Chapter 53: Recognition
Reinhard rushed through the burned down district while he tightened his grip on Anasha and pressed forward.
And then.
"Rein! Anasha!"
The voice rang out from the square ahead. Marie and Joseph stood near a crumbling building, both breathing hard, sweat beading on their foreheads.
Relief flashed in Marie’s eyes as soon as she saw them and then she ran a few steps forward with a grin.
"I’m so glad you’re both okay!" Marie as she quickly began looking over them to see if there alright and sighed in relief when he found no terrible wounds.
Joseph gave a nod as his face broke into a smile. While Reinhard nodded at them, his expression became grim as he glanced behind and knew the beasts horde would soon be here.
"What’s wrong?" Joseph asked with a worried look.
Reinhard breathed slowly as he felt shoulders eased and then he said. "A lot of things." He admitted, shifting Anasha gently in his arms. "But the biggest issue is that me and Anasha were being chased by a horde of Phantasm Beasts."
Marie blinked in surprise. "How many?"
"Only fifty of them were chasing me but I know more will come. So we are looking at probably over a hundred," Reinhard answered with a sigh.
Joseph froze, his head tilting slightly as though to check if he’d misheard. "...Over a hundred?"
"Yep."
It’s then they heard multiple ear-splitting roars. Reinhard sighed as he knew the pursuing beasts were getting closer and closer to their current position.
Marie’s surprise turned into curiosity as her gaze darted toward the ruined streets and then back to Reinhard. "That doesn’t make sense. Phantasm Beasts don’t gather like that and there shouldn’t be so many around. Unless..." She trailed off, her lips quivering faintly with an almost eager curiosity. "Unless something really angered them. Or..." Her eyes lit with a strange excitement. "This town is special."
Reinhard sighed while his hand rubbed Anasha’s back. "It isn’t because they were angered but because this town is far more special than we ever believed."
Anasha stirred at that, a faint whimper escaping her throat. Her trembling worsened, and Reinhard instinctively pulled her tighter against his chest.
Joseph’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? What did you find out when you found Anasha, Reinhard?"
Reinhard’s lips pressed into a thin line as he said "...Because the Phantasm Beasts aren’t invading. The beast running amok and causing havoc are the townsfolks."
A silence fell down on the area.
Joseph blinked once before his eyes widened in shock as he opened his mouth but no sound came out.
While Marie blinked before furrowing and then after swallowing she asked. "Are you saying...You mean they were transformed?"
Reinhard shook his head and said. "...No. They have always been beasts."
For a moment no one spoke.
Anasha’s fingers dug into Reinhard’s shirt, twisting the fabric until her knuckles went white. Her breathing came in sharp, uneven gasps against his chest.
Marie trembled as she took a step back. "No..." She whispered. "That can’t be right. We ate at Leafa cafe and saw the other townspeople eating as well... We saw how much they cared about each other and how all of them came together after we rescued Van. We have-" She swallowed hard before shaking her head. "All those actions were done by beasts?"
Reinhard gritted his teeth as he further adjusted his hold on Anasha. "They were."
Joseph’s brows drew together, his hands clenching into fists. "Rein, think carefully. Are you sure?"
"I wish I were wrong. But all of us saw them turns and the bastard Phineas shed some more light on it... They were Phantasm Beasts who had an illusion placed over them and changed into humans... Once the illusion was cracked, they returned to their original existence and attacked."
Anasha flinched at his words. "No..." She whispered while Reinhard rubbed her back in slow circles.
Marie pressed a hand over her mouth, her mind racing, eyes darting to Anasha’s small form. "If that’s true..." She swallowed, her voice faltering. "Then... Ven too?"
Reinhard’s silence was answer enough.
"No!" Anasha’s shouted as her small hands dug into Reinhard’s shirt until fabric creased between white-knuckled fists. "Ven isn’t a beast! That bad man must have turned him!" Tears spilled over as she tilted her face up to his and was pleading at him. "Make them understand! Tell them it’s a lie! My family... they can’t be beasts!"
Reinhard knelt, keeping her secure against his chest. He pressed his forehead to hers as he said softly. "Anasha. Look at me. I’m right here with you." His thumb swept a tear from her eyes." Slow down. Just breathe with me."
But the girl shook her head furiously, sobbing harder. "They can’t be beasts! They can’t!" Her tears soaked into his shirt. "Ven promised he’d protect me forever! Mom taught me how to make cookies! Dad taught me how to braid rope and build a swing! That wasn’t fake! It wasn’t!"
Her words broke into hiccupped denials, and Reinhard simply held her tighter, rocking her gently. His own eyes, though, stayed locked on Joseph and Marie.
Joseph’s grimace while he stared down at Anasha in pity. "If what you’re saying is true... Then this whole town-"
"Was never a town." Reinhard finished for him softly.
Marie trembled, shaking her head. "No wonder the beasts are gathering... If this place itself is born of an illusion, then..." Her eyes flicked to Anasha and her light-gold eyes went wide with realization.
Reinhard slowly nodded his head leading Marie to quickly move and hugged the back of Anasha. Marie began comforting and whispering words to Anasha who trembled even more before burying herself deeper into Reinhard’s chest.
Anasha says frantically as she rapidly shakes her head. "I didn’t do anything... I didn’t! Please, Rein, I didn’t..."
"You didn’t." Reinhard said softly. "Listen to me, Anasha. You are not to blame, not for this and not for them. Don’t worry, everything will be alright, we will make it through this but I need you to recall what I said before. What you experience with them isn’t fake, no matter what anyone else say."
Anasha eyes widened before she bit her lips and looked down.
It’s then the sound of footsteps that they were ignoring had now grown even louder and made Reinhard frown.
Joseph lifted his head with a frown. "Do you hear that?"
"It’s them, they have finally reached us." Reinhard says softly with a troubled look while feeling Anasha trembling.
A low rumble echoed from the cracked streets that only grew louder as seconds passed.
Reinhard turned slightly to see from the ruined alleys and broken rooftops countless footsteps. Shadows spilled from every direction with glowing eyes cutting through the dark.
A horde of Phantasm Beasts surged forward from every direction, their monstrous bodies contorting as they advanced, teeth bared and eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
Reinhard adjusted Anasha in his arms, his grip on Zenuken tightening. "They’ve found us."
The ground trembled beneath their feet as dust rained from the cracked ceiling. Each step of the approaching monsters sent vibrations through the ground. Reinhard shifted his weight, feeling Zenuken’s against his palm while Anasha shivered violently in his arms.
Despite his efforts to keep her face hidden, she managed to steal a glance over his shoulder at what approached.
And then she froze.
Anasha lifted her small hand that was still shaking and pointed at the oncoming shadows. "T-That’s... Mr. Micheal." Her voice cracked, caught between disbelief and terror. "I know that hunch in his back... He always carried barrels to the cafes..."
The shape she pointed at, a Bear-Terror with a hunched back as it rushed forward with a terrifying roar. Its claws scraped the stones, its jaws opening wider than human limits.
Anasha’s hand jerked toward another shape bounding alongside it. "Mrs. Elira! She gave me honey bread last month!" The Deer-like beast twisted its head unnaturally, branching antlers while staring at Anasha.
Anasha spoke faster now as she kept moving her gaze. "T-That’s Jonas! He... he fixed our roof when it leaked! And... and that’s Marcie, she braided my hair...!"
Each beast she named moved closer, distorted mockeries of the kindness she once knew. Her little hands shook violently as she pointed, each name ripping itself from her throat. Reinhard held Anasha tightly as she kept naming the beasts while trembling and scrunching up her face.
"No, no, no..." Anasha shook her head wildly, clinging to Reinhard’s shirt with her free hand. "They’re not beasts, they’re not! They can’t be! They were smiling at me..." Her voice broke into a sob. "Why am I recognizing my friends in those beasts? Why!?"
Marie gently caressed Anasha’s hair and said softly. "Don’t look, Anasha."
But Anasha resisted as she twisted her neck to keep her gaze locked on the horde.
Anasha blue eyes went wide as she slowly said. "Rein... In my dreams... I saw them. The people and the beasts... They were standing next to each other. I thought it was just nightmares, but..." She clutched him tighter, her nails digging into his shirt. "It was real... My dreams were trying to tell me the truth, but I didn’t believe... No, I didn’t want to..."
Anasha buried her face against Reinhard’s neck again and sobbing into him.