Perun was ready… or at least he tried to be. His knees trembled uncontrollably, his fingers gripping the wooden stick so tightly that his knuckles had gone white. The room fell into an eerie silence. Even the footsteps outside—those slow, deliberate steps—had stopped.
Then a whisper slithered through the stillness:
"Sans estoppel~"
Perun froze.
A heartbeat later, Vaelor's voice came from beyond the door.
"Pal, where's the problem?" he said casually—before passing straight through the door as if it were made of mist.
Half of Vaelor's body slipped through the wooden surface, ghost-like, before the rest followed. Perun's eyes widened, his face draining of color. The stick in his hands rattled with the force of his shaking.
Vaelor glanced at Perun.
Is the door locked or what? he asked, confused—until he noticed Perun standing stiffly, clutching the stick.
Vaelor raised an eyebrow.
"And what are doing with that stick"?
He looked down at the stick, opened his mouth, and stuttered
"Ah"I?
His vision blurred, his legs gave out, and he collapsed at the floor.
Vaelor saw Perun collapsed on the floor and rushed toward him, stepping fully out of the room.
"Ohh Perun! What the hell happened to you?" he shouted, kneeling beside him.
A moment later…
Perun slowly began to open his eyes. He found himself lying on his bed, breathing heavily. For a few seconds he stared at the ceiling, confused, then quickly sat up and looked around the room.
"He's not here… or did I just see a nightmare?" he muttered to himself.
Tik~
The door unlocked.
Vaelor entered the room, pushing the door open with a casual swing.
"Finally, you're awake. I was really concerned when you collapsed," he said, sounding genuinely relieved.
Vaelor paused, thinking about something. Then he spoke again.
"Ohh. So that was the reason…"
Perun stiffened.
"Oh no… now he's going to kill me. He must have figured out I was about to attack him," he panicked internally.
But instead, Vaelor sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sorry, Perun. I kind of… crashed into you when I came through your window."
After hearing Vaelor's apology, Perun felt a wave of relief wash over him—but it didn't last long. He quickly remembered that this situation was still far from normal.
Vaelor folded his arms. "Oh, you must be wondering what I was doing when I passed through the door."
Yes, because you're a ghost, Perun thought silently.
Vaelor suddenly added, "But before that… I have to eat something."
"What!?" Perun's eyes widened in shock.
A moment later, the two of them walked to the kitchen. Some leftovers from the previous night were still there. Perun heated the food on the gas stove and handed the plate to Vaelor.
Vaelor took one bite, brightened immediately, and finished everything in seconds. After eating, they returned to Perun's room. Vaelor sat comfortably on the bed while Perun took the chair, still nervous, still staring at him.
Vaelor noticed. "Oh right… I have to tell you about that thing."
Perun straightened in his seat.
First, let me start with my home place—the Realm of Dominion. Everyone there has abilities like mine. But the power depends on ranks.
Ranks? Perun asked.
Yeah. They're divided into four parts. The lowest one is called Herald. Our job is simple: go to the assigned place and report everything about it. There are many Heralds I think the majority. Higher-ups give us tasks, locations, and information.
Wait, but with your power you're telling me Heralds are the lowest? Perun said, confused.
Oh yeah, yeah." Vaelor nodded casually. "So, the abilities. You've already seen the first one -I can pass through any surface."
Perun swallowed hard.
And the second one, Vaelor continued, "I can turn invisible. But there are some limitations.
Perun leaned back, unsure whether to feel safer or more terrified.
And I can also enter anyone's mind.
"Anyone's mind!?" Perun asked, hesitating, half-panicked.
No, no!" Vaelor waved his hands quickly. "I'm not going to peek into yours. And I can only do it three times a day anyway."
Perun exhaled in relief, but only a little.
"And I have one more ability. A unique one. Actually…" Vaelor paused,"…this one exists only among Heralds. I'm the only one who has it."
Perun leaned forward eagerly. "What is it?" He expected something incredible some legendary, world-ending ability.
It's… the ability to speak to you.
"What?"
Perun blinked at him, completely thrown off.