As the day drew to a close, our overfed stomachs reminded us how recklessly time had slipped away. Between the bustle of the market and the thrill of discoveries, we'd lost track of the hour.

  Now, the setting sun draped the town in molten gold, streaking the sky with hues of fire and fading light.

  "Ah! We were too occupied by sightseeing, we forgot to go to Rona's house!" I slapped my forehead in sudden realization, while holding one bag filled with food and another hand with five sticks of meat skewers. "Luckily, we managed to complete our objective already. Futon exploration!"

  "I'm going to try it out when I go back," Ronald puffed up with pride, his eyes sparkling. "But now let's hurry to Rona's place!"

  With renewed determination, we bounced off. The cobblestones blurred beneath our feet as we somewhat sprinted toward our next destination.

  Yet again, something was wrong.

  As we approached the outer ring of Rona's residential sector, I felt a sting on my nape.

  "Youch! What the—" I rubbed my nape. Ronald's trembling finger pointed forward, and I followed his gaze.

  The atmosphere shifted.

  A strange fog began to creep in. It didn't roll in from a distance. It manifested as if the air itself were shedding its skin.

  Tendrils of mist stretched and coiled around the trees, crawling across the ground, weaving the world into something unrecognizable.

  In an instant, the town's warmth vanished, swallowed by a veil of cold, damp silence.

  The fog carried weight. Not just damp air, but presence. I stopped in my tracks, brows furrowed. My instincts prickled.

  "Oui… Are you sure we're at the right place, Ronald?" I held up the map, comparing the roads to the shapes barely visible through the mist. "This looks more like a haunted house than an actual house."

  Still a house, but not one I'd live in.

  Clackety-clack.

  Huh? What's that sound? I clutched low, scanned the area. Enemies?

  I turned to the source and found Ronald's knees knocking together so loudly I could hear them over the hush. Should I tie them up?

  "Llyne..." He pointed at my map. "I-I-It's r-rea-really h-h-here…"

  I opened my mouth to tease him. Then I felt it. The fog pulsed. Not with wind. With breath. It retreated from our steps. Then surged closer, as if sniffing us.

  I waved it away. A hiss answered. Something bit my finger. I retracted my finger instinctively, rubbing it. No bite marks. But a chill lingered. A painful one. I massaged my finger and glanced at our surroundings.

  What is this? A barrier? A curse? A veil?

  While I was pondering, sniffles were heard. Ronald was tearing up, nose red, whole body trembling. He stared at me with beady eyes. Must we go? Can't we go back? Where's Rona? Why is her house so creepy? I want to cry. Can I cry?

  I reached out and held Ronald's hand. He paused for a moment and looked at me. "It's okay, Ronald. We have each other." I squeezed his hand tighter.

  Ronald tried hard to smile and asked, "What if a ghost appears?"

  I swung my fist high in the air, "Then I'll obliterate it with my fist."

  "But..."

  I cut Ronald's words and patted my chest. "Don't worry, Ronald. As long as you're with me, I won't let anything harm you."

  Ronald gave a shocked look, his face muscle slowly loosened. The tears in his eyes fell, and he hugged me. "Thank you, Llyne."

  I laughed, "Hey! What are friends for, huh?"

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  After Ronald's dramatic sobbing, we decided to embrace the fear to meet Rona.

  Someone should reward us with the BFF of the Year award. Sheesh!

  The fog did not seem impressed.

  I turned to Ronald and grabbed his arms, "Are you ready, Ronald?"

  Ronald, with puffy eyes and a snotty nose, nodded with confidence. We turned, and I pointed forward, "No backsy!"

  Something moved within the mist.

  I glared at it and hissed. Don't you dare ruin the moment.

  We stepped forward cautiously. The world was reduced to silhouettes and shadows. And then, a voice.

  "Who goes there?"

  Soft. Feminine. A whisper. It came not from in front of us, but from within the fog itself. Behind.

  Ronald gripped my arms like it was a lifeline, "The... the fog! It's spe-speaks?!" His teeth clattered in a frantic rhythm.

  I shook my head, "Probably someone inside the fog. Chill."

  We squinted our eyes, trying to pierce the fog. However, we saw nothing. There was no figure. No person. Just sound.

  Is it really a ghost? Ghost exists? Ma never taught me that. Uh oh.

  I swallowed the tension rising in my throat. Fist slowly clenching.

  Should I strike? But I don't know who my opponent is. What if they're like Master Khun? If that's so, I'd be quoting death. My thoughts scrambled. Fine. Violence as a last resort.

  I took a step forward.

  Courage. Or recklessness. Sometimes, they were the same thing.

  "We are friends of Rona," I said clearly. "We've come to visit..."

  Please don't eat us?

  The fog responded.

  It shifted not like air, but like an intelligent mass, folding back layer by layer. And from that newly formed fog emerged a figure.

  Not walked, not stepped. Emerged. Like water forming into a shape.

  The air grew heavy. My lungs struggled against it. I wanted to run, but something unseen pressed down, pinning me in place.

  The woman was unreal.

  Not simply beautiful, but unearthly. Her feet touched the ground, yet her presence hovered beyond it. Her existence felt like a hallucination given shape.

  And yet when she spoke, it grounded the world.

  "I apologize for the eerie welcome. The fog is a protective barrier around our home."

  So you know it's eerie.

  The figure pointed at us. We looked confused and turned to each other only to realize Ronald had his arms and legs around me, while I carried his heavy, shaky body.

  I thought the fear was crushing my bones, but it was him. I should have known.

  Ronald got off me and whispered an apology. After that, the pressure lifted slightly. My breath came easier.

  "You may call me Ellaxa." The name reverberated in my skull. I knocked lightly against my head, then dragged a finger along my ear, trying to shake the feeling loose.

  Beside me, Ronald stood silent, his tension mirroring mine. A glance between us confirmed it.

  Yep. We're being haunted.

  Ronald eyed me, What do we do?

  I eyed back, Follow my lead.

  I reached my hands out, out of politeness. Internally hoping she wouldn't grab it. "I'm Llyne, and this is my friend, Ronald. We promised to visit Rona today."

  Ellaxa nodded, a motion so subtle it could have passed as the wind shifted. "Rona has spoken fondly of you both."

  I retracted my hand, feeling immense relief but at the same time, fear boiling.

  Ronald and I exchanged a look.

  We've never even heard of you!

  Without another word, her form turned and drifted back into the fog, dissolving as she went. "Please, come in. She's been eagerly awaiting your arrival."

  Behind me, Ronald's fingers latched onto my arm.

  "Is it safe?" he whispered. "It doesn’t sound safe. It doesn’t look safe. I was on the verge of wetting my pants."

  I snorted. Couldn't help it. That tension broke instantly. "Should be fine. Rona lives here, after all."

  We looked forward, our brain cells syncing in real time

  Here?

  We looked at each other. Two dumb adventurers on the edge of a trap or a reunion.

  Without another word, we stepped forward. Ronald praying hard for both of us. Me dragging him forward.

  The fog yielded. Barely. A veil parting for guests it did not want.

  One step.

  Then another.

  Then another.

  A corridor unfolded ahead of us. Crafted by the mist itself, guiding us inward. With every step, the world shifted. Trees rose around us.

  Are we in a forest? But how? Teleportation? It can't be. I would have heard that annoying metallic screech. Don't tell me... it's an illusion?

  Silence deepened.

  Shadows lengthened.

  And then...

  Whoosh.

  Something sliced through the fog, brushing past us with lethal speed. Reflex took over.

  "Whoa!"

  We ducked. Slid back.

  My heart thumped so loud my ears rang. Oui. A second slower and one of us would have had a hole in the chest.

  Ronald frantically patted his torso. "I'm fine. I'm fine." He looked over at me. "You?"

  I flashed him an "OK" sign, still crouched.

  Caw.

  Caw.

  The sound echoed like a death bell.

  Above.

  I followed the noise, eyes tracking upward.

  A shiver ran through me, the air tasting of iron. "...That ain't good."

  There. On the trees. A flock of crows.

  Not moving. Just… watching.

  A murder of them.

  All staring.

  Unblinking.

  Their eyes shimmered. Not red. Not gold. But deep, cosmic pools. Like they knew.

  Their cries split the fog. Sharp. Cold. Old.

  A chill ran down my spine. I stole a glance at Ronald, half-expecting him to have fainted upright. Instead, he was grinning.

  I blinked. Rubbed my eyes. Yep. Still grinning like an idiot. I smacked his head. "Don't go crazy before me."

  "Ow!" Ronald rubbed the spot. "What was that for?"

  "You were grinning like an idiot."

  "I was just dreaming that everything here was sparkly and pretty. You know. With unicorns dancing around."

  I moved closer to his mouth. "Say that again." And he did. Word for word. My brain shut down. I manually rebooted it. Once done, I mumbled, "If that's the case, I'd rather stick with this haunted mess."

  I gave Ronald a knock on his nose. "Anyway, you can't escape reality with fantasy."

  "Aww…" Ronald pouted, touching his nose.

  I let out a sigh and glared at one of the crows. Reality… or something else entirely?