They drove deep into the mountains.
Ethan checked the coordinates Celeste had given him. The map showed nothing but endless green, no buildings, no landmarks.
After roughly 200 kilometers, Williams brought the Hummer to a stop.
"End of the road," he said.
"Gear up. We're heading out," Celeste ordered as she started stripping off her clothes.
"Uh…" Ethan hesitated. "Should we at least get out of the car first?"
Victor clapped him on the shoulder. "On a mission, there's no room for modesty. Just survival."
With that, the rest of them started changing right then and there, unfazed. Meanwhile, Ethan awkwardly stalled, feeling like a complete outsider.
Barely a minute later, Celeste was fully geared up. She shot Ethan a glance. "You always this slow?"
Then, without waiting for an answer, she hopped out of the vehicle.
'Are you kidding me…' Ethan cursed internally.
It took him over ten minutes to strap everything onto his body. By the time he was finally ready, the others had been waiting for ages.
The sun had already set by the time they landed, and now, deep in the wilderness, it was past 11 PM.
The mountain forest was deathly silent. A thick, eerie stillness surrounded them, sending a chill down Ethan's spine. They hiked for over two hours, Ethan trailing behind Celeste.
Finally, he couldn't hold back anymore.
"Where exactly are we going?"
If he didn't ask, these three military-trained blockheads would probably just follow orders blindly, even if it meant marching straight into a trap.
Hell, if Celeste sold them off, they might even salute her on the way out.
The moment Ethan spoke up, the other three turned to him with something almost like… admiration.
Turns out, they had the same question, just never dared to ask.
Celeste slowed her pace. "Have you ever heard of the Shadow Lynx Incident?"
Ethan frowned. Shadow Lynx?
The moment she said it, a strange, chilling aura seemed to creep into the air. His scalp tingled. A shiver ran down his spine.
Victor suddenly stopped walking, his face tense. "Captain… You're not saying we're heading to Shadow Lynx Village, are you?"
For the first time, there was real fear in his voice.
Ethan had known Victor for a while now. The guy had spent half his life in the military, he wasn't the type to get spooked.
But now? He looked genuinely shaken.
"You've heard of it?" Celeste asked, just as surprised.
Victor nodded. "I had a hunch the moment we got here. I just didn't want to believe it."
Ethan's curiosity burned. He stepped closer. "Alright, someone explain—what the hell is this village? And what's with the creepy name?"
Victor glanced at Celeste.
She didn't stop him, so he sighed and started explaining.
"Ten years ago, I was on a mission near this area. Our squad leader warned us—never go near that village. The local guide we hired said the same thing. Told us it was cursed."
Victor hesitated before continuing.
"As for the name Shadow Lynx… That came from an old codename. The village's real name? No one knows."
Before Ethan could ask more, Celeste raised a hand. "We'll set up camp here for now."
Without hesitation, the others got to work.
Victor, Leo, and Williams moved with military efficiency, pulling tents from their packs. Meanwhile, Williams sprinkled a fine yellow powder in a circle around the campsite.
Ethan sniffed the air. The scent was a mix of sulfur and herbs, probably some kind of repellent for snakes and insects.
In the past ten minutes, he had done absolutely nothing except stand there and watch.
Within minutes, the others had the tents up and perimeter alarms set. If anyone—or anything approached, they'd know.
Ethan drew his machete. "I'll grab some firewood."
At least that was something he could do.
He was about to gather firewood when Victor stopped him.
"It's almost November. The temperature's dropping fast, especially out here in the mountains," Victor said. "But you've been watching too many movies. You start a fire here, and it'll be visible for miles. We're on a stealth mission."
Ethan, feeling a little useless, wandered back to Celeste.
The others soon joined them.
Leo pulled a small package from his bag, dug a shallow hole in the center of their camp, and tossed the package inside. Then, he unscrewed a bottle of water and poured it over the package.
The moment the water touched it, the material inside expanded, releasing a steady stream of heat.
Ethan could feel the warmth radiating from it instantly.
"Wait… Is that quicklime?" he asked, realizing what it was.
Leo grinned. "Compressed high-grade quicklime. A single bottle of water can keep it hot for four hours."
No wonder they didn't need a fire.
The group gathered around, letting the warmth soak in. It was surprisingly effective, Ethan felt his body relax almost immediately.
Celeste took a seat and scanned the group. "You five, get some rest. I'll keep watch."
Leo, munching on a protein bar, spoke up. "Come on, Captain. We're not that tired yet. Why don't you tell us more about that village?"
Williams nodded. "Yeah, give us a little mental prep."
Celeste glanced at Victor.
Victor raised his hands. "I already told you everything I know."
Before he could finish his sentence, Ethan suddenly shot to his feet. Everyone turned to look at him, confused.
Ethan locked eyes with Celeste and spoke slowly. "You just said… we five should rest."
Victor and the others frowned, finally realizing what he meant. Apart from her, there were four of them, so why did she say we five?
Celeste smiled but didn't answer.
Instead, she turned her head slightly, looking off to the side. The next moment, something appeared.
A faint silhouette, growing more distinct by the second.
Ethan's breath hitched.
"The squad always needed a sixth member," Celeste said casually. "I asked her to help."
The translucent figure waved cheerfully.
"Hey there! You can call me Doe. I'm a ghost."
She looked like a teenage girl—maybe seventeen or eighteen.
Ethan felt his skin crawl.
A ghost? His instincts screamed at him to run.
The others weren't doing much better.
Doe's semi-transparent body matched every description of a classic ghost. Victor, usually the calmest of them all, looked like he'd seen death itself.
Celeste smirked. "Come on, Doe. Stop messing with them."
Then, she dropped a bombshell.
"Besides, you're older than the five of us combined. Stop acting like a kid."
Ethan's blood ran cold. Older than all of them combined? That meant… over a hundred years old?! What the hell is she if not a ghost?!
Seeing their horrified expressions, Celeste finally explained.
"Relax. She is a ghost, but not the kind you're thinking."
Celeste nodded toward Ethan.
"Like you, she's a Soul-Wielder."
The others stiffened.
"A Soul-Wielder?" Leo asked.
Celeste nodded. "Her physical body was destroyed a long time ago. But because of her powerful soul, she managed to persist in this form."
The group fell silent, trying to process it all. Ethan, however, was more intrigued than afraid.
This was the first time he'd ever met another Soul-Wielder. But… wasn't it said that Soul-Wielders were eliminated the moment they were discovered?
Then how was Doe still alive?