500th Time Reborn, A World Only Known By Women: The Karma System

,m I placed my hand on her shoulder from behind, startling her as she turned around to look at me with wide eyes before she quickly wiped away the tears that had started flowing down her cheeks. "What is wrong?"

Carly sniffed as she pointed into the room with a trembling finger before turning back around to bury her face in my chest as she held onto me tightly for support or comfort. It was hard to tell which, considering how upset she seemed at seeing whatever was inside that room, so I slowly moved us both forward until we were standing in front of the door frame where I could see what had Carly so distraught looking into this room. Sitting against the wall was a skeleton dressed in rags with its mouth open in a silent scream that still sent chills down my spine despite knowing it couldn't hurt us now considering it didn't have any flesh left on its bones.

"Just how long has this town been in decline?!" I asked in confusion as I walked into the room, but then looked back at Carly. "This isn't your sister, though, right?"

"No, my sister's name was Sarah. This is just some poor soul that died long ago," Carly replied as she sniffed and wiped her eyes again before stepping into the room to get a better look at the skeleton for herself. "Still, it is kind of creepy in here."

I had to agree as I looked around the small room that we were currently in. It didn't look like there was much left of anything else up here, so I turned to leave, but then something caught my eye. There on the floor next to where the skeleton was sitting was a faded and almost unreadable journal with a broken pencil beside it. Bending down, I carefully picked it up before blowing some of the dust off of it so I could see what was written inside.

[Final Journal entry]

Day 53

Things have been starting to get very strange out here. The animal that normally made tracks by the station had stopped showing up, and things have been overly quiet. Two of the people that were out here with us left to go back to Calham, but that was two days ago, and no one has returned.

Part of me wants to go look for them or run back to town, but each time I go to leave, a sense of danger comes over me. My food rations are getting low, but not even the hunger can drive me out of this place.

At night, there are strange monsters that come out, and I hear scratching coming from below at the door. I try to look down from the top, but each time I do, there is nothing, nor any, tracks leading to the door.

I am not sure how much longer I will last.

I placed the book back down after looking at the other pages quickly, but there was nothing that explained what was going on out there. I still stuck the book in my pocket and then turned to Carly.

"Can you go check the other rooms? I am going to give this woman a proper send-off," I explained, and Carly nodded as she started to leave the room.

"I am going to see if there is anything up top on the viewing platform," Carly said and left the room as I pulled magic into myself.

I waited until I heard Carly start waking up the stairs that wrapped around up to the top of the Watch Tower and then looked down at the remains of the poor girl's body. I was no stranger to death, but this was also no way to die. The thought of what this girl must have gone through as she starved to death was more than bothersome to me. No one should be this scared to be willing to starve rather than to get help.

"Rest now, and bide your time. Each time one life ends, another begins, and you will get another chance to live love and laugh," I said quietly, and then caused the bones to start on fire until there was nothing more than ash that I placed in one of my magical pouches. This was no place for this body to rest, and when I had a chance, I would give her a proper send-off to spread her ashes in a more beautiful place.

Once I was done, I let out a long sigh. Nothing about this was easy, but it did light a fire under me. I stood, and new heat rose within me. I wanted to say this had to be the Cultists, but it was hard to say. If it had been them, they would have just come and taken the girl, but whoever did this didn't care if they were killed or not, and they left no traces.

That thought gave me a shiver that coursed through my body. Demons, monsters, and even Riftwalkers were one thing, but I knew there were things that could be considered worse than them all.

I shook my head and then headed out of the room and up the next flight of stairs, but before going too far, I called down to the girls that were below.

There was no sound.

A cold chill washed over my body as I ran back down to the bottom section, but the place was empty, and the torch was gone. I called out again but then turned to see a scared-looking Carly come rushing down the stairs. When she saw the room was empty, she came over to me and got very close.

"Where did they go?" Carly asked in a very small voice, but I shook my head as I walked to the door with Carly staying tight to me. I walked outside and looked around, but there were no tracks leaving the building, but there was something watching me.

"Get inside, and lock the door," I growled, and Carly looked up at me with a fearful look.

"You can't expect me to go in there alone after what-"

*Whoosh*

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