City of incense and books, a place of rites and purposes, Evookia, Center of the Houses of Evocators, where the most ethereal principles of all Khuarhya are concentrated. There, at a dusty desk, surrounded by ofudas, incense, and flickering candles, sits a man. Pen in hand, his gaze fixed on a scroll of paper, he notes names and data of various kinds, and in front of him, carrying several scrolls, is Jacob, acting as an assistant at this moment.

  —Master Jasubel, these... are all the scrolls of... Haaaaaa! — Jacob collapsed to the floor, breathless and covered in sweat.

  —Ha! I told you you’d get no mercy from me, lad. Now run along, I’ve finished copying these scrolls you brought me —the man laughed victoriously, extending his hand to Jacob for more scrolls.

  —I don’t think I’ll ever be able to beat you, Master Jasubel — Jacob said from the floor, surrounded by all sorts of papyri and books.

  —Hahaha, another victory for Jasubel! I warned you, lad: no one can transcribe scrolls as fast as I can. Now, as we agreed, we’ll work on your problem — Jasubel said. He moved to a leather armchair next to a cot, gesturing for Jacob to sit on the cot.

  Jacob sighed and lay down on the cot. On either side, held by a metal structure, were two crystal orbs of rock in which he placed his hands.

  —Now we will see this nameless god! — With a soft tingling at the nape of his neck, Jacob began to feel a slight hum. Letters and symbols detached from his head while a curious apparatus wove everything into images that appeared in the crystal orb. Shadows and lights danced across Jasubel’s face, recounting Jacob’s story in the mine.

  —Let me see, lad, don’t resist the memory! I see it... there it is... without a doubt, it’s a nameless god... Kaho! Celene! Note it down and draw with Bizmar ink; we don't want any escaped spirit incidents — Jasubel raised his right hand, where he wore two bronze rings with a pair of embedded amethysts. From these, a spectral light formed two cloudy spirits who took pens and paper; one transcribed in detail what appeared in the orb and the other quickly made detailed sketches of each important scene.

  —Incredible! The malignity of this being is inhuman, and yet its tomb completely reveals its psyche — Jacob, concentrated, began to sweat coldly the deeper they delved into the mine of his memories.

  —Look! Celene, draw those posters on the walls. Kaho, the language of the place is Arrosthoc! Note it down in italics to send it to Isbell in the Order of the Intangible Sword. Celene, draw the lighting devices and machinery in detail; we’ll send the sketches to the Arkeotechnicians of the Ethereal Shield. They’re surely Arkeorelics! — Jasubel, excited, continued, while with impressive skill he dissected Jacob’s memory, separating Jacob’s feelings from the memory and harmlessly diluting them, preventing them from falling prey to the influence of the ephemeral spirit that afflicted Jacob.

  —The pain and fear caused by a spirit of this magnitude is incredibly strong. You, Mr. Jacob, have the greatest luck in the world; do not do it again if possible. In fact, I recommend you never gamble in your life; you’ve probably already exhausted all the luck of three generations of your family — Jacob tried to contain the pain and fear it caused him.

  —What can we do, Master Jasubel? — Jacob asked, regaining his strength. The device stopped, and with it, the pain that afflicted Jacob also ceased. Celene and Kaho likewise returned silently to the rings on Jasubel’s hand.

  —Young Jacob... your encounter was so powerful that it created an ephemeral spirit within you — Jasubel pointed with his hand to an armchair. Jacob walked to it, and on the coffee table in front of him were hot water and cookies.

  —Tea or coffee? — Jasubel asked Jacob.

  —Coffee with milk, please — Jacob extended his hands to receive the cup and take a few cookies.

  —Mr. Jacob, do you know what an ephemeral spirit is? — Jacob blinked for a moment and quickly answered.

  —It's a spirit whose life expectancy is very short and that doesn't belong to any council — he exclaimed.

  —Yes, yes, that’s partly correct, but not entirely — Jacob paused for a moment and awaited Jasubel’s reply, who was stirring his spoon in his cup.

  —As you know, ephemeral spirits are born from any action; the mere clinking of this spoon in the cup creates one. The simple act of lighting a candle creates several spirits: that of the match's spark, that of the match's consumption, the smoke of the match, the flame, and finally the light emitted from it. — Jacob listened attentively and, without noticing, his body reacted and began taking notes of Jasubel's explanation.

  —Many spirits are so fleeting that we have never documented them. We do not know for certain if they themselves are conscious of their short existence, but some are, and precisely this creates in the more durable spirits a fear of non-existence so horrible that it incites them to seek something that keeps them alive. It should be added that ephemeral spirits are the only ones common people can see; this, combined with their baroque and unique forms, creates feelings in people that ephemeral spirits can consume as nourishment — Jacob raised his hand as if asking a question in class.

  —Student Jacob, what is your question? — Jasubel pointed a spoon at Jacob.

  —Does this effectively extend the life of ephemeral spirits, Master Jasubel? — Jacob asked.

  —In a way, it does! But if the improper exchange of energies between the subject and the ephemeral spirit is not stopped, the situation would end very badly. The affected person would turn into an Obore, and if not careful, agglomerations of these can form a Koshin Obore. Definition of Obore, student Jacob! —

  —Yes! An Obore is a subject whom an ephemeral spirit has consumed. The ephemeral spirit drains all the emotional strength from the subject and possesses the subject's body. The spirit's hunger forces it to physically consume everything living around it, and when several of these unite, they give rise to a Koshin Obore: a fearsome and extraordinarily strong creature that possesses an enormous amount of strength and abilities from those who were assimilated — Jacob said aloud.

  —And that is exactly what afflicts you, Mr. Jacob. You must thank the person who placed the seals on your chest, for without them, you would be an empty shell — Jasubel poked Jacob's right flank with the spoon, where a seal of Ofuda, engraved on a bandage, rested on his chest, placed by the expert hands of Professor Emilia in Thar-Abbys.

  —I understand that you have been assigned to investigate the sinking of the Rosa María on the north coast; that ship carried many interesting objects. I think it is time, young Jacob, your time as an exorcist has ended! Go to that place and find the first spirit that will form your council. Once you have it, come back to me; we will expel that ephemeral spirit that is within you — Jasubel looked at Jacob and handed him another cookie.

  Jacob took his backpack and departed from Jasubel’s house; it was located on a misty street on the outskirts of Evookia’s central areas. Jacob walked through the streets of Evookia; the scent of herbal tea saturated the place, incense and perfumes stained the streets. It was an almost normal street for any person; however, every home and business had garlands of Jasubiana ropes, as thick as an arm, on the frame of each door and window. Small altars in the shape of houses with a red and gold painted gate were found here and there, embedded in posts and flush with the ground, through which various spirits entered and exited; some, small ephemeral spirits, hurried away through these gates never to return.

  Along the sides of the paths were tiny walkways and masonry paths, adorned with iron lanterns with functional, scaled-down lights. Small, miniature entrances were nestled next to the doors that people used. Outside these, small luminescent entities rested on miniature chairs, while on the path, a plethora of entities transited all the ways, entering miniature shops and other places. A small city within the city of Evookia and visible to those who could see. Every street, corner, and place was inhabited by other spirits of various shapes and sizes who wandered, accompanying their evocators, like faithful friends, and although some seemed more united than others, the respect between spirit and evocators was noticeable.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  —It’s a curious place, it never ceases to surprise me — Jacob thought as he walked calmly towards the north pier.

  As he walked, Jacob watched how the young evocators looked at the altar-gates on the paths, accompanied by an evocator master who carefully described the peculiarities of the spirits passing through the altar. Seeing these children reminded him of the beginning of his days as an evocator, and the fear many of these creatures caused him.

  Jacob left that nostalgic scene behind and hurried towards the docks. He walked for a few minutes between warehouses and cabins to finally emerge onto a pier surrounded by a deep, clean, greenish-blue sea.

  —Good afternoon, I’m looking for... —Thump! A strong blow sounded on his shoulder when a large man accidentally hit him with his thigh as he rushed past Jacob.

  —What was that? — The man, who was carrying two barrels of wine on his shoulders, one on each arm, turned to look around without finding what he had hit, when he suddenly felt a blow on his hip.

  —I'll take that as an offense! — A minuscule Jacob, in comparison, was hitting the hip of the man carrying the barrels. The man first looked at the sole of his shoe for some reason and then looked beside him to find an offended Jacob, puffed up like a blowfish.

  —Oh, little friend, my apologies! You shouldn't walk around the docks alone; there’s a lot of machinery and the water is more than a meter deep. Where are your parents, little one? — The man looked around, trying to find the parents of the small person next to him.

  —I came to see the maritime traffic personnel! I'm expected; I’m in charge of the Rosa María investigation! — An enraged Jacob complained to the man.

  —Seriously?! So young and already a licensed evocator? — Joyfully, the young man gently set the two barrels beside him and sat on one while picking up Jacob like a small child and seating him on the other barrel. With one foot, he pulled an enormous empty wooden cable spool next to the path, and from his backpack, on his left leg, he pulled out a notebook and a pencil. He put on a pair of glasses and began to read.

  —Let me... see... tugboat commissions... stevedore chief requests... here’s the appointment with Jacob Mahogany — An offended Jacob, arms crossed, snorted through his nose while the person, who still hadn't given his name, placed some snacks taken from a large drawer on the table, to finally place a beach umbrella over the makeshift table created from the empty cable spool.

  —So, Mr. Jacob, my name is Florence Keefe, and I am the Head of Maritime Traffic —the atmosphere relaxed a bit; the cup of tea and cookies brought a sense of calm to the dock.

  —Ah, nice to meet you! I am Jacob Mahogany, and I bring the official request from the Bureau of Transit of the Trade Isles to investigate the sinking of the Rosa María —Jacob pulled a notebook from his large leather satchel that hung from his side and produced a letter on thick paper with a seal engraved in security ink.

  —I see! I'll check its authenticity, Mr. Jacob, just protocols, don't worry! —Florence took a small lantern with an engraving on the handle depicting the union of ships and navigation and illuminated the seal on the document; it glowed royal blue under the lamp's light, revealing previously invisible engravings without it.

  —Alright! With this, I'll note it down and conclude the formalities between us, Mr. Jacob... Welcome to the North Dock of Evookia; it will be a pleasure to have you with us! —Florence extended his large hand to Jacob while smiling. Jacob smiled a little too and responded, shaking his hand; Florence's enormous fist made Jacob's hand look small.

  —It's truly a pleasure! Please, let's get along —Jacob said honestly, though the size difference didn't please him.

  —So, Mr. Jacob, here is a temporary permit to move freely within the facilities; keep it always visible. Even so, I will spread the word, and we will try to collaborate as far as our obligations allow; I'm sure you'll understand! —Florence handed Jacob a large card.

  —I understand and will cooperate with you without altering your responsibilities —Jacob replied and placed the card as instructed.

  —Very well! Then I will give you the list of names of the surviving sailors; they are not allowed to leave the city yet, at least not until we clear responsibilities. Be careful, Mr. Jacob, they are not bad people, but sailors can be very rough in their ways, especially sailors from Naglesh —Florence gave Jacob a paper list, which he quickly began to examine and transfer the names to his small rabbit-skin notebook.

  —I understand! Thank you very much, I'll start immediately —Jacob took his belongings, and they said their goodbyes for the day.

  —Now, where to begin? I think first we'll go see the site of the sinking, at least from the beach —taking a path, Jacob began the journey to the beach section where fragments of the ship regularly washed ashore. According to reports, no fragments of the Rosa María had floated up yet.

  For a few minutes, he followed the paths built with planks; they creaked in the characteristic way of wood. Sun rays passed through the beach trees, shielding him from the heat. Evookia was not a popular tourist destination, but its temperatures, being next to the Naglesh Desert, gave the inhabitants of Evookia a warm and tropical environment. Most houses were built with stone and ceramic bases, with walls topped by a wooden roof. In almost all houses, a set of concentric clay pots through which water flowed were located in the center of the buildings, regulating temperatures, which were sometimes very stifling. But the native vegetation also provided good environmental regulation in streets and busy places. Jacob thoughtfully contemplated the sea waters crashing against the green sand beaches. Just behind him, on an old bench, sat a couple of young men looking at the edge of the landscape.

  —Hey!, why is the sand here green? —a young man asked the other.

  —Haha, I don't know, maybe someone spilled paint! —he replied.

  Jacob restrained himself with all his might from saying anything, and walked robotically past them. A few steps further, he turned back and exclaimed, from behind the two boys:

  —This beach is very old! The entire area is eroded! Somewhere nearby in the sea, there are deposits of Olivine mineral. The white sand, composed of coral and quartz fragments, has already been entirely diminished, so the Olivine fragments have completely taken over the beaches —the two boys looked at him, confused and bewildered.

  —I'm sorry, I'm leaving! —Jacob quickened his pace to escape the situation, flushed up to his ears.

  —Alright, all good! Who am I kidding? I can't restrain myself; every time someone asks something, I feel an incredible urge to answer! —Jacob gripped his backpack with both hands as he hurried. After a few minutes, he reached a solitary area where he breathed deeply and counted to three. Relaxed, he looked around at the hexagonal basaltic formations that decorated the surroundings; some protruded a little more than others. But as he took the first step into the area, Jacob felt a presence that stood out among the other entities, remaining perceptible only for a fleeting moment, before disappearing as quickly as it appeared.

  —The place is very calm, that was probably just a usual spirit of the area —he thought as he scanned the shoreline.

  On the beach, several fragments of ships and timbers of various sizes rested on the sand; some swayed on the waves, others rested peacefully on the sand away from the ebb and flow of the waves, melancholic as if they had retired and were gazing at the sea, recalling past days. In a nearby tidal pool, Jacob managed to spot an elongated metal object that caught his attention.

  —There! —Jacob ran among the rocky formations, taking small leaps between the basaltic formations to reach a basin that filled with water with each wave through a central opening, then quickly drained out the sides. Among the algae and clams, Jacob found what looked like a broken tube with a "do" carved into it. Attracted by the soft glow it reflected in the crystalline water, he picked it up without realizing.

  —Is this...? Hmm, bronze, and it seems to have a cut hole on one side, how strange! I don't think it's a pipe; it looks more like... —Jacob tried to discern the strange object in his hands, but he was interrupted by a sudden discordant whistle like soft flutes.

  Jacob looked around, his hand very close to the Chakram at his waist. With a quick glance, he couldn't find the source of the sound, which left him with a slight feeling of uncertainty. With a jump, he descended from the stony formations to a slightly less visible spot. The place was situated between three basaltic prisms that delimited a semicircular basin of approximately 60 square meters. The green sand blended with the vegetation so peculiarly that it looked like a carpet of grass extending into the sea. Planks, barrel parts, and bottles were all he could see. A royal blue bottle stood out among the sand; he walked towards it and picked it up.

  —Reyal of Naglesh is an expensive and very strong wine! Few people can drink more than a small glass, and it's empty! —Jacob turned the bottle that shimmered blue in the sun.

  —The cap's dispenser is removed. Heh, heh! Someone drank the whole content in one gulp, I guess they wanted to forget the last three years all at once! —Jacob joked to himself a little and took the bottle, putting it in his travel backpack. He continued analyzing the area; from it, he collected several fragments of what appeared to be various vessels, large and small. Grouping them by size, he began to try to figure out which belonged to the vessel he was looking for.

  From his bag, he pulled out a guide to vessels of the world and carefully made a comparison of the wooden parts rescued from the beach that were still identifiable.

  —Okay! I have 42 parts in total that are discernible sections of vessels; the rest are either too rotten or too old to be from the Rosa María —Jacob cataloged the parts and carefully separated the timbers by age and discarded those that seemed older than a month.

  —We just have to see which parts are by their appearan... —Jacob paused again. That mysterious whistle returned as if it always came from the back of his neck; the feeling was now accompanied by a sensation of being watched, which Jacob tried to detect the origin of without success, so he took the initiative and decided to speak first:

  —Hello? If you need help, I can be of use, but I can't do anything if you don't give me some context... —Jacob said into the air without receiving any response.

  —I understand... If you change your mind, you can talk to me; I'll be here for a while —Jacob said with hopes of establishing communication, but only the sound of the sea, the wind, and the seagulls were his answer.

  —That's not you, is it? —Jacob looked at a medium-sized coconut crab. It looked back at him, then blew bubbles and disappeared into the vegetation.

  —I guess it wasn't him, well, back to work! —Jacob continued analyzing the fragments of the vessels, which were now reduced to five large pieces. However, that feeling and the sounds continued throughout the day.