That evening, Anther is hit with a summer shower. Raindrops dance on the surface of the canals, creating little rings in the water. The petal-shaped parasols outside the coffee shop drip with drizzle, driving the customers to seek refuge indoors.

Laurel sits alone in the hotel lobby with only the steady ticking of a wall clock for company. The most part of three hours he has spent flicking aimlessly through advertisement flyers on the table until it eventually dawns on him that he might wind up spending the night alone. The clock strikes nine as the door of the lobby opens.

"You're finally here!" he exclaims upon his companion's arrival. "Where are the others?"

"No idea." Ningan shrugs carelessly. Rain drips from his brow and runs down his cheeks but he makes no effort to brush them off.

"I've been waiting here all evening!" the knight grumbles. "Have you been drinking?"

"All day." the ninja responds with a merry grin. He takes the solider by the hand and lifts him from his seat. "Come on. I want to show you something."

Laurel reluctantly follows the Sheikah out the lobby and into the street. In spite of the rain, the city is alive with tourists, diners and lovers, who flock to the streets in search of night-time thrills. Ningan guides his companion along the puddled pavements to the very same spot they had sat stargazing the night before. Tonight, the sky bears no stars; only raindrops that glisten in the light of the streetlamps.

"Last night, you showed me something I had never seen before." Ningan recalls. "So tonight, I wanted to repay the favour."

He dips his hand into his satchel and clutches his fingers around the handle of a looking glass. He presents it to Laurel for inspection: violet frame with an iridescent lens of red and blue; three red prongs protrude from the tip like horns.

"What is this?" the knight asks uncertainly.

"It's called a Lens of Truth." the ninja explains with a mischievous smirk. "A Sheikah artefact given to me by my mother."

Laurel turns it in his hands curiously. "What does it do?"

"It grants the seer the power to behold objects invisible to the naked eye." Ningan proclaims. "But beware: you must have a steady heart and brace yourself for what you are about to witness."

Laurel's narrowed eyes fill with terror. "What do you mean?"

A devilish grin creeps up the corners of Ningan's face. "See for yourself."

The knight lifts the Lens to his eye and gazes upon the rain-soaked streets of Anther. His breath is snatched away by the dizzy sight of dozens of phantasmal figures gliding alongside the canals; some deep in conversation, others wandering without a word. The army of apparitions drains the colour from his face and draws the air from his lungs. On the brink of fainting, he feels a row of fingers intertwine with his.

"It's alright." Ningan's voice soothes him. "They can't hurt you."

"Are…are they…ghosts?"

"Ghosts, spirits, souls…" Ningan shrugs. "No one really knows. They just go about their business unnoticed."

Laurel struggles to shake the terror of this haunting experience. "They're dead…we're surrounded by dead people. We just can't see them."

"And yet, they were in front of your eyes the whole time." Ningan smiles.

Although unnerved and repulsed, Laurel is unable to tear his gaze away from the undead. He watches them through the Lens as they weave between the streets, glowing eerily pale in the darkness. Like puppets performing in a theatre, they are equally as surreal and entertaining to watch.

Eventually, Laurel surrenders the show and hands the Lens of Truth back to his Sheikah companion. He gazes upon the mysterious descendant of shadows, mixed feelings of fascination and fear.

"You're full of secrets, aren't you?"

The ninja sniggers. "Aren't we all?"

Ningan rests his head on the knight's shoulder. A million questions roll through Laurel's mind, but their voices are numbed by the patter of the raindrops on the pavements. His worries wash away with the rain as he squeezes his companion's hand reassuringly. Tomorrow, they would pretend this never happened. But for now, they will savour the moment.