— Faelyn Sylsalor, “Demons and Their Curses: Volume 1,” page 30
Serenity Gardens really was a place filled with beauty and tranquility.
Everywhere Emily looked, there was something new to behold. It was all so simple, and yet so different at the same time. Not just in the sights, but in the people as well. It was diverse, with humans, elves, and dwarves walking side by side, as if they had always shared the same home. They didn’t dress in suits and flatcaps either, they wore traditional cultural clothing. The elves were wearing thin silk gowns and embroidered robes, while the dwarves wore simple and sturdy commoners’ clothing.
Emily could recall a number of times she had come across confrontations between elves and dwarves in Peccatum. The unfortunate reality was that most times the elves were dressed more sophisticated, having come from the inner city, while the dwarves were left to work in the factories of the outer city. Yet here, she couldn’t imagine confrontations like that ever happening; At least, not with each other. With Mina, on the other hand, a confrontation seemed much more likely. The stares they got as they made their way through the town left Emily feeling on edge. Some were scornful, while others were wary, as if they expected her to lunge at them at any moment. It was clear that they all knew what Mina was the moment they laid eyes on her, even with her tinted lenses hiding her silver eyes.
Emily suddenly felt protective of Mina, despite knowing the vampire needed no protection. And what was she going to do anyway if someone decided to lash out? They didn’t know her. They don’t know what she’s done for people, what she’s doing for them, despite how they look at her.
Soon, Henrik guided them through the plaza, the heart of the settlement. It should have been a lively, bustling place, especially with the decorations strung between stalls and lampposts. A large wooden watchtower loomed above them, banners and streamers hanging from its rafters, their colors vibrant against the cavern’s crystalline ceiling. Yet for all the festive adornments, there was hardly any joy in anyone's expressions. Not a single face yielded a smile. Instead, most of the people gathered around the fountain at the center of the plaza, where a small statue of a gentle-looking woman was erected. She was kneeling, her palms flat against her thighs, and her eyes closed in prayer. It didn’t look like any diary statue Emily had seen. Nor Adros, Moradin, or even Arja.
“What are they doing?” she asked.
“Praying for protection,” Henrik explained. “This monument is of Kasia Schwartz. She was—”
“Oh, Karaline mentioned her.”
Henrik raised an eyebrow. “Then you know her story?”
“Well, a summarized version.”
Henrik nodded solemnly. “She gave her life so that we could prosper. We buried her here and built this monument in her honor. In times of hardship, we gather around her and pray that her spirit may watch over us. In times of hardship, it has. But in recent days…” His voice drifted.
Mina narrowed her eyes at the fountain. “A guardian spirit?”
Henrik nodded. “Some claim to hear her voice when they need it most. But she has been silent. Almost like… she is gone.”
Emily wasn’t sure what to say. She wanted to know more about the story, but now didn’t seem like the best time to ask.
She continued on, following Henrik until they reached a quaint cottage with a blooming garden out front. Henrik knocked on the door, and it opened a moment later, revealing a man with hollow eyes and a grief-stricken face. His clothes were rumpled and bloody. It was a face Emily had seen countless times in the alleys of Peccatum.
Henrik nodded respectfully. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, George.”
The man shook his head. “It’s alright. Did you need something?”
“Have you begun cleaning the bedroom yet?”
“No. I can’t bring myself to start.”
“Then we came just in time.” Henrik gestured to Mina and Emily. “These are outsiders, and they have come to help us in our time of need. They requested to see the bedroom.”
George glanced past the knight, but the moment his eyes settled on Mina, they went wide with terror. He stumbled back from the doorframe. “Henrik…”
“I am aware, and I share your skepticism. However, circumstances have led to this vampire being someone we can trust. For now. I am keeping a close eye on her, and if she is to act out of line, then I guarantee you she will not live to take another breath.”
George’s voice began stuttering. “You let a vampire in here? After all that’s happened? She’s the one behind it!”
Emily looked to Mina, expecting her to argue against him, but she remained firmly quiet. She simply crossed her arms, and let Henrik do the talking.
“It could not have been her,” he said. “She only just arrived.”
“How do you—”
“Relax, George,” Henrik said, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder. “She was wed to one of our own. Yes, it is strange, and no, I do not approve of it, but I have faith in my friend’s judgment. If they claim she is innocent and only here to help, then I will take their word on it. Cautiously.”
George shuddered, glaring back at Mina. He didn’t seem to relax in the slightest.
“You’ll be safe, George, I assure you. I am here, after all.”
The man let out a shaky breath, and after a moment of hesitation, he stepped aside. “F-Fine. You may enter,” he then said to Mina.
She rolled her eyes under her tinted lenses and proceeded into the house.
Emily immediately noticed the blood trail leading from the front door to the adjacent hallway. She gulped and looked back at George. She was up again. “…You were here when it happened, right?”
The man kept his eyes on Mina, but nodded.
Emily paused for a moment. She needed to ask him if he had seen anything, but this felt different compared to when she practiced. She never had to look into the eyes of a worried father and interrogate him before. His son had just barely survived a monster attack, and he looked like he was hardly keeping it together. No doubt, Mina being in the same room was helping much.
“I’m… sorry about what happened,” she said to him. “We’re here to help. But… I… I, well, need you to tell me everything you can… so we can help.”
The man exhaled shakily, running a hand down his face. His eyes were still on Mina. “What do you want to know?”
“Can you tell me what you heard?”
“I—I was asleep,” he rasped. “And then… I heard him scream. I ran to his room. I nearly broke the door down. And when I got inside—” He choked. “He was already on the floor. Bleeding. His—His eyes were… gone.”
Emily nodded slowly. “And did you… see anything?”
“I—I didn’t see anything. No monster. No shadow. Just… just my boy, bleeding out on the floor.”
“You’re sure? You don’t remember anything?”
George didn’t answer.
Finally, Mina stepped up. “You saved his life,” she said in a calm and simple tone. “Be proud of that. If you hadn’t been there, your boy might not have made it.”
He gave her a confused look. “He—he hasn’t woken up yet. The healer says he’s stable, but…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “What kind of life can he have now? He can’t even see.”
“I’m sorry for what happened to you. I know this feels like the end, like the world has taken too much and left him with nothing, but your son is still here. He is alive. That means there is still a road forward. I have known people who have lost far worse and still found purpose. Strength is not in what we are given, but in what we choose to do with what remains. Your son will grieve. He will struggle. But he will also adapt. He will learn to live again.”
George swallowed hard. “But… how?”
Mina held his gaze. “With you. With time. With the people who love him. He does not have to do this alone.”
The man let out a slow, shaky breath.
“We will find whoever did this. And in the meantime, your son still has a future waiting for him. Hold on to that.”
Still, George didn’t answer.
Henrik rested a hand on his shoulder. “Perhaps it is best if you wait outside while we search. Go check on him, George. I’m sure your wife could use the company.”
The man stood still for a moment, then shuffled out without another word. Henrik made sure he was well down the road before shutting the door and letting out a sigh.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“Thank you for saying that,” he said to Mina. “I doubt it offered much comfort coming from you, but I appreciate you showing you care.”
“Because I do,” Mina replied quietly.
Henrik nodded and gestured for them to follow him.
Emily followed Mina into the bedroom, but as she came through the doorway, her eyes went wide. The sheets, the mattress, even the floor beneath, were all soaked through as if the boy had been bleeding for hours. The walls were covered in red hand streaks.
Emily had seen bodies before, even witnessed death with her own eyes, but the sight of the room still made her feel so uncomfortable. The very fact that this boy was likely around her age, and could bleed this much, and somehow survive, was haunting. She couldn’t imagine the pain he must have been in, or how in the name of Asdros he had survived.
Henrik stood in the doorframe. “I would ask that you take your time, but we are on a tight schedule. Come nightfall, another child will fall. We must discover what it is and stop it before then.”
“I know what did this,” Mina said flatly.
Emily snapped her head toward her. “What?”
Henrik looked equally taken aback.
“I know what did this,” she said again.”
“You have been in this room but a moment,” Henrik said. “Are you certain?”
Mina nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, what is it?”
Mina held her hand up to him, then looked to Emily. “Look closer. What do you observe beyond the obvious?”
“Do not treat this as some test!” Henrik shouted. “If you know what it is, then tell me!”
“We have more than enough time,” Mina growled, then gestured for Emily to examine the room.
It was hard to say if she had missed anything. The blood, the handprints, the torn sheets… none of it stood out as particularly revealing. At first, Emily wondered if maybe there was something to the blood smears. She stared long at them, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t make anything of them. She paced the room, carefully stepping around all the blood, and looked for scratches, markings, anything that might help her figure this out. Then, as she stepped closer to the bed, she found specks of something… dark, grainy, almost blending into the wooden floorboards.
Her brows furrowed. She knelt, running her fingers through the substance. It was coarse and gritty. “Sand?” she murmured.
“Precisely.”
Henrik leaned forward, inspecting the area she had indicated. “Sand? In a child’s bedroom?”
More of the fine grains dusted the sheets, concentrated near where the boy’s head had been.
“A creature made of sand?” Emily mumbled to herself. “A desert elemental?”
“How far are we from the deserts of Ageria?” Mina asked rhetorically.
Emily pursed her lips. “Not an elemental… but something with sand.” She pushed up the brim of her witch cap with her thumb and started mumbling to herself. “Only attacks at night… so it’s nocturnal… something that can produce or manipulate sand… targets children…” She narrowed her eyes, frustration bubbling in her chest. Then, like a bolt of lightning, an idea struck. “Wait… it’s some kind of demon, isn’t it?”
“Go on,” Mina said.
Henrik looked between them, confused.
“A Sandman?” Emily asked.
Mina gave her a small, proud nod. “Good work.”
Henrik’s brow furrowed. “A Sandman?”
“A bird-like creature,” Mina explained. “Think of something akin to a vulture with arms. It’s also nocturnal, and because its body is made from sand, it can form and dissolve at will. It’s weak to light, and fire, and water.”
“I am not familiar with such a beast.”
“They’re rare. They don’t claw their way into our world through rifts, they’re made under certain circumstances. And their intent isn’t to kill children, but to steal their innocence by taking their eyes.”
Henrik’s expression darkened. “What sort of cursed creature would do such a thing? Where would something like this even come from? Would someone have led it here? Someone of your kind?”
Mina paused for a moment. “Everyone has a soul, but not all souls are equal. Some souls are weak and pass into the afterlife with ease, but others are strong and linger after death. They’ll remain for various reasons, usually some unfulfilled purpose, like revenge or anger, or out of desire and love. Those with unfinished business might stay to continue their quests, often protecting others or seeking vengeance. Now, vengeful spirits can be particularly dangerous. The strongest among them can manifest physical forms, while others remain incorporeal but no less malicious. On the other hand, guardian spirits, those who linger out of love, watch over the living, offering guidance and protection, sometimes fending off angry spirits that have yet to manifest, but they are generally benign.”
“You’re saying the Sandman is a vengeful spirit?” Henrik asked.
“Not exactly. Spirits are complicated, but I’m trying to keep it simple.”
“‘Complicated’ is an understatement,” Emily mumbled.
“What was likely the case is that Serenity Gardens was visited by something called a Nightsnare, and they’re…” Mina paused again. “Emily, can you explain to Henrik what a Nightsnare is?”
She scoffed at her. “Uh, okay. Umm…” Emily playfully cleared her throat and tried to sound as profound as she could. “A Nightsnare is a monster that feeds on children’s fear. It traverses the spirit realm and worms its way into children’s minds to infect their dreams by manifesting what they fear most,” she said as if she were reading text straight from the beastiary.
Mina gave her another proud nod. “Good. But what happens when a Nightsnare comes into contact with a guardian spirit?”
Emily opened her mouth to speak, but the moment she realized the answer, her expression darkened. “Oh…”
Mina gave her a knowing look.
Emily swallowed hard, forcing herself to say it out loud. “It corrupts them.”
Again, Mina nodded, then turned to Henrik. “From there, the two souls converge and manifest into a new physical entity. What that entity is varies depending on the spirit, but in this case, it is a Sandman. The corrupted guardian spirit is then forced to act on its worst nightmare, harming those it swore to protect. Taking elements from the Nightsnare, it slips into children’s rooms at night and claws out their eyes. A symbolic act of destroying and consuming their innocence.”
Henrik’s face had gone pale, and his eyes widened to the point of bulging. “You’re not saying…”
Mina somberly nodded. “The monster killing your children is Kasia.”
Henrik’s body tensed beneath his armor, the metal plates shifting and clattering as he planted his feet more firmly against the wooden floor. “You’re not serious…”
Mina exhaled slowly, crossing her arms as she studied him. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, hunting monsters. For a while, it was all I did. It was the only thing I could do. I learned a lot, I failed a lot. And I learned from those failures. When I say that your guardian spirit was corrupted, Henrik, I mean it as fact.”
“Do not lie to me,” he said, his tone sharp like the edge of a blade.
“Why would we lie?” Emily said. “We’re here to help, not to make things worse.”
“She would… never…” Henrik’s grip tightened until his gauntlet creaked.
When Mina spoke again, her voice remained calm, but firm, like a mother talking down to a misbehaving child. “I believe you when you say she would never, she doesn’t have control over her spirit anymore. She has been corrupted.”
“Then… there must be a way to cleanse her. There must be!”
“That’s what we’re going to do. We’re not going to outright kill it, because if we do, it kills both spirits.”
Despite his firm stance, Henrik faltered slightly, exhaling sharply through his nose. “Then what must be done?”
“You’re not going to like it, but we’ll need bait, and there is only one thing a Sandman desires.”
Henrik’s expression darkened. “You cannot mean to suggest using a child as bait.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Wait,” Emily said, panicking for a moment. “Hold on, you’re not about to suggest that I get used as bait, are you?”
“No, Emily. It’s the child’s soul that the Sandman is drawn to. So, that’s what we’ll need.”
Henrik didn’t look convinced. “And where do you intend to acquire such an essence?”
Mina’s expression didn’t change, but Emily could see the subtle hesitation in her posture. “That is where we will require… assistance.”
Henrik’s brows furrowed. “Assistance from whom?”
“Violet.”
Emily blinked. “Violet? What’s she going to do?”
“Violet has… a certain expertise in matters of the spirit.”
Henrik’s frown deepened. “I was not aware she was a scholar.”
“She has spent a great deal of time studying death and the paranormal.” She shook her head. “I’d argue she knows more than I on that matter.
Henrik’s expression remained unreadable, but Emily could tell he didn’t like the sound of that.
“Studying it… How?” Emily asked cautiously.
“Thoroughly.”
Henrik narrowed his eyes. “You are hiding something.”
Mina glared back at him, but after a moment, she relented. “Violet has learned things few would dare try. Skills that make her useful when it comes to dealing with spirits. With her help, we can take the soul of a recently deceased child and use it soul as bait.”
“And how does she do this?” Henrik asked. “What it sounds like is that she is delving into something forbidden.”
Emily paused and glanced at her feet. She tried to recall if Violet had ever shown any signs of dealing with the paranormal, but beyond her obvious obsession with death and horror, she did not see much of anything.
“I am giving you what you need to know,” Mina corrected. “Nothing more. If you want, you can talk to Karaline, but only after we are finished here. We need to do what we must if we’re going to cleanse Kasia’s soul and kill the Sandman.”
Henrik let out a long, slow exhale. “So be it. What else must be done?”
“I’ll talk with Violet and take care of the bait on that end. Emily, meanwhile, will need to prepare Dreamweaver Dust.”
Henrik tilted his head slightly. “For what purpose?”
“Yeah… wait, why?” Emily asked.
“Dreamweaver Dust does more than help put someone to sleep. It makes the spirit more potent in a way that becomes irresistible for the Sandman. It’ll be like smelling a freshly baked pie.”
“And where do you intend to set this trap?” Henrik asked.
“You need to find us somewhere isolated. Convince a family to evacuate, make whatever excuse you must, but secure us the space. It cannot be anywhere the Sandman has been before.”
Henrik hesitated, then finally nodded. “If it will ensure the safety of this place, I shall see it done.”
“That’s another thing we need to figure out. I’ve dealt with a Sandman before, and they’re… tough, to say the least. Their bodies can regenerate, and once Kasia’s soul is cleansed and separated, all that will remain is a mindless beast. Does anyone in the town know how to use hydrokensis?”
Henrik shook his head.
“Then we’ll need to rely on fire. Bullets, unfortunetly, won’t be as effectvie this time around. Gather oil for your soldiers, have them lather their blades in it. Give them lighters too. If it comes to it, the only way they’ll hurt the sandman is with a burning blade.”
“Alright. But, are you saying we should evacuate all of Serenity Gardens? Leave them in the forest for the night?”
“If they are safer, then yes. Post your knights around every possible exit in Serenity Gardens. They will act as the gatekeepers, ensuring the Sandman cannot flee, which it will try to do.”
“I will not simply condemn these people to the forest. What about your stagecoach? The door connects to your home in Cresthill Valley, does it not?”
Mina stared at him, inhaling deeply. Emily knew exactly what he was about to ask.
“What if we were to put them there, just for the evening?”
Mina glanced down, squeezing her fist. “Yes… that would work too.”
“Then it sounds as though we have a plan. I will work on evacuating the town and finding you a place to lay the trap.”
“And I guess I’m making Dreamweaver Dust,” Emily said. “The ingredients book is still in the kitchen, right?”
Mina nodded. “I’ll also need you to gather as many candles as you can. Go to the general store in Cresthill if you must.”
“Alright…”
“Mina,” Henrik said, “You swear to me that Kasia’s soul can be saved?"
Mina met his gaze. “I swear that by tomorrow morning, her soul will be restored, and the Sandman will be dead.”
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