She dreamt of a tune, a beautiful tune, a mournful sound, a soulful melody.
It engulfed her in its ethereal notes and took her away, far from her thoughts and worries, allowing to fully indulge in all it had to offer.
This was hardly the first time she’d heard it, but each time it sounded even better than the last, leaving her wanting more.
And so, she continued to sleep, with a beautiful smile on her pretty lips.
The next morning, Alex got out of bed, letting out a yawn as he made his way to the bathroom for a quick shower.
Once he’d prepared a bath, he got into the bathtub and soaked in the water, letting out a sigh as he felt its cold touch.
Closing his eyes, he thought to try something, something he had tried several times already with minimal success.
Unfortunately, that homely place with his wife and child was gone, and so, he found himself stuck in that endless field with Adrian seated in the land covered by golden light while he stood in the area covered by darkness.
"This is impossible!" Adrian suddenly exclaimed, confusion etched on his visage.
Ignoring his words which held no meaning to him, Alex turned and made an exit, returning to the bathtub with a disappointed look in his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, he swiftly took a bath and got out of the bathtub, making his way to the mirror only to freeze a few meters away from it, his eyes widening as it revealed that he was not alone.
Standing behind him within the mirror was the Beast of Erethetri in all its terror-inducing glory, Its piercing eyes peering into the very depths of Alex’s existence.
Silence reigned as Alex stared at the unmoving image of the Beast before he drew the courage to turn back, realizing once he’d done so that the image was nothing but a trick of a weary mind.
Letting out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, he made his way to the sink beneath the mirror and clenched both sides of it with his hands, taking the time to calm his nerves.
The declaration of the Beast still hung over his head like a guillotine, reminding him of what was at stake should he not do as he was told.
Surprisingly, the Beast hadn’t made an appearance despite Astra already ending but that didn’t mean It wouldn’t come.
And with that understanding, Alex understood just how important it was to complete his sixth trial.
Anything that would increase his chances of survival in the upcoming battle, he had to take it.
As he let go of the sink, he regulated his breathing before stepping out of the bathroom.
He put on some clothes, opting for a traditional Zionite attire of a white shirt with a long leather jacket with khaki trousers and black shoes to match.
Unlike the city states of the Solomon Alliance that had a completely different fashion sense, Sklaviunt, due to its relations with Scholastica, had a more flexible view of fashion as it’s residents were not only Henosians, but individuals from all across Eventide, all of whom brought with them their cultures and traditions.
Taking a moment to check himself out, Alex made his way out of his bedroom and walked down the hallway to Arwen’s room.
Knocking thrice, he called out. "Arwen."
There was no response and so, he called out again, only for there to not be a response once again.
Frowning, he gripped the door handle and pushed it open, only to find that the room, though neatly arranged, was devoid of an occupant.
Letting out a sigh, he knew there was only one more place she could be, a place he wished she wouldn’t frequent so much.
The stairway leading into the basement was rather worn, with each step Alex took causing it to creak underneath his weight.
The previous owner had claimed the building wasn’t up to fifty years old, judging from the creaks, Alex had a feeling he may have lied.
He found Arwen seated in the basement though she was hardly alone as a man tied to a chair was seated across from her.
The man wore clean clothes and appeared to have just taken a shower with Arwen currently trying to feed him some pudding though she was finding it difficult to get him to open his mouth.
"You know you don’t have to do this." Alex remarked as he came to stand beside her.
"I know." Arwen replied as she finally managed to get Douglas to open his mouth so she could spoon-feed him.
Then, turning to Alex, she added with a smile. "But I want to."
Alex returned her smile with one of his own before glancing at Douglas.
Seeing a once energetic man turned into such a state reminded him of the life he’d left behind on Earth.
There, he’d seen men with bright futures claimed by the cold hands of death, with many more turned into invalids all because of one accident or the other.
Even those that managed to survive would end up unable to return to normal living all because of what the fighting had done to them.
He’d thought he’d be able to make a difference with the powers he’d gained since coming into Eventide only to receive the rude awakening that even with those Abilities, he was far from omnipotent.
The damage Sayda had done to Douglas psyche was not one that could be healed.
As it was, they would be lucky if he would even be able to regain basic control over his body.
In truth, Alex had already played with the idea of putting Douglas out of his misery, after all, it was better that he moved on to the Afterlife than the current life he was living, if it could even be called living.
Unfortunately, his promise to Emily held him back, leaving him no choice but to keep Douglas in his current state.
"Is there really no way to heal him?" Arwen suddenly asked as she stared at Douglas with a sad look in her eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Alex replied. "... I don’t know."