I watched as the woman who introduced herself as Audra re-enter the room along with a girl, one who was anxiously looking around for something or someone. I don't know what to say now that I found the girl the old man trusted me with. In the back of my mind, there is the constant reminder that if it weren't for me, the old man would have been able to escape.

"Where is the person you said was here to meet me?" I heard her talk, since in just three days, Audra had made me a new body with the main features like before but without any of the benefits. By following the blueprint of my destroyed body and with a little help from me here and there, I gained a new body that was a far cry from my previous intimidating form.

"There they are." Audra pointed at me, exhaustion evident in her voice. Just like the old man she was overzealous in her work and didn't even sleep for the whole 3 days. The main reason that we made this almost useless body was that I wouldn't be able to communicate with the girl mentally. Neither she nor I knew how to cast a telepathy spell, and neither was Audra advanced enough to facilitate a connection between us.

"... Are you playing with me? Isn't that just a toy?" It's true, I was nothing more than a toy now, a tiny knee-sized hybrid of a dog and a humanoid torso with a face only adorned with tiny beady crystals. At least now I had normal hands, while my torso was connected to the center of the lower four-legged dog-looking form. I feel like Audra did this on purpose. 

"Hello, nice to meet you." Nervous and awkwardness meshed together that the sound I released was that of a high pitch cute sounding animal. 

"Huh, when were toys advanced enough to talk?" she became curious, approaching me while I was standing on the table my new body was made and finished half an hour ago.

"I'm not a toy-" I stopped speaking, I thought I was just nervous before, but my voice was too squeaky and cute sounding. I looked with a  questioning gaze at Audra, only for her to laugh silently in the corner.

"What is this? Why does my voice sound like this? Please stop it and fix it." I was getting irritated by this abominable voice, I don't know how but it was a text copy of the voice those children-friendly animal characters talked like.

"Sorry, but I'm not capable of fixing it, since this is the first time I have done something like this. You will have to wait for at least a few months before I will be able to fix it." Audra replied with a smirking look. I knew she was able to fix it sooner than that, but now was not the time to argue with her.

"If you wouldn't mind me asking, what is your name?" I looked at the girl who had a confused gaze. My speech mannerisms were a complete contrast to my voice and how I looked.

".. My name is Leonna, If you aren't a toy what are you?" Leonna had a curious look at my body, inspecting the details I had been inscribed with. Audra used it like a painting board, filling it with geometric shapes that lined and connected.

"It's kinda difficult to explain, but you could say I was created by your grandfather, and it's b-" Suddenly her curious look vanished as she stared at me with pleading eyes.

"My grandpa, Is- is he dead?" she asked with a hopeful look, and I caught myself from speaking instinctually. I was faced with a dilemma here, If I tell her that he was dead, she might take it badly and lose all hope, but If I lied here, once she knows the truth, she might be more damaged and hurt.

"....Yes, I'm sorry." she dropped to the ground, beginning to cry deeply. It lasted for what must have felt like 10 minutes, with every second passing by, my gut was wrenching from being reminded of my failure.

"How did he die?" she asked me with a drooping head, eyes hidden behind her luscious black hair.

"He was attacked by all sides from powerful enemies, … before his final moments, he made me promise him to take care of you." I was unsure what I was saying myself. How can I take care of her when I can't even do anything without a body to pilot, one that could be destroyed so easily?

"You were with him weren't you?, Why didn't he escape with you?" she asked me with a questioning tone, her face still hidden behind her hair.

"I wanted him to! But the enemies didn't give us time to talk besides the promise, a promise I intend to fulfill. At least I owe that to him." More than convincing her, I was trying to convince myself, convince myself that I will be able to handle the responsibility of taking care of her.

"You think I'm some kid who needs to be taken care of ?" she stood up, her hair parting as she looked at me with cold eyes.

"No, of course not, I meant I want to be there for you, I-I.." I didn't know what else to say if she refused to accept my companionship, I didn't know how I would be able to live with this gut-wrenching pain in my metaphorical stomach. One composed of shame and regret.

"My grandpa is gone, you aren't obliged to follow whatever you promised him, now if you'll excuse me." She didn't give me time to respond as she quickly left the room, leaving me stunned and confused.

BANG!

"Well, that went well as I expected, "Audra commented as she busied herself with cleaning the aftermath of her 3 days of work.

"How I'm I supposed to fulfill my promise if she doesn't allow me to be with her?" I asked no one in particular, feeling dispirited.

"She just needs time to figure things out, In the meantime, you should focus on yourself. You're an extremely weak anomalous object, something that has never been seen in documented anomalous objects before," said Audra as she put leftover metals in a bin.

"Are these anomalous objects you keep mentioning really that powerful?" I asked.

"More than you can imagine, they are so varied that it's difficult to categorize them, but some of the stronger ones could easily destroy our kingdom and the entire continent easily," she replied nonchalantly.

"I see, so you're saying I can reach their level?"

"That's is entirely up to you, our method of growing in power is something that might not help you. You will probably have to figure out your path to power, that is if you're truly weak and don't have anything special in you."

"What do you mean by that?" 

"Anomalous objects always have something, whether it's the thing that made them anomalous to begin with or something else."

Would I have something like that? I didn't know at all.

--- --- --- 

In a secret chamber deep underground, a ritual was ongoing, where a girl no older than 16 was naked, tied to an altar as her chest was stabbed by a dark-clothed figure, while 5 other dark-robed figures were chanting behind, forming a circle around the altar.

"ANSWER OUR PLEA, OH THEE OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT, OH THEE OF SOUL AND BODY, WITH THIS SACRIFICE GRANT US YOUR BLESSING ITAMEL THE MAGNIFICENT, THE ALL DEVOURER!!"

BOOM!! 

The young girl was shrouded in darkness deeper than the abyss, before some of the darkness seeped into the lead figure, causing him to convulse in agony and pain for a few minutes. 

"HAHAHAHAH!! I DID IT!" The figure stood up with such power that his hands dented the floor. He felt unlimited power cursing through his body, removing the robe covering his head. He was a handsome blonde, perfect in every way, as he looked at the other 5 people who also removed their headpieces. 

All of them were girls, and they had an emotionless expression, with dead eyes. They were unmoving like puppets, as the blonde gave them orders to start cleaning up the blood left on the altar. He came to one girl in particular, with red hair, she was the most beautiful among the girls.

He rubbed her cheeks, smiling at her. 

"Thanks to you my plan has succeeded. But this is far from over, I want you to find me another sacrifice, one that would please our lord." He kissed her lips forcefully, drawing blood from his uncontrollable body that was brimming with power.

"As you wish master." The girl was none other than the roommate of Leonna.