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Ben

I remained on that small islet near The Shade for several hours, until I could wait no longer I’d been struggling to see any light at the end of this tunnel, but so hadentirely to a lifetime of misery… at least, not just yet I decided that the first and only thing that I should do next was find outabout theleaned so far from my own brief experience as one

This meant I needed to head back to the supernatural realhost I knehere to find I’d met others in The Shade, but now that Jeraone—back to their previous haunts, no doubt close to their old homes, or where they had departed from their bodies

I would head back to The Tavern, seek out Ernest in that old guesthouse, and if I ca the way, it would be a bonus

Although I was feeling less pessio, I still couldn’t allow ht now, forfrom point A to point B

Drifting upward froazed aroundwaves Behind me, and invisible, was The Shade, and stretched out in front of ured that it ate—situated near Mount Logan, in Canada—that I’d used to pass into the huain, but once I did, I would have much less work to do on the other end That mountain portal was connected to an island near The Tavern

There were other gates closer to where I hovered outside The Shade—like the one on the island Rose had once spent days on with Caleb and Annora, the one that led to the ogres’ realres’ realm to The Tavern, or how far away the two locations were from each other So I had no choice but to make my way to Canada

I squinted as I eyed the horizon, still feeling like the last thing in the world I wanted to do was leave this spot This spot, so close to my home So close to my old life I’d already procrastinated for hours, because just the thought of leaving hurt But I had to keep

I twisted around to face the invisible island An island I wondered if I would ever return to

I’d thought that it would be less painful to slip away quietly, both for myself and for those I loved I didn’t want to reveal to thehost until I discovered more about my situation But no ht of the each day with hope that I was still alive hurt even ive them at least some kind of explanation to tide them over until my return

So, instead of heading east as I’d planned, I moved back toward The Shade

Their security had been increased drastically, but as a ghost—an entity who barely even existed at all—I was able to drift through without obstruction As the darkness of the island enshrouded ht of the Port

Focus, Ben Focus

Now, I had to think of hoas going to get e across to my family and River I did not want to do it via a dream I had already made a promise to myself that I would not enter another drea situation

As I conteli the beach It was Abby and Erik, walking hand in hand… and bounding in front of them was Shadow I felt a swell of happiness for Abby that she had found what seeaze fixed on the giant va

I’d had success possessing a dog’s body before I wondered if Shadow could help me in this particular situation… I approached him as he splashed about and chased his tail in the waves If I had riffin’s padlock with the mouth of a pitbull terrier, I was sure that Shadow could assist lanced back at Abby and Erik, ere about twenty feet away If I was going to try to possess thedirectly above hi my feet over his back, I seeped into him

Occupying Shadoas quite a different experience than possessing the pitbull or the Great Dane For one, his blood ran ice cold, and secondly, he was er It took me by surprise how much of a strain it was just to lift his paard But I didn’t have ti Shadow’s head toward Abby and Erik, I verified that they were still a good distance fros forward, out of the water, andup a sandstorm around his feet, I reached the border of trees as Erik shouted after me, “Hey, Shadow!”

Sorry, Erik I’ over Shadoalk for a while…

Not wanting Abby and Erik to catch up with rowth as fast as Shadow’s legs could carry me It would have been faster to take the forest path, but then I would beI didn’t want to risk until I’d completed my mission

I took a winding route until I reached the Residences I gazed up at the treetops to see that uessed they would be staying in one of the treehouses nearby—the logical choice would have beenat the foot of Vivienne and Xavier’s tree, I looked down at the ground beneath Shadow’s paws There had been a light rain overnight, and the soil was an running it through the dirt, etching out a e I stopped several times and erased what I’d written with a brush of Shadow’s paw until I was finally satisfied hat I’d written I could hardly explain h, at least for now