When the carriage stopped, Dupin was the first one out to survey the area. What he saw made him pause. The town was in shambles. The Count's men were also there, and they were eager to see what they could make of this town, too. When the men went through the area, they found only skeletons. Everything looked ancient and run down. When Marjery was able to look at her childhood home, the small medieval mansion was just a crumbling ruin. All of her old haunts were overrun with wild brush. The graveyard was even in complete disarray, but the flowers she placed there the night before were still there, surprisingly enough.
All of the new buildings they saw were gone. All of the buildings he witnessed with her just the other night looked as though they hadn't been lived in for years. It was truly a ghost town that appeared to be abandoned for decades. If there were any survivors, they were already taken away when the debt was collected. Even the animals weren't spared. When they saw the library, the books were crumbled particles of dust with leather bindings. The only odd thing was that the original book they saw in the hidden room was missing. The contract was confiscated by whatever made the debt agreement. The only proof they had was the copy they made from her diary pages.
When the bodies of her parents were located in her childhood home of rubble, they were found at a table eating their breakfast. The Mayor, his son, and Marjery's sister were at a broken table with, what appeared to be, old breakfast plates that were set up. It was the same with every other home that was inspected. It was as though the town had one final meal before knowing the end was upon them. But, not even the food looked fresh. The men were all baffled by it all.
"I'm sorry," Dupin said softly.
"It's all right," she said quietly. "You saved me from a fate worse than death."
"I can only guess that this happened around midnight," he frowned. "That's when most Occult dealings start and end. It's either that or early morning from the state each family appears to be in. I'm not sure what else I can tell you."
"I know," she shivered. He held her close in his arms to let her press into him. When he looked off in the distance, he blinked with uncertainty. He felt something lightly vibrate in his breast pocket, and he looked up with alarm. The crystal was pulling something to me. Before long, a mist had formed before him and separated out into ten spirits. Then he realized that they were the town founders. They all regarded him with a form of respect.
"Thank you for freeing us from our mistake," a first female said.
"As much as it pains us, our descendants here have paid our price," the second female mourned.
"In return, for freeing us, we shall watch over our new descendants that you create with our last surviving descendant," a male said with a small nod.
"We will help you when we can on any future missions," another male said.
"Now leave this town! It will vanish shortly! All who remain on these grounds are in danger!" the third female warned. When they vanished, Dupin grabbed his wife by the hand.
"We have to go! Now! Fall back to the perimeter! Quickly!" Dupin shouted for all to hear him. At his wife's questioning gaze, he said, "I just saw the spirits of your ancestors. They warned me that this village is going to disappear! We have to leave!"
"What?!" she gaped. The Chief heard the shouted warning and repeated the order. Even the men that the Count sent were quickly accounted for to retreat. The moment they stepped out of the village grounds, an earthquake split the ground to swallow the village whole. Then the land reformed to show nothing left. Marjery was terrified at what she just witnessed. Dupin swallowed, nodded to the landscape, and had her turn to leave with him.
"I'm riding with her alone. We'll talk at the station," he said sternly. The Chief suppressed a smile, and he nodded with complete understanding.
"Dupin...?" she whispered when she settled next to him. "What just...?"
"The debt was collected," he said softly. "There is nothing more to come back here to. I love you, Marjery Dupin. I'm so glad that you left this place to join me at my side."
"I love you, too, Auguste Dupin," she whispered in a trembling voice. "You are the most amazing man I have ever met. I do love you so. You and all of your puzzles, too."
That got him to laugh and kiss her soundly to start the ride back home.