NOVPUB------
Crack, crack…!
CRASH!
The crystalized core of the Nightmarish Abomination exploded, shattering into pieces. The rest of the monster's mud-like body finally dissipated into ashes, dying on the spot.
Fran and Alma celebrated the moment they saw the monster vanquished, jumping while holding hands.
"Yaaay! She did it!"
"The thing's dead!"
As the two jumped happily, the bubble quickly descended into the ground, which was now without water, and it opened, letting them out.
"It took longer than I thought, it was more resilient than I imagined…" Nyx said. "But it's gone now! And the girl is… Oh! She's fine now?"
Nyx, Fran, and Alma noticed a girl, looking around to be twelve years of age, with clear brown skin, almost as if it was tanned and slightly short blonde hair reaching her neck.
"Is she okay?" Fran wondered.
"I can feel she ha some lifeforce…" Nyx said. "Well, let's go see if she's alright first."
"Yeah…" Alma nodded. "Hmm… I don't know why but it feels like I know her from somewhere."
"Maybe you're recovering your memories!" Nyx smiled.
"I-I don't know if they're fully recovered it feels like some distant thing…" Alma said. "But maybe once we talk with her I'll figure out what's going on with me."
"Yeah! Well said, let's go," Nyx nodded.
The group quickly moved towards the girl, as the Nightmare Beasts that had been infesting the entire swamp and were coming for them rapidly turned into ordinary rats, toads, and fish.
It seemed that whatever they killed was controlling and keeping them all turned into monsters… Nyx felt a bit disappointed though, she wanted to eat more Nightmare Beast meat.
But she was also happy it was over.
"I think she's… Emily!" Said Nyx gasped, running towards the girl.
She opened her Little Shadow Realm and took out an Elixir from her stash, quickly pouring it on top of the girl's face.
"W-Wait Nyx that's a bit too mean!"
Alma tried to stop her but…
SPLASH!
The bright white liquid quickly fell over Emily's face, making her groan out of nowhere, some accumulated soot quickly started coming out of her nose, ears, and mouth, until her body was fully cleansed.
"U-Ugh… Umm…"
She started to slowly wake up…
.
.
.
The more she ran away, the darker the alleyway became.
Emmy found herself lost within these streets, people glared at her, calling her name.
And she only ran away faster, scared of even interacting with strangers, of the things that could happen to her.
She started to regret even having run away from her house after all of that.
But whenever she remembered the broken guitar, she felt resentful, hating her father for what he did to her.
Losing the bike was a big deal, but going as far as breaking her guitar and even insulting her aunt like that…
She felt he was too cruel.
At the end, she stopped running, sitting behind a trash can, crying as the darkness only became stronger, wrapping her around.
"Why did all of this happen?"
She kept crying as her tears fell from her sorrowful eyes.
"Auntie…"
She covered her face with her arms, as she looked at the darkness in the distance.
The world around her became completely black.
Everything was scary…
"W-where am I? What's… happening?"
She moved back, noticing several things beginning to move around the alleyway.
The trash can behind her suddenly touched her.
"Eh?"
"GRAAHH!"
It suddenly grew large metallic arms, trying to grab her, it even had sharp fangs on top of its head, ready to eat her.
"Aaagh!"
She ran away from the thing, only to be stopped by more creatures.
Giant rats, massive toads, and even fish and bugs.
As she walked, she felt the floor becoming wetter and the smell of it was rancid and terrible.
"U-ugh… Cough!"
She felt like vomiting, coughing as she looked around.
Surrounded by monsters, her own nightmares.
"A-Ah…"
She looked around, but there was nothing for her.
"W-What's going on…?"
They slowly approached her, trying to grab her, to drag her down…
"No! S-Stop!"
She cried desperately trying to fight back…
"Emily!"
"A-Ah?"
She heard something.
A voice.
A familiar voice.
"EMILY!!!"
Amidst the darkness, a voice echoed through it.
It was very distant, but she could hear it very clearly.
The voice became louder and closer, becoming a small spark of light amidst the darkness.
"M-Mom?"
It was her mother's voice.
"EMILY!"
Her mother reached her daughter, the monsters glared at her mother.
"W-Wait, mom! Don't come!"
Emily cried, trying to save her mother from the monsters.
But her mother, as she moved forward, spread her light, the monsters rapidly began disappearing one after another.
"Emily! Oh my god, why did you run so far away?!"
Her mother was crying, hugging her tightly.
"M-Mom…"
The girl was shocked, as she saw all the monsters disappearing.
Despite acting tough and mature, deep down, she was still a child that was still growing up…
"Moooom!"
She started crying like a baby, hugging her mother tightly.
Her cold body became warmer as she hugged her mother, feeling better over time.
Her mother kissed her forehead, while crying.
"Please… Please Emily, don't do this again… I was so worried."
"Mom… But you… you always agree with what dad does…"
"I-I don't… I really don't, you know? But I… I'm sorry… I'm really sorry, without him our family wouldn't even be able to stand on its own. I know he is temperamental but… I… I'm sorry…"
"…"
Emily looked at her mother, she seemed as conflicted as she was.
Their family was so poor, and with a temperamental, if not abusive father, they really didn't had any other option than to stick with him.
As miserable as it was… This was the life they were given.
"I-I really like your music, Emy… And I like your voice."
"R-Really?"
"Yes… I'm sorry for being a bad mother… I wish I could've stood against him, but I was afraid…"
Her mother then looked into her eyes, furrowing her eyebrows.
"But no more, Emy… If we have to life with a man like him, then life is simply not worth living anymore."
"M-Mom?"
"I'll talk with him… And I'll try to convince him to change but… if the worst thing happens, I want you to know that I'll always love you, and that we'll have one another, and your brothers too, alright?"
"O-Okay…"
Emy held her mother's hand, as they walked away from the alleyway.
Suddenly, the world gained some light, although some of the darkness remained within the uncertainty of the future.
However, her resolve and the love for her family became stronger than ever before.
"Mom…"
"Hm?"
"If I become a Dream Warrior one day… I'll earn lots of money, so we can live comfortably, without needing him."
"Emy… Y-You don't have to say that you can become a musician if you want! I will… I'll find a way; I'll work harder than ever before."
"No!"
Emy suddenly interrupted her mother.
"This is what I want too! But it doesn't mean I'm done with music either… I'll get to it one day, once we can live comfortably. I'll work hard… and never stop."
"Thank you Emy… Your mom will work hard too."
The light slowly guided Emy elsewhere, until…
FLASH!
She opened her eyes.
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