Evantra’s eyes widened the moment that she read the skill. The skills tied to the artefacts she had gained thus far had mostly been of limited direct utility. However, they had incredible potential when applied in specific scenarios.

  Ghostslayer Rank: Ghoul (Level 9)

  Catalyst: Nimue’s Rose (level 8)

  ·  [Recovery]

  ·  [Skill locked]

  ·  [Skill locked]

  Catalyst: Ionian Mimic (level 5)

  ·  [Conceal]

  ·  [Object mimicry]

  ·  [Stonerooted]

  Reserve catalysts:

  ·  Mistheart (Level 8)

  ·  Darkstalker (Level 1)

  Rituals:

  ·  [Ritual of consumption]

  ·  [Ritual of Veilsight]

  ·  [Ritual of concealment]

  Veilsouls: 1,195

  [Clot acceleration] allowed her to amplify and accelerate the healing effect of Panacea’s mid to top range of stims – their Phoenix and Rebirth lines. Something about the skill had an amplificatory effect on their efficacy.

  [Object mimicry] allowed her to conjure an illusion, taking the form of an inanimate object roughly equating to her size. Paired with the [ritual of concealment] it had great potential to aid her in any infiltration efforts she saw fit to pursue.

  Upon seeing [recovery], Evantra felt her heartbeat heighten in anticipation. The thought of a skill which more directly bolstered regeneration, allowing her to recover from mundane wounds, would be invaluable. [Clot acceleration] was currently of limited use to her, given how prohibitive the cost of Panacea’s upmarket stims were.

  Evantra was drawn from her thoughts as one of Demeteria’s operatives strode over to her, instructing her that her family had safely exited the bunker.

  Skill exploration would have to wait.

  ***

  “Carm— ah—”

  Carmen enveloped her in a suffocating hug outside of Rosewood, shortly followed by Noelle and Lucas.

  Evantra felt her heart leap into her throat at the sight of the woman. It was an uncanny image of how she had appeared after the Veilsurge that had appeared in her home. Her body was tense, and Evantra could clearly see that she had been holding back tears for Lucas’ sake. From the way that Lucas was gripping her hand, she could tell that she hadn’t done a very good job in fooling him. Then again, not much got past Lucas.

  “I’m ok, abuela, I’m ok.”

  For a moment, the pair just embraced in relief. She watched as Carmen slowly broke out into a smile, lightly slapping her arm.

  “I’m never going to get used to this,” she said, shooting her a brief glare before releasing a slow breath. As she did so, she could see the stress and tension built up in her body slowly dissipate.

  Evantra glanced around, but couldn’t see Tai or Amy in their periphery.

  “They’re ok. Amy’s being treated at Saint Raphael’s. Are you? Did you go into the Veilsurge to clear it?” Noelle spoke up, her eyes full of worry. Evantra could still see a hint of curiosity in her eyes, which only grew more pronounced after she had confirmed Evantra’s safety. Evantra smiled, dignifying her question with a nod.

  “Mmhm. We saw bloodspawn, yaoguai—”

  “YAOGUAI?”

  Evantra grinned as she began to walk towards the lift at a brisk pace, with Noelle rushing to keep up.

  “You can’t just—”

  “And a spectre. One that had possessed a bloodspawn. We didn’t see it exactly—”

  “A SPECTRE?”

  “But that’s not even the best part… you didn’t see the Ghostslayer that Demeteria called to deal with it, did you?”

  Noelle was shaking with curiosity, and Evantra watched as Lucas giggled at the horrifying scene of cruelty as she continued to dangle tantalising tidbits in front of her. Carmen rolled her eyes, but seemed to smile, her relief putting her in a very good mood.

  “I met an Australian.”

  Noelle was as pale as a sheet, but before she could make her next exclamation, Evantra drew closer to her ear, delivering her final blow with a whisper.

  “And unlocked a skill.”

  Evantra smiled at her friend’s reaction, seeing how Noelle was almost pulling out her dyed hair in anticipation. She exchanged a knowing smile with Lucas, who was biting down a smile at the other girl’s antics and unadulterated curiosity.

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

  Evantra turned away, her thoughts on her expedition into the lost territories with Jack still fresh on her mind. The ugly feelings that it resurfaced, the helplessness twisting inside of her at seeing the wave of creatures that could have easily torn her apart. The envy she felt, watching Jack skilfully rip through them, snatching Nina from their grasp.

  Then, Evantra turned to an empty corner of the lift, her eyes lingering over the empty space.

  ***

  Three days after the Wisptown memorial service

  “I have a wraith as my magical girl companion.”

  Evantra looked towards Carmen Alvarez and Amy Tran, who were seated just opposite her.

  Evantra’s eyes passed over Amy. The mother of Tai Tran, the little twelve-year-old girl who often minded Gale’s Gunstore. Amy was stocky, rising to about Evantra’s shoulder, and her arms were crossed as she listened to Evantra’s words. The woman’s black hair was tied into an economical bun, and her eyes were steely as they met Evantra’s.

  “Or at least… I think that’s what it is.”

  Carmen frowned in concern as she leaned forwards.

  “Evantra… what are you say—”

  The ghost flickered into existence.

  The creature was wreathed in pale, white skin stretched over lean muscle beneath. With proportions that flew arrogantly in the face of the natural order, arms drooping down from its slightly hunched posture, ending in fingers taking the shape of sharp, black claws. A featureless face stared back at them as the wraith stood watching.

  Motionless.

  It was positioned behind Evantra, to the right of the chair in which she sat. Carmen’s warm, brown eyes went wide in shock, but they returned to Evantra’s after a moment of silence. It was a small consolation that this wraith failed to evoke the sheer physical repulsion that she had experienced on the day of her parents’ death. Still, it spoke to the depths of both Carmen and Amy’s character that neither woman screamed.

  The wraith towered over them.

  “Why did you want to speak to me?”

  Amy's eyes continued to linger on the wraith before returning to Evantra as if it was a minor nuisance. Evantra stared incredulously at Tai’s mother. She remained seated in her chair, barely flinching from its presence.

  Evantra paused to look up at the creature, which tilted its head down towards her.

  “When I entered the Veilsurge that appeared in Carmen’s house, I stumbled across a ritual. This ghost… it plunged a hand through my gut, flinging me into the ritual circle. I awakened as a magical girl, just like I told you before.”

  Amy gave her a curt nod, gesturing for her to continue. Evantra had explained the events leading up to her awakening. Then, to Evantra’s surprise and horror, she watched as Amy rose from her seat.

  “Amy!”

  Carmen called out to the woman, sending her own chair clattering back as she shot upwards in an attempt to stop her. Amy began to walk towards the ghost, stopping right before it, her head inclined upwards as she crossed her arms.

  “Has it attacked you since?”

  Evantra’s grip was right on the edges of her desk, her heart thundering in her chest. Gradually, she eased her grip, returning to her seat.

  “N-no. In hindsight… I realised that I’ve always felt its presence in the corner of my awareness. I think it’s always been with me. It’s the only reason I even agreed to see you face-to-face after it revealed itself. From what I can tell, it’s incorporeal.”

  Amy Tran strode right up to the wraith.

  Evantra and Carmen’s eyes widened in abject horror as her hand passed straight through the ghost. Its pale, featureless face tilted gently to the right, but the wraith remained unmoving.

  “Mm.”

  They stared blankly at her, and Evantra gradually felt her heartbeat begin to steady. She turned towards the wraith.

  “Y-you can go now.”

  The wraith faded out of existence, leaving no trace of its presence behind.

  “It obeys your commands?”

  “It… comes when I call it. Sometimes. It hasn’t said a word to me except one. ‘Help’. But I can feel a sort of connection to it. I can feel… its hunger. But underneath it… I think I can make out its desperation. What exactly its desperate for… I’m not certain. I think it was why it threw me into the ritual in the first place. But I can’t sense any animosity. Towards me, or anyone else.”

  “Then why did you want to speak to me?”

  Evantra stared, at a loss for words, as Amy’s steely dark eyes bore into her own.

  “You… both had a right to know. It could be a danger to Tai and Lucas. I could be a danger to them—”

  Evantra reached into her backpack at her side, extracting a singular item. She placed Clark’s pistol on the table. The bespoke weapon created by Kali Arms – tailor-made to his preferences.

  “T-this is everything I have to offer you, Amy. Kali Arms make bespoke weaponry for execs that can afford them. It may even be enough to put a down payment on an apartment for the both of you.”

  Evantra swallowed, turning to Carmen.

  “Carmen, I’ll find a place to stay, far away from the city—”

  “I have seen worse monsters.”

  Amy Tran crossed her arms, as her curt words silencing Evantra.

  “I will not take your money.”

  Evantra stared blankly at the woman, who simply returned her gaze unflinchingly. She turned to helplessly to Carmen.

  “T-then… Carmen, will you—”

  “No,” Carmen said softly, with a whisper. She shook her head.

  Amy rose from the table, nodding towards Carmen, who rose with her.

  “We’ll go on ahead with the mattresses. See you tomorrow.”

  Without so much as another word, Amy Tran rose from the table and made for the door. Evantra stared as she left, her eyes trailing her path.

  “I-I don’t understand. Carmen, this is insane. We’re talking about a ghost! A wraith—”

  “A wraith that hasn’t harmed us for the month and a half that it has been with you. A wraith that listens to your requests. Your ‘companion’, as you say. What do you propose to do, hm? Stay on the edge of the outskirts isolated, for your entire life? You expose yourself to other more tangible dangers if you do so.”

  Evantra rose her eyes wild.

  “Both of you have lost your minds. At the very least, let me stay away from the city. To make sure that it doesn’t harm Lucas or Tai. Carmen, please… I… I can’t afford to lose any more of you.”

  Evantra gritted her teeth, clenching her fist into a tight ball.

  “I know, Eva. I know,” Carmen’s voice softened. She rose, rounding on Evantra and gently taking a hand in her own.

  “Why are you taking this risk—”

  “You have to understand,” Carmen’s tone hardened as she gently withdrew her hand. Her grip tightened firmly on Evantra’s shoulder.

  “It has been with you for five or six weeks, and it has done nothing.”

  “Still—”

  “Minh and Amy ran a gunstore in the slums. They were living hand-to-mouth, and they were exposed to danger every day. They couldn’t afford childcare. They couldn’t afford a private education for Tai, seeing as public schools are now a part of the history books. Do you think they wanted their daughter to be around, minding the shop?”

  Evantra bit her lip as she slowly placed Clark’s pistol back into the backpack. She steeled herself, meeting Carmen’s eyes.

  “With all respect to her… Amy is letting her pride get in the way of Tai’s safety. There’s a difference between living in the slums and willingly exposing yourself to a ghost. Besides, aren’t you worried about Lucas?’

  “Of course I am,” Carmen hissed, vitriol entering her voice. “I’m also worried about you. You’ve told me about your abilities, and none of them will stop a gunshot, Eva.” Carmen glowered at her.

  “I pose too much of a danger—”

  “Don’t make me choose between the both of you.”

  Evantra froze rigid, her eyes wide.

  Carmen’s gaze bore into her.

  “Now go, pack up and get ready. This is the last I want to hear of this. We’ve made our decisions, as stupid as you think they are. If you leave and get an apartment for yourself, I’ll set Noelle on you. And if there’s one skill we both know that girl has refined, it’s her stalking ability. Don’t test me.”

  Without another word, Carmen Alvarez rose from her seat, and made her way out of the room. Evantra let out the breath that she hadn’t realised she had been holding in. Evantra turned to her right and watched as the wraith flickered back into existence. She fought down the instinctual disgust and terror that rose in her gut at the sight of her companion.

  “Please don’t hurt them.”

  The wraith’s featureless white face turned towards her before flickering out of existence.

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