In another corner of the Stormfront Sea, two men in rusted armor stood guard, casually joking. A cry echoed from one of the cages behind them.
"Shut it!" barked one guard, his tone full of irritation. The cry had come from a baby clutched in a woman's arms.
"We haven't eaten in days!" another prisoner shouted desperately from one of the other cages.
"So what? Keep it down, or I'll shut you up myself!" the guard snapped.
"Why's the boss even keeping these people?" one guard muttered to the other, scowling as he glanced at the cages.
The second guard looked at him as if he'd just asked the dumbest question in the world. "To feed that thing! You think he's keeping it under control on kindness?"
A third guard overheard and joined in, shaking his head with a smirk. "That's all the boss does these days—mess around with his pet."
"Yeah, but he'd feed us to that thing if he heard us talking about him," the second guard muttered, casting a glance around, just in case.
"Well, yeah, but still—guy's been extra touchy since that 'ghost' started picking us off. Who even is this ghost?"
The first guard snorted. "Boss doesn't know either. Ghost first showed up about a week after we landed, took down an entire camp, left no one behind to tell the story. Boss even sent his pet out to hunt the ghost, but it came limping back with one leg missing!"
"What? That thing lost a leg?" The guard's shock was clear.
"That's why boss is obsessed. He won't let us leave camp or raid the towns. He's trying to draw the ghost out without giving him a chance to pick us off."
Their nervous chatter was cut short as something incredible happened—the relentless rain stopped. For the first time in what might've been centuries, a clear sky stretched over Stormfront Sea, and a stunned silence followed from the cages.
"Oh, for the love of—shut up, all of you!" one guard hissed as prisoners murmured excitedly among themselves.
"What the hell's going on?" the other muttered. "Should we report this?"
"I'm sure the boss have eyes, dumbass! Just keep these idiots quiet."
"Okay, but…wait, where'd the other guard go?"
"He was just here a sec—" the words were cut half, just like he himself. He was abruptly sliced in two, his body crumpling to the ground. His companion barely had time to react before he met the same swift fate. Shouts and panicked cries erupted around the camp, though none of the guards could see their attacker, let alone strike back.
A cloaked figure approached the cages, swiftly cutting the locks. About forty people staggered out, some clutching each other, some falling to their knees in tears. The figure made a subtle motion for them to follow and turned, moving quickly without a word. Weary and battered as they were, the prisoners followed, trusting their silent rescuer as they stumbled through the camp.
---
"Mmmm! Hm! Hmmm!"
"You're still not ready to talk?" Virana tilted her head, feigning pity as she traced a blade across his remaining arm. "Maybe I should take the other arm. But slower this time, piece by piece." She leaned in, her tone mockingly sweet. "Your choice."
"Hmmm!" He choked on his scream, eyes wide with terror.
"Shame you're so uncooperative~" she sighed, pouting theatrically.
"Virana, enough. We need him to talk," I finally intervened.
She sighed in frustration but shrugged, letting go. "Fine. But he's mine when we're done."
"Hmmph! Hmmm!" The man's relief was short-lived as she ripped the gag from his mouth.
"Yes! I'll talk! Anything you want—just keep her away!" He was practically tripping over his words now.
"Good." I crouched down, meeting his panicked gaze. "Let's start simple. Who do you work for?"
"We're...we're just a scavenger group," he stammered, his face ashen.
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "Because you don't seem like simple scavengers."
His gaze darted nervously to Virana, who was watching him with predatory interest. "O-our boss sent us to find a girl—one who saw the Ghost's face. We tracked her here."
"The 'Ghost'?" I pressed, exchanging a glance with Virana. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
The man swallowed, nodding furiously. "It's a—a person. Someone who's been tearing apart our camps since we landed here. W-we never saw his face; anyone who did...didn't live long."
"Hmm." I nodded, remembering things I heard far back in Fallen Worldtree. "Why are you all here, in this world?"
He hesitated, glancing between us as if weighing his options.
"Need some encouragement?" Virana smiled at him.
His face turned ghostly pale. "Our boss...he...captured a strong nightmare a year ago. He kept feeding it, building its strength. But when it started demanding humans to eat, he...he released it here so it could eat freely."
"And why pick Stormfront?" Virana's voice was sharp, holding back barely veiled disgust.
"This world...it's defenseless. There's no real military, and the Golden Order barely sends patrols—too costly to maintain in the endless storm. Once news of the Fated Sovereign spread, the chance of Golden Order sending help vanished."
His words hit hard, and the truth settled in my gut. Because of my existence, this world had become a nightmare's hunting ground, its people left to suffer.
I stood up slowly, my voice steady. "Well, you've been very helpful," I said, slicing his remaining restraints.
He stared in disbelief. "You're...letting me go?"
"Yes, of course, you are free to go," I replied evenly, giving a small nod toward the open door.
He didn't waste a second, bolting toward the exit. He didn't make it three steps before I raised a hand, sending a pulse of heat through the air. In seconds, he was nothing more than ash scattered in the wind.
"To Hell."
---
When we rejoined the others, Thalor was waiting. He'd gathered more information from the locals.
And the storm clouds were gathering again, it seemed my action only caused a small pause for storm.
According to him their leader's men have overrun multiple towns across the western islands. People from those towns are being held in camps, used as…feed." His disgust was plain. "There's also a rumor circulating about this ghost. No one knows what he looks like, but he's been tearing through the camps, freeing prisoners, and attacking scavengers he encounters."
"Lila and her brother were from one of those towns that got taken over, and the Ghost saved them," Thalor explained, casting a glance at Virana. "Their grandfather took them in here, thinking they'd be safe. But these scavengers must've tracked her down, figuring she'd seen the Ghost's face."
Virana's eyes sharpened. "All right. Let's go kill them all now."
"Easy." Thalor held up a hand. "They've got a Revenant on their side, and we don't know their numbers. Not to mention, warriors from Azdria stepping in could set off a whole mess of political problems in a world supposedly under Golden Order protection."
"If politics are your worry, remember—I'm not technically under Azdria yet. And even if we're outnumbered, we've got this guy." I pointed at Bom, who sat in the corner, devouring a comically oversized fish. No idea where he got it or when.
Virana didn't respond, but the way she held her sword showed she was itching to act. Just one more nudge, and she'd be all in.
"We could also—" I broke off mid-sentence, freezing as the Mark of Throne surged on my back, pulsing like a compass pointing me somewhere. This time, it didn't hurt, but the pull was strong, urgent.
Virana looked over, her eyes narrowing. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I need to go," I replied, already moving toward the window.
"Hey, wait—!"
Without slowing down, I vaulted through the window and hit the ground running, my boots splashing in the rain as I took off. The sky above grew darker, the storm clouds thickening. Of course, I wasn't strong enough to completely end a storm going on for thousands of years, it was coming back already. I channeled somnium into my legs, heightening my speed as I jumped from one rooftop to the next. The Mark guided me like a beacon, each pulse drawing me closer.
After passing through several islands, I finally saw him—a figure shrouded in a dark hood, leading a group of around forty bedraggled people. They looked thin, drained, but followed the figure with a kind of silent trust. The figure paused, turning to meet my gaze. I couldn't make out his face, but he raised a hand, gesturing for the group to continue on their way before stepping toward another path.
I tried to close the distance, needing answers. But just as I approached, a lightning bolt struck the ground between us, blinding me with the flash. When I looked again, he was gone.
Left with no other options, I guided the group to the town's edge, where the locals took them in. The freed captives described how the Ghost had saved them, but like everyone else, they hadn't seen his face or heard him speak.
Think, what would you do if you were in his place and wanted to save much people as possible?
I could guess what the Ghost was going to now.
There was no time to go back and bring Virana—I knew she was already half-convinced.
Leaving the townsfolk to the locals' care, I got the location of the nearest scavenger camp. The storm resumed, and I pulled my hood low, blending into the shadows as I made my way through the misty rain.
After traversing several more islands, I came upon a larger one. It stretched out before me, with a tall cliff looming at one end and a sprawling camp of tents and makeshift shacks across the rest. Rusted-armored scavengers patrolled the perimeter, dragging along feral, wolf-like nightmares either chained or caged.
The rain masked my footsteps, allowing me to slip unnoticed into the outskirts of the camp. I crouched low, hidden in the shadows, and prepared to wait. It wouldn't be long before the Ghost made his move.
---
"Did you find him?" Virana demanded, her voice sharp with impatience.
Thalor shook his head. "No, but people said he brought in a group rescued by the Ghost about an hour ago. He just wandered off after that, asking for directions to the nearest scavenger outpost."
Virana let out an exasperated sigh. "So he really just rushed off on his own. How did he even know where to find them?"
"They said the Ghost guided the group to the edge of town, but left the moment he saw Ashborn."
"Did anyone find out anything new about this Ghost?"
Thalor shook his head. "No one's seen his face or heard his voice. But they say he fights with a sword...and disappears in flashes of lightning."
Virana froze mid-step, her eyes widening as if struck by a sudden realization. "No way… It couldn't be, right?"
"What couldn't be?" Thalor asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Never mind," she muttered quickly, dismissing the thought. "Where's Lila? There's something I need to ask her."
Thalor, who was more than used to his sister's sudden shifts, simply answered, "She's staying with a family friend—the fourth building down the road."
Without a second's hesitation, Virana brushed past him and strode toward the door. She flung it open and nearly collided with Bom, who was standing there with both arms full of oversized fish.
"Oh, thanks for opening the door! I couldn't get it with my hands full," he said cheerfully.
She ignored him completely, charging down the street with a determined stride, her boots splashing through shallow puddles as the rain began to pick up again. Virana stopped in front of the house Thalor had described and rapped on the door, her impatience evident in each sharp knock. After a moment, a middle-aged woman opened it, her brow furrowed in concern.
The woman at the door looked at Virana in surprise. "Oh, I wasn't expecting visitors at this hour. Is everything alright?"
Virana gave a brief nod, her gaze direct. "I'm here to see Lila. It's important. May I come in?"
The woman's eyes flickered with hesitation before she stepped aside. "Of course. She's resting, but I'll go get her."
As Virana stepped into the warm room, the woman disappeared down a hallway. Moments later, Lila came into the room, looking sleepy and slightly disoriented. She rubbed her eyes as she took in Virana's focused expression.
"Lila," Virana began softly, kneeling to meet the girl's eye level, "I need to ask you something about the person who saved you before. You saw his face, right?"
Lila's eyes shifted uncertainly. "Well… Yes, but I promised to not tell anything to anyone."
Virana nodded in understanding. "I understand you want to keep your promise, but I think I know that person and want to be sure."
Lila thought for a moment, then hesitantly added, "But.."
Virana's expression softened, "Okay, let's just make yes or no questions. I will tell you something, and you will just say correct or not. That way you can be sure I really know that person."
She gave it a bit thought, then agreed.
Virana asked her only three questions, and Lila answered all of them with yes.
Lila nodded, her small face looking both relieved and proud. "Was I helpful?"
Virana managed a small smile. "Yes, very helpful." but even she didn't expected her suspicion to be correct.
She let out a long sigh as soon as she got out, looking at sky in middle of the rain.
"What am I supposed to do now?"
---