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—two 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—”

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.”

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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—I’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—” 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—well, 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—both artificial and spiritual—had 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!”