Arata wakes up yet again in the middle of the night. This time, he takes great care not to wake a soul. Sword in hand, he creeps up in the dead of night, praying to summon Ravenna.

  “Spot the Alraune for me, I worry a light’s going to give away my position.” Arata pushes her along.

  Ravenna floats upwards, “uuughh fine…” A pillar of light descends from the sky, marking the Alraune’s position. The creature couldn’t see the light if Ravenna created it and thus had no way of telling just how exposed it was by the light.

  Arata sneaks up, watching the creature as it slowly moves its way around aimlessly in the dark. Its eyes pan across the plane of silhouettes, confused about where to go next. These creatures aren’t nocturnal? Strange to attack during the night then.

  Arata pierces the back of the Alraune’s neck with his sword, twisting the blade through its spine with a crunch. Arata begins to pray, warping himself away to the theater.

  Ravenna taps on Arata's shoulder, now wearing a black coat adorned with fake golden badges with a hat, sunglasses, and a prop cigarette in her mouth. “Those dirty fae plan to attack our six. Damn bastards sent a scout! We move out at noon, soldier. Show that demon scum the way to hell, kid…”

  Arata pauses, and the two stare into each other's eyes in complete silence. Arata speaks up, “What's with the getup? You were just in the real world with me, how'd you even get all that set up?”

  “Don't ask, we’ve got more pressing matters. I’ve examined the Alraune. There are a few things I have devised from the script of the Alraune you just killed. 1st is the Erlking's magic. Pestilent interpretation, the Erlking's ability to corrupt.” Ravenna's expression explains, slightly darkening at the thought.

  Continuing, Ravenna explains, “The Alraune were normal fairies once in the past. But their form was contorted into a mockery of their very foundation. The Alraune is a mass of these corrupted fairies that stuff themselves in the corpses of humans to reanimate them. I will run some tests with the mannequins later to devise the mechanics of their mental attacks.”

  Arata lets out a sigh, “It puts a bad taste in my mouth… after meeting those three faires at the tea party when I went to the Ripping.”

  Arata picks up an old script, thinking back to it, Arata began to cringe. It was a mercy kill, right? Rachamah told me, Chive told me. It was for the better, right?

  Ravenna sighs, readying herself, “Hey… Arata, killing people and taking responsibility for the deaths of others is inevitable in this world. It’s a reality you need to learn to confront… however, that doesn’t mean you need to let yourself feel bad for what happens. As long as you don’t go on a frenzy like a madman, you can justify your own actions. That’s what my professor told me.”

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  Ravenna pauses, clearing her throat, she begins to shake a little, “existing outside human boundaries means we see death all the time and cause it in many others… the lie served me well, I deluded myself until I could properly desensitize my brain. It’s just like the winter… the cold, through gradual exposure, you’ll adapt.”

  Arata stares at her wide-eyed. That was insane. Arata knew that Ravenna’s morals were all over the place, but to tell himself he did a good job killing would be distasteful in his eyes. That’s not something easy to accept… the cold… back on earth, I lived in Southern California, and I have no reference for whether that’s true or not.

  Arata decides to ask her, “Hey Ravenna… even if the Alraune are malicious, can I-”

  Ravenna speaks over him, “It’s also a mercy kill, their very beings and morals are eroded by the Erlking’s influence. The fairies are quite vulnerable as a species; their memories are lessened to withstand eternity. It’s a miserable existence to live as a weapon disposable by the hands that built you up.

  “Oh- okay, I understand Ravenna… I’ll leave it at that then,” Arata concludes, sighing to himself.

  Arata remained still, and an awkward silence permeated the atmosphere. Fate seemingly leaves Arata to kill time; the surrounding world somehow slows down further. Arata decides to ask her, “Hey, you’ve got a console on the 2nd floor of the theater, if my body can be sleeping in the real world, let me use it.”

  The Little Nesting Doll

  Written by: ?????

  Act XX

  X Int. The Erlking’s grand hall -

  Saffron (Female 115) stands before the king (Male 40), alongside her sisters.

  Erlking

  Unforgivable, UNFORGIVABLE! You four dimwits- actually know what, you try and guess what you four did.

  The Elven man’s cape flutters as he points his finger at Saffron. The other 3 have their jaws hanging limp from the Erlking beating on them. Saffron begins to tremble.

  Saffron

  S- sorry! Your cape… we weren’t told what kind of dye it had used. I promise it wasn’t to spite you.

  Erlking

  Spite… funny, a lack of spite? Does that absolve you of your guilt? If one of those damn dryads scares away a child from these woods… does that absolve her of fucking up?!

  The Erlking’s fist lands on Saffron’s face with a sickening crunch. Saffron’s nose is broken.

  Erlking

  This isn’t enough; you should know by now transgressions against the throne are paid in service. You and your friends are getting drafted.

  The four sisters shake as the Erlking waves his hand and black smog begins seeping into the four’s lungs.

  Saffron

  UUuuaaahh! I’m sorry, please nonono! Not Liliad, not tulip! Don't-

  Flesh merges with flesh, new holes tear open in the fairies that bear their teeth on each other, converging to consume each of the former sisters.

  X Int. Alraune

  Alraune

  I need to find myself a human… a man who wants to create a beautiful unity~

  With eyes contorted by lust, the creature spots a soldier sprawled out across a stone in the woods, stiff with rigor mortis.

  Alraune

  Oh, you might just get me all worked up~ Sister would be quite happy… We’ll become a little nesting doll!