“Explain! What’s going on!”
Lorelei staggered and frantically shouted at Orhana’s spirit.
Strong tremors continuously shook the silver world. The mirror-like surface of the small pond rippled, splashes of ink-colored water mixing with dark poisonous fumes. Heavy gales made the silver branches of the trees chime like broken glass, their white leafs flying around in a sparkling whirlwind.
“Noah is beginning to succumb to darkness,” replied the ghost and observed the waves ravaging the lake. “Your souls seem to resonate, hence, this world is becoming like this.”
“What does succumbing to darkness mean?” Fear took root in Lorelei’s heart. “He… He’ll be alright?”
“There are likely people around him who are doing their best to help.” Orhana evaded Lorelei’s eyes.
“Answer my question!” Lorelei lifted her right hand, dangling the silver chain that connected them. “We are still bound, so speak the truth.”
“Judging from this,” the ghost waved her hand in a broad gesture, “he will soon be gone beyond any help. He’ll become a mindless, blood-thirsty fiend; something close to what we Binshi call vapir.”
“He was ghost-touched!?” Lorelei’s brows arched. How was it possible? Was no one from Wolf Mountain with him? Didn’t he carry an amulet or protection charm?
“No.” Orhana closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “It feels like a different type of malice.”
“What type?” Lorelei shivered, the image of a dhrowghost devouring Noah mixing with the descriptions in the Church’s books about demons from the Nether Realm and ancient evil monsters.
“I don’t know. But I still sense Noah’s spirit amidst the chaos. Maybe… there might be a chance to save him.” Orhana stared at her. “He is fighting for his sanity. And you can help him.”
“M-me?” Lorelei held her breath. “How? I know no magic. If anything, a powerful spirit like you would be of more help, wouldn’t it?”
“Wrong.” Orhana put her hands on Lorelei’s shoulders, peering deep into her eyes. “He doesn’t need a painful ghost from the past but a hope for the future.”
“But I can’t fight whatever he is fighting. I can't protect myself, and even less him!”
Lorelei trembled. Her mind and her heart were engaged in a bitter fight. She yearned to go to Noah and ease his suffering. Yet, she also knew painfully well how useless she was if she had to face a supernatural being. Her identity as a Saint’s host just meant that her body was a useful empty husk for something more powerful to reside in it. As for her soul… It was just that of a weak ordinary human.
Sensing Orhana’s fingers squeezing her shoulders a bit tighter, Lorelei lifted her head. A sad smile was plastered over the ghost’s beautiful and calm face.
“Even in death, I’m not that heartless to send you off without protection. But even with my help, I can’t guarantee your safety. If something happens to you in this form, your soul will dissipate forever. Are you still willing to-”
“I am!” Lorelei interrupted her and straightened her back. “I was prepared to die anyway. Even if I perish now… It’s better than doing nothing.”
“Not even hesitating…” Orhana sighed. “What a foolish little sister I have.”
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Saying that, she leaned in and planted a kiss on Lorelei’s forehead. Her lips felt cold, like the touch of a snowflake - gentle, refreshing, but also fleeting. Like a gentle mist, a silver halo enveloped Lorelei’s body. At the same time, Orhana’s shape blurred and became almost completely see-through.
“As long as my powers last, no harm will come to you.” Even the ghost’s voice had become short of inaudible. She took Lorelei’s hand and gently pulled her towards the small pond. “You must go in there and lie on your back.”
With a quacking heart, Lorelei followed her instructions. As the dark, churning surface embraced her body, she was overcome by a wave of sleepiness. Lying in the middle of the sticky, tar-like waters, the last thing she saw before closing her eyes was the vague figure of Orhana leaning over her.
***
Lorelei’s body floated on the surface of the pond. An obsidian circle of calm formed around her, pacifying the turbulent waves and dispersing the columns of dark fumes. Looking at her placid face, Orhana shook her head with a bitter expression.
“You foolish child.” Her shaking words carried over the water. “You passed the first test but failed the second. Yani was right to worry about your life-core. But even so… I must do it.”
Stretching out a translucent hand, Orhana motioned toward Lorelei’s heart. On the left side of her chest, a plum-sized ball of gray light slowly began to surface. In a moment, it separated from her skin and flew into the ghost’s palm. Twisting the orb between her fingers, she raised an eyebrow.
“Has it been a month? The powers of the moren-gadir and the dhrowghost are already completely indistinguishable. And… so much energy…”
For a moment, hunger flashed in Orhana’s previously tranquil eyes. Her fingers convulsively clutched the little orb of light and she bared her teeth in a distorted smile. This core, even though fake, was so warm. Enticing. Nostalgic. It was in her hand. It could be hers…
Orhana closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. Slowly exhaling, she cursed at the endless silver sky.
“Pathetic weakling,” she muttered. “Have I been awake for too long? This was too close. Let’s hurry.”
Determination written all over her face, she stretched her free hand over the water next to Lorelei. With a quiet burble, a second body emerged on the obsidian surface. Dark cracks ran across the man’s snow-white face, snaked down the throat, crawled up the slender arms, and branched across the torso, all merging into the large hole splitting his chest. White mist oozed out of the cracked skin and disappeared in the air. Vine-like strings of black water encased the entire body, keeping the splits from growing and preventing its complete dissipation.
Orhana leaned over the man and put the fake core on his chest, pressing it gently into the gaping hole. As it slowly began to sink in, the orb began pulsating like a living heart. Little by little, the mist ceased oozing out and the thinnest cracks started to fade.
Suddenly, a strong gale hit Orhana’s face. An invisible force pushed back her hand and the fake core.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” squeezed Orhana through her teeth. “You have no right to reject this! There are still tasks for you to finish. You are the only one that can protect them. It’s your duty! You started all this, so carry it out till the end!”
The gale lessened but the resistance against the orb remained. A few ripples spread from the man’s body in the direction of Lorelei. This called up a wry smile on Orhana’s lips.
“I might not be a shaman like you, but the shadow of my soul will hide her well enough from higher spirits. Even better, she would again be almost invisible to the lower fiends, so it is a win-win. Now, take your medicine!”
The wind ruffled her long hair but then subsided to a gentle gust that caressed her cheek before completely disappearing. The orb finally sank into the man's body, illuminating it for a second from the inside and making it glow like a little sun. After a heartbeat, everything was over, the pond returning to its mirror calmness.
Bending down, Orhana pressed her lips against the man’s.
“To think that our first kiss after so long would also be the last. Goodbye, my love.”
With those words, she stood up and waved her hand. The pond split, engulfing the man’s body. Left alone, Orhana turned back to Lorelei, who still floated on the surface.
“You might hate me, little sister, but before I slumber, I still need to do something. Sorry. I know it’s wrong but… I hope one day you’ll forgive me.”
A deep sigh escaped the ghost’s lips. Her frame shook and, in a blink, two silver shards of light appeared over the place where Orhana had stood. Like two glowing snowflakes, they melted into Lorelei’s chest without leaving a trace.
The moment Orhana vanished, the silver forest also began to melt and disappear. Floating in her circle of calm over the churning obsidian pond, Lorelei slowly began to sink in until the black waters silently closed over her.