Reborn As An Evolving Monster

Her long dark dress cushioned her knees as they kissed the ground.

'Looks weird...'

Her left arm, covered by the sheer sleeve of her dress, was extended forward.

'Wonder if he can talk...?'

The instant her fingertip came into contact with the Monster's body, she pulled back.

"Ugh... So weird..." She passed that same fingertip over the back of her hand. "Scales feel so weird..." She whispered. "But also kind of... Nostalgic-"

The white-scaled Monster's eye opened.

She froze.

Both moved at the same time.

She jumped back and it extended its claws.

The Monster's expression made its confusion known. Still, its gaze didn't leave the one standing before it.

She remained unmoving, her hands tightly grasping the dark dress.

Can it talk? Why is it here? Where did it come from? How? Why now, when I've been alone for so long? A Guest. Or a Visitor? Can it talk? It's wearing pants, so that says something... Does it say enough though?

In the midst of the silence, her mind was racing.

The white-scaled Monster looked away, and she sighed internally.

"Who-"

"Fuck..." Mark interrupted before she could get a word out.

His gaze quickly went back to her.

Mark took three steps back, before rubbing his face with his left hand.

"So it was a nightmare..." He whispered.

"What was?" She asked suddenly, glad that it could talk.

Flames suddenly rose from the white-scaled Monster's left arm.

Her eyes widened, her gaze rapidly moved from right to left. She jumped back and raised her arms.

An open field plunged in darkness. Nowhere to take cover and nothing to hide behind.

She was different than the rest.

Different from Elisa, from the Commander, from Yarnha...

The look in her eyes and the shaking of her legs proved it.

Different from Lin, Raven, Zephyr...

Different from all of them.

"Can uh... Can we..."

Mark clicked his tongue internally.

"Can we talk? Instead of..."

The white-scaled Monster didn't bother listening to the rest.

Mark scratched his head.

She wasn't like them.

She wasn't like him.

Her stance, her shaking voice, the trembling of her body, the fearful look in her eyes she was trying to hide... She was incredibly...

"There's nothing to talk about." Mark answered coldly before turning away.

Incredibly normal.

"Who are you?" She asked. "Are you Human?"

Mark's eyebrow twitched.

"Why do you say that?" He asked indifferently and without turning back towards her.

"Well, you can talk so..."

Mark's face grimaced, and he started walking away.

"Well, are you?" She asked with her hands behind her back. Her left hand holding her right from the wrist.

Mark jumped away.

His gaze went to the ground for a moment, then back to her.

'I didn't hear her move at all... Not even the grass she's stepping on...'

Her presence somewhat reminded him of Light's.

"You're a Spirit?"

"A Spirit? I don't think so...?"

Mark's face twisted again. Her tone truly was that of a person filled with uncertainty.

"I guess it's not easy to answer that..." She whispered as she scratched her head. "Oh. Is that why you're not answering either?"

'Her presence... Is a mix of Light's and Yarnha's?' Mark wondered silently. 'The Spirit of this place? But... For a place like this, I would have imagined the Spirit to be...'

"Mm?" Her dark eyes wide with curiosity. "Do you come from... Outside?"

'Infinitely uglier.'

Infinitely, as she was far, far from anything that could be considered ugly.

Physically, that is.

With every second's passing, her presence was feeling creepier. More eerie.

She was there, standing. Or was she? Truly?

Mark stepped forward.

Her presence was similar to Yarnha's, but there seemed to be no ill intent.

He stepped forward because, more so than the lack of ill intent, there seemed to be a lack of strength, of Mana.

Both coupled led to him walking towards her and extending his left hand.

Mark was ready to react to any move though, as he had learned long ago that a seeming lack of either wasn't proof of anything.

She stared for a bit.

Her hand moved timidly.

'So she is real.' Mark thought as he sighed internally.

Pressure-

His right hand moved quickly, its claws aimed at her neck.

They stopped before they could reach her.

"What kind of reaction is that?"

Upon coming into contact, she had wrapped her hand over his index finger.

Upon seeing his other hand move, she had shut her eyes and squeezed on his finger with all her strength.

Weak, and fearful.

Mark pulled his arms back.

Only a couple of seconds after the finger she had been holding escaped her grasp did she slowly open her eyes.

"Where... Where are you going?" She asked as the white-scaled Monster walked away.

"Away."

"Where to?" She ran to catch up to the Monster.

"Outside." Mark answered, disturbed by her unnoticeable movements. "Stay away from me." He added, his right palm extended towards her.

She stopped moving right away.

Her lips parted.

Gulp-

"Why?" She shouted.

He didn't answer.

She pressed her lips together.

"They'll come for you again without me!"

The white-scaled Monster stopped.

"Who will?" He asked as he turned around, doubting the meaning behind her words.

"Those that came for you before!"

"Who... What are you talking about?"

"Those Spirits! Or Ghosts, or whatever!"

"How... Do you know about them?"

"Huh? Well, they live here so..."

For thirty full seconds, Mark stared without saying a word.

"So they were real?"

"Huh? Of course, they are. As real as I am. As real as you are!"

Mark turned away once more.

The open field was large.

The forest surrounding it had been lost to the horizon. Not like the darkness that ruled over the place allowed for the horizon to be seen anyway.

"I'll help you!"

"Mm?"

"I'll help you go back."

"How?"

"They won't leave you alone."

"So? How can you help?"

"They always run away from me. If I'm there... They won't come for you."

Mark wondered for a bit, before letting out a heavy sigh.

Spirits, Ghosts, Devils, strange entities...

He cursed his Nightmares, his Dreams, and his Visions.

'Doubting what's real and what isn't...'

"I'll help you go back!" She shouted again.

With doubtful eyes, Mark shrugged.

"What's in it for you?"

"Let's talk on the way, okay?" She ran to catch up to him.

"Tell me what you want now. I don't have time to negotiate. I need to go back."

"Huh? I just told you what I want." Mark stared into the bottomless abyss that resided within her eyes. "I want to talk."