That night, Willow, Jina and Aaida took her to the airport in the next city. They left early, and through the car window, Ruhee admired the scenery, the sun hiding behind the mountains. "Goodbye, dear land", she thought as they travelled. Jina, who sat next to her, grabbed her hand and looked at her with mildness.

"Everything is going to be OK. Call us when you get there, just to tell us that you arrived".

"And if anything happens, don't think twice before calling home". Aaida, one of the mothers, was a healer and always worried about everyone.

"We'll miss you, sis". Willow was almost crying, sitting next to Aaida on the front seat.

"Don't cry!". Ruhee said.

"I'm not crying". Willow replicated, but she undoubtedly was.

Ruhee was sorrowful for leaving her family behind, and Will's crying remembered her of what she was forsaking. Nevertheless, she was happy for, at least, parting ways with the obscure witch, and everything she represented. That was what she thought until she encountered Khali waiting in the same gate as her.

"Salut". Tsuki slept on her thighs while she studied. Ruhee now wondered if that was one of those infamous necromancy books made of human skin and written in blood. She disregarded the woman's salutation and tried to focus on reading. "They scared you saying something terrifying about me like I'm a dark witch who practices unholy magic, didn't they?"

"Is it true?".

"Partially, yeah. If you must ask, I'm a Necromancer. Notwithstanding, I'm far from being the aberration they depict me. Those prejudiced people say whatever they want about us, but never give us the chance to defend ourselves. Don't worry about it, ok? We don't bite, besides food".

"Why are you here? Thought you were going south on a road trip".

"Oh... No, that was a diversion, a justification for us to chat. Now that I already possess your attention, consequently, there isn't any requirement for more stratagems".

"So, are you stalking me?".

"Again, no. Fortune brought you here. We have an important job to do".

"Listen, you're pretty confused, and unstable, if not completely insane. So, please, leave me alone".

"Whatever you wanna believe".

The sleeping cat woke uṕ and flew to the floor. The feline proceeded to clean herself. Khali caressed her head delicately, in response, Tsuki licked her hand. They seemed to have a remarkably harmonic partnership. However, that didn't mean they were honest.

It had been more than an hour, and the monitors still marked the flight as delayed. People were lining to complain, and the atmosphere was getting heavy. "Why the plane is not here?"; "I have an essential appointment, and if I miss it, I'll prosecute you all!"; "Can't you have any consideration for us, there are old people and children!". A young attendant tried to calm enraged costumers. Ruhee was also getting cranky. A few meters from her, a mid-aged man, with his shirt embedded in sweat and eyes of a dead fish, walked fast and recklessly. He stumbled upon a woman that was talking on the phone and hit her with his bag. Nevertheless, he kept walking as if nothing happened. On his neck, a tattoo shined, as if made of a phosphorescent ink.

"Interesting, isn't it?". Khali caught Ruhee staring. "The mark of the Undead".

"That man is undead?".

"Don't be ridiculous, of course not!", she said, surprised that the girl didn't know what the sign meant. But, soon after, she realized that it was not what you would call common knowledge. "I'm sorry, I should have refrained myself more. No, it does not mean that he is undead, but that he will die before the 'soul', or whatever you call it, finishes its mission. Consequentially, the 'soul' will be trapped, unable to leave the realm of the living, and we will need to bring the body back to life. Those are the basics". Too much information, but she revealed it as if it was unimportant.

Ruhee got more preoccupied about her safety, bringing the dead back to life was a hideous and unsanctified matter. No one reasonable would be near that.

"What do you mean by 'we' need to bring him back? I don't..."

"Yeah, you don't have anything to do with it, you got the wrong person, or, my favourite, leave me alone crazy bitch! I already got all of those previously, so spare me of your cliches. I have been on the road long enough, and I solely act when I'm one hundred per cent certain, or the closest I can get to it. Anyhow, I can't oblige you to do anything. It all depends on your choices. Take the time you need for it, and", she offered her a pendant with a black geode on it, "when you determine your path, come looking for me. That'll help you".

The man was already far, vanished in the crowd. Khali and Tsuki got up, her bag on her shoulder and the book inside of it.

"Auf wiedersehen".

They went away, in the same direction as the man, and soon were engulfed by the horde of people in the terminal. Ruhee looked at the jewel. It was simple and, in a first look, didn't have anything magical in it. She tried it on, but still nothing different. They started to call the passengers to board and offered a snack for the disturbance. However, she wasn't paying attention in the plane anymore. The curiosity was killing her - there were so many questions the woman could answer if she only had the chance to ask! It had been five minutes since they disappeared, maybe too long for her to find them again. Perhaps, that was the adventure she needed. She looked to her bag, full of clothes, nonetheless empty. She was leaving behind her family, her house, her town. Everything she ever knew. They were already on the last call, but Ruhee left her things and ran away. People deviated from her, without even looking.

The man was sitting a few gates away. Khali was drinking coffee and eating a sandwich, Tsuki by her side, waiting. The man was sweating more, the stress visible. An attendant approached him.

"Sir...". There was no time for an answer. The man collapsed, and the attendant summoned the paramedics. Khali stayed there, finishing her snack. The paramedics passed by her running. The attendant started to scream in panic. "He is not breathing! He is not breathing!".

The man had a cardio-respiratory parade. Notwithstanding, Khali didn't move. The paramedics were trying to resuscitate him without success. Khali finished her snack and, finally, signalled for Ruhee to accompany her. They approached the man, the paramedics giving them space.

"Come here". Khali called her, kneeling next to his head. "Don't worry. They can't see us". Ruhee kneeled. "Now, we'll place our hands together, right here in the middle of the head". She put her hand, trembling.

"And now, what do we do? Do we need to say something?".

"Just close your eyes. Allow your energy to flow. It'll show what you should remediate". Ruhee closed her eyes and felt her energy travelling. His heart had stopped, the lungs were not processing the air, and the brain had started to damage. "Now, we'll start the healing. I'll show you what is wrong, and we will ameliorate it".

Slowly, she could feel her energy fixing what was wrong, and the body was functioning better. Withal, before she could finish, Khali halted it. She didn't have the chance to complain.

"Sorry, but we need to be quick. The body is ready to accommodate the 'soul'. Maintain your eyes closed and concentrate. Search for the soul compatible. If it helps, picture yourself as a lighthouse, guiding the boats, that is, the 'soul' back to the body". Ruhee focused, trying to search for the 'soul'. She felt her body irradiating, and many 'souls' were attracted to her. "Don't let your mind disperse. Resonate in the same frequency as the body, and you will find the compatible 'energy'". With concentration, she found it. "Good! Now, bring it here, lead it through your body into his. Remember to do it slowly, delicately".

She felt the 'soul' touching her fingers, and, as a flash of lightning going inside the man's body. It was a strange sensation of intimacy, an understanding of the stranger's life and emotions.

"Now, let it go". Khali said and removed her hand. The paramedics were still working on reanimating him. How much time had passed? Khali raised and pulled her up. "We should leave".

"But he hasn't woken up!"

"We shall not do all. The paramedics need to do their part".

"Why?"

"Perdon, but I don't have time for responses now". They stopped far away from the scene.

"What do we do now?".

"Nothing. We finished our work here.". Khali smiled and started walking away, but stopped and turned back, using her heels. "Almost forgot. You didn't tell me your decision yet. I know it's a lot to digest and I can give you more time if you need".

"I won't need it. I'm in".

***

Her plane had already left, and they went back to the gate to get her things. No one paid them attention.

"We just need to fix somethings before leaving". Khali said as she walked to the Airline Enterprise. "If you could, please, provide some diversion, I need to hack into that computer". She pointed to one of the attendants' computer.

She approximated the line and cast a slippery spell. People started to fall over the luggage and each other causing mayhem. The attendants came to help but started falling too. Khali jumped in front of the computer and soon signalled to Ruhee that she had finished and she lifted the spell.

"Get your things and let's go. Remember: you can't tell about it to any of friends or family. For all that matters, you are at college, studying".

They took a bus and went to a Motel, where Khali had left her car, an Aston Martin DB4. Her car rack was full of many different things - herbs, books, science materials, maps. She put Ruhee's bag inside and quickly close it.

"Sorry, no time for curiosity. Let's go. We can't stay too long in a single place".

Soon, it got dark, and Ruhee fell asleep. Despite that, Khali kept driving into the night, stopping just before the witch hour. She opened Ruhee's door and abruptly woke her.

"Get up rapidly. We need to go". Khali opened the car rack and tossed Ruhee's bag. "Tsuki will guide you. I'll park in the garage".

Ruhee looked around, but, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing besides vegetation. A thought crossed her mind: "They're going to kill me".

Tsuki mewed at her to drive her attention and started walking away. She ran to keep up with the cat that almost disappeared in the darkness. The night's wind was blowing in her face, and she was trembling with the coldness. Shining lights appeared in the distance illuminating the entrance of a cosy house. Tsuki waited for Ruhee to open the door, then followed her in, going directly to the living room, where an electric chimney heated the ambience. The kitchen was spacious, fully equipped and had an exquisite smell of fresh fruits and hot pie. A plaque in the entrance recommended: "Remember: take what you need; restitute the way you can". Her stomach started to growl, and she became hungry. She opened the oven, where the pie waited for her, perfectly golden as if it was waiting for her arrival. She cut a piece and served herself. It was appetizing. Khali entered, bringing her bags and some pots with herbs.

"Good!", she smiled at Ruhee, "You're already eating. I forgot to tell you to get something to eat".

Khali sat next to her and enjoyed the pie, with red wine and fruits. Ruhee didn't know how to start a conversation, what she could ask. Maybe they were not going to kill her, at least not at that moment, but everything still scared her.

"So... What is this place?".

"A Safe Haven for people like us, but we can find them only at night".

"And what are we doing here?"

"Well, you probably already know the basics of magic, right? Nonetheless, that is not enough, and I won't jeopardize my work, or safety, for a poorly trained newbie. We will stay here, training, at least the essential".

They finished eating, and Khali grabbed some things from her luggage. She arranged them in an altar in the main room: two lilac candles, two clay jars and purple basil.

"Come here", Khali summoned Ruhee and gave a matchstick, "Every time we enter one of these places, we need to make an offering. You will learn many ways to do it, but this is a simple one. Use a purple, lilac or indigo candle (always take them with you), a pot or jar made of clay (the reunion of Water and Earth) and the appropriate herb (Purple Basil, Purple Ipê, Alpinia, Night-Blooming Jasmine), and other purple flowers. You place them in the altar - the offering to the ones who came here before, and the ones who will come after you. That's one of the rules you can't forget. There is a reason for all of then, and one day you'll understand. But, now, I'll teach you the basics". She lighted her match. "Now, close your eyes and make a pray, think about motherhood and ancestrality. They circulate in the walls, like the veins of the house".

They lighted the candles and closed their eyes. It felt like they were not inside a building, but a living being. It pulsed and whispered. Ruhee woke up of her trance with Khali's hand in her shoulder.

"It's time to sleep. Tomorrow will be a full day". She walked her through the house, that looked like a labyrinth. Every time they entered a corridor, multiple intersections and an infinitude of doors appeared. "Choose the one you like and make yourself comfortable, but not too much, because we'll live soon enough".

She turned the knob and entered a simple bedroom. It had a double bed, a sofa, a wardrobe and a lavatory with a shower (but no bathtub). Not the perfect bedroom, however, it was probably the one she would have in her house (if she had one). Ruhee dropped her bag in the bed, and Khali wished her goodnight before disappearing in the labyrinth.

Ruhee took a long shower, trying to figure out exactly what happened that day, and if she did the right thing. Her mind was fighting itself: "What have we done?; What our instincts tould us to do; But it's wrong; How can you know it?; She is a dark witch, a necromancer. Isn't that enough?; She hasn't done anything bad; Yet". That was a restless night, filled with dreams about zombies, vengeful ghosts and magical police chasing her for all the heinous things she did. She woke up as her dream-self was burning à la mode mediaeval.