The sun had almost completely set by the time Aiden quietly slipped out of the house. The village was slowly settling down for the night. Smoke drifted from the chimneys as families finished their evening meals. A few lanterns lit the main streets, but most of the villagers had already gone home.
Aiden pulled up the hood of his jacket. He hadn't told anyone about his decision. What could he have said, anyway?
"Excuse me, but the voice in my head told me to visit an old cemetery."
Even he thought the idea sounded ridiculous. He followed the path leading out of the village. At this hour, the fields were almost silent. Only a few crickets chirped in the tall grass. In the distance, an owl let out a cry that echoed through the gathering night. Every step brought him closer to the forest.
And every step gave birth to a new hesitation.
"I can still turn back..."
He came to a stop.
The old cemetery gate stood about fifty yards away. Its dark silhouette was outlined beneath the moonlight. Aiden took a deep breath.
"If I leave now..."
The voice said nothing. No window appeared. It was as if the System was simply waiting for him to make his choice. He stood motionless for several long seconds. Then he slowly pushed open the gate. The hinges groaned. The old cemetery looked completely different at night. The gravestones cast strange shadows across the ground. Moonlight bathed the paths in a pale glow that made every detail seem more unsettling. A gentle wind whispered through the trees.
And yet, there wasn't a single insect buzzing. No birdsong. Nothing. It was as if all life avoided this place once night had fallen. Aiden felt a shiver run down the back of his neck.
"It wasn't like this yesterday..."
He took a few steps.
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Funerary Vision Activated.
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This time, he hadn't asked for it. The world changed instantly. The colors vanished. The trees turned gray. The gravestones became covered in faint silvery glows. Dozens of tiny trails of light wound their way between the graves.
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Aiden froze.
"Yesterday... there was only one..."
Today, they were everywhere. Some were barely visible. Others already seemed to be fading away. They drifted slowly through the cemetery before disappearing into the darkness.
"These are the traces left by souls..."
For the first time, he truly understood what his skill did. Every living being left behind an imprint. Some faded quickly. Others lingered much longer. And he...He was able to see them.A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"Did every Grave Keeper see this?"
He immediately thought back to the archives.
The three previous bearers of this Class had also spoken of things that no one else could perceive. Maybe they hadn't gone mad. Maybe they had simply seen a world invisible to everyone else. The thought filled him with equal parts hope and unease. He continued walking.
The spiritual traces grew more and more numerous as he made his way toward the far end of the cemetery.
Some even drifted up into the trees before vanishing into the sky. He watched them with fascination. None of them seemed hostile. They looked more like memories. Like fragments of lives left behind.
Suddenly, all the spiritual traces converged in the same direction.
Toward the old black grave. Aiden quickened his pace. He crossed the abandoned section of the cemetery. The tall grass reached his knees. Broken gravestones formed strange silhouettes beneath the moonlight. Then he stopped. The grave stood before him. But... something had changed. He was absolutely certain of it.
"That's impossible..."
The moss he had removed the day before had completely vanished. The black stone looked perfectly clean. As though someone had carefully scrubbed it during the day. Yet no one ever came here.
Aiden slowly stepped closer. The surface of the stone slab glowed faintly beneath the moonlight. The symbol carved into its center was now perfectly clear. The circle. The flame. The engravings surrounding them seemed far deeper than before.
He reached out his hand.
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Vestige Recognized.
Synchronization: 14%
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Aiden frowned.
"Fourteen percent?"
The number had increased. Last time, it had been only zero point seven percent. What had changed? The wandering soul? The completed quest? Or... himself?
He knelt before the grave. This time, he noticed something that had escaped him the day before. Fine cracks now spread across the entire stone slab. They formed a complex network, like the roots of a tree. A faint gray light seeped through them. It pulsed slowly. At the same rhythm as a heartbeat. Thump. A few seconds. Thump. A few seconds. At last, Aiden placed his hand on the stone. It was freezing. Much colder than during his first visit.
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Access Authorized.
User Identified.
Grave Keeper.
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Aiden's breathing quickened. For the first time since his Awakening, he had the feeling that the System was no longer merely observing him. It seemed... to recognize him. All around him, dozens of spiritual traces began converging toward the grave. As if they were being drawn by an invisible force.
Aiden instinctively stepped back. The wind grew stronger. The branches of the trees began to creak. The gray light seeping from the cracks grew brighter and brighter. Then... a sound. Very faint. Like a heartbeat beneath the earth. Aiden held his breath. The sound came again. This time, it was closer. It seemed to be coming... from beneath the grave. The stone slab vibrated almost imperceptibly. A thin layer of dust slid off its sides. Then everything fell completely silent once more.
Aiden stared at the stone, not daring to move.
"What's down there...?"
The System did not answer.