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Darkness. Silence, only broken up by a drip of water hitting the floor below, causing the rocky surface to appear in some sort of glimmery state, making light reflect upon the surroundings in a spectacle of forms beyond human comprehension. A perfect place for Umbra, away from the living and noise, allowing them to concentrate far better than anywhere else. Given their nature, they indulge in loneliness, silence and darkness. A place meeting those criteria was also more comfortable for those in the afterlife and hurdles that would complicate communication were reduced in some way or another.
Umbra had a book in their lap that looked dangerously close to simply turning into a mountain of dust. This specific piece of literature was an heirloom of some sort, supposedly gifted to the next Ghostmaster by the previous one. At least that’s what the common saying was. Not even those affected were completely sure as the object would simply be in their possession. What was even more confusing for the individuals: What was their actual purpose?
While the connection to the spirits of those in the afterlife was there and obvious, which acts to perform was not. The means as to who would take over the task next was unknown as well. Was it a being that took over a human host? Was it a parent-child thing? Nobody knew. A lot of living things weren’t even aware of their existence due to their closed off nature.
“This-” Umbra feels a cold sensation on one of their hands. A soft glow illuminates the room in a radius that lasts a few meters before fading into the beautiful darkness. Ghosts usually retained their anatomy, even if some deviation was possible which would result in something like a human not having proper legs but rather something mermaid-like below their waist. Those rules did not apply in this case.
A cat stood in front of them, a wound on its forehead. “Blunt force…” Umbra whispers to themselves. The animal seemed frightened, most likely caused by their unusual appearance paired with the location. “Do not worry…” Umbra reaches out, gently stroking the animal. Ghostmasters were the only being that could physically interact with ghosts. It would often be used to comfort those who had just met their demise. The spirits of those would automatically be transported to Umbra. Their confusion and fear was warranted.
“You can rest now…” With their soft strokes performed on the cat, it seemed to slowly grow more comfortable. Ghosts could happen to split or lose control if left in the state of uncertainty for too long. They could not be freed if split up, turning the hunt for the parts into a chore of a task. Ghosts afflicted by rage could become vengeful or cause mass destruction. Both of which were not optimal by any means.
An echo-y purr emitted the mammal. Umbra slowly removes their hand, the cat sitting down right next to them. It was at ease, ready for transportation to the realm beyond. That was the cue that was needed. With a swift motion of Umbra’s hand, the feline’s spirit slowly faded away, its journey to the realm beyond having just begun.
Knowing that innocent creatures were the victim of harm so frequently was something that had quite the effect on Umbra. The treatment that some beings received was very disturbing. Despite their fear of the living, Umbra could only feel terrible about it. While death is inevitable, every living being had the right to at least live a life free of abuse. While they knew how utopic that opinion was, a part of them still wanted to believe in it.
As the small ray of light that pierced the entrance of the cave slowly disappeared, it meant that night had finally fallen over the lands, indicating that travelling 'above ground' was much saver with most creatures (animals and humans alike) asleep. Umbra themselves was not bound to a primitive need for sleep, causing a lot of their nighttime to be spent wandering the lands, exploring what they had to offer.
Umbra swiftly moves, attaching their book to the chain on their belt after once again checking it before stepping into the soft breeze that grazed them, the sky slowly turning from red to purple as the sun sets in the distance.
They watch quietly. The sunset, normal as it may be, was always something that Umbra enjoyed. The colors changing. The temperature changing. Darkness slowly engulfs the lands and sends those who are not nocturnal to their beds.
A bat pierces the darkness flying right at Umbra who takes a step back as a reaction. Just like usual, they are frightened by its existence, their lack of visibility against the color-changing sky was quite the marvel.
It was similar with Umbra themselves. Their dark attire in combination with their dark figure itself made them almost invisible at night. Unbeknownst to them, they were a scary story to tell in the dark for some, while others were aware of their existence.
The bat swiftly leaves the area, leaving them by themselves once more. They adjust their coat and begin walking, destination unknown. It was usually this way. They walk somewhere, attend their business when necessary and then move on to somewhere else, all in a neverending quest to unravel what the point was behind their occupation.
"You've had too much…" A voice echoes their way as they quickly tilt their head in several directions before spotting a group of 3 humans. Umbra ascends into a tree, its leaves covering them up from the sides as they silently watch the three pass.
One was having trouble standing up, slurring their speech as the other two supported that person in order to keep them from falling down. Umbra accidently touches some leaves as they shuffle around to get a bit higher as one of the humans turns their way, only able to identify a dark outline which struck fear in them.
"Somethings in that tree let's get the hell out of here…" A little hurt over the negative reaction to them, Umbra couldn't exactly blame the humans. To them they were an oddity, a weirdo, perhaps. Nothing that they were used to but that extremely different appearance may also be a blessing, considering their fear of the living, especially humans.
As the voices pass, Umbra gently glides down from the tree, continuing their voyage on foot.
This world has many mysteries to unravel.