"Ready, Gadalik?" asked the red-haired girl.

"Ready, Grace," answered the blue-eyed teen as he climbed upon his dappled gray stallion.

She mounted her own steed: a mare as white as the snow falling around them, and the two rode at a trot from her homestead past the spirit wards marking the end of her property, heading into the surrounding woods. The leafless trees danced in the chilling breeze to the percussion of hooves that had worn a path over the years leading them through a familiar clearing.

This is where I trapped the ghost when I first met Grace and Gavin, Gadalik recognized it. The spook slowed to a stop, bringing up a hand to clutch the nullifier around his neck that prevented him from using his ghost sense and magic. He was tempted to take it off just to make sure there were no more threats, but it would take ten minutes for his powers to be restored upon removing it, and he wasn't sure if it was worth holding his friend up during his short stay with her.

Grace had brought her horse beside his, her red irises studying him. "Are you okay…?"

“Y-Yeah,” he stammered. “I was just thinking about when I dealt with that ghost here.” Dealt? he second-guessed himself. No… I annihilated that spirit–on purpose. I had no other options, though… And we all considered it an act of mercy. That was the first time he'd used an exorcism tag to annihilate a ghost. He suddenly remembered, during his vacation at a beach resort, beating a monstrous spirit into annihilation when he should have used the tag instead. His hand trembled slightly around the sun-engraved pendant on his neck.

The stallion stamped his white-feathered hoof on the slushy dirt, ears pinned back.

"Gadalik, breathe…!" Grace’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath.

"Calm down… Punsiv can pick up on your feelings," she reminded him. "It could be dangerous if he gets upset. Let's take a break, and just… talk."

They both dismounted, and he absently ran his fingers through Punsiv's mane. "Have there… been any more ghost troubles since last time?"

"There hasn't, thanks to you and your wards. If there ever are any more ghosts, I'll ask for your help again,” she assured him.

He was relieved to hear that. "With Punsiv here, it'll be a lot easier for me to travel, too," the spook said, patting his horse’s neck. "Thanks again for having me. It's been so long since I've ridden, I almost forgot how to."

"Any time! I, uh… I… like spending time with you outside of business,” she managed to say, her cheeks reddening slightly more than they had been from the cold. Before he had a chance to answer, Grace quickly extended a hand to him, a woven bracelet with butterfly charms falling forth from under the sleeve of her hand-made orange winter coat. “Let's keep going.”

“Oh–right,” he laughed, almost having forgotten they were still in the middle of lessons. Gadalik accepted her hand to help him remount Punsiv. “That's a pretty bracelet. Did you have that last time I was here?”

“No, it was a gift I got recently…” Her voice trailed off and she seemed distraught for a moment. Then she shook her head dismissively. “It was very thoughtful, too; butterflies are my favorite insect,” she added in a cheerful tone.

The older kid could tell her heart wasn't fully in it, but she briskly beckoned him onward, so he dropped the subject. They continued on the path until it ran parallel to a half-frozen stream. He took in the scenery. "What's that?"

"Hm?" The red-eyed girl followed his gaze to a cottage across the water. "Oh, that's where Guinevere lives. She's an enchantress skilled with healing magic and potions. My dad brings me to her whenever I get sick, but she’s practically part of our family."

Gavin has a friend? It was hard for him to imagine the brusque man spending quality time with anyone besides Grace. Guess there's a lot I don't know about him…

“Shall we go on?”

“Okay.” Gadalik glanced once more at the cottage before he gently squeezed Punsiv with his lower legs once to start the stallion walking, and then again to escalate to a trot.

"You're doing great," Grace praised him. "Remember how to canter?"

"It's the same as walking and trotting, except I move my outside leg back a bit first, right?" he confirmed, doing so as he spoke. Punsiv obediently sped up.

"Move your hips with his," she reminded him. "Keep your movements in sync!"

Gadalik shifted accordingly, taking a few seconds to adjust.

"Ready for a gallop?"

"M-Maybe?"

"Don't be nervous. Just relax… We'll stay at a canter for now, alright?"

He nodded. As they traveled north along the trail, the stream wound away and the bare forest trees grew further apart until there was nothing but an open field on either side of them.

"This is the place; we can ride out here without any distractions,” she explained.

They remained at a canter until his movements with the horse felt second nature to him. "I think I'm ready for a gallop."

"Remember what I told you?"

"Lean forward… and use pressure on him with my legs to gradually speed up. Right?"

"Yep! But while you're forward, keep the reins between your thumbs and forefingers, and rest your hands on Punsiv's neck. That'll help you steer him better.”

“Um… Like this?” He awkwardly lowered his upper body and hands against his steed without moving his legs. It felt unnatural after getting used to sitting upright all this time.

She noticed his discomfort. “It's also for support, so you won't fall off when he's moving fast. It won't feel right at our current speed, but once we take off, it will. Ready?”

Fall off? He frowned.

“Don't overthink it,” she soothed him. “Just watch me. It'll be fine.” She expertly positioned herself and signaled the white mare to speed up, passing him.

He copied her and braced himself. To his relief, instinct to keep balanced during the increased pace helped him take to the new pose, and he was catching up.

"You got this!" Grace cheered him on.

The two rode faster until they were dashing for miles, kicking up puffs of powdered snow in their wake. His long light blue scarf shielded his face from the crisp, cold air for the most part.

"Alright, let's slow down," Grace suggested, once again seeming distraught.

Gadalik sank his weight into the saddle and said "Whoa," pulling gently on the reins. Punsiv slowed to an eventual canter. “What's on your mind?” he couldn't help asking his friend.

“Oh… Um, we can talk about it later,” she decided. “Right now we should head back before our companions get too tired.”

The two brought their horses back to Grace's stable, then proceeded to go inside her home, welcoming the sudden warmth.

"Dad, I'm back," she called, hanging her coat up on the rack by the door. "It's cold out there."

"I'm frozen," Gadalik agreed as he unwrapped his scarf and hooked it on the peg below her coat.

"You're also filthy." A man with curly yellow-green hair that was braided from his waist to the floor had come into the living room from the basement. "Both of you take a lukewarm shower. Gadalik can use mine. You have a change of clothes, right, boy?"

"O-Of course, Gavin!"

"Then what are you waiting for?"

The younger male gulped, then took his boots off, grabbing his duffel bag from the floor and bringing it with him into Gavin's room wherein there was a second, albeit smaller, bathroom. Rolled up towels lined the shelf in it. After Gadalik stripped his outgrown plain white T-shirt, wishing his favorite hadn't ripped, he correctly took the nullifier off from around his neck, hating that he had to wait for his power to return before he could remove it.

Finally his vision sharpened and he placed the nullifier on the sink. He gripped the shower’s knob to start the water, then became all too aware of a ghost so near to him that he felt suffocated by its presence. Grace said there haven't been any more ghosts…! Where did this one come from? How did it get here? Is it after her?!

Overcome with worry for his friend, he closed his eyes and tried to pinpoint its exact location. He left Gavin's room and followed his senses to a closed door in the hallway by Grace's bedroom. He could hear water running.

“What exactly do you think you're doing here?" Gavin demanded from behind him.

Gadalik jumped, then turned to face the older male. “What do you mean?” Is the hallway off-limits to guests?

His eyes narrowed into a glare as he gave the shirtless teen a once-over.

With horror, Gadalik realized he was outside Grace’s bathroom–while she was in it. "It–it's not what it looks like! I swear! There's a ghost, and it's in that room–"

"That's impossible,” he interrupted. “You should know that; after all, you're the one who gave us the spirit wards to keep them from coming here. Now you're saying they don't work?"

"I-I don't know…! All I know is I sense it there! Honest!"

The two stared each other in the eyes for a few panicked heartbeats. "...Fine. I'll let you inside to look once she's out and dressed. That is, after you're out and dressed as well."

Gadalik blinked, then crossed his arms over his bare torso with embarrassment. "S-Sorry… I… I'm going."

He finished his shower and put on the change of clothes from his bag: dark gray shorts and a henley shirt of a lighter shade, the latter of which had belonged to his birth-father; it was rather large on him, but everything else in his wardrobe had been outgrown since his favorite plaid shirt had torn.

Despite warming up from the shower and heaters, he felt himself shudder, and looked at the nullifier he'd taken off beforehand. He wanted nothing more than to put it back on and forget about the ghost. But if Grace is in danger, I'm the only one who can protect her from it…

"Gavin, is she out yet?" Gadalik called.

"Yes. Want to show me where this ghost is?" the man answered from the hall.

"Right. Follow me." The spook threw on his protective green robe over his clothes and retrieved his staff, then honed his sense. This time it led him to Grace's bedroom.

"This isn't where you said it was before," Gavin stated skeptically.

"I know… but this is where it's currently at." He knocked on her door. "It's Gadalik. Can I come in?"

"Go ahead," she invited.

He opened the door and closed his eyes. The closer he was to the spirit, the more he felt surrounded by it, making it harder to find. Thankfully he had practiced locating them ever since his encounter with the ghost at the mall a while back.

Letting his sense guide him, he stopped where he felt it was strongest and pointed with his eyes still shut. "There."

"Is this some kind of prank?" Gavin said, unamused.

"No?" He opened his eyes, then hesitated to see he was pointing at Grace. "What…?"

"What's going on?" she asked, concerned.

Gadalik shook his head. "This can't be right."

Gavin looked down at him. "Are you calling yourself a liar?"

"I'm not lying: there really is a ghost..."

"Ghost?" she echoed. "But what about the wards?"

"I… I don't know. None of this makes any sense…"

"That's enough, boy," Gavin dismissed him. "No more excuses."

"Excuses…? For what?" Then it hit him and he felt his cheeks flush. "I promise you that wasn't what it looked like…!"

"What wasn't?" Grace was thoroughly confused.

"I caught him trying to spy on you in the shower," her father explained.

The girl stared wide-eyed at her friend, her face reddening before she hid it in her pillow.

"I wasn't!" Gadalik despaired.

"Get out. Both of you, please get out," she squeaked through the pillow.

The two complied, Gavin shutting her door on their way out before warning the younger man, "Try to pull a stunt like this again and you won't be welcome here anymore.”

"It wasn't a stunt…!" Gadalik defended himself. He could still feel the spirit from within her room. With no proof, however, his words fell on deaf ears.

Gadalik laid on the miniature mattress set up in their living room. He hadn't put the nullifier back on, and the sensation of the nearby spirit kept him awake. There has to be something I can do…! But… what?

He tensed when he felt the ghost get closer. Looking up, he saw Grace pass him, heading for the kitchen. Grace isn't a ghost! Is it following her? If so, I should be able to see it!

"You're awake?" she asked, stopping on her way back with a cup of water in her hands.

He froze. "Y-Yeah."

"I'm sorry about my dad… He can be overprotective sometimes. Were you… really trying to spy on me earlier…?"

He respectfully sat up to reply. "I wasn't. When I took my nullifier off to shower, I sensed a spirit. And I still sense it. It's coming from… you."

"Me?" She took a seat beside him and sipped the water. "What does that mean?"

"Either you're a ghost–and I know you're not–or the ghost has somehow… attached itself to you."

She hummed thoughtfully, then seemed distracted for the third time.

"I don't know what it's planning on doing,” he went on, “but if something were to happen to you because of it, it'd be my fault for letting it stay…"

"N-No…! Not everything is your fault. And nothing bad has happened yet." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He jolted, feeling completely overwhelmed by the spirit's presence. That's when he noticed what was around her wrist.

"What's the matter? Did I hurt you?" she fretted.

The bracelet… It's possessed…!

"Gadalik?"

The spook shook his head. Now isn't the time to exorcise it. I'm sure it's aware of what we say, too. He tore his gaze away to meet hers instead. "Can we ride horses again tomorrow?"

"Of course! But are you sure you're okay?"

He forced a smile. "You said it's not hurting you, right? Then we'll be fine for now. We both should get some rest."

"Then I'm going back to bed. Goodnight, Gadalik."

"Goodnight."

Roosters roused Gadalik way earlier than his alarm clock at home did, but the smell of bacon and eggs causing his stomach to growl woke him fully. Lifting his head from the pillow, he saw Grace and Gavin in the kitchen.

She smiled upon noticing her friend was up. "Good morning, sleepyhead! Breakfast is almost ready; come and join us!” She patted the chair beside hers.

Gadalik began to oblige, then stopped and looked at her father, wary of the man’s impression of him. The teen cowered when he was caught staring.

“Be at ease,” Gavin said. “Grace told me about last night’s conversation between you. Since there truly is a ghost, I apologize.”

The spook gaped at him. “...What?”

The adult passed the plates out, setting Gadalik’s next to his daughter's in front of the seat she had patted.

The teen hesitantly sat, looking between the family before his gaze lingered on her bracelet. He forced himself to focus on the food, then instantly brightened from how delicious it was. “This is so much better than what I get from the store!”

Grace beamed with pride. “Everything's fresher on a homestead. We also raise our livestock with love.”

“Perhaps a bit too much love, given she nearly let that lost ghost kill her to protect our pig,” Gavin added, referring to the spirit that had been annihilated.

Was that a joke…? Gadalik wondered. He relaxed when the red-haired girl laughed, confirming it was.

She shrugged innocently. “What can I say? Their deaths should be humane–and that ghost was anything but.”

Humane…? Gadalik averted his eyes guiltily.

“Oh, yeah”--she turned to the older teen–“I already tended to the horses. They'll be ready for us after we eat."

"Really?” He was shocked. “Just how early do you two start your day? The sun’s not even up yet!”

She laughed again. “Chores don't wait! Where do you think these eggs came from? I collected them on my way back from the stable!”

Gadalik couldn't help respecting them; they worked hard for everything they had, and the quality of their food was one of many payoffs. He finished eating far more quickly than intended.

"If you're going outside, change into something presentable," Gavin told him, eyeing the too-loose shirt with disapproval.

"My father's shirts are all I have that aren't too small for me," Gadalik admitted. "My only good shirt ripped last week…”

That got Grace’s attention.

"Then I'll let you wear one of my old ones,” her father offered.

"No need; I have my spook’s clothes," he replied. It's a perfect excuse to wear them so I can take care of the ghost, too.

Grace tilted her head slightly, the shorter side of her asymmetrical bob falling away from her ear in the motion. "Will they be warm enough?"

"They're enchanted to withstand all types of weather," he informed her, finishing his plate and getting up to wash it. He took Grace's as she emptied hers as well. "Let me change and I'll meet you outside."

Gadalik followed Grace into the stable, his hands in his robe’s pockets to ensure he felt the tags in one and his nullifier in the other. I can put it back on as soon as the ghost is exercised off their property. Speaking of… "You mentioned that your bracelet was a gift… Can you tell me who gave it to you?”

“Oh… I did say I'd tell you later, didn't I?” Grace chuckled nervously. “It was from my late friend–a little girl I used to babysit.”

“Late…? As in–” Dead?

She nodded solemnly. “That's why I have an idea of where we can ride today.”

"Where?"

"To Molly's place."

They got on their horses and followed the same path as the previous day, except this time they kept going farther through the fields.

"Think we can gallop?" she called to him.

"Uh, yeah–I think so." He got into position and lightly kicked Punsiv, taking off ahead of Grace.

She quickly matched his pace. "Great job!”

He felt himself growing warm from the praise in spite of the surrounding snow.

They eventually arrived at an old small house that, while made well, seemed to be unkempt. "Is this it?" Gadalik asked. It looks abandoned…

"It was," she corrected him.

"Grace?" sounded a woman's voice from the door as it opened. She was the least bit chubby and had short brown hair in a perm.

"Hi, Barbara."

"Who's your friend? Oh–it doesn't matter. Both of you, come in; it's much too cold to be outside."

The teens exchanged a glance before tying their horses and obliging.

The inside was cluttered, and from the living room Gadalik could see a mountain of dishes in the kitchen sink. He fought back a sudden urge to clean the place.

"Barbara, this is Gadalik," Grace introduced them. "Gadalik, this is Molly's mother."

"Nice to meet you," the spook said to the woman, although he was still distracted by the mess.

Barbara noticed. "Sorry about the state of the house… it's been so hard being by myself; I barely have the willpower to get out of bed anymore."

"Did something happen?" Gadalik asked. His friend looked away as though she already knew the answer.

"Yes… My poor Molly isn't with us anymore. She died… last week." Her eyes watered and her voice wavered. "I-I'm sorry…"

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"It's alright," Grace murmured.

"So… the ghost…?" Gadalik whispered to his friend.

Grace nodded. "That's why I brought you here."

"Can you tell me more about Molly?" the spook asked Barbara.

"She loved animals and art and crafts. Such a sweet girl she was… It was all so sudden," the woman answered. "Her father died years ago so I had to take his place as the provider for her. I was working when she was on her deathbed. I wasn't there for her when she died. I… I failed her, as a mother…"

"That's not true… Everything you did was for her," Grace pointed out.

"Oh, Gracie… I don't know what I would've done without you to look after her. She loved you very much."

“I can tell she loved Grace from that bracelet,” Gadalik said. “She made that herself, right?”

“Yes. Molly was so talented… And Grace is too.”

“I'm not so good with the arts, though,” she waved away the compliment with a bashful smile.

“Well, you exceed everywhere else! Your coat looks very warm.”

She blushed.

What does her coat have to do with anything? Gadalik shook his head. We're getting off-topic… “Do you know if Molly had any lingering regrets before she died?”

The others fell silent, and he felt a pang of guilt for being insensitive.

“I can't think of any one thing,” Barbara said with uncertainty.

There's more than one? This might be harder than I thought…

“But I would say she took her father’s death harder than anything. Ever since he died, Molly has resented me; the only one she trusted was Gracie.”

“Why did she blame you for her father dying?”

“I don't know… I asked her over and over but she refused to speak to me.”

“I see…” I guess I'll have to ask Molly directly.

“Sorry I'm not much help…”

“N-No, you're a huge help! I'm sorry for bringing it up…”

“No need to apologize for that. I'm glad I got to talk about my daughter at all. Thank you for visiting, dears. And, Gracie, do stop by more often; you're always welcome here.”

They said their goodbyes and, once the two were outside, Gadalik reached one hand into his pocket for the exorcism tags he kept there. “Grace, can I see your bracelet for a moment?”

She nodded, attempting to slip it off, but it wouldn't budge. “Um… This is weird. I got it off when I showered last night.”

This confirms she's in the bracelet. “Maybe just hold your arm out for me,” he suggested instead. When she did, he quickly slapped the tag on the bracelet, and a wisp was forced out of it.

It shaped itself into a girl perhaps six years old, her brown pigtails unaffected by the icy winds. Her eyes were two blue moons staring at the spook, and she floated backward away from him.

"Molly?" he guessed.

Grace narrowed her eyes knowingly.

"What do you want with me?" she demanded the spook, trying to sound fierce despite the terrified quiver of her voice.

"My name is Gadalik. I help ghosts with their unfinished business so they can move on to the afterlife," he explained.

"I don't need any help," Molly shot back. "I know what you are: you're a spook who kills ghosts. I won't let you kill me!"

Gadalik stepped toward her with a hand outstretched. "Calm down… I'm not annihilating–err, killing–anyone…"

"Stay away!" Molly cried as she got on all fours. Her shape morphed into that of a lioness and her giant paw swiped at him.

He summoned a shield from one hand and blocked it. With his other he reached for a disfigurement tag in his pocket. When she struck again, Gadalik shield-bashed her to the side and thrust the tag against her head, causing her form to disperse into a cloud. "There's no need for violence," Gadalik announced calmly. "I don't know what you've seen of spooks, but not all of them want to kill ghosts.”

“Have you killed a ghost before?” sounded her sneering disembodied voice.

“W-Well I…”

Her wispy form suddenly shot toward him, and he didn't have the chance to defend himself as the ghost who had possessed the bracelet tried to possess his mind.

With his staff, Gadalik swung, beat, and stabbed the ghostly monster in a flurry of movements derived from pure rage until it was pinned against the beach resort's basement wall. The spirit’s struggles to defend itself were weakening, its muzzle torn wide to emit endless wails that the teen couldn't hear over the blood rushing through him. Its body was being ripped apart with bits of white fog clinging to the steel claws every time he withdrew the weapon only to strike again and again. Eventually, there was nothing left.

Gadalik recoiled. “N-No… I didn't mean to,” he said out loud, disoriented from the memory she made him relive.

“You can't tell me you didn't mean to do this,” she laughed, her voice now coming from his mind as clearly as his own thoughts.

The spook inhaled sharply, then speared the ghost's hand through the barrier; the confinement tag on his staff activated, turning its target entirely tangible. He placed the used tag with an exorcism tag, by which point the spirit had floated up to the extent his domed-shaped trap would let it, trying to keep out of his reach.

Gadalik stepped past the barrier, took aim, then threw the staff, unable to watch as the speared tip pierced the spirit's solidified body, which then began to morph back into wisps that slowly faded. In a matter of seconds, his staff dropped; the ghost had been annihilated.

“I had to,” he cried out. “It was dangerous; there was no other way to help…!”

“Help?” she giggled. “Just like you helped the ghost in the lake?”

“That was an accident–”

To his horror, Anna had recovered too soon, and was now torpedoing down at the spook. His heart missed a beat but he angled the speared end of his staff to meet her head on. To avoid running into it, she instead shot past him--then abruptly lurched back up, both of her clawed, webbed hands tearing it from his weakened grip; she brought it as far as its tether to the spook would allow, then charged at him with it like he had her.

His head spun from lack of oxygen. There was no way he could dodge in this worsened state. Defenseless without his staff, Gadalik held both hands out to block the attack. The instant his palms made contact, however, instead of shielding him, there was a huge expulsion. Millions of tiny bubbles swarmed him in her wake; she had been blown out of sight, swallowed by the distant murkiness.

Gadalik was hyperventilating at this point, struggling not to reexperience drowning during that memory.

“Face it: all spooks are the same. They only want to kill ghosts!” Molly accused him.

Is she right…? Is that all I've been doing…? he questioned himself.

“You can't fool me… I can see everything. I can–” Her voice was suddenly cut off as he felt paper pressed on his forehead.

Instantly Gadalik came to, his mind fully returned to the real world. He looked around wildly to see Grace with his spell tags in her hand; he took one off his forehead and saw it was an exorcism tag. “You exorcized her from me?” He was genuinely impressed. “How did you know which tag to use?”

“That's the same type of tag you used on my bracelet,” his friend explained.

Molly was beginning to reform. He waited, preparing to summon a shield as he remembered what happened the last time he used this method. To his relief, she was a little girl again, sitting on her knees. Instead of the anger and scorn she had shown toward Gadalik, her eyes now gazed sadly at her former babysitter. "Why are you on his side…? He wants to split us apart…"

"Oh, Molly… Sweetie… There are no sides,” Grace murmured, kneeling in front of her. “We all just want what's best for you… including your mother."

That triggered the ghost. "No! The spook wants me dead, and Momma never cared about me!"

"That isn't true… Gadalik's my friend; you can trust him. And your mother loves you. Maybe you should go talk to her–"

"No!" She reshaped into a lion and lunged at the older girl.

"Grace, here!" Gadalik placed a shield tag on his staff, where it formed a protective bubble, then tossed it to her.

She managed to catch it and Molly hit the barrier. Dazed but recovering fast, the ghost returned her focus to the now-weaponless spook. Instead of attacking, though, the spirit glowered with frustration, then fled down the fields they'd come from.

"Molly!" Grace returned his staff, untied her horse, and rode after her.

"Wait!" he called, scrambling onto the saddle and whipping the reins to take off. Punsiv whinnied and bucked. I need to calm down… "Easy, boy… Come on." When the stallion snorted and backed up, Gadalik patted his neck until he settled. Then he started at a walk, steadily escalating in gaits until he was galloping, catching up to them.

They chased her back to the woods, but this time they went in a direction Gadalik hadn't been to before. There was a mesa up ahead and the ghost shot up to its top.

Grace stopped abruptly and got off the white mare. “Molly, come back," she pleaded. When there was no response, she attempted to climb up, but didn't make it far before losing her grip and falling.

"I'll get her,” Gadalik said, flashing a confident smile at his friend. “Rock climbing is a hobby of mine.” Finding footholds on the steep cliff side, he began his ascent, scaling it steadily. He hesitated when he felt it quake. What the…?

He was nearly thrown off when it happened again. Before he could gather what was happening, a shadow suddenly eclipsed the sky and became larger until he realized it was a boulder falling right above him. Grace is down there!

The horses ran before the younger teen had the chance to mount hers. Gadalik leapt down ahead of the falling rocks and pressed a shield tag on his staff, using his own magic to make the bubble big enough for the both of them right before the boulder crashed upon it; it cracked instantly, but held. Smaller rocks were tumbling down in its wake, and what they lacked in size was compensated by their numbers. Gadalik summoned his own shield and gave the staff to his friend; the barrier was still active, but without the extra power it reverted to its original size just big enough for one.

"R-Run," he strained.

Grace was reluctant to leave him at first, but when she saw that confidence still in his eyes, she accepted the staff and scrambled out from beneath it. The bubble acted as an umbrella against the rain of rubble, and she made it to safety just as it faded from the beating it had taken.

The spook's shield cracked more as the remainder of the rocks buried him between the boulder and the ground, removing his chance of escape.

"Gadalik!" sounded Grace's voice, muffled through the pile.

He wanted to answer but was struggling for air, having both inhaled the plume of dirt kicked up from the impact, and been trapped within it. Instead, he summoned all his strength to lift the boulder with his shield, feeling his muscles strain past their limits. The shield was cracking evermore, but he continuously channeled his magic to keep it intact. With a strenuous shout, he managed to throw the boulder aside with the shield, flinching as it crashed next to him.

The shield dispelled. He sighed and allowed himself to fall limp.

Grace ran to his side. "Are you alright?!"

"That depends," he breathed. "Do I still have my arms?"

"Y-Yeah, why?"

"Because I can't feel them," he laughed.

"What?"

"Don't worry; this always happens when I use tagless magic. Their feeling will come back in a little while."

"Gadalik, I don't think that's normal… Come with me, just to be safe."

"Oh–uh… alright."

The horses hadn't gone far; Grace gathered them and helped him mount Punsiv before she guided the horse by his reins to keep beside her as they rode. They made it to the path by the stream, but instead of continuing to her house, she led them across it toward the cottage.

Once there, she knocked, and a woman with long pale-yellow hair in a single braid down her back answered. She wore a short-sleeved pastel blue dress with a light pink apron and nearly elbow-length white gloves and boots. She had pink tattoos in the shape of a butterfly's wing on each arm. Her golden eyes immediately looked at Gadalik, who shied away from her gaze.

"It's okay. You can trust her," Grace encouraged him, helping him dismount. "Guin, this is my friend Gadalik. He says he can't feel his arms."

"Gadalik?" she echoed, eyeing the older teen with a calm surprise.

"W-Well they tingle when there's pressure on them now," Gadalik updated them with a nervous laugh. “It's not a big deal…”

"But can you help him, Guin?"

"Let's find out," the woman replied. They went in and sat him down on a stool by the kitchen counter. "I'm assuming this has to do with magic?"

"Huh?" He was surprised. "How did you know?"

"I've heard of you before, Gadalik; you've become the talk among witches, although your appearance doesn't quite match their description."

"Oh, right… They think I'm built like some lumberjack, don't they?"

"Yes. But you only weigh about a hundred sixty pounds–mostly because of your muscles."

"Spot-on," he confirmed, impressed.

"But the numbness concerns me. I can sense your power, young man, and there is something of note about it. Tell me, have you ever experienced a surge before?"

His brows furrowed. Have my surges become part of their gossip, too? “A couple of times, yes… The second was because I purposely removed my nullifier incorrectly."

"And the first?"

"It… happened by accident. I was fighting to survive." He shook the memory of drowning at the lake away. "Why? Do you know what caused it?"

"There is still untapped magic within you. It's as though you can't access it… at least, not unless you're 'fighting to survive.' In fact, it seems like even the magic you can use is being stunted, hence the numbness. Those are clear signs that you have had your powers sealed off."

"Sealed off?"

"May I remove your robe and shirt, young man?"

Gadalik hesitated, glancing at his friend.

Grace blushed and turned away from him.

He exhaled and allowed Guinevere to take them off, flinching when she placed her gloved palm on the center of his chest. Slowly, the marking of the sun within a circle appeared on his skin around her hand.

Gadalik recognized the symbol. "That's the same design that's on my nullifier…"

Grace was curious to hear that and looked to see it for herself. But something else caught her eye: a pink scar near the side of his chest.

Gadalik followed his friend's gaze, then instantly moved his numb arm as much as he could to hide it, ashamed.

She remembered when she'd found him having a nightmare, protecting that spot in his sleep. Something bad must have happened to cause it.

Gadalik didn't want to bring it up. He turned back to Guinevere. "So that's a seal…?"

"Correct," the woman answered. "Just as a nullifier can stunt or seal away your magic, the sealing spells used to create them have the same effects."

Gadalik looked at his hand. His mind flashed back to his biological parents discussing the booster he'd recently retrieved–in that memory his mother had mentioned a seal. "How do you unseal it?"

"I'm afraid you and I can't. Seals require a blood pact between the witch and whomever it is placed on in order to be cast or removed. Once a seal is placed, it would be difficult for anyone outside of that pact to remove it.”

“Blood pacts can be temporary, right…? What if I made one with you so you could remove it?”

"Well… I feel we should first determine why your powers were sealed in the first place. If there's a valid reason, it may not be wise to unseal them.”

“How would we determine that? I have no idea who placed the seal to ask them…”

She hummed thoughtfully. “This particular seal is made for you to grow into, so with time I'm sure you'll be able to access the whole of your power. Sealing spells are often used by parents on their children in place of nullifiers, the latter being more common in later generations as natural magic became rarer in bloodlines."

"My birth-parents couldn't use magic…"

"Hm. Could it be a family friend, perhaps?"

"I'm not sure… Can you tell how long ago it was placed?"

She narrowed her golden eyes and moved her hand to the center of his chest once again, studying the marking when it reappeared. "Let me see. Twelve…no, thirteen–nearly fourteen years ago."

He remembered the man who had revived him during his job at Rosepetal Lake. "Vincent…" he realized, unable to think of anyone else. If he didn't seal my powers, maybe he knows who did. Or maybe he knows enough about why it's there to unseal it, himself. "So if time weakens the seal, there's a chance it will go away on its own, right?"

"Yes. But in how much time, I can't say for certain.”

“I see…”

“Regardless, I must warn you: it's dangerous for witches to use their magic so casually."

"Dangerous?" he echoed. "Oh… I think I know what you mean. There was this witch named Luna who tried to kidnap me to use my blood for enchantments."

"Really?" Grace was horrified by that news. "What other terrible things have you gone through?" She once again glanced at his scar.

"It–it doesn't matter…!" He began redressing as quickly as he could with his tingling arms. "It's all over with."

"No," Guinevere disagreed. "With your name gaining as much popularity as it is, the dangers don't only lie from other witches. I mean it's dangerous if humans see you–those without magic."

"Huh…? Why?"

"Witches were deemed 'devils' and were hunted down for a reason: because they had natural magic. Humans have always lived in fear of that power, simply because they lacked it, and in times where they couldn't kill a witch, they instead searched for ways to level the playing field."

He remembered the Enchanted Artifacts book he'd read at a lake, and dipped his hand into his pocket, wrapping his numb fingers around the enchanted pendant. "Nullifiers…"

"Yes. Nullifiers, such as the one in your possession, originated for witchlings' safe use of magic. But humans had turned them against witches in an attempt to take all of their power away."

"But why is this still an issue? Nullifiers are rare these days… and witches are believed to be extinct. Besides, there are spell tags now; humans can use them, the same as how a witch can use magic."

"Even so, the power imbalance still exists, because spell tags can be used up, lost, or taken, while natural magic can't–not without seals and nullifiers. Even if the difference is slight in this day and age, it's reason enough for humans–and even spooks–to fear witches. Fear leads to hatred–or worse: death."

The spook-witch hybrid swallowed uncomfortably. All of those times I was called a devil… I never knew there was such history behind it. No… not history. This is the present day… He reflected on her words for a moment. “What about spook's magic…?”

“Spooks are more accepted by humans because they can only harm ghosts with their magic.”

The spook-witch hybrid looked away, recalling what happened during Molly's mental possession of him. My witch half is hated by humans… while my spook half is hated by ghosts. He let out a huff of laughter–it was either that, or tears.

"Be careful, Gadalik. You're becoming well-known. Let not your witch's power be seen, lest it be feared."

"I understand…" He rotated his shoulders; the feeling had returned, but much to his dread, they were sore and aching.

"Are your arms okay?" Grace asked.

"They will be. I just need to rest them I guess."

"Then let's go back to my place."

"But what about Molly?"

She froze. "Do you sense her?"

"N-No… not anywhere close."

"Then she can wait until you're better. If she doesn't want our help, there's nothing we can do for her anyway, so there's no reason to pursue her right now. You're more important."

He closed in on himself, somewhat honored by that last sentence. “Alright.”

On the journey back, Grace had tried to make small talk, but to her visible concern, Gadalik couldn't concentrate enough to converse. All he could think about was what Molly had told him in his mind.

Gavin welcomed them back, immediately worried by their uncharacteristic solemnity. "What happened?"

"The ghost that Gadalik sensed really was Molly. She had possessed my bracelet," his daughter explained.

I shouldn't have given her a chance to run… Confinement; I should've used a confinement spell to keep her in place.

"When he got her out of it she fled up the mesa and sent boulders down on us. Gadalik saved me."

Hearing his name snapped him out of it. "Huh?"

"Gadalik… thank you for protecting her," the man said wholeheartedly. “Are you hurt?"

"A little sore… But I've been hurt before," he chuckled humorlessly.

"Then what's bothering you?"

The spook tensed, feeling his heartbeat quicken. What's bothering me? The fact that I failed to help Molly… And the spirit that slaughtered your pigs… And the ghost on my vacation… and Anna at the lake… He looked away shamefully.

"Gadalik? What's the matter?" Grace asked gently.

Molly's dangerous. I can't risk her hurting Grace again. But how can I get through to her on my own? She hates me…

Grace placed a hand on his shoulder.

He jolted.

"Talk to us," she pleaded.

The older teen took a shaky breath. "Molly got away."

"I know…"

"Now it isn't safe for you to leave your home past the wards. And I can't just let her wander out there; she needs help…! But if she won't let me help her, then what–what can I do…? I didn't bring my trap with me, and I don't think she'd visit her mother willingly…" He held his chest, which now felt constricted. "I don't even know if her unfinished business involves her mother. And I don't know a thing about what caused her to be this scared of spooks. The only thing I have to go off of is that Molly was deeply affected by her father's death, but her mother didn't know why, so I can't just ask her–" He was struggling to get a full breath in. "I just–I–"

"Hey, now... Breathe," Gavin instructed firmly.

The spook attempted to draw in a breath, barely managing through the tightness in his chest, when he wheezed from the dust he'd inhaled during the rockfall. He fell into a coughing fit.

Grace patted his back. "Gadalik…"

"Let me handle this," he told his daughter, who reluctantly nodded and left for her room.

He let Gavin guide him to the couch, grateful that his trembling legs didn't need to support him when he sat.

"Look around you. Focus on a few things that you can see."

Gadalik did as told, the photos on the walls catching his eye. There was one with Grace riding her white horse, the same she had ridden with him earlier.

"Now something you can feel."

He tightened his hold on the staff Grace had returned to him. The couch cushion felt soft beneath his other hand.

“Anything you can smell?”

The scent of cooking pork chops wafted in from the kitchen.

"Are you alright?"

Gadalik realized he had calmed down enough to breathe, albeit still a bit faster than normal. He took a deep breath to regulate it. "Y-Yeah. Thank you… I don't know what came over me."

"Looked like an anxiety attack," Gavin answered.

"Oh…"

"Have you had one before?"

"A few times, yeah… Grace told me what you said about treating intrusive thoughts as flies and to let them go away on their own. But in the moment, they're so hard to ignore..."

"I understand. It takes practice and a lot of willpower. For now, why don't you tell me what's the matter."

"I already told you: Molly escaped and–"

"That isn't what I'm talking about. There's usually always an underlying issue when it comes to these attacks. You shouldn't let things boil over like that; we can help."

"Well… It feels like I always need someone to help and take care of me," he admitted, refusing eye contact. "It's… humiliating."

"The reason you're currently injured is because you helped and took care of Grace, in that you protected her."

"Yes, but Grace is still young. I'm practically an adult…"

"Are you saying adults can't rely on others?"

He froze. "Of course they can…! It's just… This happens so often…"

"Hm. You should consider yourself lucky that you have a support system to help you."

"I know… A-And I'm grateful. But I should be able to repay them for their help, and… I can't. I-I'm useless."

"I don't help others for the sake of receiving favors from them. I'm sure your friends don't, either. We help you for the same reason you helped Grace: because we care."

Why care about me…? Gadalik wanted to say, but didn't.

"So tell me, why do you feel useless?"

"I–I don't know," he answered honestly. "I mean… Maybe because I can't… save everyone."

"You saved my daughter."

"But not Molly. And not…" the ghosts I've annihilated…

"If helping others is your goal, you must help yourself first… which means accepting that some things can't be helped–at least, not at this time; not by you."

He glared at the ground, then sighed, defeated. "Accepting it's the hard part," he murmured. "My dad–practical dad–told me to know my limits… I guess I ignore them too often, though, because I can't stand being a bystander when something bad happens. I… I don't know why I never learn…"

Gavin hummed. "Maybe we can find out. When was the last time you were a bystander?"

Gadalik thought about it for a moment. "Almost nine years ago, when I was nine years old… There was this consumed spirit that was murdering people, and my parents–my blood-parents–died protecting me from it. I was a child… There was nothing I could've done to help. But I still feel like… if I had stepped in to fight alongside them, maybe they would've survived. That… the next time I stay out of things, more people will be killed. I can't… have that on my conscience…"

He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You are brave. And while we're all obligated to help those we're able to, we're not always able to," he pointed out. "And you're no help to anyone if you get yourself killed."

"So I should know when to give up, huh…"

"Well… perhaps. I'm merely saying you shouldn't allow your past trauma to dictate your life. Initial perspectives can be skewed by it. Try seeing it from all angles to prove yourself wrong before you act on impulse."

He met Gavin's gaze attentively.

"Every behavior that's learned can also be unlearned. It may not be easy, but it's doable."

Gadalik let his words sink in.

"It's late. Go shower, then come and eat."

The teen did as told, accepting Gavin's previous offer to wear his old clothing. He hadn't realized how late it had gotten.

They ate dinner before he set up the small mattress on the living room floor and settled into sleep.

Gadalik once again found himself in the basement of a beach resort. A monstrous ghost, its featureless face torn apart where its mouth should be, was bounding for him. Before he could react, it pinned him against the wall with its giant mole-like hand.

He could feel his rib cracking, yet the spook remained calm, aware that this wasn't real.

"It's your fault my parents died," he remembered accusing it.

"Try seeing it from all angles…" Gavin's words sounded in his head.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to the spirit that was currently crushing him.

It hesitated upon hearing those words.

"You weren't there… You had nothing to do with my parents dying. And it's not their fault; they had no choice but to fight back. And I had insisted on going with them when I knew it was dangerous. No… It's not my fault either–I was just a kid."

The beast loosened its hold on him.

"Sometimes bad things happen, and that doesn't necessarily mean someone caused them," his practical father had told him.

"It's nobody's fault."

The spirit let him go, and Gadalik slid down the wall to the floor.

"I was wrong to take it out on you," the spook continued. "Not all ghosts are the same. And you were wrong to take your frustrations out on me, too; I'm not the one who refused to listen to you. Not all people are the same."

It retreated a step from him, and the ghost's form shrank and reshaped into a human, his eyes staring at Gadalik’s as if to gauge his sincerity.

The spook extended a hand toward him.

The spirit shook his head, gave a sad smile, then vanished.

Gadalik woke up before the roosters crowed; it was still nighttime. He paused when he sensed a ghost near the edge of the property. Molly?

He got up and took a deep breath, heading to get a drink from the kitchen. Then he went to his duffel bag where he kept his spook's robe, tags, and staff, but hesitated, deciding against them; he threw on his scarf and sweater instead. The teen wrote a note detailing where he was going and left it on the table before heading out with his ghost sense as his guide.

The wards marked the border Gadalik arrived at on foot. Just as he expected, Molly was floating there, glaring at the tags. Her gaze shifted to him when he was near enough.

"Spook! Stay back!" she cried. "If you step past the wards, I'll… I'll…”

He calmly lifted his hands in surrender. "It's okay. I don't have any of my spooks' supplies on me, see? There's nothing that can hurt you."

"I don't trust you," she hissed.

"Is it me you don't trust? Or is it spooks?"

"You are a spook!"

"Yes… but I just want to talk."

"I have nothing to say to spooks," she spat.

"Are you waiting to see Grace?"

She gave up, and didn't seem to have the energy to fight with him. "Yeah…"

"You really love her, don't you?"

Molly nodded. "She was the only one left who cared about me."

"What about your parents?"

She sank to the ground. "Papa was the best. But then he died… Momma hasn't been the same since. That's when Gracie came along."

“Can you tell me more about your papa?”

“He was the best! But he was always tired from working. He would try to stay up for me and Momma, but he always fell asleep. I didn't mind it, though, because he made up for it on his days off. Momma was home all the time back then, and I was happy.”

“It sounds like you all loved each other.”

“We did!”

“So what changed? Why don't you think your momma doesn't care about you?”

"When Papa died, he became… an animal, like a giant bat,” Molly said quietly.

"When you become a ghost," he explained, "you don't have a physical body to keep your shape. Sometimes spirits take on a new shape based on their feelings. And sometimes, feelings are so strong that they take over the mind, too.”

"I wonder… what Papa was feeling to make him turn into that…”

“Maybe we can find out. What did he do after he transformed?”

“He was trying to take me and Momma away every night, and she got scared…”

"It must have been hard on you to see your papa like that…"

"No; I knew he wouldn't hurt us! He would never hurt us!"

"But… trying to take you and your momma away is hurtful, isn't it?"

“Maybe, but he didn't deserve to die for it!”

“Die… again?”

“Yeah… Momma got so scared, she hired a spook to help him. But instead…" She fell silent.

"Did you see what the spook did to your papa…?"

Molly nodded ever so slightly. "Momma didn't want me to be there, but I had to be! I had to tell the spook that my papa was a good person, so she would leave him alone. But she didn't…”

There was a moment of silence as he processed this and gathered his thoughts.

She glared at the ground. "I never forgave Momma… for hiring the spook who killed Papa. She had to work after Papa died, so she had Gracie babysit. Gracie never did anything wrong–I just want to be with her…! Why can't you let me?”

"I don't think your papa would ever want to hurt or scare you,” he said carefully. “But when ghosts are consumed like that, it's very hard for them to control themselves. If your Momma hadn't called the spook to stop him, he could have really hurt you both by accident.”

She said nothing, refusing to look at him.

“And now… you might do the same to Grace–uh, Gracie. No matter how much you love her, you already almost hurt her twice,” he pointed out. “Once as a lion, and again with the rocks.”

She faced him, her eyes watering with guilt.

“That's why I'm here. I don't know if the spook who killed your father had any other options… But killing ghosts is the last thing I'd want to do. Because sometimes even consumed ghosts can become themselves again, if they have somebody to remind them of who they are. All they'd have to do after that… is talk." He stepped past the wards, proving he trusted her not to harm him. "You understand, now, don't you? Why your momma had to call the spook?"

"Yeah… But it still hurts."

He crouched in front of her. "I understand. But I'm sure your momma hurts from it, too."

“Really…?”

"You've talked to me," he pointed out. "Now I think you should talk to her."

Molly narrowed her eyes at the ground. "Can I talk to Gracie first?"

"Of course." He looked toward the rising sun. "She should be waking up soon. I left her a note so she knows where we are. I can wait with you, too, if you'd like."

"...Alright."

Later that morning Grace and Gadalik had went with Molly to the ghost's home. Barbara was shocked to see her daughter and the two hugged.

Molly apologized, and so did her mother. They'd both been hurting for so long… but they finally gained an understanding of each other.

The spirit disappeared from her arms.

"Your dad was pretty tall, wasn't he?" Grace remarked, looking at the gray henley shirt that Gadalik had changed back into later that day, for he had returned Gavin's and was packing his own belongings.

"Yeah... I take after my mother, mostly," he replied. "Her clothes did fit, but they're… shapely."

"Why not just buy a new shirt?"

"I should, I just haven't gotten around to it. My work clothes still fit, and they're all I really wear outside of the house." A bit sheepishly, he confessed, "And… I was kinda hoping I'd grow into my dad's shirts."

She softened. "You're only seventeen. There's still time."

"I'll actually be eighteen in a week, on December twenty-eighth. You're… welcome to come to my party. A-Although it won't be much of a party… Gale–my practical dad–will be there, and it'd be nice if you and Gavin could meet him, since you've already met my mom–that is, my adoptive mom Glacia… Uh… My other friend Gretel will be there too. That's about it, really." He scratched his head, embarrassed by his clumsy invitation. "I understand if you can't, or don't want to, go. You wouldn't be missing much."

"I'll be there," she promised.

"Really?" The teen was caught off guard by how easily she agreed to it. He glanced at Gavin, who had been supervising them in the living room from the kitchen doorway.

"Fine with me," he said indifferently.

"Thank you…!"