When Alicia and Kuro disappeared, everything changed for the worse.

The ghosts standing at attention vanished into thin air, like puffs of smoke caught in a strong wind. The soldier in front was gone as if they’d never been there at all. An eerie wail washed down and over us from the valley entrance, chilling me to the bone.

I always did like scary stories, but I prefer them to remain on the written page, not real life.

Alverd was the first to break out of his stupor, running forward to look for our lost companions. “Alicia! Kuro! Are you there? Can you hear me?” He called down the valley’s narrow expanse, his voice echoing. “Are you both alright? Answer me!” There was no reply except for his pleas. He ran back to me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “What happened? Are they hurt?”

It took a moment to focus on the here and now, because I was so distracted by the fear in Alverd’s eyes that I didn’t know what to say at first. I don’t think I’ve even seen him so distraught. I’ve never had reason to believe he could be like this. He’s not a knight, he’s a human being and he’s scared.

It was so jarring to see the culmination of all my childhood fantasies reduced to such base fear. Knights aren’t supposed to be like this. They’re unflappable, they ride into battle against impossible odds on noble steeds with swords and armor that gleam like the summer sun. But the true and raw fear in his eyes said otherwise. Under his armor and oath he’s a man. Men fear and men falter. You’ve seen enough of your own mages demonstrate that.

But this is different. I need him to be strong, invincible, unshakable. My skin began to crawl, a shudder running up my back, cold sweat breaking out on my brow. When I see him like this, I can’t be brave. I can’t be what he needs me to be. I need to see him be the knight I saw in my dreams. My teeth clenched in my mouth, grinding as I tried to deny the reality in front of me.

I need him to be brave for me, because I can’t be brave without him.

It was a pathetic thought to have; one such as I, the almighty Witch-Queen, formerly Her Dark Majesty of the most powerful country in Selarune, reduced to a cowering wretch. Yet I couldn’t help myself. Why am I so paralyzed with fright? This isn’t like me. I tried to remain calm as his mouth opened in silence, my mind and heart racing.

Then, he grabbed hold of my face in both of his hands, firm but gentle enough. “Sheena! Get a hold of yourself! I need you to focus!” I blinked, and then inhaled sharply.

“Yes! Yes, you’re right. I lost myself. I’m here.” He let me go, stepping back.

Taking a deep breath, I cleared my mind of distracting thoughts, pushing away the image of Alverd’s frightened face. He needs me to be strong for him. After everything he’s done, that’s the least I can do. I promised myself I wouldn’t be a burden, and I’ve got to make good on it. Envisioning a clear blue eye in the center of my mind, I willed my gathering magical power to inhabit my own eyes, the better to see what I could not see before.

The valley’s entrance was awash with a vortex of phantasmal energy, a whirlpool drawing in the essence of magic around it. I felt drawn to it, knowing that the vortex was already trying to drag me into it, and I had to plant my feet to steady myself. Some force is trying to stabilize itself by siphoning raw power from its surroundings. Whatever we did, we awakened something here and now it’s looking for a snack.

It had to be just now, because even without my magical sight I could’ve felt the presence of this vortex earlier. When Alicia and Kuro disappeared, they must have triggered something to release this entity. Entity was the right word for the magic in the whirlpool was already beginning to take shape, the forms of humanoid figures already massing in the opening. They were hazy still, but I could see eyes, small globes of incandescent golden light burning in the dark.

If we don’t pass through that mess, we leave Alicia and Kuro to a grim fate. Ghosts will feed off of anything once they get vicious enough, and if this place was the sight of a bloody battle then they’re already inclined to be agitated. We don’t have time to go the long way around, though. I stomped back to the wagon and shook Yuzuruha’s arm.

The tall woman was plastered against the side of the wagon, her breathing irregular and her eyes open wide, but otherwise still mostly in control of herself. “By the fur of the Wolf Lord, what is goin’ on here?” She whimpered. Again, I shook her.

“Listen to me! We have to act fast. Do you have a lantern in that wagon?” She nodded dumbly, reaching over to the front of the wagon and pulling the small lantern mounted next to the driver’s seat free. She handed it to me, her eyes never leaving the valley opening.

Holding the lantern in my hand, I took a deep breath. I breathed out, allowing my breath to become a bright orange flame that lit the candle in the lantern, the tiny light blazing with all the radiance of a wildfire, containing courage born of desperation. It danced within the tiny glass casing, almost like it was trying to break free. I closed the case and held it aloft, the bright light nearly blinding me.

Beside me, Yuzuruha gasped. Her expression softened as her purple eyes watched the orange flame. Then she grit her teeth, grabbing her studded club and pounding her chest with her right fist. “Well, hot damn, literally! The hell we still doin’ here? Y’all got a plan or are we gonna sit on our asses fer the next I don’t know how long?”

I smiled. Such a simple thing. A spell to inspire. It’s not much, but it’s enough. I took hold of the lantern in my right hand and walked back to Alverd. “Okay, I know what to do. We have to cross through the valley as quickly as we can. My powers will hold the ghosts at bay, but not forever. If we find Kuro and Alicia we have to pull them out of there before the ghosts devour them.”

Alverd winced just enough that I caught the change in his face, but it was only for a second; then he was attentive and composed again. The flame is doing its job. He’s finding his bravery again. “Anything else we should know?” He asked.

I nodded. “My magic must be devoted solely to maintaining our barrier against the ghosts. Your weapons will not cut that which isn’t alive.”

For a second, Yuzuruha’s newfound courage faltered. “Wait, so what happens if tha ghosts decide ta attack us?”

I looked at her and tried to reassure her. “If it comes to it that my barrier can’t hold them, I’ll transfer my power into your weapons, make it so they can cut and strike the incorporeal. But I can’t do it forever. Once we venture into the valley, the clock starts ticking. We find the others, drag them to the other side, and then the truly dangerous part comes into play.”

“I’ll have to force open a path on the other side. I’ll be doing three different things at once by that point, so you’ll have to protect me. Only as a last resort, though. If we can get through without provoking the ghosts, that’s the ideal solution. If Kuro is able, he can assist me in opening the path, but I’m not going to assume the best just yet.”

Alverd put his hand on my shoulder. “Well now. You sound a bit like Kuro. Just do me a favor and try not to let yourself get too jaded.” He gave me a quick smile. The light in the lantern roared for a second, the flame growing so big it nearly burst out of its case.

“O-O-Of course. It wouldn’t do for me to be all gloom and doom after I made up my mind to put that all behind me.”

Standing before the valley, feeling the swirling energy of death tearing at the thin veil that held it back, I lifted the lantern. The flame sparked and created a bubble around me, big enough to encompass both Alverd and Yuzuruha. The ghosts hissed and recoiled away from the light, retreating back into the valley. They scrambled over each other like a horde of rats, moving in ways that were inhuman and unnatural.

Yuzuruha made a disgusted sound. “Urgh, that’s freaky. Turns mah stomach.” She held up her studded club, holding it tight with both of her hands. “So we jus’ gotta get through, right? No takin’ swings at tha ghosts?” I nodded at her.

“Yes. Anything we do could incite a frenzy. The barrier will keep a few of them from attacking but it won’t hold up against a swarm. The more of them come after us, the harder it will be to maintain it.” The lantern’s light flickered across the stone cliff walls, casting eerie shadows this way and that. “We should move quickly.”

Alverd unsheathed his sword. “What’s the plan when we get to the other side?” I squinted, trying to see as far as I could down the canyon.

“We can leave the wagon here and collect it in the morning. We make camp on the far side until morning, get the wagon and then make it to Blossom City. Once the sun rises the ghosts should return to their graves.”

It was odd to see such a large, heavily armed mercenary on the borderline of having a panic attack, but Yuzuruha was clearly at that point based on her shallow, rapid breathing. “How do y’all know that?” I clucked my tongue.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Most magical anomalies cannot endure under direct exposure to sunlight. It’s why nearly all hauntings occur at night. There’s no concrete explanation for why, but the fact remains that the sun has much the same effect on ghosts as soap has on dirt. Unfortunately a technical explanation on the science will have to wait until later.”

Muttering something about her disdain for wizards, Yuzuruha fell in behind me with her club held in a defensive posture. “Fine. I’ll watch the rear. Sooner we get through the better.. Don’t much like tha idea of fightin’ something I can’t hit with mah club.”

Alverd stepped ahead of me. “I’ll go first. As long as I stay in the light I’ll be alright?” I nodded, and he smiled at me. “Then I shall be your shield, milady.”

Again, the lantern light leaped and swelled as my heart beat faster. “R-Right. Let’s get started.” He moved into the opening and held his shield in front of him, his sword arm down but ready. I tried to maintain a constant distance of about three feet behind him to give him room to swing if necessary. Yuzuruha was a little too close for comfort behind me but given her feelings about wandering into a ghost nest it was understandable.

The dimensions of the gorge were easy to navigate at first. There was at least fifteen feet between the walls, meaning we had plenty of space. The ground was mostly even and the stone cliffs on either side were sheer, placing at about forty feet high. After walking for about ten minutes, however, the walls began to close in on us, fencing us in. They became more jagged and uneven, and the ground was harder to traverse.

The light of the lantern did strange things to the contours of the walls. Several times I thought I saw faces looking at me, distorted and mangled by the flickering light. Then I realized they were faces. The ghosts were watching us, unable to attack but observing the intruders in their territory. Normally ghosts would be little problem for an experienced mage, but this deep in their personal hell, they have the upper hand. A psychic scar like this one has remained in this land for so long that the haunting has self-reinforced into something far more dangerous.

The emotions here are a jumble of bravery, fear, surprise and fury. It’s almost impossible to tell the difference between the peasants and the imperial soldiers. Maybe at first the haunting was more distinct but now it feels like a giant pit of magical slurry. The sensation of the ghosts probing the barrier, poking and prodding it to test its limits brought me back to the present. I could see the specter of an imperial soldier, an arrow protruding from his neck, pressed up against the curvature of the light barrier, his face a twisted mask of scorn.

Behind me, Yuzuruha was doing her best to stay calm, and failing. Stammering and hyperventilating, her steps were uneven and scuffing against the ground. I turned my head. “I know this is unsettling. Don’t fixate on them. Think of that man you mentioned. Think of him waiting for you back in Blossom City. Think only of how it will feel when you see him again. Drown out any fear you have.” I was drawing on the fuel of the barrier, the spark of courage I’d placed in the lantern, to amplify my words.

I could feel the power flow out of the lantern, infusing her with bravery. She took in a deep, sharp breath, then let it out. “Yer right. Rol would want me to be brave. Gods, I’m gonna hug that bastard so hard when I get outta here.” Better not overdo it. If I draw too much power away from the lantern it won’t hold up.

Wielding the power of a spirit contractor wasn’t something that could be necessarily taught. It was true that education had helped me to understand the theory, practice and application of my magic, but only trial and error had instructed me on how to use it properly. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past about how to apply my powers. So I know my limits better than anyone. Still…

Ahead of me, Alverd seemed to soldiering on without any fear. He’s putting on a brave face now. But I can feel the conflicting emotions in him. Fear for the safety of Kuro and Alicia, his duty to protect me, concern for all of us. There’s a whirlwind of conflicting desires and emotions but it’s all the same. He’s too busy thinking of others to worry about himself. He really is the best of us. I wanted to send him a bit of reaffirmation from my lantern, but then smiled as I knew he didn’t need it.

The passage of time was impossible to track inside the valley. The moon above was shrouded in a thick haze of ghostly energy, distorting the night sky and even the positions of the stars. Behind me, I could see the ghosts of the imperial soldiers rising out of the ground, slinking out of the walls, holding translucent weapons. At first I thought they were closing ranks, but they were actually merging and melding into each other, a distinct individual suddenly becoming one with another only to split back as the ghosts became a roiling mass of disturbed psychic power.

Oh gods. That’s the agitation I was worried about. Our presence is making things worse.

I reached forward and tapped Alverd’s shoulder. “We need to pick up the pace. The ghosts are getting more and more restless. We’re running out of time.”

He looked past me, saw the ghosts rallying, and his eyes widened. “That’s not something you see everyday. I’ll go faster.”

It was tough to match his increased pace, but I managed. The stone walls were now only eight feet apart, making it feel cramped to the point of claustrophobia. Ahead of us, ghosts were making way, shying away from the lantern, but their faces were becoming more and more fierce, eyes burning with intense hatred. They made inhuman snarling sounds as we passed, which combined with their demonlike face masks made me so nervous the flame started to flicker in the lantern.

Up ahead, the cliffs started to open up again, widening as the exit to the valley appeared in the distance. The far side was an open plain, a monument similar to the one on the side of the valley we’d entered visible in the opening between the rocks. Not far from the exit, too prone forms lay on the ground. As we drew closer, I recognized Kuro and Alicia.

Kuro was unconscious. His eyes were closed and his chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm, almost as if he were asleep. Alicia on the other hand was spasming on the ground, her eyes wide open, her mouth trying to form words but only emitting choked gurgles. Alverd ran to her, shaking her gently.

She didn’t respond. Her eyes stared sightlessly at something past him, as if he weren’t there. I knelt down beside Alverd to examine her. “She doesn’t look like she was attacked by the ghosts. They would’ve drained her life energy, not this. She’s in no state to fight. We have to get her out of here.”

Alverd put his arms under Alicia and lifted her as gently as he could. “Now what?” He asked.

With Yuzuruha still watching the rear, I took a look at the exit. Like the entry, it had a tangled mess of magical distortion over it. The concentration of the energy on this side was far more condensed, though. Makes sense. If what Yuzuruha said is true, the imperial army suffered many casualties pushing through the valley. The number of deaths here at this entry point would be enough to create this tangled web. Fortunately, I know how to unmake it.

Akin to unraveling a ball of yarn, it started with finding the last death in the chain. Like a stray string, it was easy enough to find. Tracing it back to its origin was far more difficult. It’s like trying to find a single card in a deck that someone is shuffling constantly. With so many deaths overlapping, it’s a wonder I can concentrate on just the one. I have to trace the last death here all the way through to the first death, then force a path open.

A wave of emotions slammed into me as I latched onto the last death. The will of a young man who had little notion of the greater gravity of what he had been sent to do intertwined with my mind. He was young, too young to understand the politics behind the command to march to Standing Stone. He had marched under the idea that he was going to quell an insurrection against his Emperor.

There was pride. Pride taken in doing his duty, of being useful, hope that he would distinguish himself in combat. Ambition. Then uncertainty. Fear. Then trepidation. He didn’t know what to think when he saw peasants fighting against the imperial army. He couldn’t understand why he had to kill innocent people. Confusion. His commanding officer ordered him to kill everyone who resisted. Regret. The fright at seeing blood on his hands for the first time. Never forget. Then, pain, fear, sorrow, then nothing. Death. He died with a spear through his stomach. It wasn’t quick. Thrown by someone who barely knew how to use one. Went through his torso, but not a clean kill. Nobody stopped to help him. He bled out on the ground. He wanted to go home, to see his family again. He…

I had to disengage from the thought, shaking my head furiously. No, you can’t get too drawn in. You lose yourself otherwise. The sad truth is not everyone gets what they deserve in life, good or bad. I don’t know if he deserved to die, but it’s the fate he received either way. Untangling from him, I traversed further through the thread, passing through more emotions.

There were soldiers who reveled in the death, others who had mixed feelings. The commanding officer had no pity or shame and only felt indignation when a boulder had rolled off the cliff above and crushed his lower body, pinning him to the ground. Like the soldier he’d left behind, nobody tried to assist him. Eventually shock and internal bleeding had killed him, and his last emotions were rage that he had been defeated by some filthy farmer rolling a rock onto him.

Maybe there is some justice in the world after all.

On the periphery of my vision, Yuzuruha had woken Kuro, who was stumbling to his feet. I could hear them shouting vaguely. Behind me, the surge of phantasmal force told me the ghosts were massing, preparing for an attack. We’ve overstayed our welcome.

I was about to link myself to the final spirit in the chain when I was suddenly severed from the spell I had cast. A sensation like snakes coiling around my arms pulled me out of my trance. The seal had reached out with ghostly tendrils that were now wrapping around my arms, still translucent. Redirecting power from the lantern, I burned away the tendrils with a burst of orange fire. I turned to tell the others that I was going to need more time when I saw him.

The officer who had led the attack was standing in front of a mass of ghosts, which were in the process of phasing in and out of each other, the lines of their bodies fading as they seemed to blend into one being before separating again. His legs were a pair of mangled stumps of flesh, the armor jutting from the bleeding skin like jagged shards of glass. The mask he wore had a grimly smiling demon with red skin and four curling fangs, and his helmet bore a broken crescent that had likely snapped off during the battle that claimed his life.

The eyes of the officer glowed in the sockets of the mask, twin red orbs full of unfettered rage. He already had his sword in hand, a curved single edged blade dripping with crimson. The ghosts behind him undulated and growled, like a pack of wolves awaiting a signal from their alpha. Slowly, they moved forward, and one by one they began to assimilate into the officer.

With every ghost that became one with him, the officer grew larger. His arms lengthened, thickening with the sound of cracking bone. His legs turned double jointed, and his chest swelled to twice its size. No longer able to contain the growth of his body, his ghostly armor shattered, pieces of it falling away before melting into viscous slime on the ground.

The last part of the officer’s transformation was his head. The mask and helmet fused together into a solid piece, until they were no longer ornaments but the actual head of the freakish monstrosity taking shape in front of us. The mouth of the mask became the jaws of an actual demon, dribbling saliva from its crooked jaws. It loomed over us, still absorbing more ghosts, until it was almost fifteen feet tall.

“The goddamn hell is that?!” Yuzuruha yelled, pulling Kuro back and away from the monster.

Holding the lantern in front of me, I ran to her side. “I don’t know. This is not typical for ghosts. I’ve never read anything about this sort of thing happening. Something must be feeding them, making them act abnormally. And it has to be local.” Alverd set Alicia down and stepped back over to me, drawing his sword and shield once more.

I searched around frantically, trying to find the source of the ghosts’ atypical behavior. “Hauntings like this are bound by the circumstances of their creation. Anything outside those parameters shouldn’t have an effect on how they play out. Something is responsible for making this happen, but I don’t know what it is!”

The monstrous ghost opened its mouth and roared, loud enough to jar loose debris from the cliffs. When it stepped towards us with newly formed talons digging into the stone floor, plodding along on malformed legs, I opened the glass case of the lantern and pointed at Alverd, then Yuzuruha. The flame jumped out of the case, split into two, and then streaked over to them.

When the flame reached Alverd, it leaped onto the Sword of Evros. The blade erupted in bright red flame, an unnatural solid crimson with no white, orange, or blue anywhere along its length. There was no heat, only the essence of magic itself infusing the weapon to allow it to affect the incorporeal. He flinched at first, but when he saw that he was in no danger from the fire, he took up a position in front of me.

“Then find it. We’ll buy you as much time as we can.”

When the flame touched Yuzuruha’s club, it took a very different form. Instead of fire, the spark became purple lightning, crackling along the length of the club and arcing from the metal studs embedded in it.

“Well hot damn. That’s more like it.” She grinned manically as she bent her knees, the club held in front of her in a fighting stance. “If I’ve got a fightin’ chance, thas’ more than enough. Do what y’all hafta do, lady.”

Kuro stood next to me, worry stamped on his face. “How long do you think you can hold that spell for?” I placed my bladed staff on the ground, holding the now empty lantern close to my chest.

“I’ll hold it as long as I can. Help them. I need to focus on finding the cause for all this.” He swallowed, then nodded. “I’ll do the best I can. But you and I know something the two of them don’t.” He lowered his voice.

“You can’t kill ghosts.”

I returned his nervous stare. “I know. But they can kill us.”