Lycoris Radiata

 She walks across a field of flowers—

ancient flowers, once called Lycoris radiata.

Red, strange in shape…

yet beautiful.

She knows there are ancient ruins beneath this field.

The Ruins of the Wolf.

She learned of it from an old script her team once found.

In that scroll, it was written—

this place is dangerous.

The wolves are fierce.

And the ruins… are haunted.

But as someone who travels in search of the truth of the world,

she does not believe it.

She has never seen a ghost—

not even in the places others fear to approach.

She looks around.

A small rise in the ground catches her eye.

A rock, perhaps?

She steps closer—

and realizes…

it is part of a pillar.

One of the ruins.

She takes a slow breath.

And suddenly…

she feels tired.

She lies down

and looks up at the sky.

Red.

Orange.

And streaks of black drifting through the clouds.

She breathes in again.

The scent of pine?

She glances around.

There are no pine trees here.

She closes her eyes

and breathes in once more.

This time…

the scent is different.

It smells like something decaying.

She opens her eyes.

A vulture circles above her.

She blinks—

and it is gone.

She sits up, thinking.

Just her mind playing tricks on her…

but—

there is this feeling.

A strange calmness.

Quiet…

almost tranquil.

And without realizing it,

she begins to hum.

A melody

she does not remember learning—

yet it feels as if she has known it forever.

She sits there,

humming…

and humming…

and humming…