“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—putting 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—it’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.”

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

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—”

“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.”