《A Haunted Flower [Completed]》 Chapter 1: Witherbloom Kayden put the flower in the small vase. Apart from the ragtag bundle of clothes that had been packed for him, the Witherbloom in his possession was the only memento he had brought from his clan. He ought to take proper care of it. Which meant adding more water to the container. He smiled. ¡°Ironic.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The elder of the village of Alderhelm, who had accompanied Kayden to his lodgings, shuffled closer. His cane beat a series of slow taps as he approached. ¡°Would you care to explain the irony, young master?¡± Kayden angled the vase and the flower in it a little to the side, so that the spiralling petals patterned in the shape of burgeoning flames faced the old man. ¡°What does the flower look like to you, elder?¡± ¡°Hmm. A sunset giving way to the storm.¡± Kayden paused. Then laughed in pleasure. ¡°That¡¯s certainly one of the more poetic descriptions I¡¯ve heard.¡± The laughter had driven a painful stitch in his chest, and he clutched his chest for a second. He removed his hand quickly, though. The elder¡¯s bushy brows had drawn down in a heavy frown. Despite the years of training to control his bearing and temperament, Kayden found it difficult to control his own reaction to the village elder¡¯s expression. That look again. He had been seeing that look far too often over the last half-year. ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Kayden said cheerily, dispelling the little moment of negativity. ¡°Sunset in a storm, embers in ashes, whatever you want to call it. The Witherbloom is fiery. Which is why it¡¯s ironic that it¡¯s a glutton for water. For your information, the vibrancy of its petals comes from how much water you feed it.¡± The elder tapped his stick appreciatively. ¡°How interesting. I suppose you will be needing more water, then. Please, young master, allow me to retrieve it.¡± ¡°Oh no, please, you don¡¯t have to go to so much trouble.¡± ¡°Nonsense. Please, allow this one to fill your vase. Meanwhile, you can begin your rest properly. You must be exhausted after your journey. Lunch should be ready soon too. So please, just relax and take it easy.¡± Kayden shook his head, adding a touch of firmness to the motion. ¡°Just because I was told to take it easy doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t get water for myself.¡± The elder bowed before him. His wizened face was directed straight at the ground. ¡°I humbly request that the young master kindly take his rest and grant us the honour of serving him. We at Alderhelm are so far away from the heart of the empire. For a cultivator of your standing to visit us, we must do our utmost to ensure your visit is as perfect as possible.¡± Kayden was beginning to feel a teensy bit uncomfortable. ¡°Please, it isn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Young master is the second scion of the great Feronil clan, the third-ranked clan in the entire empire. Young master is also a cultivator of great renown¡ªthe master of the flowering flame, the youngest cultivator to reach the Nascent Soul realm in centuries, peerless in his entire generation.¡± Kayden¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°For such a far-away village, you sure seem to be quite aware of what¡¯s going on out in the rest of the world, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Young master¡ª¡± Kayden sighed. ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Sometimes, he forgot why he bothered trying to be more upstanding when even those who stood to benefit from it refused it. But things were more complicated than that, of course. If the village elder didn¡¯t do his utmost to serve Kayden, he was liable to upset the Feronil clan, even if they were told by their very own scion that Alderhelm had been paradise itself. Kayden¡¯s musings were cut short by coughs. Heavy, whole-body-wracking coughs that made him feel as though he was intent on hacking his whole lungs out. It went on for half-a-minute straight. Kayden had kept a strict count. He¡¯d had good practice doing so. ¡°Everything alright, young master?¡± the village elder asked with that look again. That damnable look. Kayden waved one hand to indicate it was fine, struggling to speak. Fortunately, the elder understood. He nodded, then took the vase from the table. ¡°I will return shortly with some water. It¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± After he had retreated downstairs, when the old man no doubt thought he would go unheard, he continued, ¡°The real trouble is if you die here, young master. We don¡¯t need another ghost haunting Alderhelm, that¡¯s for certain.¡± Another ghost? That sounded intriguing. Though, in his condition¡­ Kayden sighed, settling into the little bed. Nothing in his lodgings really compared to his actual home. When placed next to his clan, Alderhelm was about as wealthy and ostentatious as a pigsty. But he hadn¡¯t come here to enjoy opulence¡ªnot that he cared for luxuries and ostentatiousness. He was here, supposedly, to soothe his spirit and enjoy some fresh, calming air away from the shenanigans in the heart of the empire. No healer had found the cure to Weeping Shadows. The strange illness that seeped into one¡¯s soul, visible only to the spiritual sight as twisting curls the colour of murky shadows from which it derived its name, confounded everyone. Some could force it to abate for a time, but it always returned, and its effects were almost always irreversible. Over the six-ish months he had been afflicted, Kayden had lost much of his vitality. The balance of his internal harmony had been shattered. Growths like thorny vines crept under his skin at too many places to count. His brother had tried to joke that he was turning into a rose bush. Not funny. The worst bit was the spiritual harm it caused him. He might have been one of the most prodigious and promising cultivators in all of the empire, but that was in the past now. Kayden could barely cultivate any longer without feeling as though he had tied his heart to a horse and then struck its arse with a switch. ¡°Here you are, young master,¡± the elder said as he returned, his tapping cane accompanying him as ever. Kayden nodded in gratitude. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Lunch is nearly ready. I will call you as soon as the table has been prepared¡­ unless you wish for the food to be brought to your room, directly?¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°No, thank you.¡± As an advanced cultivator, he didn¡¯t even need that much food to begin with. But as already established, the elder of Alderhelm wasn¡¯t going to spare any expense to make sure he was sated. ¡°Downstairs is fine.¡± The elder nodded. ¡°I will go check on other matters for the time being, then. Please ring the bell if you need anything.¡± ¡°One moment, if you please.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You mentioned something about a haunting?¡± The elder stiffened. Kayden met the old man¡¯s eyes, locking their gazes. He wasn¡¯t escaping from Kayden¡¯s query so easily. ¡°Just fanciful tales,¡± the elder said. ¡°You understand what superstitious villagers are like, young master. They see something strange and it¡¯s immediately a haunting. Pay them no heed, please.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯d still like to hear about what¡¯s going on, though.¡± Kayden carefully picked at his nails. ¡°You see, I need some entertainment to not die of boredom. Would you do me the favour of regaling me with tales of this haunting? Unless you¡¯re busy with something, of course.¡± Kayden raised an eyebrow. Surely nothing in this village could be more important than the entertainment of a young prodigious cultivator from the heart of the empire? He wasn¡¯t that arrogant, but he was also pretty certain that was exactly what was running through the elder¡¯s mind. Proven true a second later, when the old man sighed and placed both his hands on his cane. It was time to hear a spooky story. ¡°There isn¡¯t a whole lot to tell, young master,¡± the elder said. ¡°We¡¯ve been spotting some¡­ phenomena that many have attributed to the works of some spirit lurking in our village.¡± Kayden was certain his eyes were sparkling. He certainly felt interested enough. ¡°A spirit, you say?¡± His path as a cultivator hadn¡¯t involved handling spirits, but he knew of those who could. But cultivators in general were well-known as capable of dealing with ghosts, demons, and other supernatural issues that plagued the empire. No doubt that contributed to the elder¡¯s reluctance. He didn¡¯t want to mention anything that might get Kayden riled up when he was supposed to be resting. Well, too late now, old man. ¡°Yes,¡± the elder said. ¡°The farmhands mentioned seeing a ghostly figure roaming the crop fields. Some of the women have heard strange noises from the well. Some others have spotted a strange figure walking through the streets after dusk. Nothing substantial, but such is often the case with these things.¡± Kayden rubbed a hand under his chin. ¡°Interesting.¡± The elder bowed his head a little. ¡°I hope young master won¡¯t take too much heed of the ramblings of bored villagers.¡± Kayden decided to keep his thoughts to himself for now. Interesting was an understatement. He had every intention of finding out more about this mysterious ghost. There was no need for the elder to know, though. He would prove more hindrance than help, going by what Kayden had seen so far. ¡°Thank you for the water.¡± Kayden pointed at the flower on the table. ¡°See, it¡¯s already growing more vibrant.¡± The elder glanced briefly at the Witherbloom, smiling at the fiery petals. Then he offered another bow to Kayden. Short and shallow, this time. A bow that had places to be. ¡°I will call young master as soon as lunch is ready. If you need nothing further from me, I will take my leave.¡± ¡°I need nothing further.¡± A sudden thought popped off in his head. ¡°However, the clothes I brought with me took a tumble on my way here. They¡¯re all rather dirty now. Would you please send someone with something local I might wear while my clothes are being washed? I would greatly appreciate it. Not now, but later today before I retire for bed, perhaps?¡± If the elder thought anything was odd about that request, he remained silent on it. ¡°Of course, young master. I will send new attire at dusk.¡±
¡°How do I look?¡± Kayden asked. After a plaintive lunch that everyone had pretended was the height of gastronomic delight, Kayden had naturally gotten bored of resting for hours on end. His curiosity had made him restless. Evening was approaching. Would this ghost haunting the village be as restless as him? The boy who had brought the clothes sent by the village elder observed him with a gap-toothed grin. ¡°Like you were born ¡®ere, master.¡± Kayden checked himself in the mirror one last time. The brown tunic¡¯s wool was a little too rough spun and the baggy trousers were a little warmer and airier than he would have preferred, but they weren¡¯t wholly terrible all in all. He¡¯d live. Then he coughed, though thankfully only twice this time. ¡°Ironic.¡± ¡°What was that, master?¡± the boy asked. ¡°Nothing. While I figure out how to put this hat on, why don¡¯t you tell me about the hauntings?¡± ¡°The hauntings?¡± The boy¡¯s voice turned hushed with excitement. He pulled his own woollen cap down and twisted it in his hands. ¡°You wanna know about the ghost?¡± ¡°Sure do. Have you seen it yourself?¡± ¡°I felt her presence. Just that one time, though. It was¡­ like nothing else. Once my pa took me to the shore and had me standing ¡®fore the ocean and it was like that, you know? Step too close and you¡¯re gonna be dragged in.¡± He paused, his awestruck tone changing to one of doubt. ¡°I thought it was supposed to be a ghost, not some goddess.¡± ¡°That powerful, is it?¡± ¡°Not just that, master. Lil¡¯ Henlo swore he saw the ghost the same night I caught her too.¡± Kayden paused while he was tying his hair up. ¡°You and your friend saw the ghost at the same time in different locations?¡± The boy nodded vigorously. ¡°I was at the paddy field, but Henlo saw her near the granary at the same time.¡± Kayden resumed and finished up in short order. There, all done. The trick was tying up his long hair before putting the tall hat on, so it looked almost like he had shorn off the majority of his locks. ¡°Alright, I believe I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s head out.¡± The boy put his own hat back on with obvious reluctance. ¡°You sure, master?¡± Kayden walked over to the table and pulled the Witherbloom out of the vase. It was positively glowing now that it had drunk so much water over the last few hours. With the roots at the bottom of its stem coalescing together to one point, it was easy to tuck the flower into his cloth belt. ¡°Absolutely,¡± he said, smiling at the boy. ¡°Time to meet this ghost of yours.¡±
Kayden had to admit the night air added a ghostly feeling to Alderhelm. The village was nothing impressive. A collection of thatch-roofed huts broken up by the occasional bigger buildings here and there, such as the granary and the village hall. Under the relentless gloom of the night sky, all Kayden saw was dark smudges. The few fitful lights did nothing to relieve the monotonous darkness. But the air was redolent with spritely spiritual energy. If Kayden relied on his spiritual sight, he could see the air twisting with boundless energy, invisible streams of power flitting this way and that. It was evident even to his mundane senses. He could almost taste it, could nearly feel it dancing on the few places his skin was exposed to the environment. No wonder a spirit had rooted itself here. At least the paddy fields were serene. The whole village was, in truth. Something about the rice plants in the lightly glimmering water had a soothing quality to it. They reminded him of putting the Witherbloom in a vase. ¡°I wish he hadn¡¯t left,¡± Kayden muttered. The boy had brought him here, then left. He¡¯d had no intention of sticking around after nightfall. Him, and the rest of the villagers too. They had all retreated to their homes. The village elder was right. They were a suspicious lot. Sometimes, when he was alone, he pretended that the Witherbloom could listen to him. The perfect conversationalist. Always available to listen, never interrupting, its silence a constant tacit agreement to whatever Kayden might say. Flowers made perfect companions. ¡°Alright, then.¡± Kayden placed his hands on his waist and stared out into the darkness. ¡°Ghost, oh ghost. Where are you?¡± He peered this way and that. He also whistled. Then he clicked his tongue too. ¡°Come here, ghosty. Come to Kayden. Don¡¯t keep me waiting forever.¡± He amused himself to ward of the boredom of doing nothing but standing at the edge of a crop field. Hopefully, not for long. Night¡¯s black cloak was slung over Alderhelm well and truly now. The darkness was rife for ghostly mischief. Kayden had just begun singing an old spooky song his nurse had crooned to him as a kid when the new lights appeared. ¡°Woah!¡± Hands on hips, Kayden leaned forward and peered harder. Oh, hmm. Maybe he ought to rely on his spiritual sight right about now. He did so. It didn¡¯t help. Curses. The lights were still little more than distant smudges that he judged to be at the far edge of the farmland. They were moving, interestingly. Bobbing up and down a little while traversing the horizon as they headed towards the village. Well. Since Kayden wasn¡¯t going to be able to assuage his curiosity standing out here, he might as well get started. Stretching a little, he was just about to set off after the distant lights. But a new presence appeared right behind him. An impossible, overwhelming presence that drowned out all his other senses except a primal sense of alarm. Kayden had already whirled around, his hand flinging out the Witherbloom held between his fingers with the tapering point of the stem pointed at¡ª At the true ghost. She sniffed. ¡°Do you always talk to your flower when you¡¯re alone?¡± Chapter 2: Spirit For a moment, Kayden wasn¡¯t certain whether he was standing before a ghost, or before an ocean. It was just like the boy had said. He was faced with an awestriking power. The ghost certainly looked the part of the might she exuded. She stood¡ªor floated, he wasn¡¯t certain¡ªalmost as tall as him, her hair flowing behind her like a curtain of depthless night pitted with twinkling stars. Her robes flowed over like water gleaming under a sunbeam, while her pristine face glowed like a dawning sun, tinged with the softest blush. Kayden couldn¡¯t even look at her eyes. Once, when he had taken a voyage across the sea, his ship had passed over an area that had been darker than the surrounding water. The sailors had said they were traversing an abyssal zone, a hole in the ocean that sunk far, far into the surface. A void in the middle of the sea that led all the way to its chthonic pit. The ghost¡¯s eyes held the same darkness, one that was liable to make him drown. Best not to look too long. ¡°Do you also always greet suspicious folks with a flower?¡± the ghost asked. Oh, right. Also. It had asked another question earlier, one Kayden could no longer remember. But the talk of the flower at least helped pull him back to his senses. He slowly straightened. ¡°Everyone deserves to be greeted with flowers. What kind of flower depends entirely on the person, however,¡± Something about that made the ghost smile. The shining glow of her face dimmed just enough to not make it hard to look at her, She was¡­ she looked quite human, now that she wasn¡¯t as luminous as a celestial body. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been greeted with a rather pretty flower.¡± Oh. Oh. Kayden coughed into his hand as he pulled his Witherbloom back. ¡°Appearances can be deceiving. You, dear ghost, didn¡¯t receive my pretty flower. The Witherbloom is my flower of alarmed surprise.¡± The ghost laughed. It was a light, tinkling sound, reminding Kayden of wind chimes. ¡°I should consider myself blessed,¡± the ghost said. ¡°That the first person who can finally interact with me is an amusing florist.¡± ¡°I am a cultivator I¡¯ll have you know.¡± ¡°A florist pretending to be a cultivator.¡± She shook her head in apparent amusement. ¡°You should stop chasing immortality. You realize it¡¯s a myth, right?¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯re a ghost doesn¡¯t mean all of us will join you. Though, I was hoping to catch the evil haunting this little village.¡± With affected care, Kayden tucked his Witherbloom back into his cloth belt. ¡°Looks like fat is smiling upon me since you¡¯re here all on your own. Thanks for sparing me the need to follow your trail of hauntings.¡± She squinted her eyes, leaning forward a little. ¡°Why? Are you so desperate to hunt down the pesky little ghost you¡¯re supposed to exorcise?¡± Kayden snorted. ¡°Ha. Lucky for you, my skill at exorcism is abysmal. I could no more exorcise you than I could a dandelion.¡± That earned him another laugh. ¡°My, the heavens really have blessed me with their brightest light.¡± She tilted her head at him. ¡°Someone who can finally see me, listen to me, and not feverishly spend his time wondering how to get rid of me.¡± ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that you¡¯ve been nothing more than a sensation to the people of this village. No one here is a cultivator, after all.¡± The spirit began pacing back and forth. Or floating, rather. He took note how her feet never touched the ground. Definitely emulating a celestial body, though of a different kind than he had first thought of. Kayden¡¯s attention was pulled to his surroundings for a moment. With the ghost finally here, he ought to inspect the change in spiritual energy around him. He blinked as his spiritual sight came on. The world writhed. It appeared the apparition¡¯s mere presence was causing all the energy to go haywire. Everything glowed bright as day, the intensity of the spiritual energy pressing upon Kayden¡¯s soul like he was standing next to a volcano moments away from erupting. Perhaps he should be counting his lucky stars this spirit didn¡¯t seem inclined to cause any harm to anyone. ¡°If you aren¡¯t here to exorcise me,¡± the ghost said, spearing him with an inquisitive look. ¡°Then why are you here?¡± ¡°I was bored.¡± She stared at him. ¡°So¡­ you decided to see if you could inflict your boredom upon the dearly departed?¡± ¡°Oh? Is someone grieving you?¡± Kayden cupped one hand around his ears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t hear the sound of tears over the shrieks of terror.¡± It was the ghost¡¯s turn to snort. He pulled his head back with a frown. The jerky little laugh had lessened the ghost¡¯s otherworldliness, making her appear a lot more human. This was further enhanced when a mischievous glint took root in her eyes. Kayden noticed it for a brief second before he looked away. ¡°It seems I can spend some more time here, then,¡± she said. Kayden smiled despite himself. A ghost haunting a village for the sake of haunting itself? One didn¡¯t see that every day. ¡°How long do you intend to terrorize these poor villagers?¡± ¡°Until¡­¡± The glint in her eye evolved to a big grin. It was the kind of smile that, no matter who you were, dragged a smile out of you all the same. Like you were in on the joke whether you knew it or not. ¡°Until I¡¯m bored.¡± Kayden laughed. A little too hard. His laughter gave way to another series of coughs, though he was able to curb them quickly before they got out of hand. He was out here to enjoy the spooky air and spookier company. Not to cough his lungs out. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one mystery solved,¡± he said. ¡°The elder was so convinced that you were nothing more than a superstition. Wait till I tell him of this interaction.¡± ¡°One mystery?¡± She arched an eyebrow that he hadn¡¯t noticed was far too perfect. Did ghosts visit salons or something? ¡°You have more you want to unearth?¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Well, I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind knowing what you¡¯re even doing here. A powerful spirit like you, who can be in multiple places at once. How would such a ghost even end up in a place like this?¡± The ghost¡¯s affability diminished a little. Maybe he had prodded something sensitive. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. If I had the power to be in multiple places at once, if I could create clones of myself or simply exercise some sort of godly omnipresence¡­¡± She grinned, a little evilly. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say the villagers would never be seen out of their huts again.¡± For the sake of the poor villagers, Kayden was marginally thankful that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°But if you can¡¯t be at multiple places at the same time, then that means there must be something else going on.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what you mean, but I believe I¡¯m simply missing the context.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Kayden mentioned what the boy had said, about how two children had experienced two different ghostly incidents at nearly the same time. The ghost was shaking her head, her star-strewn dark hair shimmering like a silken cloak. ¡°That can¡¯t be. Or at least, I don¡¯t possess any explanations for such a phenomenon. I can only confirm that I was at the farmland, so your first boy must have sensed me. Perhaps the other one had hallucinated my presence after hearing all the scary stories.¡± She said the last bit with great relish. The idea of someone being scared not just of her, but merely her reputation, was clearly something to be proud of. Kayden shook his head the same way he had when Great Grandfather Feronil had begun to lose his marbles. ¡°Excellent,¡± Kayden said. ¡°Yet another mystery for me to solve.¡± ¡°Are you some sort of amateur sleuth?¡± ¡°Oh no. I don¡¯t particularly enjoy mysteries. I¡¯m simply collecting different ways I can rid myself of boredom in this sleepy little village where I suspect everyone would have headed off to sleep by now even if there hadn¡¯t been a ghost haunting the dark.¡± ¡°Boredom. Such a shame.¡± The ghost sighed. ¡°Too bad you can¡¯t enjoy the pleasures of frightening the life out of unsuspecting victims and leaving them with lifelong trauma.¡± ¡°¡­yes, such a shame.¡± He realized something. ¡°Oh! How clever of you¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I am quite brilliant, aren¡¯t I?¡± Kayden shook his head. ¡°You almost distracted me away from my original inquiry.¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°Please, enlighten me as to what you¡¯re doing here, dear ghost.¡± She placed one dainty finger beneath her chin. ¡°In all honesty, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t mind, though.¡± She offered him a sweet smile again. ¡°The villagers here are very nice.¡± Yes. So nice of them to get scared with such ease. ¡°Ah, another mystery,¡± Kayden said. ¡°Fear not, I¡¯ll discover it for you.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Please don¡¯t. I¡¯m enjoying my time here. I don¡¯t want to be ripped from this village before I have terrorized at least two-thirds of its residents. Surely you know that revealing the reason behind why a spirit is stuck at a mortal location resolves the spirit¡¯s lock, if you will, thus setting said spirit free.¡± Kayden stared at the gleaming apparition. At the ghost that had grown odder and odder the more he had spoken with it. Though, not for too long. It was improper to stare at a pretty lady like that. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be free?¡± ¡°Not before I¡¯ve accomplished the great deed of making the residents of this delightful hamlet lose most of their senses and start sucking their thumbs as they go insane.¡± ¡°You know, I believe I should stop trying to unearth mysteries and start calling in a cultivator who actually knows how to exorcise a malevolent spirit.¡± She leaned towards him a little, her eyes somehow growing bigger and more depthless than before. ¡°Can¡¯t it wait? Please?¡± Kayden was trying really, really hard not to stare at her, even after the ghost kept moving around to get into his line of sight. ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll find out and make sure not to tell you.¡± ¡°Oh no, that won¡¯t do at all. You realize I¡¯ll demand you reveal everything you learn?¡± ¡°You act like our next meeting is already predetermined.¡± ¡°Well, I do intend to haunt everyone.¡± She turned away with a little pout. ¡°Unless of course, you find me tremendously offensive. I have no wish to inflict my presence where it isn¡¯t wanted.¡± ¡°You¡¯re literally haunting people who¡¯d happy to be rid of you.¡± ¡°Hauntings notwithstanding.¡± Unbelievable. Kayden was almost tempted to groan a little. ¡°Well, your desperation to know is your problem, not mine.¡± ¡°Such rudeness. And from a cultured cultivator from the capital too.¡± Kayden was about to ask how the ghost knew he was from the capital, but a cough was what burst out of his mouth in place of the words. Unfortunately, it started a lengthier spell of his body attempting to eject his interiors. He was able to keep count of up to twenty-three before he lost track and focused more on curbing his rebellious lungs. His soul writhed like it wanted to free itself from its diseased mortal cage. He couldn¡¯t really blame it. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He looked up from where he had bent over as soft light bathed him. The ghost had reached a hand towards him. He swallowed. Her touch glowed like a luminous mix of gold and silver, moonlight wrought into the shape of beautiful fingers. A touch that brought with it the flood of spiritual energy. With it cane the reminder to cycle. It came in easy. Far too easy. As though the spiritual energy had built up behind a dam and the ghost¡¯s brush had just opened the sluice. The entry of spiritual energy calmed him. His coughs abated and after a little massage of his chest, he almost felt normal again. ¡°I was starting to think you were about to join me in a reluctant haunting spree,¡± the ghost said. Kayden nearly laughed at the quip, but that threatened to bring up another bout of coughs, so he stopped himself. He straightened, wiped off the around his mouth, and offered a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± the ghost said. He blinked at her. ¡°Do you¡­ know why I¡¯m thanking you?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you thanking me for my mere presence? Shouldn¡¯t I be thanked just for existing in your vicinity?¡± Kayden licked his lips. Mm, still too much blood. He would need a good rinsing when he got back to his lodgings. ¡°You¡¯re technically not incorrect!¡± She smiled in triumph. ¡°The best kind of correct.¡± Her eyes seemed to note his mouth, dancing around his lips. It made him self-consciously lick them. Her voice dropped by a hair. ¡°You see now why I said that chasing immortality is futile.¡± ¡°Please. This is but a minor setback. I¡¯ll be good as new faster than you can say immortality is a myth.¡± ¡°Immortality is a myth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a figure of speech, dear ghost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re arguing the worst topic against the worst possible entity.¡± Kayden was tempted to lick his lips again. She was unfortunately not wrong. How could anyone stand there and tell a dead woman that immortality was absolutely something achievable. Seven heavens, one of the Elders who had taught Kayden half of what he knew had lived for almost a thousand years now. If that wasn¡¯t immortality, what was? But he wasn¡¯t so insensitive as to continue embellishing the point here. It would just be rubbing salt on an open wound. ¡°You know, I¡¯m dealing with a mystery of my own too,¡± he said. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I have no idea where I got my ailment from. It has been bothering me for a while now, but I¡¯ve found no answers back home. And now I¡¯m here¡­ hunting for other answers.¡± He offered a smile, but it came out lopsided. ¡°Ironic.¡± ¡°Just like a cultivator is wont to do. Always overcompensating for areas that you lack in.¡± ¡°A bit harsh to paint all cultivators with the same broad brush, isn¡¯t it?¡± The ghost paused, actually looking taken aback. He wondered if she felt as though she was rarely wrong. Sounded like it, from how she had talked so far. ¡°We can be partners in mysteries, then,¡± she said. ¡°Your illness and my death. Though, now that I think on it, I am certain that I died somewhere not far from this place.¡± Kayden¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°But you don¡¯t know the exact location. Can you give me anything more concrete? A direction, maybe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dark to tell.¡± ¡°Are you telling me a ghost can¡¯t see in the dark?¡± She shrugged. It made her star-strewn hair wave behind her like he was watching the night sky pass him by while he lay on a remote hillside. The ghost turned away all of a sudden. ¡°Speaking of the dark, it¡¯s high time I took my leave. I have some hauntings to catch up on.¡± True to her word, the ghost began to disappear. For some reason, that made Kayden feel a little despondent. He wasn¡¯t sure why. Was he actually going to miss talking with her? He didn¡¯t say anything though. The act he¡¯d kept up that he was fine, that his coughing fit had passed, was starting to fall apart at the seams. Abrupt though the departure felt, it was good she was gone. Now he could finally retreat back to his lodgings and recover properly. Tomorrow, he promised himself. Tomorrow, he would figure out the rest of this mystery. Chapter 3: Investigation Next day, Kayden set out to perform a proper investigation. He hadn¡¯t realized how much one of the ghost¡¯s questions had rankled him. Are you some sort of amateur sleuth? He might have been imagining things, but his memory of the chat kept telling him there had been a note of hope in her voice. Well, there were others who would be batter judge of his amateurishness and professionalism, but what Kayden could ensure was how much effort he put into things. Which was why, once morning had come on and he had broken his fast with the best fare the village could provide, Kayden Feronil began his hunt for the truth. ¡°PLease, young master,¡± the old village elder was saying as he trailed in Kayden¡¯s footsteps. ¡°You ought to rest before you aggravate your¡­¡± He seemed to struggle for a word that wasn¡¯t illness, for whatever reason. ¡°Please rest. I will personally find out anything that you require.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The boy from yesterday was accompanying them too. Kayden had specifically requested his presence. It was good to have a face he knew to guide him. The old man was too busy, and a little annoying to boot. ¡°Once you¡¯re back in bed, master, the old man¡¯s goin¡¯ to have me run around the whole village to find everything you might want.¡± The elder harrumphed a sigh that had probably ruffled his beard. ¡°Don¡¯t put it like that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kayden said, trying to reassert his confidence and reassure the old man. ¡°As I said, I won¡¯t be extending myself too much. And I came here for the fresh rural air, after all. I could have stay cooped up at home if I wanted to.¡± ¡°A trek through the whole village and beyond isn¡¯t the same as getting some fresh air, young master. One of the maids saw you return last night. She said you looked like you were about to die.¡± Drats. He had told the girl not to say anything to the old man. More fool Kayden for thinking her loyalties would be bought by just a smile from him. Don¡¯t start failing me now, charm. ¡°Then we should really hurry up and get this over with, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Kayden said. The old man sighed again, finally accepting defeat. ¡°I will have lunch prepared for when you return. Vasco, run to me if anything happens.¡± ¡°Aye, aye,¡± the boy said. ¡°Am I glad to be rid of him,¡± Kayden muttered once they had left the elder behind. He sent a sidelong glance at Vasco. ¡°Don¡¯t tell him I said that.¡± ¡°I figure he already knows, master.¡± ¡°Ha. Good point.¡± They walked through the village for a while. As much as this was about the investigation, Kayden wasn¡¯t lying about everything else. He did appreciate the air here. Alright, it was a little spooky. The chill had a haunting quality to it. But still, it had just the right kind of nibbling bite to feel refreshing. The villagers were out and about just as he was. When they reached the main thoroughfare running through Alderhelm¡¯s centre, they found men and women going this way and that as they hurried to finish up their business before dusk, even though the day had just begun. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s settle on some things,¡± Kayden said, leaning against a building that was a little out-of-the-way. ¡°To carry out my investigation, I need concrete information.¡± Vasco pulled his hat into his hands. ¡°I got no clue if what I know is concrete or not, but¡­ it¡¯s what I got.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You let me worry about the concreteness. I just need you to answer my questions as best as you can.¡± Vasco nodded. ¡°Alright, first question¡ªthe hauntings haven¡¯t been happening all over the village, right? Only specific locations? What are those specific locations?¡± ¡°Well, are the streets part of the entire village? Cause the ghost¡¯s been seen all over the streets.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s forget the streets for a second. Tell me the exact locations the ghost¡¯s been seen.¡± Vasco began counting off his fingers. ¡°Well, we got the granary. I¡¯m pretty sure they saw the ghost there. Then there¡¯s been the noises at the well, and you saw the ghost at the farms too, right master?¡± Kayden nodded. ¡°Farms, granary, and well. That¡¯s it, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright. Now that we¡¯ve got our targets, we just need to find the people we¡¯re going to interrogate. You¡¯re going to have to perform a favour for me.¡± Vasco offered him a grubby salute. Kayden smiled. He did his best to explain the requirements. Essentially, the next step in the investigation was gathering information via interrogation. To that end, Kayden would need to speak with anyone and everyone who¡¯d had some sort of interaction with any of the hauntings at their narrowed-down locations. It would be a little hard for him to track down everyone all by himself. Thankfully, that was where Vasco came in. He could employ the boy to bring him as many of the hauntings¡¯ victims who were willing to talk with him. All Kayden would need to do was perform the actual interrogation. The plan was¡­ somewhat successful, at best. Of course, using Vasco to send out the invitations would provide limited results. The villagers would feel much easier to reject one boy who was no different from the rest of them than a powerful visiting cultivator. But even for those who Kayden did end up talking to, his discoveries were sparse and not very informative. ¡°You¡­ never got to the actual granary to see what was going on?¡± he asked one short, middle-aged man who had apparently experienced a ghostly incident at the granary. Kayden was carrying out the interviews in what passed for a local tavern. There weren¡¯t many customers at this time of the day, so he went unbothered by any random onlookers. His current interviewee scratched his balding pate with obvious embarrassment. ¡°No, master. The noises coming from that place weren¡¯t of this world, I can tell you that much.¡± The man¡¯s face paled. ¡°Wild howls and shrieks. Like someone was slaughtering some poor soul in there.¡± Kayden tried not to roll his eyes. ¡°If there really was someone or something being slaughtered, you¡¯d think there would be some trace of blood, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only saying what I heard.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. And you said you saw some lights as well, correct?¡± ¡°Right, maser. I saw these glowing lights like you see in the sky sometimes.¡± ¡°What colour were they?¡± ¡°Lots of colours. Green, I think. And blue, and some others. Maybe gold too.¡± Kayden noted it all down. There wasn¡¯t a lot more the man could add, and he eventually thanked the villager before moving onto his next target of questioning. ¡°Noises?¡± Kayden asked the thickset, matronly woman. ¡°Can you describe the noises you heard?¡± ¡°Scary ones.¡± The woman shuddered. ¡°Haunting moans, creepy whispers, that sorta stuff. I don¡¯t know how long I can get my water there anymore. I¡¯m just try¡¯n not to go there at night no more.¡± ¡°Any other kinds of noises? Or do you just hear the ghostly ones?¡± The woman thought for a second, the new question making her forget her fear for the moment. ¡°I did hear something strange a couple o¡¯ times.¡± ¡°Strange? Like what?¡± ¡°Like someone bouncing stuff on the walls. You ever dropped a coin in the street, master? It sounds like that, but inside an empty room, if that makes sense.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± Kayden raised his face to look up at the woman. ¡°Isn¡¯t the well full of water? How can anything make a hollow dropping sound in water?¡± She shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what I heard a few times, and I know I ain¡¯t hallucinating that stuff.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Kayden was too lost thinking about that to really pay attention to the next person who was telling him his account of the haunting at the farm. ¡°Lights.¡± The fieldhand said gruffly. ¡°I¡¯m smart enough not to get anywhere close to those shining lights. No way.¡± Kayden snapped himself back to his current circumstance. ¡°Couldn¡¯t it have been someone travelling in the distance with a lantern?¡± ¡°Have you seen the lights, master?¡± Kayden paused. He had, and he knew those had been no lanterns. None he had seen in Alderhelm, at least. The rest of the interrogation didn¡¯t grant him any further insights. Most people avoided all the haunted locations at night now, and everyone had similar accounts. Wild noises and bright flashes coming from the granary. Spooky lights trailing the farm¡¯s edge. A possessed well. The tales were mostly the same no matter who Kaden interviewed. ¡°I think that will be enough for today,¡± he said after the last person¡ªa farmer complaining about the ghost driving away his workers¡ªleft. ¡°Did you find anything, master?¡± Vasco asked. Kayden rose and paid the tab to the tavern owner. He hadn¡¯t exactly drunk anything, but he had been occupying space and that deserved some remuneration. ¡°I need some time to think on things. I¡¯ve got some clues, but more than that, there¡¯s one more interview I need to do.¡± ¡°You gonna do it tomorrow?¡± Vasco asked, failing to keep his excitement contained. ¡°Who do I got to haul in?¡± ¡°Nobody.¡± Kayden flashed his assistant a wicked little smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to interview the ghost.¡±
The ghost in question kept him waiting. Kayden had decided that he would check out the farms again, perhaps this time approach the distant lights that had everyone so scared. That was, of course, if he never met up with his guest from the previous evening. Problem was, it wasn¡¯t like he could let her know that he would like to meet and talk. He had no way of contacting her. Why am I hoping that simply standing out here in the dark will bring her to me? To be fair, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for a bachelor such as himself to go calling up a lady without prior discussions about the arrangement of their meetings. There was a certain etiquette one had to follow about such matters. Wait, that sort of thinking was utter idiocy. This was a ghost he was talking about. He started. The power, the presence¡ª ¡°Have you made it your mission to save the villagers by drawing my attention and wasting my time?¡± the ghost asked. She had appeared to his left all of a sudden. Too quickly for him to prepare, the bloom of her overwhelming presence appearing almost instantaneously. Or maybe it was just because he had been distracted by his own wandering thoughts. Get a grip on yourself. Kayden offered his guest a smile. ¡°How is it my fault you¡¯re drawn to my unbelievable charm and¡­¡± He pulled out his Witherbloom with a flourish to add to the effect. ¡°My beautiful flower? ¡°Charm? Or manipulation? ¡°She crossed her arms. ¡°I sense a purpose to this meeting. A purpose set by you.¡± ¡°Correct! Though, it¡¯s nothing as nefarious as you make it sound. I just wanted to ask a few questions and then you can be on your haunting way.¡± He paused for a second. ¡°I should add that I am glad you decided to stop by. Makes my investigation so much easier.¡± ¡°Well, I have no guarantees that I can provide an answer but ask away.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Kayden pulled out his note and his pen. He scowled. ¡°Alright¡ª¡± ¡°What have you gotten written down there?¡± The ghost had moved in close without him noticing. Too fast. More importantly, too close. She was right next to him in an instant, leaning in front of his chest to peer at the paper in his hand. It took a strong amount of mental effort not to move back. The impulse to retreat didn¡¯t come from fear or anything like that. He wasn¡¯t afraid of her. At least, not in the way the villagers were. The longer Kayden had spent in the presence of the ghost, the more he had come to realize that there was an entirely different kind of fear at play for him. He was afraid of getting pulled into the overwhelming presence that was part and parcel of the ghost. Vasco had been spot on in his description. Standing this close was like standing right against a tidal wave about to wash an entire town away. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She was staring up at him. Her face glowed like a full moon. Shining and brilliant and worth staring at until it could be memorized and dedicated to a painting, Kayden coughed and finally took a step back. ¡°It¡¯s quite impolite to invade someone¡¯s personal space in that manner, you know.¡± ¡°I simply wanted to see your handwriting.¡± ¡°My¡­ handwriting?¡± ¡°You can tell a lot about a person from their handwriting.¡± He looked down at his squiggles that looked like a dying crane had run over the page with inky talons. ¡°What¡­ does mine say?¡± ¡°Yours say that I¡¯m being framed.¡± ¡°What?¡± He looked up to see the ghost had stepped away too, standing straight with an indignant expression on her face. She wasn¡¯t looking at him, though. Her glance was fixed on the village in the distance. ¡°I¡¯m not possessing their silly little well,¡± she said like someone had accused her of stealing an infant¡¯s rattle. ¡°Nor have I yelled boo from within the granary. That¡¯s so boorish.¡± ¡°I¡­ guess that is technically what my handwriting says,¡± Kayden muttered. ¡°My good name has been tarnished!¡± Good name? Kayden sighed, then brought his mind back onto matters of actual import. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask you about, actually. I suspected foul play at work, but now I¡¯m certain there are others taking advantage of your presence to¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t actually sure for what. There had to be some reason others were playacting a facsimile of a haunting, but to what end? ¡°Amateurs.¡± The ghost raised a hand and shook her fist. ¡°These mooks don¡¯t know the first thing about a proper haunting. It¡¯s not just displaying strange lights and making weird noises like a cheap escort. There¡¯s an art to making someone suffer a heart attack through sheer fright.¡± If haunting was an art form, then is she supposed to be a starving artist? She appeared actually angry. Her dark, star-studded hair whipped about her like it was caught in stormy winds, her robes rippled, and her whole form glowed several degrees brighter. Kayden didn¡¯t even bother glimpsing at the spiritual energy around him. It had to be boiling over with her ongoing fury. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sure a lot of work goes into a proper haunting.¡± ¡°Yes! You don¡¯t know the half of it.¡± The ghost seemed to realize she had gotten a little too enraged and made an effort to collect herself. Her hair and robes returned to normal, and Kayden was no longer partially blinding himself by facing her. ¡°Apologies, I got a little incensed there.¡± He waved a hand like it was nothing. ¡°On the contrary, I like seeing¡­ people being so lively.¡± Just for a second, he¡¯d been about to say that he enjoyed seeing her be lively, but that probably would have given an impression he had no idea how to deal with. Seriously, he needed to stop thinking over every word in her presence. It was getting maddening. And it wasn¡¯t helping that she was looking at him way too intently. ¡°You appear much better than last night,¡± she said. ¡°Are you actually feeling better, or are you keeping up an act again?¡± Kayden was tempted to tug on his collar. It felt too stuffy all of a sudden. ¡°You¡­ noticed?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s why I left abruptly. So you could feel comfortable enough to drop your I¡¯m dying and I¡¯m perfectly fine act.¡± She had pantomimed his voice at the end there. It was a good mimicry too. He almost didn¡¯t feel insulted. ¡°So please drop the theatrics in my presence.¡± Kayden wasn¡¯t even sure what he was supposed to feel at that. He had thought her departure had been quite sudden, but he had never figured it was because of him. There was the argument that she had indeed left to perform her oh-so-important hauntings, but the fact that she had actually noticed and deduced he had been faking went against that. The stuffy feeling from earlier had increased. For a chilly night, Kayden was beginning to feel far too warm. ¡°You actually cared enough to not only notice,¡± he said. His words wavered, unsure of their intent. Why was he even saying whatever his mouth was pelting out? ¡°You also left because of it?¡± The ghost looked away. Either her face had grown a little brighter, or she was blushing. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want competition from another ghost. This is my territory, understand?¡± Kayden laughed. ¡°I promise.¡± She turned back to face him again, bathing him with her radiance. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I promise I¡¯ll get to the bottom of whatever¡¯s going on here and clear your name. They have no right using your presence to carry out their misdeeds, and insulting the art of terrifying, bone-chilling hauntings.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re serious or if you¡¯re mocking me.¡± He placed a hand on his heart and bowed a little. ¡°I will find the truth. This I swear on my flowering heart.¡± She observed him for long moments. ¡°And what if that leads you to finding the truth about me as well? What if that truth severs me from this ghostly existence of mine?¡± ¡°I¡¯d never do anything to curtail your happiness. If anything I find seems that it would jeopardize you, then I¡¯ll server it from my mind before it can sever anything of yours.¡± ¡°Even if I want to find out?¡± Kayden paused. ¡°Change of heart?¡± She didn¡¯t answer immediately. Her moonlit face observed him, and he did his best not to turn away from her, no matter how brilliantly her regard shone. There was something irresistibly compelling about that look of hers. Her eyes were starlight, the canvas of her dark hair glittered like it was studded with diamonds, the swish of her robes borne on ethereal winds, and¡ª And Kayden mentally slapped himself. ¡°No, no, don¡¯t mar your expression so,¡± the ghost said. ¡°I admire you admiring me.¡± Kayden needed a moment too long to bring about the right answer. ¡°You¡¯re evading my question.¡± ¡°I was simply pondering how best to ask my own question in response to your inquiry¡ªwouldn¡¯t you like to know the source of your affliction? Why and how you came to be with the Weeping Shadows?¡± Her eyes twinkled. She was genuinely curious. For the first time though, Kayden averted his gaze. ¡°It isn¡¯t worth it,¡± he said. She didn¡¯t look satisfied with that answer. ¡°That¡¯s what I used to think about my death. But you¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± He stared at her. ¡°I did? How?¡± ¡°I used to think you were compensating for the inability to discover the reasoning behind your illness by uncovering the mystery shrouding this village.¡± She looked around, taking in Alderhelm, though what she saw in the darkness was beyond Kayden. ¡°But your determination stretches beyond that. Bored though you might say you are, you¡¯re still earnest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand what you mean.¡± She turned back to him. ¡°It is emotion that drives you, not the lack of it.¡± She smiled knowingly, her eyes glinting with minute mischief. ¡°Some shallow.¡± Then her smile turned captivating. ¡°But some clearly deeper. And these emotions are what drives actions that will change the fate of this whole village at this rate.¡± ¡°Oh? And here I thought you said immortality was a myth.¡± She looked at him nonplussed for a moment, before her eyes widened a little in understanding. ¡°Ah. Immortalizing yourself in the history of this village you seek to help. That¡¯s¡­ certainly one way to go about it. I, however, remain correct in my initial assessment.¡± Kayden shook his head with a little smile. ¡°You know, for a ghost who only cared about the haunting the living daylights out of innocent village folk just moments ago, you¡¯re really articulate.¡± The ghost laughed. ¡°Just another tool in my haunting repertoire. You¡¯d be surprised how many people are scared of big words.¡± Kayden couldn¡¯t hold back a snort at that. It cut off quickly, though. His attention was instead diverted to the distant village, where one by one the lights were coming on. Dozens upon dozens of lanterns had descended out into the open, banishing away the umbral blanket, like a gaggle of fireflies fighting the night. And then, despite the distance, the twilight echoed with a tragic wail. Chapter 4: Names Kayden wasn¡¯t invited to the funeral. Why would he be? It wasn¡¯t like he had known the man who had died last night. Nevertheless, it was proper to show respects to the deceased, regardless of how much one might be familiar with them. Death was a tragedy. Even if one remained unaffected by it, the ragged wounds of grief it left stormed in everywhere, leaving trails that couldn¡¯t be missed. The people of Alderhelm, already downtrodden after the series of inexplicable hauntings, were now more dismayed than ever. Someone had finally died by the ghost¡¯s hands. Someone had finally succumbed to the fatal danger of fear. No one was safe any longer. ¡°Nyester was a good ol¡¯ gramps, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Vasco said. He was holding his hat again, keeping his head down with a demure cast. His parents had bidden him wear to a black tunic instead of his regular everyday clothes. A little symbol of respect for the life of the dearly-departed villager. ¡°What did he do?¡± Kayden asked. They were back in the tavern where he had conducted his investigations a day ago. It had never been busy. Now, it looked like Nyester had died right in front of the barkeep. ¡°Nothing,¡± Vasco said. ¡°Retired, he always said. Could do whatever he wanted. What I wouldn¡¯t do to have that kind o¡¯ time on my hands¡­¡± ¡°Retired. From doing what before, exactly?¡± ¡°I think he was a herbalist or something like that? Not sure, honestly. The healer lady said she used to get a lot o¡¯ her ingredients and the like from him.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± That wasn¡¯t quite insightful. Though, Kayden suspected if there was something deeper going on, Nyester¡¯s profession indubitably had something to do with it. About an hour of idle conjectures later, Kayden¡¯s main interviewee finally showed up. ¡°Apologies for keeping you waiting, young master,¡± the old village elder said. ¡°I was a bit busy with ¡­¡± He waved his hand vaguely at everything in general. More than a bit busy going by his appearance. He looked like he was the one who had passed away before recalling that oh right, he was the head of Alderhelm. What would the poor, lost villagers do without him? So now he was back, a splotchy-skinned former-corpse dressed up in funereal garb and a cane to keep him propped upright. Kayden drew a chair out for him. ¡°Please, it¡¯s no trouble at all. I should be the one apologizing for asking you to meet me, what with everything that¡¯s been going on.¡± The old man appeared too battered to muster even a minute affront at someone like Kayden performing a servant¡¯s job. He just sighed. ¡°It¡¯s such an unfortunate state of affairs. If only I¡¯d acted faster¡­¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have done anything. In fact, I should be the one partially to blame, since I ought to have gotten to the bottom of whatever is going on here by now.¡± Kayden paused. That was enough of the blame-game. Time to delve into the real matters. ¡°This Nyester. He was old, was he?¡± ¡°That he was,¡± the elder said. ¡°I knew him since I was a wee lad too.¡± Noted. That meant the heart attack wasn¡¯t too surprising. Older folks were more susceptible to them. ¡°He died close to the granary, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Do you know if he had ever experienced any of the hauntings before?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± ¡°He has,¡± Vasco said. ¡°I heard him complaining about it the other day. Was cussing out the spooky lights and everything.¡± Kayden tapped his note. ¡°I need more specifics, Vasco. Which lights? The farm or the granary?¡± The boy shrugged. ¡°Couldn¡¯t tell you. He said something about cursed stores and that¡¯s about it.¡± That again wasn¡¯t a lot to go on with. There were some more perfunctory questions that Kayden posed. How was Nyster¡¯s health before his death? Did he have any family and friends who might know more about him? Had he any enmities or disputes in the village? None of the answers were any more enlightening than what he had heard before. Kayden wasn¡¯t going to get anything useful out of this posthumous interview of his. The elder eventually took his leave. Busy man, the village elder. Running a village through the current crisis had to be straining him like a clothesline with armour hung up on it to dry. Hopefully, he wasn¡¯t stretched too taut. ¡°What you goin¡¯ to do now, master?¡± Vasco asked. Kayden sighed a little, then got to his feet to pay the barkeep for hosting his informal interrogations once again. ¡°I was hoping to do some fieldwork, but that would be rather insensitive right now. But we¡¯ll see what happens later.¡±
Kayden headed out into the farmlands at night. The villagers hadn¡¯t retreated to the cover of their homes after dusk had fallen. Not tonight. In honour of Nyester, the villagers were holding a vigil well into the evening. The memory of deceased old man had turned into the spirit of bravery that had possessed the villagers. No threat of any ghost would be sending them scurrying this night. Kayden watched the lantern lights glimmering in the village. He had seen them before of course, their general look already impressed upon his mind. But he wanted to remember their exact appearance. Because he was about to face a different set of lights soon enough. Kayden turned around. He smiled. There. He had been waiting for nearly an hour. Finally, the strange glimmers that the villagers had complained about at the edge of the farms had come into being. Just as the villagers had said, they were distant. At the very edge of the farms. Over half a league from where Kayden stood. No problem. Nothing was stopping him from reaching them. As he walked towards them, he noted how they were different from the lanterns the villagers used. Those were bright yellow. These haunting lights had an unmistakeable ethereal quality about them. Shimmering white, but with a faint pearlescence about them, as though there was a lens of some sort that was having a prismatic effect. Well, Kayden would find out when he reached the source of the lights. Which turned out to be taking longer than he had been expecting. The lights weren¡¯t getting closer at the rate Kayden had foreseen. He frowned. Were they¡­ getting more distant from him? He stopped for a second. Had the light-bearer spotted him and was now retreating? Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Shaking his head, Kayden continued walking after the strange illumination in the distance. Those lights were supposed to be scary. How were they expected to terrify him if they remained so distant? The ghost might just be right. This was the work of amateurs who really didn¡¯t want to be found out. Oh well. They weren¡¯t going to outpace a cultivator, that was for certain. If humans were supposed to be persistence hunters, then Kayden was a persistence obliterator. ¡°Why do you walk away from the village?¡± The voice startled Kayden a little, though the familiarity rapidly eased up his tension. He turned with a brief smile. Ah, there she was. His ghostly companion, in all her gleaming, resplendent glory, like a divine spirit who had come down to the realm of mortals and couldn¡¯t help but outshine everything. ¡°It appears clearing your name is taking me out of the village,¡± Kayden said. He looked back to point at the distant glimmering lights, but they were gone. He frowned. ¡°Or¡­ they were.¡± ¡°Something wrong?¡± ¡°The lights disappeared. You didn¡¯t see them?¡± ¡°Before, I think, yes. I used to think someone was just out braving the night for a stroll in the chill, calming air.¡± She raised a dainty hand to her chin, considering. ¡°Perhaps I should have tried scaring them at some point.¡± That would have been convenient. Scaring the scarers. ¡°Fat chance of that now¡­¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be too disappointed. I¡¯ll make sure not to bother you tomorrow night so you can hunt down these pesky flatterers of mine.¡± ¡°Flatterers?¡± ¡°Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, no?¡± Kayden opened his mouth to reply and found he had no proper words. ¡°Now.¡± The ghost¡¯s robes swished in an almost hypnotic way as she floated in closer. ¡°What can you offer me in recompense for my disappointment?¡± ¡°What, pray tell, do you have to be disappointed by?¡± He smirked. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault if you¡¯re getting distracted by me from one of your hauntings.¡± His good humour fell a bit. ¡°Though, I¡¯d suggest giving it a rest for tonight after¡­¡± The ghost¡¯s face dimmed a bit as well. Then she brightened again. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean my hauntings. When I saw you walking in your current direction, I thought you were headed out to investigate the site of my supposed death. But it looks like you were simply chasing some silly lights, my flowery little moth.¡± Kayden ignored her teasing moniker. ¡°Your death site?¡± He turned around to look out into the darkness. ¡°Are you claiming that you died somewhere around here?¡± ¡°A little farther off, yes, but in the same general direction.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Kayden walked off. The ghost followed, his personal beacon of light to keep the night at bay. She didn¡¯t know the exact location of her death, unfortunately. So it was that Kayden ended up needing to grope out in the darkness and scour the entire outskirts of the village in this general area. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you visited and tried to find your site of death before?¡± he asked. The question was pointless. He knew why. She had been afraid of severing her connection to the mortal realm by discovering the cause of her death. It was only recent experiences with the village and Kayden himself that had shifted her priorities to a need to uncover the truth. ¡°I was hoping some delightfully upstanding¡ªand pleasantly smelling¡ªstranger would arrive and show me the truth that I was afraid of,¡± she said. Kayden snorted. ¡°Of course. Maybe I¡¯ll write a poem about my experiences and read it out to you.¡± ¡°A florist and a poet. I suppose that makes sense. Poets oft use flowery language.¡± At that, Kayden laughed. It was a bit of a shame the ghost couldn¡¯t guide him to her exact location of death. She only felt it as some sort of integral sensation, one that couldn¡¯t really be deciphered to provide something as concrete as an exact location or coordinate. So, Kayden ended up relying on his own spiritual senses. He had long suspected that the ghost was someone of note when she had died. Perhaps even a powerful cultivator in her own right. What else could create a spirit with this much power held back like a dam against an ocean? As such, her death had likely left some sort of signature in the tapestry of spiritual energy around the village. Something he could investigate through his spiritual sight and potentially use. Except, it turned out the whole tapestry was twisted and marred in their locale. It staggered him for a second. The whole makeup of spiritual energy in the area was wrong. Like someone had sprayed oil across its canvas and burned off bits and pieces all over the area, leaving gaps with nothing and unharmed areas where the tapestry had been bent out of shape by the heat. ¡°I have no idea what might have caused such a thing,¡± the ghost said once Kayden had described his findings. ¡°But it sounds like something I could be capable of, as a supremely powerful being, yes.¡± Kayden rolled his eyes. Thankfully, he landed on a way to discover the exact location of her death soon enough. Investigating the voids themselves led him to finding out the spot where they all coalesced to form one giant area devoid or any spiritual energy whatsoever, except for one strange anomaly. It looked like the spiritual energy in the locale that had survived whatever had occurred here, even in a bent and twisted shape, was attempting to thread their way through the voids to reach a single location. A location where there should have been a body. ¡°I can feel it,¡± the ghost said. Her voice had changed. No longer light and capering, she was now hushed. Serious. ¡°It was here. It was certainly here.¡± ¡°Here that you¡­ passed away?¡± Kayden asked. She nodded. ¡°Do you remember anything beyond that?¡± The ghost shook her head. Her eyes were fixed on one specific spot, where the trails of spiritual energy infiltrating into the void seemed to be connecting. Kayden looked around, trying to see if there was any sort of clue or anything of the sort that could better guide them towards what exactly had occurred here. There wasn¡¯t much. No signs of any scuffles, no splash of blood or any trails. Nothing. If she had died here, someone had likely collected her corpse and removed all traces of it from the area. But for all that Kayden could discover nothing, the ghost was having an entirely different experience. She was starting to glow brighter again, turning more and more radiant with every passing moment. Her face was luminous as a sun now, the stars in her cosmic hair now shining with the brilliance of diamonds catching moonbeams. ¡°I can feel¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence. ¡°What is it?¡± Kayden asked. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ close to finding something.¡± Her eye had screwed shut. Her whole body had tensed. She raised her arm, gliding upwards and extending as though she was reaching for something. ¡°I¡­¡± Her voice hitched, then her eyes snapped open. A supernova flared in her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve found my name. Mierin. That¡¯s my name. Was my name. Mierin.¡± Kayden smiled as she turned to face him. The look of awed wonder on her face made him stare at her. ¡°I¡¯m glad you found your name,¡± he said. ¡°Mierin.¡± She blinked. Smiled. Something of her regular sharpness returned. ¡°I like how say it¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°I realize I¡¯ve never asked for your name.¡± ¡°Kayden Feronil. You can call me Kayden, Mierin.¡± ¡°Kayden.¡± She made a show of enunciating it clearly, then grinned a little. ¡°It¡¯s sweet. Like you.¡± Kayden froze, which was a terrible way of putting it since a heated flush had turned his face into an oven. He was pretty certain if he tried to speak now, he¡¯d stutter and make a fool of himself. Curses. Kayden was practiced in this. He had flirted with the beauties back home. Why in the world had he started to feel like some innocent youngling fumbling through his first case of decidedly troubling infatuation? ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t seem to find anything else,¡± Mierin said. She was looking around, as though to land on a clue just like Kayden had sought a moment ago. ¡°It also appears the little connection I felt has disappeared.¡± Kayden took a refreshing breath. Mierin¡¯s change in subject was easier to deal with than her earlier statement. He looked around with his spiritual sight. Ah, that explained it. The little threads of twisted spiritual energy he had observed coming into the area had vanished. He wondered if Mierin had somehow used them up to regain a fraction of her memory. The first basic note of her identity. A symbol of a tune, one awaiting the rest of the melodies that formed her full song. ¡°We can find more,¡± Kayden said. ¡°I think.¡± She wasn¡¯t encouraged. ¡°But how long do we have?¡± Kayden faced her, saw the concern in her eyes even through the brilliance emanating from their depths. He smiled In reassurance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make sure there¡¯s enough of them left alive for you to terrify.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± She quirked up a smile that made his heart skip a beat. ¡°How do you intend to do that?¡± ¡°By solving this mystery of ours. We have one clue you¡¯re forgetting a little.¡± ¡°Please, enlighten me.¡± ¡°This site of your death and the lights I was following¡ªthey both lie on the same trajectory.¡± Her eyes widened as she understood that there had to be a connection there they could explore. ¡°That is¡­ quite interesting, yes.¡± ¡°Besides, there are a few other routes I intend to delve into more fully once this funeral business is over.¡± Kayden stood up straight, looking back at the distant village. A smudged painting in the distance, nothing more. Like he was a ghost too, viewing it from the plane of the afterlife. ¡°We¡¯ve been on the backfoot of this mystery long enough. It¡¯s time to take the initiative.¡± Chapter 5: Discoveries Kayden didn¡¯t stick around for long after they came to their decision to get their little investigation properly underway. As enamoured as he was by Mierin, as much a part of him weirdly wanted to remain by her side, doing nothing but bask in her radiant presence and perhaps chat a bit, he had to get his act together. There was a mystery to solve. Truths to discover. Conspiracies to unearth. Kayden could be starstruck once he was a little free. They couldn¡¯t complete both their parts that night. Not after Kayden had scared off the ones trying to haunt the crop fields. Something Mierin took minor umbrage in, like he had haunted them away. But Kayden could complete his side of the matter. He would be targeting the well to unearth whatever mysterious occurrences were happening there. Meanwhile, would try to find the strange lights that haunted the edge of the farmlands. She had promised not to terrify any culprits she caught too much. Her part would just need to wait till the next evening. Kayden coughed as he reached the well under the cover of darkness. ¡°Not now,¡± he muttered. His investigation would go a lot smoother if his illness didn¡¯t try to make its presence felt every other minute. For one, he needed to concentrate. For another, this was supposed to be a covert operation. Blowing his cover with an untimely cough would jeopardize the entire endeavour. Kayden had made sure to take some of the tea that was supposed to relieve his symptoms a bit. It had been helping over the last couple of days. He hadn¡¯t really coughed as much, and his skin didn¡¯t feel like it was trying to peel itself off his flesh when he tried to cultivate. But he was running out of the powder he had to mix into his tea that actually had the relieving properties. Good sign that he ought to try to get more. Maybe the local apothecary had some. He was thankful that at least his coughs restarted only after he had left Mierin¡¯s presence. That concerned look of hers was hard to bear. Plus, she might have suspended their entire plan if she learned he was still ill. They couldn¡¯t afford to delay it any longer than absolutely necessary. Kayden focused on climbing down the well. The dusk had stuffed it with near-impenetrable darkness, but his spiritual sight helped. It was still quite slippery, though. Every muscles on his arms and legs were tensed. His coughs were bad enough, but if he fell into the water deeper into the well¡¯s depths, the splash would surely draw the attention of everyone who lived close by. Focus on finding the truth! Yes. Kayden needed to concentrate. From everything he had heard, there had to be something deeper in the well that was beyond the regular sight of most people. It took about half an hour of groping in the slippery gloom, occasionally threatening to fall, before he found it. A trap door. Kayden smiled, shaking his head at the audacity and brilliance. Someone had built a trap door behind some loose bricks on the well¡¯s curved wall. It was close to the water¡¯s surface, deep enough that the well¡¯s opening up above was a circle the size of his palm. Tucked away, out of sight of anyone who might peer within. Kayden slowly pulled out the loose bricks one by one to see if he could find some sort of handle or hinge for the door. After another long while of feeling out in the darkness, he didn¡¯t land on anything useful. What he did find, however, was the exact spot where the door was latched and locked. Of course. It made sense the door would only be openable from the inside of whatever space it connected the well to. ¡°Now you¡¯ve done it, you fools,¡± Kayden said, slightly annoyed. ¡°I went to all this trouble to keep quiet, yet now I have to break down your trapped door. So much wasted effort.¡± The door was locked tight. It wouldn¡¯t be broken past so easily. Kayden was a cultivator, though, which meant kicking open this little barrier was no big deal. He pushed in all the bricks into the space the door opened inwards on, swinging in after them. When he tried to rise to a standing position, his head hit a ceiling at waist height. ¡°What is this, a tunnel for rats?¡± he muttered. Grumbling under his breath, Kayden continued creeping forward. The tunnel was dark and lacking anything of note. It let his mind wonder what someone could be using this little passage for. Clearly, whoever used this wanted access to the well out of sight from everyone else. But the well itself was public property. Anyone could come in at any time and draw out water whenever they wanted. Water was clearly not the goal. Could it be the users of this tunnel were dumping something into the water? But what could that be? Kayden came to a bend in the tunnel that ended at another locked door similar to the one he¡¯d had to break through. He waited a moment to ensure no one was on the other side of the door. No sound came, nor did any spiritual presence register on his spiritual sense. With the coast clear, Kayden kicked the door open and entered a proper room. ¡°About time,¡± he said as he was finally able to stand to his full height again. He sniffed a little. The small room was filled with a musty smell, and a different odour he couldn¡¯t quite place. His spiritual sight caught nothing, but there was obviously something here. Kayden pulled out the Witherbloom from his waist and channelled some of his spiritual energy through his flower. He smiled as it lit up. The fiery petals glowed as though a real flame had caught on the flower¡¯s top. Its light spread out, holding steady and illuminating the whole room as though an ethereal candle had descended into the little chamber. Letting Kayden finally see what his little discovery held. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Crates. Small boxes were propped up all along the walls of the room. He could spot no doors or windows, though. Kayden rotated fully but found no entry or exit other than the one he himself had used. So strange. He approached one of the crates. The strange, unidentified smell got stronger near the wooden boxes. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to lift the cover. He frowned. A powdery substance filled the entire crate. The odour intensified, and this time, it wasn¡¯t just Kayden¡¯s olfactory senses that were affected. He could sense the first hints of a headache begin massaging his temple. What in the seven heavens was this substance? Kayden wasn¡¯t foolish enough to find out himself. He could taste it, but that was akin to poisoning himself. The Weeping Shadows he was afflicted with was bad enough already, thank you very much. He did take a small sample with him, however. Kayden had a good idea of who could help him identify what this was. Now, the next step was figuring out the mystery of this room. Kayden stepped all over the room. He pressed his foot down on every bit of the floor to see if there was another trap door or anything of the sort. No hollow sounds came up. The same was true for the walls. No knocks revealed some secret doorway anyone was supposed to use. So strange. And then Kayden looked up. Ah, there it was. At the centre of the ceiling was a hole. It appeared to be covered up by some sort of door, but he was certain that those above could remove it and descend through the opening. Smart. Kayden considered for a moment. When he tracked his steps, he found that he wended his way deeper into the village. But which building? He was certain the opening wasn¡¯t out in public. That was going to need more investigating. For now, Kayden returned the way he had come. No doubt, his forced entries were going to leave a telltale mark of infiltration. It couldn¡¯t be helped. But it didn¡¯t matter. He had discovered enough. If he moved fast enough, the culprits might not even have time to react. It was actually surprising they hadn¡¯t removed everything from this hideaway of theirs after they had spotted Kayden coming after them at the farms. Ah, well. All the better for him. Kayden wanted to meet Mierin again, but he had to get back and rest. As evidenced by another series of coughs that wracked his lungs. She wasn¡¯t going to be able to capture any of the would-be ghosts haunting Alderhelm¡ªbesides Mierin herself, of course¡ªthis night. Kayden had put them on high alert. At the farms, at least. So, for now, Kayden went back home. The next day would bring better results. Both for him with his powder and for Mierin with her haunting. *** ¡°Is it too busy?¡± Kayden asked as Vaso led him to the apothecary. ¡°Not today,¡± the boy said. ¡°Think they¡¯re giving it some space. For Nyester, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The woman who ran it still had it open, just in case someone needed anything. But she had been close to old Nyester. He had purportedly treated her like a daughter of his own. As such, the villagers were giving her room to mourn. Kayden, being no villager, was about to rudely interrupt her grief with his inquiry. He supposed it could have waited, but then, he was pretty certain Nyester wouldn¡¯t want anyone following him to the afterlife for the same reason he had gone. Because Kayden was pretty certain by now that Nyester¡¯s death hadn¡¯t been natural, no matter how old he had been. The village itself looked like it was trying to return to its regular routine. Everyone was going about their regular business. Trying to, at least. The grief wasn¡¯t gone. A pallor of sorrow still clung to Alderhelm and its residents. The death they had swept under a rug still had a conspicuous lump that couldn¡¯t be ignored so easily. ¡°Greetings of the morning to you, madam,¡± Kayden said pleasantly as they reached the apothecary¡¯s store. Vasco was right. It was still open, and the woman tending to it looked like she had buried Nyester with her own hands. ¡°May I bother you for a little bit, if possible?¡± She looked at him through eyes that had deep shadows of the sleepless beneath them. ¡°What¡¯s ailing you?¡± She paused, then sniffed. ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ got something bad, haven¡¯t you?¡± Kayden tugged at his collar a little. Vasco was looking at him with sharp interest. Leave to an apothecary to sniff out that he was afflicted with the Weeping Shadows. ¡°That isn¡¯t my main concern,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d like to¡ª¡± ¡°What is it? The rot that afflicts you. I know it looks serious, but if you explain what it is, I might be able to help.¡± Kayden was a little taken aback by the woman¡¯s earnestness. He offered a grateful little bow. ¡°Thank you, but I urgently need something else, so if we could focus on that, that would be great.¡± The woman was clearly dissatisfied by Kayden¡¯s answer, but she stopped arguing. ¡°Go on, then. What do you want?¡± Kayden decided to brush aside her brusqueness. That she was working while still dealing with her grief was already quite a lot. ¡°I have something I need identified. If you could kindly tell me what it is, what it does, how it¡¯s made and all that, I¡¯d be in your debt.¡± He handed her the little sample of the white powder he had collected. The woman took the proffered packet with a little frown, like she was already suspicious of the contents. ¡°Give me a moment,¡± she said. What followed was about five minutes of poking and probing, but of a medicinal kind. The woman inspected the powder under a strange device, like a telescope condensed to a small stand. She burned a small pinch of the powder and sniffed at the ensuing vapour, boiled another pinch, then tried mixing with some chemicals she lugged out from under her table. All the while, Kayden couldn¡¯t help but look around. He didn¡¯t want to scare off the woman¡¯s business but maybe it was naturally slow. Certainly, no one tried to come inside, though there were a handful who threw odd looks as they passed by. ¡°Where did you find this?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m at liberty to say just yet,¡± Kayden said. The answer was no doubt disappointing, but he smiled to take the edge off it. ¡°But I¡¯ll be happy to let you know once I¡¯ve taken care of some business with it. Now, mind telling me everything you¡¯ve found out about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a drug.¡± She twisted her mouth distastefully at the powder on her table. ¡°A powerful hallucinogen. Capable of making people dream the wildest possible things.¡± ¡°Like a sodden ghost haunting the village¡­¡± Vasco muttered. He was looking down, twisting the hat in his hands like he wanted to strangle the life out of it. The boy was on the right track. After all, Kayden had found that tunnel besides the well. It would be a simple matter to drop a pinch into the water supply and taint the minds of the entire village. But no. The lights at the end of the village had been a real thing. There was no hallucinating going on there. He had seen it, and he was pretty certain he wasn¡¯t drugged. ¡°Could be,¡± the woman said. She had a thoughtful look on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t need a strong dose to see the effects. It would be easy to slip it into regular food and drink without the victim noticing. It¡¯s mostly tasteless, you see.¡± ¡°How is it made?¡± Kayden asked. ¡°The ingredients are rather simple.¡± That made her frown grow deeper. ¡°Rice husks, water and salt, and an underwater plant called remyscyla.¡± ¡°Remyscyla¡­ I¡¯ve heard of it. It grows only in the dark, right?¡± She nodded, her eyes proving that she was thinking the same thing he was. The woman was sharp. Sure, the well might be a way to infect the entire village with this strange drug, but there was the other part it had to play. The bottom of the well would present the perfect conditions to grow remyscyla plants. That tunnel he had found wasn¡¯t just to slip the drug into the water. It was also to cultivate those plants when no one was looking. ¡°It¡¯s all coming together,¡± Kayden muttered. ¡°Thank you for this.¡± He bowed his head in gratitude. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this out of charity,¡± the woman said. ¡°I know who you are.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the cultivator poking at what¡¯s going on here, aren¡¯t you?¡± Her eyes grew a little intense. Almost scary. ¡°In return for helping you, I want to know what¡¯s going on. When you¡¯ve found out the whole truth, that is.¡± ¡°Deal. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± Thanking the woman one last time, Kayden retrieved the sample he had given her and headed out. He also made Vasco promise not to blab about anything he had heard to anyone. The boy was pretty serious with his salute. Satisfied with the outcome for the day, Kayden decided to take a break until night fell. His side was done. The next part rested on Mierin. Chapter 6: Hollow Kayden¡¯s ghostly companion was as successful as he had hoped. ¡°Look what I acquired, Kayden,¡± she said, sounding like an excited academic revealing her latest discovery. Her enthusiasm made her gleam brilliantly. He had to smile at the sight. Which widened when he saw what she had to show him. A middle-aged man was lying in the dirt. His beard was dirty and he wore a rough-spun tunic that was tied with a cloth belt. Not that different from Kayden¡¯s own, just obviously less cared for. ¡°You actually caught one of them!¡± he said. Mierin smiled with satisfied pride. ¡°I certainly did. It wasn¡¯t challenging once I managed to sneak up on them.¡± She was certainly good at sneaking. ¡°You didn¡¯t scare him too much, I hope,¡± Kayden said. Mierin pouted a little. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to. He fainted just as I got going. A bit disappointing that I never got to show my full prowess.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be a willing test subject once we¡¯re done with this nonsense.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun, you already know me.¡± ¡°Ha. I feel like I barely know you at all!¡± She didn¡¯t reply to that, only looking thoughtful instead. Kayden headed over to her victim and lifted the man to his shoulder. For a cultivator, it was about as much effort as lugging around a fluffy pillow. Just nowhere near as comfortable. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°Time to start the proper interrogation.¡± *** Kayden didn¡¯t exactly have a headquarters. Something Mierin wasted no time in pointing out. ¡°You¡¯ll be interrogating him in there?¡± she asked after they had arrived at his abode. Kayden paused at the front door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°Nothing at all. For a cultivator, they certainly don¡¯t pay you well, do they?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know this is the best lodgings in the entire village.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean.¡± He stared at her. Then he shook his head before entering. This late, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone to explain to why he was carrying around an unconscious man on his shoulders. ¡°Is it alright for me to enter your abode?¡± Mierin asked. She was peering into his lodgings like she was about to step into a new world. Kayden blinked back at her. He was about to ask what in the world could be wrong with it when he understood her perspective. All this while, he had been focused on interrogating his senseless quarry. He¡¯d gotten a little too excited that he had a live subject, a lead who could reveal everything. Which meant he had forgotten that he had unwittingly invited a woman into his home. Specifically, to his bedroom. Kayden cleared his throat. ¡°My abode is no doubt humble, but I can assure that you¡¯ll be comfortable.¡± ¡°You know that wasn¡¯t what I meant,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re making this awkward¡­ Can¡¯t you just pretend you¡¯re haunting a victim?¡± Mierin looked mightily offended. That wasn¡¯t nice because it was like offending the sun¡ªshe started glowing brighter than before, making it difficult to look at her. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I stay out of people¡¯s homes,¡± she said. ¡°You have to give them some space where they will always be safe, just so the real haunting outside hits all the harder.¡± ¡°And here I thought you gave your victims some space out of the kindness of your heart.¡± ¡°When are we starting this interrogation of yours?¡± Kayden wanted to complain that they had only stopped because she had made a fuss of being invited to his home. Though, if he was being honest, he had been itching for an excuse to talk with her. In other words, he was being too silly, so he adjusted the man properly across his shoulder and headed upstairs. By the time Kayden had tied up his interviewee in a chair and awakened him with some judicious splashes of water, Mierin had appeared at the doorway to his room. It was almost adorable how she still hesitated to actually enter. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± the man said, groggily, before shutting up as he saw Kayden standing far too close and far too threateningly. ¡°Who are you¡ª¡± ¡°Shh.¡± To emphasise the threat he presented, Kayden pulled out his Witherbloom and with a little channelling of energy, set it aflame. The man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You want to get out of here alive, don¡¯t you? So keep quiet unless you¡¯re answering anything. Make a single noise I don¡¯t like, and you¡¯ll never be making any noises ever again, understood?¡± The man looked like he was having trouble taking in everything Kayden had said. ¡°Look, friend.¡± Kayden leaned in closer. ¡°Just nod if you understood, alright? The only one doing the questioning here is me. Got it?¡± ¡°And me,¡± Mierin said. Kayden jerked a thumb at the ghost in the doorway. ¡°And her. Understood? Just nod, like a good little interviewee.¡± The man turned his head mechanically to stare at the doorway. There was the slightest frown on his face. That was aside from the general dismay at his precarious situation, of course. Then he finally nodded. ¡°Excellent!¡± Kayden took a seat in his own chair. He would have gentlemanly offered one to Mierin, but he wasn¡¯t certain ghosts sat. Plus, she wasn¡¯t even in his room. ¡°Let¡¯s get started. The sooner we¡¯re done, the sooner you can get out of here, okay? So first thing¡¯s first¡ªwhat¡¯s your name, my good fellow?¡± ¡°They call¡ª¡± The man coughed. His voice had originally come out as an undignified squeak, which was rectified with a quick throat-clearing. ¡°I¡¯m Sarrel.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Great. Sarrel, let¡¯s cut to the chase. I know you were one of the ones haunting the farms.¡± Mierin grumbled at that, probably at the idea that this man could ever truly haunt anyone or anything. ¡°Who made you do it?¡± ¡°I have no idea,¡± Sarrel said. ¡°That was too quick.¡± Kayden brought his burning Witherbloom closer to the man¡¯s face, letting him feel the heat. The flower could withstand high intensity flames for three days at a time. ¡°Let¡¯s try it again. Who were you hired by? Who pays you for your¡­ services? I¡¯d really like to not infect my little bedroom with the smell of burning flesh, if I can help it.¡± ¡°I swear,¡± Sarrel said. ¡°I don¡¯t know nothing about who¡¯s behind this whole business. I just got a letter with all the details, and with money in it too.¡± ¡°And you just started ruining my good name and desecrating the art of haunting just because an envelope had some money in it?¡± From her tone, it almost sounded like she was more annoyed about Sarrel besmirching the business of haunting with his amateur efforts than ruining her good name. Though, he supposed her name had never been good to begin with. But the man pretended like he hadn¡¯t heard Mierin. In fact, he wasn¡¯t pretending. She had said that Kayden was the first person she could actually interact with. Kayden repeated her question to Sarrel. The interviewee looked a little abashed at the ridiculous phrasing. ¡°I got a big debt, you see. Need to chop it down however I can. I thought scaring off folks at the farm just sounded like something that would be harmless. Like a scarecrow for people instead of dumb birds and beasts. I¡­ didn¡¯t know it was actually hiding some crooks.¡± ¡°So you know what they¡¯re doing under the cover of darkness, do you?¡± Kayden asked. ¡°All I know is that they¡¯re stealing something from the crop fields. I don¡¯t know what for. The farmer never complains about any stolen crops.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because his actual grains aren¡¯t being stolen.¡± Kayden didn¡¯t elaborate further. He had promised he was supposed to the questioner here, not the one doling out answers. But he was stumped now. What else was he supposed to ask? The real culprits behind this whole operation had clearly hidden their footprints quite well. ¡°I¡¯m going to need one of these envelopes and letters you got,¡± Kayden said. ¡°I can get it for you,¡± Sarrel said. He jerked in his chair a little testing, the binds keeping him in place. ¡°Just¡ª¡± ¡°Not so fast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Mierin said, frowning at her victim. ¡°He hasn¡¯t answered if he¡¯s seen my actual body.¡± ¡°Do you know anything about taking a body from outside the village?¡± Kayden asked. Sarrel looked like his captors had lost their minds. ¡°What?¡± Kayden shook his head morosely at Mierin. ¡°He¡¯s clueless.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± she grumbled. Kayden turned back to the man. Sarrel looked he was trying very hard not to be hopeful about his eventual release. A dud. The man had proven to be worthless. Kayden had gotten all excited for nothing. He felt like kicking himself. When he glanced at his doorway again, he barely caught Mierin leaving. He only drew level with her when she had come to a stop just outside his lodgings. ¡°Hey!¡± Sarrel said from back inside his bedroom. ¡°What about¡­¡± His voice thankfully faded by the time Kayden closed the front door behind him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked. Mierin was staring out into the darkness. Her eyes were large and luminous, her expression somewhere between troubled and sad. ¡°I was perhaps filled with too much hope after capturing the man,¡± she said. Kayden sighed. ¡°Me too, to be honest.¡± He tried to summon some more positivity. ¡°But we have other avenues to try. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get to the bottom of this.¡± ¡°I was hoping he would be able to tell me about¡­ well, me.¡± Mierin¡¯s form dimmed. ¡°Seems I was mistaken.¡± Kayden was stumped for a reply. She sounded genuinely devastated. A part of him was aware how much her outlook had changed about the matter. When they¡¯d first met, she had been so reluctant about finding out anything more about herself. But now, she was truly disappointed at the setback on the road to reclaiming the truth about her corporeal form. ¡°We can gather more clues,¡± Kayden finally said. He¡¯d been searching for some concrete way of cheering her up when he remembered their little success. ¡°We found one already, after all, Mierin.¡± He put some emphasis on her name, hoping his attempt at encouragement would improve her mood just a bit. But it only made Mierin look forlornly out into the gloom of the night. ¡°I can¡¯t see it, you know,¡± she said. Kayden stared out into the dark. He saw nothing either. But then he switched on his spiritual sight. That was when the twists in the spiritual energy came into view, the tapestry of condensed power with the dark spots that had nothing in them at all. ¡°I wish you could see it.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I could have used it to find out more. It doesn¡¯t matter where or how far the little clues like my name are. A ghost has all the time in the world. I can take my time to reach the pieces of my identity adrift in this careless village. But how am I to do that when I can¡¯t even tell what I¡¯m supposed to be seeing?¡± Kayden stared for a moment longer. ¡°Give me a moment.¡± She looked back at him as though intent on asking what he meant, but Kayden was already returning into his lodgings. He headed back all the way to his bedroom. Sarrel smiled in relief when Kayden came in and approached. ¡°Finally! Going to set me free?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Kayden said. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Then what¡ª¡± Kayden punched him. As a cultivator, he had been trained well. He knew just where to aim a blurringly fast punch to knock a mortal like Sarrel out. As soon as Kayden¡¯s fist connected, Sarrel slumped in his seat, his consciousness once again taking leave. ¡°Sorry for the bruise,¡± Kayden said, inspecting the growing welt at the corner of the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Actually, no. You¡¯re a part of this whole business that led to old Nyester¡¯s death, aren¡¯t you? A knock-out punch is the least you deserve.¡± Shaking his head, Kayden returned to Mierin. Thankfully, her despondence hadn¡¯t made her disappear on him entirely. ¡°Where did you go?¡± she asked. ¡°Just silencing our guest,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t want him screaming out, after all.¡± Mierin¡¯s eyes widened a little. ¡°I wanted to practice my new scaring techniques on him!¡± It took Kayden a couple of moments to understand what Mierin was implying. He scowled. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. He¡¯s still alive. Just¡­ a little uglier than before.¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± Kayden smiled. Mierin seemed marginally more cheerful than when he had left her a moment ago. If she could focus on her haunting instead of the lack of her memories, then she was in a better mood now. But still. ¡°Here.¡± Kayden stepped past her and headed out into the night. ¡°Follow me.¡± Mierin was a little slow to follow his trail. ¡°Where are we headed?¡± He turned to face her briefly, smiling in invitation. ¡°To get the rest of your memories. You might not see what¡¯s going on with the spiritual energy, but I can. So all you have to follow me and we can retrieve everything we want.¡± Mierin came to a stop. Her eyes were a little wide. ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s far too many.¡± She raised her arms, her fists closing and her face twisting in a despair that she was trying and failing to keep hidden. ¡°My identity is torn to far too many pieces. Those hollows you saw? There have to be dozens upon dozens. Possibly hundreds. You can¡¯t go hunting after them one by one.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Mierin¡¯s brows clouded over in anger now. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re ill! Because I don¡¯t want you to kill yourself trying to be some gallant bastard for my sake. For anyone¡¯s sake.¡± Kayden was a little shocked by her anger, enough to hesitate for a brief moment. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to kill myself, Mierin. I promise.¡± She pointed an accusing finger at him. ¡°You don¡¯t think I see it? Those little moments you keep hiding away. Those times you keep trying top pretend everything is alright. Those coughs you hold back, those twinges that try to make you writhe and contort. How long will you keep lying to me, Kayden? How long are you going to pretend that you wouldn¡¯t be running yourself to the ground if you went out tonight?¡± It felt improper, but Kayden couldn¡¯t help but stare at her flushed face, at her eyes that seemed to almost glisten with tears, at the way her fists were trembling ever so slightly. He smiled again. Mierin¡¯s eyes flashed like a volcano erupting. ¡°Are you laughing at me?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just appreciating hearing my name spoken by you.¡± She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Apparently unable to say anything coherent, she just turned away and stared into the distance, clearly not looking at Kayden any longer. ¡°I still intend to go out into the night,¡± Kayden said. ¡°The chill, fresh air might do me some good.¡± He offered her his hand. ¡°As would some nice company.¡± She stared down at his hand. ¡°I can¡¯t take that. Literally, I mean.¡± ¡°Maybe. But I can still feel it, regardless.¡± That brought up another little flush. Improper or not, he certainly wasn¡¯t looking away. Eventually, Mierin sighed. Whatever feeling she¡¯d let go finally allowed her to smile as well. Her ghostly fingertips passed through Kayden¡¯s. He did feel it. Just like the last time she had tried to touch him, it was a rush of spiritual energy like the leak from a spiritual dam, enlivening him. He felt better than ever. Like he almost didn¡¯t have Weeping Shadows afflicting him any longer. ¡°Ready?¡± he asked. She nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go out into the night.¡± Chapter 7: Real The little trip through the night was just as pleasant as Kayden had bene expecting. Chilly air, light breeze, glimmering stars in the sky, and of course, the most perfect companion he could have ever asked for. If Kayden hadn¡¯t been occasionally holding back some coughs, he would have said he was in paradise. Actually, never mind. He was in at least the lowest of the seven heavens. Kayden was pretty certain even the heavens weren¡¯t as perfect as they were purported to be. ¡°Incredible,¡± Mierin said after about half an hour of walking, when they had reached the next target location. Another vacuum of spiritual energy had presented itself. Another hole in the tapestry of twisting light in Kayden¡¯s spiritual vision. ¡°You were right, Kayden. I¡¯m getting back more and more of myself.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± Kayden said with a wide smile. ¡°What do you remember now?¡± Mierin frowned a little. ¡°I regained a certain recollection about¡­ travelling, I think..¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m on a lonely road, with no one for company and nothing in sight save a dark forest.¡± ¡°That sounds like the area where your body was should have been.¡± ¡°It feels as though I¡¯m not alone, however. Like something is coming. Or waiting for me, rather.¡± She reopened her bright eyes. ¡°Hopefully, more memories will enlighten the rest of the sequence of events.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping.¡± They continued journeying from spot to spot. Kayden noted the locations of the hollows they stopped at. They were never equidistant from each other. Sometimes, they walked for over an hour before they reached the next one, but at others, they barely needed ten minutes before the next location of no spiritual energy appeared. One commonality, however, was the fact they were never within the village itself. Every little area Kayden and Mierin ended up halting in was always well outside Alderhelm. ¡°Are you certain you¡¯re feeling alright?¡± Mierin asked after their fifth stop. ¡°We can pause for tonight. I¡ª¡± ¡°Are you joking?¡± He was tempted to take her hands and give them a shake, but sadly, his fingers would just pass through hers. ¡°I¡¯m having a great time. So unless you¡¯re getting weary of my company, I¡¯d like to keep going.¡± Mierin pulled herself a little back with minute surprise. His exuberance was enough to convince her that he wasn¡¯t lying. Which he wasn¡¯t. Kayden did indeed feel perfectly alright to keep going. Though, he had to admit¡ªto himself, at least¡ªthat it was getting annoying to hold back his coughs. They continued travelling in the same way. More pockets of spiritual vacuums with tiny threads of spiritual energy appeared along their travels. More location where Mierin regained more and more of herself. All the while, Kayden was as rapt an audience as possible whenever she narrated her findings. Though, those weren¡¯t often. She was keeping a lot to herself. But Kayden listened intently whenever she revealed anything. Mierin was indeed a powerful cultivator, just as Kayden had been expecting. She had come to the village of Alderhelm to inspect its mysteries. There had been shady activities going on for a while then, and the leaders of the village had invited a cultivator¡ªand paid handsomely for the service rendered, of course¡ªto get to the bottom of the nasty business in the village. That cultivator had been Mierin. Details about what exact kind of cultivator Mierin had been were sparse. She didn¡¯t recall everything just yet. But suffice it to say, she had been ambushed before she could even reach Alderhelm. She couldn¡¯t say anything concrete about what had occurred afterwards, but Kayden suspected her dead body had been kidnapped to make sure no one raised a hullaballoo. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they managed to kill you,¡± Kayden said. ¡°Were you sick like me too? To be sent somewhere like this?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mierin said. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t believe there was another cultivator at Alderhelm either, so they must have¡­ killed me by some other means.¡± The longer they had continued their travels, the more she had sounded sure of herself and her findings. She was serious, now. Not just a playful ghost amusing herself by scaring others. This was the spirit of a powerful cultivator out looking for the mystery of her death. Kayden wasn¡¯t certain how he felt about the change. But this was important to her. How would he have felt if he was slowly piecing together his identity and finding himself again? No, whatever Kayden felt, he had to stick by Mierin. ¡°Other means.¡± Kayden¡¯s hand automatically went to the pocket where he kept the little sample of white powder he had stolen from the room near the well. ¡°I wonder if they used the hallucinogen on you.¡± ¡°How could they have?¡± Mierin asked. ¡°I never even reached the village in the first place.¡± ¡°Hmm. That is a good question. Maybe we¡¯ll find out when we reach the actual culprits. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± They did so. Mierin continued growing more and more sure of herself. Her face turned marginally more resolute, her eyes turning just a bit brighter. She appeared to be empowering herself with every little discovery she made. ¡°Almost there, I believe,¡± she said. Even her voice had changed a bit. Well, not the voice, so much as the tone. There was a gravity to it, a reflection of the true power she had so casually displayed for all the while Kayden had known her. This was the real Mierin. ¡°The next one should be the last.¡± Kayden nodded tightly. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too far, either. You still don¡¯t remember how exactly you died, do you?¡± The question made her face turn grave. ¡°I have high hopes for the last one.¡± ¡°So do I.¡± They reached it before long. This one was located west of the village, nearly the opposite direction of the farms. Kayden stood by as Mierin began to glow again, interacting with the minute threads of spiritual energy between the twisted tapestry and the voids. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. She had been taciturn about whatever memories she was regaining through the process. Even now, when they were nearly at the end, all Kayden actually knew was just a confirmation of suspicions that had taken root at the back of his mind. That she had been a cultivator seeking to solve the same mystery he was. Did he know her favourite colour? Could he tell what food she liked? Perhaps she had hobbies like gardening or calligraphy. Was there an ancient story she had grown up listening to during her formative years? What were her hopes and dreams and wishes? What were her secret fears? Kayden knew none of that. Of course, tracking down one void of spiritual energy after another didn¡¯t leave a lot of time to afford enlightening conversations. Maybe Mierin was waiting until this little trek of theirs was done before shedding her quietude and returning to her talkative self. Or maybe I¡¯m being clingily paranoid. The glow began to decrease. It appeared Mierin was finally done. When she returned to him, she appeared a lot more¡­ real. Kayden wasn¡¯t sure how else to describe the sight. Some of her transparency had turned opaque, her face looking as though it had a mask of real skin the shade of porcelain instead of a construct of light. There were no more stars glimmering in her hair, though its darkness was still deeper than the night surrounding than them. Even her eyes appeared more solid. A pupil of deep, burnished gold stared at Kayden with no small amount of grimness. Kayden did his best not to feel a little dismayed at the loss of the capricious glint in Mierin¡¯s eyes. This was normal. What she had discovered couldn¡¯t have been pleasant. ¡°This is probably a silly question,¡± Kayden said. ¡°But are you alright?¡± ¡°You are correct,¡± Mierin said. ¡°That is a silly question. However, the question¡¯s intent has never been to enquire if someone is actually alright or not. It¡¯s merely a conversation-starter between the interested party and the subject. An expression of concern, if you will.¡± She smiled a little, if briefly. ¡°Which is something I appreciate.¡± Kayden snorted. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a roundabout way of avoiding an answer.¡± ¡°I am not alright, Kayden, which you could tell, judging by the look on your face.¡± ¡°You know, you keep reading me like an open book, yet you¡¯re always so¡­ opaque to me. I can tell how you¡¯re feeling, but I can never tell why.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you keep wondering why about every little thing.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be doing that.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help my curiosity!¡± Mierin sighed. At least Kayden could tell she was holding back another little smile that attempted to wiggle onto her face. He didn¡¯t say anything further. Pushing her wouldn¡¯t be right. If she wanted to express herself, if she wished to reveal any of what she had learned to him in greater detail, then she would. He really didn¡¯t need to know every little specificty his unscrupulous mind kept alighting on. But there was one thing he couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. ¡°I just wish I could make you happier,¡± Kayden said. She looked up from where she had been staring at the ground. His words had made her expression turn even more morose. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think anyone can help with this.¡± He swallowed. ¡°You never know. Maybe I¡¯ve got some esoteric knowledge about whatever it is that¡¯s bothering you tucked away in some corner of my mind.¡± He smiled at her hopefully. ¡°We¡¯ll never know until all the cards are laid out on the table, right?¡± Even as he said it, he mentally cursed himself. So much for not pushing, idiot. Apparently, it was worse than Kayden had thought. Mierin¡¯s expression simply broke. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone¡ª¡± She sucked in a wet breath, on the verge of a sob. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can stop death.¡± The sob that had been threatening to burst out finally exited as a jerky little laugh, tinged with hysteria. ¡°As I said, there¡¯s no such thing as immortality, Kayden. It never mattered that I¡¯d been some sort of powerful cultivator. I died. Just like any regular old mortal.¡± Kayden felt as though a crab was crushing his heart between his claws. He couldn¡¯t even say anything at first. What was there to say to someone who had seen themselves die, who had rediscovered the brutality of death in vivid detail? But while his words wouldn¡¯t come out, his coughs certainly did. Kayden kept count, as usual. It went past a minute easily. Then continued. He clutched his chest, trying to get a grip on himself. Not now. Not now. This was Mierin¡¯s time for grief. Why was his cursed affliction trying to kill him now of all times? A powerful touch anchored him. Kayden¡¯s coughs vanished as suddenly as they had appeared. He was left gasping for breath, still clutching his chest tightly and wishing he had something to lean against. ¡°That has to be the worst one I¡¯ve seen yet,¡± Mierin said. Her voice was brittle. Scared. Concerned a lot more for him than he had been for her and her growing despondence all night. Alright, stop comparing stupid stuff. Kayden eventually managed to stand back up to his full height, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He tried to smile despite the clawing sensation within his ribcage. ¡°Maybe you were right. Immortality really is a myth, just as I¡¯d been about to prove.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t joke about such things. If I hadn¡¯t been here¡­¡± ¡°Your hand.¡± He noted the point where she was touching him on his arm. It almost felt solid. Not just the brush of a light breeze, but an actual pressure. ¡°It¡¯s almost¡­ real.¡± Mierin grimaced. ¡°For now.¡± ¡°For now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ this is what I¡¯ve been trying to say, Kayden. I¡¯m losing myself.¡± ¡°What? You feel like you¡¯re becoming more real! Isn¡¯t that the opposite?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head, her despair clinging to her like blood from an open wound. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. This¡­ realness, is me returning to myself. But the closer I get to it, the closer I get to reaching the point where I¡¯m no longer bound to this world. Do you understand now?¡± Mierin looked up despairingly at him, like she was almost begging him to comprehend, and Kayden finally did, his eyes widening a little as it sank in. Mierin wasn¡¯t simply sad at rediscovering just how she had died. She was regretting that she would have to leave him. Something twisted in his Kayden¡¯s heart. A stake had been driven through his chest, and now it began to twist. He considered mentally slapping himself like he had been doing since he had met Mierin. What had he expected with a ghost of all things? Mierin was a transitory spirit, for crying out loud. When had he fallen into this fantasy that their time together was anything but limited? ¡°When?¡± Kayden managed to ask. Mierin looked down at herself, raising her hands a little to get a better view. ¡°Soon. You¡¯re correct. I¡¯m becoming more¡­ real. Once the reality sets in fully¡­¡± Reality. Kayden stared at her hands too, noting how corporeal they looked now. Almost corporeal. There was still something otherworldly about them. He hadn¡¯t felt her actual touch a moment ago. Just the echo of it. A haunting premonition of her true hand. ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell me how long.¡± She looked like she was biting the inside of her cheeks. ¡°I can¡¯t say what the exact time will be. Maybe half a day. A little longer, or a little shorter. We¡¯ll begin to see it. Feel it.¡± ¡°Not much time at all, then,¡± he said, unable to pull himself out of the melancholy that had fallen over him. ¡°No, not much time at all.¡± They were both silent for a while. Mierin said nothing, only staring at the village in the distance. A village as dark as the night they were embroiled in. ¡°You know, I kept wanting to ask you questions,¡± Kayden said. Mierin turned back to him, her eyes noting how his tone had grown a little surer. ¡°I kept wanting to know so much. But there¡¯s probably nowhere near enough time for that. So instead, let me ask you this¡ªwhat¡¯s the one thing you want before¡­ you know. Just one thing.¡± She gazed into his eyes. Kayden was petrified, locked into her look. Two glimmering, depthless pools of faint light that he would have gladly thrown himself into if possible. ¡°I¡­¡± She sounded uncertain for a brief moment before her voice steadied. Her expression grew certain. ¡°I want to finish what we started. What you started. What brought us together I want to get to the bottom of all that¡¯s going on in Alderhelm..¡± Slowly, Kayden smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve figured out just how we can do that.¡± Chapter 8: Red-handed ¡°Nice little hall you¡¯ve got here,¡± Kayden said. The next day, as soon as dawn had struck, Kayden had roused himself and headed out. It was time to end this mystery business once and for all. His first step had been to head to the village hall. That was where the old village elder of Alderhelm was going to be, at some point. He might have come in a little early, but that was fine. Kayden could wait. Although, every heartbeat he wasn¡¯t with Mierin made a part of him worry he wasn¡¯t going to see her again. Not as someone he could talk and spend time with, at least. She¡¯d finally become ¡°real¡±, which apparently meant regaining her corporeal form and immediately dropping dead. After all, Mierin¡¯s true body was nothing more than a corpse. Kayden banished those fears to the dark recesses of his mind, however. She had said her wish¡ªputting an end to the mystery clutching this village. He was honour-bound to see it through. Also, he was pretty certain Mierin would come to him if she was indeed about to depart for the last time. He could trust her to do that. ¡°You¡¯ve come before the first rooster has crowed, young master,¡± the village elder said, after Kayden had posed the question on his arrival. ¡°Is it really that important?¡± ¡°What, my comment on your hall?¡± Kayden asked. ¡°I was being genuine!¡± ¡°I thank you for the kind words, but I meant your reason for being here.¡± ¡°Oh, that. Yes, I should think that¡¯s quite important. See, I¡¯ve solved all your problems, elder. I just need a little help for the final touch, so to speak.¡± ¡°All my problems, eh? Excuse me a moment.¡± The village elder moved to a nearby chair, his cane tapping all the while, so he could take a seat and rest his old, weary legs. ¡°Which problems would those be, young master?¡± ¡°We both know which ones, elder¡ªit¡¯s this haunting business causing everyone so much grief. The one that even killed that old friend of yours.¡± The elder¡¯s face darkened. Maybe he didn¡¯t appreciate how Kayden had said it so glibly. ¡°That would be quite incredible if indeed you¡¯ve solved the whole issue. Please, tell me what you¡¯ve discovered, and how I can help.¡± ¡°Well, hold on to your cane because this is a bit of a long story.¡± Kayden proceeded to tell the truth of everything he had found out ever since he had started his investigation. He mentioned talking with Mierin, interviewing the villagers, discovering the hideaway near the well and the hallucinogens there, and even capturing the culprit grunt at the farms. ¡°So you see,¡± Kayden said as he brought his story to an end. ¡°Someone has been using the so-called hauntings to covertly use the village¡¯s resources to concoct these strange drugs that are making the hauntings even worse. And now, we can capture the perpetrators red-handed.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes had widened. He slowly shook his head, a little disbelievingly. ¡°That¡­ is a lot, young master. Quite a lot to take in.¡± ¡°You want to see proof? I can even take you to beneath the well.¡± ¡°No, no that won¡¯t be necessary. I would never dare doubt your words. It¡¯s only just¡­ you must understand that this is a lot for an old man like myself.¡± The elder did look more tired than before now. ¡°I will need some time to absorb all this¡­ mad business. But in the meanwhile, maybe I can help you all the same. What is it you need, young master?¡± Kayden smiled sympathetically. The old man wasn¡¯t wrong. It was a lot to take in all at once. ¡°Nothing much. Just a bit of your authority. I intend to set a trap in the granary.¡± ¡°The granary?¡± ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s where we can catch our main culprits. Here, let me explain my plan.¡± Kayden spent the next twenty or so minutes going over his idea on how to catch the evil-doers right in the middle of their heinous acts. The old man listened patiently. There was a slight glaze in his eyes, however, like he was mostly being polite instead of actually paying attention to Kayden¡¯s words. Maybe he really was pretty exhausted. Still. Kayden told him the whole thing. It was best to get everything out for what was to come. ¡°So, I can count on you, right?¡± Kayden asked after he was done speaking. ¡°I will see to it that it¡¯s done, young master,¡± the old elder said with a little bow of his head from his seated position. ¡°Thank you. I will leave you in peace, then. But I do want this done as quickly as possible. Please send me a message as soon as things are ready from your end.¡± ¡°Of course, young master. I will finish it as soon as I can.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Kayden nodded once more, then left. Once outside the village hall, with the villagers slowly coming out as the morning sun finally climbed into the sky, he stretched. There was a little bit of time before things came to a head, though the edge of anxiety was already making its presence felt. Kayden banished it anyway. He was a cultivator, and a strong and competent one at that. Whatever came, he wasn¡¯t going to be fazed. *** Lunch was a quick affair. Kayden gobbled down his whole plate of food and drank all the water available, before finally heading to bed for some rest. He had to be prepared. He had only been lying down for a few minutes before the apparitions struck him. The sensations had been growing as soon as he had finished his meal. It was sort of like when he woke up after an unintended midday nap, when it felt as though he had transmigrated to a world the same as his own but quite different underneath. Kayden felt unmoored. Unanchored. Vulnerable. When the illusions materialized, they brought with them splitting headaches as well. Kayden blinked, peering at his surroundings. He wasn¡¯t in his bedroom in the lodgings any longer. At least, not in his perception. He had instead been transported to some strange cave with shifting walls, where figures drawn on the rocks were coming alive. Coming straight at him. The malicious intent was so strong that Kayden jumped to his feet and backed away. If only he could get to his Witherbloom. He didn¡¯t need it, but it did make him feel more secure about any situation he landed in. It was difficult to make out where his ever-present flower would be in this strange cave. Everything was swimming in his vision. The figures twisted and contorted like they were made of some strange liquid. How was he to fight something like that? They were getting closer and closer too. Their intent to cause him grievous harm was now so thick in the air, Kayden could almost taste it. He was in grave danger. Or rather, it appeared he was in trouble. Kayden smiled. The figures stopped walking towards him as one. Surprise had rooted them in place. Oh, he had to see the proper look on their faces. Taking in a deep breath, Kayden snapped his fingers. It helped centre him a little. Then he turned robotically, took two steps, bent down until he felt a cold cylinder in his grasp without ever being able to see it, and tipped the contents into his open mouth. Immediately, proper sight returned. The liquid figures that had looked like paint running off a painting¡¯s canvas had turned to regular old humans. Though, dirty, dishevelled ones with dirtier weapons in hands. His room was back too. The good old bedroom that had now been invaded by a half-dozen would be murderers. ¡°You¡¯re making everything a little congested, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Klayden said. ¡°How?¡± one of the men asked, eyes wide. ¡°You should be knocked out cold! Seeing stars and monsters. Screaming out like a child.¡± He growled, then turned around quickly to glare at the lone figure in the doorway. The lone familiar figure. ¡°What in blazes is this, old man?¡± The old village elder was staring agog at Kayden too. His fist was clenched so tightly, Kayden was minorly surprised the cane hadn¡¯t been crushed already. ¡°You should be asking me that,¡± Kayden said. ¡°Stop,¡± the old man said. Almost growled, worse than his subordinate. ¡°Stop yakking and kill him!¡± Kayden tutted. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have the apothecary get me an antidote after I showed the drug to her? That I would memorize the location of where I¡¯d kept the glass of water with the antidote mixed in next to my bed? That I wouldn¡¯t have already taken a big swig after you poisoned my lunch, to make sure that it wouldn¡¯t be so bad when¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The old man raised his cane and pointed it at Kayden. ¡°Kill him.¡± The closest ugly brute lunged at Kayden with a yell. He simply swerved out of the way, his evasion taking him next to the table with the vase. Once there Kayden picked out his Witherbloom. ¡°Ah, now you¡¯ve done it,¡± he said. He raised his flower and channelled some spiritual energy through it. It brought up the clasping pain in his chest, but Kayden focused a little, recalling his memories of Mierin. Of her touch. Somehow, just the memory stabilized his spirit. Enough to let the Witherbloom catch flame. ¡°Just a flaming flower.¡± One of the brutes scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Get him!¡± With a little more focus, Kayden showed them exactly why they called him the cultivator of the flowering sword. Five breaths. That was all it took. If nothing else, his affliction had at least taught him how to keep a strict count of time no matter what he was going through. There might have been six different men surrounding him, all armed with dangerous cleavers and butchering knives, but they were no match at all. Kayden wrinkled his nonce when he was done. He had actually needed to use the flames of his Witherbloom. It had taken a few nasty burns on a couple of the men before the rest had surrendered. Or tried to, at least. Kayden had knocked them all out in short order. Unconscious belligerents were much easier to deal with since they wouldn¡¯t get any stupid ideas. With his end dealt with, Kayden languidly headed downstairs. He smiled as he reached the main door. The old village elder had fallen to his knees, quivering where he had plopped down after attempting to run away. Mierin stood before him, staring down as though forced to consider a stain on the carpet. ¡°Good haunting?¡± Kayden asked. Mierin turned to him. Her expression changed rapidly, the disgust wiped away by a fierce smile. It was so much like the old Mierin, the one he had first met, that Kayden couldn¡¯t help but return a grin with similar ferocity. ¡°He actually made me work.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yes. I had to prod his very soul to get him to finally quail before me. Quite the workout, I should say. But a nice change of pace after the last damp squib.¡± Kayden laughed a little. He approached the old elder, shaking his head with a little tut. ¡°I was hoping my wildest suspicion wouldn¡¯t turn out to be the truth.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mierin pouted a little. ¡°Not even after I confirmed it?¡± ¡°Hey now, you can¡¯t blame me for holding out hope. Maybe it had been someone impersonating him!¡± They both looked down at the quivering old man. He was staring down at the ground with an aghast expression. No, no this was the real village elder. There was no impersonation going on here. Kayden ignored him for now and turned to Mierin. ¡°How much time?¡± She crossed her arms, her smile fading. Kayden internally cursed himself for tainting the taste of their final victory with his question. ¡°An hour or two more, I believe.¡± She raised a hand in front of her face, at the way her fingers formed a more solid outline than they had ever before. ¡°I¡¯m certain a part of why I needed to struggle more against the old man is because I¡¯m less¡­ ghostly now.¡± Kayden nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll finish this, now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°I won¡¯t leave without telling you.¡± Kayden swallowed. Leave. Like she was going on a trip, one she would return from eventually. If only that had been the case. Sighing, Kayden reached down to grab the old man by the arms. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. You have a lot of explaining to do, old man.¡± Chapter 9: Confession They huddled all the culprits in the village hall. Where else would all the villagers of Alderhelm be able to see the ones causing them such grievous harm the best they could? Vasco had done well to round up as many of the adults of the village as he could. Kayden had set him on the errand while he had been busy dragging every perpetrator to the hall¡¯s large gathering room. He appreciated the spaciousness of the chamber. A big building for such a tiny village. It let him throw down his would-be murderers and their leader in the centre of the gathered crowd. Kayden had already explained a big part of what was going on. His investigations, his conclusions, and finally, his trap that had caught the true evil-doers basically red-handed. ¡°This can¡¯t be true,¡± someone muttered. ¡°The old man?¡± came another. ¡°Impossible.¡± ¡°Why? Why?¡± Shock and disbelief ruled the day. Well, that was a bit of an understatement. Kayden was actually surprised the villagers weren¡¯t turning on him and demanding him to release their dear, old leader. He wondered if some of them had suspected this all along. That all Kayden had done was confirm their worst fears, ones they had been nurturing in secret for a while. Nevertheless, it stood to reason that he ought to present more proof than a bunch of dirty, tied-up men who were doing nothing to proclaim and their innocence and decry Kayden¡¯s acts. ¡°I know you all must be shocked and scared at this little presentation,¡± Kayden said. ¡°But this is the truth. The village elder, the very same man you¡¯ve been depending on all these years to lead your village, is the true instigator behind all the sorrows plaguing Alderhelm.¡± At that, some protests did rise up. Several people asked how in the world he could prove his conclusions. Kayden was happy to present it. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who was investigating the truth,¡± he said. They already knew that he had been hunting down the crime¡¯s perpetrators through all the interviews he had conducted but what they didn¡¯t know was that he¡¯d had a predecessor. Kayden pointed to his left. ¡°There was another who had been seeking the truth. Another who was murdered, just like old Nyester.¡± They all turned to stare at Mierin. She didn¡¯t shrink away from the sudden attention. Instead, she made it quite obvious that she wasn¡¯t just a regular person attending this dramatic, little meeting. Even though she couldn¡¯t make herself look any more ghostly than she¡¯d had so far, she could certainly set her presence to become something familiar. Something many of them had already felt through her hauntings. Murmurs of ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± and ¡°The ghost!¡± broke through the crowd. Things were already so shocking with the village elder¡¯s apparent culpability in the crimes going on that they couldn¡¯t muster any actual protests against Mierin¡¯s presence. But more importantly, there had to be some among them who were curious why she was here. Kayden pounced on it. ¡°The ghost was a cultivator like myself,¡± he said. ¡°One who had been sent to investigate Alderhelm and its issues. However, she was murdered by our congenial old man here. Him and his cronies attacked her with the same drug they laced your waters with to kill the cultivator, but she used a technique that preserved her body as a spirit. Thus, you see her now, as a ghost.¡± ¡°Drugs?¡± someone yelled. ¡°He¡¯s makin¡¯ drugs?¡± The man spat at the elder. Kayden nodded at the woman from the apothecary. She¡¯d been staring with distaste at the group of huddled perpetrators, but now she stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ve taken a look at the powder I was brought from under the well.¡± The farmer¡¯s widened. ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s been noises coming from it all this time.¡± Nodding, the woman continued. ¡°The well contains one of the ingredients they need to make their drug. It¡¯s a hallucinogen, and one of its strongest components comes from remyscyla.¡± ¡°I thought we uprooted those weeds,¡± another villager said. She growled. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to send in the divers to get those things out again.¡± Kayden cleared his throat and reiterated everything he had found in the well. The secret tunnel, the short passageway that led to the room with its only other entrance and exit on the roof, and the crates full of the hallucinogenic drug the elder and his cronies had been storing away. ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯ve been hearing those other weird sounds too, like the skittering coins.¡± They all stared accusingly at the village elder, who seemed to have shrunk into himself. ¡°Why?¡± the woman from the apothecary asked. She stepped closer to the bound men, looking like she could bludgeon them all if she¡¯d had something to do it with. ¡°Why did you do something like this? When did you get so greedy?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t greed,¡± the old man said, barely speaking above a whisper. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°What?¡± The elder raised his voice. Raised his head too, his face broken in despair. ¡°It was for the good of the village!¡± Angry mutters greeted that pronouncement. Several people yelled abuses and shook their fists at him. The apothecary woman now appeared to regret she really didn¡¯t have something to attack the elder with. For his part, even Kayden was a little shocked. How far did one have to fall to become convinced that one was doing the right thing in a case like this? ¡°Insult me all you like,¡± the old elder said. ¡°But it¡¯s the truth. Where do you think the money to keep the village running was coming from? Just selling our crops and catches and paying our taxes? No, that wasn¡¯t enough. That was never going to work. We needed more to keep things running. We needed more to thrive.¡± ¡°So you started selling drugs in the undermarket to get yourself and the village more money?¡± Kayden said. ¡°When did you start?¡± The old man was staring back at the ground. ¡°It started¡­ it started so long ago. When I was just a boy. When I used to run around playing, old Nyester was the one who first showed it to me. How to transport myself to another world far, far away from our plain, mundane village. How to feel like something grand and great, almost¡­¡± His eyes found Kayden¡¯s. ¡°Almost like a cultivator.¡± ¡°Cultivators aren¡¯t made of dreams,¡± Kayden said. The old elder sighed. ¡°They aren¡¯t. Reality set in. I forgot about it for a long while, until our wealth started dwindling.¡± ¡°When?¡± the apothecary woman asked. ¡°We never knew about it. You never told us.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± the old man spat back. ¡°What good could any of us simpletons do? No matter how hard we tried, we could never be fully self-sufficient, not unless we turned even more backwater than we already were.¡± True enough, Kayden supposed. A village like Alderhelm might be able to produce its own food and water, maybe even the majority of the basic tools and clothes and building materials needed for upkeep. But not everything. Not at all. And to get the things they needed but couldn¡¯t produce themselves, of course they were going to need money. Money that, apparently, Alderhelm didn¡¯t have. Money that its leader was willing to acquire no matter what. ¡°One of the rumours that floated down even all the way here was how the rich folks were getting fed up with the exorbitant price of their extravagances,¡± the old elder said. ¡°So I thought I would provide them with a cheaper alternative. Something perhaps not as refined as what they were used to, but something that works all the same.¡± A market disruptor. Of course. If it hadn¡¯t been illicit drugs¡ªthe production of which had put his entire village at risk¡ªit might have actually been a smart move. But there was one problem. ¡°They didn¡¯t like it, of course. The ones who were already entrenched in this business.¡± The old man sneered, though mostly to himself. He was still facing downwards. ¡°They would never abide some backwater villager encroaching on their territory.¡± With a slow, almost jerky motion, the elder glared at Mierin. ¡°Which was why they sent out a cultivator to investigate.¡± And of course, feeling threatened, the old man had tried to kill her. That he had gone so far as to end Mierin¡¯s life, that he had successfully defeated a powerful cultivator like her, spoke to the sheer ruthlessness, determination, and ability this old man possessed. ¡°Yet you never killed me for it,¡± Kayden said. ¡°I never registered as a proper threat, did I?¡± The old man sighed. ¡°The mistake I regret most.¡± ¡°You thought you could convince me to keep my head down, and when that didn¡¯t work, you thought I wasn¡¯t smart enough to actually get to the bottom of the mystery. You never imagined that I¡¯d be able to meet with and talk to the ghost that your actions had invited. You¡­¡± Kayden paused. ¡°You thought you could get by without killing another cultivator so soon again.¡± ¡°My hands were tied.¡± The old man almost sounded apologetic, and Kayden could see why. All his cronies were disgruntled. They clearly thought Kayden should have been dealt with a long time ago. ¡°The Feronil clan wouldn¡¯t have let me live if you died here. Even if it looked like an accident or the work of your illness.¡± Convenient for him, then, that he was from a powerful clan. It sounded like Mierin, strong though she had been, didn¡¯t enjoy the same privilege. Come to think of it, someone from a powerful clan or sect wouldn¡¯t have been involved with the kind of people who considered illicit drug-dealing as ¡°encroaching on their territory¡±. There was nothing much to say after that. The old man finished up his story, the initial fervour possessing his voice now dying out as his tale came to an end. He had been convinced of his position before but now, his reasonings were barely above pathetic. ¡°I¡¯ve debated long and hard on the next steps to getting the right security for my home and all who live in it,¡± the old elder said, trying to look at them all in the eye but flinching away at every contact. No one was forgiving him so easily. ¡°I had to make difficult decisions for the good of everyone.¡± ¡°That don¡¯t make it right,¡± said the farmer. The woman apothecary agreed with a terse nod. ¡°You made decisions like that without ever bothering to consult any of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the elder!¡± The old man tried to glare at them but failed. ¡°This was going to work!¡± Sure. Up until someone like Kayden came along and exposed the folly of it. ¡°Good of everyone,¡± the apothecary woman said. ¡°Except for Nyester. Except for the cultivator you murdered. Except for our latest guest, whom you tried to kill only a few hours ago.¡± She looked like she was barely holding herself back from spitting in the old man¡¯s face. ¡°The only good you fooled yourself into seeing is that of your idea of what Alderhelm should be.¡± The old man¡¯s fire went out. Now he looked stricken, aging a decade in the span of mere seconds. ¡°Why did you even kill Nyester?¡± Kayden asked. ¡°Because he discovered what you were up to?¡± The elder didn¡¯t answer, but one of the men who had attacked Kayden raised his head. ¡°Old Nyester was sniffing around too much,¡± he said. ¡°Getting too close to discoverin¡¯ what was goin¡¯ on. Couldn¡¯t have him learnin¡¯ the truth, so we offed him before it got too bad.¡± ¡°I told you not to be too hasty,¡± the old man growled. Kayden blinked. Ah, so the elder¡¯s subordinates weren¡¯t as tightly leashed as he would have liked. The man simply shook his head at the elder. ¡°Look what not bein¡¯ hasty got us into, old man.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done with this,¡± the woman said. ¡°Someone deal with these crooks. I need a break from this madness.¡± She whirled around and left. Kayden wondered what they were going to do with the old man and his cronies. He considered helping them with it, whatever it was they intended they do, but he felt a sudden tug on his soul. An alert that went straight to his spirit. Mierin. He turned too, as fast as the apothecary woman had, and found that Mierin was gone. Or rather, she wasn¡¯t at the corner of the room any longer. His heart spasmed, mind trying to fish out where she could have gone too from the net that had pulled in too many implausible ideas. But then he caught the trailing end of her robes disappearing just outside the doors of the hall. She was leaving? Excusing himself, Kayden followed Mierin outside, hoping against hope that the bit of her robes he had barely seen wasn¡¯t going to be his last sight of her. Chapter 10: Parting Kayden didn¡¯t catch up to Mierin until he had reached the village¡¯s outskirts. She was too fast. He probably wouldn¡¯t have reached her even then, had she not come to a stop of her own accord. ¡°You certainly enjoy giving me a run for my money, don¡¯t you?¡± he said as he came to a stop next to her. Mierin was looking up at the sky, but she turned to face him with her gleaming eyes. With her beautiful, solid, real eyes. His heartrate spiked a little again. The ghostliness about her was vanishing rapidly. She was becoming more and more human, more and more taking on the appearance of someone who was alive. Reaching closer and closer to her true death. ¡°It seems my time is finally up,¡± Mierin said. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything we can do?¡± Kayden asked. Just as the words finished coming out of his mouth, Kayden froze. Then swore at himself. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I apologize. That was the worst thing for me to say.¡± Mierin laughed softly, unoffended by any of it. If anything, her eyes glimmered more than before, her face flushed with pleasure. ¡°I¡¯m glad I can make you utter things that get past the filter of your brain so easily.¡± Kayden could only stare at her. She was trying to be brave. To be strong. Right here at the end, when it was all about to be over, when she was going to leave for good, she was discarding the despondence that had claimed her last night. Right here, where their tales would no longer be bound together, she was choosing to leave him with a memory of her happiness. A small sob caught in Kayden¡¯s throat. ¡°I wanted to tell you something, Kayden,¡± Mierin said. ¡°Before I¡­¡± She shook her head. He knew before what. She didn¡¯t need to speak of it. ¡°I wanted you to hear something important.¡± Kayden swallowed the growing lump in his throat. ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± Seven heavens, my voice sounds like a frog died in my throat. Mierin turned some more so that her entire self now faced him, a mere handsbreadth between them. ¡°I wanted to tell you that I have no regrets. Regardless of this final outcome we¡¯ve come to, I¡¯m very happy I got to meet you. To find you. To cherish the moments we spent together, short though they were in the face of eternity.¡± Kayden swallowed. ¡°You have no regrets, even when you¡¯re about to die.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Not about this. It was worth it, just to meet you. You were worth it.¡± Kayden¡¯s stupid, stupid mind could only think up possibilities. Could only throw up scenarios where Mierin hadn¡¯t died, where she had been alive and well in the village, where they had met and solved the mystery together as living, breathing people with their futures as brilliant as Mierin¡¯s spirit still ahead of them. A future that could have been intertwined. But Kayden shattered them all. He let all the images flow in his head, to become a deluge of could-have-beens and possibilities and dreams and wishes, and he crushed them all. Now was not the time for those. Now was the time for Mierin. For placing his mind, his focus, his soul, his everything before this woman who had claimed his heart. ¡°My mind keeps thinking terrible things,¡± Kayden said. He laughed a little sardonically. ¡°That¡¯s why I have that filter, you know. So none of the stupid things come out of my head. But for what it¡¯s worth.¡± He raised his hand, placing it over his heart. ¡°I think this illness of mine is a blessing in disguise. I¡¯m thankful I have it. Otherwise, I¡¯d have never met you.¡± Mierin laughed a little at that too. ¡°Look at us¡ªtwo fools who agree with their terrible fates just because they involved bringing us together.¡± ¡°Would you have it any other way?¡± ¡°Never.¡± She paused. ¡°Well, I suppose there are a thousand better ways than this. However, I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I had no regrets. Some things are worth a great deal of pain.¡± Kayden swallowed. Mierin might not have regrets, but his heart wrenched at the thought of what she had gone through all the same. He could barely fathom it. What in the world would it have been like to be so unaware of your own self to the point you had to go scrounging through the wilderness to retrieve your identity piece by piece? That sounded wretched. ¡°I am sorry for your pain, nevertheless,¡± he said. His body twitched, like it was trying to tell him something. ¡°If I could, I would take it all in myself.¡± She smiled. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t do, now would it? Your pain is as much my pain as it is yours. You¡¯d only be doubling my suffering!¡± Kayden laughed. ¡°You know what I mean. Pain shared is pain lessened.¡± Her hand brushed his arms again. The touch felt almost solid now. A real pressure on his skin. ¡°I wish I could take the pain of your Weeping Shadows away. If there is one regret I have, it¡¯s that I couldn¡¯t¡ª¡± Kayden, in a fit of brazenness, place a finger against her lips. She blinked in surprise. ¡°Some things aren¡¯t meant to be healed. And that¡¯s alright.¡± Mierin pulled herself away a little. She raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Pain shared is pain lessened, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve caught me with my own words. But this is one pain I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to share, least of all you.¡± He turned away a little. ¡°You said that I was worth meeting. That I was worth the pain. And I said the same for you. But if our situations were reversed, I wouldn¡¯t want you to go through this affliction, just to have the chance of meeting me. I¡¯m not worth that.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. She stepped in front of him so that he was looking into her slightly angry expression. Not floated. Stepped. ¡°You don¡¯t decide that for me. I get to say what I do and don¡¯t deserve, and if I have to go through the seven hells to get to you, and if I deem it worth my time, then so be it.¡± Kayden laughed again. ¡°Am I really with going through seven hells?¡± ¡°Am I?¡± ¡°Of course. Seven hells and seven heavens. But¡­ but do you think you know me enough to think I deserve that kind of devotion?¡± ¡°Kayden, what do you mean?¡± Before Kayden could think better, the words tumbled out of him. ¡°I¡¯ve been holding myself back for a little while now, but I keep meaning to ask you, well, everything. All your likes and dislikes, all your hopes and fears, all your favourites and detestations. All the things that make up you, Mierin. The more I know you, the more I want to know even more.¡± Mierin didn¡¯t interrupt him once, even remaining silent as though encouraging him to go on. Only when he had finished for good did she speak. ¡°And you think a love isn¡¯t love if one doesn¡¯t truly know one¡¯s subject of devotion?¡± ¡°No. No, I never said that.¡± He muttered a curse under his breath. ¡°Though I suppose I implied that with everything I did say.¡± ¡°Yes, you certainly did.¡± Kayden was a silent a moment, before taking a deep breath. ¡°Being with you makes my filters stop working.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± she said drily. She went on before his insecurities could dig him a deeper grave. ¡°But it¡¯s simply a matter of how we see things differently. Time is not a factor for me in such matters. Perhaps, yes, it might intensify feelings as the weeks stretch into months into years. But it doesn¡¯t affect my decision.¡± ¡°Then what does affect your decision?¡± ¡°The shape of a soul. The brightness of a spirit. The depth of a heart. The truth that makes up the core of a person. Sometimes, I don¡¯t need to spend an age with someone to know all that. Sometimes, I can find my own truth changing as I discover more.¡± She stepped closer. ¡°And as for you, Kayden¡ªI¡¯ve fallen in love with the truth of who you are.¡± Kayden¡¯s breath came in a short gasp. He could only stare. At her glimmering eyes, at curtain of her dark hair, at every curve and corner of her face. The twitching sensation ricocheted through his body again, and this time, he gave into the urge. It appeared that his mouth wasn¡¯t the only thing lacking filters in Mierin¡¯s presence. His hands reached out, and when she didn¡¯t resist, when she gave into his touch, he clasped her to him, embracing her against his chest. Holding her close. Holding her living. ¡°My words will no doubt fail me again,¡± he said, his voice muffled against the crook of her neck. So real. So present. This Mierin was anything but a ghost. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for defining love and knowing someone so narrowly. I have fallen for you, and if time had allowed, I would have loved to fall even harder. But that doesn¡¯t mean my feelings are any dimmer.¡± Her arms wrapped around him, just as his had done with her. She smiled against his neck, like the softest of kisses. ¡°You were right, Kayden. Perhaps immortality isn¡¯t as much of a myth as I thought.¡± He held her a little tighter, as though if he held her hard enough, she wouldn¡¯t have to leave him. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a myth or not. I just¡ª¡± For just a moment, his filters almost failed him again. For just a heartbeat, his voice threatened to break. I just wish it didn¡¯t have to end this way. ¡°I know you will be immortal to me.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Mierin pulled away from him, though not far. Just enough so that he could see her face again. Just enough so she could gaze into his eyes. ¡°Give me your flower.¡± Kayden was confused by the request, but he obeyed wordlessly all the same. He pulled out his Witherbloom from where it was tucked at his waist, as ever, and handed it to Mierin. She grasped the Witherbloom by its stem. It didn¡¯t slip between her fingers, like it might have with a ghost. ¡°Memories don¡¯t die so easily. Memories are eternal. Immortal.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°But even beyond memories, I want to give you one last thing. A parting gift.¡± Kayden looked from the flower to Mierin¡¯s face. It seemed so serene. So peaceful. Not the face of someone about to leave this world for good. ¡°Mierin¡­¡± For a brief moment, Mierin opened her eyes. Tear-filled eyes. ¡°Thank you, Kayden. For¡­ everything.¡± Her last words, barely above a whisper, brushed over him like a breeze. A parting gift. A parting kiss. ¡°Farewell, my love.¡± She slumped against him. Kayden didn¡¯t know if he was breathing. Didn¡¯t know if his heart was still beating. All he was aware of was steadying Mierin¡¯s body for a moment as it appeared to glow. But not like she was a ghost again. Her form was more corporeal than ever. No, this light was coming out of her. A gleaming, radiant ball of light that passed out of her and into the Witherbloom clutched between her hands. A new seat for her a bit of soul. A parting gift. Slowly, with gentle motion and gentler sobs that he failed to keep to himself, Kayden lowered her to the ground. Lowered himself alongside her too, so she was lying half in his lap. Lying, never to move again. ¡°Farewell, Mierin.¡± Kayden brushed the little curve of her smile with a finger. He clasped his other hand over hers to enclose the Witherbloom in both their grips, a tear daubing the lapel of her robe. ¡°Farewell, my love.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t want any help with those, master?¡± Vasco asked. ¡°No, thank you,¡± Kayden said, hefting his pack higher on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Vasco was the only one who had accompanied Kayden this far out of the village. Some of the villagers, including the woman from the apothecary, had seen him off. They had all thanked him, had tried to give him a little gift. Kayden had declined, though he had thanked them for their kindness. ¡°You need to be heading back,¡± Kayden said to the boy. He smirked. ¡°I can¡¯t take you with me, you know.¡± ¡°I know. Just wanted to feel free, after everything that¡¯s happened, you know.¡± ¡°Mm. You can also make it so that you never have to feel that way about your home again. You know that, yes?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Vasco frowned a bit. ¡°I think I do.¡± His expression cleared, then brightened. ¡°That¡¯s right. I can make sure my home doesn''t go through something like this again. And I will.¡± Kayden smiled at the boy. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡± They continued walking. Kayden was seriously starting to consider how long he was going to be entertaining unexpected company, but it wasn¡¯t long before Vasco had more words for him. ¡°Say, master, you alright? You been looking a little sad for a while now.¡± Vasco was looking at him with clear concern. ¡°The old¡ªwell, I heard you had that weeping rot tryin¡¯ to gut you. I hope it¡¯s not gotten worse.¡± Kayden took a deep breath. So silly of him, letting his emotions spell themselves out on his face. He pulled out the Witherbloom from his waist, gazing fondly at the flower. It was warm in his grip. If he focused with his spiritual energy, which no longer made him feel as though he was clawing through his own guts, he could almost sense a pulse within the flower. Like heartbeat. A spirit living in its depths. A smidge of a ghost he¡¯d fallen in love with. ¡°On the contrary,¡± Kayden said. ¡°The weeping rot has been a lot better recently. I think coming over to your village has really blessed me, Vasco.¡± That made the boy perk up. ¡°Glad to hear that, master.¡± He finally stopped following Kayden. ¡°Farewell then, master. Hope you travel safe.¡± With a final, smiling wave, which Kayden returned, Vasco turned around and ran back towards Alderhelm. He looked over at the distant collection of wooden huts. With the morning mist cloaking up much of the village, there was a haunting, eerie atmosphere around it. But the ghosts¡ªboth artificial and spiritual¡ªhad all been taken care of. Alderhelm was free. Kayden brought the Witherbloom closer to his face. It seemed to glow a little as it neared him, like it was waking up. Like it was happy to see him. ¡°Did you say your farewells, too?¡± he said to the little, fiery flower. ¡°Well, I hope you did because it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡± Kayden turned and looked forward to the road ahead. ¡°Time for me to show you my real home, Mierin. Let¡¯s go!¡±