@gravity-lord-rises
It takes Aysha a lot longer than she’d like to get to the Bamboo grove from the beach. Long circuitous routes around hordes of undead wasn’t her style, but it proves necessary when her arsenal is limited to four measly fox fires and a scorched wooden sword. Every voice of reason was ringing in her head. Go back home, wait until morning. But her silent promise to the foxes of the bamboo grove rang even louder than that.
Even when she gets to the forest, it’s bad. Spectres floating above her, and shamblers of the rabbits and her beloved fox friends biting at her ankles. It pains her to see them like this, pains her even more to strike them down. It’s for the best, she tells herself, just putting them out of their misery. Finally, she gets to the shrine in the center, and notices a familiar face.
“Lotus!” she calls to her fellow spirit. “Thank God you’re okay! I came running as fast as I could to check on the anim--Lotus?” It’s then that she notices something...off about her friend. He’s in a black coat that she’s never seen him wear, but more than that, upon further inspection, he’s covered in grave wounds. Wounds that absolutely couldn’t have come from the shamblers infesting the island this night.
The strange Lotus raises his hand slowly. Her ear swivels to the side, and she ducks just in time to dodge a stepping stone hurtling towards her head. “Lotus, stop!! It’s me, Aysha!”
