Ghost

"Do you know where they are?" asks Tess as we run.

"I can hear voices."

"Do you believe your friend will reach us?" asks the Village Chief's voice.

"I know Haruki will find us. And once he does, you will regret holding us as hostages."

Rai? Thank god she's okay. "This way. We need to increase our speed," I say, punching through walls.

"Even if he does show up, he will never defeat my Yeti."

"Haruki is powerful. Your Yeti doesn't stand a chance."

"You are adamant on your knight. I wonder... What face will you make when we present his corpse to you?"

"Haruki will not fall to the likes of you."

"Princess Rai, you are quite the feisty one. I was going to present you to King Heilder, but I think he will dislike your personality. Therefore, I shall take you as my own and present those knights to King Heilder. Now, princess, are you prepared? Do not worry. I have pleasured many in my time. You, princess, will be subservient to me."

I feel my blood boiling. I punch through the final wall, and the Village Chief looks back at me, shocked. "W-what are you doing here!?" he roars. "Where are my guards?"

I look down at Rai. Her clothes are ripped to shreds, and she has tears welling up in her eyes. "Haruki..." she says, crying.

I walk forward.

"Hiiee!!" shrieks the Village Chief as I walk past him.

I remove my shirt and cover Rai's body. I look to the side. Elsie and Erika are still unconscious; however, they are untouched. "You're safe now, Rai. I'm here."

She leans on my chest and whispers, "Idiot... You should have come sooner."

"I'm sorry, Rai."

"No, there's no need to apologise. All that matters is that you are here."

I take her by the shoulders and gently move her off me. "Wait right here," I say, smiling. I get up and glare at the Village Chief. "I'm sorry," I say, remorseful.

The Village Chief snickers, "O-of course you are. Now, if you serve under me, I will forgive..."

His head splatters as I punch him with all my strength. His lifeless body falls to the ground. "I was not speaking to you," I say coldly. I walk to Tristan, "I cannot hear anyone else in this dimension. I'm afraid your family ended up just like you, Tristan."

"Just like him? What do you mean?" asks Tess.

Tristan's body starts fading. He smiles and says, "So, you figured it out, Mister."

"Tristan?" asks Tess, confused, "What is going on?"

"Sorry, Sis, but I died two weeks ago."

"Died? No, that can't be..." She turns her face to me and asks, "Did you know?"

I nod my head. "I figured it out when he appeared before me. He had no heartbeat, and when he told me his story, I pieced his final chapter together. It is impossible for a child as young as him to survive alone in this snowy weather. And his clothing provides no heat at all. For him to survive was impossible from the beginning."

"But... I touched him..."

"It's not impossible for a ghost to manifest a physical body. When their lingering regrets are powerful enough, this much is child's play."

"No...Tristan... it cannot be..." The streak on her hair disappears completely. "Tristan!!" she screams, "you can't go!!"

"I can't maintain my form any longer, Sis. I reached my limit. And now that I know my family isn't alive, I can cross over with no regrets. They're probably waiting for me, right, Mister?"

"Yeah. They are waiting for you."

"Mister, please take care of Sis for me. She is abrasive but gentle. Rowdy but quiet. Hopeless, but also hopeful. And she is elegant but also messy."

"I will protect her with my life, Tristan."

"Thank you, Mister. Now I can rest peacefully." His body disappears completely. 

"No... Tristan... NOOOO!!!" Tess breaks down into tears. Her screams wake Elsie and Erika. The pocket dimension starts crashing in itself. I transport us all back to the Snow Inn.

"Tess," I say gently. She runs out of the inn, blinded by confusion and sadness.

I hesitate. "Go," says Rai. "We will be fine here."

"Thanks," I say, running after her.

I follow the footsteps she left behind. After catching up, I witness her staring at a frozen lake.

"Nothing you do will change the outcome, Tess."

"I am not Tess," she says.

"Then who are you? Or should I ask which one are you?"

She turns around. A bronze-orange streak in her hair. So, this is a new one.

"I am Tess, but I am also not Tess. You can call me Dawn. The rowdy one is Sun. And the elegant one is Moon."

"What are you?"

She smiles a hollow smile. "We are Gods, possessing this young woman's body."

"All three of you?"

"Yes, as you can guess, I am the God of Dawn."

Although I want to ask her more questions, I can see that she is hurting.

"I knew him least, so it is only fitting that I am in the driver's seat. The other three are crying..."

The streak on her hair changes to red. "I'M NOT CRYING, FOOL!! WHY WOULD I CRY!!" roars Sun as she cries.

It changes again, this time to a grey streak. "Cease your disrespect, Sun," demands Moon, holding back her tears. "We are all saddened, but we should be strong for Tess."

The streak changes to bronze-orange. "I concur," says Dawn. "Tess is the most hurt by this. We should have Haruki here to console her. That was his last wish."

The streak in her hair disappears. Her eyes are bloodshot from all the crying. "Haruki," she says, "what will I do? How could I ever live with myself after saying I will protect him? How could I not see? How could I let him die? How could I ever...?"

I pull her into my arms and say, "Use me. Cry on my shoulder. Let it all out."

Her tears. Her screams. I took on everything she held inside until she fell asleep. We spent the whole night in the forest.

"I'm so sorry!!" she says, flustered. After sleeping for hours in my arms, she woke up embarrassed. We returned to the inn, and now she apologises to me and the others.

"No, there's no need to..."

"I did something so embarrassing with you. You who already have a wife and two concubines."

"Wife? Concubines?" I look around. Elsie and Erika are laughing, while Rai appears flustered.

"Erika and I are nothing like that to Haruki," says Elsie. "We don't even see him that way."

"Then how do you see him then?" asks Tess, curious.

"A monster in human form," they say in unison.

This monster has feelings, you know...

"So, the only one here who sees him as more than a monster is..." Tess looks at Rai.

"Just to inform you, I am not the only one. There are a few others like me."

"So, he goes around collecting a harem?"

"Basically."

Both of them look at me disgusted and sighs. They look at each other and start giggling. Although I have been insulted many times today, I am glad they are getting along.

*******************

Heilder Kingdom, Capital City

"Your Highness."

"Come in."

"..."

"Apologies, I did not know you had a guest."

"It's all good, Sebastian. You may introduce yourself."

"Good day, Sir. I am His Highness' royal advisor Sebastian Black. May I inquire about your name and purpose here?"

"My name is Hafiz, and my reason for being here today is to warn you, Your Highness."

"Warn me?"

"Yes, I am here to warn you about a certain dragon named Haruki Ryu."