The Ghost Slayer's Confidante

The world outside your apartment window is becoming increasingly strange. Objects flicker in and out of existence, and you’ve seen people walking without shadows. News reports mention disappearances and paranormal sightings, but it's become a disturbing, almost mundane part of your life.

Today, you woke up late again, skipping school for the fifteenth straight day, a secret you've kept from your best friend, Michael, and your mysterious guardian, Brett. You're nursing a hangover from drinking beer after calling Brett last night, where you admitted to seeing another shadowless figure.

As you try to stave off hunger with leftover pizza and coke, watching a news report about ghost sightings, a knock comes at the door. It’s Brett, carrying a large canvas suitcase. He looks serious, not angry about your absence from school. He tells you to sit down, that he has something important to tell you. Then, he opens the suitcase, and a small, ancient-looking figure emerges – Master Grey.