Chapter 69: Monster
"Dear baby, forever be with me."
Eirin opened her eyes, but the oppressive blackness was impenetrable. An eerie silence closed in around her, but through it, a melody drifted—a lullaby she heard before, laced with recollections of her grandmother’s embrace.
Then, a gentle shimmer began at the edges of her vision, spreading outward. The oppressive darkness dissolved, replaced by a soft, diffused light. Green grass unfurled beneath her bare feet, cool and damp against her skin. The air shifted, growing fresh and clean, carrying the scent of dew and sun.
A beautiful woman sat on the ground in front of Eirin, singing the familiar lullaby. The strands of her golden-blonde hair sparkled under the sunlight. Eirin felt a shock when her eyes, which were pools of the deepest emerald, met hers.
Eirin’s breath hitched, her world narrowing to just this woman, who was so beautiful it stole her words and she could not move from where she stood.
Despite never having seen her face before, a strange, deep sense of warmth bloomed in Eirin’s chest as the woman’s smile reached her eyes, touching something forgotten within Eirin.
As the woman continued humming, the vibrant landscape began to ripple. The greeneries dissolved, the sun bled from the sky, and the crisp air faded. A blinding, sterile white enveloped everything, washing away all detail until the world became a vast, featureless expanse, a blank canvas stretching infinitely in every direction.
Eirin’s brow furrowed. Only the woman remained unchanged. She tried to strike a conversation, but the woman acted as if she could hear nothing. The teenage girl tried again, waving a hand, calling out, but the woman’s emerald eyes, though fixed on Eirin, held no recognition, no flicker of understanding.
It was as if Eirin were no better than a ghost, unheard, unseen.
"The time when I will not be by your side shall come. But remember, I love you so dearly."
The words the woman spoke stirred something in Eirin’s heart, a heavy ache she didn’t understand. It was as if the woman held such longing for someone she truly missed. She held onto her chest as she kept trying to converse with the woman, but the woman only started humming again.