Kris looked down at the bead in his hand as he stepped through the gate, appearing back within his home. In the hopes of finding a new supplier for alchemic materials, he had purchased a two-way gate and installed one of the doors for it within his basement. However, after he returned, all he had to show for his visit was a mysterious bead glowing with a pale light.

“Do you think it’s true what she sai--'' The words of his son were cut off as Kris abruptly raised his hand, gesturing for him to keep his mouth shut for the moment.

Taking a deep breath, Kris walked up the stairs, his two children following behind him. As they walked, he couldn’t help but recall the words that the little girl had left him with.

She lives in darkened skies and shadowed halls… Clearly, these words were meant to convey that his mother had become an entity that resides in darkness. However, why would she target him, and not either of his children? Unlike Kris, both of his children had already undergone the process to achieve perfection, making their bodies far more powerful.

Maybe she needs a body of flesh? When the idea appeared in Kris’s mind, he gave a small nod. While he was truly an elderly halfling, his class configuration made the procedure to achieve perfection unlikely to succeed.

When Kris arrived at the top of the stairs, the dark hallways of his home seemed far more ominous than ever before. He knew that this was merely a trick of his mind, recognizing the danger only after it had been told to him. For now, he walked towards his room, clearing his perception of any misgivings. As long as he ignored the feeling that the shadowed hall gave him, he would not alert anything watching from within the dark corridor.

For now… I need to discreetly hire an investigator… Someone that could find the source of the problem without being detected. Maybe old Jin can help. It wouldn’t be too odd to call that paranoid coot over. With that thought in mind, Kris turned his attention to the bead in his hand. Despite having gone to the depths of the sea for the sake of finding treasure, and even bringing his two children along, he had not obtained anything besides this pearl. Furthermore, there were the words that the young girl had left for him as he was leaving.

It was nice to meet you, kind sir. With our songs together, I know that we shall be known throughout the world. How I wish I could see that day…

The girl knew that she was dying soon, and at such a young age… just how fast had she matured in order to have such a strong mind? And the things that she claimed to have seen… she must have been born with a mutated form of mana, and even then one that was overflowing.

Thinking back to the girl, Kris realized that she must have been incredibly brave. He set the pearl down on a small cushion, resting it on his desk so that he could study it further. She said that she would die by the end of the season. If I can analyze this pearl, maybe I can find the cure for her ailment.

A week passed by as Kris studied the pearl, unable to glean anything from it, aside from the fact that it emitted a strange mixture of mana and spiritual energy. When he created this energy himself as a form of test, it did not seem to have any substantial effects. The mixture was strange, but simple to perform, enough so that it was believable for even a child to learn it.

By the end of the week, he could no longer put off the matter regarding his mother. He secretly met with an old friend of his, a customer that used to hunt in the wilderness. Despite having achieved his own perfection, his mind had begun to wane, causing him to act erratically at times.

Given that Jin was a scout, one who had trained himself to detect traps and ambushing entities, this led many to view him as paranoid. Kris knew this, and knew that he would be the perfect person to investigate his home in secret. First of all, he was an old acquaintance of Kris’s, making it fairly normal for him to stop by, especially if it was under the guise of needing new medicine.

Secondly, Jin had the habit of using his detection abilities even in his own home, let alone in town or at a friend’s home. This habit of his was widely known, and had earned him much criticism over the years.

Finally, and this was likely the most important facet of the plan… Jin was quite a powerful combatant in his own right, especially when dealing with hidden dangers. With these factors combined, he made the perfect person for Kris to ask.

As Kris was thinking about that, and studying the pearl in his office, he heard a heavy knock on his door. Standing up, he gave a light stretch, getting ready to go. After a moment of thought, he placed the pearl in his pocket, worried that it might be stolen while he was away. It was a silly notion, but… that girl believed that it was the most valuable treasure she could give him. How could he not treat it seriously?

He made his way down towards the front door, noting with a heavy expression the overcast skies outside. Ever since he had gotten back from the merkin territory, he had felt as if there were something watching him from every shadow. Every night, the girl’s words played back in his mind, and he had lost no small amount of sleep over it. Sadly, his children had their own work that needed to be done, so they were unable to act as his guardians without arousing the suspicion of whatever force lurked in the darkness.

When he reached the door, he opened it to find a human man that appeared to be in his late thirties. However, the sunken and shifting eyes were the keenest sign that his mind had long since aged past what his body showed. “Ah, Jin is it? How are you doing?” Kris welcomed the man with a smile, the two of them having already rehearsed what they needed to do.

Jin gave a shaky nod, the corner of his lips twitching to try to return the gesture. “Mister Fredric? I don’t suppose you’re still in business?”

Kris nodded his head, stepping aside to let Jin enter the house. He could almost feel something shift in the darkness. “That’s right. I take it your… issue has acted up again?”

“Yeah…” Jin agreed absently, closing his eyes as his foot stepped inside. An invisible pulse of power spread out around his body the moment his foot touched the ground, as if it were a type of sonar. “You could say it’s gotten really bad… I keep seeing them everywhere…”

Kris’s eye twitched imperceptibly when he heard that. Really bad… everywhere… These were key words that the two of them had established when they were planning this investigation. Words that they could work into a regular conversation to discuss a known problem. “I see… is it the same as always? The movement just past your vision?”

Jin let out a soft sigh, shaking his head. His power seemed to recede into his body, though the old alchemist couldn’t be sure what he was doing. “It’s all over the place, now. Every corner, it’s like my whole house is after me.” As he said that, his hand twitched slightly, as if reaching for a familiar weapon.

Kris couldn’t help but gulp when he heard Jin say that, realizing the meaning of his words. So it’s strong… and it is essentially occupying the entire house. He did his best to give a natural nod as he led Jin towards his lab. “Double strength, then? Or do you think a single dose is fine?”

Jin gave a bitter smile when he heard that, seeming to consider his words. “Honestly, the more you can give me, the better. But, you’re the doctor, so I’ll leave it in your hands.”

A single dose would mean he can take care of it himself… double means he needs a partner. This answer… he’s saying a large group of people at his level are needed? Kris could feel the trouble growing stronger by the minute, and knew that it would be hard to probe for any further information without alerting the spiritual entity. If it knew that they were probing it right now, it might abandon its plan of waiting to strike prematurely.

“I can get started on the medicine right away, if you’d like. When would you like it delivered?” Kris asked, knowing that this would be the last question he could get. Furthermore, it was perhaps the most obscure question that they had prepared, with the answer corresponding to a dozen different methods that they could use to defeat the opponent.

Jin looked at the lab, offering a small nod. “I’m usually free around twilight. If you could drop it off at my house later tonight or tomorrow, I’d appreciate it.”

Kris nodded his head, not surprised by this answer. “Just make sure to have the payment ready.” He said with a snarky grin. Twilight… we need the priests of Irena. With this, he should know to ask them to get ready. But… asking for it to be ready tonight? That wasn’t part of the script.

It only took Kris a moment to realize the intention behind Jin’s words. He can feel that she’s getting ready to strike. It could happen as soon as tonight or tomorrow… I can’t afford to wait.

Reaching that conclusion, he brought a hand to stroke his rugged chin. “I seem to be missing some nightroot. I might not be able to get it done right away, but I can run off to the market and grab the materials.” He told Jin, putting on his best smile.

Jin nodded, and the two of them turned to leave. Kris could feel it, the shadows seeming to close in behind him with every step he took, but he refused to turn his head and glance back, as if afraid of what he might see. For now, he needed to make sure that he got out of the house and made it to the temple without leaving himself open to attack.

After they left, Jin hesitated, seeming to think about something. “I’ll join you. It looks like the weather could get rough tonight.” He said with a smile, flicking his wrist. A large umbrella appeared in his hand, which he held over the two of them.

She lives in darkened skies and shadowed halls… it’s not just the house. Any darkness that follows me could be her hiding place. Kris gulped, nodding his head. His mind was abuzz with thoughts on how to reach the temple without being seen. That was when he heard Jin’s voice. “The market, was it…?”

Hearing the mutter, he glanced off to his side, where he saw… himself, walking into the distance with another Jin. The two of them were standing under an identical umbrella to the one that he was using, causing Kris to open his eyes wide in shock. In his terror, he feared that he might have already been consumed, and his body was being piloted by another entity.

“It’s a puppet spell to trick pursuers.” Jin whispered, his voice barely audible to Kris. That was when he noticed that the people around them did not seem to react to their presence. “Something I picked up a few years ago. It’ll last about ten minutes, or until they reach the destination. Until then, we won’t be seen as long as we stay under this umbrella.”

“Can we get to the temple in that time?” Kris asked in worry, glancing off to the side again. He could swear that he saw a shadow shifting and slinking away to follow the false image that Jin had created.

“As long as we don’t run into any trouble, it should be fine.” Jin nodded, his eyes seeming clearer than Kris could remember them being. “Really… you got lucky. That thing was hidden deep. I don’t know how you picked up on it to call me.”

Kris brought his hand down towards his pocket, feeling the weight of the pearl within. “...A little girl told me.”

“Well, I’ll be… I don’t know what kind of little girl you’ve met, but she’s a strong one. I’ve seen a lot of spirits in my day, but that one looked like it had clawed its way back from hell to get to you. You don’t mess with things that can pierce the veil that easily.”