Only five days were left before the performance. I had finished crafting the magical transmitters - something resembling short wands for the wizards, and thin plates to be attached to the boots and gloves for the actors. The boys were getting quite adept at handling swords, and when I allowed them to keep the swords after the show, they were overjoyed.
But one day, when Rizel arrived for the morning rehearsal, an important person was missing. A little quiet girl who never parted with her silvery staff during rehearsals, not even for a minute. Rizel always took the staff with a skull with her, bringing it to rehearsals, but today no one rushed to her with a joyful smile, trying to snatch the staff from the teacher.
"Kids, do you know where Mili is? She's never been late before," Rizel asked, looking at her students, but they remained silent. It seemed they were all avoiding eye contact, trying not to blurt out anything unnecessary.
"What happened? Why are you silent?" Rizel pressed on.
"Teacher..." The class monitor, a clever and sensible girl, stepped forward. She decided to answer for all the students. "She didn't come today. And..."
"Is she sick?"
"No. She didn't come home yesterday either. She's disappeared."
"What are you talking about? Do you know something?"
"The spirits took her," Jim muttered quietly to himself.
"Be quiet!"
"But it's true. You know it too."
They tried to silence the boy, but he pushed them away.
"She's not the first one, and you know it!"
"What are you talking about?!?" Rizel raised her voice at her students for the first time, and they timidly fell silent. "What happened? You know something!"
The class monitor stepped forward again.
"I'll tell you, but please, don't do anything. You could vanish too," the girl sighed deeply and began her story. "For the past six months, people have been disappearing from the city periodically. Mostly, it's children and young people. And no one has ever seen them again. They've been searched for countless times, but no bodies or any traces have ever been found. Similar disappearances happened in the past too: ten years ago, several people vanished, and they were never found either. That's why rumors started spreading that spirits are abducting people and that's why not even their bodies remain. I'm sorry, teacher, but no one can help you in finding her. Maybe it's best to just accept it."
"NO! I will find her!! And as for the rest of you... do whatever you want! If you've given up, I haven't!"
Rizel rushed out of the school. Throwing aside her dress and wig, the girl put on a cloak and grabbed her staff. If all these people were abducted by spirits, only a necromancer could find them.
"Krito!!!" She pounded on the door of the forge, ignoring the disapproving glances of passersby.
"Who's there? Oh my goodness!" The blacksmith abruptly opened the door but recoiled upon seeing the girl in her hooded cloak.
"I need my friend!" Without going into details, the necromancer dragged me out onto the street.
"Something happened?"
"Yes, one of my students, Mili, disappeared!"
"Is she the one who was supposed to play your role?"
"Yes!"
"What about her parents?"
"Both the parents and all other townspeople are afraid to search for her. They say those who look for the missing children end up dead. She's not the first one to disappear. Eight people have been abducted in the past six months. They all vanished while walking home at night."
"Any ideas?"
"I don't know," Rizel sat on a bench, lost in thought. "I was told that spirits took them, but it's all a lie. I tried to sense any spirits harboring ill will toward the city, but I couldn't find anyone. Hmm, in fact, I couldn't sense any lingering spirits in the city at all."
"Isn't that strange?"
"No, not really. With the portals closed, many spirits can't move on to the afterlife. So cities with extensive cemeteries should have many lingering souls, dwelling near their graves or places of residence."
"Then you don't find it strange. The city has a huge cemetery, left from the battle with the northern tribes. The fallen northerners are buried there, and they surely harbor resentment toward the whole city. Do you think their souls could just vanish like that?"
"No, definitely not. They should have remained here."
"Then we need to check one place. I don't know if it's related to the disappearances, but when I first saw this church, I had a bad feeling about it."
At the northern outskirts of the city, next to the road to Nordrune, there sprawled a cemetery surrounded by a high fence, in the center of which stood a small church.
"Well?" I asked.
"Nothing," Rizel peered into the graves. "No spirits at all; this just can't be. Unless something scared them away."
"Or, on the contrary," I tried to open the gates, but they were locked. The church was poorly visible from here, but I noticed something: "Look, the church is entirely new. The foundation is made of old gray stone, and the new building is erected on top of it. And it seems the old building was destroyed not so long ago."
"Hmm, do you think it's related to the disappearance of people or spirits?"
"Quite possible. There are too many strange coincidences in this city. Heeey!! IS ANYONE HERE!?"
I tried to call the caretaker, but there was no response.
"That's strange. Someone should be taking care of the cemetery," Rizel evaluated the height of the fence. It was possible to climb over it if we tried, but trespassing onto the cemetery without permission didn't seem like a good idea.
"Can I help you with something?" A voice came from behind.
We turned around and saw a priest in a long robe with a distinctive cross of the grand church, with wide horizontal arms and shorter top and bottom ones. The priest appeared to be around fifty, with gray hair and a beard, and heavy eyes under thick eyebrows.
"Oh, forgive us. We just wanted to go inside," I said.
"People come to me only for funerals or to remember their relatives. Are your acquaintances buried here?"
"No. We just wanted to say a prayer."
"I'm sorry, but I don't conduct services here. This church hasn't received the blessing of the archbishop after its restoration, so it's better for you to pray at home."
The priest passed by us, opened the gate, and walked inside, remembering to lock them behind him.
"What a boor. I thought people of the church are supposed to help those in need," Rizel commented.
"Well, not everything in this world goes smoothly. Let's go to another place where your student might have been seen."
Soon, we arrived at a three-story mansion located slightly south of the cemetery. This was the place where the lonely girl sometimes observed the entire city. Despite some reluctance, the butler let us in after inspecting Rizel. The owner was absent again, so no one could disturb us.
"Serena, hi!" I cheerfully greeted the girl who was still lying on her snow-white bed in the vast room. "I brought a new friend today. This is Rizel."
"Hello," Rizel elegantly bowed, holding her staff horizontally with both hands.
"Oh, how unexpected! I've seen you before, but up close, your image, how should I put it, is quite impressive," Serena observed the necromancer with interest.
"I actually came here today for an important matter. Do you know anything about people being abducted by spirits?"
The girl's face contorted with fear, but soon softened.
"Yes, I've heard about it. People vanish without a trace, and their bodies are never found. Many believe they simply leave for other cities, although logic tells me that finding work would be much easier in our rapidly developing city. I've tried to find witnesses or missing people, but somehow, at the moment of their disappearance, no one is around," Serena said.
"Krito, I'm afraid we won't find anything here either."
"Don't rush; let's keep an eye on the church. Use this," I handed Rizel Serena's spyglass, and then resumed questioning, "What do you know about the church?"
"Well, it was built in our city quite recently, just three years ago."
"What about the old church? Was it there before?"
"Yes, but fifteen years ago, it was destroyed."
"That's the same time as the previous wave of disappearances?"
"Yes, many believed that the souls of the barbarians buried beneath the church cursed it with their hatred, causing people to vanish. An enraged mob stormed the temple, expelled the priest and his pupils, and burned everything to the ground. However, those who started the arson were found dead shortly after, their bodies desiccated like mummies, but the disappearances ceased. When the new priest arrived? The mayor initially resisted but eventually gave in due to pressure from wealthy townspeople. It's difficult to conduct trade while being on bad terms with such an organization. At first, everything seemed fine, but six months ago, an old crypt was discovered beneath the church, and the abductions resumed. I fear that if it continues, the church will be destroyed, and the curse will remain on our city forever."
"It's an interesting story, but I don't believe in curses. I'm more curious about why they didn't let us into the cemetery?"
"People rarely go there; many fear the place and avoid it."
"But burials take place there."
"Yes, but no one lingers there for long. The place has a very unpleasant atmosphere."
"Well, yes, I know very few people who enjoy spending time in a cemetery. But since the church is there, I assumed they had parishioners too."
"Speaking of parishioners," Rizel, who had been observing the chapel through the spyglass all this time, turned to us. "Someone just came out."
"Let me have a look," I peered at the face of the parishioner and recognized him: "Well, well, Serena, I didn't know your father was a religious man."
"Father? Yes, he often visits the church. He prays for my illness to be cured, although I know it's futile."
"And is that all there is to it?"
"You understand that it's not. All the wealthy merchants visit the church. By making generous donations, they can gain support in obtaining permits for trading in other cities. Even if this church is small and on the outskirts, the holy father spent a long time working in Belenor and has the necessary connections."
"I don't like the sound of this."
"Krito, what are you thinking?"
I turned to the room's hostess and bowed, politely requesting a favor.
"Serena, would you allow us to conduct a brief and intense interrogation with your father?"
"What? Why? What do you think..."
"No," I interrupted the girl, "but your father knows something about what's happening in the church, yet he's afraid to speak about it. He needs a little push, and our Necromancer here can help with that."
"Me?" Rizel was slightly surprised.
"Yes, have you ever scared people before?"
When the homeowner returned, he looked exhausted.
"Why do I keep covering for him? He promised to help, but it hasn't yielded any results," he muttered.
"Sir, should I serve dinner?"
"No, I'm tired. I'll go upstairs," the merchant replied, passing by the butler and heading upstairs.
His room was on the third floor, across from his daughter's room, but he couldn't bring himself to go inside.
"If she sees me like this now, she'll only be upset. I'm sorry for letting you down again, Serena."
The man lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. His last hope of saving his daughter slowly dissipated, and he was helpless.
The room was smaller than the hostess's room but furnished more elegantly. Three large windows faced the east, and the merchant didn't immediately notice the silhouette hanging in the air outside one of them.
The room began to fill with gray mist accompanied by an unnatural chill. A gentle breeze opened the window, and the dark figure in a black robe slowly seeped into the room. Sensing something amiss, the host woke from his drowsiness, but fear immobilized him. The figure in the black robe hung silently in the air, holding a silver skull with blazing green flame eyes.
"Who are you?" the man's voice seemed unable to reach the figure.
"ANSWER!" The shadow stopped and turned toward the source of its displeasure.
"Death..." the figure said one word, raising the skull, and the expensive bed crumbled to dust. "Don't interfere."
"You! You came for me?!" The man's voice trembled, but he still tried to stop the shadow. The figure merely shook its head.
"Then... you came for my daughter?" This time, the answer was affirmative. "NO! Don't take her!!"
The merchant rushed before his impending death and fell to his knees.
"I'll do anything, just don't take her away from me!"
"Her time has come..." The figure fluttered over the merchant, heading toward the door.
"But..." the man hesitated; he wanted to say something more but couldn't decide. "He promised her help! He said he could negotiate with you! Why don't you listen to me!?"
The merchant yelled, but the shadow ignored him. Midway to the door, it waved the skull again, and the door opened. Behind it stood the girl, destined for a tragic fate.
"NO!" The merchant stood in front of Serena, shielding her with his body. "He said you could take another soul instead of hers, so take mine!"
"Father," Serena embraced him from behind, "who told you that?"
The man fell silent and knelt down.
"Father Alberto, he said that all these victims could give you a new life, and foolishly, I believed him."
"Stop, thank you all. Everyone is free!" I clapped my hands and walked out from behind the door, surprising the homeowner.
"Who are you? What's happening?"
"Alright, get me down already!" Rizel, who had been hanging in the air for a long time, complained. "He confessed, let me down!"
"Yes, yes. Stop squirming!" Aislinn appeared from the window, holding a reel of thin rope. She loosened it, and the "Death" figure gently landed on the ground, removing the belt that had kept her levitating. "See, with this thing, your actors can easily perform the most complex tricks."
"Fine, you convinced me. Now we just need to gather all the missing people. Where is she?" Rizel glared menacingly at the merchant and pointed the sharp end of her staff at him.
"You? What's going on here? Serena, what is this?"
"Father, it was all a performance to make you confess. Are you involved in these kidnappings?"
"No, I didn't abduct anyone."
"But you know who did?" I confidently approached the merchant and helped him to his feet. "You just confessed that you knew about the priest's affairs. So, where is he keeping the kidnapped children, and what does he plan to do with them?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but he's keeping them in a crypt under the church, where the invaders are buried. He said their life force could be used to grant life. He promised to cure Serena, and to other merchants, he promised immortality, but so far, he hasn't achieved anything. I wanted him to release the children, but then I'd lose the last chance to save my daughter."
"FOOL!" Rizel slapped the merchant across the face. "I know what he's planning to do. You can grant life by taking the soul of a living person; it's one of the basic powers of necromancy. But why would he give you the power he worked so hard to obtain?"
"Rizel, what is he planning to do?"
"If I'm correct, he'll consume the souls of all the children at once and gain tremendous power. With that, he might even attain immortality."