Lying on the bed, Sera's mind was blank, his yellow eyes staring at the ceiling. The window in his new room was covered by curtains, and he felt like someone was still watching him. He can't sleep.
In the morning, Lar opened the door to Sera's room, his green eyes scanning the space. "Breakfast is ready, and no one's going to wait for you."
Sera shifted his gaze from the ceiling to Lar, sighing heavily as he got up. His wavy chestnut hair covered pillow, and only one thought was in his mind:
"What do you want from me?" Reluctantly, Sera walked over to Lar and replied, "I'm coming now."
After breakfast, Lar spoke with the woman, asking for permission for him and Sera to go for a walk. They were in the forest; instead of green, the trees were warm hues of yellow, red, and orange.
"So, what's your name?"
"Sera."
"That sounds like a girl's name, don't you think?"
"What's it to you? You asked me." It was clear he was already annoyed and disliked the conversation.
"You're not very good at small talk. Maybe you have some questions?"
"Where are we, and who is that woman in the diner?"
"Her name is Lady Layla, and we are on the border of the Kingdom of Rondon."
"That far? Doesn't matter. Who are those cultists?"
"Well, I don't know much about them myself. They say they once believed in the god Centurion, but as you know, he's dead. And nothing is known about the masks; they say they subjugate your will and give you 'power'."
"What kind of diner is this, and what do you want from me?"
"It's hard to say," Lar sighed and continued, "Lady Layla is a good woman, and that diner... you could say it's like a refuge for people like us. As for you..."
Just then, rustling sounds came from nearby bushes. Lar adjusted his straight, black hair, his green eyes scanning the forest around them. "What's that...?" he asked cautiously.
"How should I know? Maybe it's some animal. We should go back; I don't want to wander around here anymore."
"Agreed..."
As they headed back to the diner, the sounds were still audible. The faster they walked, the clearer the rustling in the bushes became.
"Almost there!" Lar yelled.
When they stopped, they were still in the forest.
"And where's your 'almost there'?"
"I swear... We should have been ba..."
The scent of blood filled the air in the forest. They looked around, and it seemed as if they hadn't moved at all.
"What nonsense..." Lar was clearly perplexed, and the smell of blood became even more oppressive. Sera grew increasingly wary.
"An illusion?..." Sera asked nervously.
"Anything's possible... The only question is where its core is so we can get out of here..."
Just then, a beast leaped out of the bushes. It was large and muscular, while both Lar and Sera were lean, although Sera was shorter than Lar. Beast had bony fangs and claws. Lar immediately drew a short blade, while Sera watched.