The air atop the hill had begun to cool, the quiet hum of the city below dimming as torches flickered and crickets took over the soundtrack of the night—the stars above watched in still silence, uncaring of the weight being exchanged beneath them.
Luke felt his shoulders ease. With Saint Cynthia's support and the storm of thoughts in his head finally finding direction, it felt as though there was nothing else left to say.
But then, as if reading the unspoken question still drifting in his mind, Saint Cynthia tilted her head and asked softly.
"Luke… have you ever wondered why monsters exist in this world to begin with?"
That stopped him.
He turned slightly to look at her.
"…You mean like, why they're here?"
She nodded.
"Yes. Their origin. Their purpose. Their necessity."
Luke blinked.
