The thaumaturgy Vision Demon could not be used in Black Mist Camp; this camp forbade all investigative thaumaturgies. But at such close range, Shade would not mistake a person's soul. The one who had returned was indeed a human, not a demon. Only that sulfurous smell remained highly suspicious.
Miss Higgins bent down beside the campfire and rummaged through her backpack, taking out the rusty knight's sword that had fallen from the sky after she had used the conch, Undying Longing, last time. Her backpack clearly had far more capacity than it appeared to. Though puzzled, Shade also reached into his coat, intending to offer a gift for the lovers' reunion.
The glow of the setting sun outside the window gradually dimmed until it vanished completely. Black mist swept in, swallowing the village that had long since disappeared. As the memory faded, the horrifying and bizarre scene of Black Mist Camp reappeared outside the dilapidated Clock Tower.
The crackling campfire cast long shadows of Shade and the witch, making them sway eerily across the walls. Suddenly, both Shade and Miss Higgins stopped what they were doing, because they saw with their own eyes that the blond young man embracing Mrs. Miles was slowly turning to ash in her arms.
Staring in shock at the ashes on her arm, Mrs. Miles twitched before fainting and collapsing. Fortunately, Miss Higgins, who was closer, caught her in time and prevented her from hitting the back of her head. But after only lightly touching her, Miss Higgins's expression changed drastically:
"Not good, Mrs. Miles isn't going to make it!"
Neither of them was particularly surprised by this outcome. Even a healthy adult could not endure for long in such a bizarre place, much less an elderly woman already nearing the end of her life.