Lady Azure smiles and Cleo rolls her eyes. I feel more like Cleo in this moment, but I try to give Anwar a smile. After all, part of me is also fascinated to meet a self-proclaimed medium for the first time…

Especially if we are about to enter an allegedly haunted house.

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To me, the idea of an afterlife is so different than the concept of a higher power. Death is simply a reality of life, and one of our most fundamental physical principles is that energy cannot be destroyed. We may not know where our energy goes when it leaves our bodies, but I think it’s actually pretty rational to believe it’s recycled somehow. I’ve always held reverence for the idea that spirits might still have ties to our physical world, as resonant energies transferring… somewhere.

Ghosts, to me, are an entirely separate manner. We all live half inside our memories, their reconstructed truths always shaping our perspectives. And what are memories, if not ghosts of a time past? I’ve always believed ghosts are all around us in the form of photos and videos and stories—and now smartphones.

Looking to Cleo, I already know she buys none of this ghostly stuff. Anwar, on the other hand, has turned a shade paler than normal. I know we both love horror movies, but does he actually believe some of that stuff could be true, too?

“Are you saying we’re about to enter a real-life haunted house?” Anwar asks, staring at Lady Azure.

“I’m not sure I’d use those words exactly,” Lady Azure answers. “But the time has come to tell you why we’re awaiting the arrival of Lily, my eldest. Carson himself divined Lily’s talent as a medium when she was just a child, so their connection from beyond the veil is particularly strong.”

Once again, a wave of emotion passes through me. Not just because I do believe mediums exist, at least a few of them in the sea of scam artists. Mostly, I feel woozy because I’ve never actually met a real-life medium before…

And if Lady Azure’s daughter is the real deal, then maybe she’ll be able to deliver a message from Grandma?

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As if on cue, a twenty-something woman comes walking down the path from the main mansion, bracing against a fresh burst of wind. Lily is as striking as her brother and mother, with light brown skin and deep brown eyes. Unlike them, however, Lily appears completely modest, sporting simple clothes, a short pixie haircut, and no makeup.

“I came as soon as you called, Mom,” Lily says, her voice low and melodic. “I can’t believe this day has finally come. We’re so happy to have you all here.”