Lunatic

This guy's strong, I'll give him that, but he's downright a lunatic.

Starting off, he seems to think the girl on his back is dead, but I mean, she doesn't look like it. Though, I can't get a good read on her.

She's almost translucent, her skin somehow dark but see-through. Wrapped in nothing but a white blanket, it hung loosely as mine passed over her and was left far behind.

She held his gear, but it wasn't as if she was really holding it. It was more like she was using mana to make it hover beside her.

So, I guess he was right — she is dead, but right now, she's something different. A hollow.

A being who lingers in the world, still attached to what they loved most. And I'm guessing these two were lovers, torn apart by death.

I glanced back at my sister and sighed. Then I leaned in, whispering in her ear. "Gabbi, this guy is insane."

She continued walking, but her shoulder shifted slightly, like she was defeated. "I know. He threatened to kill us for touching something literally untouchable!"

The man had told us a lot through his conversations with the ghost, though it seemed he couldn't actually hear her.

Every time she spoke, he didn't answer, just kept on as if nothing was said.

Though, it didn't really matter. Once you die, the universal translator your card gives you breaks, meaning these two were speaking different languages.

Her voice, when she spoke, was like nails on a chalkboard. Cold, hard, and cruel. I can't even imagine what her true voice would sound like.

"Listen, once we get to Master, let's tell her about this guy's condition. Who knows, she might help him," I said.

She shook her head. "I don't think he can be saved."

I leaned back and glanced over my shoulder, just in time to hear him speak again.

"I can't see my love."

I shook my head and sighed. Truly unfortunate — such a powerful being, corrupted by the madness of loss and death.

We'd walked for what felt like hours, and throughout the journey, the man asked no questions, and I offered no answers. But I learned quite a bit about him.

First, his name was Caelum. He was a Baron of Bell.

Second, he was at least friends with Rosen, the King of Faddle.

And third, he's strong. Extremely strong. At least on par with Master, though I think she could still beat him.

His magic isn't as potent as hers, but it's tricky, more about outsmarting his opponent.

As we neared Calradia's borders, I could sense his mana shift, like he was starting to restrain it, thankfully.

Because underneath the pressure of his mana, it felt like every step we took was being watched.

Unlike most kingdoms, Calradia had a massive wall along its borders, a wall so tall it reached the clouds.

And right now, that wall was coming into view.

I looked back at Caelum and sighed. "Uh, once we enter the kingdom, they're going to ask for identification. Can you provide that?"

Caelum simply shrugged and walked past me, not answering. Then he glanced back, saying, "I'll try, but if they refuse, I might have to destroy this place, like I did Dankel."

I flinched slightly at his words, and I kind of hoped I wouldn't have to find out whether that was true. But my suspicions were confirmed.

There were rumors of a new rising power on the continent. Rosen, Ally, and Caelum.

I knew Rosen as the King of Faddle, and Ally was his most trusted knight, but Caelum...he was worse.

I hoped his name was just a coincidence, but after fighting him and hearing those words, it was almost confirmed.

He was the Terror of Ice. The name the world gave him after he completely wiped out Dankel.

It was said he destroyed mountains and shifted tides. Though, I know there are mountains in Dankel, and all the lakes should be frozen over, so I'm not sure how that works.

One thing was clear — Caelum, or this guy, was something I definitely couldn't handle.

Nucun was strong, stronger than I was, and he was almost slightly weaker than Master. But Caelum? Caelum was on another level entirely.

We reached the massive walls of the kingdom and walked up to the gate. Two guards stood clad in red armor, their expressions stern.

"Gabbi, Dally, who did you bring to our kingdom?" one of them asked, raising an eyebrow.

I took a deep breath. "This is Caelum, Baron of Bell. He's a... special guest of ours."

The guards exchanged a quick, surprised glance, their eyes widening in recognition.

Caelum, standing with the girl still draped over his back, barely even looked at them as he kept walking, his expression unreadable.

The guards, clearly taken aback, stepped aside immediately.

"Of course, Baron Caelum. My apologies for the delay," one of them stammered, gesturing for us to pass.

As we walked through the massive gates and entered the kingdom, the sight before me struck me with a mix of awe and nostalgia.

The city was like nothing I had seen in years.

The architecture was a mix of towering, dark spires and long, slender buildings stretching into the sky, their surfaces sleek and gleaming.

The walls of some buildings were glass, giving the entire city an almost ethereal feel, while others were built from dark stone, their angular shapes sharp and imposing.

The streets were bustling with people of all sorts, moving in and out of shops and stalls, their conversations forming a constant hum.

Merchants called out their wares, and the smells of food filled the air, mixed with the faint scent of metal and steam.

It was a kingdom that never slept, with movement everywhere, from the lower streets to the towering walkways above.

I hadn't been here in so long.

The last time I had walked these streets, everything felt different — simpler, maybe.

But as we pushed forward, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the city's growth, the passage of time.

We walked down a long stretch of road that led away from the city center, toward the outer reaches of the kingdom.

After crossing a large expanse, we came to a small wooden cabin on the outskirts.

It was humble compared to the towering city beyond, but I could sense that whoever lived here was of great importance.

The door creaked open, and a figure stepped out.

Me and Gabbi immediately fell to our knees as her grace, our lovely master stepped on us. But then the silence of her power was broken.

Caelum's voice was the only thing that broke the silence. "I can't see my love... I can't see."