That much was obvious. He was just a spirit.

At least that’s what Kalvin told himself over and over again as he stared at the figure standing before him.

He noticed the large, ornate mask first, covering the top half of his face. It was carved of small silver hands clasped over the eyes, wings attached to the length of their arms which formed a halo above his head of ivory hair- straight hair that sprawled all the way down to his legs.

It wasn’t the white-grey of the old scientist, even without seeing his eyes Kalvin could tell from his skin that this man was more middle-aged than anything. No, the silver of his hair seemed almost purer, even though Kalvin couldn’t help but feel that he had a certain stillness to him you only find in the elderly. The rest of his clothes were surprisingly ordinary if not a tad rugged.

Truthfully, he reminded Kalvin of the angels of old.

So that’s how it is. Well, he couldn’t fool him.

“Kalvin?” Yvaine said from the walkie talkie. “What’s going on?”

“Hello,” he said past the lump in his throat. “I’m Kalvin, the medium who woke you.”

The figure merely continued to stand there. He waited a few seconds, but no response came-

“Hello, Kalvin.”

Kalvin resisted the chills that built at his spine. His voice wasn’t ugly or guttural like he’d expected, it was actually quite…melodic, if not a bit strained.

Don’t let yourself think like that. He’s nothing but a demon in human form.

No, a demon in that of an angel’s.

“It’s nice to meet you…sir. I was hoping we can get to know one another.” He regretted the words as soon as they left his lips.

“And how will we get to know one another when you refuse to speak my name?”

Yvaine’s voice fluttered in through the walkie talkie Kalvin had almost forgotten he was holding. “Kalvin, if you don’t answer, I’m coming right-“

“Everything’s fine. Don’t come.”

“Is the spirit-“

The room went silent as he pressed the button to tune her out and placed the walkie talkie on the ground.

“Of course, Mael.” The word felt weird on his tongue, in fact, he’d never said it aloud before. To do so was rumored to bring his wrath upon you.

“I’ve spoken to fourteen mediums before you, yet you have been the first to call me that”

A tinge of disgust shuddered through Kalvin at how pleased that made him. “You don’t scare me.”

It only multiplied as Mael smiled.

It didn’t seem to be in a mocking manner, but it was still devoid of emotion, of humanity itself. If Kalvin had to take a guess, the eyes hidden beneath his silver mask were empty all the same. “That’s a first, too.”

“You’re wrong. The people who defeated you weren’t scared of you, Orion wasn’t scared of you."

His fingers twitched ever so slightly as he looked around. “Couldn’t you have made this place a tad more homey?”

The spirit suddenly flicked a hand and an armchair appeared. He sat onto it with an exhausted sigh as Kalvin watched speechlessly.

“Would you like one?”

There’s no way he’d actually just conjured it up, the chair had to be part of his form. Even still, Kalvin had never encountered a spirit who was capable of creating a separate entity like that. It made him wonder if he’d worn the mask when he died or if it just was another piece of his form.

“Can you even see through that?”

“Unfortunately.”

The more he stared at the man who was supposed to be the most powerful mage in all of history, the less he looked it. All Kalvin saw in him was failure. It was actually kind of disappointing.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Is it a fashion statement, then?”

Mael pursed his lips. “You really are unusual.”

“I just don’t see it. I’ve spoken to spirits of nine year olds that were scarier than you.”

“In my defense, children are rather terrifying.”

“Is that why you slaughtered millions of them?”

The spirit was impassive as ever, but the room somehow felt colder.

“No, I did that for the pure fun of it.”

He said everything so dryly that Kalvin couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not. “You’re lying. I’ve met serial killers who murdered for pleasure, you aren’t one of them.”

“A medium and a psychologist in one. Aren’t you a bundle of joy.”

Kalvin scoffed. “Here you are, the most dangerous man on the planet every god damned nation had been working day and night for forty years to bring down, and all you have to offer are some tragically half-assed jokes.”

“The only tragedy here is how good you’ve become at lying to yourself.”

“You’re one to talk,” he murmured.

“Truth is all I have left. But you…why are you here, Kalvin?”

“To do my job.”

Oddly, he suddenly felt as though he were the ghost in this exchange.

“Why are you really here?”

“To make money.”

“Still lying.”

“To get information out of you.”

“Getting closer.”

“Fine,” he said. “I’m here because I wanted to see just how pathetic you are in person. Satisfied?”

“Not yet.” He cocked his head. “Who was it?”

“Who was what?”

“The loved one of yours I killed.”

Kalvin looked straight at him. “Her name was Molly.”

Mael leaned back. “I see.”

“I see? Is that all you have to say? Do you even remember her?”

He made no reply.

“You want to know why I’m really here? I’ll tell you.” Kalvin came closer to the spirit. “I’m here because I wanted to hear it from you myself- that there was some kind of reason my sister had to die!”

Only more of that awful silence followed.

“Do you even have the slightest bit of remorse for everything you’ve done?”

The spirit only needed a second of contemplation before saying, “I don’t.”

Kalvin looked down at the silver hands of his mask. “I don’t believe you. Take it off.”

Mael made no move.

“I said take it off!” He yelled. “I need to look into your eyes when you say it.”

After a few moments of nothing, he was about to go and tear it off the man himself when he suddenly raised his arms.

Kalvin watched as the spirit gripped the sides of the mask and lifted it off his head, his eyes widening as he took in that of Mael’s.

They were missing both the pupils and the iris. Only the white parts were visible, just as eerily bright as his hair. And the skin around them was completely littered with scars. But ugly as they were, they almost made him look human.

He could see why he wore the mask, otherwise the angelic person was ruined.

“There’s no way you aren’t blind.”

“But alas.”

Kalvin stepped closer until Mael was just a breath away. His heartbeat echoed in his head.“Look at me, then. Look at me and say the truth: why did my sister have to die?”

The white of his eyes bore into his. “Because I wanted her to, just like everybody else.”

Kalvin gritted his teeth. “And do you really not feel any remorse for that?”

“I don’t, and perhaps you wouldn’t either in my shoes.”

His arm was flying before he could stop it, but the spirit had just before it hit his face.

“You disgust me,” Kalvin spat onto it instead. “I would never end up like you. Not in a million years.”

“You will. I am sure of it, and yet, the path of the damned is one you must tread anyhow.”

“Making the right choices isn't difficult."

"On the contrary, it is the most difficult task of all."

"My greatest wish is that you rise from the dead like you forced millions of your victims to- just so you can die all over again. Only this time, I'll be watching. That's my choice." He narrowed his eyes. "I don’t know how you’ve convinced everybody otherwise, but from where I’m standing, all you are is weak.”

“You're lying again.”

Kalvin ignored him as he unsuccessfully tried to pull his hand out of Mael’s grip. “That’s how Orion was able to kill you. No matter for how long evil reigns, someone will always be there to destroy it.”

“Someone like you?”

“Yeah, maybe. Someone like me.”

“How much are you willing to stake on that?”

He paused. “What?”

“Your medium's license? Your reputation? Your life, perhaps?” He leaned in until Kalvin could just barely see his reflection in the white of his eyes. “Would you give it all away to be the hero?”

“Of course I would.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“There’s another lie.”

“It’s not a lie.”

“Why don’t I offer you a deal, then? If you’re so sure.”

Kalvin frowned. “I’m not stupid, I know what you’re doing.”

“Knowing something will happen does not give you the power to stop it.”

“That sounds like a load of bullshit.”

“Prove it then. Prove it all, and I will give you the answers you seek.”

He finally pulled his hand out and went for the stairs. “I should’ve left this island the moment you started cracking your stupid jokes. Now I understand why every other medium ran off. Not because they were afraid of you, but because you’re a god damned pain in the ass.”

“You’ll know why I killed your sister.”

Kalvin stilled. “You said it was for no reason.”

“No, I said it was because I wanted to. Why, however, wasn’t specified.”

He turned back. “How do I know you aren’t lying?”

“Look at me- what am I if not a resigned man? What else do have to lie for?”

"What are you offering?"

"It's simple: live my life and prove that you'd make different choices. Prove that you're the hero you say you are."

“Fine,” Kalvin snarled. He'd bring her back no matter what. Even if he had to endure some stupid adventure game. Even if he had to sign his soul off to the devil. “But tell me how you got your powers, tell me if there is a way I can bring my sister back. Tell me or I’m out of here.”

“What happened to your script?”

“Fuck the script. For the first time in your pathetic life, I want you to tell the truth. The whole truth. Tell me how you became a monster.”

“Why tell you when I can show you?”

To Kalvin's puzzlement, he suddenly stood and raised a hand. “Regress.”

Before he could even think, the lights were going in and out again. Kalvin's gaze locked onto the walls as they shook with another boom.

Then darkness began to fall. No, it was spreading out from the corners of his eyelids.

And when he looked back at Mael, all he saw was the face of a man who was anything but resigned as everything faded to black.