On Thursday, it was the only day of the week when Lug took care of the cemetery. Between the circus and the military camp, it felt almost like a vacation. As he left his house that morning, Lug saw Eno waiting for him outside. They talked for a few minutes before Lug went to clean the graves. It was a cold morning, but spring was beginning to show itself. The winter sun was finally starting to transform.

Lug saw Malda, the children, and the inhabitants of the neighborhoods. It brought him joy.

In the early afternoon, after finishing work and lunch, Lug wondered where Hannah was. She hadn't responded to his message from the day before. Lug went to ask Eno.

"It's been several days since she last came to the cemetery. I heard she's been training in the mountains," said Eno, somewhat distracted.

"Do you have any idea where she is?" asked Lug.

"No, go ask the ghost who knows everything; I suppose he knows."

Lug didn't want to see the Wise One, not so soon after the start of his new training.

"Can't you help me?" asked Lug, insistently.

Eno glanced at him.

He was sitting on the ground, evidently busy doing nothing. Yet, he seemed bothered by Lug's requests.

"If you insist..." mumbled Eno.

He pulled a large Bible from his coat, as if in a cartoon scene. The book was too bulky for Eno's thin jacket.

"He materialized an entire book in an instant..." thought Lug, impressed.

"I'll open it randomly, and I'm sure you'll find a clue," said Eno, closing his eyes as he opened the hefty book.

"Mmmh... There!" His finger wandered before stopping on a few words written in the middle of a page filled with text. Lug leaned in to read. He had no expectations; after all, it was just a book, but his heart was pounding.

"What could this be?" he thought, excited.

"Ecclesiastes 12:6: Before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern," recited Eno.

When he finished, he looked up. Lug's face resembled that of a child who had just eaten an unsweetened cake. He was left wanting more.

"Is that all?" he said.

"That's all you need," Eno replied, closing his heavy book.

"I don't understand."

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"It's about death."

Lug looked troubled.

"Again? Every time I ask you for help, the solution you find is death. Do you have something against me?" said Lug, crossing his arms.

"You don't pay attention to God's words; don't complain when misfortune comes your way," said Eno sternly. He was acting much more seriously than usual.

"Alright, explain it to me. What am I not seeing?" asked Lug sincerely, but with a hint of irony in his voice.

"You must die to find Hannah," answered Eno.

"Great, thanks. Very helpful."

"Does the silver cord mean anything to you?" asked Eno.

Lug looked up for a moment.

"Silver cord..." he mumbled.

"Connected to death," added Eno.

Suddenly, Lug's face lit up.

"Of course! I saw something like that when I left my body! My physical body was connected to my psychic body by a thin silver cord!"

Eno had a wide smile on his face.

"So, you must die," he said, touching Lug's plexus with his fingertip.

"Alright, I have to leave my physical body. But how will that help me find Hannah?"

asked Lug.

Eno shrugged.

"I have no idea," he said nonchalantly.

That evening, after talking with Eno, Lug went home. He ate, washed up, and went to bed. He fell asleep quickly. That night, Lug saw himself outside his body. He observed Hannah sleeping in a hole dug into the ground. She was dressed in a camouflage outfit made of leaves and dirt. Suddenly, Lug was pulled backward, and he woke up.

It was still night.

Gavan was drinking his tea, as usual. Lug called out to him.

"Gavan, have you seen anything unusual?"

The ghost turned his head. His eyes were white, his face decomposed, and his teeth blackened with filth. He laughed as he approached Lug.

Suddenly, Lug woke up again.

It was morning.

He was sweating.

He looked at Gavan, who was drinking his tea peacefully. He appeared normal.

Lug left his house and rushed to see the Wise One. He took the steps of the crypt two at a time. Once in front of the young ghost, he began to ask for explanations.

"I saw Hannah, sleeping in a hole, in the middle of nature. Did you tell her to do that?"

The Wise One looked perplexed, stood up from his chair, and turned to the side, rubbing his chin.

"I don't see how you could know that without leaving the cemetery..." said the ghost.

"So it wasn't a dream..." thought Lug, still doubting himself despite the confidence he had shown earlier.

"Unless..." the ghost turned to Lug, eyes wide open, and continued. "You had an out-of-body experience. Fascinating!"

"What?" blurted Lug, disconcerted.

"You know what I'm talking about; don't play innocent. Your psychic body went to visit Hannah. How was she?" The Wise One sat back down as he spoke. The confusion had given way to a certain casualness.

"Why don't you tell me what she's doing in the mountains?" asked Lug.

"You should be doing what she's doing. It's Friday; you should be with the soldiers," countered the ghost.

"I'll go after you explain what's going on," insisted Lug, determined.

"Very well. Hannah is training in the mountains. She is learning from the ghost of an elite soldier who fought in the Battle of the Dunes. She's working hard and making rapid progress," explained the Wise One.

"I'm training so she doesn't have to do all that. I can protect her."

"Your ignorance may get both of you killed. Always assume your opponent is better than you. If you don't know that, it proves you're far from being at their level," retorted the ghost cynically. Lug said nothing, somewhat ashamed of himself.

"Before you go, I have one last lesson for you," said the Wise One.