CHAPTER 111: THE GRAVEYARD: PART II

Adam stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a gravestone as the translucent figure hovered closer. Its body wavered like smoke, shifting from human shape to something inhuman before snapping back again. Then a chilling laugh echoed through the graveyard.

Adam let out a scream, loud enough that both Nova and Elesch whipped around.

Elesch raised an eyebrow. "What in the world was that noise?"

Adam pointed furiously, his hand shaking. "There! There! Don’t you see it?!"

Nova rubbed his temples, his eyelids heavy. "All I see is you screaming like a kettle about to blow."

But then the spirit twisted in the air, darting behind Adam in a streak of pale mist. He yelled and spun around, only to see it reappear to his left, then vanish again with a sharp whisper that brushed against his ear.

"Adaaaam..." The whisper dragged his name out like an echo through a cavern. Adam clutched his chest, convinced his heart had skipped at least three beats.

Elesch leaned on her rapier, unimpressed. "That spirit isn’t even attacking you. It’s just teasing."

"Teasing?! It’s trying to kill me by cardiac arrest!" Adam shouted. "That counts as an attack!"

The ghost appeared again, this time floating upside down in front of Adam’s face, its wide grin stretched too far, its eyes hollow and glowing. Adam screamed, flailing his arms like he was trying to swat away an oversized insect. The spirit darted just out of reach, giggling like a child who had pulled off a prank.

Nova snorted, trying to cover his laugh. "Honestly, I think it just likes you. Maybe you have a... ghostly charm."

Adam whipped his head toward him. "This is not funny, Nova! Do something! You’re supposed to be my friend!"

"Sorry," Nova said, his voice half broken from exhaustion. "But you’re handling it surprisingly well. Besides, I’m too tired to fight the air."

The spirit circled Adam, pulling at his scarf until it unraveled and floated to the ground. Then another voice joined in, a different pitch, softer but still mocking. Another spirit had appeared, hovering by his shoulder. This one stuck out an elongated tongue before vanishing in a puff of mist.

"They’re multiplying?!" Adam shouted, voice cracking. "Elesch, please tell me you’ll do something before I die here!"

Elesch shrugged, crossing her arms. "You’re not dying. You’re just screaming. There’s a difference."

The spirits danced around him now, phasing in and out of sight. One tapped him on the back, then vanished before he spun around. Another pulled at his coat, pulling it half off his shoulder. A third drifted through his legs, chilling him to the bone before appearing on the other side with a toothy smile.

Adam screamed again, throwing his arms up. "This is bullying! I’m being bullied by the dead, and my so-called friends are just watching!"

Nova chuckled, leaning against a lantern. "Think of it as character development. Marcus said you needed a better relationship with ghosts."

"Relationship?! I don’t want a relationship! I want distance, like ten miles minimum!"

Elesch actually smirked at that. "Look at it this way, you’ve lasted this long. Maybe you’re tougher than you thought."

Adam shot her a glare, his face pale. "Tougher?! My soul is halfway out of my body right now!"

As if to enhance his misery, one of the spirits floated close and blew cold air directly into his ear. Adam screamed so loudly that the nearby crows took flight from the trees. Nova burst out laughing, finally unable to hold it in. Even Elesch cracked a small laugh, though she quickly hid it behind a cough.

"This isn’t funny!" Adam argued. "You’re supposed to be my friends, not my audience!"

For the next hour, the spirits kept tormenting him, never once touching Nova or Elesch. They spun around Adam like children in a cruel game of tag, tugging his hair, making eerie faces, whispering nonsense phrases that froze his skin.

He chased them, swung at them, begged them to stop, all while the other two occasionally offered commentary like it was a show.

"Elegant footwork, Adam," Elesch remarked as he tripped over a root.

"Careful, you’ll scare them away with that singing voice," Nova added after another scream.

Adam glared at them both, tears of frustration welling in his eyes. "I hate you two so much."

Yet, just when he thought he would finally collapse from sheer terror, the first blush of dawn crept over the horizon. The lantern flames dimmed slightly but held steady, their protective glow still intact.

One by one, the spirits dissolved into mist, their laughter fading into silence as the sunlight touched the graveyard.

Adam collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. His scarf was half-buried in the dirt, and his hair stuck out in every direction. He looked less like an Adventurer and more like someone who had survived a nightmarish prank.

Elesch helped him to his feet, her expression unreadable. "You lived."

"Barely," Adam muttered, clutching his chest. "I think my dignity died, though."

Nova stretched, yawning. "But the lanterns are all still standing. Mission complete."

With little energy left to argue, Adam simply trudged alongside them as they made their way back to Marcus.

Marcus greeted them at the guild with his usual playful grin. "Well, look who survived the haunted graveyard! So, how was your night?"

Adam opened his mouth to unleash a tirade, but Elesch cut him off. "The lanterns are intact. Spirits sealed. Rats exterminated. Job done."

Marcus nodded approvingly. "Excellent work. I didn’t expect all three of you to keep the lanterns stable on your first run. I’m impressed."

"Impressed?!" Adam exploded. "I was tortured! Haunted! Violated by phantoms! I-"

Marcus raised a hand, smirking. "And yet, you lived. Sounds like growth to me."

Adam’s face turned bright red as Elesch chuckled. Nova, half-asleep on his feet, just gave a lazy wave. "Mission complete. Yay us."

Before Adam could continue ranting, Elesch tugged him by the arm. "Come on. We’re leaving."

"But I haven’t finished yelling at him yet!"

"Save it for later," she said firmly, dragging him away.

Marcus chuckled under his breath, clearly entertained by Adam’s misery.

Nova lingered behind, rubbing his eyes. Every bone in his body felt dead, his exhaustion from days of training now finally overwhelming him.

The walk back to his apartment blurred together. He barely noticed the holiday decorations still glowing across the streets or the faint carols drifting from open windows. His legs moved on instinct, carrying him home.

Inside, he didn’t bother changing or tidying anything. He collapsed directly onto his bed, the mattress embracing him like a long-lost friend.