I trampled through the untamed forest, knicking my skin on sharp twigs, my hair pulled by the branches of trees. I let out a forlorn breath, wishing that they'd part welcomingly the way I know they would if the Earth thought me worthy enough.

"Just wait," I told it, shaking my hair free from a reaching branch and brushing my t-shirt clear of dried leaves, "I'm going to prove myself to you. I'll find my mentor."

Not that I was necessarily looking forward to our meeting. A creature of dread, dwelling in darkness, devouring. I shuddered, thinking of my father, the Demon Lord. They sounded far too similar, but somehow with such a beast as my mentor I was to prove my goodness to the Living Realm? I stopped in my tracks, a sudden feeling of anxiety crawling up my spine. Was Artemis and this Morpheus sending me on a wild goose chase, letting me wander off to my death at the hands of this creature? If the creature even had hands. Or any human quality, for that matter.

I shook it off, sharpening my resolve. There was nothing else I could do to advance my power, to help me become strong enough to break into Purgatory. Unlike that morning, this time I had entered the forest with portection and purpose, heading towards where I had seen the spider earlier. Perhaps I could track it, follow it as the song instructed to wherever my mentor was hiding. Ben had told me not to go after it until I notified him and the others, but I didn't want anyone coming along again. The only things I would take with me were the switchblade Ben had given to me to go into the woods that was now tucked into the back-pocket of my jeans along with a hand-held sized EMF meter and a small pouch of crushed lavendar flowers that Berit had handy to help ward off the evil spirits that may stalk me on my search. I also had the Bloodstone pendgalim hanging around my neck, finding that I could tolerate it better than I had the Moonstone. This was going to be dangerous, and I couldn't allow any of them to get hurt again, especially now that Adrian was finally awake.

So I walked and walked until I came to the two thick trees, squinting through the brush strokes of brown maples and white birches that lined my way ahead. The spider wasn't there again, unfortunately. I headed over to where it had been bumbling along, my feet sinking into the sodden ground, making suction noises as I went. The spider would hear me coming that way, so I removed my old sneakers and socks, instead going bare feet. At least I was a little bit stealthier that way, although my feet became uncomfortably cold and assailed with the pricks of the earth's floor.

The woods were alight now, the sun at its highest above all, filtering down through the colorful leaves, now and then broken by the flight of a bird or the darting of an animal in the trees. I could see better than in the misty morning, but even when I reached the place I had spotted the spider, there was no indication of where it went. I pulled my EMF meter out of my pocket, switching it on. The screen remained blank.

"Ah, crap," I huffed, knocking on the screen as if to see if it would answer me.

Don't step any further.

My heart collided into my brain, and I sprang ten feet into the air, yelping in surprise. I whipped around, eyes scouring the enumerable trunks for an enemy. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I noticed that the animals had fallen silent around me, a cloud blotting out the sun rays, a dark air filling the forest. My hair raised, and my nerves became hyperaware. I turned more slowly, examining my surroundings, putting away the faulty EMF and pulling out my switchblade. "Hello? Why don't you show yourself?"

But do you not see me?

I swallowed. No. No, not at all. "Come out!"

It breathed raspily as I continued turning in slow circles. Its voice sounded like it came from all around me, no matter what direction I faced.

Round, round, round, the spider turns it thread

Round, round, round, through your heart, out your soul

...until you're dead

I tightened my grip on the hilt. "Are-are you the one I seek, the one who commands the spiders?"

And then I felt it, a cold breath over my shoulder, caressing the back of my neck. Turn around and see

So I did, slowly, until I was nose to nose with a little girl who's eyes were hollowed out black and leaking blood, whose body was purpled and decayed, rancid with the putrid sent of flesh gone bad. I shreiked and stumbled back, raising my knife to her. It was then that I could see it, the giant web she was caught in, her unsightly body fastened tightly with glowing white thread.

Poor Celma, she croned, her eyeless pits and bloody tears making her look all the more miserable, never to be loved again?

"What's happened to you? The spiders have caught you?"

So long ago, they did, and now I wait for them to feast on my soul. But never an end, not for me – The word was dragged out high into a wail, one that shook the trees around me and petrified me in place. When she finished caterwauling, she continued, I think I was happy once, I cannot remember anymore. I think I had a brother once, a mother too. I cannot remember though.

"I'll cut you down!" I said, moving to her, because horrifying or not, a soul should not suffer so, but she shook her head quickly, sending more blood oozing out of her sockets.

No, never an end, not for me. You will be captured too. Step no further. I am only fodder now for the Damned One. I will waste here forevermore.

I started to shake in anger. This was her gory feast, my mentor's? "Where is she? Tell me, I'll rid you of her. I'll find a way to free you."

I have only let you glance upon me to keep you away. Leave this place, we are all but to be dined upon here. Then her head tilted up, as though she heard something. Her discolored faced screwed up in misery, sending fear through me once more at the hideousness of it. Again, it seems. You should run now.

I heard it, skittering along, weaving through the trees. It was coming to pierce her soul again, to consume it piece by piece. Even though I wanted to heed her words and run as far away as I could, I looked around for a climbable tree, one with strong branches. A maple looked up to the task, so I ran to it and started heaving myself up as quickly as possible, bloodying my bare feet on the tough bark, and once high enough, waited. My energy was still masked by Kanoa, so I prayed that I would be undetectable to the arachnid.

It was then that I realized I was faced with two choices; I could either (somehow) obliterate the spider, or I could let it feed on the Ghost and let it lead me to its lair where I would find my mentor. The sooner I found out where she was, the sooner I could save Lidia.

The little Ghost started whimpering, not panicked or frightened, but exhausted and abandoned. My heart twisted in my chest, struggling against what my mind knew would be the smarter choice. But I couldn't do it, of course.

As soon as the large spider came into view, glowing unnaturally, heading towards the girl, I swung down from the tree, surprising it utterly so that I could stab it with my knife. Its wail was unlike any animal I had ever heard, ringing in my ears and dizzying my sight. Its legs lashed out and I fell backwards, scrambling back, but it moved fast on its many swift legs, crawling over me and snapping its pincers in my face, all eight eyes boring into mine. I took my knife again and stabbed into the side of its little head, and its cry was harsher, thick with anger, but it backed off me, moving away in jerky paces, running back into the forest. "I'll be back for you, Celma!" I yelled back to the girl, chasing after the spider as quickly as I could.

Don't follow! Do not follow! I heard her warn, but I had to. I needed to find my mentor, and I needed to figure out why she was torturing the Ghosts.