The Dark Before The Light

'It's the same taste I got from the bat boar and the dual-headed snake,' Acacia realized with a jolt, her mind racing.

'So, what will you do now?' Daemonis's voice echoed in her thoughts, laced with anticipation.

'First, I need to confirm it with Vincent. If he has that frostbite scar Elric mentioned, then it's almost certain that they are monsters.'

'And after that?'

'Expose them. Give us a legitimate reason to eliminate them,' Acacia thought, her plan beginning to form. 'I'll need to lure them away from the others, somewhere we can deal with them… properly.'

'And extract information about Ciflith from them.'

'That too. But you, Daemonis, have a great deal of explaining to do about all of this,' Acacia thought, her internal voice firm. She continued her brisk walk, heading back towards the unfinished building, a sense of urgency propelling her forward. 'But how do they steal bodies? Is it a shapeshifting ability? Do they need to consume a human to replicate them? Or is it a more superficial disguise, like my illusions? If Vincent has that scar, then they're either inhabiting stolen bodies or creating incredibly detailed copies but either way, it's not their original form. And that would mean… Jia was once someone else entirely.'

'I am almost certain they are mimics, in that case,' Daemonis asserted, his tone grim.

"Mimics?" Acacia murmured aloud, her brow furrowing. 'Like Mimckers? But those are just birds. They only mimic voices to lure prey.'

'But if a being like Ciflith is involved,' Daemonis countered, 'he may have manipulated the genetic code of these creatures, evolving them into something far more dangerous.'

'Why would a false god wield such power?' Acacia thought, a surge of annoyance mixing with her apprehension.

'Imbalance,' Daemonis replied simply, the single word heavy with unspoken implications.

'Your cryptic pronouncements are grating on my last nerve,' Acacia thought, a sharp edge to her internal voice. She took a deep, deliberate breath, forcing herself to focus. 'If they are indeed mimics, then eliminating them swiftly is likely the safest course of action. Or perhaps containing them somewhere secure. I don't think I need to see Vincent's scars anymore; the pieces are falling into place.'

Reaching the dilapidated house, she stepped back inside and immediately located the heavy monster encyclopedia. Flipping through the brittle pages with a newfound urgency, she searched for the section on Mimickers. Finding the illustration, she carried the book back outside, holding it up as she stared at the depiction of the creature's unsettlingly familiar green feathers and intelligent, roaming green eyes. 'This… this confirms more than enough.'

"You just walked in and then right back out. What's got your attention?" Bella asked, stepping out of the house and peering over Acacia's shoulder. "A bird?"

"Yeah… just lots of them " Acacia murmured, slowly closing the heavy book and turning to face Bella. "Are you finished with Barcello?"

"Uh, yeah. I got back earlier, but only Maximus was inside. Where is everyone?" Bella nodded, her gaze curious.

"I'll explain everything, from the beginning, but I'll keep it brief," Acacia said, placing a hand on Bella's shoulder and gently guiding her back inside at a relaxed pace.

"Is something wrong?" Bella asked, her eyes fixed on the monster encyclopedia in Acacia's hands.

"Those new people… they're monsters, Bella. Not human."

"Excuse me?" Bella tilted her head, a look of disbelief on her face. "I mean, calling people 'monsters' without a reason—" Acacia raised a pointed eyebrow, cutting her off. Bella rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, I already apologized for that."

"Anyway," Acacia continued, "it's hard to explain quickly, but Elric recognized one of them. The limited information we've gathered about Vincent aligns too well. Which makes me think they are this creature." She tapped the illustration in the book. "Their blood doesn't taste like human blood, and they're… excessively clingy. At first, I thought they were just trying to be helpful, but they're constantly latching onto someone. And their eye color… it's the exact same vibrant green as the plumage on these Mimickers. Perhaps their eye colour is the one thing they can't perfectly replicate." Acacia reopened the book, holding it out for Bella to see the illustration.

"You sound completely crazy right now. And how in the world do you know what their blood tastes like?" Bella squinted, her disbelief evident.

"It was… a coincidence—"

"They're what?!" Edwin gasped, bursting through the doorway, his face a mask of shock. Acacia and Bella turned to see Edwin standing there, a bewildered Fafea peering over his shoulder.

"Monsters," Acacia stated firmly.

"Those treacherous bastards," Edwin growled, his earlier weariness replaced by a simmering rage.

"Hold on, let's not jump to conclusions just yet," Bella cautioned, her brow furrowed in thought. "The birds in that book only mimic voices, not entire people. And the colour of their feathers matching their eyes? That's pretty weak evidence, Acacia."

'Should I just bring up Ciflith? But then I'd have to explain how I know about that…' Acacia mentally groaned, feeling the weight of the unexplained.

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"Then explain this, Bella," Edwin interjected, his voice firm. "How does Elric know someone who arrived days before he did, albeit with a difference in eye colour?"

"And they conveniently arrived from the South," Acacia added, reinforcing Edwin's point, "the very same region Elric said the real Vincent was sent to. They even have the same age. But 'our' Vincent doesn't remember Elric… because these creatures likely can only copy a person's physical form, not their memories." Bella stared at them, a hand rubbing her temple as she shook her head in disbelief.

"I still don't believe this," she said, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Yes, they're a bit strange, but they act human. Even if they are monsters, how would they have learned to read and communicate so normally?"

"We've barely scratched the surface of the monsters that exist in this world and their capabilities," Acacia retorted, snapping the encyclopedia shut with a decisive thud. "They haven't been here long, and we've already witnessed some unusual behaviour. I wouldn't underestimate their intelligence. There are countless creatures in this world we still know nothing about. And as I've already stated, their blood isn't human. I know what I tasted, Bella, and you should know by now that I can easily distinguish between that and human blood."

Bella fell silent, her expression troubled, while Fafea watched the exchange from behind Edwin, her eyes wide with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity.

"You… you tasted what?" Edwin asked his voice a mixture of disbelief and slight disgust.

"It was a coincidence, alright?" Acacia groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose, the memory of the metallic taste still lingering.

"So… what's the plan?" Bella sighed, lowering herself to the ground and carefully placing her crutches beside her.

"Kill them," Fafea stated simply, her gaze unwavering.

"Not yet," Acacia countered. "We need to understand how they came to be this way. They can speak and reason like humans. We extract the necessary information first, then we eliminate the threat."

"But we'll need to show everyone their true form, at least one of them, to justify our actions," Edwin nodded grimly.

"And if we're going to deal with them, it's best to do it far from here," Bella added, her voice firm. "We'll be setting up the barrier crystals soon to protect us, and I don't want any monsters, if that's what they are, within our safe zone."

"But don't we still need to clear out monster-infested areas to expand our protected space before setting up the crystals?" Bella said.

"Actually," Acacia interjected, a thoughtful look on her face, "I did a sweep of the surrounding areas not too long ago, and it was surprisingly quiet. The book does mention that other animals often exhibit hostility towards Mimickers. Perhaps the local monsters sensed their presence and either moved away or went into hiding?"

"Then an immediate execution is out of the question for now," Edwin conceded with a sigh. "If we can somehow exploit their presence to drive away other monsters, at least far enough to establish the barrier crystals and secure our perimeter, that could be beneficial. But how on earth do you convince monsters to cooperate?"

"Since they're so eager to 'help' and seem desperate to learn from us," Acacia explained, a plan forming in her mind, "we can stage a monster 'hunting' expedition. We'll pretend to carefully select them to accompany us, making them feel valued and trusted. While we spread out under the guise of hunting, someone can discreetly set up the barrier crystals."

"But not all of them will follow us on a 'hunt.' It would look incredibly suspicious if we took the entire group, especially the children," Bella pointed out, her brow furrowed.

"Then someone will have to stay behind with the rest," Acacia said, her gaze firm, "gather them in one of the sturdier buildings, and lock it down securely before we head out. That way, they're contained until we return and then lock up the rest in the building."

"So, to recap," Edwin began, ticking off points on his fingers. "First, take a small group with us on this 'hunt' while the rest set up the barrier crystals. Once the crystals are in place, we lock up the remaining mimics, expose their true nature to everyone, extract any information we can, and then…"

"Then we eliminate them," Acacia finished, her tone resolute.

"Okay, so Acacia and Maximus will handle the 'hunt' and setting up the crystals. Kel and I can manage the ones here," Bella continued. "But how do we get them all inside a building without raising suspicion?"

"We can fabricate a story," Acacia proposed. "Tell them that since a hunting party is heading out, everyone needs to be temporarily separated into smaller groups and take shelter in different buildings for safety, in case any stray monsters wander by. We lock the buildings from the outside until Maximus and I return." She glanced at Maximus, who nodded in silent agreement.

"Alright," Bella conceded with a heavy sigh. "I suppose we have a plan. A ridiculously stressful one."

"I was wondering, will you finally return home after all of this is finished, Sì Mala?" Fafea asked, turning her earnest gaze to Edwin, who visibly stiffened.

"Not yet, Fafea. There are still… things I need to take care of here," Edwin replied, rubbing the back of his neck, his gaze avoiding hers. "Shouldn't there be a new King by now?"

"We have a Regent ruling in your stead, as you are the last of the true bloodline," Fafea explained, her voice tight with concern. "Your cousin has been making increasingly bold attempts to usurp the throne, but your betrothed has been fighting tirelessly every single day until your—"

"Excuse me? Betrothed?" Edwin sputtered, his scowl deepening. "If you're talking about that power-hungry viper Lani-ka, then absolutely not! I'm not even engaged to her! How dare she lay claim to me?"

"Huh?" Fafea tilted her head, her confusion evident. "But… aren't you two together? She's recounted so many… _romantic_ tales of your supposed affair and has expressed such profound worry for your well-being." She paused, then added, "Even your mother, the Elder Queen, has apparently accepted her."

Edwin's face soured with each word, his gaze hardening as he stared at Fafea. He finally pinched the bridge of his nose, a picture of utter exasperation. "How could I possibly be with that woman when my heart already belongs to someone else entirely?"

Bella choked back a laugh, her shoulders shaking slightly, while Acacia discreetly averted her gaze, turning her full attention to Maximus. Fafea gasped, her hands flying to her chest, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Oh, my deepest apologies, Sì Mala!" she exclaimed. "Who is this new bride? The one who has stolen our King's heart?"

"...the one with one leg," Edwin sighed dramatically, his gaze softening as he looked at Bella. "How could I possibly abandon her here? She's so… vulnerable and delicate in this harsh world. I want to go home but my heart is torn between duty and love, the love I never and will never have for Lani-ka." Acacia promptly choked on her own saliva, sputtering and coughing as Maximus patted her back firmly.

"Excuse me?!" Bella sputtered, her face a mask of outrage. "I am not your damn bride! I would rather lose my other leg!" She snatched one of her crutches, wielding it like a weapon and pointing it threateningly at Edwin.

"Pay her no mind," Edwin said smoothly, waving a dismissive hand. "It's just the overwhelming emotions of love. We've been going through a bit of a rough patch ever since her… former lover reappeared."

"Ohh, my apologies for judging so hastily," Fafea said, her eyes wide with understanding. "But… why choose someone with such… short hair?"

"Because my love transcends such superficialities!" Edwin declared, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I wish to be with my beloved. I can't bear to be out of her sight." He waved his hand dismissively, and Fafea nodded with a beaming grin before departing. Edwin turned back around, only to be met with the swift and painful impact of a flying crutch slamming into his chest. "Hey!"