In the large living room of the manor, everyone was gathered around the big table. Maps were spread out, notes scribbled, and the atmosphere was tense but focused.
"So," Eiden recapitulated while pointing at the route, "if we want to reach the Valley of Ashes as quickly as possible, we have to avoid the main roads. Vareck will surely have spies."
"I doubt it, but better safe than sorry," Asher commented. "We'll go through the western forests, then skirt around the hills."
Bryan leaned forward and pointed to a more direct path.
"Or… we could cut through here. That would save us at least a day and a half. But for that, we'd have to pass through the town of Ashenford."
At the mention of that name, the glass Miria was holding slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor with a sharp crack. Everyone jumped.
"Miria?!" Asher worried, standing up immediately. "Is there a problem?"
Miria stammered, forcing an unconvincing smile.
"I… I'm fine. It's just… why not take another route? Rather than going through that town?"
Bryan shrugged.
"Because it's the shortest path. We'd gain precious time."
Diana frowned.
"Why don't you want to go through Ashenford?"
Miria hesitated, searching for her words.
"I've… I've heard rumors. That the town of Ashenford is… a ghost town."
A deathly silence fell. Then all the girls except Miria screamed at the same time:
"WHAT?! GHOSTS?!?!"
Bryan raised his hands in a calming gesture.
"They're just rumors…"
Axel looked at him skeptically.
"But have you ever gone there to check if it was true?"
Bryan scratched the back of his neck, uncomfortable.
"Uh… no… not really…"
Eiden sighed.
"Listen, we've been through much worse with Vareck. It's not some random ghosts that are going to scare us, right?"
Asher displayed an amused smile.
"Yes. And I can reassure you, I've already passed through there during my travels. There are no ghosts. The problem is that there's… no one."
Kira turned pale.
"No one?! What do you mean, no one?!"
Alix, even more panicked, clung to Kira's arm.
"It must be the ghosts who ate everyone!"
Gale rolled his eyes, exasperated.
"Girllllls…"
Asher burst out laughing before continuing more seriously.
"No, no ghosts. From what I could see, it looks like some kind of explosion destroyed everything… including the town's inhabitants."
Katrina leaned in, curious.
"What kind of explosion?"
"I don't really know. It happened a very long time ago. When I passed through that place, I examined the ground. It shows symptoms… as if a massive explosion had carbonized everything. Further on, I even saw tombs created for the many families."
While Asher was speaking, Miria was trembling slightly. Asher noticed immediately. He approached and gently took her arm. She jumped.
"Miria… you have nothing to fear," he said in a soft, reassuring tone. "Besides, we're only passing through. We won't sleep there."
Bryan opened his mouth.
"Yes… we will sleep there, because according to my calculations—"
He didn't have time to finish. Eiden gave him a sharp smack on the head.
"Ouch! Why did you do that?!"
Eiden retorted.
"Miria is already not doing well and you're making it worse…!"
Miria tried to compose a normal expression, forcing a smile.
"It's nothing. It's just that… in one of my past lives, I was told so many crazy stories about that place. I think I just have to try to forget all that… and everything will be fine."
She stood up.
"I'm going up to the room to check on something."
With those words, she left the room. The others resumed the discussion about the route plan, but Asher wasn't convinced. He clearly felt that something was wrong with Miria… something deeper than a simple fear of ghosts.