"HAVE YOU GONE INSANE?! YOU COULD'VE KILLED THE CHILD, YOU MORON!" the dog shouts at Haruto.
All three of them freeze, stunned at the sight of the talking dog. Mai's breath catches in her throat as she instinctively raises her hand, summoning a swirling sphere of wind in her palm, ready to strike. Haruto remains frozen, his mind struggling to comprehend what just happened, while Uvan steps protectively in front of Anne, his body still weak but his instincts sharp.
Suddenly, the dog's expression shifts, and its eyes glow with an eerie light. It opens its mouth and chants in a voice that doesn't belong to any ordinary creature.
"Stars will break, the void will shift, Light bends low as shadows lift. Tear the veil, let fate unlift— Open wide—ASTRAL RIFT!"
The moment the final word leaves its mouth, the world around them twists. The walls of their home dissolve into darkness, and the floor vanishes beneath them, replaced by a vast, endless void. Stars flicker in the distance, their glow reflecting off swirling currents of astral energy. The air feels heavy, yet weightless, as if they are floating in an abyss beyond time itself.
Mai stumbles back, eyes darting around in shock. "What the hell is this?!"
The dog, now hovering slightly above the ground, sighs and speaks in a calm yet powerful voice. "Let's not use force against each other. I would rather not kill someone this little girl trusts."
Haruto clenches his fists, his mind racing. "What… What are you?" he demands.
Mai steadies herself and narrows her eyes. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The dog tilts its head slightly. "Let's just say I am a vessel of 'Him.'"
Mai exchanges glances with Uvan and Haruto. "'Him'? Who is that supposed to be?"
The dog's eyes gleam with a knowing look. "Let's just say he's not God… but the opposite of God."
Silence falls over the space. The stars pulse faintly in the distance, as if reacting to the weight of the revelation.
Uvan, still holding Anne protectively, finally speaks, his voice hoarse. "You're saying… you serve something that opposes God? Are you a demon?"
The dog chuckles, a deep, unsettling sound. "Demon? No, no, that would be too simple. I am merely a conduit, a guide, a force beyond the limitations of mortal comprehension. And right now, I am the one thing standing between you and the knowledge you are not yet ready to understand."
Haruto grips his head, frustration bubbling up. "Enough riddles! Why are you with Anne? What do you want from us?!"
The dog turns to Anne, who stands there, unfazed, as if none of this is strange to her. It lowers its head slightly and mutters, "Hehe… they would never expect this from you, little Anne."
Haruto's blood runs cold. "What… What is that supposed to mean?!"
Anne looks up at the dog, her innocent eyes glimmering with something unreadable. "They don't know yet, do they?" she asks in a small voice.
The dog chuckles again. "Not yet, child. But soon enough, they will."
Mai takes a step forward, tightening her grip on the magic swirling in her palm. "Enough of this cryptic nonsense. Tell us what's going on, or I will make you talk."
The dog's glowing eyes lock onto hers, and for the first time, its expression turns serious. "Oh, my dear Mai, you have no idea what you're asking for. Some truths… are better left buried."
Haruto's breathing grew uneven. There was something deeply unsettling about the way the dog spoke—calm, yet condescending, as if it were speaking to children who had no idea how small they really were.
Then, the dog's tone shifted suddenly, as if remembering something. "By the way, Haruto… how is your Annie doing at the mansion?"
Haruto's blood ran cold. His body stiffened as he took a step back. "H-How…?" His voice cracked slightly. "Don't tell me she's on your side…"
"Oh dear Haruto," the dog said, shaking its head. "She's not on my side, don't worry. But actually… she's against me and my 'kind.'"
Haruto's breath quickened. "What do you mean?"
The dog licked its lips, as if savoring the moment. "Your dear Annie, the one you left behind, has quite the mission. Quite the drive. She's been hunting us, exterminating us, piece by piece."
Haruto clenched his jaw. "That's impossible. Annie… she wouldn't—"
"Oh, but she would." The dog's eyes gleamed with mischief. "And she has."
Haruto swallowed hard. "If she's really against you, why mention her? Why bring her up now?"
"Because you don't understand what she really is," the dog said, it's tone dropping lower. "And because, sooner or later, you're going to have to make a choice. A choice you may not be ready for."
Haruto's heart pounded. "What… what are you saying?"
The dog sighed, almost like a disappointed teacher. "Let me give you a hint. Or rather, some advice." It paused, then leaned forward slightly. "It's better to kill her before she kills you."
Haruto's eyes widened in horror. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
"I mean it from a pure heart," the dog said, voice completely sincere. "She's a Golem."
A tense silence filled the air, broken only by the distant hum of the Astral Rift around them. Haruto's mind raced, trying to process the information. A Golem? That wasn't possible… was it?
Mai, who had been listening intently, finally spoke. "You're lying."
The dog turned its gaze to her. "Am I?"
"Anyone can tell you're lying. Golems are ancient mechanisms from the lost civilization," she tells the dog.
"They were abandoned hundreds of years ago. No one even knows how to activate them, let alone use them." She turns to the god.
The dog scoffs. "Connect the dots yourself, Mai."
His voice grows colder. "Do you really think I'd lie when I could just kill you all in an instant?"
"I have no reason to hurt you. I'm helping you instead. Of course, I'm not doing this for free."
"I'll give you valuable information. In return, you kill her. She's weak against you but strong against me—some ancient binding between our races makes it that way."
The room was dead silent. Haruto stood still, his sword dripping with what should have been blood. Anne's head had rolled a few feet away, her empty eyes staring at nothing.
Slowly, he wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. But something felt off. The blood wasn't warm—it was thick, almost grainy.
Then, a strange squelching sound filled the air.
Haruto looked down.
The blood on the floor was changing. It wasn't red anymore. It was turning gray, thick like wet mud. Anne's body twitched once before melting—her skin, her clothes, even her severed head—all collapsing into a shapeless pile of soft, damp clay.
Haruto's fingers curled tighter around his sword.
"…A Golem," he muttered under his breath.
To be continued...