“Hey, kid. Did you sleep well last night?”

  “...”

  “I’ve brought you some food again. The corn is especially good this year, but we lost a lot of the harvest to the crows. They seem to be getting more tenacious every year.”

  “...”

  “I’m getting a little too old to keep running after them, and the scarecrow doesn’t seem to scare them anymore.”

  “...”

  “That’s the thing about fear, Somnu. It never lasts long enough to prevent us from achieving what we truly want. Eventually, those who are willing to fight for their future will always overcome fear, scarecrow or no scarecrow.”

  “...”

  “Ah, one more thing, my lovely wife made you some of her favorite Halloween sweets, do make sure to savor those. I admit, I felt quite envious seeing her smile in the kitchen. Are you trying to steal my beautiful wife, punk?”

  “...”

  “Well, the sun is coming down now. I better move these legs and chase away some birds before they get everything. It might be a long night, Somnu, but I’ll come see you in the morning again.”

  “...”

  “At least, I’ll see the door. You don’t have to open it if you don’t want to, just know there is nothing that terrifying on this side of the world. It’s just an old man waiting patiently for you.”

  “...”

  Receiving no response as usual, the old man stood up, folded the chair and leaned it on the front door. Then, waiting a few more seconds with the hope of a change, he eventually winced slightly and turned his back.

  “Don’t leave it on the wall.”

  “!”

  Mr. Emberlyn’s foot stopped midstep. His eyes widened for a moment, then a soft, gentle smile appeared on his lips.

  “Why shouldn’t I?” He asked sarcastically.

  “It’ll just fall in when I open the door to get those sweets.”

  “You punk, you don’t say anything for a year, but now that she made some sweets specifically for you, you worry about how to get to them?”

  “...”

  “What’s your relationship with my beautiful stunning wife, punk? Come out here and face the husband you’re trying to replace!”

  “You wouldn’t stand a chance with those shaky knees, old geezer.”

  “It’ll be another hundred years before a kid like you can take me on, wife seducer!”

  “Can you stop calling me weird names and just leave already? I’m hungry.”

  “What’s stopping you from opening that door? Surely not little old me? If you’re so eager to get those sweets, do it. No one is stopping you, or did she send a secret love letter hidden within?”

  “...”

  “What is this? You two are using me to exchange messages?! Are you writing to each other about how love blossoms between an old beautiful tree and a small punk sprout? How long has this been going on under my very nose?! How could I be so blind to these tricks?! You must really be one hell of a scoundrel to make a woman cheat on the love of her life! Or is that you now?!”

  “Aghh! Fine! Just shut up already!”

  “Oh?”

  CREEK!

  The door began to open, and yet, no chair fell once the figure from inside appeared.

  In fact, the chair was still being held by Mr. Emberlyn, he had simply leaned it on the wall, then removed it silently.

  “Who’s tricking who, you sly old geezer.” Somnu scratched his longer, tattered white hair that he hadn’t cut in a while. Even a slight beard was creeping in.

  The sunset had barely left some light to show his features. It didn’t help that he was still standing in the shadow of the door frame.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “...” Eamon watched with departed lips and slightly narrow eyes. His blue eyes shook at the sight, before he closed them and pursed his lips into another heartwarming smile. “Took you long enough, punk. You really made me work for it.”

  “... You keep coming here every day, don’t you have anything better to do, old geezer? Shouldn’t you be taking naps or something at your age?” Somnu retorted, still keeping his feet in his own home as he stared at the food containers and corn-filled boxes laying at his doorstep.

  “I told you, didn’t I? That I wouldn’t give up on you.”

  “Are you sure you’re not the one who made these sweets? That’s kind of creepy.”

  “Come on out, kid. Let me see your face.”

  “This is enough, isn’t it? Just go back to your pretty wife and don’t come here again. As you can see, I’m fine.”

  “I can’t do that, kid. My lovely wife seemed taken by you, she won’t let me sleep comfortably on the bed if I didn’t check on you a few times a day. What a great seducer you are, punk.”

  “... Who cares, just sleep on the couch instead of walking here every day.”

  “What’s this? A ploy to free a spot next to my wife on the bed?”

  “How long are you going to run with that joke for?”

  “Until you come see her with me and we can hash this out like real men, what do you say?”

  “I… I don’t have anything to do outside of these walls. No one to…”

  “You’ve got plenty, kid. For one, the town is in need of a professional scarecrow to help protect the farms. Are you up for it?”

  “...”

  “I have a feeling you’d be a perfect fit for the job, hmm?”

  “... I guess you’re really desperate if you want me to scare off crows for you.”

  “Well, walking here every day sure didn’t help my knees.” Eamon tried to rub his legs in an exaggerated manner. Then, he gave the reclusive, thin, and pale kid a sharp look. “Besides, since you’re so good at scaring everyone you want to scare, you might as well terrorize those animals from eating all my crops.”

  “... You never hold back, do you? Fine…” Somnu hesitated for a moment, then took a step outside his door. “I’ll start tomorrow morning.”

  “Good good, wouldn’t want you to start at night.”

  “It’s been a long night...” Somnu mumbled as he moved away the white bangs to reveal the bags under his purple eyes. He looked up towards the distant moon waiting for the sun to set so it could shine its light at the inevitable darkness. “Maybe this is a new day…”

  “Yes, it has been a long night, kid.” Mr. Emberlyn joined him in the moon gazing, a slight forlorn expression appearing on his experienced face. “But you got through it. I’m sure you’ll get through the next one too. That night, your true night, hasn’t even started yet.”

  “What is that supposed to mean, sly old geezer?”

  “The ramblings of an old man, pay it no mind.”

  “I never do anyway, I’d much rather listen to your lovely wife instead.”

  “You punk.”

  ***

  Mr. Emberlyn… is dead? Somnu felt an icey cold chill rush through his veins, locking him in place.

  He couldn’t begin to fathom the notion. The old man he knew, the golden knight he had met… There was nothing he could ever imagine that would be able to kill him.

  Eamon Emberyln was the last knight of Nirvia, having admitted to spending centuries defending the castle under his oath. Every night he slept, decades would pass for him before waking up again to see his wife, and then the scarecrow a few hours after.

  Old age wasn’t going to take him, as far as Somnu guessed, the eternal warden of the forgotten sanctuary was immortal.

  At least, in the Dream Realm. The old veteran didn’t seem to have powers or abilities in the waking world, but when Somnu last met him, the sly old geezer had said he was from another world originally. One that was lost to the Nightmare Creatures.

  You’re kidding me right…? That geezer isn’t going to just die from old age just because he came to earth or something?! Somnu gritted his teeth, unable to stop his rampant thoughts.

  In front of him, Aurora had crouched down to her knees, shaking as she covered her face with both palms.

  The moment the words had left her lips, she collapsed like a dam that had been held back for far too long.

  Somnu wanted to ask, he needed answers.

  He had to confirm the vision he had rejected was about Leyna, and not something he could no longer affect or change. Especially if it was something in a realm he could no longer access.

  And yet, despite all his denial and half-assed reasonings, there had been one constant development that made him ignore the inevitable possibility. Despite how obvious the answer would have been, he hadn’t wanted to even consider it.

  Dreadbeasts were showing up in the First Layer of the Nightmare Realm. The only reason they hadn’t before was because the last knight of Nirvia was actively preventing any Nightmare Creature above the Specter rank from stepping into the portal leading to the Abyss of Lethe.

  Whenever the thought popped into his mind, Somnu quickly shook it away, convincing himself that if Dreadbeasts were showing up because of that, then higher ranks than that should be showing up too.

  However, he couldn’t know if there were more restrictions on entering the First Layer of the Nightmare Realm. Did the System decide it? Could the Faceless Forager directly influence things to make Dreadbeasts travel to this Layer, but nothing above that rank?

  Once again, as per usual, Somnu’s thoughts were racing, faster than the pounding of his heart that threatened to break through his ribcage.

  His lips were shaking, his legs refused to move.

  Whatever Naga was asking him, he couldn’t focus enough on it to hear it. He had shut off both the outside and the inside world.

  His mind was actively trying to find reasons, any reason, to deny the statement, the possibility, the reality! However, the more he thought, the more the old man’s actions began to make sense.

  It can’t be true… Somnu clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms. Why… Why did you die before I could repay you for everything you’ve done for me?!