The Big Beautiful Lion (2)

Kestrel opened her eyes and found herself standing in a mostly wrecked room — this was Ray's psychic landscape.

Looking around, the small room would have been a cozy spot. Striped wallpaper, cute wall lamps, and a small wooden bed. On the bedside table, there was a plant and a few picture frames. Kestrel took a quick look at the photos, which mostly showed the alphas all together, grinning from ear to ear.

Taking a closer look, Kestrel recognized a lot of faces — Parfit, Tegnell, Birdie... those who were waiting outside right now. This was Ray's safe, warm spot in his mind, filled with pictures of the people he cared about the most.

But now, most of the cozy room was ruined. Most of the walls and ceiling had fallen, leaving only this tiny corner. There was a gap in the broken floor that kept leaking a tar-like black liquid, dripping steadily down.