Dead End

In the morning, the five of them got ready to set out. Susa's house was small for seven people to sleep in, so they had to do sleep on the ground, however, they were given blankets and cushions by Susa's parents.

It wasn't ideal but it was at least dozen times better than sleeping outside and Mika, particularly couldn't complain. Lily wondered if they shouldn't stay here a bit longer, enough for Susa to get used to her power.

But Susa said it was fine, after all, her power wasn't something physical and she could learn fighting after they go to the U family.

Xavi also agreed and said it'd be best to waste as little time as possible to gather the allies.

Once they've settled everything, they set out and ventured through the streets of the city, Susa remarked, "If we want to train, we could try to purge the ghosts on our way."

"Sounds good," surprisingly Mika immediately agreed. He had been trying to secretly summon more complicated things but never properly succeeded.

"Come to think of it, until now I haven't seen any vengeful ghosts," Lia didn't mind the idea, however her power was pretty much useless since there weren't any corpses for her to control.

The interesting part was to see how Xavi and Mika would hold up their own against the ghosts. More importantly was Susa's power, her clairvoyance was useless against ghosts as well and had nothing to do with corpses which was weird.

After all, the powers of the hidden families should directly correlate with the Immortal King's powers, just as how the council family's abilities were tied to the Ghost King and ghosts.

Could Susa's clairvoyance somehow be related to her corpses and used to fight? Right now out of all their powers only Xavi's was an attack power and could deal damage. Susa's and Mika's were more or less support.

"They're sparse throughout the entire Veil and in the cities, because back then the exorcists came and sealed or purged some of them," Susa explained. She got to know that Mika's D family was the cause behind the Veil's confinement but didn't scold him or anything.

Lia was curious, "Do you know where the ghosts are sealed?" she has heard the Veil had more vengeful ghosts than the core but until now it didn't seem like it.

"Yes, five years ago I came across one just when the exorcists have been sealing some ghosts away. It's not far from here."

When they arrived at the end of the city before the white veil Mika had to lead them through it. Once outside, it was Susa who showed them the way. Away from the city, into the grassy land full of the translucent, holographic veils, Susa walked further and further away into the distance.

"They usually seal them close to the border between Mistand and Neverland, since no one lives there anyways."

They walked for at least an hour or two before getting close to the border yet they couldn't see it. They were still a distance away.

The grassy land persisted and seemed to cover any space that wasn't taken away by a city or town. It was a weird phenomenon that white veils clouded around where people inhabited.

"They are attracted to lifeforce, is my guess or is what I can sense with my power," Susa said.

"Why?" it was odd for inanimate objects to do that, especially veils that shouldn't react to anything but then again they appeared out of nowhere and occupied a whole layer in the immortal world.

"I'm not entirely sure but what do you think about them being something similar to ghosts? Like failed ghosts?" Susa casually proposed this idea but the mere thought of it was terrifying.

"Do failed ghosts even exist?" Mika voiced his doubts..

It sounded strange but Lia who has participated in creating ghosts couldn't rule out this possibility. If ghosts were created by etching 100% of a mortal's negative feelings into their soul, what if only half of it or 70% persisted but wasn't enough to make them ghosts?

However, their regret or desire to stay in the world was still strong enough to manifest their less than 100% feelings and thus they were failed ghosts? Not able to properly take a form and live but still stay in the world, helpless and forever trapped.

Lia tried to touch the veils, if these were really portions of a mortal's soul then it was too sad, but it also made sense why they crowded around the cities and the possibility of them being attracted to life force was also reasonable.

Ghosts yearned for life force in order to replenish themselves and fuel their stay in the world longer.

Suddenly it dawned on Lia that Susa's clairvoyance might be a heavy burden. To see and know the truth of the worlds and existence wasn't an easy task to cope with. Sometimes it was better to leave things unknown or just let them be mysteries never to be uncovered.

Too much of anything, even if it was knowledge, wisdom or something positive, it inevitably would turn into something bad.

The topic of the veils was quickly pushed away. No one wanted to entertain the thoughts they might be walking through residues of mortals.

At the end of the grassland were large fields filled with ghosts and the only thing keeping them from swarming the whole place was seemingly a translucent wall confining them.

"This is a good training spot," Lia looked at the ghosts. Behind the wall, the ghosts were sectioned into different squares. Lia walked towards one of the walls and lifted her hand. It effortlessly went through.

"We can go in and out but they can't leave," once Lia was closer to the wall, she finally discovered an engraving into the almost invisible walls.

This pattern acted like a talisman.

"So they've figured out a way not needing to use a talisman."

"Or maybe it's someone's power," Xavi also stepped closer and examined the pattern.

"It could be. So, will you and Mika enter?"

Xavi froze and turned to Lia, "What about you?"

"I don't have any weapons and my power is useless. I can't purge the ghosts."

"Each of us takes a square," Mika joined them before walking to his own square.

Lia held him back, "Your summoning power is still weak. It'd be best to pair up with Xavi and try to get rid of the ghosts together before moving to a whole square yourself."

Mika pursed his lips but complied. He was also aware that right now his summons amounted to nothing.

"Will you be fine?"

After Xavi and Mika entered a square together, Lia walked to Lily and Susa. Lia was still contemplating Susa's powers.

"Maybe I'll find a way to use my power as an attack," Susa didn't fail to notice Lia's worries.

"I should train them?" Susa was about to sit down when Lia said, "Rather than that how about starting to learn how to fight. Maybe you could use your clairvoyance to help."

"Oh, I see what you mean. I could predict the opponent's moves and next plans, like seeing in the future for a few seconds?"

Lia's eyes widened. If Susa could really do that, then she'd be almost undefeatable.