Nathaniel Wraith's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Nathaniel pressed his palm against the golden door for the thousandth time. Six months of trying, and still his hand drifted through the carved metal like smoke. He pulled back and flexed his fingers. A ghost learns patience, or a ghost learns nothing. He wanted to touch the world again. He wanted it more than anything. The door sat in a quiet clearing, ringed by mossy stones and wild grass. Its surface glowed with old carvings of suns and faces. Nathaniel had memorized every line. He tried the handle once more. His fingers slipped through. Then the door moved on its own. Hinges groaned. Light spilled out in a slow, golden wave. Nathaniel stepped back, stunned, and watched a figure walk through the opening. The figure carried a bright bundle of flowers, the kind people leave for the dead. A small fox trotted at their heels, fur shining like a coal in firelight. In the figure's other hand was a key, long and silver, set with pink stones that pulsed soft as a heartbeat. They set the key down on the stone step. It rang out like a bell. The fox looked straight at Nathaniel. Its eyes glowed. "You've been knocking a long time," the figure said. Their voice was kind. "I came to fetch you." Nathaniel opened his mouth, then closed it. He reached for the key on the step. His fingers met cold metal. He held it. He did not slip through.