After the Dust Settled

After the downpour came clear skies.

Warm sunlight shone over the land. The wind bent the banana trees, but plump drops of water still clung to their broad leaves. As the leaves swayed, the droplets reflected the dazzling light like tiny mirrors.

The Brigadier General controlled the Undead, having them carry the dying "Demon" toward the Circular Sacrifice Cave. He said nothing along the way.

Perhaps because death was near, the sky after the rain seemed especially vast to him. A few white, flower-like clouds dotted the boundless blue, lifting his spirits.

The sound of the waves was usually monotonous, but now the Brigadier General found it beautiful. In their fleeting, trembling rhythm, he could almost see a lute carved from ivory-white pearls.

"Splash, splash—"

The walk from Bonefall Valley to the Highest Point should have taken a long time. Yet somehow, after a moment's distraction, the Brigadier General found himself at the foot of the Highest Point.

The mountain path was still steep, and gray-black cliffs still rose on either side. But years of sea wind had cracked even the rock. A small tree grew stubbornly from one of those crevices, its leaves stirring in the breeze.

The sight stirred something complicated in the Brigadier General's heart.

So much time has passed, he thought, wistful and lonely. The first time I came here, that little tree was only a seed. Time really does fly.

As if sensing the change in his mood, the "Demon" borne by the Undead let out a grating laugh.

"Are you afraid?" The Demon rolled its eyes. Foul-smelling slime trickled from its wounds. "Heh heh heh. Necromancer, what is your wish?"

"To undo the terrible mistake I made in the past." The Brigadier General let out a long breath, then answered without hesitation. "I want