Niko quickly hopped between the bone platforms, glancing over his shoulder from time to time to make sure Hana was following him safely.
Reaching the last platform, he jumped down, with Hana joining him a few moments later.
Niko scanned his surroundings.
They were in a spacious area surrounded by tall, metal buildings. The floor here was made of marble, unlike the metallic roads they had seen so far, and was covered with various intricate patterns that seemed to be made of pure gold.
There was also a park nearby, with overgrown grass and overturned metal benches, and animals scurrying about inside.
Near the centre of the park was a large statue of a king, with a decorated staff in his hand and a long robe over his shoulders.
The statue was made entirely of gold, with several rare gems embedded in it. It was seated on a huge throne, towering over the entire area as if keeping watch over its mighty kingdom.
But even the grandiose statue hadn't been safe from the Abyss Spawns, who had left deep claw marks all over it. The statue's head was also missing, having been ripped off entirely.
Even the emblem on the king's robe was obscured by countless claw marks, making it unrecognizable.
And right in front of the statue, there was a circular, stone platform, with strange patterns carved into its surface.
It stood cracked and shattered, the patterns on its surface left broken and deformed.
A broken, stone path connected the park's entrance with a small set of stairs, which led up to the surface of the circular platform.
Niko recognized the platform, of course, but Hana didn't. So, she was curious to see it up close.
Besides, she really wanted to go play with all those animals in the park.
She walked in through the park's entrance, humming a pleasant melody along the way.
She closed her eyes, feeling the world around her, as a soft glow enveloped her body.
She felt the swaying grass, the scurrying animals, the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze.
She felt every plant around her hum with joy, singing along with her soothing song.
The animals in the park froze in place, staring in awe at the shining Spirit.
They approached her slowly, as if afraid of startling the gentle soul.
A hare hopped towards her, a dove landed on her shoulder.
A deer gently walked in her direction, while a fox quickly scurried over.
Hana smiled as she noticed them, opening her eyes slightly to look in their direction.
She patted their heads, scratched their chins, her face beaming with joy and affection.
More and more animals approached the girl as she walked gracefully over the the road of stone.
Hana hummed a joyful song, happy to have such an adorable company.
She spun and laughed, hopping here and there, and the animals followed her every move, swirling and frolicking around the sweet little girl.
Her melodic laugh echoed through the air, while the gentle breeze played with her pale blue hair.
Niko watched from afar with a smile, happy to see her having fun. For a moment, he thought of joining her, but then he shook his head, reminding himself of his reality.
So, instead, he walked to the far end of the park, sitting down cross-legged under a tree as he watched Hana playing with the animals.
She reached the stone platform, gracefully climbing up its moss-covered steps, before sitting down and observing the patterns on its surface.
The animals followed after her, sitting down beside her.
The deer nuzzled her hand as Hana petted its head, while the hare climbed onto her lap. The birds flew in circles above her, chirping and singing along as she hummed.
Niko kept on watching, the smile never leaving his face. But at some point, that smile had turned a little wistful.
Seeing Hana happily playing and singing with the animals, made him wish he could do that too.
It made him wish he could join her up there. It made him wish that he could pet and play with animals, that he could feel their soft fur, listen up close to their soothing calls.
Niko sighed, suddenly wishing that Leta was still around.
He thought for a bit, and then lowered his gaze and looked at the ground, before gently tapping it with his finger.
A green glow enveloped his hand, seeping into the ground below it.
What came next was a crack, pop and...a meow?
A small mound of dirt rose up, and a small, skeletal face popped out from it.
A cat.
The skeletal cat tilted its head, studying Niko's face with a curious expression. Then, it meowed happily, before hopping out from the mound of dirt.
It hopped and ran all around him with a gaze filled with endless curiosity, tripping over its own feet several times in the process.
Niko scoffed a little. Nine lives wouldn't have been enough for this troublesome little feline.
The cat circled around Niko, nuzzling against his legs. Niko petted its head with a small smile.
Then, he turned his attention back to his glowing hands as he used them to summon more of the dead.
A skeletal hand rose when Niko waved his own, pulling with it the body of a skinless squirrel.
A groaning wolf dug up with its rotting claws.
A goblin's corpse scurried over from somewhere afar, and a dead owl flew down from its broken nest.
Then came a serpent with lightless eyes, while a sleeping deer awoke from its eternal rest.
A bloodied sparrow flew down from above, and then came a bear killed by its own kin.
They watched over their master with reverence and love, circling around him and nuzzling against his skin.
Niko closed his eyes as his skin grew bright, enveloped by a green, beautiful light.
His hands moved and waved, spun and danced, summoning dozens of soulless dead.
The dead groaned and creaked, dug and rose, gathering together to heed their master's command.
But there was no command to fight, no call for battle. Instead, there was a little boy seeking solace from his lonely existence.
Niko's lips curved in a small smile, feeling comfort in the presence of the summoned dead.
He allowed himself to be lost in that feeling, failing to notice that someone was approaching.
Hana had been watching him curiously from the platform and had decided to come and see what he was doing up close.
He seemed so peaceful like that, so Hana approached him quietly, not wanting to disturb him.
Niko finally sensed her approaching when she had almost reached him, and he flinched.
He hurriedly withdrew his power with a panicked expression.
The light enveloping him dissipated without a trace, and the dead fell back into their lifeless state as their bodies hit the ground with a thud.
Hana paused when she saw that, feeling confused and hurt by his reaction.
Niko panted heavily, calming himself and wiping the sweat off his forehead. But his eyes widened a little when he noticed Hana's expression.
She lowered her gaze and gave him a nod, before turning around to walk away. Niko panicked, scrambling to his feet, and quickly tapped her shoulder, asking her to stop.
Hana turned around and shook her head with a small, sad smile, as if telling him that it was alright, before turning away again.
Niko hesitated for a moment, scratching his head as he tried to think. Then, he tapped her shoulder again.
When Hana turned around, she saw Niko standing there with a skeletal cat in his hands and a sheepish smile on his face.
The little cat looked at Hana with its glowing eyes, meowing as it pleaded in its master's defense.
Hana smiled when she saw it, happily accepting the little peace offering and cradling it in her arms.
Then she looked up at Niko, who still seemed a bit uneasy, and tilted her head, asking if there was anything else he had wanted to tell her.
Niko took a deep breath, and then sighed, glancing at the tree standing next to them.
Then, he walked up to it and placed his hand on its trunk. Hana watched, a little confused, as Niko proceeded to animate the dead bodies once again.
One, two, three, he reanimated the bodies one by one.
Hana frowned, feeling that something was changing about the tree.
It was as if it was getting weaker.
And, sure enough, the place where Niko had placed his hand started to lose its color and wither, and the grass around him started to die as well.
As he raised more of the corpses, a green glow enveloped his body, while the withered area continued to grow.
Hana's eyes widened, and she turned to look at where Niko had been sitting before. Sure enough, there was a patch of dead grass there as well.
Now that she thought about it, she had seen something similar happen before, back when the corrupted Ogre had attacked Niko.
The monster's arm had started shrivelling up and withering away, just like this tree and grass.
Niko sighed once more, pulling his power back, causing the dead he had raised to become lifeless once more, before removing his hand from the tree to see what had become of it.
The tree trunk that had been healthy and full of life just moments ago now had a large patch that was withered and dried, seeming to be on the verge of collapsing.
This was the cost of using his power — the cost of wielding the power of Death.
That power was both a blessing that helped him in his mission, and a curse that doomed him to an eternity of loneliness.
It gave Niko a strange presence, which scared ordinary beings at best, and killed them at worst.
The more of this power he unleashed, the stronger that presence became, and the wider it spread, creating a land of death wherever it went.
Niko glanced at the withered tree once more, before sitting on the ground while hugging his knees and lowering his gaze.
Hana looked at him, and then looked at the tree, before walking up to the withered tree trunk.
Niko looked up at her, and tilted his head.
Hana gently placed her hand on the dying tree trunk. A soft, golden light spread out from her palm, enveloping the entirety of the withered area.
The dying area began coming back to life, regaining its previous color and strength at a rate visible to the naked eye.
In an instant, the damage that had been dealt by Niko's presence disappeared, and the tree returned to its previous, healthy state.
Hana wiped sweat off of her forehead, before turning around. She walked up to Niko and sat down beside him, looking at him with a warm smile on her face.
It was just a small gesture, and Niko knew that it was impossible for her to always fix all the damage that he'd cause.
But still, that small gesture, that small, caring display washed away his previous sadness, and he found his lips curling in a small smile.
After that, the two of them stayed there for a few more hours, quietly enjoying each other's company.