A cold wind blew fallen leaves into the current of a nearby stream, and echoes of clacking of wood against wood repeated back from the morning sky.

Janna stabbed at the spook with her stake-like staff; he dodged and blocked with his own, which more resembled a spear. While both were melee weapons, they were suited for different forms of combat, and Gadalik was determined to take advantage of that by keeping distance between them. He focused entirely on predicting her moves and countering them, the way his practical father had tried to teach him sword fighting a few years prior. Even Janna seemed impressed by how long the teen managed to keep it up...either that or her smirk meant she was planning something.

The black-haired woman continued to go at him from different angles, and he refused to let up; if she touched him, it was all over. Then his heart skipped a beat when he suddenly lost his footing, slipping backward in the mud of the stream. In the split second he struggled to regain his balance, she disarmed him, then aimed for a finishing blow as he splashed into the shallows.

Gadalik knew she wouldn't hurt him, but his despair not to lose overtook him and he instinctively met her weapon with his bare hand...deflecting it by way of a small shield that had been summoned from his palm. It vanished just after.

"Ah--geez!" Gadalik inhaled sharply through his teeth as he vigorously shook his hand. "Pins and needles..."

Janna uncertainly retreated a step; her dark gray cloak enveloped her. "Since when can you use a shield spell without a tag?"

"Since...now," Gadalik realized, just as surprised by what he'd done as his mentor was. "It's not the first time I've used a spell without a tag, though... Last week I chased a ghost at the mall, and somehow caught it bare handedly, too."

She slightly leaned away from him, her expression souring with disbelief.

Why is she looking at me like that…? His striped blue eyes focused down on his hands worriedly.

"Being able to make physical contact with a ghost is an ability innate to spooks, but with how much the bloodlines have thinned out in this age, it's rare to be able to do that without a weapon or tag," she said. "But that shield..." She paused. "Then again, your mother..."

"Um..." He felt like he was interrupting her, but she wasn't making sense to him. "I don't see what the big deal is. It's just like the shield tag, isn't it?"

"It's the other way around, kid. All of the tags were made from the actual spells, to be used regardless of the wielder's magic--or lack thereof. But the actual spells require an amount of magic that descendants of witches have lost since their extinction. Most of those with enough to enchant items have retired their fieldwork to make and sell spell-tags for hex shops."

"Oh," Gadalik softly replied, lifting his gaze out of respect but unable to meet her dark brown eyes; he feared seeing the disapproval in them again, however brief it had lasted.

She sighed. "You're powerful, boy. The magic in your blood is purer than most of those in this age. You just need proper training to bring forth that power, else it's wasted on you."

"Training…?" He perked up. It can't be bad if she wants me to learn it…! "So you'll teach me the rest of the spells without tags?"

"...No."

The younger spook's spirit was shut down by the single word.

"Namely because I can't. And even if I could use tag-less magic, I'm a spook--not a witch--so I would not be able to help you learn witches' spells. But, hey, don't worry too much about it. You'll be fine once you get the hang of it, just like you've honed your ghost-sense after I first mentioned it to you all those months ago. You're a natural spook, just like your father."

Gadalik detected a bit of resentment behind her compliment.

"Well, it's been fun sparring with you, kid, but I'll be taking my leave now. Remember to be mindful of your environment at all times. If you can, get to know it before a battle. Use it to your advantage, alright?"

"Alright. See you in a couple days...?"

"That's the plan." Janna lifted a hand in a wave of farewell as she left.

Alone and with time to spare, Gadalik practiced summoning the shield. It was hard to replicate his initial fluke. Eventually he lucked out for a second time when he'd mustered up the same determination to protect himself as during their training, and then committed that feeling to his memory. He was able to summon it consistently now, but it had gotten smaller with each attempt, and soon enough it stopped appearing at all--at which point his arm had gone completely numb up to his elbow. He could barely lift it.

The consequence of tag-less magic differed from using it to enhance enchanted items; the latter seemed to affect his entire body, while the former only affected the limb required. Gadalik couldn't decide which was worse.

Eventually the feeling and mobility returned, albeit sore and weak. He was tempted to experiment with how soon after recovering he could resume use of the spell, but ultimately opted against pushing himself that far, unwilling to gamble the loss of his arm. Instead, he went home.

Glacia greeted her adoptive son at the door. "Hey, big guy! How was your training with Jenny today?"

"Janna," he corrected her. "And I learned how to use a new spell without a tag."

"Another one? I'm sure that will come in... handy," she joked.

"That was terrible," he chuckled.

"No, I'd say the spell tags are the ones that are tear-able!"

He laughed. "Gale's sense of humor has been rubbing off on you."

"Hey, it's charming," she agreed. "Oh, I was going to tell you to check out what's in today's paper."

Curious, he went to the living room table and picked up the faced-down newspaper, reading aloud from the page it had been left on: "'Spooks Wanted for Rosepetal Lake Haunting. Following the death of 12-year-old Anna last week in a kayaking accident, multiple attacks on those who venture into the water have been reported.'"

"What do you think, Gadalik?"

"I've never seen an ad like this," he said, uncertain. "Usually clients would go through a list of spooks, and hire based on their skillset and price. Why the invite?"

"Who cares? It's a perfect opportunity to test out your actual spells, I'd say."

Her son shied away from it. "If it's asking for spooks, chances are someone more experienced than me will land the job. I'm not out to compete with anyone."

"Experience, exshmerience. You've got your handy powers, and that's all you'll need."

"Th-There's still a lot I have to learn about using them, though..."

"Hm… Well, let's say someone does get the job before you. That means, with the spirit gone, we can just have fun at the lake. It's a win-win situation!"

"You just want to go where it's warmer, don't you," he teased her.

"You know it!" his mother laughed. "But it also seems to be the perfect job for you--if you want to take it while we're there."

He still was uncertain.

"There's a reward they're offering, too," Glacia sang, pointing. "Some kind of spell booster?"

The teen perked up at that. "The ring? I've read about those before," he remembered, getting closer to examine it. "It's said that whoever keeps it on their person will be granted either more power to their spells and tags, or it will make them last longer. And, you know...that might help me after all."

"It's settled, then! Southern sun, here we come!"

They arrived at Rosepetal Lodge on the verge of noon. It wasn't very populated, which was expected given they'd publicly announced their haunting. The few people who were present were garbed in robes or cloaks. Gadalik found himself looking for Janna as they entered, but his mentor was absent. They stood by the doorway inside with the other spooks awaiting their turn in line.

A young man, perhaps a year Gadalik's junior, was leaning over the desk, waving a wooden baton in the air as he was yelling, "I don't care if she's your daughter! If she's hurting people, she should be annihilated!"

The interviewer--a man maybe in his early thirties, with graying black sideburns and a full beard, pushed his small, round glasses farther up the ridge of his nose. "I suggest you take your business elsewhere, Mr. Ben. Your... techniques are not what I'm looking for."

Ben remained glowering at him for moments longer, but reluctantly straightened up, pushing his dark blond hair from his face. "With all due respect… You're going to regret this. That ghost will kill everybody unless I stop it. But...I'll be in touch, so reach out to me after the other spooks fail. 'Kay?" He placed a card on the desk, then swung around, his navy blue cloak flying back dramatically from the motion, before he strolled out the door. He gave Gadalik an interested once-over as he passed.

"Someone's got issues with ghosts," Glacia remarked when Ben was gone.

"He's not the only one," a middle-aged man leaning on the wall not far from them replied. He had dark brown hair, bright green eyes, and wore a beige robe. "A lot of these youngsters seem to have a vendetta against ghosts. Mr. Bellard there isn't too keen on that."

Glacia seemed amused.

They watched for the next one--a young lady, perhaps Gadalik's age--who was wearing a pure white robe, with wavy golden hair down to her mid-back. She had a staff nearly as tall as herself, with a crystal fitted on the tip that shone as brilliantly as her amber eyes. She looked almost angelic. "I'm Sandra. I saw the paper and arrived as soon as I could."

"My name is Ovius Bellard," he said. "The ghost is the spirit of my daughter Anna. I wish for her to rest in peace. Have you any plans on how to accomplish this?"

"I assure you no harm will come to your daughter. Once I find Anna, I will simply convince her to come back here and talk to you."

"I'm not sure if that's possible… She hasn't left the waters since she drowned. She won't so much as come to shore."

Gadalik was listening. A poltergeist bound to the lake…?

"And getting to her in the first place will not be easy, since she attacks those who go in the water."

"I came prepared with aquatic wards," she replied, withdrawing a box containing blocks of wood from her pocket. "If we set them around the lake, she won't be able to go into the water. The only issue is that they won't work unless she's out of the water when they're set up. I just need something to lure her out first…"

"What do you have in mind?"

"That's what I should ask you," Sandra laughed. "Does she have a favorite toy, or any such belonging?"

"We've already tried that, m'dear."

"In that case, the only thing I can do is go in to confront her… But spell tags don't work in water. I can't risk going in without their protection. I'm sorry… I'm afraid I may not be able to help."

Mr. Bellard nodded solemnly. "I understand. Thank you for coming in." After Sandra walked out, he asked, "Who's next?"

A girl in her mid-teens stepped up from the bench along the wall, her short red-violet hood flowing behind her. She wore a gold chain necklace tucked into her collar, which seemed out of place with the rest of her dark gray attire. "Me. I'm Mira, and I have a plan. I'm going to need your help for it to work, though."

"I'm listening."

"If you go in the water, she might come to you--whether to attack, or simply to see her father. I'll come with you with a shield tag, of course. As soon as I sense that she's coming, I'll hook her with a stun tag on my sickle and pull her to us for a little chat," she explained as she lifted her cloak to reveal a kusarigama at her side. "I have detachable chains of different lengths. I'll get her before she can get close enough to hurt us."

The beige-robed spook stepped a bit closer to inspect her weapon.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to bet on that. The lake is deep and she can come directly at us from below. You can't strike her through the boat."

Mira drew in a breath as if to argue, but released it and narrowed her violet eyes thoughtfully. "Fine. Let me just think..."

"Err… Not to rush you, Miss Mira, but I haven't got all day."

"W-wait, I'm sure I'll think of something else--I swear!"

"Yes, yes… you can come back to me once you've gotten your ideas flushed out."

Mira bit her lip. Then she straightened up indignantly to storm back to the bench, only to butt shoulders with the green-eyed spook as she passed him. "Keep out of my way, you," she hissed.

"'You?'" He laughed genuinely. "I have a name, you know. It's Vincent," he introduced himself, extending a hand for a shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Mira."

"I know who you are," she spat, swatting him away hard enough to leave a bruise before taking her seat and crossing her arms and legs, fidgeting as she scowled at the ground.

"Can I see who's next?" Mr. Bellard called.

Gadalik froze and looked at Vincent. "Aren't you before me?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm not applying," he answered. "Truth be told, I was the one they requested for this job. I just convinced Mr. Bellard to give these youngsters a chance to prove themselves as spooks."

He'd give up a job for us…? Just who is he?

"That means you're up!" Glacia lightly pushed her adoptive son toward the desk. "You got this!"

The teen stumbled forward. "H-hello," he stammered, cringing as his voice cracked.

Mira snorted, unimpressed.

He cleared his throat. "My name's Gadalik. I... have never faced a ghost underwater before."

"Can't say many spooks have, m'boy," Mr. Bellard said comfortingly.

"But where spell-tags fail, magic prevails. And I'm a strong swimmer. I can summon a shield to protect myself in the water. Then I'll lure and pull her ashore. We'll see what happens from there... Annihilating her is the last thing I'd want to do, but if worse comes to worst, I may not have a choice."

"Hm." Their client addressed the previous spook. "What say you, Miss Mira?"

She was staring, flabbergasted, at the other teen. Then she quickly shook her head. "Mr. Bellard, please, I know I'll think of something soon!" she cried despairingly.

"I'll hold you to that. Mr. Gadalik, I'll rely on you until Miss Mira has a plan. Whichever one of you ends up saving my daughter, is the one who will be rewarded. But rest assured, if both of you contribute, both of you will receive recognition for your efforts."

"I'll do my best," Gadalik promised.

"Now if that's everyone, I'll be in the back. You can each stay in the cabins if you wish. The first one is occupied by Mr. Vincent, but the rest are available. May luck be with you." With that, he was gone.

Upon being dismissed, the hired teen began to leave, only for the older spook to wave him over.

"Gadalik? That's a Karpritian name, isn't it?" Vincent said, bearing a crooked but friendly grin.

"Y-yeah," he confirmed. "I was born here, but my mother was from Karpritia… She's the one who named me."

Vincent turned to Glacia, a bit addled.

She took a step back with her hands partly raised in surrender. "I-I'm not his biological mother," the purple-haired woman informed him.

"Figured as much. I knew you seemed familiar; I just wanted to be sure," Vincent said. "You look a lot like an old acquaintance of mine. What was her name… Vilodia?"

My mom?

"You know each other?" Glacia asked, sounding somewhat hurt that this information was withheld from her.

"Not exactly," the older spook said. "But he's the spitting image of Vilodia...minus the darker green stripe in his hair. His eyes are a darker shade as well, but that lighter blue in them matches."

"That's her," Gadalik said.

His adoptive mother looked between the two, then awkwardly backed away to give them space. She always was a bit odd when it came to Gadalik's life from before the day she became a part of it.

"H-how did you know her...?"

"She once consulted me about our spook ancestors' power, and mentioned she had a four-year-old whom she suspected had the potential to use it. That was, maybe…"--he counted on his fingers--"thirteen years ago." Vincent huffed with laughter. "Never thought I'd come across her kid after all this time! And with tag-less magic... And a shield? Wow. It sounds like you've proven her right about you."

Gadalik shied away a bit. "I didn't know tag-less spells were still possible until last week, when I stopped a ghost at the mall…"

"That was you?" Mira interrupted.

"...You heard about it?"

"Every spook has!" she exclaimed. "Word travels fast about the potential return of natural magic. But if you can summon a shield, then it all makes sense: you're a devil."

His mind flashed back to Janna's similar reaction earlier that day. She must have known about the incident too, then…

"Devil?" Glacia jumped to his defense. "What does that even mean?"

"I mean... he is... a witch," she spoke each word slowly as if they were too stupid to understand it otherwise.

"I-I'm not… I mean, witches are... extinct," Gadalik stammered.

"Well, that's the accepted truth," Vincent acknowledged, "but there were places in the world where witches sought refuge. Karpritia happens to be one of them. It's said that the surviving witches stopped use of their magic to blend in with the commoners so they wouldn't be hunted."

Gadalik let that news register. "Are you saying my mother was one of them…?"

"Vilodia may not be a pure witch--but her ancestors were, no doubt. Your father's spook's bloodline was exceptional as well, although I've never met him personally."

"But...I've never seen either of them use natural magic."

"That's because they couldn't."

The teen looked down at his hands, not understanding how he could.

Vincent explained, "Just as the magic in bloodlines can be muddled over generations, so too can muddled bloodlines regain magic the same way. Two halves could either cancel each other out, or create a whole. In your case, you're not just half-spook and half-witch, but you've inherited both of your parents' magic--the spook's contact and the witch's shield--and both of those require an amount of magic not found in this age. I'm not a witch-descendant, but I do have a strong spook heritage, and I'd say you lean on the whole side just as I do. That's why Vilodia consulted me."

"Ugh, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out," Mira complained. "Just shut up already."

Vincent laughed. "Alright, I've said my piece. I look forward to seeing what you kids can do."

Gadalik nodded, but couldn't concentrate on his job when his entire sense of self had been shattered. Witches? My own mother? ...Me?

"Hey, that's actually great news," Glacia tried to cheer him up. "Who knows how much stronger you'll get with time!"

Mira was seething. "That's it!" she exclaimed, moving to confront Gadalik, despite the fact that he hadn't said anything. "I don't care who your parents were. Your blood doesn't make you better than any other spook, especially when you're such a novice! That ghost at the mall was laughable!"

"He's the novice?" Glacia scoffed. "You can't be older than fifteen. He's got two years over you."

"Age doesn't determine anything," Mira snapped. "I've been training since I was three years old, just to catch up to the ones who are as naturally gifted as him!"

"What, you think you're the only one who's worked hard?"

"Hey, let it go," Gadalik told his mother, trying to deescalate the situation.

"You're really going to let her talk to you like that?" she said, offended on his behalf. "Who raised you?"

Her adoptive-son opened his mouth hesitantly.

"...Don't answer that," she quickly recanted. "Point is, this brat should know her place. She needs to respect her seniors!"

"Your words, not mine. I was trying not to point out how old you are," Mira sneered, feigning innocence.

"Why, you little--"

Gadalik had to restrain the woman.

"That's enough, now." Vincent stepped between them. "I understand your frustration, Mira. You are a very bright young lady. But as capable as you are, dealing with water-bound spirits is a difficult task--for any spook. That's why someone with natural magic, like Gadalik here, is necessary for jobs sometimes."

"Yeah, sure… 'Sometimes,'" Mira mocked him under her breath. She glared at the floor, pulled the hood over her short black hair, and walked out.

Gadalik watched her leave, concerned but clueless as to how he'd console her. Even though they were strangers, she seemed to already hate him. Wait… Maybe she can help me instead.

"Okay," Glacia chimed, obviously trying to lighten the mood. "Let's see what you're up against, shall we?"

"I... think you should stay out of it," he suggested, not wanting her and Mira in the same area.

"But what if you get hurt?"

"I'll be supervising them," Vincent assured her.

"Nn… Alright. In that case, I'm gonna go claim cabin two." She picked up her luggage, then paused. "You're headed to the lake, right? Here--take the towels and a change of clothes with you."

The teen accepted them with a grateful nod. Planning ahead, he brought them to the bathroom and put on a tank-top and trunks. They parted ways outside; Vincent stayed by the lodge to keep watch as Gadalik tentatively approached the water. The blue-eyed spook could sense the presence of a spirit far fainter than he was used to, but he could still make out the general direction it was in. He placed a beach towel down and folded the drying ones in a neat stack on top. The fall air was chilly, but thankfully warmer in this southern region than it was where he lived. If what they said was true, Anna would attack whoever stepped foot in the water... so that's exactly what he did.

The lake was freezing. He stood waist-deep and unmoving so as to adjust to the temperature. The biting cold initially overpowered the rest of his senses. Then it was replaced by the ghost's presence getting stronger. Gadalik gripped his weapon and held it with the speared end at the ready.

The sensation stagnated. He couldn't see her beneath the waves, but he knew she was still in the depths, waiting. So she won't come to shore after all… "Anna," he called.

There was no response.

Gadalik cast his gaze to the west side of the lakeshore, where Mira was expertly throwing her sickle at a tree before yanking it back to her hand with the chain. Then he looked to Vincent. He made it clear he wants us to figure things out for ourselves… The young man sighed, then headed over to the cloaked girl.

"What do you want?" she grumbled, her attention not leaving the tree. She had been striking precisely the same spot repeatedly.

"I-I need your help."

She gasped with mock-surprise. "Help? You? But you're so"--she thrust her sickle so harshly into the tree that the weapon pierced nearly halfway through it-- "gifted!"

He flinched. "I can't risk doing this alone… Please," Gadalik begged the other spook.

Mira finally looked at him, brows furrowed in a mix of suspicion and confusion. Then her eyes narrowed. "Oh, I get it. You want all the credit for half the work." She withdrew the sickle and fit it to her hip, turning to fully face him. "Good luck with that."

"The reward is the last thing on my mind right now…! Anna needs help, and neither of us can save her on our own. You can't risk entering the water, but I can. It'll be difficult for me to pull her ashore, but you can. We need to work together," he stressed.

She considered this. "You have a plan...?"

He nodded. "I'll go under to try to push her up to the surface. When she emerges, use your kusarigama to hook and drag her to land."

She was silent for a beat. "...Fine."

"Thank you," he said wholeheartedly. "We just need a backup plan in case that fails. I can only use my magic so many times; if I run out, I'll be in danger."

She laughed. "So? What do you expect me to do about that?"

"You said you had multiple chains for your sickle. Maybe I could use two: a shorter one to tether my staff to me, and a longer one to use as my lifeline. You keep hold of the other end; if I tug it twice, pull me out of the water." His blue eyes bore into her violet ones to emphasize the importance. "Can I trust you to do this...?"

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Mira hesitated, clearly understanding what was at stake, but then laughed it off with disbelief. "Heh. I bet you wouldn't last a minute in there," she snickered. "But it's your funeral. And with you out of the picture, that spell booster will be mine!"

Gee, thanks for believing in me. "Alright. Well… one last thing."

"What?"

"If something happens to me, please, don't tell my mom--I mean... Glacia. Tell Vincent, but make sure he keeps it from her as well. If... she were to find I've gotten hurt, I'll never live it down…"

"Pfft. Sure. Whatever. Anything else?"

"N-no… That's all."

She handed him one end of a surprisingly lightweight silver chain, as promised. The rest of it was coiled in her grip, which she loosened enough to let unravel with the distance between them so that it remained taught. Gadalik secured his weapon to it, then sensed for the spirit as he stepped once more into the shallows. Anna had immediately taken notice this time and was heading for him at a leisurely pace. Thankfully she was coming from the east shore where he had previously stood, so there was time before she'd reach him.

"She's getting closer," Mira warned him in a sing-song voice, almost as if she wanted him to abort the mission.

"That's what I'm counting on," he replied. Taking a deep breath and holding it, he kicked off the sand, submerging not far under in hopes of gaining a visual on Anna. The farther out he swam, the deeper the water became, the bottom losing visibility where the sunlight failed to reach. The surrounding murkiness didn't help his sight, either. The teen righted himself, head emerging from the water to regain his breath and to check on Mira.

She held the chain up and waved it at him. Then she pretended to drop it, laughing as he started from the motion.

He sighed heavily. With his lifeline ensured, Gadalik held his breath once more and dove, deeper down while still following his senses. Although warm enough when still, the chilliness was felt with each movement, and burned his eyes enough that he had to briefly squeeze them shut to alleviate the pain.

When he reopened them, he saw a pale young girl with long dark hair waving in the current. They both were at a standstill until she darted frighteningly fast at him, her lower half's movements akin to that of an eel's. Her big eyes went completely black and her mouth opened unnaturally wide, revealing two sets of sharp teeth gaping as if to swallow him whole.

Gadalik felt a wave of terror rush through him, but remembered the plan. He threw his left hand out, summoning a shield just big enough to deflect her from his palm. He felt the impact as a shockwave of pins and needles running up his arm, but thanks to his practice, he knew exactly how long he could last without incapacitating himself. The feeling in it returned within the few seconds it took for her to circle him and lunge from behind. He twisted around in the water--nearly tangling himself in the chain--to keep the shield between them while he readied the contact spell in his right hand. The next time she lunged at him, he dispelled the shield and dodged, striking her head with his right palm in one smooth motion as she passed. Anna jerked away from him when her form became tangible.

Gadalik pulled his staff from his hip and then batted her skyward with all of his might. He couldn't keep his burning eyes open long enough to see if she breached the surface. His chest was on fire. I can hold my breath longer than this. I shouldn't be near my limit yet…! His eyes reopened to see his hands, both tingling but gradually regaining feeling, before his gaze followed the vanishing trail of bubbles toward the surface.

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 released it to charge at him once more.

His head spun from lack of oxygen. There was no way he could dodge in this worsened state. Without time to reel in 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. What was that…?

The answer would need to wait. He couldn't hold his breath anymore. The teen started for the surface, but found his arms now wouldn't move at all--both had completely lost feeling and mobility from his fingertips up to his shoulders. There was no way for him to signal Mira with his lifeline.

Gadalik half floated, half propelled himself upward with just his legs, when all too soon the last bit of air escaped his lungs. Against his better knowledge, instinct drove him to inhale despite still being several feet under. Upon water entering, he immediately exhaled, but again couldn't keep from inhaling right after in a vain attempt at breathing. Everything went black.

"...eathe… Com… Please…!" Vincent's voice was fading in.

Gadalik felt a rhythmic pressure on his chest, but he couldn't move, not even to open his eyes. He had no desire to, regardless; his body was so heavy and tired that he wanted nothing more than to drift back into sleep.

Then a breath that wasn't his own briefly forced his airways open. Almost immediately, he choked and puked up a lung-full of water.

All of his senses returned at full force. The teen pushed himself up on his elbows--Vincent helped him onto his side--and continued coughing out droplets. His nose drained down his face and dark clouds still shrouded his sight, but he could make out the shoreline he was on.

"Oh, thank heavens," Vincent said, although it was difficult to hear when the rescued kid's ears popped with every other breath. The man helped him sit up, then draped a towel over the quivering young spook's shoulders. The lifeline was still around his waist, and thankfully he glimpsed his staff attached to it in the shallows.

"He never tugged it," Mira was repeating, the other end of the chain tightly grasped in her hands. "I--I didn't mean for this to happen…!"

It's not your fault, Gadalik wanted to say. All he could muster was a pitiful sputter. He brought his knees to his chest and weakly pulled the towel over them, his arms still numb but progressing to a tingling sensation. Cold… It's so cold… He tipped over onto his side, a shivering heap.

Vincent unhooked his lifeline and scooped him up, one arm supporting his neck while the other his knees, and carried him to the first cabin. He listened to the opening of one door, footsteps on wooden flooring, and another door. Gadalik managed to open his eyes upon being gently placed on a firm bed. His breath caught on another drop and he fell into a coughing fit.

"You're alright," Vincent soothed him. When the teen settled back down, the man covered him with a blanket.

The warmth was immediate, even if his temperature didn't increase right away. Exhaustion from the whole ordeal caught up to him. But before he succumbed to it, a sudden worry took its place. "Glacia…!"

"Relax. Mira said you didn't want her to know, and frankly your rapport with Glacia is none of my business. You survived--that's all that matters to me."

"Th-Thank you," he murmured wholeheartedly. He allowed himself to doze off.

When he later stirred, occasional shivers still racked his body, but at least the feeling had fully returned to his arms--however weak and sore they were. He took in his surroundings: beside the bed was the change of clothes he'd left on the beach towel; a few books dotted the shelves of the cabin's otherwise empty bedroom, along with a few travel bags. Posters depicting safety rules and curfews were along the walls. Then he noticed a mug of tea still warm on the nightstand. It was heavy in his hold and he barely could lift it to his mouth, but he managed, savoring it appreciatively.

The door creaked open. Vincent stepped through it, carrying a tray of food. He brightened to see the younger spook sitting up. "Good, you're awake." Vincent placed the tray on his lap, then held the back of his hand on the teen's forehead. "You have a bit of a fever, but you'll be alright."

"Thanks…" Gadalik picked at the plate, although he had no appetite. "How long was I out…?"

"Maybe twenty minutes."

"And Glacia...?"

"She thinks I'm telling you your family history." Vincent grinned. "She didn't seem comfortable involving herself in that."

"Good thinking," he chuckled. "So, uh… How's Mira holding up…?"

"Oh… She's upset you didn't follow the plan."

"I see… I wish I could have. By the time I needed her help, my arms were all but deadweight from using... th-that last spell"--he remembered--"what was it?"

"Looked like a ward spell, to me."

"You saw it?"

"Of course. It was hard to miss the giant waves from her being blown across the lake."

All the way across…? "That was nothing like a ward tag…"

"Well that's because tags have their limits--as should you. What you did was impressive, yes, but also reckless. What happened?"

"Everything was fine at first," Gadalik stated. His teeth chattered lightly as he tensed into a shiver. "But during her last attack, all I could think of was getting air--which she was in the way of. I intended to use another shield so I could escape, but...I guess the ward spell activated instead…? It was like a reflex; I had no control over it. After that it felt like my arms didn't exist. Without them I couldn't pull the chain to alert Mira; I could barely even swim, and…"

"You drowned," Vincent finished his sentence, as a matter of fact.

The kid felt uneasy from the finality of his words. There was no 'almost.'

"When we reached you, you had no pulse, and you weren't breathing. Mira was convinced you were dead. You're lucky I know CPR--or else she would've been right," the man continued. Although his voice was stern, it stemmed from sincere concern. "Who taught you to use spells like that?"

"N-nobody…! It just--happened. I had practiced the shield and contact spells, and I knew my limits with both of them on land… But using them also made it more difficult to hold my breath underwater. I… I'll factor that in next time," he promised. "I'll try to replicate the ward spell too, and master it. I'll make sure this doesn't happen again."

"...You learned all of that by yourself?" Vincent was shocked.

Gadalik nodded slightly, then braced himself through another chill. "Is… Is that bad…?"

He breathed out through his nose. "It's great that you've gotten this far on your own. But it's bad that you're literally diving head-first into danger without any training. One mistake could cost you your life. But I'm sure you know that now, don't you?"

The teen was dumbstruck.

Vincent stood up, turning his back on him.

"W-Where are you going…?"

"To talk to Mr. Bellard," the older spook answered. "You're not ready for this. I'll take care of Anna myself."

Panic set in. "No--wait! Please… I can learn…!"

Vincent paused in the doorway. It was impossible to guess what he was thinking. "Just... try to eat, kid. And get some rest."

The door closed between them.

Gadalik was at a complete loss. I can salvage this. I just need another chance...! He set the tray aside and moved his feet to the ground. Standing was the hard part when his legs threatened to buckle under his weight. I need my staff to keep me up. He searched the room with his eyes once more, but it wasn't there. The clothes he'd left on the beach towel were, at least. He changed, then put his spook's attire over them.

With one hand along the wall for support, he made his way out of the room and into the living area. By the front door was propped a wooden staff tipped with three steel claws surrounding a spearhead. There it is! He moved away from the wall to hold on to the back of the couch in the middle of the room, the length of which ran out just a few feet shy of it. Reaching it would require two steps without support. I can do this.

The door suddenly opened. "Hey, you old man," Mira called as she entered. "Any updates on--" she ended her sentence abruptly when she found herself face to face with the older teen. Both froze and locked eyes in an attempt to read each other's motives.

Then Gadalik dove for his weapon. Mira was closer and snatched it before he could, grinning as he lost balance and retreated to the couch so as not to fall.

"What are you doing?" he cried.

"That's what I should be asking you," she countered.

"I have to talk to Vincent… Please, I need my staff."

"You want it? It's right here. Come and get it," she said, purposely holding it in the doorway out of his reach.

It wasn't much farther than it had been initially, but that lunge had taken a toll on him. He measured the distance and tested his weight on one foot. Then a chill gripped his body and he tensed, shivering momentarily.

"Oh, come now," she pouted with mock-sympathy. "You already came all this way! Just a little farther."

Fine. He gathered as much strength as he could to take a step forward again, but as he feared, his legs weren't strong enough to support him on their own and he fell back against the couch. There was the expected ache from the strain of swimming, but the exhaustion had been doubled from his overuse of magic. He rested there. I just need a bit more time, that's all...

"Aww… What's wrong? Did the little devil run out of magic?"

"I'm not a--" He sighed, realizing arguing would be pointless. Regardless of how determined he was, he wouldn't recover soon enough. "Yes… I ran out." Does she enjoy seeing me like this? "Please… Just give it back to me."

She twirled it between her fingers. "But you're so powerful! Sending the ghost so far like that with your bare hands. What would a spook like you even need a staff for?"

I don't have time for this…! Gadalik was starting to get fed up with her antics. "I'm not some--some epitome of power… I never said I was. You're right to call me a novice; I'll be the first to admit that I don't have full control over my spells, or even the spell tags. I didn't expect to be hired--I didn't even plan on applying."

Mira turned her head slightly with skepticism. "Then why did you?"

"...I couldn't sit by and watch," he said. "Not when I'm able to make a difference. That's why I need my staff--so I can convince Vincent to give me another chance…!"

She snapped to full attention upon hearing that last word. Her eyes narrowed indecisively. Neither of the spooks spoke for seconds that seemed to last forever.

"But... I'm not able, am I…?" Gadalik reconsidered. "My inexperience almost got me killed… A-And it's not just me affected by it; this was my job, but I dragged you into it. I never should have put that responsibility on you… I-I'm sorry, Mira." He slowly loosened his hold on the sofa until he slid to a seat on the floor, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the forming tears from falling, and as another chill gripped him. "I'm sorry…"

There was silence for a moment. Then Gadalik heard his weapon drop beside him.

"Sheesh. You really are pathetic, aren't you," she muttered. He lifted his head to see her leaving him there without so much as a glance back.

Gadalik held it securely in both hands but didn't get up. It's too late to stop Vincent now, even if I still wanted to. What's the point…? After a few more minutes, the shivering finally faded for good. He hauled himself up with his staff, then walked around the couch to sit down on it. Mira never did say why she came here. What did she want an update on?

He wiped his eyes and looked for a distraction, knowing no good would come from dwelling on his mistakes. That's when Gadalik noticed a hardcover book halfway sunk between the cushions. Curiosity got the better of him; he pulled it out and inspected the covers that were worn with age. The title letters were raised and he traced over them with a finger: Enchanted Artifacts. There was a ribbon sandwiched in the pages, where the teen then opened the book to.

The header read Section VI: Magic Manipulation. Category I: Enhancers. Below it were four photographs labeled as figures 151-155 and descriptions of each: the first two were of bracelets, one beaded and the other leather; the last two depicted rings, the first made of steel and the second of wood. He recognized the steel one as the spell booster Mr. Bellard was holding as a reward.

He skimmed the description, confirming what it did, before looking at the wooden one below it. The latter seemed to be a lesser variant, the difference being it would only affect the wearer's natural magic.

The next page was what drew his interest: Category II: Nullifiers. Gadalik had never heard of those before. He read on, 'Nullifiers were created for witches whose powers lie beyond their control, especially children. A lesser variant simply caps the amount of magic able to be used at once; greater variants could prevent the use of magic entirely, and would later become tools to completely subdue or imprison witches.'

Gadalik dismissed it after a moment, but kept a mental note for another time. He closed the book and then opened the first couple pages instead, skimming the glossary. Section III was labeled Magic Substitution. Category I was about spell tags, which was to be expected. Category II focused on enchanted items. A gold necklace with an onyx pendant framed by the crescent moon caught his attention; it felt familiar somehow, but its use was something he'd expect to come across: it was enchanted by a witch with the cooperation of a spook to give the wearer the basics of a spook's natural powers, although it only included their sight and ghost sense. There were other accessories that could give the wearer a witch's powers, too. Almost all of the enchanted items were compatible with each other, save for the ones that had opposite effects.

The next section was called Enchantment. That sparked his interest; he flipped to the page and read over the basics of how witches could enchant an item with a spell to then let that spell be used by that item, much like spell tags. The items' spells were single-use only, but more powerful witches could make them permanent. Curious, his gaze wandered down the text until it mentioned how a witch could gain more power, then tensed, feeling himself frown at the mention of blood pacts.

That was one of the many reasons witches were hunted to extinction... or rather, went into hiding in remote places such as Karpritia. Blood pacts were more than simply borrowing power from the ones involved; they were a way to connect with someone regardless if they were another witch, a human, or a spook, and perhaps let the witch loan them power. But humans and even spooks began to fear that connection as a means for a witch to harm them. They eventually had associated pacts with bloodshed and violence. When the witches stood up for themselves, that just proved to humans that they were hostile and a threat, fueling the fear and leading up to witch hunts and massacres.

He studied his hand, remembering both Janna's reaction to his witch's shield and Mira's refusal to call him anything but a devil. This is my history, he realized, once again mentally grasping at the fragments of his identity, the shards too sharp to piece back together.

"Who knows how much stronger you'll get with time," Glacia's words from earlier suddenly played in his head, snapping him back into reality. He gave it some thought. If witches can enchant things, and I'm half-witch, then...maybe I can enchant things too?

He turned the pages until one showcased unique items enchanted by either naturally-powerful witches, or ones who have collaborated to enchant an item through blood pacts. His striped blue eyes lit up upon spotting Glacia's time-warping pocket watch among them.

Suddenly there was commotion outside. "You can't do this to me!" Mira cried.

"I was wrong to entrust children with this task," Vincent replied. "For what it's worth, Mira, you and Gadalik did your best. You can go home now."

"You--you--!" she couldn't find an insult worse enough to call him. "I should have expected this. Why would I think this time would be different…?"

"There will be plenty more chances in the future. You've your whole life ahead of you. Don't risk it on jobs you're not prepared for." Vincent opened the door and paused to see Gadalik on the couch. "Are you well?"

The younger male nodded; he felt strong enough to stand on his own, at least.

"Then you'd best be on your way. Glacia's expecting you in her cabin. I'll take care of the ghost tomorrow morning."

Mira growled behind the man and stormed off.

Gadalik set the book down and stood up, a bit wobbly, to comply.

Vincent's green eyes darted to the hardcovers. "You have potential, young man. Perhaps you could learn to enchant items, if that interests you."

"You really think so?" the teen asked, his hopes being validated by that suggestion.

"I mean... Anything's possible."

"...Would you mind if I borrowed the book to take notes? I'll bring it back tomorrow."

"Go for it."

He brightened. That was one good thing that came from this whole ordeal. Gadalik collected the book and left for the cabin where his mother resided.

He saw that Mira was seated by the lakeshore as he passed. She looked back at him just as he shut the door.

The cabin had the same structure and furniture as Vincent's.

Glacia was eating a sandwich on the sofa. Upon seeing him, she brushed the crumbs from the cushion to the floor. "So," she swallowed, "how did everything go?"

"Well we couldn't get Anna out of the water. Vincent says he'll do it instead," he said.

"Good! Now you can relax for once." She hesitated. "So... did you learn more about your, uh, real mom?"

"Hm? Oh--y-yeah," he stammered. "I mean, not about her specifically, but about witches in general."

"I see." Glacia gave a slight nod, acting uncharacteristically meek.

Gadalik sat beside her. "Are you alright…?"

She shrugged.

"Hey… All of this talk about my blood-parents doesn't change anything between us," he assured her. "You're still my mother."

"Yeah… But... I feel like I don't really know you like I should," she confessed.

"What…? You know me better than anyone…!"

"Tell that to Jenny and Benson."

"Janna and Vincent," he corrected her. "And they don't know me at all--they know my blood-parents, and about magic. That's all."

"But there's a whole nine years of your life that I know nothing about. And... I don't want to ask in case it would upset you. But everyone else can talk freely about it, because they knew you, and I... didn't."

"Glacia… They didn't know me; they knew of me. You're the one who's been there for me going on nine years now. If there's something you want to know about my past, I'll gladly tell you," he offered.

"It's not that simple," Glacia argued. "It's not just one thing I want to know… It's everything. I want the whole story, from a parents' point of view. All I really know is who you are now, after their deaths. How much different are you now, than you were before then…?"

Gadalik sat back on the couch, giving it some thought. "When we first met, my parents were alive. Do you remember how I was before we rented your boat?"

"You were... quiet. You hadn't said a word the entire time you were there."

"Right. I never really knew what to say, or when to say it. So I'd just watch and listen to everyone else."

"Huh. That's kind of how you are now, except you're a bit more outspoken these days."

"Well that's because I had you as a role model," he chuckled, elbowing her playfully.

"And just what is that supposed to mean, young man?" she huffed with mock-offense.

Gadalik laughed, and when Glacia couldn't keep a straight face, she joined in. Then he yawned and allowed himself to tip onto her shoulder.

She stroked his head. They embraced the moment. "You would lean on me like this ever since you were a child," she murmured. "Did you do the same to Vilodia…?"

"I used to," he answered, "but after a while she agreed with my dad that I should be more independent. When I'd get tired, she would carry me to my room instead. When I turned seven they would tell me to go to bed instead of carrying me. It was their way of trying to make me less reliant on them, but… sometimes I didn't do this out of exhaustion. Sometimes I was just sad, and wanted comfort. It kind of felt like they were rejecting me, if I'm honest."

"But you're such a sweet kid… Why would they reject you?"

"Dunno. Maybe because they were always expecting something great from me--always encouraging me to try things that I was either too scared or too clueless to succeed at." He shifted and pressed his forehead against her. "They kept saying 'it's alright; you'll get it next time!' but... next time was just a repeat of the last. They never got mad at me, but I still... felt like I'd never live up to their standards."

"Right now… Is this for comfort, or exhaustion?"

"...Both."

She wrapped an arm around her son and held him close. "They would be proud of how far you've come since then."

Would they really be…?

"I am."

"Yeah." He smiled. "I know."

"Have you eaten yet?"

Oh… I forgot. Gadalik still didn't have much of an appetite, though. "Vincent gave me food at his place," he replied honestly. "He also let me borrow this book." He sat up straight and pulled it from his pocket.

"Enchanted Artifacts?" she read aloud. "What's in it?"

"Everything I could hope for," he replied. "Instructions on how to enchant, a guide on what's enchanted... Oh--and look what's in it!" He showed his mother the picture of her enchanted watch.

Her eyes sparkled. "Well, I'll be! Looks like there's only three ever made. All by the same guy, too. He's lo-ong dead."

"Nobody but him knows how to make one, and he passed the ones he made to each of his three kids, who passed it onto their kids. The man who gave it to you said his late wife had it for generations. I wonder if any of his other descendants are alive today. It would be cool to learn something that even this book can't tell us."

"This is the only enchanted thing we own, isn't it?" she said. "Would you like to hold onto it, to see what makes it...tick?"

He acknowledged her joke with a laugh. "Can I really?"

"Of course!"

He let her drop it into his open palm and looked it over. "I don't really know anything about enchantment, but this is a very good place to start learning. Thank you…!"

"You have to return the book tomorrow, don't you? I know how you can get about studying. I'll let you stay up just this once."

"Really? In that case, I'll be in the bedroom studying, if you need me."

"Good luck," she wished him. "But don't stay up too late!"

"No promises," he laughed.

"Gadalik," she stretched his name into a half-playful warning.

"Heh. Alright. How about three hours?"

"Deal. But I'm starting the timer right now, so you'd better hurry!"

The teen rushed toward the bedroom, but stopped in the doorway. "And, Glacia… Mom, I... really do love you." He looked back at her. "As much as my blood-mother. I-I hope you know that."

She seemed shocked at first. Actions always spoke louder than words, so the two had never outright said those particular words. "I love you too," she choked out, wiping her eyes. "The same as if you were my own."

Gadalik nodded, and gave a slight smile. "I know."

"Now off to bed with you! Time's a-wastin'."

Oh, right! Once in the room he tossed the hardcover onto the bed, unpacked his notebook, and copied some of the pages he hadn't memorized.

Mentions of how creatively spells could be used to enchant items with were what interested him the most. Using enchantments to enhance the use of existing items--like the watch and the compass--were common, but things with the opposite uses, like eyepatches improving your sight, made it hard to know what to expect. There were also spells that were illegal to enchant items with if those items were to be sold, such as elemental powers. Would I be able to do that, too?

He spent the evening delving into details that may or may not come in handy later on, just in case.

By the time night fell, he put the books on the nightstand and rested on his side. There's so much to learn… Vincent was right. I'm not ready for this--not yet. But I will be, eventually. For now I can help in other ways.

Content, he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

It couldn't have been much later when a tapping at his window roused him. He dismissed it at first, but then it sounded again, stronger than before. Gadalik sat up and rubbed the bleariness from his eyes, only to jump when he saw the silhouette of a person.

"Hurry, we need to do this before morning!" Mira's voice was muffled through the glass.

He slipped out of bed and lifted the pane. "What are you talking about?"

"We're going to take care of Anna. Tonight, before Vincent does. Let's go."

"W-wait! You saw what happened today. We're no match for her. It's better to leave it to Vincent--"

She cut him off by slamming her hand on the window frame. "You said you wanted a second chance, right? Well, you're not the only one. This is our chance--the last we'll have to prove ourselves! Now come on."

He retreated a step. "Of course I want another chance… and I'll have one--both of us will. Just...not this job."

Mira seemed disappointed for a mere second before she narrowed her eyes with pure hatred. "For you. There will always be another chance for you!"

"W-what do you mean?"

She shook her head, and took a shaky breath. "What I mean is… If you don't help me with this, I'll tell your mom what happened to you today."

Gadalik froze. He couldn't decide which was worse: drowning, or Glacia finding out about it.

"I'll give you ten minutes to get ready. Don't keep me waiting."

"I… I'm not going," he spoke. "Maybe Glacia might overreact to what happened… But she's still my mother. She deserves to know; we'll work it out like we always do."

Mira stared at him with disbelief that quickly morphed into pure spite. "Fine. I'll go alone."

"What? Y-you can't...!"

"I can and I will." She headed toward the water.

Gadalik, still in his pajamas, lifted himself leg-first through the window and gripped her by the elbow.

"Let go of me!" she snarled.

"I won't let you go through what I did," he said, planting his heels in the sand to keep her from dragging him as she struggled to free herself. He maintained his hold. "You don't know what you're up against…!"

"I can beat her!"

"No, you can't!"

"Are you calling me weak?"

"Wha--? No...! I'm saying the ghost is strong--stronger than both of us. Vincent was right--"

"He was right about you failing, but not me," she said, turning to face him. "I'm going to prove myself, one way or another."

"Prove yourself to... who, exactly? Vincent already sang your praises. I think you're very capable, and so does Mr. Bellard, else he wouldn't have given you this opportunity in the first place."

She tore her arm away from the other spook's hand despite his loosened hold. "That's not what I meant… it's because I've gotten this opportunity that I need to prove myself able to succeed. This...is the first opportunity I've gotten."

Gadalik couldn't keep his gaze from drifting to her weapon, remembering how accurate her aim was. "You said before that you've been training since you were little… If you had that early a start, why would you wait so long…?"

"Wait? You think I've just been wallowing in self-pity all these years?!"

"No…! I just don't see what was stopping you--"

"As if you don't know," she spat. "It's because of natural-magicked spooks like you and Vincent! You people never stop to consider how many others' careers you ruin. You're all...so...selfish!" Mira shoved him with all of her strength at that last word.

Caught off-guard by his former comrade's assault, she'd knocked him to the ground.

After a beat to process what had just happened, Gadalik gathered his legs beneath him, but, upon seeing the sheer abhorrence in her eyes, he stayed down. "I don't understand," Gadalik repeated himself. "Even with common magic and spell tags, there are plenty of jobs available," he encouraged her. "You just need to figure out which jobs are more suited for the magic you can use. I need to figure that out for myself, too. You're not alone."

"Don't you get it? I can't use magic!"

He gaped at her. "But… I-I mean… Can't you see the spirit? And sense its presence?"

"No!"

"Then... how…?"

She growled and pulled the necklace out of her shirt, revealing an oval onyx stone framed by a silver crescent moon. Gadalik recognized that pendant from the book; particularly the pages on magic substitution. "You heard what Vincent said, about two halves either making a whole or canceling each other out… Heh. You can guess which end I fell on."

"I had no idea…"

"For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a spook like my parents, so I dedicated myself to learning about enchanted items and other ways to qualify myself for the trade, but even still, the second my clients see a spook with natural magic, or recognize my pendant, I'm discredited before I even get a chance. Nobody wants to hire a fake." She slumped to a seat in the sand.

Gadalik placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

She pulled away from the touch, glaring at him. "You guys have everything handed to you from the day you're born," she accused him. "It isn't fair."

"It wasn't like that… Not for me. I still don't even have mastery of the basics, like my ghost sense. It's been a part of me for my whole life, and because I can see the dead as clearly as the living, I never made the connection between my sense and the ghost's until my mentor pointed it out to me months ago. And even then I couldn't use it to pinpoint where the ghost was, until a week ago," he laughed, trying to cheer her up even though he was being honest.

She didn't acknowledge him.

He sighed. "I...like being a spook. I like being able to help spirits solve their unfinished business. But lately I've had to annihilate them instead, and...it's been hard. And ever since my mentor taught me how to recognize my ghost sense, I can't relax when a spirit's nearby unless my staff's with me. But...all of that is tolerable."

"Then what's the problem?"

He looked down. "Other spooks would be blessed to have such heightened senses, or the ability to use tagless magic--with or without a witch's spells. But... to me, they feel more like... a curse."

She stared at him incredulously.

"I never had a choice in what I was born with, but since I do have these powers, they'll be wasted on me if I choose not to use them. If…"--he breathed--"If I could just give my natural abilities to someone who actually wants them, and who can use them to their full potential, then...trust me: I would."

Mira was silent for a moment. Then she sniffled, and let out a huff of laughter. "You're an idiot."

"Huh…?"

She stood up and stared down at him. "Either fully commit, or simply quit. You can't do anything in life if your heart's not in it. Yeah, I'd kill to have your powers… But, wasted on you or not, they're still yours. You don't owe them to anyone else, either--not the dead, nor the living. If you don't want to use them, you don't have to. Try to find some nullifiers."

Gadalik flinched when her hand moved toward him… only to realize she was offering to help him up. He hesitated, then accepted, and the two of them cast their gaze over the ghost's domain. Do I want to…?

"I'm not going to give up," she continued. "I'll show everyone I'm just as good as you guys. Better, even!"

"You don't have to risk your life on this ghost in order to prove that," he pointed out.

"...So what do you propose I do?"

"Start small. Take some jobs that don't pay well--there's less competition, and that way the clients who get overlooked by other spooks will get the help they need."

"I'm worth more than that…!"

"You are," he agreed. "But if you're currently struggling to find work, taking on a smaller job is better than having none at all. And not everyone who's haunted can afford to hire spooks with natural magic. Looking out for the minority is a great way to gain a reputation. Your true worth will be recognized in no time."

"Is that how you started…?"

"Well… That's where I still am," he admitted. "And even now, most of the time clients only choose me because they knew how great my parents were. And I'm...nowhere near their level. I doubt I ever will be. And after tonight, I'm not even sure if I want to be..."

"Geez," she groaned. "You have serious self-worth issues. Stop putting yourself down all the time and figure out what you actually want--then just go for it."

"...Is that how you started?"

"That's right. Although… it's funny how we both ended in the same place."

"Y-yeah." He looked back to Glacia's cabin, then dusted the sand from his pajamas. "Morning will come soon. I'm going to try to sleep for the remainder of the night."

"...Wait," she called to him as he was walking away. "Dev--I mean… Gadalik…?"

"Hm?" He paused. That was first time she had referred to him by name.

Mira seemed surprised he acknowledged her. The girl's face reddened slightly as she held something out to him. "H-here."

He inspected it. "It's...your business card?"

"If you find more work, let me know," the younger spook quickly explained. She briskly left for her cabin before he had time to respond.

Having stayed up so late, Gadalik didn't awaken until nearly noon. He panicked when he realized how late it was; the teen rushed out of bed and into the living area. Glacia wasn't there. Looking through the window, he saw her talking to Vincent outside. He couldn't hear a word they were saying, and the worst-case scenario filled in the blanks. He's telling her what happened yesterday, isn't he… He groaned out loud. This is just great. The ghost may not have killed me, but Glacia certainly will.

That's when he noticed something was different. The ghost--I can't sense her anymore…! Did Vincent already…?

Glacia gestured to her cabin and did a double take when she spotted her son. "Gadalik? Come here."

He gulped but reluctantly obeyed. This is it. I'm dead.

"Vincent was just leaving. I hope you don't mind I returned his book; by those bags under your eyes, I'm guessing you stayed up all night studying it," she tsked.

No… Mira kept me up. He stayed silent, not wanting to drag the girl into his problems again.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

So he didn't tell her…? Then... I should. "Goodbye, Vincent. Thank you for letting me borrow your book, and... thank you for saving my life."

Vincent shrugged. "All in a day's work. Maybe we'll run into each other again someday."

"I'll look forward to it."

The green-eyed man headed off.

"Saving your life?" Glacia repeated, confused.

"Yesterday, I overestimated my magic and messed up fighting Anna underwater. Vincent and Mira had to rescue me. I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for them. And... that's why Vincent took over."

She stared at him in shock, covering her mouth. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah! I'm fine. I just...thought you should know."

His mother was silent as this sank in.

This is usually when she'll freak out and forbid me from spooks' work for the rest of my life...

"I'm grateful you told me," she finally spoke. "Nobody else did."

"I asked them not to," he confessed.

"...What? Why?"

"I didn't want to worry you…"

"Well of course I worry!" she cried. "I don't want to find you dead out there!"

"I-I'm sorry… I'll take whatever punishment you give me."

"Punishment? For what?"

"You're not... upset?"

"Why should I be? We all knew it was dangerous, and Vincent did his part by looking out for you in the end." She hugged him. "I'm just glad you're okay."