Simon opened his eyes, the cold asphalt pressing against his cheek, taking a few seconds to grasp what was happening. He remembered Aisling leaning over him, her mocking laughter, and then… darkness.
Now, the alley behind his apartment was shrouded in shadows, a dark veil blocking the streetlights and the city's noise.
The smell of dampness and the hum of rain filled the air.
In front of him stood Clara, her back to him, one arm extended, trying to shield him from something.
Clara trembled with fury, her body turning semi-transparent for a moment.
Beyond her, Aisling, with her mischievous smile, danced between the shadows as if it were a game.
"Such a drama queen, Clara!" Aisling said, her voice as cheerful as ever. "I just want to help the kid shine a little, you know? Normally, I'd wait for him to ripen a bit more… but Cassian's got me on a leash."
She dissolved into an emerald mist, dodging shadows that sliced toward her like blades, shredding a poor tree in their path.
Aisling reappeared a few meters away, sidestepping with light steps a whip of shadows Clara lashed from the ground, trying to predict where she'd land.
Aisling's Leanan Sidhe magic was almost hypnotic: Simon couldn't help but admire how her body, solid and real, dissolved and reformed.
Clara had cloaked the alley in shadows, trying to trap Aisling and keep her from escaping.
Simon sighed, grateful she had.
'I still don't get why they're fighting… but I'm glad Clara did this, or I don't know how I'd explain this to the neighbors,' he thought.
Clara growled, her shadows rising like ropes, weaving a cage.
Simon tried to stand, his legs shaky. A sharp pain stabbed his chest and head.
He tried to speak to Clara, unsure if he wanted help or answers, but before he could, the Ghostly System appeared, red letters flashing:
[ASSIMILATION: 50% - CONNECTION WITH CLARA BROKEN]
Simon's eyes widened in shock, his body feeling like it was freezing, the cold seeping into his bones.
But as he stood, he realized he also felt… lighter.
'What now?' he wondered, irritated, unfamiliar with his own body.
Even his vision seemed sharper, the alley clearer, the shadows more defined.
It was as if all his senses, except touch, had suddenly amplified.
In fact, his sense of touch had worsened. Tingling prickled parts of his body, while others felt numb.
But before he could make sense of it, Aisling tried to approach him, her mist swirling around her.
And, as if she'd been waiting for this, Clara sank into the ground like a specter, emerging beneath Aisling and grabbing her ankles.
Clara's shadows, sprouting from her hands, trapped Aisling, who seemed unable to dissolve as she usually did.
Aisling struggled, but her strength wasn't enough to break free.
"Surrender!" Clara growled.
But Aisling just laughed, looking at her with her usual calm.
"Chill, little ghost. I didn't mean to make you this mad, you know?"
Clara trembled, her shadows forming claws and eyes that circled Aisling menacingly.
"Don't lie!" she shouted. "'Unlock his potential'? You just want to devour his soul, like all Leanan Sidhe! I won't let you touch him!" Her voice cracked, full of fury and fear.
Simon felt a chill.
'Devour my soul? Did Aisling really try that…?' he wondered, incredulous. It was hard to believe the cheerful, smiling girl before him would do something like that.
Then another doubt hit him, making him frown.
'Wait… why did I trust her so much in the first place?'
It seemed Aisling had tried to awaken his "potential," but in doing so, she'd somehow strengthened the system, breaking his bond with Clara.
Clara raised a hand, her shadows ready to engulf Aisling.
In that moment, Cassian's smile flashed in Simon's mind, a reminder of what would happen if they harmed his employee.
Simon stepped toward Clara, gently touching her shoulder.
"It's not worth it, Clara," he said firmly. "Let her go."
Clara looked at him, her eyes bloodshot.
"Simon, she…!"
"I know," he said, cutting her off. "But killing her won't fix it. And I don't want more trouble with the club."
Clara clicked her tongue, her gaze still conflicted but understanding Simon's reasoning. She didn't want to face Cassian's wrath either.
The shadows dissolved, freeing Aisling, and the dark veil lifted, letting the streetlights illuminate the alley once more.
Aisling brushed off her clothes with exaggerated gestures before turning to Simon.
"Thanks, sweetheart," she said, winking. "I owe you a big one."
"Though it wouldn't hurt to put a leash on your little ghost," she added mockingly, locking eyes with Clara.
"No need," Simon replied, wishing the girl would just vanish and stop causing trouble.
But Aisling just grinned, this time more mischievously.
"Oh, I insist, you'll need that favor soon," she warned before slipping away.
Clara turned, exhausted but resolute.
"I'm going to the club to regain my strength," she said, her voice firm but pained.
"If I'd gotten here sooner, this wouldn't have happened. Six years, Simon, and now…" She shook her head, frustrated.
"I'll be back tomorrow night, I promise. Don't trust Aisling. And be careful with the system—don't accept any missions now that I can't control it… It's dangerous," Clara said before fading slowly with her shadows, like an illusion.
Simon was left alone, the alley silent except for the raindrops falling on him.
He climbed to his apartment, each step heavy, collapsing onto the sofa in his damp clothes.
On the table was a letter from the landlord: an eviction warning.
Simon pulled the lottery ticket from his pocket, placing it beside the letter.
Two million could erase any debt easily, but things weren't that simple.
He thought of Katherine, her debts, how she knew about Clara, the brooch, the club.
He'd just witnessed firsthand what those supernatural beings were capable of, realizing the risk not only to himself but to his friend.
"Two million isn't worth it…" he muttered bitterly.
[NEW MISSION: RETURN TO THE CLUB]
— Reward: Power to protect yourself and those you care about.
— Time remaining: 3 days.