Chapter 24- Tales of the Wanderer(2)

"The old ones have foretold the ode of the looming future. For when the setting sun descends, the wanderer shall lay claim to his life."

In the form of a shadowed sky, Barbas' voice boomed like thunder. "And I shall emerge, ready to wage wars for your succulent soul."

"Impossible. I must say, I have heard a lot of bullshit in my lifetime, but this tops the cake," Reve mocked with a taunting grin.

Most beings lived their life believing in predetermined destinies, oblivious to how far off they truly were. Fate was but a figment of the imagination, an intangible concept devoid of reality.

Amused, Barbas chuckled, "The absence of destiny still constitutes a form of fate. Your existence was foreseen a long time ago. You are a smart one. You understand my words."

Reve tightened his fist in sheer annoyance. He wanted to retort, but he understood the principle well enough.

The absence of fate, theoretically speaking, could be harnessed as a means of prediction if it possessed unerring precision.

But what exactly was special about him?

Sure, he was a titan and a unique one at that. However, Reve knew his genius, lauded by mortals, paled in comparison to the true powerhouses that lurked in the depth of Arcadia, far more terrifying than anyone could fathom.

In this vast world, there were many like him, and there will continue to be many like him.

Scoffing in defiance, he confronted Barbas, "You devil! I am not this 'wanderer'."

"You are. You will be, for I have seen it. Death nears you, Reve Amethyst. Rather than doubt, you should prepare for the inevitable Or–"

The devil took the visage of a middle-aged mother, whispering, "-Or you release me at once, and I will aid you in defying your fate."

A smile tugged at Reve's lips. "You must think I'm a child. That's it, I'm done with you. I will not be fooled by your venomous words. My three questions are over, devil."

"How despairing, Reve Amethyst," Barbas responded. "You have confronted death countless times, but you have never faced its ultimate finality. You have never gazed into its eyes. Now, it stalks you, and you may succumb to its presence before its claws even touch you. I shall be your favourite observer to the very end, Reve Amethyst."

Taking a deep breath, Reve stepped out of the magic circle. He nodded at Calen, signalling it was now his turn for questions before retreating to his bed.

His eyes fixated on his trembling hands as he struggled to process everything the devil told him.

Could the devil be right?

The rules of the rite commanded it to speak only the truth, any form of the truth, even the contorted version. But it was still the truth.

'What do I do?'

Throughout his previous battles, he always had two options—life or death. There was never just one.

Barbas' final words echoed relentlessly in his mind. He didn't want to admit it, but the devil twisted his mind viciously with the truth.

Reve's mind abruptly shut off, leaving his face expressionless as he stared blankly at his hands, devoid of any conscious thought.

Time passed until Ren approached him, shaking his body gently. "Yo, Reve. Are you okay?"

Reve's eyes snapped open instantly. Once he turned sideways, he met Ren's intense, inquisitive eyes from up close.

"Ahh… yes," he replied expressionlessly. "Is Calen done with his questions?"

"He was done ten minutes ago. I just finished my three questions. Damn, the devil was so conniving. I almost freed him, but thankfully, I didn't fall for his words."

"Ahhh… I see."

"Calen left not long after putting the ritual off. He dispelled Barbas and went for a walk. Seems like he has a lot of thinking to do."

"Ahh… I see."

"What do you think it told Calen?"

"Ahh… I see."

"Are you even listening to me?" Ren frowned as she noticed the vacant look in Reve's eyes.

She realized something was bothering him, possibly from what Barbas told him, but she had no idea how to cheer him up.

"Oh yeah, I found the name of my clan. Well, the devil told me after wringing me dry of all three questions."

Reve was taken aback. "Really?"

"Yeah, the Moonfall Clan. Barbas didn't tell me anything more about my family. But I guess this is a start. I'm sorry I didn't follow the plans. We can't use Barbas to find the ghost anymore."

Reve let out a sigh. "It's okay. I was fooled by Barbas, too."

Reve and Ren spoke for a while until night came and Reve rested his body. He sought solace in his sleep, needing a break from this entire ordeal.

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A terrifying scream tore through the air, shattering the silence and awakening everyone in the vicinity, including Reve.

As he reluctantly got out of bed, a heavy yawn escaped his lips.

To his astonishment, he discovered Ren and Calen engaged in an intense conversation with a serious ambiance around them, though Calen's mischievous grin persisted.

"Yo, Reve, you are awake. Good," Ren greeted him. "Guess what? You know that guy, Klyd. Well, he vanished last night. His room is completely empty."

"Another disappearance?" Reve contemplated out loud.

Calen interjected, "More than one, actually. The ghost seems to be in a climax. It's coming for us all."

Reve's frown deepened. He suddenly heard another startling scream from across the room. 'What was that?'

Ren added, "Yeah, people are panicking for real now. It's total chaos out there. I tried to get some food, but I almost died."

Reve mused, 'It is like Calen said. The ghost is becoming more aggressive. How long do we have before it comes for us? Its means are unique and the only way we can stop it is if we know what the ability is before it is used against us.'

A determination settled within Reve. "I'm heading for the wheelhouse."

"What? Do you suspect the captain is the ghost?" Calen inquired with a mix of confusion and amusement.

Reve explained, "No, but he might know something. It's worth starting there. We are against time. I fear the ghost might wipe us out before we arrive at our destination."

Calen nodded in agreement. "I will check Klyd's room. I might be able to find something that can help with this mystery."

"I will follow you," Ren volunteered.

The three of them went to clean themselves and quickly set out to find the identity of the ghost. They all knew what was at stake.