Jack and Reina were back in Lonestone Capital City.
Life in Lonestone had settled back into a regular rhythm. A comfortable cadence after the excitement of their recent adventures.
Jack maintained his multi-faceted existence. By day, his workshop was filled with the whirring of gears as Jack Night brought his intricate steamrune mechanical creations to life.
Rune, his silent fairy companion, always hovered nearby. Glowing a soft, steady blue as she observed his work.
His break was spent as Racer Jack. A blur of motion and defiance. The kamaitachi speedster took to the streets of the city. Patrolling the multiple districts in superspeed. Guarding its decent citizens from dangers and crimes.
Late at night, once Reina was fast asleep, Jack Mystery would emerge. The mysterious specter was a harbinger of judgement. With nightmares and sweet dreams for his weapons.
Reina, meanwhile, still dedicated her days to her burgeoning charity projects. Despite the fact that her negative karma had been neutralized.
...
One late night...
Under the cloak of a moonless sky, Jack patrolled the city. In his specter form. The random site chosen this time was the Academy District.
The air here was usually fresh and calming. One of the less polluted districts in the huge city. Not much trouble appeared here. Jack was expecting a lone, peaceful night for once.
But, tonight, a faint aroma of depression and grudge hung heavy in the air. Jack sensed troubles just as he entered the district.
Something was calling him. Not physical call. But spiritual.
His spectral form drifted through the silent roads. To a skeletal remains of a mansion. At the secluded corner of the district.
The mansion was long destroyed. Its blackened remains were like grasping fingers against the night. In the overgrown backyard, near a moss-covered well, a faint shimmer caught his spectral eye.
A ghost.
He stopped for a while. Observing this spectral entity. The apparition was that of a middle-aged woman. Her spectral dress was neat. With hair pulled back in a severe bun. She hovered silently above the well. Her gaze was fixed on one direction.
Jack activated his [Eyes of Judgement]. The familiar overlay of information appearing in his vision.
[Name: Neone]
[Race: Ghost (Human)]
[Age: - (38)]
[Affiliation: Hashwell Noble Family]
[Karma: Neutral]
[Power Level: Low]
[Power Class: Supernatural Sorceress]
[Power Trait: Invisibility]
[Personalities: Practical, Calm]
[Attitudes: Devoted, Loyal]
[Current Status: Undead]
[Overview: The maid of the Hashwell family in Lotogear City. Murdered and disposed of in this abandoned well, along with her young master. Just two days ago.]
The details flashed across his vision. Maid of the Hashwell family in Lotogear City. A transcendent individual with the power of invisibility. But, she was murdered and disposed of in this abandoned well. Along with her young master.
Interesting. Another ghost who still maintained her sanity and rationality. He recalled the ghosts like this that he had encountered. Little Linna in Highcliff Town. Johnny in Ironpile Mine. And his student, Spider from Sapphire City.
Jack's incorporeal form coalescing slightly as he approached. A spectral masked apparition in classic stage-magician outfit.
"Good evening!" Jack said. Lifting his spectral top hat to greet. His voice was a whisper that seemed to echo from everywhere.
The ghost didn't flinch. Her translucent head turned. Her spectral eyes met his. There was sorrow there. A deep well of it. And a simmering anger. But also a surprising calm. A clarity that belied her spectral state.
"Greetings, Sir!" She replied. Her spectral voice was soft. Like rustling leaves.
"Jack Mystery at your service, Ma'am." He introduced himself. "And you are?"
"My name is Neone." She said. Her gaze returned briefly to the well. "I served the Hashwell family."
Jack waited. Letting the silence stretch. "Do you mind telling me what happened to you, Ma'am?"
She was silent for a while. But then replied politely. "I would be glad to do so, Lord Mystery."
Her story unfolded slowly. Punctuated by the mournful sigh of the wind through the broken windows.
"It was after the passing of old master, Lord Rockeye Hashwell, the patriarch of Hashwell Family. My young master, Lord Topaz Hashwell, felt a growing unease." She began. Her spectral form was trembling slightly.
"His stepmother… she associated with unsavory individuals. Individuals who brought a chill to his very bones. And mine as well..."
Jack nodded. He had seen enough death and despair to recognize the stench of foul play from a distance.
"Young Lord Topaz wished to leave Lotogear." Neone continued. "He asked me to bring him to Lonestone. He has a sister here, Baroness Artheim. He believes she can offer him refuge."
"And you agreed?" Jack prompted.
"Of course." Neone's spectral eyes flickered with a hint of pride. "I am… or was… a loyal maid of Hashwell Family. And I was a Supernatural Sorceress. Invisibility is my gift. We traveled to Lonestone without incident."
Jack filed that away. A maid that was a supernatural sorceress. This world was teeming with hidden talents.
"But when we arrived..." Neone's voice lowered. A tremor of pain running through it. "The Baroness was not at her estate. Her assistant informed me that she was surveying this property, considering its purchase. It was… a deception."
Her spectral hand gestured vaguely. "The assistant led us here. And then…" Her voice cracked. "They killed us. Threw us into this well."
Jack's spectral form was still. He already knew the Baroness Artheim. A Fateless individual. Just like him. He was still observing and considering whether he would invite her to Fateless Gathering or not.
They had met at Lake Trishade. His Jack Night incarnation had some interaction with her. His impression was that she was a woman of intellect and influence. One interested in knowledge and history. Purely for academic purposes.
"Baroness Artheim." Jack mused aloud. "I know of her. A… knowledgeable woman. Researcher of the Archeology Faculty of Lonestone Academy."
He paused. Considering his choices. He wouldn't mind helping. The widowed Baroness was his acquaintance after all.
"Would you like me to deliver a message for you? If you wish to speak with her, I can arrange it."
Neone turned her full attention to him. Her sorrow was momentarily overshadowed by a flicker of hope. "You would do that? For me?"
"I had nothing else to do anyway." Jack said. A faint, sardonic twist to his spectral lips. "Besides, it wasn't a good idea to let murderers be free in this city. Tell me what you wish her to know. And then point me to this Baroness."
Neone relayed her message. Her words precise and urgent. Topaz Hashwell was murdered. The stepmother and her associates were not merely after his inheritance. They were likely after something more, something connected to the Hashwell family's secrets.
Her spirit was somehow bound to the well. And she could not move away from it. She implored the Baroness to come there discreetly. So that she could further reveal her information without fear of prying eyes or treacherous ears.
With the message committed to memory, Jack said. "I know that the Baroness lives in this district. But I have no idea which one is her home."
"Yes. Her mansion is in this district." Neone replied. Pointing a trembling spectral finger eastward. "Not far from here. A mansion with a flaming horse statue in the front yard."
Jack gave a slight nod. "I know that place. Then I shall go there and deliver your words." He then added. "I will try to guide her here. Right away."
With that, Jack Mystery dissolved into the shadows. His spectral form moved with unnatural speed through the quiet streets of the Academy District.
Rune, in her will-o'-the-wisp form, followed him. Pulsing with a soft, calming light.
Not long afterward, they reached their destination.
Artheim Mansion was a stark contrast to the ruin he had just left. It was situated on a well-manicured estate.
The building exuded an aura of refined scholarship and understated wealth. The trademark flaming horse statue in the front yard was imposing. Yet artistic and beautiful in a way.
Jack phased through the wrought-iron gates and the solid oak doors. His spectral form was unaffected by physical barriers.
He immediately found the Baroness in her study. A grand room lined with towering bookshelves. An ornate desk dominated the center. Upon which lay scattered ancient parchments and arcane instruments.
Baroness Artheim, a beautiful woman with sharp, intelligent eyes, was hunched over a brittle-looking scroll. Her brow was furrowed in concentration.
Jack had met her once before in this incarnation. During his brief interaction with Chloe Chase in Lake Trishade. They hadn't interacted directly. But he had observed her then as he observed everyone.
He materialized at the edge of her desk. His spectral form casted a faint, otherworldly glow.
"Baroness Artheim!" He greeted in a low, resonant whisper.
She was startled. Dropping her magnifying glass with a clatter. Her hand instinctively went to a hidden dagger at her waist.
Her eyes were initially wide with alarm. She narrowed them as she recognized him. Or at least, his spectral visage.
"You..." She said. Her voice was steady. Betraying only a hint of surprise. "Jack Mystery, isn't it? What brings you to my private study at this ungodly hour?"
"A matter of some urgency." Jack replied. He kept his tone measured. "I have a message for you. From the maid of your brother, Topaz Hashwell."