012 | The Darklake Twins

The attack came faster than a blink. Arlo sighed in frustration, then drew his ornate sword from the canvas painting, trying to conceal his disappointment at its fragile and rusty texture.

"If anyone else heard you say that, they might think I'm the villain here," he muttered. He weighed the ornate sword for a moment before pointing it at Riley. "But fine, as a gracious guest, I'll tell you why I'm here. I saw you this evening haunting Sheila and her baby's lives. Long story short, I want you to return to hell."

Riley furrowed his brow. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. "Leave this place now if you want to leave in one piece."

Arlo tilted his head, tightening his grip on the ornamental sword. "You realize I could quote you on that too, right?" he retorted. "I want you to leave this world and let Sheila live in peace."

Suddenly, more swords appeared, swirling around Riley's head. Some were ornamental like Arlo's, but others were real. Arlo quickly noticed the superior craftsmanship and quality of their materials.

Riley smiled mysteriously. "Why should I let her live in peace when I didn't die in peace myself?"

Then, the swords lunged towards Arlo on their own. He tried to fend off some attacks with the cheap ornamental sword in his hand, but it proved useless and broke. Arlo was forced to block the onslaught with his arms.

One sword cut deep into him. Arlo gritted his teeth. He quickly knelt and grabbed a genuine steel sword. Then, he sprinted towards Riley.

The ghost stood firm in place. A protective barrier around his body vibrated as Arlo attacked. Arlo was thrown backward, the sword thrown from his grasp.

Then, from behind him, he heard footsteps halt. Arlo didn't turn, only retrieved his sword and stood up.

Riley's smile was the first thing he noticed. "Finally home, Logan," he murmured. "I'm bored to death entertaining guests who come looking for you."

There was no charming laughter or smiles as Logan walked past Arlo to reach his twin brother. He stood taller than Riley, perhaps looking a bit more mature, dressed in torn clothes and bearing scars of a dead soul's scratches. His face was so grim that Arlo realized this was the man he had seen earlier that evening.

"He's the Duke's grandson," Logan muttered wearily.

"If that's the case, he's not a bandit," Riley concluded. "Though he's not a welcome guest."

"And you two are truly identical twins," Arlo interjected.

The twins stared at Arlo with unfriendly expressions. There was sorrow in Logan's eyes as the ghostly man began to realize what was happening.

"He can see me," he murmured. "He saw me in his home."

Riley rolled his eyes. "How many times have I told you? Don't wander around when dusk falls," he grumbled. "Now, how do we handle this unwelcome guest? Lord Xavian won't be pleased if his grandson dies here. His sorcerer son will hunt us to the ends of hell."

"Yeah, but that's fair," Logan smiled a grim smile that sent shivers. "Besides, he can't see our presence. No one can perceive our existence. This kid is truly special."

Riley sighed in boredom. "Let's just end this," he muttered. The swords that had fallen to the floor lifted again and thrust towards Arlo. "I don't like anyone bossing me around besides Mother."

Then, the swords shot towards Arlo like a dozen arrows.