"What is going on?" Nira asked,
tapping the shoulder of a nearby villager.
The man turned. His face was pale.
And when he saw Lillian, his eyes widened.
"O-Our mayor's daughter... please, help us.
There's a murderer among us."
They froze.
"Murderer?" Lillian whispered. "Who?"
The man swallowed hard.
"Reana's baby..."
"What?!"
Nira's basket slipped from her hands.
Flowers scattered across the ground.
"No way..."
She ran ahead, Lillian close behind.
Inside the house
a nightmare.
The smell of blood hung in the air.
Gasps. Sobs. Trembling voices.
Reana sat in the middle of the room,
screaming, cradling something in her arms.
"My baby! My baby!"
She rocked a bundle soaked in red.
Blood dripped steadily from the cloth.
No one dared approach her.
Nira rushed forward.
"Reana!"
"Don't come closer!" Reana shrieked,
her voice raw and trembling.
a sound born of terror and heartbreak.
"Stay away! You monster!"
"It's me... Nira."
Her voice was soft, shaking with horror.
Lillian stood frozen,
watching her friend fall apart.
She turned to a man beside her.
"Who... who killed her baby?"
The man's expression was grave.
"We... don't know."
Then a voice spoke from behind them.
"The suspect was the only one in the room with the child.
No one entered. No one left.
And yet... she keeps claiming someone else did it."
Lillian turned slowly.
A tall, middle-aged man stood in the doorway,
a wide-brimmed hat shadowing his eyes.
Pinned to his chest.
a sheriff's badge.
Wesley Cain.
Sheriff of Westward.
"Alright, that's enough," he said firmly.
"Everybody out.
Let me handle this."
Later, gathered at the tavern.
Lillian and Nira sat quietly by the bar,
listening as the sheriff addressed the shaken crowd.
"As of now," he said, "Ms. Reana has been placed under my care
until further investigation."
Then a voice rose from the crowd.
"She's gone mad after giving birth!"
"How dare you speak ill of my wife!"
The man shouted.
Elrick, husband of Reana.
A carpenter rough, and maybe the strongest man in Westward.
Tension exploded in the room.
Then.
the door creaked open.
"She was killed by one of the Beasts."
All eyes turned.
"Robert!?" Lillian gasped.
"Please don't speak of your tales," she whispered.
Another villager rose.
"Agh crazy fantasy man!
What good are your stories now?
My wife's in custody to prove her innocence
against your fairytales!"
Elrick again, this time face flushed with rage.
Robert's golden eyes sharpened.
"Then let's look at the facts," he said coldly.
"Your baby died in a locked room.
Only your wife was there.
So either she lost her mind
and killed her own child.
or something else got in."
The room went still.
"My only suspect," Robert said softly,
"is the Beast.
It entered through the shadows.
Tried to devour the child.
That... is the most logical explanation right now."
A hush fell over the tavern.
Gasps. Uneasy murmurs.
People began to whisper.
Some agreed.
Others shook their heads.
"Robert, your whole life is surrounded by fairytales.
We can't trust a man who lives in stories."
Robert turned.
"Then tell us, Doctor Edwin—
what was the baby's condition?
Was she strangled?
Or... clawed?"
The doctor stayed silent.
So did the others.
"No way... is that true?"
"Then how did he know?" someone whispered.
"Our town's not safe anymore!" someone else shouted.
Then a sharp voice pierced the room.
"It was Robert! He killed her! He knows too much!
Now he wants to poison our minds into believing the Beast exists!"
The room erupted.
The crowd's voices grew louder. overlapping, trembling.
"We can't trust anyone anymore!"
Suddenly—
FWEEEEET!
The sheriff blew his whistle.
"That's enough!" he shouted.
"All of you go home.
Do not come out until further notice!
I don't want another soul dying in my town!"
Slowly, the villagers filed out one by one.
Sheriff Cain turned to Lillian.
"Your father's dead, kid.
The town's in our hands now.
Your grandfather, he's not well.
And you... you need to be ready to lead."
But Elrick stepped in.
"Lillian? As long as she's partnered with Robert,
I'll never accept her as mayor."
Robert scoffed.
"Between you and me,
you're the foolish one here."
"Robert!"
Lillian's voice rang out sharply.
"Come. Walk with me."
She pulled Robert outside.
"Why are you doing this?"
She stared at him.
Shame clouded her eyes.
"You embarrassed me in front of everyone.
Do you realize what you just did?"
Robert placed both hands gently on her shoulders.
"Listen, Lillian...
Four more people will die
if we don't find the killer."
He leaned in, voice low.
"Or..."
"Or what?"
Lillian stared back—brave and unblinking.
But instead of answering,
Robert try to kissed her.
She pushed him away.
"No, Robert! Not now.
There's a baby killer on the loose!
And you want to kiss me?"
"Yes, it will be 4 more kill" Robert replied.
"If you want to stop the killing now kiss me."
"Stop it, Robert! Quit playing around.
This is about life and death.
Don't you have a heart?"
Robert stepped back, loosening his hands.
DING. DING. DING.
The town clock rang six times.
Its echo swept through the street.
Birds flew overhead,
rushing back to their nests.
Lillian gasped.
"I have to return home."
She turned from him,
disappointed.
without even looking back.
She walked quickly toward Mikael.
On the Way Home
The sun was setting.
Some corners of the street had already darkened.
She walked faster. Then faster still—until she was running.
Her shadow followed her.
No... it chased her.
It felt like something was behind her.
From the corner of her eye,
she saw it.
A shadow slipping through the alley—
avoiding the light.
She turned into a narrower path,
the buildings blocking all sunlight.
Suddenly—something tugged her skirt.
She gasped and yanked it away.
panicking.
She spun around.
It was—
A child.
Her skirt had caught on his hand.
"Ah—!"
She pulled it and fall down.
Then a gloved hand reached out to her.
Mikael.
Her butler stood calmly nearby.
"Come, my lady.
What took you so long?"