard. It's time for a meal. Placing food on the table, I head towards the door.

"Aria, Blair, Cara! Food's ready!"

Their innocent faces light up with happiness. Though they've outgrown the title of kids, in my eyes, they remain my adorable little sisters.

Rushing towards me, they quickly wash their hands before we share a meal. At that moment, we were a family, laughing together while our parents toil outside.

I cherish these moments, hoping for the eternal joy of having such cute siblings by my side every day.

But...

"ARIA!!! BLAIR!!! CARA!!!"

***

"Why?"

Aria's voice lingered, a haunting echo in the corridors of my mind.

"Why do all of you have to leave me?!"

Blair's solemn tones joined the chorus.

"Didn't we promise to have dinner together after the expedition?!"

Cara's voice, once filled with optimism, now is nothing but silence.

"Didn't we promise to live together like a family after everything's over?!"

Aria, Blair, Cara?! Why leave your sister alone?!

It's over...

"Aria, Blair, Cara," I whispered, the words escaping like a fragile breath. "It's my fault. I should've moved my body and helped all of you fight that filthy dog!"

But... It's too late. Blaming is useless now.

"I'm sorry," I uttered, each name a drop in the vast sea of regret. "Aria, Blair, Cara."

Before I realized it, my tears fell, a silent testament to the shattered promises and the ache of abandonment.

Eamon's POV

She said 'Filthy dogs'. I'm such a bad role model.

Sheira's POV

After a brief exchange, I reopened both of my eyes, fixating on the bustling crowd outside the window.

"There are a bunch of things to do," Eamon stated matter-of-factly.

"I will go and talk to the commander. Thank you, Eamon," I expressed my gratitude, diverting my gaze from the window to the exit door.

"It's my duty," he responded stoically.

As I walked towards the door, leaving Eamon alone in the bedroom, he continued to watch the crowd outside. Perhaps, he too was entwined in contemplation about the gravity of the situation.

Eamon's POV

The streets bustled with unease, a collective worry etched on faces, perhaps fueled by the absence of their loved ones. Tsk, what on earth is actually happening?

Why should such a thing always happen when there's something else to worry about?

Huh? It always happens when we don't put our eyes there and handle something else, it can't be a coincidence. Thankfully, Yuri's here when all of us are cutting Heians' neck out there. Maybe he knows something about the situation.

Citizens reported missing, huh? It's always the vulnerable civilians, defenseless against the unknown. Never a soldier unaccounted for.

I wish this was not caused by that scumbag.

Tsk, that useless guy. Always stirring up trouble. What further mischief do you plan in your new playground, Fenton?

To be continued...