CHAPTER 35: THEY'RE JUST GHOSTS
There were very few things in which Perseus found pleasure. As the majority of those existed during his time as a star in the infinite sky, he noticed how fickle and mundane other ways of life could be. He had seen humans waste their already short lifespans with insignificant roles, and watched how they pretended their lives had any such meaning.
However, Perseus couldn't contain that slimy, purple grin any longer - he was enjoying the most fun he'd had in decades.
A distant door slammed shut, echoing deeper and deeper through the maze of this mansion. Within seconds, his contracted host appeared, resting her tired human body on the velvet couch.
"Whew." Noe exhaled, sprawling both of her arms along the edge of the couch. Her long, red pigtails that thickened near the end were the most potent he'd seen in weeks due to her sly disguise. "Who would have thought tormenting was such hard work."
Perseus' fire crackled atop the ashen wood. "Well, it's not your first time - especially with those two." While Perseus had been somewhat distanced from Noe for years during her time working for Madame Suliman - he wasn't about to use his divine powers for such meager work as the affairs of humanity - he heard all about Noe's interactions with Howl Pendragon and his comrades. She prided herself with the torturous and vindictive crimes she cleverly unfolded, yet scolded herself for not having the final triumph over them.
In essence, this was payback.
Perseus had no control over her actions, yet he could feel into her mind as if they were one being. He wouldn't want to stop Noe, anyway, especially with the work she had done with Madame Suliman. In some ways, he respected the Royal Sorceress for all she had accomplished with her spectacular abilities. However, her death occuring so plainly by hardly so much as a teenage witch was mediocre.
If he was to die, he knew it would not be so simple.
"You know, that was a very risky move allowing him to even read the spell." Perseus said. "The Novus Ortus has been buried for almost a thousand years thanks to yours truly. Anyone but us knowing what it's meant for could prove catastrophic."
Noe rubbed her temple and closed her eyes. "I must've forgotten how much Elven he actually knew. And that stupid translation book I left lying around. I'm even disappointed by my own shortcomings."
Perseus crept his smile wider. "For someone who supposedly can see well into the future, you didn't have much foresight for their visit."
Noe narrowed her eyes at the demon before her, tilting her head slightly and creating gushing water droplets to douse him. Though it didn't diffuse his fire entirely, it left a great stain on his now useless wood resource. "Don't belittle my abilities. Yes, I haven't seen the future in a while, but that's because I've been spending so much time learning other source magic. It comes with a price."
Perseus shrugged his fiery being. "My mistake."
Noe crossed her arms, still irate with her demon. "I'm not the only one who messed up. Telling her about the doors was careless on your part, too."
"I had to play the game fairly." Perseus said in a minor defense. "Magic doesn't always work in my favor. Although, if she had just asked me nicely I might have said more than I actually did."
Out of all the madness that had occurred, meeting Gwenda Maguire was by far the most enticing part. She was an anomaly by every meaning of the word. A human - not so human as far as he could tell - with a spunk and fire greater than he imagined. She was a potent player in his games, and that granted more excitement in these short days than he'd had in all his life as a fire demon.
"Don't go crushing on her now." Noe said, pointing a stern finger in his direction. "I already dealt with Nade's little flirtations with her before they killed him. And newsflash - she's already got a fire demon."
Perseus' flames oozed more potently, his attitude sore. "Oh, I quite remember that part."
Noe scrunched her nose. "What's the deal with you two, anyway? I've known you for more than half of my life and never once did you mention how close you were to Howl's fire demon. I didn't even know Howl was there on the Night of Falling Stars."
Perseus stared off into the distance, though there wasn't much in Noe's array of magical trinkets to keep his mind off of Calcifer. He would be lying if he said that Gwenda having such a strong connection with the old star was the first time he thought of his old cluster mate in years.
In fact, there wasn't a single day that went by where Perseus didn't think about old Cal, specifically pondering over that fateful night.
Calcifer double crossed him; he stole his chance at inflicting his infinite power with a true wizard of darkness. All Calcifer had to do was die like the rest of the pathetic stars, and yet his fear of death ripped his only friend away from such a prize. Noe was a safety net, but not his intention.
Perseus dropped his smile, gritting purple teeth in rage. "Trust me, the day we fell from the sky and I saw his true colors was the end of whatever friendship we had." Quickly, he reverted to his poised visage and changed directions. "But enough about me. It's all working out for you, isn't it, Noe?"
The witch snapped her fingers and the spellbook levitated in their direction. It landed softly on the table between them, and a slight wave of her fingers brought her to the one spell that would change their fate - the Novus Ortus. "Not until Madame Suliman is revived and living again. Once that kid enacts this spell, then I can finally relax."
Perseus regained a full smile now. How he loved watching Noe plot and scheme, as she was extremely talented in that area. However, his experience far outmatched hers, and he felt lucky that she had dabbled so far into other source magic that she blinded herself to their future reality. She hadn't realized why that young wizard was the key component or what he truly was.
He hardly doubted anyone could have predicted the truth of Markl Pendragon, the fallen star destined to enact the final piece of the Novus Ortus.
She locked eyes with her fire demon. "This spell of yours better bring her back."
Perseus nodded. "Oh trust me, it was designed to bring such evil into existence."
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Gwenda didn't waste a single moment once she turned around and Calcifer stood before her. She rushed into his embrace, holding him tightly as if he would fall into the abyss. This time, unlike the other ghosts who casually melted away when she touched their figures, he was real. She could feel his skin, the comfort of his arms around her body. His breath was real against her neck as she nuzzled closer and closer to her love.
She wanted to kiss him; she wanted to escape with him. She wanted to apologize and forgive him and move on from whatever pain and anger had separated them in the first place.
He was real - so real to her.
"Calcifer…"
He whispered, low in her ear, "You can't save me."
Gwenda opened her eyes wide, frozen in fear of his words. She couldn't move; she could hardly breathe. It was his voice, the harsh inflection of his tone. How painfully it reminded her of the last moments they spoke before she walked out. And just like before, he spoke with a noxious cruelty.
For a moment, she worried this was truly how he saw her.
Gwenda tightened her grip on him, refusing to submit. "Yes, I can. I can and I will. Don't give up on me. Don't hurt me like that ever. Don't you dare bring me down like they did."
He brushed his lips over her ear, his voice a malicious venom. "You're just a pathetic little human. What can you do that's actually useful?"
Gwenda shut her eyes, letting her shoulders fall with defeat. The tears she'd held back finally fell freely, knowing it was too good to be true. This version of him was simply another facade made by Noe's design to trick her. Foolishly, she had fallen to her twisted game. Like a firefly to the light, she blindly dropped her guard and flung to this familiar phantom without question.
The ghosts of the past, those who resurfaced into this black hole, would drive her completely mad if she didn't break their hold.
Gwenda tightened her grip on the back of his shirt. "Is that really how you see me? Is that really the way you speak to the people you love?"
His chuckled echoed in the perpetual darkness. "You silly girl. How small of you to think a demon like myself is even capable of love."
"Calcifer would never say that." Gwenda steadied her grip more firmly before lifting his body and thrusting him back into the darkness. The figure was surprised at her reaction, landing curtly on the rough ground below. He sat up with arms propped, widening his eyes when she kept walking toward him and away from the light.
"The real Calcifer would never say that." Gwenda seethed, kicking him repeatedly backward with each remark. "The real Calcifer knows his flaws and never spits them back at others. No matter how angry he gets, no matter how harsh or blunt his words, he is not the demon others play him to be."
The light, which followed the trapped human wherever she turned, no longer moved with her steps. The figure on the ground coughed and shielded himself from her next kick. "Are you sure I wouldn't? I've lied so much to you recently. Who's to say I still wouldn't push aside a lowly human in order to hold onto my own precious secrets?"
"You're not him; you're not Cal. You're a figment of my imagination, just like everyone else. They weren't real and neither are you." With one final blow, Gwenda kicked the figure's head, sending spurts of blood on the cold ground. Even in the heavy darkness, she could see the figure depleting and growing more grotesque as it reshapened. No longer did this monster resemble her beloved, but it became like its true form.
The grey creature, mimicking the form of humans, coughed and spat on the floor as it spoke. "You've beaten us at our own game. I'd wish you luck, human, but we're not very noble beings."
Gwenda narrowed her eyes, watching as the creature began turning into dust from the feet. "How did you know all those things about the people in my life? How did you know what I was thinking?"
The creature chuckled low as its body disintegrated faster. "Wouldn't you like to know. So long, human."
Like dust in the wind, the creature vanished entirely, leaving Gwenda alone with a distant light. She dropped to her knees, panting and crying all at once. It was a relief to finally be alone, yet that only meant her own intrusive thoughts would cultivate. At least Noe, for the moment, couldn't torture her.
She needed to focus on their goal, and that started with reuniting with Kenta and Wynne as soon as possible. Now that the ghosts were no longer infecting her mind, the rest of the open space seemed more manageable than before. If they were both sent here as well, they might also have been affected by these tormenting creatures.
The cry of a young girl resounding in the vast area had answered her question.
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This was not the first time Kenta had been caught in a magician's trap. Dangerous ones, like being forced as a soldier in Suliman's war, and simple ones, like dealing with Howl's antics - which resembled similarly to that of his children's. No matter the threat level, Kenta always had a plan of attack to rescue himself.
However, he wasn't afraid for himself this time. It was Wynne where his worries lay.
"Wynne!" He screamed her name into the vacuum, only receiving his echoes in reply. He repeated her name over and over and over again, but each silent response led him to believe that he and Wynne had been separate once more.
Once more, he couldn't defend his own daughter - and it was all Noe's doing.
The thought of such an evil witch holding his daughter captive was the most infuriating, and his fists tightened with balls of fire. He slammed those fiery fists on the ground, shaking the strange lamp that hung above him. The dust clouded the room, moving with each pound he made to the ground. They swirled together, almost creating the guise of a person.
Until the dust became a person indeed - a person he knew.
"You fell for such a simple trick." The woman's voice whispered. "I guess even Suliman's school couldn't help your inadequacy."
Kenta rested his fists on the ground, his arms shaking with a hint of fear. Was he hearing things? She couldn't have been who he imagined, yet memories of her reemerged from the pit of his mind. However, the memory of this woman, her sweet and gentle demeanor, had all faded in her bleak words.
How could a mother shame her own son?
Even more so, how could the dead speak? This was a ruse, it must be. His mother had been gone for years. In fact, all of the faces that appeared before him were those either dead or worlds away. His father appeared next, spewing the same volatility as his mother. The hate in their tone, the spiteful words they spoke, was neverending - his grandmother, his siblings, his trusted comrades and friends.
All rephrasing one vile statement after the next.
Even Howl stood poised, his glamour striking as usual, and looked down on the kneeling and broken Kenta with boast. "You could never catch up to me."
Kenta shut his eyes, focusing more intently on what he knew to be true. These faces, the people he knew were in Ingary, yet the apparitions before him were accurately depicting the people he loved and cared for. They shared the same voice, the same appearance.
The only difference was the acrimony they spoke.
"Dopplers." Kenta whispered to himself. Tricky creatures who fed off of intense shadows and strong, negative emotions. No wonder he was forced into this strange room with only a singular lamp above him to enhance their source of power. Having no identity of their own, dopplers created the guise of others, particularly humans, in the hopes that they may trap their victims entirely. If they can permanently steal the identity of another, the true person would be forever lost in this sea of darkness.
Which is why they began with the victim's most daunting thoughts.
How Noe got a hold of such fickle beings, he didn't know or care. He only wanted to escape.
"How could you?" Kenta paused, taking a long moment to soak in this new voice. So beautiful and songlike she was, and how he missed being in her presence. All logic vanished hearing that sweet, accusing sound directed at him. He desperately turned to face the visage of the woman he so loved, standing before him.
The sight of her after being apart for so long filled his heart with glee. "Lona."
"How could you put out daughter in danger like this?" She spat, not sharing the same sentiment as Kenta. "How could you be so careless and foolish?"
Kenta winced at her words. He didn't need to hear them from Lona to experience the punishment of his actions. While it was easy to blame Gwenda and the inconvenience of their situation, he had already been silently blaming himself for not protecting Wynne enough.
All he wanted was her safety. All he needed was to know that she was growing up in a loving home, cared for by her family and friends, and most certainly never taken advantage of by anyone in any situation. He had spent every day since her birth sheltering his little girl, and one fateful night had destroyed the safe haven he built around her.
Lona sneered at him, "You're a disappointment of a father."
Kenta shook in a moment of hesitation as she sliced through his dignity. Hearing her tongue speak with such disregard, such appalling thoughts he had only thought to himself, was enough to either break him entirely or bring his mind back to focus.
He never wanted to hear her angelic voice say such things, and it only confirmed what he believed this creature to be.
With a leveled mind, Kenta set his emotions aside and repeated a spell. He refused to look at the creature who resemble his wife, especially knowing what it would soon become when this spell was complete. He couldn't watch the face of his love transform into something so vulgar, yet it was necessary to rid its presence from himself.
There was no running, for its shadowy source kept it within his reach - and the doppler knew.
"Wha-what are you doing?" A mixture of Lona and an unearthly sound moaned as Kenta neared the end of the spell. The doppler felt its facade diminish, melting away like ice in the sun, and its manipulation over this poor soul was no longer effective.
Kenta grabbed hold of the doppler's throat with his final words, rendering its power useless. Now in its true form, the doppler was at its weakest.
The creature choked. "How could you do this to the face of the woman you love?"
"My wife would never say something so low. We've both made mistakes, as a spouse and as a parent, and she would never throw that in my face." Kenta dared to look the doppler in the eye, glaring at its true, disgusting form. "You are not her."
The doppler smiled, its bright teeth almost as maniacal as Perseus. "I guess you weren't so easily tricked. I wonder, though, if my friends are proving more successful with the lovely ladies here."
Kenta tightened his hold on the creature's throat, squeezing its fragile being to ash. "Where are they? Where is my daughter?"
Before the doppler could speak, whether to share truthfully or continue its torment, Kenta's restraint on its fading body had depleted its being, forcing the creature to fade into grey ash.
He cursed. Kenta knew his actions hadn't truly killed the doppler; there were only certain ways that could be accomplished, yet he was able to defeat the creature from controlling his mind and stealing his identity. Yet again, his concern was not with himself.
His true worry was how they would try to do the same to poor little Wynnie.
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She remembered the scary nights of her first nightmares. A dark room, a clouded mind of fears, and shrilling screams for her parents to come to the rescue. They always came, using the light to ease her worries and remind her that all she saw was simply in her imagination.
Here, the nightmares were real, her worries were much stronger, and not even the dim light above could solace her racing heart.
Little Wynne cried out. "Dad? Aunt Gwenda? Miss Teacher?" There were times, surprisingly, when she preferred to be alone. The isolation helped her focus on magic and feel like she had a special secret kept all to herself. However, this kind of loneliness was frightening. She truly felt like the only person in the world, and that was harrowing.
"Dad!" She cried and screamed a broken voice, hoping she was fast asleep and this was all a bad dream and eventually mom and dad would wake her up in her own bedroom. Then, she could hope that nothing like their misforunate visit to Wales would have even happened, and everything would be all right.
Wynne wondered if her short time as the eldest of three had brought this kind of misfortune upon her, as it once had to Aunt Sophie.
"Why do you cry, sweetheart?" Wynne heard a light murmur from behind, and with a relieving recognition she immediately turned with a tear-stained smile.
"Dad!" She rushed into his embrace, expecting to feel the warmth of his protection around her. However, he was not warm - not even a little. He was freezing to the touch, like a cold, stone statue.
When she looked into his eyes, they were just as cold. "How can you ever expect to be a strong, powerful magician if you can't even face the dark?"
Wynne shuddered, slowly backing away from him. While he looked like her father, something about him seemed different - odd. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "I-It's so dark, Daddy. I-I don't know where I am. I don't like the dark. You know that. It's scary."
Her father, looking forward with that blank stare, rolled his eyes. "My own daughter, practically afraid of her own shadow. What a disgrace."
Wynne quivered her lips, her eyes tearing up once more. "D-Dad?"
He shrugged. "I always knew you couldn't live up to my expectations."
Wynne whimpered, crying into her palms and letting the tears waterfall everywhere. This was wrong; this was another nightmare. It had to be. Her father loved her so much. How could he say something so mean to her, so horrible?
"I guess you'll never be old enough for big girl responsibilities." Wynne's tears persisted through her mother's malice.
"If only you weren't a magician, then maybe I could love you." She cried at Aunt Gwenda's rancor.
"You will never be as talented as I am." Wynne fell to her knees from Markl's hostility.
Why couldn't she wake up? Why did the nightmare go on? Her heart was crushed into a million pieces as all the fears she had in her short life came pouring out all at once. Someone needed to wake her up; she needed someone to break this horrid dream before it completely overtook her.
Before she truly believed these things about herself.
"Wynnie!" She heard footsteps echoing in her direction. Was there no end to the nightmare? They resounded louder and louder until they came to a sharp halt. Arms wrapped around her frail body in an attempt to comfort. "Wynnie, I'm here. You're safe."
How could she believe her aunt now, after she'd already been tainted by her words?
"You lied to me." Wynne cried and cried. "You said you loved me and could never hate magicians, but you're a liar. You really do hate me."
Gwenda held her niece closer, scanning the dim area. She couldn't see anyone except the two of them, yet she wondered if Wynne had experience a similar trauma. While Gwenda could not see the phantom of Wynne's fears, the doppler knelt right by Wynne's side, whispering in her aunt's voice, "Of course I lied, sweetie. Magicians are all monstrous creatures, and even you couldn't change that."
Wynne pushed Gwenda away, cradling her knees together and sobbing uncontrollably. Gwenda stared in disbelief. Whatever she was experiencing was ongoing, yet the source was a mystery. If Gwenda couldn't see the creature feeding wretched deceptions into her niece, how would she stop it from hurting her?
Gwenda rushed back to Wynne, holding her even tighter. "Wynnie, I know I've made you doubt me before, but I promise I love you. I love you so much. Don't believe what that thing is telling you. You know in your heart what's true."
"Wynne!" From a distance, her name echoed through the void and heavy footsteps like before came rushing toward them.
Gwenda breathed a sigh of relief. "Kenta, they're infecting her mind. I-I can't break it, she won't listen to me."
A snickering voice spoke louder, once again in her father's tone. "If you can't break even the simplest of spells, how could you ever be a worthwhile magician?"
Wynne pressed jittery hands over her ears. She rocked her head back and forth, whispering for this infinite horror to just go away.
Kenta watched the pain she bore; he saw the inner turmoil that festered deep into her soul, slowly destroying who she was. "These are dopplers. They attach to your mind and present themselves as people you know. They don't stop spewing hateful words until you've completely given up on yourself and become you. You can't do that, Wynnie. You can't let them take you."
Wynne pressed shaky fingers over her eyes, failing to clear away all the tears that flowed from her. She thought herself worthless. She thought herself weak.
The doppler smiled. "That's exactly what I need you to think."
"Wynne, open your eyes!" She felt a heavy slam against the ground, and gradually a boiling heat surrounded them. She dropped her fingers, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. Her aunt held her fiercely, combing her hair with a gentle touch. Her father pressed claws into the ground, part of his gryphon form she'd only seen once before. Below the surface, boiling flames seeped through the cracks and brightened the expanse of the darkened space.
Wynne looked around. She could see everything. The endless room with no walls, the various lamps hanging from the ceiling, and the creature before her, who now looked eerily like herself, transparent in the fiery light her father created.
He strengthened its power, keeping a close eye on his daughter. "Wynnie, I know you're scared. I know this is probably the most terrifying thing you've ever dealt with, but they're just like ghosts. They can't hurt you if you stand up to them."
Wynne removed her aunt's hold on her, struggling to stand on her legs. She sniffed and wiped away the remaining tears that reddened her face, locking eyes with the facade of herself. The creature, wearing a cruel smile, lunged for her, thinking a child would be the easiest of prey.
"Get away from me!" Wynne placed both hands in front of herself, moving in rapid motion as a whirlwind cast from her fingertips. The wind spun quickly until it formed a tornado gust, amplified by anger and fueled by skill. The doppler, who had expected to be the only one of its comrades to succeed, was greatly mistaken when the tornado gust propelled it deeper and deeper into the void, losing its grip on the little girl's mind.
It sighed in the distance before vanishing into dust. "So close. Till next time, little one."
The room was still, like the ocean after a heavy rainstorm. The three prisoners held each other close, thankful that they were still alive and reunited once more. One hysteria to the next, it seemed as though their travels to Wales would prove more spontaneous than anything in Ingary. From fire demons to ancient spells to magical doors, now to the savage power of dopplers - Kenta thanked his blessings that these were obstacles able to be conquered.
Kenta stared at his daughter, amazed by her skill and ability to overcome a great threat. More than anything, he was thankful that this hardship had not left permanent, devastating consequences. He turned to Gwenda, equally as proud that someone without magical abilities was able to defeat such fearsome creatures. Noe may have assumed she bested them, he thought, but she was sorely wrong.
Now, it was time to face her once more.
As they walked through the abyss searching for an exit, it seemed as though they would still be lost forever until the darkness was invaded by a rectangular light in the far distance. It shone softly as a figure placed itself in the center of the light, ushering them toward it. The presence of freedom was far too tempting, yet no one was willing to trust that this was a friendly rescue.
Kenta held Wynne closely, speaking with urgency to Gwenda. "Prepare to fight."
Gwenda scoffed. "If it's that bitch again, I'm ready."
Taking cautious steps forward, the trio walked in the direction of this new exit. They emerged from the darkness with relief and caution, ready to attack whoever stood before them. However, as the figure's clarity increased, they were surprised that a pair of fiery red pigtails hadn't greeted them. This hair, while still gingerly in tone, was shorter and much more tame. His stature was much taller and bulkier, and he eagerly awaited their departure from this nightmarish room.
There was no need to attack; there was no need to go on the defensive. For as they rushed through the door into the room filled with various other doors, as their rescuer shut away the darkness and turned to them with deep concern, he paused himself in awe of the three who had emerged.
As did Gwenda, Kenta, and Wynne, for they did not expect their savior to be Markl Pendragon.