— On Elena's Remains —
Only Linda remained. Her gaze lingered on the vanishing forms of her sisters before she turned to me, quiet but resolute.
"Sir... there is still something unfinished," she said.
I nodded. I had expected as much. The task she carried could not rest while her heart remained bound to it.
Under our silent watch, Linda began to speak of the matter that had held her for centuries.
"Four hundred years ago," she said softly, "in the early seventeenth century, during the reign of Gustavus Adolphus..."
The date struck a familiar chord within me.
"I traveled south with the young lady and the eldest young master to collect a shipment. We were ambushed by bandits. The young master and all the household attendants were killed. Amelia, the young lady, and I were captured and sold to the one-eyed Alrik."
Her voice did not tremble, but something darker moved beneath it.
"The young lady did everything she could to protect us. She tried every means she knew. But before Alrik, none of it mattered. He tortured us to death."
Linda paused.
"The young lady endured decades in that place before she finally escaped. Amelia was devoured long ago. The young lady still wanders the world alone. I am her only remaining kin. If I leave this place and do not seek her out, she will remain alone forever."
She looked at me steadily.
"So I must find her."
"Linda," I asked softly, "the world is vast. How will you find her? And if she has already been reborn?"
A faint smile remained on her face.
"If she has been reborn, that would be the best outcome—what I hope for most. But if she has not? If she still wanders, alone?"
She raised her gaze to meet mine.
"Sir, I know your concern. You need not persuade me. If I cannot learn her fate, I would rather let my soul wander this world for a thousand years."
Such devotion leaves no room for dry eyes.
With that, Linda turned toward the darkness, preparing to depart.
"Linda," I called out.
"Is your young lady named Elena Valeris?"
She froze.
When she turned back, her eyes were filled—not with tears, but with something darker, as though blood had replaced them. It took her several breaths before she could speak.
"Sir... how do you know my young lady's name? Do you know her? How is she? Is she well?"
I did not let her suffer in suspense.
"She is well," I said. "I am here because she asked for my help. Without her, I would never have known what lies hidden in this place."
For the first time, a genuine smile appeared on Linda's face.
"Truly? She sent you? How is she now? Has she been reborn—no, that cannot be. If she had, she would not remember this place. Sir... my young lady... is she truly living well?"
She had waited centuries to ask these questions.
"She is living well," I answered. "She has found a vessel and now resides within it. In time—several decades—she will be able to complete the cycle and be reborn."
I hesitated, then continued.
"She sent me here to recover her remains. Until her bones are reunited with that body, she cannot fully merge with it. Can you help me?"
Linda dropped to her knees at once.
"Yes. Thank you, sir. Thank you. On behalf of my young lady—thank you. You are a good man. A truly great man."
Before I could react, she struck her head against the ground three times. When she rose, she wiped the dark moisture from her eyes and said calmly,
"Please wait, sir. I will retrieve the young lady's remains."
She clasped her hands and murmured a quiet invocation. A pale, ghostly light gathered at her fingertips. Kneeling, she pressed both palms gently to the earth.
The soil began to move.
Not violently, but as water does—rippling outward in slow, obedient waves. Layer by layer, the black earth parted. Rotten leaves, stones, and tangled roots emerged, then sank aside. The ground yielded inch by inch, foot by foot.
At last, something pale surfaced from the darkness below.
First finger bones. Then an arm, a shoulder blade, a spine.
A broken skeleton rose slowly into the air, suspended above the hollow. Time and damp had reduced it to a dull gray. Cracks webbed its surface. The left arm was missing below the elbow entirely. Yet at the crown of the skull, a faint, dark light pulsed—like a firefly sealed within stone.
The Soul-Bound Bone.
The imprint of where a soul once dwelled.
Linda gazed upon it, lifting her hand as though afraid to wake a dream.
"You suffered so much, my lady," she whispered.
"When you escaped that day, your left arm had already been severed... this is all that remained."
I bent down and carefully picked up one of the ribs. It was cold to the touch, yet seemed to carry a faint tremor—resistance that had not yet faded.
"Thank you, Linda," I said.
She shook her head, hope shining in her expression.
"No. I am the one who should thank you, sir. You have shown me immeasurable kindness—"
"Enough," I cut in quickly. "And please—no more kneeling. Gratitude doesn't have to be expressed that way."
She looked at me, puzzled. I added,
"I only mean—stand up."
She nodded, slightly embarrassed.
"Sir... I have one more request."
"I know," I said before she could continue.
"You'll come with us. When we reach our destination, I'll arrange for you to meet your young lady."
Tears flowed freely now—tears of relief, of hope long deferred.
"Thank you... benefactor."
I placed Elena's remains carefully into my pack and, for the first time since arriving here, allowed myself a long, steady breath.
---
— Case Closed —
At last, it was done. The task had been fraught with complications, yet the outcome was satisfactory.
"Rhan," Selene called suddenly, her gaze steady and earnest. "You... truly are different from others."
"Different? How so?" I asked, a faint smile tugging at my lips.
"My grandfather encountered many psychics like you," she explained, "but most of them boast endlessly about one or two things they'd done, as if it validated a lifetime. You're different. You may be young, yet your sense of justice is real. You treat humans and spirits with the same fairness. Seeing how they respond to you... I realized you are nothing like ordinary psychics. This experience—it will leave a lasting mark on me."
I chuckled, slightly embarrassed. As a psychic, handling such events was my duty. Praise was unnecessary—yet somehow, it felt good.
"Rhan, Selene is right," Clara spoke next, her tone sincere. "I've never done anything like this before. I only heard about it from stories. But following you, I've seen the true intersection of human and spirit. I understand now that spirits have emotions too. I used to be afraid of them. After this... I don't think I will be again. I wonder if there will be another chance to go through this with you."
I did not answer Clara. I could not promise such a thing—and truthfully, I hoped there would be no need. Some matters were better left behind.
At dawn, we called the authorities to report Nyx's body. Two days later, a local Novalis District news report confirmed the discovery in Ashcroft: over seventy female skeletons, and one male. Forensic analysis dated the remains to the early seventeenth century—over four hundred years ago. The report noted that local police had buried the remains on site.
Of course, that was two days later. After returning to Novalis, Selene insisted on taking me home, concerned I might need a hospital. I declined. The injuries from Alrik were minor—rest would suffice.
Now, my priority was clear: I had to resolve Elena's matter. Better to finish it swiftly, before lingering complications could arise.