As he exited, everything was just the same as it was before.

Everything was bustling busy, but it took no notice to him, as if he didn't exist.

Then he took note the sprites.

Did they want him to follow them?

So, without thinking, he did.

He was being led into a dark alleyway, emitting a red glow.

"Hello?"

No response.

"Did you send me h-AHHHH!!!"

*thump*

"Are you alright?"

Tom got up, opening his eyes to the owner of that familiar voice.

"H-huh?..."

This person, see, he had light brown hair, with a slight blonde essence to it. His eyes were hazel colored but appeared to be glowing red.

He was about Tom's height, fair-skinned (but appeared pale, like a dead person), and wore a long, black overcoat.

Under that overcoat was, wait, was that a red hoodie? Yep. A red hoodie. Either it was covered in blood or it was in bad shape.

He was transparent, so he was another spirit, who wielded guns, pictures and other items Tom would relate to a friend, I mean frienemy he called Tord.

"T-tord? Wh-what are you doing here?"

The spirit giggled. Yep, he had the voice as well.

"I'm not Tord. I'm just taking his appearance. Let me help you." He let out his hands.

Tom hesitated.

"You don't have to be scared. It'll won't be forever."

Apparently, the spirit didn't take the personality.

"Fine."

As he grabbed the spirit's hands, he felt an electric shock, like he just got shot.

"What?!" He had that same feeling again. "Really? Do you have to turn me like this, again?"

"Well, if I didn't do that, again, people might think you're some sort of psycho stalker."

"What do you mean?"

"Um, the explanation is too complicated. Let's just go. We don't have much time."

"Okay..."

"Follow me!" The spirit said, flying up, to where Tom had fallen from.

"Wait, how?"

"You're temporarily a spirit again. You can fly up too! You're basically floating already."

The spirit was right.

So Tom tried pulling himself up, and it worked out anyway.
______________________________________________________________________________
"So, where are we going?"

"Well, we might as well check out your friend Matt."

"Why? Isn't he like, in a party right now?"

"Yup."

"But how? I'm like, missing all this."

"J-just don't question logic, alright."

"Okay, okay. I'll just shut up now."

.....

"So,"

"What?" Okay, he's pissed.

"I-if you're not Tord then who are you then?"

"I'm just like any other spirit, only more prone to change than the others. Basically, I'm just the physical representation of your Christmas Present."

"Huh."
______________________________________________________________________________
"I think we've arrived."

"If I were literally here right now, I might as well be fashionably late."

"Well, why don't we get inside then?"

"What? But they'll notice us come in and-"

"Relax Tom, they won't. Trust me on this." Then the spirit opened the door and went in.

"Mmm, fine!" Tom followed from behind.
______________________________________________________________________________
Sounds of laughter echoed Matt's house, filled with friends from even far places.

"It's really great how you actually got to get us all here, Matt." Pearl commented, Johnny's arm on her shoulder.

"Thanks Pearl!"

"Hey Matt,"

"Bing! How's it going?"

"Fine. Is Tom even coming, even if he hates Christmas?"

"Well, he kinda declined my offer, so, yeah."

"Well, that's a bummer." Bing responded, walking away.

"Speaking of missing friends, is Paul coming too? I could've sworn he told me he was." Pearl asked.

"I'm sure he wi-Oh! Excuse me. I'll just take this." Matt said, moving away, taking out his phone, going to a quiet area.

"Um, hello?"

"Uh, hey Matt,"

"Paul! Don't you know you're late?"

"Look, I-I don't think I could go,"

"What? Why?"

"Uh...relationship problems. Really complicated stuff, so-"

"Oh. Well, good luck with that then."

Then they both hung up.

Matt sighed, but became alerted by the sound of knocking which caused him to nearly drop his phone.

"Well, who could that be this time?!"

"Hey-Oh God, Tord!"

"H-hey Ma-"

"I-I can't believe it! Y-You're actually back!" Matt said, hugging him.

Tord pushed Matt away. "Yup. But only for this Christmas, just like I promised."

______________________________________________________________________________

"W-wait. Is that-"

"Tom, let me tell you again that I am a spirit. He's the real Tord."

"Oh..."

"I thought you hated him."

"Well, I DID, but I don't know if I still do."

"Huh."

Then the spirit realized that he was fading. He was running out of time, plus, Tom's change of personality in the present time always affected him.

"You know,"

"Yeah?"

"I've been wondering,"

"Wondering about what?"

"About Paul."

"What about him?"

"His so-called relationship problems."

"You do know that's his business, right?"

"Could you at least take me there? To him?"

"W-why?"

"I don't know. I just, it feels like, i-it feels like he needs help. My help."

The spirit hesitated. He's been in that form for years. Just like Tom, he wasn't always comfortable with change.

But just like Tom, he was willing to do anything for his friends. His closest and dearest friends.

"Fine. But we have to be quick."

______________________________________________________________________________

"It's alright, hun. I'm fine."

"Are you really sure about that?"

"Come on, Paul. You were the one to plan all this, a-and we can't just put this a-" *cough* "all to waste."

"See? Right there!"

"What do you mean?"

"You're sick."

"I know that. Just, please. It's our last night together this year."

*sigh* "I get it."

"Please. As long as you're there, nothing could go wrong."

"That's just the problem."

"What do you mean? You're not a problem!"

"No! Like, what if, just what if, what if I screw up?"

"Hun, you've never screwed up before and you never will. Worrying will only cause it."

*sigh* "Fine. I guess I'll leave you to dress up then."

______________________________________________________________________________

Tom and the spirit watched this conversation happen.

"So all this time-"

"Yes."

"Just, wow. If only I knew, maybe if didn't stress him out so much, maybe..."

The spirit felt it. Every time guilt entered Tom, the spirit would fade more than ever.

"We don't have much time."

"W-what do you mean? I just want to know what will happen! I-I want to help him! Help a dear friend of mine!"

"Exactly." The spirit said, grabbing Tom, pulling him away from Paul's residence.

Tom was curious to find out, but lost it when he saw the spirit fading, his color, glow and form glitching.

"Wait, what's happening to you?"

They both stopped on their tracks, landing themselves on a street.

"My time to change has come."

"Is it that a good thing?"

"For you, yes."

"Well, why?"

"Because it proves your change. I'm the spirit of your present self during Christmas and currently, you are changing. Right now."

"But that can't be right. It feels like only minutes have passed."

"I know. But I want you to be aware of these."

Then the spirit pulled out two pictures from his hoodie pockets.

"This," he raised his left arm, showing a picture of a naked man, in some sort of pose. " is Ignorance. Your depression has caused this personality to exist as one of yours."

Then he raised his other arm. "This is Want." The other picture showed a naked woman in a pose different to the other. "This personality was increased in you, making you more depressed, causing ignorance."

Tom was somehow disgusted on how the spirit showed him vulgar pictures as symbolism to horrid personalities.

"Beware them both, for if you let them rule your life, the chains shall increase, and soon you'll regret what you've done."

Then the pictures disappeared.

"Good luck on that." The spirit turned away.

"Wait!"

The spirit faced back.

"Is there even another way to stop this?"

"Well, it hasn't done me anything." The spirit finally said, as he faded away to nothingness.

Then Tom took a step back, but bumped into something.

"I-I'm so- Oh."

Then he realized that the 3rd spirit had come.

He knew that this will happen, but he didn't know how it was gonna change him.