'Sun Goddess.'

  Number 99 lay gazing up at the branches that held the sky captive, his mind racing with schemes. The playful winds of Tapiola carried the scent of damp earth to him, unceasing.

  He pressed his palms against the grass, slick with the night’s dew, and pushed himself up. As he calmly brushed the dust and dirt from his clothes, a strange sensation struck his mind like a bolt of lightning.

  After sweeping his gaze across their campsite, ensuring not a single tree escaped his scrutiny, he realized that a nearby presence was holding back—too terrified of him to approach. As he scanned the surroundings, it seemed as if the shadows themselves were desperately scrambling to remain unseen, shrinking away in fear of his gaze.

  "Hmm. Interesting," Number 99 murmured, the words barely a breath, meant only for his own ears.

  "Is something wrong?"

  Number 99 turned his eyes toward the source of the shrill voice to find Number 25, whose short hair was a mess, resembling a frayed broom. Although she had grown more comfortable speaking with 99 since the previous night, her timidity regarding eye contact lingered, and she quickly averted her gaze.

  "I don't think it's anything worth worrying about. Did you sleep well?"

  Nodding slightly at 99's question, Number 25 cast her gaze toward Fidelis, who lay beside them like a toppled barrel.

  "Fidelis!"

  The noisy barrel of a man, grunting in a discordant rhythm, jolted awake at the sound of 99’s voice. From his vacant stare, the stars spinning around his head were practically visible.

  "Ah, um... Master 99!"

  "If we set out now, we should reach our destination by evening, correct Fidelis?"

  "Yes, Master 99! I'm getting ready immediately!"

  Swiping away the drool trailing from his mouth with the back of his hand, Fidelis turned to Number 25, who was giggling quietly. He shot her a warm smile, winked, and hauled himself up.

  After gathering his scattered belongings, Fidelis pulled a loaf of bread from his bag, tore off a chunk, and offered it to Number 25.

  "I know you 'Outsiders' aren't bound by the need to eat, but this is excellent stuff."

  Number 25 took the bread in her hands and took a small bite. Though it had dried out and was hard as stone, it held a comforting warmth.

  "Thank you, Fidelis. It really is good."

  "Ah, don't mention it, Miss!"

  Fidelis, enjoying the taste of the bread himself, stepped ahead of 99 and 25 to lead the way.

  ***

  Hours passed as the party traversed the boundless depths of Tapiola, forging ahead through a labyrinth of trees that seemed like endless reflections of one another. The sun, now high overhead, struggled in vain to pierce the thick canopy.

  Walking point, Fidelis could no longer bear the prickling sensation on the back of his neck and broke the silence.

  "Master 99, I believe we have been watched for several hours."

  "No, Fidelis. We have been watched since morning."

  At the mention of 'since morning,' Number 25 rooted to the spot, snapping in protest.

  "What! You told me nothing was wrong!"

  "No. I told you there was nothing worth noting."

  Struggling to maintain her composure in the face of Number 99’s indifference, Number 25 whipped around in panic at the sound of a scratching rustle from the bush behind her.

  She lost her footing and collapsed onto her hip as she locked eyes with two pale, white glimmers staring back at her from the undergrowth. A wave of intense, predatory hunger radiated from the bushes. Her heart pounded against her ribs, screaming a single command: Run, or become prey.

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  The creature slowly thrust its head through the bushes. Its face was a grotesque ruin; strips of flesh hung loosely from the bone, which itself was on the verge of rot. Though its form was vaguely human, the putrid stench radiating from it was sharp enough to wither everything around it.

  Number 25 froze, looking as if her soul had been ripped from her body. The creature took a slow step toward her, dribbling saliva that smelled of raw sewage.

  But the embodiment of Death standing right behind 25 swiftly reminded the creature’s primitive mind why it hadn’t dared to attack the group all morning.

  Under Number 99’s crushing gaze, the creature scrambled to drag itself backward, doing everything in its power to avert its eyes from the true monster in the clearing.

  As the creature recoiled, Number 99 raised his right hand. He unleashed the dark mist gathering in his palm, hurling it at the beast with vicious force.

  The creature crumbled under the weight of the encroaching fog. As the black vapors poured into its gaping maw, the pale luminescence in its eyes began to fade into nothingness.

  "Hey! What exactly is that thing?" Number 25 asked. As the ghostly pallor of her face faded, replaced by the slow return of color, her ragged breathing began to steady into a calm rhythm.

  "That, Miss, is a Ghoul," Fidelis explained. The sheer disappointment he felt at the sight before him was clearly etched on his face.

  "A Ghoul?"

  Ignoring Number 25's question, Fidelis turned to 99 to continue his warning.

  "Master 99, for a Ghoul to have ventured this far... it bodes ill," he said, taking a sharp breath before adding, "The Kirola region is..."

  "There is another one, Fidelis."

  Cutting him off, Number 99 locked his focus on a boulder sitting just at the edge of his peripheral vision. He forged the dark mist in his hands into chains and lashed them out behind the rock with blinding speed.

  As the creature, now ensnared by the chains, let out blood-curdling screams, 99 began to slowly reel it in. Dragged across the ground, the Ghoul emitted guttural, ear-splitting noises, its vile claws shredding the grass in a futile attempt to hold on.

  Realizing Number 99 was the one reeling it in, the Ghoul grew even more aggressive. It thrashed against the chains, throwing its weight backward in a desperate attempt to break free.

  Unable to endure the creature's shrieking any longer, Number 25 drew her bow. She loosed an arrow crackling with sparks at the beast that so disgusted her. Whistling through the air, the arrow pierced the Ghoul’s chest, searing its rotting flesh upon impact.

  As the creature burned, Number 99 retracted his chains. He watched it writhe in agony for a moment, a cold observer. Then, gathering a dense ball of dark mist in his hand, he hurled it at the helpless wretch—obliterating its head and showering the clearing with vile chunks of flesh.

  "Miss," Fidelis said, running his hands through his thinning hair to smooth it back. "That was a truly commendable move," he added.

  "The very sight of them turns my stomach. By the way, Fidelis, you mentioned the 'Kirola Region' earlier. What is that place?"

  "Ah, yes... It is a graveyard for these wretched creatures, Miss. And I fear their presence here suggests the barrier is failing."

  Fidelis’s expression darkened, and he continued, forcing the words out with visible reluctance.

  "In the Kirola Region, souls find no peace. Indeed, some cannot even depart their bodies—much like these Ghouls. And I dare not even mention the monstrosities that exist in states far worse than this!"

  Clenching his hands into tight fists, Fidelis sank into a heavy silence. Fidelis squeezed his eyes shut and took a series of deep, shuddering breaths. Finally, forcing himself to break his silence, he spoke:

  "Master 99... If the barrier in the Kirola Region falls, the entire continent will be dragged into ruin."

  Each word that escaped his lips stung him like the slice of a knife.

  "Sever the Ghoul's head and wrap it in a cloth, Fidelis."

  "Ah, um... I beg your pardon, Master 99?" Fidelis’s eyes went wide at the command.

  "Did you not hear me, Fidelis? Our 'comrades' waiting for us at the camp need to be made aware of this too, don't they?" 99 said, his gaze never leaving the boulder from behind which he had dragged the creature.

  Grumbling under his breath, Fidelis approached the corpse and reluctantly drew the dagger from his sheath.

  "There is something else behind that rock, 25. I believe you know what it is."

  "Do I?"

  Confused by Number 99’s words, Number 25 followed him in silence. When she rounded the boulder and saw the tiny, pink-winged fairy lying in a pool of blood, she clutched her chest. Trying desperately to stifle the nausea rising in her throat, she cried out:

  "Dixie!"

  The little fairy was mutilated beyond recognition; her body shattered, her delicate wings torn to shreds. The light in her once-bright pink eyes had been extinguished.

  Number 25 sank to her knees, silently letting the tears stream down her cheeks.

  Kneeling beside her, Number 99 removed his gloves one by one. He plunged his bare hands into the earth and began to dig a grave in silence.

  "She deserves a proper burial," 99 said. Without breaking his posture, he continued to scoop out the earth with his soiled hands.

  Number 25 wiped away her silent tears and slowly reached out to the fairy. After gently sliding the tiny eyelids shut, she cradled the fairy between her hands, careful not to disturb her rest.

  She laid her in the hollow 99 had dug, and together, they began to cover the small body with soil.

  Fidelis approached the pair, the Ghoul’s wrapped head tucked firmly

  "Poor fairy... I am sorry for your loss, Miss."

  "Ah, um... I didn't actually know her that well. Yet, I couldn't help but feel a strange warmth... a connection to her," Number 25 murmured.

  Her tears fell silently, mingling with the fresh soil that now blanketed the fairy’s grave.

  After brushing the soil from his hands, Number 99 pulled his gloves back on and rose to his feet. With a voice void of emotion, he cut short their mourning:

  "We cannot linger any longer. We move."

  Bidding the fairy a final farewell, Number 25 stood up with Fidelis’s assistance. The party then pressed on, leaving the forest behind with the silent resolve to never set foot in it again.