Amanises watched as Leonard frantically knocked on the door. The dark bloody liquid slowly continued to run down the porch, dying everything crimson.
She could feel the unease washing over each other, it was maddening.
Her controlled breathing stammered, as a muffled voice sounded from behind the front door.
"Leonard? What are you doing here?" Old Neil's voice was raspy, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.
"We heard that you're sick, so we came to see you." Answered Dunn instead.
There was a sudden silence in the house. A few seconds later, Old Neil roared in anger and terror, "No! You're lying!"
Without waiting for the company to say anything else, his tone suddenly became weak.
"Yes, I know my condition isn't quite right."
Each member adopted a sorrowful expression, with the sole exception of Amanises, who kept her composure.
Then, Old Neil raised his voice and said, "All this time, I've never hurt anyone, nor have I thought of hurting anyone! I never—I never betrayed the secrets of the Nighthawks, one even one! At the most—at the most, I've made claims for undeserving expenses. I really haven't committed any evil!"
"Kenley!" He suddenly shouted like he usually did. "I told you about the maxim of the Mystery Pryers, 'Do as you wish, but do no harm.' I still live by this saying. I'd rather be patient—I'd rather endure than do things that will harm others…"
With that said, he pleaded sincerely, in fear, "Dunn, Leonard, Kenley,...—Evelyn go back. Go back. Wait till tomorrow—by tomorrow, I'll be back to normal. I swear—I swear to the Gods, I wouldn't harm anyone. Really!"
Dunn closed his eyes and asked extremely gently, "What do you plan on doing? What have you been trying to do all this while?"
"Me?" Old Neil was confused at first before he described with a tone filled with hope, "I'm trying to resurrect Celeste. Dunn, I found a way, I'm on the right track!"
He started pleading and explaining his attempts, his sorrows, his regrets.
Amanises analyzed everything he said with a frown. How was he able to do that?
It didn't take long as Old Neil still continued to pray—to pray that he would be able to resurrect the dead.
That's a fool's thought. Amanises joked, the corner of her mouth rising a little.
"...—Then, I'll summon her spirit from the spirit world and pray for God's help to combine her spirit and body together.
"Isn't it a great idea?"
Dunn lifted the corner of his lips forcefully and said, "Yes, it's a great idea. Old Neil, let us in. Perhaps we can help you."
"No, no I can't let you see me like this, I—"
This time, Amanises stepped forward, shoving Leonard to the side.
"Old Neil, listen to me." She spoke evenly, making sure every word was clear.
"Let us enter, we can help you."
"Evelyn... You haven't been here for long, yet you still insist on doing something for this old man." His voice was weakening with each word spoken.
"I'll always be of aid, teacher."
A small gasp was heard, as a click was heard from the door. It opened.
Amanises looked back at the Arcanists, who nodded in return, signaling her to take the initiative.
Actually, Kenley wanted to move first, but was stopped by Leonard who whispered in his ear. "It's better for her to take the lead. She's not burdened by the past."
The Seer could only narrow his eyes in return.
As the company walked inside, Old Neil continued to ramble.
"I am close, closer than I'll ever be! She will be back soon I promise!"
Step step. Another step.
"You will love her, and she will love you for sure! Celeste was a fan of literature just like you! And you remind me a lot of her, you will get along well."
More steps.
"I'm fine, I promise! Take a look here! My house is all normal, nothing is out of place! I'm sure just like this place, I'll be back soon too."
She looked at the bloody liquid spiraling on the ground, flowing down from the walls.
She gritted her teeth and climbed up the stairs, replying to him. "Yes, yes I'm sure! Although my mysticism classes are done, there's so much more I can learn. Teacher, will you help me?"
That made him stop rambling for a second.
"Why, yes! Yes, I can! Do you wish to know how this was possible? Only thanks to Him!"
Him?
"Who is that?"
That question hung in the air for a second, as if it pressed on the trigger of a loaded gun.
The silence wasn't allowed to stretch and more though.
Suddenly, dark crimson tendrils arose from the ground, pinning Amanises and the rest to the ground like the roots of a tree.
Still, they were able to shake them off easily. They didn't seem that strong.
"Him, The Hidden Sage." His raspy voice grew louder as they approached.
The Hidden Sage? The deity worshipped by the Moses Ascetic Order? Aish! Such trouble!
Step step, squelch!
Amanises and the team rounded the corner and made their way over to the doorframe of Old Neil's study room on the second floor.
Her gaze trailed upwards, as she fought hard to not puke from the sight.
There he was, the face of Old Neil they recognized and missed so much, being plastered on a hanging mass of dark viscous matter.
The men's faces scrunched up a little, then shifted to sadness. Kenley even welled up in tears while Dunn lowered his top hat to cover his eyes.
"See? Everything is fine! I'm completely okay! I'll be back by tomorrow. Evelyn, I'll teach you everything!"
"Yes, yes you will."
Without letting him yet another word, her mouth opened again, reciting a poem.
"Thus it blooms on while night is by;
When day looks out with open eye,
Bashed at the gaze it cannot shun,
It faints and withers and is gone."
Before leaving yesterday, Leonard handed her a small book of poems, eligible for effects.
The chosen effect was Pacify.
Although she was only recently advanced, the effects worked wonderfully.
Old Neil's eyes became vacant, the constantly swirling viscous tendrils stopped, becoming idle.
Amanises looked in his eyes, her voice turning ethereal. "Old Neil, what have you done?"
He snapped back to reality, scanning the room, watching as his former coworkers pointed their guns at him.
"I—I, what have I done..." He stared in disbelief, unable to even look down.
But there was no need to, his head no longer had a human body.
"I'm...sorry."
Amanises couldn't help but sigh.
She looked up at him again. "We're also sorry. Old Neil, you've been a respected member, and a wonderful teacher to me."
Evelyn spoke to him, relying her honest thoughts on this old man. "I've had fun talking to you, and everyone here loves you dearly. It's not your fault."
His gaze moved to her feet. The old man's gaze softened as his lips curled into a weak smile. "I—I'm glad."
She looked up at him and smiled. "See you on the other side."
Without waiting, gunshots rang through the house, exploding in her ears.
Bang! Bang! Each bullet pierced Old Neil's forehead, spraying viscous blood in every direction.
She watched the aftermath, the way his anchors on the ceiling gave out as the grotesque mass of flesh fell down piece by piece with squelching sounds.
Leonard and Kenley's eyes welled up in tears, while Dunn lit up his pipe with a match stick.
"Well done here. I didn't expect your poem to have such a strong effect."
"I didn't expect that either, I guess his condition wasn't that bad yet." She said with indifference, walking back before stopping.
The tall woman was now side by side with the romantic poet, who still looked down at his feet.
"Just because I've been here for long, doesn't mean I don't care." Her tone was even, seemingly directed to Leonard who didn't refute her.
"I apologize."
But she didn't hear it, for she already walked down the staircase.
***
Bang! Bang! Echoes of gunshots rang through the distance, a murder of crows stirring from distress.
With each bang, Rozanne's expression crumbled, tears running down her quivering lips.
From her side, Royale and Seeka, who came after, grabbed her shoulders and looked down, while Daly looked up at the cloudy sky, forcing her tears back.
***
9 am, Raphael Cemetery.
Evelyn watched as Old Neil's coffin was lowered in the ground, absentmindedly counting each spadeful of dirt was thrown over it.
Slowly, in her vision entered smoke, it was from Dunn Smith's pipe.
"Thank you for your aid."
"No need to mention it." She sighed and looked down again, one last time.
"Perhaps this was the best way."
"Perhaps." Dunn didn't continue his statement and walked away.
She wasn't in the mood to talk with anyone else, instead recited a poem of tranquil to calm down and made her way out.
Amanises slowly clutched the small charm that was in her breast pocket, but then sighed heavily.
***
The next day passed by in a blink, it was strange how she found herself under a bridge watching the fish swim and jump across the running river.
Step step.
The sound of heavy footsteps made itself known, the perpetrator didn't want to hide them.
She already knew who it was.
"Good evening, Lady Evelyn."
She responded back in a simple manner. "Good evening, Mr Azik. What needs me here?"
The brown skinned and soft features Mr Azik had a meek smile, as if he already knew of the inner turmoil she was fighting against.
"I came to ask if your nightmares have been bothering you again."
She shook her head. "No, I've gotten used to them."
"Well then, I don't know if that's good or not, but at least it's not worse."
She smiled a bit.
"Has something happened? You look much more depressed and sleep deprived than last I've seen you."
"You know how it is, sometimes you can't do anything but watch as others die."
"Yes." He nodded. "I know that feeling well."
She switched back the topic. "What about your memories?"
"I got everything I could from Tingen I fear. I think that some could be triggered in other locations."
"Such as?"
"Heh, that's why I called you here. I'll be departing to Backlund today. So I came to give a goodbye."
She looked up at him. "Ah! Well then, have a safe trip down the memory lane, I guess. But just in case, is there any way I can contact you?"
I would ask for your phone number had this been Earth. Such a shame they don't have them here...
"You can contact me anytime through my messenger. Here." He handed her an object.
She examined it with the naked eye. It was a brass whistle, which looked nearly ancient, having many different symbols and patterns carved into it.
"When you need me, or find anything related to that river you talked about, don't be afraid to use the whistle and send me a letter."
She pocketed the ancient brass whistle, tapping it a couple of times of reassurance.
"I'll take care of it. Thank you."
She spent a bit more time talking to him, speaking about recent adventures and the like.
At the end, when Azik announced that his train was leaving soon, she bid farewell and left, heading home directly.
At the threshold, Daly greeted her like usual.
She wasn't in the mood to talk or do anything but still forced small talk with the other woman.
They soon fell into silence, both seated opposite to each other in the living room.
"I sense a very strong aura of the dead from you."
Amanises snapped from a daze, then stared in confusion.
What?
She processed her words a little.
Could it be…?
She started thinking that it was the river, perhaps with rising sequence, her connection with it would become stronger?
But soon enough, she noticed something strange too.
Amanises fished out the brass whistle from her pocket and showed it to Daly. "Mr Azik gave me his contact messenger. It's not an incantation like yours, but with a whistle..."
Daly took the brass whistle in her hand, weighting it a little. "Hmmm, I feel a strong connection with it, and some sort of—fear."
She handed it back. "Be careful with it around corpses and spirits, stronger ones will definitely feel a pull towards you. Pray that they're not evil."
She replied with a stiff smile. "What are the chances that they're not evil?"
"One percent."
"Sigh. Got it."
Daly then waved her hand and the fire lamps flickered. From the wallpapered walls, a transparent and luminescent blob phased through.
Amanises recognized it instantly, it was Daly's contracted Spirit Creature, Echo Hoarder was its chosen name.
It was a special kind, one that can act as a small storage unit for mystical items, but only few at a time.
"How about you get your own creature?"
I really should, plus I really want a messenger...
She debated on making the ritual but was soon interrupted by the Spirit Medium.
"Hmmm, no. Better not."
"Huh? Why? Isn't it better to do it early?"
"Yes it is, but I can't guarantee you won't die."
"H-huh?!" She was taken aback. Die?!
"This is a very useful creature, friendly most of the time, but hard to get hold of. Plus, its description can point to other evil spirits that are hostile. You can guess what will happen from that."
"Aish! This world is so hard!" She clutched her forehead.
"The safest way for you to command spirits is by reaching Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock. Its main abilities involve summoning and commanding them after all."
But that's such a long waaayy. She nearly started to wail.
"Hehe, I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, that was just a suggestion, you don't have to wait that long."
"So...? What can I do?"
"Ask a higher being to supervise your ritual, that way the Spirit Creature would be too afraid to do anything. Unless that individual is not strong enough to contend with it."
"And where can I get that?" Her eyebrows twitched.
"Hmmm, I recommend the Leader. He is the strongest being aside from a True God that can actually provide help. But of course, that would cost a pretty penny."
Eugh! What a money hungry individual!
Daly continued. "You can only make the request at your next Sequence, so hurry up with that digestion. Or, you could, y'know?"
Daly looked at her smugly. "Know what?" But Amanises was still confused.
"Ugh, nevermind. Just continue with your potion digestion. Since Sleepless was so fast I reckon you won't have any trouble with Midnight Poet."
Amanises nodded. "Guess I better get writing."
Shakespeare ain't got nothin' on me!
The Spirit Medium chuckled a bit and then turned to their bedroom. "That's it for today. I'm off to bed. Night!"
"Night!" Mumbled the other woman, looking for a stack of papers and some ink.