The room felt like a freezer with demons lurking within its iced veils. A wall of glass showcased a dreary city covered in rain. Light poured through the windows — illuminating the silhouette of a girl draped in wires. They clung to her skin, pouring in medications and magic by the minute to sedate the burning she felt within her blood. It was practically boiling — peeling away her skin by the hour.

Her sky blue eyes looked plastic with a glazed wrapping glued to the irises. Long black hair littered the bed, clashing with the white cloth. A rhythmic beep kept the room from falling completely silent. That's all there was. Besides an occasional sizzle accompanied by the scent of melting flesh.

This was a decisive day for the girl though.

The sliding glass door to her room opened, letting out all the chilled air. The nurses and doctor recoiled; the hairs on their arms practically jumping from their bodies.

"Reimi, how are you feeling dear?" the doctor said with a shaky voice.

The girl looked over at her and stared, deadpan eyes locked with caring ones. Reimi's lips didn't move an inch; Not because they couldn't... but because she willed them not to.

"I see... Well! We've got good news and bad news."

Snickering and whispers dampened the doorway. Talks about a monster within the hospital, laying in one of their own beds. Reimi turned her head away — opting to look at the city. There was no color. Everything looked so gray. The only difference between things was the textures and how the rain sat differently on said textures. It was all so bleak.

"Reimi? I'll move on to the bad news now."

The doctor took in a deep breath. "There isn't exactly an easy way to say this but, Reimi, we can't cure your condition. Whatever it is... it seems to be ingrained in your very being."

She took out a bottle of small round pills. They were a light shade of purple; Lavender. "I'm afraid all we can do is prescribe you with these. It'll stop the burning for a day. I'm sorry we can't do more."

Reimi's expression didn't shift. Her face remained relaxed; with a twinge of melancholy. It was already difficult for her to process what the doctor had said. After all, there were so many voices swimming in her head. Each one pulled her consciousness in a different direction. It was manageable though since they weren't that loud. However, there was one voice that was disruptive enough to make her shake. It was low and weighty — often rattling her skull with just a single word.

Her monster(s).

The nurses started removing all the equipment attached to Reimi. Some tubes were stickier against her skin; leaving visible marks scattered across her body. Needles for the IV were plucked from her skin, not a gentle touch. All the medical tape slowly came off, ripping away small hairs in the process. Not much blood was spilled thankfully — just a few drops every now and then. It was a dark crimson infused with specks of black. Blood of someone who wasn't all the way human.

It was time to be discharged. 'Freedom' at last. Reimi's feet felt odd against the vinyl floors. The ground felt jagged and tilted. Perhaps the side effect of not leaving her bed for days; could also be the sudden lack of drugs being pumped into her. Either way, walking became a very difficult task. She clung to the walls whenever she could making sure to keep a consistent stride.

The nurses took a glance at her struggles and walked away.

By the time Reimi made it to the lobby, support wasn't needed anyways. The doctor took her hand and smiled; from someone so caring, it felt a bit eerie. The corners of her mouth were sharp with a smile that was far too wide.

"So Reimi, I hope to see you again; but not in the hospital, of course. Keep healthy, okay?"

Reimi nodded and slightly grinned, turning to the main door the second she got. The cold air from inside still stuck to her skin. There was a slight hope in Reimi's heart that the city would be colorful again. A hope that there would be a difference between viewing it from a window to now looking it dead in the eyes. It was the exact same. At least it wasn't raining anymore.

All the streets looked grim. Tight hallways and corridors with many twists and turns. It was impossible to know what kind of beasts lurked within them. Reimi always stuck to the same routes for that reason. It didn't matter anyways. They all led her back home, Willowwood avenue.

There were many people littered around the initial pathways. Mostly drunkards and people trying to sell various things; not a doubt those items were stolen. Eventually, things got quiet, the streets became emptier. The silence was odd though. Something was definitely ahead; a small pinch Reimi felt in her gut. She was almost home; it should be fine.

Footsteps felt a lot heavier now but there was a light growing stronger and stronger in the distance. It splashed against the buildings — highlighting their true colors. They weren't gray anymore. Reimi's eyes widened, her breath quickened, and she ran. Not away... but straight ahead.

And there stood a woman.

A familiar face; rather, a thorn in the side. She stood tall, towering over three limp bodies; adjusting a golden bracelet that dangled on her wrist. The sunlight peeked through the clouds at that moment — highlighting her honey blonde hair. A slight sparkle shimmered in her hazel eyes after meeting Reimi's gaze.

"Is that who I think it is?" she gleefully shouted.

Reimi sighed, disappointed at who she saw. Not for any inherent negative reasons — it's just that this woman was annoying. From what she remembered anyways.

"How's my lil rockstar doing?"

Reimi shrugged, dropping her head a bit. Truly unsure how she was doing. Her arms started to burn slightly; even after taking one of the pills. She grimaced and started to wobble; losing her balance fast. The skin on her arms had yet to recover. It was as if she was starting to melt from the inside.

The woman grabbed Reimi's shoulders and held her still. "Not very well I see..."

For just a few moments, they stared at each other. Taking a glimpse at each other's hearts. Reimi's eyes were like an ocean, dead calm, without a speck of light in their depths. The woman's lips dropped to a frown. She slowly dropped her arms, tracing down to Reimi's hands, holding them with a light touch.

"Hmm... how about I do a small magic trick? I've heard it does wonders" the woman whispered.

Reimi nodded, without a bit of hesitation. Her aura was always so — bright, like a single star within a blacked-out sky. She was trustworthy enough, after all, if she wanted to hurt her she would've done it by now.

There was a slight glow emanating from their hands. It was a gentle gold, turning their palms lucent. The burning Reimi felt slowly started to fade away; her muscles loosened up. The light reached a place Reimi would've never imagined — it was like a hug, around her very soul. A faint rosiness grew across her delicate cheeks, and for once, she felt at ease. Her heart was warm; the shadows were gone, leaving behind a feeling of comfort in their wake.

The woman slowly let go of Reimi's hands, offering a small smile in response to teary eyes. Reimi couldn't help it. She could see the woman's fair skin; her golden hair, hazel eyes, vibrant clothes — it was all visible. In-depth recounts of all their previous meetings started flooding back, it was too much to handle at once.

Astrid was the woman's name.

"Ahh, well I hope that helped a bit... god, I'm making this kinda awkward huh" Astrid's voice trailed off.

Reimi shook her head, wiping away any tears that happened to slip away from her eye sockets. After gaining some composure, she pointed at the pile of people passed out. Gesturing to Astrid with a shrug and pointing at her.

"What happened with them? Is that right?"

Reimi nodded.

"Gotcha, I'm getting good at this ya know," Astrid giggled. "Anyways, there's not much of a story here... You know how this area is right Rei? I just needed to defend myself."

"Sorry you had to see the aftermath," Astrid said, her eyes glancing away for a second.

Reimi sighed, smiling slightly. In truth, this was all very new to her. No one willingly approached her like this, it was generally out of spite or disgust. They'd throw things or shout even at the slightest feeling of her aura. It was enough to drive people mad. Not Astrid though. She always came back, with a warm smile on her face. It always felt like she was genuinely happy to meet. Reimi does think she's a bit obnoxious, a thorn in her side, but... she's the only one who can make her feel warm. A constant reminder that she's still capable of feeling — the roses in her cheeks.

"So, I guess this is where we part ways?" Astrid smiled, with a slight quiver in her voice.

Reimi walked up to Astrid, practically falling into her, and gave a big hug. A reassurance almost, that they would see each other again. They weren't embraced for very long — but they both smiled earnestly. Reimi let go and started the walk back home. There was a slight ache in her chest, but she didn't know what it was. It felt like strings nudging her heart, to stop some kind of pain.

Astrid waved with a smile made of quivering lips. Reimi didn't turn around.

The streets became more open, but the colors were still the same. Distant voices started fading away, their absence getting filled with the hissing of broken ac units. Grass poured out between cracks within the asphalt — begging for water and sunlight. Reimi sighed, the aching in her chest was starting to get heavy. Strings turned into chains, dragging her heart away.

She gripped her chest, practically digging into her skin. It hurt so much. She didn't know what was going on. A moment before she was feeling more blissful than ever, but now... everything was crumbling. The voices were getting loud. All that was green nearby started to bend, life practically shivered in fear, growing brown and black.

Footsteps started approaching, the urgency being apparent from their rapid rhythm.

A hand gripped Reimi's, it was incredibly warm. Astrid. "Reimi? Are you okay? God, we need to find cover fast. Can you walk?"

Her voice was shaky, laced with panic. It was only then that Reimi could hear the sirens blaring throughout the city. "...repeat, all citizens evacuate to the nearest shelter possible. Monsters have breached the city. Use any magical suppressors you can and wait patiently for the next announcement. Thank you."

The announcer was calm. It was difficult to hear him, with all the screams bouncing around these giant walls.

"Reimi? We need to move" Astrid shouted.

Reimi's mind was fried. The voices inside, screaming on the outside — blaring white noise piercing her eardrums- were far too much. There was only one thought circulating through her mind. "I need to get home." She trudged her feet forward, wobbling with each step. Astrid's hand inadvertently helped her keep balance.

"Ah fuck it, lead the way," Astrid said.

Astrid followed Reimi, helping her up whenever she fell. The further they walked the more quiet things got. There was an eerie feeling to all this. As if there was a veil around this part of the city, blocking all the noise from the outside. Astrid shivered for a second, quickly checking all their surroundings.

Eventually, they made it to Reimi's home. It was a modest-looking building. A bit out of place for such a modern city, the architecture felt like something from a forgotten period. Windows were placed generously and the building was surrounded by trees. However, the two of them couldn't look inside the house. All the windows were blacked out.

"Rei... are these windows usually like this?"

Reimi shook her head, glancing at Astrid with glazed over eyes. She was ready to pass out. It was difficult to stay awake, even with Astrid around. All of her energy was leaving by the second — trying to keep up with the sensory overload. Astrid held Reimi close, keeping her eyes glued to the front door.

"Alright Reimi, you took us here so I'll believe this place is usually safe. But right now, it doesn't feel like it is... so I'll need you to stay behind me, alright?"

Reimi couldn't hear a word anymore. She clung onto Astrid's arm, passing in and out of consciousness. The outside noise didn't matter to her, all that mattered was that she and her new friend were safe. After all, there was no reason to waste any thoughts on people who just tormented her.

The door creaked open, not with an abrasive sound but a rather quiet one. Everything was pitch black. Completely dark. There wasn't a speck of light anywhere, even from the open door behind them. A vile smell entered both their nostrils. It was rancid, practically burning the inside of their noses. Reimi coughed, letting go of Astrid for a moment.

The door slammed shut. Heavy breathing started creeping into their ears, coming from the center of the room. Wide red eyes flashed in the dark. They were imperfect circles, staring intently at Reimi.

Astrid kept her breathing steady, making sure to keep Reimi close by her side. A bright light started to form around her right hand, illuminating the room — and the monster that sat in the middle of it. It all looked hazy, even within the light. His skin looked humanlike, filled with contortions and boils. All the white spots looked like faces; especially on his hands. The monster was on all fours, his lanky limbs covering the entirety of the room.

There was nowhere to go. His head spun around, with a mouth opened wide. The space between them was growing tighter — until they could practically feel each other's breath.