The gate was the beginning, and it would also lead to the end. Under Vide's hand, the rusted iron held together splinters of old oak. Crickets sang in the dark night. Glints of moonlight, peeking through its indigo shroud, illuminated the rubbles of the ruin. The wind whispered through yellowing leaves, and tugged at the two teenager's jackets.
"This is a bad idea." Lo tossed her bald head and wrapped the jacket closer around her. "And I'm cold."
"Maybe you shouldn't have come out here in a pair of short-shorts, then." Vide glanced back at the gate and tugged at the iron handle. The remains of the gate creaked open even as the clouds above hid the moon again. "It's today, or tomorrow." Fey carefully moved through the ruins of the wall before glancing back. "Are you coming?"
"You're lucky you're so cute." Lo followed feym and glanced around nervously. Above them stars glittered, and the moon peeked out from behind a cloud again. "And that I love you."
A chuckled bubbled through Vide, but fey controlled feir expression. The thrill of the old stories ran up feir spine. Fey shuddered in the chilly breeze that danced on feir neck and mussed feir thin hair.
"Do you see anything?" Vide kept feir voice down as fey glanced up at the full moon. Like someone teasing their lover, it covered up in clouds with only brief glimpses of light.
"No, I— wait, over there!" Lo grabbed feir shoulder and pointed.
Threads of ghostly gossamer wove moonlight into a tall tower. The call of birds and singing of crickets were interrupted by someone yelling from the tower, and of laughter from the other side of the courtyard. Under their feet, the wilting grass melted away to reveal blue-tinted cobbles.
Vide's breath caught in feir throat, and fey grabbed Lo's hand. Lo squeezed it back as they together backed towards the gate. A man exited the tower and whistled merrily, a round shield hanging off of his back. He didn't acknowledge their presence even as he almost passed through them.
"They can't see us." Vide's shoulder relaxed, though annoyance flickered through feir mind. "The light isn't strong enough, though." Fey glared towards the sky. "Can't the clouds just go away so we can see more?"
"Vide, I want to go home." Lo's voice trembled and she pulled Vide towards the exit.
"Yeah, we will—"
A woman rushed towards the exit, with a bundle in her arms. She paused and stared straight at them. Only a glimpse of hair peeked out through the shawl on her head, and the green of her dress looked more vivid than anything else.
"Can she see us?" Vide murmured to Lo.
"I think so." Lo nodded empathically and squeezed Vide's hand so hard that it almost hurt.
The woman studied them a moment longer, with amusement and mischief lighting her blue eyes. With an exaggerated arm gesture she left the path clear for them to leave the fort.
Vide fled towards the gate and pulled Lo along. They couldn't stay here a minute longer. What if other ghosts could also see them?
A moment before they reached the gate, woman leaped towards and through them, and the world went dark.
