How long has he sat in front of the great oak tree? It could've been minutes, hours-- long enough for Leon to compose himself, and fully reflect on the path in front of him. His eyes roamed over the crimson-stained bark, fully knowing the deed he had done and the corpse he hid in the soil of the Orchard Road. A lot of things refused to add up, and like pieces to a puzzle, Leon tried his earnest to get the bigger picture. The visions as well as the omens were doubtful at best, and with the only person who saw it with him laying within the earth's loving embrace, Leon couldn't assure himself that what he had witnessed was the gospel truth. The Shadow Isles aimed to manipulate its avatars on Leon's plane of existence, and if nothing would be done, they-- he-- would be dancing like a puppet with strings. As he focused on his inner voice, angry whispers and shrills stabbed at his mind, the voice of the Isles ever so persistent in vanquishing the mission Leon stored in his memory. The Isles wanted an army for themselves; Leon intended to raise a fighting force against the Isles. Unfortunately, as in every fiction, the protagonist and the antagonist are both driven by goals which cancel each other out-- only one goal can win. And, by the gods, Leon vowed to win-- for Sarah, for Travis, and for every person in Darkwell. There's nothing left but to move forward now. But, before anything else, Leon sought to improve his own skills for him to be worthy to train and protect his future comrades. After all, the might of the Isles is one to be awed at. Strangely, all of these resembled that of the Three-Act Structure which Leon learned in his Stage Arts course. Everything that has happened, everything that led to this moment were all mere expositions-- just the start of the entire theatre and drama. Now, in the next few forks of his path, the Conflict will begin. The Isles will do everything in their power to dissuade the gravedigger, and with the other vigilante group on the loose, Leon knew that his chances of gaining an easy victory never amounted much. In a play like this, Leon knew that only those who acted lived to see the apex and ending. Apathy and cowardice were what led Leon to the mistakes in his life, and he would be damned before retreating and cowering once more. This time, he would push onward. He would play a requiem for her, for him, and for the lives he would soon save. The crescendo is not too far in this concerto, and Leon intended to live long enough to hear the finale. His will imbued ignited with new-found ambition and strength. Finally, Leon gripped his shovel and plunged it into the ground, aiding him in standing up. As the petals and leaves waltzed around him, the gravedigger's lips parted in a gentle smile. The snares of the Isles loosened on his psyche as the voices vanished completely. [color=fff79a]"To us, my comrades."[/color] Leon raised his shovel before it vanished into thin air. Then, three pairs of claws burst from the ground as a trio of ghouls rose from the Isles and stood by his side. [color=fff79a] "I sense him too."[/color] Leon took a deep breathe before his eyes glowed yellow. The ghouls snickered and twitched in rabid anticipation. [color=fff79a]"We must make our presence known to him. Go."[/color] The ghouls bolted out of the orchard, scampering and crawling through the lonely streets, invisible to the eyes of the normal folk. [color=fff79a]"It seems a lot transpired in the few hours I was in the Isles."[/color] Leon shrugged as he paced behind the spectres. [color=fff79a]"Well, it felt longer. I wonder whether my predictions were right all along." [/color] Soon, Leon passed by the Wi-Hi cafe, taking a moment to pause and reminisce as he remembered the place where all things turned into a clusterfuck. The Muffin Witch, the Shield Guy, the Meeps, and even the blue-eyed maiden. Leon wondered where she was now. Would he still see her around Darkwell? Was she also like him? The image of her eyes never left him even for a moment, and even if Leon closed his eyes, he still noticed how he saw his reflection in those tundra-shaded orbs of hers. The eyes were the windows of the soul, after all. And, weirdly enough, he glimpsed into his when lavender met azure. A relaxed sigh escaped his smiling lips, forgotten memories of Sarah and him playing in the recesses of his heart. [color=fff79a]"I wish I can explore that more, but,"[/color] his eyes swept over to the bounding ghouls. [color=fff79a] "I guess there are more important things to be done."[/color] Then, he gazed up at the heavens, praying to whatever god that would deign to cast him a look of mercy. [color=fff79a]"Just a wait a little more, Sarah. I'll get there soon enough. Just... a little more."[/color] As if an answer, Leon noticed a faint trail of a shooting star speeding through the lazy skies. [color=fff79a]"Thanks."[/color] He clutched his chest, feeling it tighten for an instant. --- Soon, he reached an apartment somewhere in the city. Honestly, he just followed the ghouls, and began to doubt their sense of direction. Still, this proximity to the location was sending weird chills down his spine. One of the ghouls went over to a random dumpster and began to bang its head against the metal surface. In response, Leon stepped to the dumpster, and with a firm hand, lifted the lid open. If Leon wasn't accustomed to the sight of death, he would have flipped away and cried. Instead, as his eyes took in the pale corpse inside the bin with ghastly energy faintly seeping from it, the gravedigger's doubts were made certain. Leon smirked as he pointed at the apartment, the ghouls' mouths snapping open in glee. [color=fff79a]"Find this manifestation of the Shadow Isles. Lead him or her to me. Drag them if you have to."[/color] At once, the spectres bolted towards the apartment, still invisible to the regular people. They had one goal in mind: find the source of this disturbance and bring him, her, or it back to Leon. If this person was as bloodthirsty and murderous as he seemed due to the corpse, then, at least, Leon could give him a proper burial under the oak tree as well-- safe from the corruptions of the Shadow Isles.