The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and gold. The streets buzzed with life as people returned home after a long day's work. Most of them looked weary, but Mioray could see a hint of relief in their eyes. The tension that had gripped the city recently had almost dissipated. People walked with newfound confidence, no longer casting suspicious glances at one another. The terror wrought by the Dismantler had ceased abruptly, and he hadn’t been seen in a month. Even the tragedy at the university had begun to fade from memory. Life moved on, as it always did.

  Mioray watched the people around him, trying to spot anything unusual, but his efforts were fruitless. There was a group of colleagues heading to a bar, a young mother juggling an angry phone call while calming her crying children, a couple kissing unabashedly as they waited for the traffic light to change, and an elderly woman pushing a stroller filled with groceries. When a few potatoes fell from her load, Mioray helped her retrieve them. Moments later, a burly man bumped into him aggressively, striding off with a self-satisfied air.

  The streets seemed ordinary. Mioray saw no wandering souls – or “ghosts,” as Matt called them – moving among the living. He had no idea how to distinguish a soul from a living person, and Erinel had only told him that he would recognize the difference instinctively when he saw one. The method for “seeing” souls, however, was as strange as the concept itself.

  Back at the storage facility, Erinel had demonstrated her ability to transform her fingers into something resembling slender tree branches. With one of them, she struck each person in the heart, including Mioray. He hadn’t had time to react, but as usual, it didn’t hurt. Nothing seemed to change, except that he began to notice a faint green aura above others in the room, including himself.

  “I’ve shared some of my power with you,” Erinel had explained as her hand reverted to its normal form. “Now you can perceive spiritual presences for a few hours.”

  Though Mioray found it hard to believe, the others behaved as if it were routine, and the glowing green auras lent credibility to her words. These auras, she explained, represented the souls attached to their bodies.

  Afterwards, the group quickly divided the city into zones and set out in different directions, leaving Mioray and Erinel together. As it was Mioray’s first day on the job, one he hadn’t exactly signed up for, Erinel was going to teach him the basics.

  For now, all Erinel seemed to do was walk slowly through the bustling crowd. She had explained earlier that she was invisible to ordinary people, at least to those who weren’t nearing death. Yet, everyone instinctively moved aside as if they could sense her presence and feared brushing against her. She glided gracefully through the throng like an angel in a black gown, her dark, flowing hair replacing the feathers of wings.

  Under different circumstances, Mioray might have cherished walking alongside her, even if she was slightly ahead and they weren’t speaking. After all, no one else could see her, and talking to himself would only draw unwanted attention. In a strange way, this moment fulfilled a long-held fantasy of his, though in a manner far removed from what he had envisioned.

  His thoughts were heavy. He worried about his parents and wanted to check on them. If the exploding man had been targeting Mioray, he might also know where Mioray lived. That put his parents at risk. Erinel had assured him they were not fated to die in the coming days, but the thought still gnawed at him. Mioray had agreed to accompany Erinel for now and visit his parents later, but he hadn’t expected their search for a wandering soul to take so long. It was as if no one was dying in Reques City.

  He considered leaving to check on his family, but he hesitated. He didn’t want to upset Erinel or lose the chance to see her again. It had taken so much to find her once more. After all, he’d had to die and survive a madman whose limbs could explode.

  And then there was his left arm. The looks of pity he received from passersby reminded him constantly of the loss. But now, for the first time, there was a chance to restore it. His body could regenerate. Wounds vanished, scars faded, even the stitches were gone. Mia had removed them while he was unconscious, and it was as if they had never been there. If he could find his severed arm and reattach it, it would be like it had never been cut off. For that reason alone, he needed to stay close to Erinel.

  By the time they finally found a wandering soul, night had fallen. They were near an obscure tunnel, with only the occasional car passing through. The tunnel walls were covered in layers of graffiti, the vibrant colors of newer pieces clashing with the faded remnants of older ones. Most of the designs and words were indecipherable, though one stood out. Freshly painted in white and yellow, it spelled out “SWANP.” It was clearly unfinished.

  Nearby, a figure sat on the asphalt curb. At first glance, he looked ordinary, but something was off. Mioray rubbed his eyes.

  The man was translucent. The walls and ground were faintly visible through him, their colors muted and pale. He truly resembled a ghost, Matt hadn’t exaggerated about that. Like the green aura that hovered over Mioray and others who had been brought back to life, this man glowed dimly with the same ethereal hue.

  Was he tied to the place where he had died? Was he destined to haunt it? Mioray had no idea how real ghosts – souls, in this context – compared to their portrayals in myths and occult lore. One thing that had always puzzled him was why ghosts were often depicted wearing clothes, usually those they had on at the time of death. Strangely enough, it seemed accurate. This soul, too, was dressed in jeans, a shirt, shoes, and even a cap.

  The man sat on the curb, staring absently at the road as if lost in a dream. He didn’t even glance at Mioray and Erinel as they approached. Mioray assumed the soul had long since abandoned any hope of being noticed. After all, to the living, he was invisible.

  “So, how does this guiding-to-the-afterlife thing work?” Mioray asked, seizing the opportunity to speak now that no one else was around. “Do we, like, help him resolve unfinished business? Or perform some kind of ritual?”

  Erinel chuckled softly, her expression warm. A few delicate lines crinkled at the corners of her eyes as she turned to him. “No, nothing of the sort,” she said. “I’ll just open a door to the realm between realms, and he’ll step through. That’s all.”

  “Got it,” Mioray said, nodding. It sounded simple enough. Erinel would open the door, the guy would walk through, and that would be the end of it. What else was there to know?. “What’s a realm between realms?”

  Erinel gave him a playful look but didn’t answer. Instead, she extended her hand and began tracing a circle in the air with her index finger. A faint green glow trailed her movements, as if the fabric of reality was torn in that place. When Erinel completed the circle, the glowing edges connected seamlessly, forming a perfect ellipse.

  The portal flickered with a pale green light, its borders shimmering like flames. It was large enough for an adult to pass through. Mioray peered into its depths, but all he could see was endless darkness. An infinite void.

  A realm between realms.

  “What’s in there?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

  “Death,” Erinel replied, her voice tinged with melancholy. For a fleeting moment, she gazed at the portal with an expression of profound longing. But she quickly composed herself, her usual amiable demeanor returning. “Don’t worry,” she added. “Neither you nor I can enter it. Only souls can pass through.”

  “And what happens to them once they do?”

  Erinel hesitated before answering. She extended her hand through the portal. It passed through the darkness as if it weren’t there, reappearing on the other side, untouched. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Probably no one does, except the souls themselves. Let’s proceed.”

  The arrival of the portal had momentarily made Mioray forget about the soul they were meant to guide. The translucent man, however, could not ignore the surreal sight. He stood up, visibly confused, glancing from the portal to Erinel.

  “It is time,” Erinel said as she approached him. Her voice was calm but firm. “Your life has ended and you must move on. This world has nothing left for you. Please, step through this door. It leads to the next stage of your existence.”

  The man hesitated, his unease palpable. Mioray could understand his apprehension. Who wouldn’t feel lost if a stranger appeared out of nowhere and asked them to step into a glowing, pitch-black void?

  “I don’t want to,” the man said, stepping back.

  “It’s not about what you want,” Erinel replied, her tone unyielding. She took a step closer, her presence almost overwhelming. “It’s about the natural flow of existence. If you care about anyone in this world, consider the harm you could bring them by staying. Souls like yours are vulnerable, yet incredibly powerful. There are things that prey on souls, and if you remain here, you’ll be in danger, and so will anyone near you.”

  “I’ve been here for weeks, and nothing’s happened to me,” the man retorted. “Sorry, but I’m not going anywhere.”

  He turned to leave, but Erinel grabbed his wrist, startling both Mioray and the man. Despite lacking a physical body, the man’s form was solid enough for her to hold.

  “I’m trying to make this easy,” Erinel said, her voice calm yet unnervingly firm. “But if you refuse, I’ll have to compel you. It won’t be pleasant, for either of us.”

  The man scowled. “So much for good intentions,” he snapped. “I say no, and you start threatening me?”

  Erinel’s expression hardened. Her fingers darkened and began to lengthen into claw-like extensions, just as they had back at the storage facility. Mioray realized with a jolt that she was prepared to force the man into the portal if necessary.

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  “Erinel, wait!” Mioray shouted. She paused, her claws retracting as she turned to him, her expression unreadable. “Let me talk to him.”

  For a moment, she seemed to weigh his request. Then, without a word, she stepped back, granting Mioray the chance to intervene.

  Mioray approached the man, extending his hand in a gesture of goodwill. “Hey, I’m Mioray,” he said. “What’s your name?”

  The man hesitated, glancing warily at Erinel before cautiously responding. “Andrew,” he said, reaching for a handshake. His hand passed through Mioray’s, and both pulled back awkwardly. Only Erinel, it seemed, could touch the dead.

  “Nice to meet you, Andrew,” Mioray said quickly, trying to maintain the connection. “So, um… how did you…?” He faltered, unsure how to phrase the question delicately. “How did you die?”

  “Someone called the police on me while I was painting graffiti here,” Andrew said, gesturing toward the unfinished white and yellow artwork. “The cops came to arrest me, so I ran. Unluckily for me, I got hit by a car.”

  Mioray felt a pang of sadness as Andrew shared his story. While he was relieved that Andrew didn’t mind opening up, hearing about someone’s death was always disheartening. The fact that existence continued after death didn’t make it any less tragic.

  “Pathetic, right?” Andrew added, misinterpreting Mioray’s pursed lips as pity. “Now I just sit here, watching others paint their graffiti while I can’t even finish my own. I wonder how long it’ll take for someone to paint over it.”

  “What were you painting?” Mioray asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? ‘Swan Piece.’ The TV show. Have you heard of it? It’s amazing, but it’s still ongoing. I really want to know how it ends. But now…” He trailed off, a note of resignation in his voice. “I guess I’ll never get the chance to find out, right?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Mioray admitted, unwilling to lie. “It might be on air for years to come, and if Erinel’s right – and I believe she is – it’s not safe for you to stay here.”

  Andrew sighed and cast a sullen look at the portal. His shoulders sagged, and Mioray silently clicked his tongue, chastising himself for his bluntness. Way to go, Mioray.

  “I know how you feel, Andrew. I watch ‘Swan Piece’, too. I’m hooked on it.”

  “Really?” Andrew raised an eyebrow, his voice a mix of skepticism and curiosity. “Have you seen the latest episode? Do you know what happened there?”

  “I haven’t caught up,” Mioray admitted. The last few weeks have been… hectic. “I’m still in the middle of the dragon arc.”

  That was enough to convince Andrew. He nodded, his brow furrowing. “Gotcha,” he said. “I was near the end of it.”

  He sighed again, and the weight of unfinished things seemed to settle on him. “There’s so much I’ll never get to finish,” he said. “That show was my biggest regret. It might sound silly, but it kept me going. Waiting for the next episode, it gave me something to look forward to, a little happiness. And now it’s gone.”

  Mioray didn’t know what to say to comfort Andrew. As he looked at him, one thought kept creeping into his mind. It could just as easily have been him in Andrew’s place. For some inexplicable reason, he had either been lucky or unlucky enough to keep his life. Whether it could even be called living was another question entirely.

  Under normal circumstances he might have ended up as a wandering soul himself, losing everything he had and fading into obscurity. Invisible to the world, he would have been left waiting for someone like Erinel or her companions to find him and guide him to that dark portal into the unknown. The thought of being alone, untethered, and unseen was both sad and terrifying.

  “I know it’s not much,” Mioray began hesitantly, “but people die every day. Maybe you can think of it this way: someday, others who watched the show will join you. They can tell you how it ends. Heck, you might even meet the creator himself in the afterlife. Imagine how much more he could share about the story, stuff no one else would ever know.”

  If any of it were true. Even Erinel had admitted she didn’t know what lay in the realm between realms. But that uncertainty also meant the possibilities were endless. Anything could be true there.

  “That would be cool,” Andrew said with a faint smile. His gaze shifted to Erinel, who stood nearby, silently observing their conversation. “There’s no other choice, is there? Can I trust you?”

  “Yes,” Mioray said firmly. “To be honest, I’m dead too. Long story, but Erinel helped me. I’ve met others like her who guide souls. They seem like good people. They genuinely help. You don’t see many souls wandering around, right? That means they’re all going somewhere. You won’t be alone.”

  Andrew stuffed his hands into his pockets, staring at the portal in deep thought. Finally, he let out a long sigh. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it,” he said. He glanced back at Mioray. “Who are you guys, anyway? Grim reapers?”

  Mioray noticed Erinel’s eyebrows twitch at the term. “Not exactly,” he replied quickly. “Grim reapers usually show up when someone’s about to die, not afterward. Isn’t that how it works?”

  “Fair point,” Andrew agreed. He took a deep breath, if that could be said about a soul. “Alright. I’ll trust you. I mean, you’re not going to let me rest until I go, right? Just promise me one thing.”

  “What is it?”

  “Keep watching ‘Swan Piece’ for me. Find the time. Don’t let it slip away.”

  Mioray chuckled softly. Here Andrew was, about to step into the unknown, and he was thinking about someone else. Or maybe it was the opposite. Maybe focusing on others helped him face his own fears. “I promise,” Mioray said. “Good luck, Andrew.”

  Andrew nodded and took tentative steps toward the portal. As he crossed the threshold, he turned back to Mioray. “It’s… bright in here,” he said, his voice filled with wonder. “Thank you, Mioray. Maybe we’ll meet again someday?”

  Andrew continued forward, stepping deeper into what should have been impenetrable darkness but appeared bright to him for some reason. Unlike Erinel, whose arm had simply passed through and reappeared on the other side of the portal, Andrew seemed to remain within it, fully immersed.

  The portal started shrinking behind him until it vanished entirely. It was as if nothing had happened. Just two people standing near a graffiti-covered tunnel. A car passed through the tunnel, the driver shooting Mioray a look of disapproval. He probably thought Mioray had been painting graffiti, just like Andrew had been. Hopefully, no one would call the police this time.

  “You did well,” Erinel said as Mioray rejoined her. “Connecting with the soul is always an option.”

  “Don’t you talk to them when they’re afraid?”

  “I used to,” Erinel replied thoughtfully. “But not anymore, to be honest. I’ve been out of touch with the living world for so long that I never bothered catching up. I don’t even understand what you were talking about earlier. Like this, what did you call it? TV show? ‘Swan Peace’?”

  Right, Mioray thought. For what it’s worth, Erinel might be thousands of years old. How long had she been guiding souls to the afterlife? A single lifetime of work could feel overwhelming, but she’d been doing this for ages, perhaps since the beginning of time. No wonder she’d stopped caring about the world of the living. Staying up-to-date when you’re not a part of it must be impossible.

  “Well, I could show you,” Mioray offered with a shrug. The thought lingered: one day, he might stop caring too. It would be nice if someone were there for him when that happened. He already felt like he was missing out on life. “Actually, have you ever watched a movie in the cinema?”

  “No, I haven’t,” she replied, starting to walk down the street.

  “Then it’s decided. Let’s go to the movies together!”

  Erinel turned to him in surprise before laughing softly.

  “Sure, why not?”

  Mioray couldn’t believe how easy it was. Not her agreeing, but him suggesting such a thing. Going to the cinema with Erinel.

  “Did you mean what you said earlier?” Erinel asked suddenly.

  “About what?”

  “About me helping you out. I’m curious, why haven’t you asked why it took us so long to come for you?”

  “Yeah, I guess I didn’t think about that,” Mioray admitted, scratching his head. “I mean, I’m already overwhelmed. There’s just too much to process all at once, and every answer I get seems to spark a dozen more questions. Like...how many greanrips are there? Do others brought back to life help them? If so, how do they manage to summon portals to the realm between realms? And what is the realm between realms? Why is it dangerous for souls to linger here? How do our abilities even work for this job? Where is my left arm, and will we find it? Who’s the exploding man? Why is he hunting me? What’s with his black eyes? Did I see you in the hospital that first night? And who was that lady who insisted on taking me from the detectives? Was the sleeping gas your doing? And why wasn’t I affected by it?”

  Erinel had stopped walking at some point, and Mioray hadn’t noticed until he was several steps ahead of her. Realizing his mistake, he quickly turned back, head bowed in embarrassment.

  “Wow,” Erinel said, her hazel eyes wide. “I knew you had questions, but I didn’t realize you had that many.

  “Yeah, I know. It sucks,” Mioray muttered. “I didn’t want to bombard anyone, especially not the others. Kevin and Farah already think I’m clueless, and after the way that bet went, I doubt they’re on my side. Then, when we were out looking for wandering souls, there wasn’t a good opportunity to bring anything up with you. You’re invisible to everyone else, and if I started talking to you, it would draw attention.

  “But I want to trust you,” he added. “Because if I don’t, what else do I have?”

  The street wasn’t entirely deserted anymore. A few passersby had started to appear, reminding Mioray of how quickly people adapt. Just weeks ago, these streets would have been avoided at this hour. He instinctively positioned himself near Erinel but couldn’t shake the feeling that he belonged behind her. He hated that feeling. Her prolonged silence wasn’t helping.

  “You’re an interesting guy, Mioray,” Erinel said at last. “I’m glad you walked into the bar that night. I think you’re going to prove valuable.”

  Her smile warmed Mioray’s heart. The difference in how she treated him versus Andrew didn’t go unnoticed. Was there something about souls she disliked?

  “I don’t have all the answers,” she continued, “but I can ease your mind a little. For starters, yes, I was in the hospital. I used my powers to help you escape. The scent only works on the living, putting them to sleep. I don’t know who that lady was, but because of her and the police, we had to make sure no one could track you. That’s why we waited. So far, no one’s found us, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t looking. Take the exploding man, for example. His appearance was...unexpected.”

  Erinel continued explaining as they walked, and Mioray listened eagerly, soaking in every detail. He learned there were greanrips scattered across the world, some of whom enlisted the help of the dead brought back to life. Erinel explained that by sharing her powers, Mioray could not only see wandering souls but eventually open the door to the realm between realms himself.

  The realm, as she described it, was exactly what it sounded like. A dimension. There was the realm of the living and at least one other realm where souls went after death. The portal wasn’t directly connected to that realm but led to an adjacent space shared by both dimensions.

  Even if Mioray physically could sleep, he wouldn’t that night. So many new things he had learned. It was overwhelming and felt almost unreal. The fact that the elixir Mioray had consumed was created by humans seemed like a minor detail in comparison, especially since Erinel couldn’t explain who had invented it or how it had ended up in her possession. The same went for the purpose behind its creation. But all of that paled in comparison to the otherworldly revelations like greanrips, wandering souls, and realms of different dimensions…

  Still, today was a good day. Erinel was impressed with his first successful job, and he’d somehow convinced her to go to the movies together. Mioray couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this happy.

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