Faint guitar music drifted through the streets of the Last City, barely audible over the buzz of citizens in the market. Glint's iris flicked between passing patrons and the pleasing festival decorations. His self-assigned patrol was barely a distrac ...
[NEW RECORDING] Ghost Den–Session 1
LOCATION: Tower–Bazaar—Previously New Monarch Meeting Area
FACILITATORS: Eva Levante, Micah-10, and Mihaylova (Recordkeeper)
PARTICIPANTS: Ghost, Glint, Ophiuchus, Kugu, Lexicon, Bee, and Batt
—START OF RECORDI ...
Glint saw the teens running into an abandoned building and floated in behind them. The rays from the setting sun trickled through the windows, allowing Glint to find his way without providing his own light. Keeping to the shadows, he bobbed his way t ...
—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—
[CIRCLE NOTE: A Ghost with a light blue shell, Kugu, beeps and floats toward the center of the circle made by the other Ghosts.]
Micah: Ah, Kugu! Go right ahead.
Kugu: The Witness is a spineless, weak jerk tha ...
There were some unusual objects in the room. Glint scanned them when he was sure no one was looking: colorful fabrics draped over various things, a hundred or so melting candles, counterfeit Gambit coins, swords that were supposed to be Hive in origi ...
—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—
Eva: Would anyone else like to go?
[CIRCLE NOTE: The Ghosts idle in place, irises nervously looking around.]
Micah: Anyone…? Ophiuchus?
[CIRCLE NOTE: Ophiuchus does not say anything. He stares back at Micah a ...
A debate had started between the teens. While they were distracted, Glint could easily float unnoticed from one hiding spot to the next. They were arguing whether to use melted candy on their hands to bond them even further before the ritual, which r ...
—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—
[CIRCLE NOTE: A Ghost with an orange shell, Bee, floats forward. Another, Batt, dons a red shell. She hovers close to her.]
Bee: I can go. Ahem.
Batt: It's okay, you got this.
[CIRCLE NOTE: Batt gives Bee a c ...
The teens stood in a circle. At the center was a pumpkin, positioned in the middle of an intricate symbol, painted with unsure brushstrokes, smudged to fix mistakes.
"Stop fidgeting, Nirysk," the young Eliksni girl muttered, tightening her grip on t ...
—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—
[CIRCLE NOTE: The focus has now shifted to Ghost. The rest of the participants, quiet and waiting, turn their attention toward him.]
Ghost: I don't know what to say… I-I'm glad I could help. I just…
[CIRCLE NO ...
Panic surged through Glint.
No. No, no, no. According to all the research he and Eido had done on the Headless Ones over the years, this shouldn't have been possible. It shouldn't have been allowed to happen. Nothing in this room was real, or at lea ...
—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—
Glint: The war with the Witness was never going to end without losses. I don't think any of us wanted that, but we all knew that if it meant saving lives, we'd pay whatever price was asked.
Glint: But I've neve ...
"The hell is a Ghost doing here?!" Cash asked. Everyone had risen, hissing painfully, to their feet. They looked around as they brushed themselves off and checked for injuries.
"Wait," Melii said. Glint floated closer to them, and the Eliksni's eyes ...
—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—
Ophiuchus: Targe was a pain, just like Zavala, sometimes… but he was a good Ghost.
[CIRCLE NOTE: A soft gust of wind passes through the circle. It sounds closer to a roar in the silence.]
Ophiuchus: You get us ...
"You were trying to… what?" Glint asked, taken aback.
"Well…" Melii started, then paused. She looked hesitantly at her peers. "We were talking about how many people fell during the war, and, uh, we just wanted to try to speak to them."
Glint noted ...
—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—
Glint: You don't have to answer that…
Ghost: No, it's fine. I'm fine.
[CIRCLE NOTE: Ghost's shell flexes and shakes a little. Micah and Eva watch him carefully.]
Ghost: Final Deaths are always a possibility. ...
"I put this book together with all the things we found during our research," Rhea said. She gently placed the book on its stand at the altar. "My mentor…" Her voice faltered. "She always said to keep your notes in one place, so they're easier to find ...
—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—
Micah: I'm proud of you for expressing how you're feeling about this, Ghost. I know it can't be easy.
Micah: Targe's death was a tragedy. And so was yours.
Micah: No one could possibly have known you'd get a s ...
"You shouldn't think like that," Glint said, his tone soft and full of empathy. "I know that's easier said than done but trust me when I say, I understand. Someone I knew died, and I thought… 'Why not me?' It's so easy, isn't it? To blame ourselves a ...
—CONTINUATION OF SESSION 1 RECORDING—
[CIRCLE NOTE: The other Ghosts have dispersed. Eva and Micah linger behind to watch Glint, Ghost, and Ophiuchus, who float by the edge of the Tower, looking out at the Last City.]
Glint: Are you okay, Ghost?
G ...
"We're sorry," the teens mumbled together, their voices sad.
"Are we in trouble with the Vanguard?" Rhea asked.
Glint shook his shell from side to side.
"No, you're not, but I'm going to clear this place out and make sure nothing is amiss. Get on ...
"Everything has been moved to a vault designated by Ikora, for future inspection," Glint reported. "She thinks one of those Hive swords might have been real, so she's sending someone to investigate the market where the kids got everything."
"Why did ...