Three days after the destruction of Wisptown

  The hot water from the shower washed over her, as Evantra stared into a single point on grey tiles of the motel shower. She looked down at her feet, watching the droplets fall from her hair to the floor. The pattering of water calmed her as much as it was possible.

  There was a part of her that never wanted to leave.

  With a sigh, Evantra tapped the screen to her side and watched it blink into existence. She turned off the flow of water and got out of the shower. She dried herself off and changed into the clothes hanging on the bathroom rail.

  Black for the occasion.

  Slipping on her blouse and dress pants, Evantra paused, looking into the mirror.

  The girl staring back at her was just as she remembered. Yet, in the span of the last month, so much had changed. Misty white eyes stared back at her, dark circles betraying her trouble sleeping in recent days. Her lips were dry and cracked, seeing as she hadn’t moved from under her sheets, and water hadn’t been her priority. Noelle had tried, but she hadn’t succeeded. Carmen practically had to break down the door each time to get her to eat or drink.

  She pushed open the door to the room they were sharing. It was a conjoined room, each with twin beds. Carmen and Lucas in one, and the other, which she shared with Noelle. She entered the room to find Noelle on her bed, practically a reflection of herself. Her eyes were drawn, and the girl barely forced her lips into a slight smile at the sight of her entry.

  They heard a soft knock on the door, and a familiar voice call out to them. They heard the beep of the keycard, followed by the familiar retrenching of the locking mechanism.

  Carmen Alvarez entered the room, Lucas in tow beside her. They were similarly dressed in black, and Carmen’s expression mirrored their own. They had heard Lucas crying from the other room the past two days, and the only times that Evantra had gathered the willpower to get out of bed were to comfort him and his mother. Carmen sat next to Noelle, taking her hand into her own with a slight squeeze. Lucas wrapped Evantra up in a hug.

  The other pair that they had decided to stay with appeared at the doorway. Amy Tran dressed in a long, black dress and her daughter, Tai. The girl was sporting familiar horn-rimmed glasses that threatened to slip from her button nose, and Evantra watched as she turned her nose up at her with a huff, before peeking through an eyelid.

  Evantra felt a lump form in her throat as she gave Tai a wave, which the girl reluctantly returned. Evantra’s fingernails dug into her palm. The little girl’s hand was tight in the grip of her mother’s.

  Amy stepped forwards.

  “Ready to go?”

  They nodded.

  ***

  The skies were dark, and the energy of a brewing ectostorm was in the air. Evanta watched as the silent wind blew over Demeteria’s expansive continental greenhouses, the colossal wind turbines spinning with greater fervour.

  The memorial service for the destruction of Wisptown was being held at the town’s graveyard, far outside the bounds of the town itself. A section of the graveyard that had previously been occupied by tall grass, had been carved out to make space for the plaques. White stones rose two feet off the ground, sporting small, rectangular plaques.

  Each of them with a name.

  Evantra watched as familiar faces began to arrive, tears streaking down their cheeks as they walked to the plaques bearing the names of loved ones. Evantra watched as Cypha arrived with her parents in tow, eyes red. She stopped at a few plaques before finally joining Evantra where the group was standing. Noelle was holding a bouquet of organic, white roses.

  “When it came down to it, he was a good man, wasn’t he? Juno.”

  Cypha crouched, drawing little Lucas into a tight hug. They remained still for a moment, and Evantra watched Cypha’s mother wipe a tear from her eye.

  “He was,” Carmen said, with a sad smile. She laid a rose next to Juno’s plaque.

  Cypha rose, turning to Evantra.

  “Thanks, Evantra. For… you know.”

  “I prefer preacher.”

  Cypha looked at her for a moment before giving her a brisk nod and turning to leave. Evantra withdrew something from her backpack and tapped the girl on her shoulder. She pulled out a trilogy of the raunchiest romance stories she had found in the local bookstore when she had finally mustered the strength to leave her room. The store’s purveyor had stashed them in the darkest corner, where no light shone.

  Evantra’s hands carefully obscured the covers as she thrust them into Cypha’s hands, who blushed crimson when she realised that her parents were chuckling.

  “Thanks to you, too. You’re the real hero,” Evantra gave her a soft smile. “You’d better not be a stranger, Cyph.”

  Evantra watched the girl’s bottom lip wobble, the girl swallowing a sob down before giving her a nod.

  “The next time I call you, I’m going to be working with Nezha, and I’ll come up with something to take down those Caliburn fuckers,” she said under her breath. Then she deflated, the heat leaving her as abruptly as it had arrived.

  “Take care, Ev— preacher.”

  After submitting to a quick hug from Noelle, Cypha and her parents wandered off to speak to other residents who were attending the service. Together as a group, they stopped by their first plaque.

  Minh Tran.

  A backbone of the community, who spent his final hours saving the lives of hundreds.

  His efforts in alerting, arming and organising us were the only reason for our survival.

  A man of few words, of which none are needed to define who he was.

  A hero.

  Evantra started when she felt a touch of warmth on her arm. She looked down to her side and saw that Tai was clutching at her fist.

  Oh.

  Evantra released her clenched fists, her nails digging into her palms, hard enough to draw blood. She saw the little girl look up at her, trying to pry her fingers apart as tears ran down her cheeks. Amy, noticing the silent exchange, quietly came to stand beside her.

  “It was his decision. That was the man he was.”

  Tai’s mother took her arm in an iron grip. Even now, the woman didn’t cry.

  She only had eyes for Tai.

  “It is not your fault, Evantra,” Amy Tran said with a brisk nod, before returning her attention her daughter.

  I should have asked someone else to warn the town.

  Words she wished she would have been able to say, but her lips weren’t moving, the lump in her throat aching.

  But there was no one I trusted more to do the right thing. And to pull it off.

  Carmen gently pulled Evantra along with her, the woman’s hands in hers.

  Leaving Tai and her mother behind, they finally came to a halt before his plaque.

  Trevor Foster

  A plaque like the sea of others around them with a single, simple difference. It was unadorned with golden words that spoke of his character. Laced with quiet humility, like the man he was.

  She watched as quiet sobs escaped Carmen, and she stepped forwards, drawing her into a hug. The minutes drew on, as the wind tugged at her clothes and thunder rumbled in the far distance. Eventually, Evantra relinquished her, and stepped away with Noelle, leaving Carmen and Lucas to say their words to him.

  Carmen spoke to him for a long time.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  While there was sadness in her eyes, so was there joy.

  Gratitude.

  As formless words poured forth, Evantra watched as Lucas softly rubbed his hands across the side of the plague, as he did with the man’s trousers when he wished for his hand. Carmen and Lucas crouched, and each of them placed a white rose against the ashen stone. Lucas’ bottom lip wobbled as he led his mother a distance away towards a bench overlooking the continental greenhouses below.

  When it came time for Noelle's turn, Evantra’s eyes widened when the girl tugged at her arm, bringing her along with her as they came to a halt before his plaque.

  Noelle knelt before his plaque.

  “You knew who I was. What I was. And yet you believed that I had good in me. Even though my family and the others like us wrought such pain and suffering on our world. On you.”

  Black lightning flashed in the distance, reflecting off the tears on Noelle’s face.

  Yet she remained steadfast.

  “You taught a coward like me how to learn to be brave. You believed in me more than I ever did in myself. I’ll forever be grateful for it.”

  She watched the girl crouch down, laying her rose at the foot of her plaque, to join the two others. She waited there, as the wind tugged at red strands of hair that escaped her hairband.

  Noelle’s voice broke.

  “I’ll miss you, Trevor.”

  Then, Noelle’s voice grew steadfast, shaking not with her sadness, but with determination. When she rose, Evantra could see steel in her eyes. An unwavering conviction she had only seen once before.

  When a na?ve, brilliant, and selfless girl had run into a Veilsurge to save a fool.

  “I swear that I’ll make you proud,” she whispered, her words carried away on the wind.

  In her words, Evantra realised that there was an entire world between them that had been lost on her. Shooting lessons that Noelle attended with Trevor after the sewer incident. The guidance the man had given her, to help her push through her own demons. Culminating in her sudden appearance in the Veilsurge, saving her when she had been on the brink of death. Just one of the countless ways he had touched their lives in the subtlest yet the most significant of ways.

  “Noelle—”

  “I’m fine, Evantra. I’m…”

  Evantra reached for her, but the girl broke out into a sob, heading towards where Carmen, Lucas, Tai and Amy were seated together.

  Leaving her all alone.

  Evantra stared at the plaque as the wind tugged at her hair. Clouds darkened overhead, and the softest sobs emerged from the other mourners at a distance away.

  Evantra crouched.

  “The only reason anyone here is alive is because of you, you know that, old man? You saved them. You saved them, and no one will ever know. And I bet that’s just how you would want it to stay. I bet that’s why Carmen didn’t ask for your plaque to be engraved.”

  As she crouched before his plaque, Evantra’s eyes were dry.

  “I never got to tell you what Carmen said about you, did I? The flaws, remember?”

  Evantra paused.

  “She said you were dense. Didn’t know how to pick a date spot to save your life. That just like her, you were stubborn, and there was no dissuading you when you had your mind set on something. That your farts smelt horrible.”

  The edges of Evantra’s lips curved upwards before falling back down.

  Evantra’s hand curled around the roses in her shaking grip.

  “She also said you were humble. Kind. With a heart bigger than you knew what to do with. That you were selfless, at your own expense. Maybe that’s why you stumbled into our lives and tried to help us. All of us broken souls.”

  Evantra’s voice began to shake.

  “You were going to teach me how to forgive myself, remember?”

  The wind picked up around her, sending white petals flying in the air around her. The roses lying against the plaques around her began to shift, the gust teasing their petals.

  “You said you would tell me when you figured it out yourself.”

  Evantra crouched, placing her rose against his plaque. She set a trembling hand on top of his plaque.

  “Trevor, I’m s—”

  Evantra let out a deep, shuddering breath.

  “Thank you. For coming into our lives. For coming into mine.”

  Evantra rose, clutching the three roses that remained in her grip that she had yet to deliver. She stepped away, but halted, turning back to the plaque.

  “You were wrong, you know. You did teach me about forgiveness.”

  Her voice cracked as a tear slid down her cheek. Followed by another.

  “Even when I wanted nothing to do with it. Typical,” Evantra’s voice shook as she laughed, eyes covered by her arm as she wiped off her tears.

  “I’ll miss you, old man.”

  “Goodbye.”

  ***

  The dark clouds above her grew denser, but Evantra walked alone, with three roses left in her grip.

  She looked down at the next grave. It wasn’t as recent as the plaques prepared for the victims of Wisptown’s collapse, but it practically shone, standing out amongst the others within which it was placed.

  Just like the person she was.

  “Hey. It’s the flaker here. Your favourite ghost.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t come to the funeral, I had better things to do, you know? But I’m guessing you expected it, given my track record.”

  Evantra sat on the grass, damp with the morning dew which lingered in the humidity of the coming Ectostorm. She crossed her legs and leaned forwards, with the roses in her hands.

  “There was so much I didn’t tell you, because I was afraid.”

  “Afraid of what you would say to me. How badly you would roast me, for my stupidity.”

  “I was afraid you would dissuade me from what I really wanted to do. Because I knew you cared about me. And that if it came from you…”

  Evantra smiled.

  “I was afraid that I’d listen.”

  Evantra bit her lip, watching black lightning flash in the distance.

  “I’m a magical girl. One of the sad, honourable saps that came before us, fighting the Veil. Me, of all people, can you believe it? You’re allowed to laugh, not that you’d care for my permission.”

  Then Evantra’s smile faded.

  “I wish I had told you that day. Just so I could have seen you laugh, one last time at the thought of it. So, here I am. To tell you all of the things I should have sooner.”

  Evantra let out a shuddering breath as her expression twisted.

  “Thank you for being the one to tell me the things that I didn’t want to hear, but which no one else had the courage to say.”

  “You inspired me in the way that you lived. You were brave, unapologetic, and from the moment I met you, I wanted to be more like you.”

  She closed her eyes.

  “But most of all, thank you for being my first friend. My best friend.”

  She wiped at her eyes as her voice trembled.

  Evantra’s lips drew into a slow smile.

  “But being the smartass that you were, I know what you would say to me if you were here. That you knew all of this anyway, and that I’m a dumbass for getting all mopey about it. Still.”

  “I love you Mills, and I always will.”

  Evantra laid the rose at the foot of Millie Radcliffe’s grave.

  ***

  Evantra walked further into the graveyard, far away now, from the Wisptown memorial. She climbed right to the neighbouring peak of the hill, walking through old graves, dark and broken. She continued to climb until she reached the very top.

  Evantra walked past graves unlike the ashen white plaques that had been prepared for the victims of Wisptown’s collapse. Old graves, dark and broken. She continued, pushing onwards and past a rickety, rusted gate that creaked as she pushed it open.

  In the distance, at the very top of the hill was a Jacaranda tree. Hundreds and thousands of purple flower petals flitted about the air and drew circles over the ground as they danced in the wind of the coming ectostorm.

  Her breath caught when she saw them.

  Graves cast in the same image, resting at the very foot of the sprawling tree which shaded them.

  Evantra came to a halt before the graves, her final two flowers in hand.

  “Hi, mum and dad.”

  Evantra felt her hands tremble, and she curled them into fists, averting her eyes. She stood there, still, for a few minutes. Eyes passing over the graves with trimmed grass, devoid of weeds sprouting from their edges.

  Her eyes caught onto something weighed down by a rock, leaning against her mother’s grave.

  They were letters.

  Evantra gingerly lifted the stone, picking out one from the pile to read it. The stains of ectorain coloured its edges, but she could still make out the script.

  Evange.

  Yesterday, your daughter saved my son’s life. She dove into a Veilsurge that appeared in the middle of my living room. There is not a day that passes where I don’t see more of you in her. More of the both of you—

  Evantra’s breath caught as she lowered the letter, sliding it gently back into place, and putting it beneath the rock. She stared at her parents’ grave, tended to with love. Which had not fallen into disrepair in her absence.

  “Carmen…”

  Finally, Evantra unclenched her hands and knelt before the graves, inclining her head towards them.

  “I was never as good at them as you were. The sermons. At bringing others hope.”

  “Dad. You would have laughed at me. Butchering the passages, giving poor Miss Miller a heart attack with my… interpretations.”

  Evantra closed her eyes, and she felt her arms trembling where they rested on her thighs.

  “I tried. To live the life that you wanted me to. I wasn’t good at it,” Evantra’s lips curled into a wry smile. “I even tried to keep my promise. I only swore a couple of times… I swear.”

  “I’ve thought about that day ever since it happened. How I ran, while you held it back. How if I had just listened to you, everything could have been different.”

  “It’s my biggest regret. No, maybe my second biggest. Besides not getting to know you like others did, mum.”

  Evantra smiled.

  “I’ve learned a lot since then. I think I understand why you found it so hard to… talk to people. Why it was hard for you to talk to me. But… I’m learning, and I’m trying to take a different path.”

  “I… I resented you for sheltering me like you did. Both from the things that I was so curious about, and the scary parts of this world. Though now… I understand why you did it. There are people that I want to protect, to ensure that all they experience is happiness and wonder. While it isn’t the path I’ll take, I understand why you did it… and the place from which it came from.”

  Evantra opened her eyes. Eyes that shone in the dark lightning that carved its path over her, thunder rumbling in her bones. With white mist that curled in their cloudy depths, the mark of the wraith that had ended their lives that lived on in her eyes.

  “I think… I’ve found my calling. It’s not the one you want, or even what you would approve of. But it’s my way of bringing hope into this bleak world, just as you did with your beautiful words.”

  “Mum… you taught me about what I value the most in others. The willingness to be there for someone in their darkest moments. To be there, when all is said and done, when things come down to the line.”

  “I’ve been given a chance to do the same for others. To be their light in the darkness, just as you were for me, when all seemed lost, when I was at my lowest.”

  Evantra’s lips stretched into a painful smile.

  “When I needed you the most.”

  The silence drew on, finally interrupted by the thundering ectostorm overhead, the purple Jacaranda flower petals swirling to a crescendo.

  “I’m here to say goodbye. I’m sorry that I ran. That I wasn’t able to save you. Thank you for everything that you’ve done for me.”

  The ectorain began to fall.

  Evantra bowed her head, closing her eyes.

  “Here’s one for you, just this once. ‘Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death’. Isiah 57:1-2.”

  Evantra’s tears intermingled with the rain as she rose from her parents’ grave. The rain poured down on her, and Evantra wiped tears from her eyes—

  With still hands.

  As she rose to her feet, one thing lingered in her mind.

  Ghosts.

  Beings of such despair, grief, and pain made manifest, that the ingredients of their birth had nowhere to go but to the world around them. Beings which inflicted their nature on the world, uncaring of the lives, hopes and dreams that they twisted.

  “‘Come to, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28.”

  Black lightning tore across the skies, bringing with it the screams of thunder.

  “That one’s for me. Goodbye, mum and dad. I love you.”

  Book 1: Magical Girl Ghostslayer

  END