The bells rang.
Their sound wasn't loud, yet it settled deep inside me, vibrating through my ribs before spreading into my skull.
I tightened my grip on the burning dagger.
The agile sheep circled me once, then disappeared.
I expected it to strike from my left.
No...
It would come from behind.
I pivoted before it could attack, already swinging the dagger, only to stop halfway.
Why was I attacking?
It hadn't done anything wrong.
The thought settled so naturally that I almost accepted it.
The sheep was only protecting its shepherd.
Wasn't I the one trespassing?
My arm lowered.
"Chris!"
Lily's voice shattered the thought.
Pain exploded across my shoulder as golden horns tore through my sleeve, grazing flesh before I threw myself backward.
Blood splashed across the grass.
I stared at the wound in disbelief.
I hadn't hesitated because I was afraid.
I'd hesitated because, for one impossible moment, attacking them had felt... cruel.
The bells.
Another gentle ring drifted across the pasture.
The necklace around the sheep's neck barely moved, but every note found its way into my mind.
The agile sheep lunged again.
This time I didn't wait.
Purple fire erupted from beneath my feet, forcing it to leap aside before my flames swallowed the space it wanted to occupy.
I chased after it instead.
If it wanted speed, I'd force it to dodge until it made a mistake.
It darted left.
I cut it off with a wall of fire.
It sprang right.
I swept my hand, sending flames crawling through the grass like living vines.
For the first time, it looked trapped.
I smiled.
Then the large sheep stepped between us again.
The flames struck its body instead.
Its wool blackened.
Its skin cracked.
Yet it refused to move.
It stood there like a fortress built from flesh.
"Again?" I muttered.
A small bleat answered me.
The little lamb had wandered to the fallen shield sheep.
It lowered its head and gently rubbed its nose against the wound I'd pierced earlier.
The hole closed.
Not quickly.
Not magically.
Simply...
as though the injury had never deserved to exist.
The giant sheep opened its eyes.
It stood.
Every muscle in my body went cold.
"We didn't kill it," I whispered.
Lily landed beside me, her halberd melting back into chains before reforming into two curved blades.
"I noticed."
She didn't sound surprised.
She sounded irritated.
The bells rang again.
This time I wanted to drop my weapon, and it had nothing to do with me being tired.
I just felt like carrying it suddenly felt wrong.
A weapon was meant to hurt.
Hurting sheep...
Why would I—
A blade flashed past my face.
Lily had thrown one of her curved swords.
It buried itself between my feet.
"Focus."
Her voice pulled me back before the horn sheep reached me again.
I clenched my teeth hard enough to taste blood.
No...
Those weren't my thoughts. They couldn't be.
I drove the dagger into my own palm and the pain steadied me.
The bells kept ringing.
I needed to focus on sth else.
So I welcomed pain instead.
Pain was mine,and if I focused on that, I'll remain conscious
Reject the thoughts