If regaining his senses of smell and touch had made Snatcher less unhappy about his situation… Experiencing taste had been quite different. At first, he had been afraid of choking on the food given to him. However, the action of eating had been easier than he had expected. First of all, he had been lucky to be left alone when he tried to eat the new dinner brought by the young maid. At least, no one could see him choke on anything, which had reassured him. He had taken his time and, to his surprise, he managed to swallow bits of food. The ghost had made sure to chew everything very slowly as much as possible to avoid any incident. So eating in itself hadn't been the main problem.
Taste and textures were. After years of being dead, the shade had forgotten what food tasted like, what it felt like in his mouth and on his tongue. At first, he genuinely thought he would enjoy eating again. After all, he had felt his body demanding food earlier and the smell had been wonderful! Yet, things were much more complicated than that. Everything felt weird. The taste, the texture, the feeling of swallowing food, the sensation of something moving in his stomach… Snatcher hated all of it. If his body seemed satisfied with the consumption of food, his mind certainly was not. It screamed at him, ordering him to spit everything out. Though, the ghost forced himself to ignore it, as he knew he very much needed this to survive. Plus, if magic would greatly help in the healing of his legs, it wouldn't be enough if he let himself starve. So, reluctantly, he finished his plate.
He put the empty tray on his nightstand and let a few minutes pass. A lot of things happened and his mind couldn't help but be focused on Vanessa's new outburst. The fact that she had run away was… Really surprising, if not disturbing. Usually, she wasn't the type to regret her actions. Or, at least, that wasn't the case in the past. But now that Snatcher was suspecting her… It only seemed to confirm his fears.
Vanessa might very well be the reason behind all this mess. The more time passed, the more the contrary became unlikely. Though, in that case… He was in serious danger, even more if she was aware of his memories just like he was of hers. But if she did, why was she acting so calm and so oblivious? Nothing made sense anymore.
The ghost sighed. This was getting him nowhere. No matter how hard he thought about it, his mind couldn't come with an answer. And now that he was stuck in his own bed… It wasn't like he could get out and start looking for clues. Even though the healing magic did soothe the pain in his legs, he wasn't sure if he would be able to walk for a long time. Plus, it would make him look suspicions to anyone seeing him. Who in their right mind would leave their bed if they were injured?
"I hate legs…" He thought for the hundredth time, missing his old shadowy body once again. Really, who needed legs? He wanted nothing more than float around like he used to! Was it too much to ask?
The ghost groaned and stretched in the bed. Well, if he was going to stay there until he felt better to walk, at least he could get comfortable. His eyes locked on the ceiling, as boredom started to fill his head. In a way, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of reassurance at the familiar feeling. This, he knew how to deal with. When there was no victim to take care of in Subcon Forest, time passed very slowly and he couldn't count the number of times he had had to reread his books, again and again, hoping that someone would be stupid enough to enter his forest. His routine had always been very repetitive in the end, that is until that brat came. When she did, everything changed.
And now, Snatcher was in his old human body, stuck in bed with a fractured leg and nothing to keep himself busy. And all of this while being in the same place as his crazy ex. Funny how Life still loved to make him even more miserable than he already was! One would think that karma had made him suffer long enough by now, but it seemed it was far from being over.
Just as he was about to sigh again -as if he had something else to do, he heard another knock at the door. He couldn't help but jump at the sudden sound while he was quickly brought back to reality.
-"Come in!" He responded to the sound, loud enough to be heard through the thick wood of the door. The latter slowly opened not long after his invitation, revealing the butler's face.
-"My Prince?" He said, coming in and closing the door right behind him: "I have been told you were awake. How are you?"
Simeon's features were full of concern. His posture was very upright, as usual. He kept his hands behind his back, adopting a polite stance, an indication of his workaholic attitude. Snatcher didn't expect him to come to check on him so soon. In the end, he had lost the habit of having people caring for him, except his minions, but it was different. Of course, there was still that clingy kid who had forced him to become her BFF…
-"I'm alright." He replied, in the nicest tone he could imitate. He smiled in a way he expected to be warm, and added: "Though I must admit there's not much to do." He really hoped the other could bring him something, anything to keep his mind off things.
-"Oh, good lord, I am so sorry, my Prince! What was I thinking?" Simeon put his hand on his forehead, embarrassed by his mistake: "What can I give you to help pass the time?"
Snatcher took a moment to think. It wasn't as if there were a lot of things to do. In the past, he would have probably used the time to revise his law lessons but now… He still loved the subject itself, naturally! However, he knew he would never be able to focus enough, with everything that had happened. He needed something easy and uncomplicated. He had too much to think and the idea to just rest was very tempting. He did deserve that much, didn't he?
-"Well… If you could bring me some books, I would greatly appreciate it."
The butler smiled at his answer and asked :
-"Should I fetch your favourite ones, my Prince?"
The shade couldn't help but smile at the idea of reading something new after all those years. After all, getting books in Subcon Forest had never been an easy task after his death. He had tried forcing several victims to bring him new books, though they usually took it as an opportunity to leave his forest. Unfortunately for them, he had already taken their soul so they just ended up dying without it in the end. However, that still meant no books for Snatcher.
And even if he did have read the books Simeon offered him at one point in his life… It was still far better than reading the same old books he had as a ghost, over and over again, for hundreds of years.
-"Please do." He answered, feeling something akin to happiness for the first time since he woke up. Being in a fleshy body really was softening him, wasn't it? Snatcher didn't like that at all. It only reminded him of who he used to be, and that fool was long dead and buried.
-"Right away, my Prince." As soon as these words left the butler's lips, the latter turned around and left the room quickly. Once the ghost was alone again, he let out a long sigh, relaxing against the pillow behind him. What a day. He let his head sink into the soft cushion and closed his eyes. He could feel everything at once: the fabric of his pyjama on his skin, the weight of his own body into the mattress, the warm covers around him, his repetitive heartbeat… Every sensation was new to him. It was almost astounding.
The sun had set a moment ago and now the night was beginning. The room was only illuminated by a candle on his nightstand, next to his crown. The spirit almost wished he could get up and walk to the window to watch the dark sky: night time reassured him. Once he had been in control of Subcon Forest, the sun stopped rising and the region remained in everlasting night. However… Now that he had regained his body, something bothered him: he couldn't see well in the dark anymore. And if darkness reassured him because it reminded him of his home, it also brought back… Memories he wished he could forget. Recollections of days passed in a cold and dark cellar, shackled to a wall until death freed him…
Snatcher gulped at the flashbacks appearing in his mind. He didn't want to deal with it right now. He had much enough of that earlier with Vanessa.
He closed his eyes again, ready to wait for Simeon. However, an unusual crackling sound woke him up from his reverie. The shade jumped at the noise and opened his eyes instantly: he just knew this sound. He had heard it before.
His suspicions were confirmed when his eyes met a blinding and whitish light again. Here, floating above the ground was another crack, unattached to anything and levitating just in front of his bed. It remained completely unmoving as if space itself was shattered. The ghost blinked, very much startled by the sudden apparition. Apparently, Life had decided that the day would still hold some surprises for him to find out… And here he thought he was going to rest! Ha!
The crack definitely looked bad. It was just as white and bright as the light that had engulfed him before he turned into a human. Therefore, it only made Snatcher extremely wary of it. When he saw the first one in the forest, earlier that day, it had been harmless. But what if this one wasn't? The spirit couldn't be completely sure and didn't want to take any unnecessary risk.
As slowly as possible, Snatcher lifted the blankets and got out of the bed, without breaking eye contact with the bright crack. His stance was tensed and he was ready to do… Whatever he was able to with a weak body like his. Without any power and a fractured leg in the process of healing… He wasn't sure of getting very far, yet he could still bluff.
As soon as he stood up, the pain in his legs came back, though not as intense as it had been a few hours earlier. The ghost almost winced but held himself back, not wanting to give away his pain to something that might be sentient. He put the major part of his weight on the leg which was in the best condition, though it still remained painful to do so. Even if this one wasn't fractured, it was clearly injured nonetheless.
With great caution, he took several steps forward in the direction of the breach. What was it? It had to be related to the time mess going on, otherwise, the spirit really had no other explanation regarding that thing. Was it even material? When he touched the one that had appeared in the forest, it simply disappeared in a blink. Would it do the same if he tried again? Or would it be dangerous?
The ghost stayed motionless for a few seconds, wondering about what he should do. He threw a glance at the door: Simeon could come back any minute now. How would the man react if he ever saw something like that? Snatcher was the only one, not including Vanessa, to know about the timepieces and the time travel that had occurred. If the matter spread out to the rest of the servants, to the villagers… It would certainly reach Vanessa's ears and the ghost was certain she wouldn't like her plan to be revealed in plain sight.
If the shade had to do something, he had to do it now, before the butler's return in the room.
Snatcher clenched his teeth and lifted his arm, not wanting to lose his courage before trying anything. His fingers reached the breach and instead of disappearing like the shade expected, it stayed the way it was. A very cold sensation greeted his fingers and he felt no resistance when he pushed them inside out of curiosity. Nothing was happening, yet the ghost couldn't deny how weird it felt on his skin. It was… Just like when he had been captured by that whitish light in his dream, being decomposed and then recomposed as a human being… As if his entire being had been remade from scratch. At the current moment, the sensation felt quite similar, yet in a very subtle way, almost ticklishly.
Alarmed by his memory, Snatcher took back his hand from the crack, afraid of reliving the same thing. He didn't want to know what would happen to him or his body in that case…
He took a look at his finger, searching for any sign of injuries. What he wasn't expecting, though, was the fact that the tips of his fingers had disappeared, as if it had been erased from existence.
-"What the…?" He felt his heart skipping a beat at the sight in front of him. What happened to his fingers? Panic started to grow inside of him, as he looked at them with confusion and fear. He shook his hand quickly, not knowing what to do to "fix" it. Why had he been so stupid? Of course, it would have done something to him! Why didn't he listen to his worries instead of walking into the lion's den!
He stopped shaking his hand after a minute and then stared at his fingers. He dreaded to not see them once again. Though, when his eyes found the rest of his fingers back where it was before putting them inside the breach, he let out a cry of relief. Just what had happened?
He lifted his head towards the crack but, before he could do anything else, a flash blinded him for a second. He shut his eyes, unable to keep them opened with so much light. He heard something falling to the ground and when he did reopen his eyes, the breach had disappeared. Just as the one he found in the forest, it was as if it had never been there in the first place. Snatcher tried to search for it with his hands, trying to touch something that wasn't here anymore. It was gone.
Snatcher frowned. He really felt like he was being played with and he didn't like it at all. The spirit glanced around him, trying to find any clue that might be useful to him. His eyes landed on what had fallen to the ground.
-"What?" It was a piece of paper. Confusion spread on the ghost's face, as he kneeled to pick it up. It had been folded several times and, just like the tips of his fingers, the extremities of the paper had disappeared. Snatcher shook it a little bit and his eyes opened wide when it actually worked.
He then very carefully unfolded the piece of paper. So far, this was his biggest clue and he didn't want to risk losing it or destroying it. After all, the place where it came from did make his fingers disappear, even if just for a brief moment.
The spirit honestly expected a message or an indication about what had happened… But when he saw a colourful and poorly made drawing, he knitted his brows. What was that? He squinted. It was too dark for him to see it clearly. Ignoring the pain in his legs, Snatcher came back to the side of his bed where there was the nightstand. He got the note closer to the lit candle that was on it, very careful about not bringing it too close. Only then was he able to distinguish what was drawn on the picture: in the centre of it was a reproduction of the place of the village. Next to it was a crude reproduction of him, or at least of his spectral body, and on the other side… Was the drawing of a little girl with a purple top hat and a yellow cloak.
The paper fell out of his hands, as he realized what it was and who drew it.
The kid… She was alive!
The ghost felt himself smiling just at the thought and quickly made the emotion disappear off his face. He wasn't glad because she was still alive! He was just happy his means of getting back to the present was somehow still alive somewhere. That was all.
A knock at his door brought him back to reality and he gave a violent start. His heart bolted at the sudden noise. Oh God, why did he have to have a heart… His put his hand on his chest, feeling the organ pounding fiercely inside it.
He quickly jumped back in his bed, hiding the drawing below the covers with his body. He couldn't let anyone know about this.
-"Come in!" He called. Unsurprisingly, the butler was the one to open the door once again, holding several huge books in his grasp. The weight of them seemed to be quite considerable, as Simeon was visibly trying not to wince. For once since he woke up, Snatcher was amused by someone else's suffering and had to hold back a sadistic smile. He put a fake worried expression on his face as Simeon entered the room with effort.
-"Do you need any help?" asked Snatcher, knowing very well the answer he was going to receive.
-"Oh no, my Prince, of course not!" replied the butler predictably, before continuing: "It is my duty, and most importantly, you're injured."
Snatcher watched with delight as the other walked to his nightstand, until the latter put the books on the surface. Simeon let out a long sigh and then straightened, regaining his usual posture.
-"Well…" He kept going, smiling warmly to the shade, completely oblivious to Snatcher's enjoyment about his previous suffering: "Do you need anything else, my Prince ?"
As much as the ghost wanted to torment him again, he had much more important things to do. He smiled back with fake kindness and replied :
-"No, thank you, Simeon, that will be all."
He almost let out a laugh when he saw the look of relief that passed very quickly on the butler's face.
"Heh, don't think too soon." he thought with amusement, guessing he was still going to have some opportunities to mess with people a little bit before leaving this place. Now that he knew the kid was alive, somewhere, it was probably only a matter of a few days at best…Or he hoped so.
The butler opened the door to leave but stopped before exiting the room. He turned around towards Snatcher and said :
-"I almost forgot! Good heavens." He sighed and continued: "I have informed your parents about your return, my Prince. They plan to visit you tomorrow morning."
The shade froze the instant he heard those words. His… Parents?
If Vanessa and the ghost lived in the manor, the rest of the royal family occupied nearby mansions. Although his parents had their own kingdom to govern, they often stayed in Subcon Village. When they didn't, the secondary residence remained empty until their return. And from what Simeon just said to him… The spirit went back in time during one of their visits.
His breathing sped up just thinking about them. He couldn't do that, it was too much. He didn't even remember their face! Or their voice! He just knew that seeing them wouldn't do him any good. He had a lot of mixed feelings about them if he had to be honest. On one hand, they had been very good parents and supported him in most of his life choices… On the other hand, the ghost was the reason they died in the first place, just like the entire population of Subcon Village.
He didn't know if he could see them again after that.
No words left his mouth and he simply nodded in agreement, unable to speak. His muscles were tensed as his anxiousness came back at full force. Simeon seemed oblivious to what was going on in the shade's mind. He merely smiled before leaving the room for good, after wishing the ghost a good night.
As soon as the other left the room, Snatcher fell back on his pillow, as his eyes fixed themselves on the ceiling. He was going to see his parents again. He couldn't do this.
Slowly, the ghost took the drawing out of the bedsheets and looked at it once again. This was his escape route, his way out of this world. The hat-wearing brat seemed to ask him to go outside tomorrow, at the place of the village. Maybe he could go there before seeing his parents again and leave this place. That was something he could do. There were many things he was ready to do in his situation but meeting his parents again was not one of them.
The spirit would have to convince the servants, though it probably wouldn't be too difficult. However… The main problem was going to be Vanessa. Distracting her was his only hope of leaving the manor without her panicking over his sudden disappearance. If she ever saw him out of bed and outside without her knowing… It was best to not think about it. However, if it was a risk to take to leave… He was ready to do so.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.