"A friend who came to say hi."
Nyssa stared at her. Blood trickled from the shallow cut on her arm, staining the sleeve of her cloak.
The pain barely registered when her mind was fixed on the woman standing before her.
Or rather...the creature pretending to be Leilani.
The smile on its face remained exactly the same. The same smile Nyssa had seen countless times inside the village. The same smile that had comforted her. Encouraged her. Laughed with her.
Only now it looked menacing. Like a mask worn by something that did not quite understand humanity.
Nyssa slowly pushed herself off the ground as her elbow throbbed. Her cheek burned from the punch and her glare on the creature intensified.
"Who are you?"
The creature tilted its head. A familiar gesture but with an unfamiliar presence.
"You already know I am not Leilani."
Nyssa's eyes narrowed. "Answer me."
The smile on its face widened and it chuckled, "Good."
Nyssa frowned. "Good?"
"You're smart. So that's good."
