"Holy… man, you good?" Mart's voice cut through the tension.
Kieth turned quickly, his shoulders dropping in relief when he saw Mart standing there. Without thinking, he hugged him tightly.
"Hey," Mart said, patting his back awkwardly. "What are you even doing here?"
"Mart, this place is haunted—there's some ghost or something. I don't know what's going on, but everyone's acting weird," Kieth said, his voice strained.
"Yeah… I've noticed it too," Mart replied, his brow furrowed. "Do you know what's causing it?"
"Not yet," Kieth admitted. "But we've got to figure it out."
"Alright, fine," Mart agreed. "But why are you down here near the dungeons at this time of night?"
"That door." Kieth pointed to the star-etched door. "We've got to get in there."
"How?" Mart asked, raising an eyebrow. "The king has the key. And don't tell me you're planning to punch a hole through it."
"The king has the key?" Kieth asked, surprised.
"Yeah, he does," Mart confirmed. "This door's a known mystery in Thelaria. Hell, even people in Orynthar talk about it."
"They do?" Kieth asked, intrigued. "What's behind it?"
"No one knows," Mart said with a shrug. "The king doesn't hide the door's existence, but no one's ever been inside."
Kieth's mind raced. That's it. That's where the vortex must be.
"I've got to get in there," Kieth said firmly.
"Why?" Mart questioned, eyeing him skeptically.
"To help Serel and the others. They're being controlled, I think…" Kieth lied.
"Is… that so?" Mart asked, his tone serious. "Fine, but how do you plan to meet the king?"
Kieth thought for a moment before replying, "The royal family always has breakfast in the mornings. I'll try to find an opportunity there."
"Good idea," Mart said with a nod. "But get some sleep first. You're really not looking great."
Kieth rubbed his temples, exhaustion catching up to him. Without arguing, he left the dungeons and returned to his room, collapsing onto the bed and falling into a restless sleep.
The next morning, Kieth met up with Raphenia at the earliest opportunity.
"Hey, Raphenia, got a minute?" he asked.
She gave him a curious look but motioned for him to come in.
Once inside, Kieth got straight to the point. "Do you know about the dungeon with a massive door covered in stars?"
Raphenia's face twisted in confusion, but then she nodded. "Yes… why?"
"Great!" Kieth said, leaning forward. "Can you tell me about it? I think I might be able to fix whatever's happening here."
She studied him for a moment before replying, "It's related to the previous Duke of Northern Thelaria, Malric. You've read about him, right? He went in there with my father, but I wasn't allowed. So, I only know it has something to do with him."
Kieth felt his suspicion solidify. That must be where the vortex is. But now he had another problem: gaining access. If even Raphenia wasn't allowed, this wasn't going to be easy.
"I see…" Kieth said, masking his thoughts. Then, trying another approach, he asked, "Anyway, can I be your attendant today instead of Paulina?"
Raphenia looked doubtful. "Why?"
"Just… trust me. I think Paulina's acting suspiciously."
After a moment, she sighed. "Alright, but do you even know how to be an attendant?"
Kieth grinned. "Of course." His years of reading stories about nobles and their retinues were about to pay off.
Raphenia raised an eyebrow, clearly doubting him. "Right… Go to the head maid and get some proper clothes."
Kieth quickly changed into a tailored suit, trying his best to look the part. He trailed behind Raphenia as they made their way to the dining room.
When they stopped in front of the grand doors, Raphenia paused for a moment.
She turned to him. "Open the door."
Kieth blinked. "Sure, go ahead."
Her head snapped toward him. "No! I said you open the door!"
"Oh, me?"
"WHO ELSE?!" she scolded, her voice sharp.
"Fine, fine," Kieth muttered, stepping forward and opening the door. Shouldn't there be people specifically for this job? he thought, shaking his head.
Raphenia sighed heavily as they entered the dining room. Inside, Veilern and the king were already seated. The king looked exhausted, his face lined with wrinkles and dark shadows under his eyes, while Veilern gave his usual easy smile.
Kieth moved to pull out Raphenia's chair, and she sat down gracefully. He glanced around the room and noticed something odd—there were no other attendants present.
The food arrived, and the three began eating in silence, the king chewing slowly and methodically. Raphenia eventually broke the quiet, addressing him with a soft voice.
"Father, how dost thou fare? I hath sorely missed thee whilst I sojourned in Orynthar."
The king, his expression weary, raised his gaze briefly to her. "'Tis well enough, daughter. Thy presence is welcome, though mine days grow heavy."
Raphenia tilted her head slightly, concern etching her features. "Prithee, Father, art thou unwell? Thy visage beareth the weight of sleepless nights."
The king sighed deeply, his hand resting on the table as he spoke. "The burdens of this realm weigh heavy upon these shoulders, child."
Veliern sat silently through the conversation, his expression calm but observant. Kieth kept glancing at him, recalling their conversation from the previous night.
---
It was midnight, and Kieth was walking toward his room when he crossed paths with Veliern.
"Hey," Veliern greeted with a small smile.
"Hey," Kieth replied. "I need some help."
Veliern raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Go on."
Kieth explained his situation—how he wasn't from this world, how he needed to return, and how the vortex might be the key. He also mentioned the strange occurrences with Paulina and Serel and the unsettling ghost that kept appearing but vanished every time he turned.
Veliern listened intently, his expression serious. He didn't question Kieth's story; he simply nodded. "Alright," he said after a moment. "About the door, I can grant you access."
"You can?" Kieth asked, surprised.
"Not yet," Veliern replied. "The festival is coming up—it's to celebrate the merging of Orynthar and Thelaria. Once it's over, I'll be crowned king. But as for the ghost… I think the current king might know something. You'll need to interrogate him."
"Me? Is that even allowed?" Kieth asked, skeptical.
"Normally, no," Veliern admitted. "But, truth be told, the guards barely pay attention to the king anymore. That's why I need you to act as Raphenia's attendant. If Paulina is possessed like you said, she might harm Raphenia, and I can't allow that. Be her attendant and stay close to her."
Kieth nodded, taking in the plan.
"And once the meal is over," Veliern continued, "I'll take Raphenia out of the room. That'll be your chance to question the king. Be rude if you have to—I don't care. Just get some answers. I'll also send someone to back you up, just in case."
---
Back at the dining table, Veliern finally nodded to Kieth and stood.
"Hey, Raphenia, come with me for a moment," he said.
Raphenia blinked in confusion as Veliern walked over to her side, extending a hand to help her up. "What's going on?" she asked, frowning.
Veliern just smiled reassuringly. "Come, you'll see."
Still puzzled, she allowed herself to be guided out of the room, asking questions that Veliern didn't answer. As they exited, Veliern gave a final nod to Kieth and, with a quiet click, locked the door behind them.
Kieth turned to the king, who barely glanced up as Veliern and Raphenia left. The king kept his eyes down, his body radiating exhaustion.
"Hey," Kieth said, leaning forward. "I know you can speak like normal people, so cut the formal nonsense and talk like someone from Orynthar."
The king slowly raised his eyes to Kieth, not even angry—just weary.
"Do you know anything about a spirit haunting this castle?" Kieth asked bluntly.
The word "spirit" made the king flinch, his fingers trembling slightly as he tried to maintain his composure. "Who... are you?" he muttered, voice shaking.
"I'm someone who can help," Kieth replied, his tone sharp. "Now tell me—what is that thing?"
The king hesitated, fear shadowing his face. "You can't... She will kill me."
Kieth leaned closer, his gaze unyielding. "Look, I'm not asking. Just tell me what she is so I can deal with it."
The king sighed heavily, his resistance crumbling under the weight of his guilt. "She... She was a concubine. She carried my child, but as king, my honor was at stake. I had her executed—secretly." His voice broke as he continued, "I thought she died, but she didn't. She haunts me still."
Kieth's stomach churned with disgust at the king's admission. He clenched his fists, tempted to let the ghost have her vengeance. But he couldn't—not with Paulina and Serel already under her control. He sighed, forcing himself to focus on the bigger picture.
"Now what?" the king asked, his voice filled with dread as he looked at Kieth, his eyes pleading for salvation.
Kieth met his gaze coldly. "We're sitting here until she shows up."
The king shot to his feet, panic gripping him. "No, no, no! Please, no! She'll kill me. You don't understand!"
Kieth's expression hardened. "Oh, yeah? And where do you think you'll go? Every guard and every maid in this place is possessed, right?"
The king nodded reluctantly, his knees buckling as he sank back into his seat.
"Exactly," Kieth said. "So no one's going to help you, even if you scream. Now sit still, because I can actually fight her."
"You... You can touch her?" the king stammered, his face etched with disbelief.
Kieth smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, and?"
"Wait… you didn't speak to her?" his voice trembling.
"What? No!" the kieth replied,
Kieth's mind clicked into place. That's it. The reason Paulina warned him not to speak to anyone. But why had Paulina spoken? Serel, being young, might have slipped up, but Paulina? No, she wouldn't act carelessly.
"Maybe…" Kieth muttered, deep in thought, "just speaking in front of her causes people to be controlled…"
But then, why wasn't he affected? He remembered calling her a "disgusting prick." If the spirit took any response as a trigger, why wasn't he under her influence?
The answer eluded him as he mulled over the details, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Suddenly, a knock on the door jolted him from his thoughts. He stood up straight. That must be the help Veliern mentioned.
"Come in," Kieth called.
The door creaked open, and Mart stepped inside. His familiar, composed demeanor filled the room, but the moment the king caught sight of him, he shrank in his chair, pure terror etched across his face.
Kieth's heart sank as his gaze moved past Mart.
Behind him, the spirit stood, her ghastly figure smiling with that same unsettling, grim expression.
"MART!" Kieth shouted, his voice sharp. "CUT WHATEVER IS BEHIND YOU!"
Mart didn't hesitate. He spun around, sword already drawn, slashing the air in one swift motion. But the blade passed harmlessly through the spirit, as though she were nothing but smoke.
Mart turned back to Kieth, his brow furrowed. "Did I hit it?" he asked, his tone steady but edged with tension.
Kieth shook his head, his jaw tightening. Mart jumped back, his stance ready, but the spirit didn't react.
She just stood there, her grin widening as her hollow, dark eyes focused on Kieth, mocking him.
--------------------------------------------------------