I spent a day allowing blood mending to repair the damage done to my body. The enchanted knives that cut me left wounds that took longer to heal than a normal weapon would. While sitting in the darkness of my own apartment, I rested with a cigarette in my hands while contemplating all sorts of matters. I had already informed Alexandra that I completed the job to which she congratulated me before telling me the payment would be coming soon.

I had done something different than just viewing memories. I, for a moment, had experienced it myself. Knowing my own innate gift had given me that ability was cause for excitement but it was denied by the overwhelming shock. I had lived a moment Stanley’s life and his death.

“Control."

That was the keyword. Maybe I needed to control what I gained from the memories of others rather than fear that I would be forced through the pain.

So far, I had gained a terrible smoking habit from one of the first men I had killed. Henry Cunningham might have lowered my aversion to killing, though I hardly enjoyed it. It was still the same grim affair as it was when I started. Whatever hidden trait I might’ve gained from Stanley’s existence remains to be seen, however, I managed to copy his riding experience through my own effort. I was now more than confident in my ability to ride a motorcycle.

So, I now had to question whether the price of “stealing” experience from Stanley’s memory was reliving his death or if that came from my own lack of control?

I put out my cigarette, wishing to be free of the disgusting taste it left in my mouth and stood up, opening the grimoire.

The current value of souls in your possession: 1000

The Endless Penumbra is currently digesting the items it consumed.

Due to allowing your penumbra to eat while it was sated, it is developing the ‘Greed’ attribute.

The ‘Greed’ attribute will cause the following to occur:

-Increased vitality can be absorbed from living beings.

-Powerful weapons instilled with egos, blessing, and curses can be discovered and devoured with greater ease.

-Allows for the creation of “greed reflection” weapons. These shadowy armaments manifest in the form of whatever weapons you have devoured. Each weapon can be manifested once and carries an extremely powerful affliction to be used against your foes.

-Greed causes the penumbra to yearn for greater sustenance. In order to satiate its ever-growing desire, you will need to seek out both powerful items and souls that carry immense value. While its hunger isn’t persistent offerings of lesser quality will not sway the penumbra.

-If you fail to appease the penumbra after it develops the ‘Greed’ attribute, it will develop parasitic traits and gradually drain your souls before draining your vitality.

In order to prevent the penumbra from manifesting the ‘Greed’ attribute, do not allow it to consume anything else until it grows hungry.

I appreciated the warning, but I had no idea of how to prevent the penumbra from suddenly emerging. I think I needed to look into purchasing an artifact that could seal or hold certain items. Or–

“A runic seal?” I thought aloud.

If I created a seal around the penumbra’s mark, it wouldn’t be able to burst out at random. The creation of that type of seal required advancements in the Art of Sanguina.

Turning my mind to other tasks, I recalled applying to clear three ruins over the course of the next week. One class-1 and two class-3’s. The latter would put me up with a guild team under the guise of showing myself off as a prospect of sorts. It was a common practice among stronger guilds in order to scout rising talents. I didn't plan on joining a guild but I would take advantage of the recruiting system they had in place and expand the range of my sanguina.

“Ah, the time,” I mumbled, nearly forgetting the importance of the day, closing the grimoire and checking my phone soon after.

8:13 pm.

I took a peek out of my window and saw a clear sky that had darkened and the moon was full. It was the perfect time to make an attempt at contacting Penelope.

I found myself calmer than I had ever been. Maybe that was thanks to Stanley?

I sat in the center of my living room and closed my eyes. There was no mention of a need for a special ritual or runes, so I just concentrated.

‘I want to speak with you, Penelope,’ I spoke inwardly, hoping she'd hear me somehow. At the very least, my intent should have been clear to whatever receptive party was waiting.

There was no reply, as expected, but I maintained my steadiness. It felt like minutes began to pass, but I didn’t lose hope and figured she’d respond in some way... eventually. As a result, I spent an unknown amount of time sitting in the dark.

At some point, the air turned cold and I felt goosebumps cover my skin. The feeling of a frigid breeze drifted over me along with the distant howling of the wind.

I opened my eyes without hesitation. I had seen much worse, so I didn’t fear the idea of Penelope being some sort of monster. But...–

“Woah,” I mumbled, unable to stop myself.

Standing across the room, with her back slightly turned to me there was a woman in a frayed robe stood gazing at the scenery outside of my window. Her shoulder-length black hair was intersected with streaks of white. And her skin, well, the phrase ‘as pale as a corpse’ came to mind after one look. Despite that, she was objectively beautiful. There was no argument against that, but there was also a strong air of melancholy around her.

“What a peculiar world,” Her words were soft and gentle.

She continued gazing at everything outside with slight curiosity and astonishment.

I had gotten so lost by the sight of her that I continued staring until I fully processed what was happening. While I was carefully thinking of what to say next, she turned to face me.

Her pale blue eyes scanned over me, but there was nothing communicated through her serene expression.

“I imagine you have questions, Casper?” She inquired.

“You'd be right then,” I managed to reply with stumbling around. I was a bit surprised she knew my name, but I didn’t focus on it too much.

I barely noticed my manner of speaking wasn’t as shaky or uncertain as it had been in previous days.

“Then ask and I shall do my best to answer,” She spoke unhurriedly.

I couldn’t tell if her tone meant that I had a lot of time or if that was just her calmness. Either way, I made sure to think hard about my first question.

“I have the ability to see the memories of the dead and relieve parts of those memories. Do you know what it means or where it comes from?”

“There is no meaning to it... Your soul is naturally in tune with the realms of the dead and the realms that lay in between. Understand that there are ill effects from using such a power as you may have already discovered. In essence, your own ego may become distorted as time goes on. Take heed, Casper, the dead will seek to consume and possess your being should you show the slightest sign of weakness.”

“I think I understand a little more now, thank you,” I responded humbly.

Seeing memories of the dead was due to my soul being in "tune" with the realms of the dead, as she put it. It helped to know more about the nature of my gift.

Penelope had given me an idea of why I had begun receiving random traits from others. I began to wonder if that hallucination during Grant’s funeral was a part of showing signs of weakness. It was an emotionally turbulent time for me and I was in a place covered in death. That vivid experience of unwilling souls attempting to steal the "coin" in my possession still bothered me.

I looked toward the solemn woman standing in front of me and pondered what to say next. I felt asking her about the old promise between herself and the mysterious entity that was said to have granted her power would be going too far.

“The second path I’ve chosen requires me to take control of my lifeblood, but I just barely know what that means. What is it that I need to do?”

Penelope’s answer wasn’t immediate, instead, it was prefaced by her unshakable gaze.

“It is a simple task, but difficult to execute. You must enter a state between life and death, Casper. You can halt the beating of your own heart to reach it, but be prepared to face what comes after.”

Her description of things seemed cryptic at best, but it certainly confirmed that the way to study my lifeblood required me to be near-death.

“You've said to enter a state between life and death but does that mean, well…– are you alive? Are you even here? Or is this a vision of some kind.”

Penelope approached me and I quickly noticed her steps were completely silent just as she was described in the grimoire. She stopped in front of me and stretched out her palm. My eyes shifted between her face and her hand before I reached out to touch her.

The moment our hands touched, I felt a bone-chilling coldness, but strangely enough, it wasn't painful.

“You’re really here then?” I was shocked that she was real, or rather, standing in front of me.

“Yes,” She replied, pulling away from me right after. "As for my mortality, I suppose that I am neither living nor dead, but somewhere beyond that."

I felt as I touched a sore spot so I quickly changed the subject out of consideration.

“Then, do you know anything about the grimoire?”

“There are very few who know about the origins of the Pale Tome you carry and I am not among their number. There was a time where I heard whispers of its origins, rumors that spoke of a book that would corrupt, but it is simply hearsay and should not enter your into consideration.”

'So, she doesn't know much about it either?'

Well, its origins didn’t seem particularly important as of now. For some reason, I felt as if the entity carving into the stone bore some relation to it, but I couldn’t be sure.

“I think my last question is about the grimoire saying that I needed to seek you out and gain your favor to advance as a Death Bringer. So, I–”

“Casper?” Penelope interrupted me before I could get the question out.

“Yes?”

“Do you know what is required of you?” She asked.

“What’s required of me?” I repeated out of confusion.

“Nothing, there is absolutely nothing required of you. You, in this very moment, are free. That fills me with both envy and admiration toward you. In such a small period of time, you’ve accomplished so much–”

“I’ve barely done anything,” I interrupted with a dry laugh.

I began feeling guilty because I didn’t see myself as being free. I had been steamrolled by constant obstacles and more or less went along with whatever I couldn’t control. The more I thought about the more I began feeling as if had let down Penelope in some way.

“The moment you accepted the heritage of Death Bringers, I felt your presence. A small yet vibrant soul that seemed so fragile. For the first time in hundreds of years, I was no longer alone... Inside of this undying body of mine, I felt a spark of hope just knowing that. I watched closely as your soul grew before it was nearly snuffed out, but my worries were meaningless as you persisted. You may not be aware, but your death would summon you to me, however, I don't wish for you to suffer the same fate as I did. To fight for eternity is a cruel fate for anyone.”

My eyes widened as I continued to listen. If she had been alone, I guess it meant the other Death Bringers were dead or couldn’t reach her. Maybe they didn't want to reach her. Then, there was also the fact she said that if I died, I'd be summoned to her and then I'd have to fight alongside her forever, presumably.

Penelope’s eyes became downcast as she went on, “I was able to witness you growing brighter with each passing moment and then, you accepted a new path, one that would allow me to speak with as I am now. I didn’t restrict your advancement as a Death Bringer because you needed to prove yourself to me. I simply feared that if I didn’t gain your notice, you would have not have sought me out at all.”

I was stuck for a response, but thankfully, she didn’t seem to be finished. Penelope raised her head, and her pale blue eyes pierced straight through me.

“The second path you have embarked on will cause you staggering amounts of pain and fear, but remember that you are free no matter what you suffer. It is only when you lose sight of that will you have forfeited your own freedom.”

“...You say that but what happens if I mess up?” I asked, finding her perception of me to be overwhelming. “If I end up dying then it was all for nothing, right? Wouldn’t that mean that I failed to live up to your expectations?”

She was much stronger than I was, I could see– no, I felt it. In spite of that, she spoke as I was someone to be admired. I didn't delude myself into thinking I was greater than I am. So what did she see exactly?

As if she found the idea of my failure impossible, Penelope began to smile.

“You may fail others and you may even fail yourself, but you cannot fail me, Casper... Should there ever come a day where everything around you crumbles and you pass from this world, I will greet in the one that follows.”

I quietly absorbed what she said, dissolving the inner turmoil polluting my thoughts.

“...Thank you, Penelope.” The words had nearly been lodged in my throat, but I managed to get them out. I needed to thank her.

“There is no need,” She gave a simple reply.

“No, really, thank you,” I said, continuing on, “Before everything with the grimoire– or tome, or whatever it's called– happened, I didn’t have anything except a gift that forced me to be alone and nearly ruined my life. I know it might seem trivial when you’ve been fighting alone longer than I lived, but it’s– what I mean to say is, I can’t tell you how much it means to hear those words. So, thank you.”

Maybe I made her feel as if she couldn’t turn down my repeated thanks, so she nodded.

“If there's a way that I can somehow undo the vow that you took then–”

“Never burden yourself with the promise of the impossible, Casper. Indulging my selfishness and allowing me to speak with you is the greatest kindness you could have offered to me.”

Penelope cut me off before I could ask about breaking the promise she made with a "greater entity" and said something I couldn't believe. She hadn't spoken much about herself and the focus of our interactions was mainly me attempting to understand more about my own abilities. Still, I took her advice and didn't insist on helping her undo the vow, but I decided to offer something else.

“If that’s the case, I can call for you again next month... It would be nice to speak to you more.”

Her eyes widened before she expression settled into another smile.

“I will eagerly await your summons–” Her eyes suddenly flickered before she could finish and the melancholic air that had vanished for a few moments had returned.

“It seems that I have to depart, but I have enjoyed my time here with you, as brief as it may have been.”

“Yeah, it was great!” I was quick to reply.

“Take care, Casper.”

“You too, Penelope–” Before I finished speaking, she had already disappeared.

I sat there with my hand half-raised before I finally put it down.

I didn’t know anything about Penelope, whether it was what led to her to become who she was or what it cost her. I wanted to know, but I decided never to ask her. If she appeared in front of me again, maybe I’d show her things about this world. If all of her moments were spent fighting, I could at least attempt to distract her from that.

I found myself sighing for some reason before I summoned the grimoire.

Path of The Death Bringer:

Bind: Bring forth any incorporeal foes and chain them to the material world for a period of time, making them vulnerable to physical attacks. If used against living creatures, the effectiveness is halved. The strength of this ability is connected to your understanding of death.

Cost: 5,000

Penelope’s Vow: Draw on the power of Penelope’s vow and call to all willing Death Bringers. Those who accept will manifest as spirits and assist you for a short period of time.

Cost: 10,000

Phantom Heart: This ethereal and unmoving heart will strengthen your soul and your connection to spiritual realms as well as protect you from the entities that may populate them.

Cost: 25,000

Soul Reaving: Beyond increasing the effects of siphoning the souls of the dead, this ability allows you to strip weaker beings of their souls which may outright kill them. When used against beings with souls either stronger than or equivalent to your own, it will serve to weaken them for a time.

Cost: 25,000

Invocation of Limbo: Invoke the power of the purgatorial realm itself and trap your foes between the land of the living and the dead for a short period of time. Any being caught within the radius of this invocation will not be able to move. The power of this ability will exert a terrible burden on your body, so it would be wise to exercise restraint in its use.

Cost:30,000

Skeleton Key: This is a weapon forged by your soul and tempered with your flesh and blood. Your very existence grants this weapon power. As long as you persist, this weapon will not falter.

Cost: 50,000

There were three new abilities I could purchase and they were as strong, if not stronger, than what I expected. The last one was a bit vague, but I know for a fact that both Soul Reaving and the Invocation of Limbo were astounding so the effects of the “Skeleton Key” had to be just as good.

A smile crept onto my face as I shut the grimoire. Penelope’s words still felt fresh in my mind and as a result, I was inspired to practice.

"The moment I lose sight of my freedom is the moment I forfeit it," I said, echoing her words from earlier.

It would be an unspoken promise that only I knew of, but I would remember her words until I die.