Prelude: The Protectors
Not all who walk among the living belong to the world of the living. Some die with hatred so strong, they refuse to leave. These are the Restless Spirits—ghosts that claw their way back, feeding on fear, envy, or regret. Left unchecked, they corrupt the living, turning them into hollow shells until there’s nothing left to save.
That is why the Protectors exist. Hunters chosen, cursed, or born with the ability to stand against the dead. Each carries a different gift, but all risk the same fate—being consumed by the darkness they fight.
Types of Protectors:
Healers → Rare and revered. They restore the strength of other hunters through touch, transferring spiritual energy. But each healing drains them, binding their life closer to the ones they save.
Exorcists → Wielders of blessed blades, seals, or charms. They sever the tie between ghost and host with a strike of light. The most feared and most scarred among the hunters.
Mediums → Bridges between worlds. They allow spirits to speak, sometimes even slipping into their memories. But too deep a connection, and a medium risks never coming back.
Channelers → Daredevils who draw spirits into themselves, holding the ghost hostage in their own bodies. It takes brutal energy, and most burn out before thirty.
Wardens → Hunters who carve barriers and protective fields, locking spirits in place. Without them, exorcisms would be chaos.
Seers → Born with the Sight. They can track restless souls and predict hauntings before they happen. But their visions grow darker the longer they stare into the abyss.
Aaria , A healer with an abundance of spiritual energy. Her touch can fully restore exhausted hunters, and the more she senses a person’s energy, the stronger the transfer. Spirits cannot possess her due to her sheer energy; they see her as salvation instead of a threat.
Dimitri , An exorcist with a signature blade, capable of stamping out ghosts with precision. Protective, stoic, and skilled at controlling the battlefield, he has a natural instinct to shield those around him.
Evan ,A hybrid Medium-Channeler. He can communicate with spirits while hosting them in his body to restrain their attacks. Though dangerous, his dual role makes him invaluable in combat and gives him a unique closeness to the healer’s energy.
Every protector pays a price. None of them stay untouched.
The Restless Spirits are driven by hunger. Some crave what they lost—youth, love, vengeance. Others simply want warmth, to crawl back into living flesh. But to them, a healer’s energy is pure fire—a light in the dark. They swarm to it like moths to flame, desperate for salvation, even if it destroys everything around them.
