Ghost children

His heartbeat pounded in his ears, his breaths came in ragged gasps, and cold sweat drenched his forehead. His small footsteps echoed against the stone floors of the palace as shadowy doors blurred past him.

Behind him…

The man in green walked with slow, heavy, terrifying steps—silent as death itself approaching.

Jonathan didn't dare look back.

But he could feel it those eyes behind the mask, staring into his soul, not just his body.

Then—

Something shattered inside him.

A hazy vision… or perhaps an old memory, exploding in his mind.

A palace burning.

Flames devouring the ceilings.

Black smoke choking the air.

And a woman screaming at him:

"Run!! Run now!!"

Her voice… he could never forget.

Her face… he could never remember.

– (This palace… it's the same one…! I'm back here again?!)

He kept running stumbling, crashing into walls, flinging open door after door in search of an exit.

Yet the man in the green robe kept advancing… unhurried.

Then—

A door suddenly swung open before him.

Out stepped a tall man in a long black coat, leather shoes creaking ominously, a wide-brimmed hat shading his face.

But what froze Jonathan in place was his face.

Half of it was horribly disfigured as if fire had eaten through skin and bone. His right eye was hollow, while the left burned with pure hatred.

In his right hand…

A rusted set of brass knuckles glinted, thirsty for blood.

– "The heir…?"

The man rasped, his voice like dry bones scraping together.

Jonathan's eyes widened—but he couldn't dodge the blow.

With a heavy fist, the man swung straight for the boy's face

– THOOOM!!

But…

Something strange happened.

Before the strike could land…

A transparent shield of golden energy burst to life in front of Jonathan like a bubble of light completely blocking the attack.

– "…What?!"

The scarred man staggered back, his hand trembling.

The brass knuckles were cracked… and steam rose from his fingers.

As if something had burned him… something not of this world.

Jonathan stood stunned, his right arm outstretched without thought, his eyes flickering with a faint yellow glow.

– (What… did I just do?!)

And at the end of the hall…

The green-robed man remained still.

Watching.

He didn't move.

He didn't speak.

The magical shield vanished…

And as the scarred man raised his fist again, it was clear the next strike would be fatal.

But—

In the blink of an eye, something burst through the floor beneath him!

As if the ground had never been solid to begin with.

A small figure shot upward a girl wrapping her arms around Jonathan in a tight embrace. Her hair whipped from the speed, his heart nearly stopping from shock.

Then…

They flew upward straight through the stone ceiling.

No dust. No debris. No sound of impact.

As if the walls allowed them to pass.

As if they were no longer entirely physical.

Below, the scarred man froze, fist still hanging in the air.

Behind him, the green-robed man stood motionless.

– "Damn it!" the scarred man roared. "She took him! Go after her now!"

But the man in green didn't move.

Slowly, he tilted his head toward the now-nonexistent hole in the ceiling… then whispered coldly:

– "Not this time..."

…

Above, the girl landed with Jonathan in a strange room…

Small, lavish, filled with luxurious trinkets: handcrafted dolls, colorful books, plush cushions, and carefully arranged wooden toys.

But… there was something stranger.

In the room sat several children ages ranging from 8 to 12.

They smiled at Jonathan silently, their eyes… empty.

Their bodies emitted a faint green glow, pulsing softly around them.

As if they weren't entirely human.

The girl who had saved him stepped closer, her eyes shimmering gently.

– "Are you okay?"

Her voice was warm… but odd.

As if she'd done this before.

– "Who… are you?" Jonathan whispered, backing against the wall but not daring to run.

She smiled softly.

– "My name is Lina. I've been watching you since you entered this palace."

Time seemed to freeze.

Lina…?

The name he'd seen scrawled on the wall beneath the drawing of the missing girl.

He'd never seen her face before… yet her features felt familiar.

– "And… them?" He glanced at the silent children.

Lina looked at them, then answered quietly:

– "My friends… or something closer than that."

Then she met his gaze directly, her blue eyes piercing:

– "But don't worry, Jonathan… you're safe now. Just don't leave this room."