I'm a ghost, remember?

As silence enveloped the house, Dana and Zeekiel both turned back to the window, confirming all the monsters disappeared.

Zeekiel threw his hands up. “Was no one watching?”

Their argument continued, oblivious to the trembling back door covered in dark strings of goo.

“Guys!” I tried to warn them before being pushed aside.

A mound of unrecognizable sludge burst through the unopened back door, lunging toward Dana like a rabid animal. She was quickly overwhelmed and dragged down to the hard, tiled floor, disappearing under the mass of ink. The thick slime that consumed her whole muffled her screams, each strangled breath bubbling faintly through the black ooze before vanishing into silence.

My body filled with horror as I stood paralyzed, looking back at the door broken on its hinges as the other two creatures rushed in.

Zeekiel’s urgent voice snapped me forward. “Hurry, we need to get her out!”

Everything slowed, my thoughts hazy as if reality were blurring into a nightmare. My trembling hands slipped on the rough staff as I tried to strike, but the monster thrashed violently under Zeekiel’s grip. Branches scraped my face, and each swing risked Dana or Zeekiel. The fear of hurting them froze me.

“I can’t do it,” I admitted, my voice tight. “I need help.”

The dark-winged demon ripped me from my paralysis as he reached out to grip my arm. At first, I thought he was going to help me position my hands and keep me steady, but I didn’t expect him to start dissolving. I panicked, believing I hit him with my staff.

As he melted under the weight of his tank top, I let out a yelp, stumbling back. His arm stretched out over mine and pooled onto me. Veiny strings snaked across my skin, and my mind raced with confusion as I became consumed by ink.

Terrified, I exclaimed, “What’s happening?” But no one was in a place to respond.

My skin shivered, and all my muscles tensed as I could feel him taking control of all my movements. My hands were the only part of me that remained under my control, and so it was on me to keep hold of the staff as he aimed my arms.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through me as we poised the bottom crescent blade and struck, ensuring no harm to Dana. Each opponent was swiftly and effortlessly defeated, their bodies dissolving into radiant light as my blade pierced them.

Zeekiel did most of the physical work, but I still felt like the champion taking on the baddies. We could have been like Venom and Spider-Man; but instead of having a kickass sentient alien suit, I felt more possessed.

Once Dana was free, we helped her up. “Are you okay?” I asked.

She nodded, appearing disoriented as Zeekiel still worked with me to take her to the couch. She looked around the room, dazed, before turning back to us.

“You should go to Uriel,” she shakily said. My arm reached out on its own, and she pressed my hand to her cheek. "I’ll stay here and make sure no one saw anything."

Ink peeled off my skin and knitted Zeekiel’s body back together beside me, leaving me unsteady from his absence. He told me to grab the bag as he got dressed. Once I met him back at the back door, he plucked the bag out from beneath my arm and draped it across my shoulder before we walked out.

Then, without a word of preparation, he swept me up, and I latched onto his neck. Anticipation charged through me as his wings expanded and we ascended, feeling more comfortable than my first ride with him across the sky. Still, I got more anxious the higher we got and used a trick Mom taught me to get through a roller coaster: I didn’t look.

With my eyes held shut, holding my face into Zeekiel’s chest, our trip was quiet, other than me asking, “Wouldn’t people see us?”

“I’m a ghost, remember?” was all he replied.

As we approached Uriel's camp, a faint glow flickered through the trees before landing. It was another fight. Adriel was fiercely defending Uriel near the dimming firepit. The scythe sliced through the night air, leaving behind trails of green light and freshly turned dust. Despite Adriel’s speed, he was no match for the weight of the scythe, struggling to lift it back up with each strike as if trying to swing a tree trunk rather than a weapon.

Uriel’s towering presence approached us, staggering to walk without the scythe as his cane. “Dana’s too?” His voice echoed in the dark.

“They were underground,” Zeekiel said. “Here too?”

Suddenly, we were all taken aback by a large burst of white light that exploded through the thick foliage. It broke through the darkness as the beacons grew larger and closer to us. Uriel pulled Adriel into him as the young sidekick finished the last intruding monster.

Pounding footsteps were drawing near, and Zeekiel clasped my wrist. I expected him to liquefy again, but this time he moved himself in front of me while he held on.

Uriel finally eased the tension by calling out to the dark figures approaching, “You too?”

Ellie and Raziel were finally visible and out of breath. The metal lady was the first to get the words out. “Consumed ones… swarmed the Sanctuary,” she panted. “Came to check on Uriel… Called Dana to make sure you guys were okay.”

“There were three at Dana’s,” Zeek announced and finally let go of me to get closer to Ellie. “Are you okay? Did any of them touch you?” he asked her with genuine concern.

She shook her head. “No. The forest was crawling with consumed ones; Raziel took them all out.”

“Adriel’s already taken out several here,” Uriel added.

Raziel followed up: “I don’t know the exact amount back in The Ring.”

To that, Ellie shrugged. “They were everywhere, but it was quick. Raziel was able to release them without a guard.”

Uriel asked, looking directly at the angelic prince, “How did they know where we were?”

“If I knew anything, I would have said something,” Raziel defended. “I already told you they were finding those who were sick. I wasn’t aware of this plan.”

“Someone buried them alive,” Zeek said, his eyes directly on the angel. “The soil progressed their sickness till they came up monsters.”

“I didn’t even know that was possible,” Raziel insisted.

“I better not find out you did,” the demon warned. “And what’s this?” he questioned, pointing between Ellie and Raziel. “You two came here together again?”

“He helped us,” Ellie defended. “So I let him come.”

Zeekiel groaned. “Well, if he can take out the monsters, then both of you should have stayed back to protect the others. We already have two Guards here. Did you even make sure to check the forest around the Sanctuary before you headed here?”

Both Ellie and Raziel looked at each other in unison before the prince answered. “It should be clear. We waited for more to come before we came out here.”

“We just wanted to make sure you all were alright.” Ellie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Though I wouldn’t be too upset if you were a puddle.”

Zeekiel smirked down at her. “You shouldn’t say things you’ll regret.”

“My only regret would be not doing it myself,” the petite young woman taunted.

Uriel interjected firmly. “That’s enough. We need to get back to the Sanctuary before whoever set this up comes looking for us. I’ll need your help, Arianna.”

Still lingering behind Zeekiel, I snapped to attention at my name and walked over to Uriel and his sidekick.

Uriel instructed Raziel to hold on to the staff with me. “I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do this,” the giant said, “but we might as well give it a try. One ability of the staff is to make the blade glow. It would be helpful as we go deeper into the woods.”

I nodded eagerly, excitement bubbling in my stomach as I thought about becoming more useful to the group.

“Now,” Uriel started, “place both of your hands firmly on the staff. Think about things that bring you joy and happiness.”

“Happy thoughts?” I repeated, unenthused by the simplistic instructions.

“Perhaps your family? Or your friends?” Uriel questioned.

“Um… okay. And which blade will glow?” I asked, eyeing up and down the two attached to my staff.

“The one at the top,” the giant replied with a grin, gesturing toward it. Hopefully, it would even glow with how much bark covered it.

Confused by his brief explanations, I looked at the others for clarification. I needed more, but Uriel seemed incapable despite having taught another Guard user.

Thankfully, someone finally intervened as I awkwardly kept my position on the staff. Raziel repositioned my hand with his palms clasped around my mine to fix my placement on the shaft.

His warm, smooth grip made my chest explode from his touch. The sound of blood drumming in my ears threatened to drown out his voice.

“You won’t be able to do it alone,” the prince explained. “But you’ll need to unlock the ability for me to help you. We’ll need more than ‘happy thoughts.’ The glow emanates from your deepest passions.”

My mind immediately went to my mom, her safety and well-being at the forefront of my thoughts. Surely my passion was my will to find her. But as he continued his lesson, I found myself feeling what he was trying to portray.

“It’s like a blaze raging inside of you. You recognize that it’s not real, but you can still feel its heat as if it engulfs your entire existence.”

As his words sank in, memories flooded my mind, transporting me back to moments when a burning desire to create art overwhelmed me. Like a firepit in my stomach that took my mind away into the smoke while embers sparked at my fingertips.

His hands warmed, provoking my feelings of the flames. “Look up,” he instructed, and I followed his command. “The moon. Not much, but we can work with it. Memorize it. See it behind your eyes. Reflect it against the head blade.”

My eyes watered as the skin of my hands under his palms burned, but I stood calmly, projecting the image of the moon onto the blade. It was a small sacrifice to feel all other thoughts float weightlessly away while my body filled with energy and bliss.

As Uriel intervened and the four-winged angel released me, I felt the power coursing through my nerves dissipate. The cool air rushed in, leaving goosebumps on my skin and pronouncing the burn to my hands.

The crescent blade cast its light and hung shadows from its branches onto our faces.

Raziel retreated as he noted the state of my hands. “I would have stopped,” he exclaimed, remorseful.

My hands weren’t blistering, but they were sore and itchy. Still, I couldn’t bear to let go of the staff, afraid it might lose its light.

“I was trying to focus,” I said.

“You did an incredible job,” Raziel praised, his two back wings lifting with admiration. My cheeks flushed at the compliment, unable to meet his gaze.

Uriel chimed in, “Very good, but because Raziel charged it for you, we have a limited time with that light. So we best all move.”

Despite their flattery, I knew the strength of the light would fade. But for now, it shone bright, and I was useful for just a while longer.