-"So… if Vanessa's not the mastermind, who is?" asked Snatcher after a moment of silence. His stare was fixed on the little Hat Kid, as his mind prayed for her to know who was responsible. But the girl only shook her head, visibly embarrassed.
-"I… I don't know," she answered with a quiet voice. The ghost's hopes were shattered in thousands of pieces with the brat's awful recognition. Before he was able to retort anything, his contractor lifted her hands in defence, trying to justify herself. "...yet! I don't know yet! We still have several days to find out who is behind this!"
-"Yeah, which is a lot of time, isn't it?" he replied sarcastically. "Oh well, why don't we spend the rest of the day drinking tea? After all, we have all the time in the world! Oh, wait… we don't!"
-"Would you please shut up!" yelled the child, exasperated by his behaviour. "Yes, I know we don't have much time! But I arrived here just like you, only several hours ago! As if I-"
-"Wait..." the spirit interrupted her, just as his mind became blank. "What do you mean, 'you just arrived here'?"
Surely, he must have misunderstood what she had said because there couldn't be any possible logical explanation behind this. Snatcher had been in this dimension for a whole day already! A night had passed since his arrival, so why was she talking about mere hours? This didn't make any sense!
The hat-wearing girl seemed to think the same thing as him, because a clear expression of confusion crossed her features. Her eyes were fixed on his, as her mind was probably trying to understand as well.
-"Uh… I mean that I've been here for three to four hours, at most?" She raised her eyebrows, puzzled for a few seconds. However, the perplexity on her face didn't last long, as it was quickly replaced by a much more horrified expression. She let out a small "oh" as her breathing sped up little by little.
-"What 'oh'? What now?" questioned the shade, infuriated. Something was going on, and he hated not understanding what exactly. Plus, there were too many things happening at the moment, and if another one was added to the pile… it was already too much as it was.
-"We have to go back now," simply murmured the brat, now completely frozen. She was looking everywhere but at Snatcher, panicked by something he couldn't tell yet.
-"What? Hey, kid!" He took her by the shoulders, forcing her to come back to reality. "Why do we have to go back? What's happening?"
The sudden contact woke up the child from her panic attack, and she slowly rose her head to meet his nervous stare. The look on her face did nothing to reassure Snatcher a bit. He could feel his body tensing up from the apprehension. Finally, after what felt like hours to him, the brat opened her mouth:
-"Time isn't synchronized. It's moving much slower on the ship than it does down there."
The shade remained motionless for a few instants, his brain trying to get what the little girl was telling him. The time was moving differently? But then, it hit him: that was exactly what she had explained to him earlier when she was talking about the Void.
"The laws of physics don't apply there, so you could make several steps and have moved forward by a mile, just like you could walk for hours for nothing."
-"You mean… that several days might have passed since we came into the ship?" questioned the spirit, now very concerned by the current situation.
-"I wouldn't say days, but…"
The shade cut her short and hit the nearby crate with his fist. It shook everything on it, and water splashed from the inside of the saucepan, while the kid's colour pencils jumped from the shock. Snatcher didn't care. What was it, compared to the fact that they might have lost several hours in the stupidest way possible? His anger was now palpable.
-"You're telling me that, even though we have a countdown problem, we just lost time by coming into this spaceship of yours? Is that what this is about?!"
The hat-wearing brat avoided his stare and hunched, more than ashamed.
-"I didn't know, okay?" she shot back. "I thought it wouldn't be a problem!"
-"You thought? You're supposed to be the time expert here, kiddo!" countered Snatcher, louder. The hair on his spectral body was becoming sharper and spikier as seconds passed. His figure was now looming menacingly over the small child's one, as his fingers slowly turned into deadly claws. His left hand scratched the inside of the saucepan without meaning to, and his teeth were becoming more and more dangerous. "If you don't find a solution right now, the lack of oxygen won't kill you - I will!"
-"I have no idea what's going on!" screamed the little girl suddenly, with a voice Snatcher had never heard before. "Happy, now?! I'm just as lost as you! I've been stuck in this ship for hours, not knowing if I would either die of thirst or asphyxia... alone!"
She was on the verge of tears, trembling as she kept her arms along her body, fists clenched in pure rage. She was glaring at the ghost with a fury that looked so strange on her. The spirit was taken aback so much that he couldn't help but waver at the weird and unusual sight. His spiky hair turned soft again, little by little, as he floated back, still staring at her in bewilderment.
-"Do you know what it's like?!" she continued, tears trickling down her cheeks. "To feel so stupid and incompetent on something you're supposed to know like the back of your hand? To know that if you fail, you might have someone's death on your conscience?!"
The last sentence hit Snatcher close to home, as he was immediately reminded of all the villagers' blood on his hands. Did he know what it felt like? He certainly did, unfortunately. He had learnt how to live with it as years went by, but after seeing the village alive again… it had been quite a shock to him. And his contractor, a child, experienced it as well. A sudden and strong feeling of guilt engulfed him completely, as he remained motionless, unable to ignore it.
Why did he have to feel emotions?!
Silence fell in the room again, both of them avoiding each other's eyes. The brat wiped her tears with her sleeves and sniffed noisily, frowning and looking away. She didn't seem sad - just extremely frustrated and exhausted. What just happened had surely been the final straw. Snatcher didn't know why, but he disliked the sight that was in front of him. He had seen her cry and die plenty of times during his advanced contracts! So why was this time so different? He couldn't tell. However, there was this annoying feeling looming over him, ordering him to apologize to the little girl, no matter how ridiculous it sounded to him. He wanted her dead, so why did he care?
Wait. He didn't care, what was he even thinking? Clearly, the danger of their current situation was giving him incoherent thoughts. There were absolutely no other explanations to that awful feeling in his non-existent stomach.
Thinking about their current position reminded him that they needed to stop wasting time.
-"So…" he started again, deciding not to apologize (what for, after all?) before addressing their main problem, though in an uncertain tone, "once we go back, what do we need to do?"
He wished to avoid going back to the manor very much. After the way he had left, after hearing Vanessa crying her eyes out, and after learning that several hours may have passed since his outburst, the ghost wasn't even sure there was still a village to go back to; however, according to his contractor, the Time Piece was hidden in the mansion, much to his dismay.
The child sniffed once again, lifting her head to look at him with a tired expression painted on her face.
-"We need to find the Time Piece and break it to get out of here. If this dimension really is linked to it, then breaking it should reverse the process."
-"Should?" remarked the shade, doing his best not to sound too sarcastic. For reasons.
The brat pinched her nose, clearly unhappy with the evolution of the conversation.
-"I told you, this is new to me. No one has ever created something from a Time Piece! I mean, not on purpose. Time Rifts appear because of time distortions, that is to say when a Time Piece is broken. But this one… someone made it - created it from scratch." She paused, staring into space as she started thinking again. "I have no idea how that's even possible."
Snatcher had no idea either, though it was not surprising, given his lack of knowledge in that field of study. However, if the time specialist before him didn't know what to think, then their situation didn't look too good.
-"So, the Time Piece," he said, wanting to get back on the subject without losing more time, "where is it? I know you said it's in" -he paused, looking elsewhere for a brief moment- "the manor, but in what room exactly?"
As he said those last words, his mind kept repeating old memories from his past, ones he wished he could erase completely, but he knew better.
"Please, not the cellar. Not the cellar, don't tell me it's in there. Anywhere but there." Similar pleas echoed in his head on loop, as he did his best to remain calm, not wanting to show his discomfort to his contractor. Even though she knew his past, from what she had told him earlier, that didn't mean he wanted to show any weakness to her. Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice anything different. She simply hunched again, replying in a tone much too uncertain to Snatcher's taste.
-"Yeah, about that…"
The spirit knew there was going to be a catch. It was in there, he knew it! Where else could it have been, when Life was so determined to make him suffer more and more? It was simply pure irony.
The child noticed his distress and rose both of her hands, trying to get his attention back on her:
-"Wait, wait, wait! Don't get mad, I swear it's not my fault!"
The ghost lifted his eyebrows in confusion.
-"What do you mean, 'not your fault'?" he questioned with a voice full of wary.
-"Well, see, usually I know where my Time Pieces are. I can sense them, it's in my nature." The ghost tried to interject to ask about that point, but the little girl stopped him with a hand gesture. "It's complicated, we don't have time for that! What matters is that I usually know where they are and. When I don't, I find out pretty quickly. But this time…"
She paused, looking for words. It felt like an eternity for Snatcher, who was silently begging for his biggest fear not to be true. When she finally opened her mouth again, the ghost couldn't help but hold his breath, even though he had no need for air in his state in the first place.
-"This time, I don't know precisely where it is. I can sense it's in the manor, but nothing more than that… it's very hazy. I think that someone is trying to hide it from me."
The spirit almost let out a huge sigh of relief but managed to keep it to himself. At least, it wasn't in the cellar… or at least, even though the awful possibility still existed, it wasn't certain. Nonetheless, what the brat had just said promptly brought him back to reality.
-"Someone… you mean the person who made this dimension?" he asked, trying to gather as much information as possible about that very worrying situation. The kid shrugged, frowning as she replied.
-"I don't know. Probably?" She shook her head. "I don't think Vanessa would be able to hide something like the Time Pieces, since they are quite powerful, so-"
-"Don't underestimate her, kiddo." The warning came out by itself and Snatcher gritted his teeth as he realized what he had just said. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut?! He sighed, ignoring the sad look appearing on the child's face. He didn't need to be pitied. Especially on something regarding that woman.
And then it hit him. If they had to search for the Time Piece inside the manor, it certainly wouldn't be easy to find. If someone had gone this far in order to hide the Time Piece from its literal alien owner, Snatcher doubted he was going to find it on the dining table. The worst-case scenario would be to find it in that place, and he very much hoped he wouldn't have to set foot in there.
In any case, that meant he would need to go back there and face Vanessa. That simple thought made him shiver. He didn't know if he would be able to. His ex knew, and that alone was enough to scare him. Plus, the way she had been crying when he left, if Subcon was still standing at this time, she would still punish him in any horrible way.
What if she locked him in the cellar again? What if she froze him the instant she caught sight of him again? If he ever died or disappeared, then what about the kid? If she wasn't captured by Vanessa and her accomplice after that, she would either die with the Time Rift or asphyxiated in her own spaceship. But he used to want her dead! No, not "used to" - he still did! Why did it bother him that much, then?
The ghost closed his eyes, not wanting to go on this trail of thoughts at all. Doing so wasn't a good idea. For reasons. Again.
-"Snatcher?" The spirit reopened his eyes, only to find the little girl staring at him with a clear expression of worry on her face. The ghost felt a tingling in his chest as his eyes met hers. Great, just what he needed... more feelings! But that still didn't change anything, and he knew very well what was going to happen eventually.
-"I'm going to go back there, aren't I?" he asked, though it wasn't a question. In the end, only the awful and horrifying recognition of what was waiting for him. He knew they couldn't barge into the manor to steal the Time Piece without thinking, especially since they had no idea of who was helping Vanessa. They would be in the enemy's territory, thus in great disadvantage. Plus, the ghost couldn't help but feel like there was much more to this story than what they first thought. It was like they were the pawns of that someone's chessboard. Their puppets. Their toys. And Snatcher hated that idea.
His question seemed to upset the child much more than what he anticipated. The hat-wearing kid lowered her eyes, as an expression of extreme guilt appeared on her face. She certainly had thought the same thing, without finding the courage to tell him. But Snatcher knew very well what needed to be done, much to his horror. However, the result wouldn't be too different if he waited for the world to end itself. At least, even though Vanessa was extremely impulsive and volatile, they still had a chance.
Though, there was still the problem of that unknown enemy…
-"You don't have to," simply said the kid, in a quiet voice.
-"What other choice do we have, kiddo? Wait for death?" he replied, with an insincere scoff. "I mean, we don't even know who's behind this and why. You think I want to go? Believe me, I don't." And he really, really didn't.
-"Then we could always wait for the night and go inside!" she countered, with a more panicked voice.
-"Yeah, and what about the guards outside?" He folded his arms in. "Trust me, we'll definitely draw attention."
A forced smile appeared on his lips and he stared into space, while the little girl was still trying to find other excuses for him not to go. Deep down, Snatcher knew he had no other choice. Not doing so would be accepting their doom without doing anything, and even though the afterlife was quite boring, he didn't want to let go that easily. Plus, he finally had the occasion to take revenge on the one who had made not only his life hell but also his afterlife.
And even if he really didn't want to admit it, even just to himself, there were… other reasons.
-"But…" The little voice brought him back to reality. "...what if she tries to hurt you again?"
The kid was now staring at his left hand, still in the warm water. Said hand didn't hurt as much, which surprised him quite a lot, considering how bad the kid was at taking care of herself. At least, he had to admit he had been wrong to doubt her on that point.
He slowly raised his head towards the child once again and let a forced smile come on his ghostly lips. There were no other choice for now.
-"I thought we didn't have much time?" he simply said, though the words felt so, so heavy in his mouth. His non-existent heart sunk as he accepted the only possible option they had for now. He had to go back, since Irony decided it would be the safest solution so far.
The kid's face crumpled instantly, as she understood what meaning those words hid. She pounced towards him and threw herself into the spirit's arms before he was able to do or say anything against it. The contact made him freeze completely and his injured hand left the saucepan suddenly, making it shake with the swift gesture. He felt the small arms of the girl hugging him tighter and tighter, as if she wanted to prove to herself that what was happening was real.
As if this was a goodbye.
Snatcher remained unmoving for a few seconds, not knowing how to act at all. The contact was so foreign to him, even more at this moment since he could feel sensations again. He could feel the kid's heavy breathing against him, her heart pounding in her chest, her tears soaking his spectral form. Muffled sniffing could be heard, along with silent cries. The ghost's arms were frozen mid-air. He didn't know what to do with himself. After a while, he slowly lowered them, finally putting his hands on the kid's shoulders. A horrible sensation, so, so painful, awoken inside him, as his hands felt the contact of the child's clothes.
What was wrong with him?
-"Okay, now, that's enough, move it!" He pushed the kid away, trying to hide the sadness that had taken place on his spectral face. He hated what was happening to him. It wasn't like him. The hat-wearing brat raised her head, and their eyes met once again. Hers were red and swollen, but she still tried to smile despite it.
-"Are you sure?" she asked one last time, even though she probably knew his answer already.
-"Yeah. Take me back."
The little girl wiped her eyes and nose once again, before nodding in a much more determined manner. She then searched for something in one of the pockets of her pants and handed it to him. It was a remote.
-"If things turn bad, use this. It'll teleport you here immediately. I don't need it, but I always carry it with me, just in case. Seems like it might be useful to you, now."
The ghost grabbed the device with his right hand, not wanting to use his injured one too much before a little while. He squeezed the object, almost afraid of letting it fall down.
-"Yeah... I could use that," he answered as a thank you.
-"I'll do everything to synchronise the time on the ship to yours. That way, I'll be able to meet you again, without losing any more time. If I manage to, and if you don't use the remote until then, I'll send another message to let you know about another meeting place. Sounds good?"
The ghost dismissed her with a hand gesture, though he couldn't help but feel very nervous about what would wait for him in Subcon Village. Would it be frozen? He supposed there was only one way to find out, at this point.
-"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Let's stop wasting time now."
The kid nodded again, but before he could react, she took him into her arms once again, hugging him much tighter than before.
-"Kiddo, you know I'm dead and all, but if I were alive, you would have broken my ribs there, you know that?"
She chuckled at his words and let him go after a few seconds. The spirit held back a smile (what smile? He didn't smile!) and floated away. The kid then lifted her right arm and clicked her fingers, after what had seemed like an eternity to Snatcher.
And then, everything went white again.