Richard stepped forward to the gate, raising his right hand. He was growing brighter, and the dust rounding him suddenly began whirling. “Ghost in the forest, by the names of the Gods, I summon thee,” he chanted solemnly.
“Is that magic?” Trevor whispered.
“Nope, just want to heighten the dramatic effect,” Richard grinned, his translucent figure returning to normal light. “Ghosts have different frequencies, like a radio. We can easily call each other.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the EMF meter and the Spirit Box both screamed static. “He is coming,” Richard said, putting his hands around his face in an exaggerated tone of terror. He turned, seeing Trevor and Spion both wore a severe look, and smiled naughtily. “Relax, you’re inside the gate.”
Boom! Something slammed against the black iron gate, sending sparks flying. A large ball of green flame materialized in the air, bathing Trevor and Spion’s faces in a sickly green light.
“Richard the Fearless, why do you call me? And why are you with the livings?” The flame spoke with a raw, guttural sound.
“Hey, we are…” Trevor began cautiously, but was interrupted.
“Quiet! Livings are annoying all the time, especially nowadays. Radio, Wi-Fi signals—they interrupt my eternal rest!” The flame suddenly enlarged and rushed at the gate, but was stopped by an invisible wall, causing only a flash of sparks.
“Ivan the Terrible, they want to investigate how you died. They can help you find your murderer,” Richard said.
“How I died? I know how I died! I don’t need livings’ help! Livings are liars! A living who I trusted killed me!” The flame roared, swelling larger as it rushed the gate again. Sparks flew, dust whirled.
“Calm down,” Richard said, raising his two arms in a stopping gesture. “Ivan, they helped me find my dad, who also died. And they think maybe my death connects to yours. We might have been killed by the same person. Did you have a mission here?”
“Mission?” The flame paused for a moment, then roared again. “My mission failed! My mission failed! It’s a shame!” The flame kept pounding the invisible barrier, sending sparks flying and dust whirling. Even Trevor and Spion felt a palpable heat emanating from the fire this time.
“Sir, we just want to help…” Trevor began cautiously, but stopped short. The smart glasses screen displayed a strong energy spike. The frequency level jumped from Danger to Extremely Danger. “We’d better step back,” he warned the others.
He and Spion stepped back cautiously. Richard kept trying to calm the flame, but it was trapped in painful memories, roaring, growing larger. “A shame, a failure!” It pounded the barrier again, and with an electronic explosion sound, it passed the gate, rushing strangely toward Trevor.
“Noooo!” Richard yelled.
Trevor stumbled back in horror and fell to the ground. The flame flew at him. Just as it was about to hit, it was violently pushed back to a distant spot.
“What are you?” the flame muttered.
“I found a frequency that can hold the ghost for a moment,” Spion said, frantically operating the Spirit Box.
“This toy is not effective for me.” The flame rushed at Trevor again, but this time, Richard stood directly in the middle. The green flame crashed into Richard’s blue light, forming an electronic storm—sparks, dust, and crackling energy surrounded them. The air shrieked with colliding frequencies. Spion rushed over and helped the panicked Trevor get back up.
“Calm down, they can help you complete your unfinished business so you can rest in peace,” Richard’s voice came from the eye of the storm. “Philip Barsky—it was Philip Barsky who killed us. And you were supposed to meet my dad, giving him information, wasn’t that?”
The storm subsided. Richard and the flame separated, and the green flame turned entirely blue, forming a translucent human figure: a tall man in a neat, three-piece suit, with groomed curly hair and a trimmed beard. He was a man of style.
“Ivan, glad to see you,” Richard said with a smile. “Feel better now?”
“Rich, I’m calm now,” Ivan said in a deep voice. “Did Philip Barsky, the bastard, kill you?”
“Yes. He gave me a poisoned chocolate. He wanted to poison me and my dad because he was afraid my dad would find out he killed you. But that day, my dad was out, and I ate the poisoned chocolate first. When my dad found out, he knew Philip Barsky did this, because he wasn’t supposed to be here.”
Seeing Ivan was calm, Trevor and Spion walked closer.
Ivan looked at them and began to tell his story. “I came here for two missions. One was for the Red Union, to get information from the mole the KBS (Committee for Union Security) planted inside the FIA. The other was for us—the reformers who wanted stronger change and an end to the Cold War with the West. My plan was to meet the mole first, then the agent sent by the FIA. I didn’t know who the agent was, only that he would meet me at 15:00 on August 26th in the hotel’s lounge. The agent had a boy, and the boy was fearless. So I brought a music box; once the music ended, a creepy clown would jump out. If the boy didn’t scare, I would know the father was the agent.”
“That wouldn’t scare me,” Richard affirmed.
“I should have realized when we first met and you let me call you Richard the Fearless if I was not in my malicious spirit form,” Ivan said, smiling at Richard. He then continued, “But the bastard Philip Barsky strangled me. He must have been informed that I betrayed the KBS. I carried classified files about the Red Union’s deployment of nuclear missiles in the Summer Islands. We believed if the United Fairylands knew about those missiles, they would force the Red Union into negotiation, preventing the Cold War from turning hot. We hoped the officials in the Red Union political bureau would focus more on economic reforms rather than playing political games. My mission failed with my death.”
“No, your mission didn’t fail,” Trevor said. “Richard’s father figured out Philip Barsky was the traitor and reported him to the FIA. Barsky was sentenced to death for murder and treason. The Cold War ended. The world is free from the nuclear shadow now,” he added, then realizing there were still wars in the world, he quickly amended, “Sort of.”
“The Cold War ended? How many years have passed?” Ivan asked.
“More than sixty years now,” Spion said. “The world changed a lot since then.”
“I didn’t realize that when I was a malicious spirit. I could sense things changing around me: the forest getting smaller, vehicles, radio, men and women arguing, kids crying, demonstrations in the park and roads—so much noise. It annoyed me before, but now I realize that means human civilization is still in progress, and hasn’t been destroyed by those arrogant politicians.”
“Yes, and it’s all thanks to you, Richard, and his father,” Trevor said, recognizing this was a good sign that Ivan was calming down.
“What about the Red Union? I haven’t heard about it in a long time now.” Ivan asked.
Trevor and Spion hesitated, afraid of upsetting Ivan again. Richard looked at them, then finally said, “It’s gone. Gone for good.”
Seeing Ivan didn’t react with anger, only contemplation, Trevor and Spion nodded. Trevor added, “Your people live better than under the Red Union now.” He wanted to say more, but realized there was an endless war between two former Red Union states which still had the potential to ignite a world war three, so he wisely shut up.
“It’s not my business anymore. The Red Union was never a solution to capitalism; it was merely a cult of bureaucracy manipulating the people. It’s good for all of us that it’s gone. My mission succeeded. I can rest in peace now.” Trevor and Spion finally felt relieved by Ivan’s words. But then, Ivan added, “I have another piece of information—not really important, but I still hope you know.”
“What is it?” Trevor asked.
“When the Red Union executed the last Tsar and his family, one princess was rescued. She went to the Fairylands later. We only know she had chestnut hair. We were supposed to let the FIA find her.”
“Yeah, I heard that before. There are rumors about her, but no one ever actually found the princess,” Spion said.
“Never mind. I think I see the Acheron crossing. I can go to the underworld now.” Ivan looked to the right.
“Me too,” Richard said, turning to the right as well.
Trevor and Spion only saw the Salon building, tents, and trees.
“You can’t see it,” Richard said, looking at them. “I think it’s time to say goodbye. Hope to see you two in the underworld soon.”
“Em…” Trevor paused. He and Spion didn’t know what to say.
“I’m just kidding,” Richard said with a naughty grin. “You two earned my friendship. You can summon me with the Spirit Box. But I still don’t know your name, except Spion—you worked here before, so I know you.”
“Trevor,” Trevor said, smiling.
“Goodbye, Trevor and Spion.” Richard turned to Ivan. “We go together. We may find my dad in the underworld.”
“Wait, I got a message from the Gods, for you, Trevor,” Ivan said, surprising them all. “You played with death, which angered Hades. You helped a criminal escape justice, which angered Themis. But there is a mist surrounding you. The Gods cannot see your fate. They will test you in the future.”
“The Gods will test me?” Trevor was shocked.
“Yes, they already did once, by allowing me to cross the barrier.”
“Don’t worry, call me if you need help,” Richard said.
“I will,” Trevor promised.
“We should go now,” Ivan said, walking toward the crossing. Richard stepped up, turned back, looked at Trevor and Spion, and smiled one last time before hurrying to follow Ivan. They disappeared into the shadows.