Ollie threw a red marble straight up into the air. As it reached its peak, it curved left to where Frank was standing.

“You got some good hunches,” Ollie commented.

From what Ollie had mentioned, they had to find an exit, immediately taking out the curious red marble. It wasn’t hard to guess what the red marble was. It was a device that could lead them the way to the exit. Unfortunately, it led them back to the dreaded park where Frank encountered the ghoul.

“Lucky guess…” Frank grumbled. He did not want to go back to the forest at all. Ollie told him to stick to him. It could only mean that there were more of those horrifying ghouls. He would rather be haunted by the apparitions for the rest of his life rather than encounter another one.

Frank eyed the glowing blue magazines with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. He'd never seen anything like them before, but given the circumstances, he wasn't about to question Ollie's unconventional arsenal.

"I bet your hunches will get you killed one day," Ollie warned, his voice low and urgent.

Frank grunted, not entirely convinced. His instincts had kept him alive this long, after all. Still, he took the offered weapon, a sleek hunting rifle that felt unnaturally light in his hands.

"What's with the glowing ammo?" Frank asked, popping a magazine into the rifle.

Ollie ignored the question, already moving towards the treeline. "Just follow my lead and stay alert. Just squeeze the trigger when you need to."

As they approached the park, memories of Frank's earlier encounter with the ghoul flooded back. His heart raced, palms growing slick with sweat.

Frank hesitated at the edge of the park, his feet refusing to carry him forward. The ghostly whispers that had haunted him before seemed to echo in his mind, growing louder with each step. It was lucky he didn't drink at all or something down there might've been more moist than it should.

"I don't suppose we could find another way around?" Frank muttered, knowing the answer before he'd even finished the question.

Ollie shook his head, tossing the red marble again, his eyes scanning the darkness between the trees. The marble dropped just a couple of feet in front of him, "This is the quickest route to the exit. We don't have time for detours."

Taking a deep breath, Frank steeled himself and followed Ollie into the park. The familiar oppressive atmosphere settled over him like a heavy blanket. Every snapping twig and rustling leaf set his nerves on edge.

As they delved deeper into the park, Frank couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He gripped the rifle tighter, his finger hovering near the trigger. The weight of the weapon provided little comfort against the unseen horrors that might be lurking in the shadows.

Frank's heart nearly stopped as a ghoul emerged from the shadows, its grotesque form illuminated by the eerie glow of Ollie's magazines. Without hesitation, Ollie sprang into action, his movements fluid and precise, sliding down to avoid the ghoul's initial pounce and brandishing a revolver appearing out of nowhere.

Ollie's first shot rang out, a burst of flame erupting from his revolver. The ghoul shrieked, its flesh sizzling. In a blink, Ollie's pistol disappeared and a sleek rifle appeared in its place, firing a bolt of crackling energy that sent the creature reeling as it skin sizzled.

Frank watched in awe as Ollie danced around the ghoul, his movements a blur of deadly grace. Each weapon change brought a new form of magic, leaving Frank breathless and struggling to comprehend the spectacle before him. It was his first time seeing an actual Citizen fight. Ice shards shot out from shotguns on each hand, their crystalline beauty belying their lethal intent as they peppered the ghoul's rotting flesh. In an instant, the shotguns vanished, replaced by a gleaming revolver that seemed to hum with power. With a flick of Ollie's wrist, a whirlwind erupted from the barrel, its howling winds pinning the ghoul in place.

Frank's mind reeled, trying to reconcile the impossible transformations and mystical forces at play. He had seen many things in his years as a detective, but nothing could have prepared him for this display of otherworldly prowess. He was entranced and frightened at the same time.

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A rustling behind them caught Frank's attention. Another ghoul lunged from the darkness. Frank raised his rifle, squeezing the trigger as Ollie had instructed. A blast of frigid air erupted from the barrel, encasing the second ghoul in a thick layer of ice, momentarily stopping it.

"Ollie!" shouted Frank. The ghoul was right in front of him. He could see each grotesque feature of its face, worms and bugs feeding on its dead skin. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the frozen ghoul mere feet away from him. The creature's grotesque features were captured in horrifying detail, its dead eyes seemed to bore into his soul even through the icy prison.

The ice started cracking, reminding Frank that the phenomena was only temporary. His hands trembled on the rifle, his breath coming in short sharp gasps.

"Ollie!" he shouted again, desperation creeping into his voice. He couldn't take his eyes off the ghoul, terrified that any movement might shatter its icy cage.

The sounds of combat behind him suddenly ceased. Frank heard Ollie's quick footsteps approaching, but he didn't dare turn around.

Frank stumbled backward, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to put distance between himself and the frozen monstrosity. As he moved, he caught sight of Ollie from the corner of his eye. The young man's hands were empty one moment, then suddenly filled with a rugged shotgun the next.

Ollie raised the weapon, its barrel glowing with an eerie, pulsating light that sent shivers down Frank's spine. The detective's ears popped painfully as the air around them seemed to thicken with a tangible energy, making it difficult to breathe. Frank's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and awe as he watched the young man take aim. With a deafening boom that echoed through the space, Ollie fired. The frozen ghoul exploded into a thousand glittering shards, the ice mixed with whatever remained of its already decayed flesh. Frank instinctively raised his arms to shield his face from the flying debris, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to process the otherworldly display of power he had just witnessed.

Frank flinched, raising an arm to shield his face from the debris. When he lowered it, he saw Ollie standing over the spot where the ghoul had been, the shotgun still smoking in his hands.

Frank's heart still raced as he tried to catch his breath, his eyes darting between Ollie and the spot where the frozen ghoul had stood moments ago. The young man's casual demeanor in the face of such otherworldly danger left Frank feeling unsettled. He couldn't fathom himself living this kind of life, and he himself was a police officer once.

Ollie grinned, his weapons vanishing as quickly as they had appeared. "This is actually one of the lower class rifts. The fights here are relatively easy compared to what we usually deal with."

Frank raised an eyebrow, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite the lingering fear. "Here I thought I was getting the full Aurian experience. Don't tell me this is just another day for you?"

Ollie chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't even think about it. I'm an exception. Most of my colleagues don't see this kind of action on a regular."

Frank's curiosity piqued, momentarily overshadowing his unease. "What makes you so special?"

"Training, mostly," Ollie replied, his eyes scanning their surroundings as they continued through the park. "I've been at it for four years now, working with my mentor to hone my skills. In fact, monitoring you is my graduation assignment, and now you're being a pain in the ass with your wild goose chase."

"Must be one hell of a mentor," Frank mused, thinking back to the dizzying display of weapon changes and mystical attacks he'd witnessed just moments before.

Ollie nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "She's the best. Taught me everything I know. I'd be living in a tent by now if she hadn't picked me up like a puppy."

Frank mulled over this information, trying to reconcile it with everything he thought he knew about the world. "And all Aurians can do this? Manipulate Ether, I mean?"

"To varying degrees, yes," Ollie said, but stopped as soon as he was about to say more. "Let's move, there's a bunch more coming from all the noise we just caused."

Frank's heart raced as he heard the unmistakable sounds of pursuit. Growls and inhuman shrieks echoed through the park, growing louder with each passing second. He glanced at Ollie, hoping to see the same confidence the young man had displayed earlier, but instead found a look of concern etched across his face.

"We've got assholes on our behind," Ollie said, his voice tense. "A lot of assholes."

Frank's grip tightened on his rifle. "Can't you just do that thing again? With all the weapons?"

Ollie shook his head, frustration evident in his voice. "I'm not armed for this kind of situation. I only brought the minimum loadout—thought this would be a simple monitoring job." He cursed under his breath, glaring at Frank from the side. "We need to move, now. I can't take on a whole group of these things."

The urgency in Ollie's tone sent a chill down Frank's spine. He'd seen what the young Aurian could do against one or two ghouls, but if even Ollie was worried...

"Fuck, how bad is it?" Frank asked, already knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"Bad enough that if we don't hurry, we could both end up dead," Ollie replied. "Come on."

They broke into a run, weaving through the trees as the sounds of pursuit grew ever closer. Frank's lungs burned, his legs protesting with each step, but fear drove him forward. He needed to continue living to solve the case. It was then he could hear the ghouls crashing through the underbrush behind them, their inhuman screeches growing louder by the second.

Ollie led the way, the red marble being tossed up in the air again and then bobbing in front of them like a lifeline. Frank focused on it, hoping it to lead them to safety as the nightmarish chorus behind them intensified.