Standing under the blood tinged sky a young woman stood high in the air atop a light pole. Feeling the warm night air rushing over her skin. It was the only sense of normalcy that she felt. Especially when she witnessed the same events playing out. Day in and day out without much in the way of change. Just enough to feel different. Just like right now.
She was watching the grey tinged monsters flying across the roofs of nearby buildings. Hunting their target. A young high school student. Who was stuck reliving hell day in and day out.
And this wasn't the first time that she's witnessed this hunt, nor the first time she listened to the screams of pain that would soon follow. This was however, the first time she felt something for the poor soul.
Pity.
She couldn't tell how long it had been since she had felt anything resembling emotions. At least since she had last been allowed to rest. And her mission here was much more of a challenge than she'd thought it would be.
But until she was successful in her mission. She wouldn't know much in the realm of rest. Especially when she wasn't allowed to do much of anything, except for watch. Especially when she would rather be doing other things. Like living. Though the more she watched. The more she noticed that things were changing for the worse. Patterns had changed over time, and she was willing to guess that he was becoming far more aware. At least at a subconscious level.
Which only made things worse the more he became aware. And before things grew to a point she was powerless to do anything, she had to find a way to save him.
And the only way to figure out exactly what she was supposed to do. Required her to get up close and personal. Even if it meant the possibility of breaking a few rules. She was going to find a way.
Hopping down from the pole, she walked towards the sounds of the distant loud crashes and roars of excitement.
As she walked, she saw a few of the grey monsters that oddly looked like some variation of an ancient shinto priest. With their faces covered by a black cloth, and the majority of their bodies covered by a similar kind of black fabric.
This was the first time she'd seen a creature like this one. Another change. Another piece of the puzzle she needed to figure out where it went. And The first step was figuring out exactly what had caused these creatures to appear.
Her first guess was that these kinds of creatures had been hiding in the shadows, watching just as she had been. Waiting for their chance to do whatever it was they planned on doing. But what exactly did they plan on doing?
And to top it off. The fact she was now seeing them didn't bode well with the young woman. Especially with how aggressive the others had proven to be with the short time they had been around. They had proven to be even worse when they had a target to hone in on like a pack of rabid wolves.
Continuing in her pursuit, she found it easier to just follow the priestly figures. After she had noticed that they all flowed along the same direction. Like a stream of water moving through a laid out path.
How convenient.
After what felt like an eternity of running, a loud roar shook the world. It was so violent that it almost sent her tumbling to the ground. Fortunately enough for her, she managed to grab onto one of the priestly figures who really didn't seem bothered by the physical contact at all. It just acted like she wasn't there. Continuing to move as it almost proceeded to drag her along.
"Woah!" The young woman said loudly, finding her balance in time enough to let go before it went down a set of stairs with her.
Letting out a relieved breath as she witnessed the creature giving her some kind of eyeless side eye. Like her falling into it was a temporary inconvenience.
The next sight she saw made her breath catch in her throat. As she saw what looked like rising crimson water. Water which practically glowed a deep red. Like the sky high above it.
Yet, it didn't seem to be too much of a bother to the priestly creatures, as they rushed through the water. Staining the walls a deep darker red.
Then the second roar happened. This time, the power and the vibrations shook her all the way to her core. And at that moment, she tasted copper so intense in her mouth so overwhelming she was surprised her stomach didn't violently protest. Followed by what seemed to be floating red vapor as the water seemed to immediately grow hotter, all while being hit by the crimson moonlight in such a way that she swore made the water look as if it were beginning to flow the wrong way. Or had it been flowing the wrong way the entire time?
It was questions like that which gave her hope
Slowly, she reached out towards one of the moon beams placing her hand palm down in the stream. Feeling the reddish liquid flowing up into her palm. Flowing around her hand and over her fingers. Continuing to flow unhindered by her minor disturbance. And her hand stained red.
Taking a step forward. The girl Braced herself for the water at the bottom of the steps. Going as far as to take her shoes off. The moment her foot went under the water, the girl was surprised when she saw that the water only went up to her ankles. Which was somewhat comforting. The next thing that surprised her was the water. It was warm, and oddly soothing. Like the water of a bathhouse. With faint steam flowing up from the surface of the water. Twisting and twirling, seemingly reacting to her movements.
"Things are. Moving quickly." The girl said to herself. Keeping her voice low so she didn't disturb the creatures that surrounded her. Looking around, she noticed that they had started moving much faster than they had been.
So fast that the girl had to increase her pace to a medium jog, then to a full on sprint just to keep pace with the slowest of the bunch.
The priest-like creatures moved through the water with such momentum and force that the water started to flow with enough violent energy that it generated a wall of crimson water that proceeded to chase the girl.
She didn't display any visible emotion other than a small O of her mouth. Picking up her pace into a steady sprint. Almost like her life depended on it. Which in this very moment, it probably did.
As she ran. The girl noticed that she was being led to a building that somehow resembled a train station that had been built on the surface of venus. With walls a nearly twisted black metal, the ground it rested upon having an almost fleshy look to it. It was truly the stuff of nightmares, unlike anything she had ever seen in her life.
Which definitely seemed to be her continued experience with everything that she had been observing. Waiting for a chance to get involved, for her chance to act. Only, she didn't know how much longer it would take before she was allowed to.
Soon the girl found herself going deep within the depths of the structure, all the way to a clearing that took the shape of a circle with a six-foot diameter. And in the middle of it was a young man with black hair, who was curled up into a ball. Sobbing as all of the creatures continued to move around in a circle. Unable to get any closer to him. All watching him intently, not out of curiosity. But just to watch. Almost like it was some kind of sick and twisted source of entertainment.
At least that was the feeling she got from them.
"Please…please just leave me alone…I just want to go home" He sobbed. His voice sounded raw from all of the crying and the screaming he had been doing. Not that she could blame him, if she was continuously watching this event for the first time. She too would be just how he was.
Which must've been the most obvious case. If it hadn't been proven by both the sight of blood slowly dripping by his head and by the sound of his coughs. Coughs that sounded like he was trying to clear his throat. Or to attempt to make the pain much more bearable.
Finally, in the distance. Large crashes could be heard, sending waves of debris soaring through the sky. Hitting a few of the cloaked figures in the head, sending them tumbling down and making room for the only other kind of creature the girl saw on a nightly basis. As it flew through the air violently past the girl.
Heading right in the direction of the poor bow who lay curled up on the ground. Defenselessly, and opened to the crushing force that would most definitely kill him if it connected.
But right as the creature was about to make contact. Everything suddenly turned black. Growing uncomfortably quiet at the absence of sound, feeling, and even corporeality. As everything slowly faded.
Leaving the girl alone. In the black abyss of infinity. To wait for the cycle to begin anew. Just as it had many times before.