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The forest was quiet. Midnight draped it in silver-blue shadows, and moonlight peeked through the trees in slow-moving slivers. The branches swayed gently above, leaves whispering with each subtle breeze.
Perkun moved down the path at a steady pace. He often walked late at night—it cleared his mind. The sounds of rustling leaves and distant owls calmed him in ways the daylight never could.
POUF.
A branch snapped somewhere behind him. he stopped. looked around.
Nothing.
Just the wind and trees.
He composed himself. Strange sounds weren’t unusual in a forest at night. He took a breath and kept walking.
POUF.
Another branch. This time closer. No wind.
“Okay... now that’s weird,” the white-haired man muttered under his breath. He stopped again, eyes narrowing.
He straightened his back and called out, voice firm and commanding:
“If anyone’s out there, show yourself—or I’ll find you and make sure you regret creeping around.”
A chill swept through his chest like a gust of wind—but deeper. Like something passed through him.
His legs gave out.
And then everything went black.
When Perkun came to, he wasn’t in the forest anymore.
He was lying on smooth, cool stone. The ground beneath him felt like polished marble. A soft blue glow lit the room—no visible torches or windows, just an eerie, cold light that hung in the air.
He blinked and sat up slowly.
“What the...”
A figure hovered nearby—tall, but not taller than him. Their hair floated like it was underwater, long strands glowing faintly in the blue light.
Perkun’s hand went to his belt—no weapon. Of course.
He tensed, moving into a low stance. Just because he wasn’t armed didn’t mean he couldn’t fight.
“Did I get kidnapped by the Abyss?” he muttered under his breath, adjusting his weight.
The figure turned around—and suddenly flew toward him in a smooth, silent motion, stopping just a few feet away.
“You’re awake! Finally,” the figure said with a grin.
The lightkeeper didn’t relax. “Where am I? Why did you kidnap me?”
“Ohhh right—introductions. Hi! I’m Varka,” the man said, gesturing with both hands like he was presenting himself on a stage. “And, fun fact, I’m a ghost. Sooo, no need for the whole ‘ready to punch someone’ thing. You couldn’t hurt me even if you tried.”
Perkun blinked. “...What.”
“I said I’m a ghost,” Varka repeated. “One hundred percent spooky. Zero percent solid.”
“That’s not how ghosts work,” Lightkeeper muttered.
“Wanna test it?” Varka reached forward—his fingers passed right through Lightkeeper’s arm. It felt like standing in fog that could think.
Perkun shivered.
“Ugh. Okay. That’s stupid. And you still haven’t answered my question.”
“Question one,” Varka said, ticking off his fingers. “Where are you? My cave. Or house. Depends how fancy you want it to sound. Question two: yes, ghost. Question three—uh, I didn’t kidnap you. I kind of... accidentally brought you here. You’re really sensitive to ghost stuff. Don’t take it personally.”
the blue eyed man gave him a look. “...This is ridiculous.”
“You’re not wrong,” Varka said cheerfully. “But hey, at least you’re not dead. That would’ve made this conversation really awkward.”
The lightkeeper rubbed his temples. “Fine. I’m perkun.”
“Ooooh. Cool name. Very mysterious,” Varka said, nodding approvingly. “Matches the whole ‘serious loner in the forest’ vibe.”
“Thanks,” Perkun said, flatly. “You got anything to eat around here? Or do ghosts just... not eat?”
“Nope, can’t eat. I tried once. It was super messy,” Varka said, chuckling. “But we can go get something for you. There are berries and stuff outside. I know where they grow.”
Perkun frowned. “You can’t touch anything?”
“Not really. Kind of the whole ghost thing. You do the grabbing—I do the guiding.”
“Great.”
The two of them stepped back out into the forest—this time together.
They walked quietly at first. Perkun scanned the area for anything edible while Varka floated a few steps behind him, arms crossed behind his head like he didn’t have a care in the world.
“So,” Perkun said finally, “why are you a ghost?”
“That’s a loaded question,” Varka replied casually.
“And why can I see you?”
“Now that I can answer,” Varka said, floating backward to face him. “When I passed through you, I left a little... mark. Not a curse. More like a ghosty imprint. That’s why you can see me now.”
Perkun raised a brow. “You possessed me?”
“Just a little!” Varka held up two fingers and squinted through them. “Barely even counts. You’re still in one piece.”
Perkun narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t answer the first part.”
“I told you,” Varka said, shrugging. “Loaded question. I’d rather not get into the whole backstory thing. It's... not that fun.”
“You don’t remember?”
“Oh, I remember,” Varka said with a slight smile. “I just don’t like to talk about it.”
The lightkeeper nodded slowly. “Fine. Not my business.”
Varka floated ahead, glancing over his shoulder. “You’re taking this way better than most people. Usually they’re screaming by now.”
“I don’t scream.”
Varka gave him a proud grin. “See? You are cool.” Perkun gave him a flat look and reached into the bush for a handful of berries.
Varka watched with interest. “Nice form. Very efficient berry-grabbing.”
“You are the weirdest ghost.”
“Aw, thanks. I try.”