《Ghost Lover》 Vision Have you ever imagined what it''s like to see something that shouldn''t be seen? Maybe not, but that''s happen in my whole life. It all started when I was seven, strolling with my family in a big mall in my hometown. Everything was going fine. We eat famous pizza at the restaurant, watch the latest movie at the cinema, and then my mom dragged me shopping for clothes. That''s when I began to sense that things weren''t quite right with me. Back then, while my mom was busy picking out her favorite-colored pants in our usual store, my dad, glued to his smartphone, let me roam around. That''s our routine whenever we shop for clothes. As I was checking out the hustle and bustle, I spotted an old granny. She was a bit hunched, wearing clothes like most grannies around here ¡ªnot too fancy, kinda old-school but still nice to look at. When I looked at her face, she smiled at me. Her teeth were surprisingly white and complete ¡ªnot like most grannies I knew. She waved at me, and I waved back. We locked eyes and waved for a short while until blood started flowing from between her whites teeth. I thought maybe she''d been sipping on that popular strawberry-flavored drink that leaves a bright red stain on your mouth and teeth. Or maybe her teeth were just injured. But when blood started flowing from both her eyeballs, that''s when I let out a scream, a loud one that grabbed everyone''s attention. My mom rushed over, squatting right in front of me, blocking my view of the horrifying granny. "What''s wrong, honey?" she asked, shaking my shoulders. After that, I didn''t quite catch what happened next. ### My eyes slowly regain sight, and I find myself in my own room, gazing at the faded faces of the two people who are my everything ¡ªmy mom and my dad. Their expressions are a mix of concern, confusion, and curiosity. Yet, they don''t bombard me with questions the moment they see me awake. Instead, my mom hands me a glass of water with her gentle touch, and I sip it, gathering energy to see more clearly. Once my vision is back in full force, my mom asks me what happened. I explain what I saw while hugging her, as she sits right beside me. Even though I can see clearly now, I''m still scared to look at anything, so I bury my face in my mom''s warm embrace. "Robert..." a soft voice calls my name, causing me to pause in my storytelling for a moment. "Robert..." the voice comes again, clearer this time. I don''t recognize this voice, especially since I vividly remember that it was just my mom and my dad in my room, and I''m sure their voices weren''t like that. "Robert..." the voice gets louder, and I turn to find the source of the voice. There, I see the old granny from the mall, sitting with a bloodied face in the corner of my room. I scream again, pointing towards the granny and telling my mom, "That''s the granny..., that''s the granny..." "There''s nothing, honey," my mom reassures while gently patting my back. "You don''t need to be afraid. Mom and Dad are here." "B... bu... but, she keeps calling me." "Robert, look, there''s nothing here." My dad interjects, having quietly positioned himself where the granny was sitting before. And he''s right, there''s nothing there. But I''m still in tears, still terrified. ### That incident marked the beginning of my never-ending nightmare. About a few weeks later, something similar happened. It was right after my mom came back from the market. When she entered the house, there was someone else who followed her inside. This person was tall, really tall, and skinny. This person was wearing long pants with a hoodie that covered his or her face. "Mom, is that your friend?" I asked as she was putting away the groceries. "Which friend?" "The one who came in with you." "I came home alone, honey. Don''t be silly." I glanced at that person again, and this time, the hood slipped off, revealing the place where there should have been a face. I ran to hug my mom. She did the same as before, patting my back and reassuring me that there was no one there. The frequency of these apparitions was unpredictable. In two months, I''d seen dozens of such apparitions. Eventually, my mom called in a paranormal expert. From there, my family and I learned that I could see beings from another dimension. While I can say with absolute certainty, my dad dismissed it as just a little kid''s imagination. Maybe he was right if I only saw these things when I was little. But as it turns out, the apparitions continued. In high school, I started getting used to these apparitions. I also learned that these beings could be good or bad, just like humans. Slowly, I began to open up to them, even talking to them. Some were friendly, and some were dangerous. I even made a friend among them, Desmon ¡ªwell, from the word "Demon". Desmon was lively. He never told me the reason why he died. But, he told me that he hated school and my schoolmates. He could get pretty aggressive if he met them or was near the school. But apart from that, he was incredibly helped me in understanding my school lessons, even not all of it was correct. At school, I earned the new nickname "Freakenstein" because they thought I was weird talking to myself. Even though I''d explained a thousand times that I was talking to beings from another dimension. This made it hard for me to make friends at school, let alone get a girlfriend. ### But for me, it didn''t matter. Desmon was enough to keep me entertained, and most importantly, he was loyal to me. Although, our relationship wasn''t that great in the beginning. The first time I met Desmon was when I went to school late at night with two of my friends. My friend Ken told me he heard whispers in our classroom when he was alone and calling my name. That''s why the three of us decided to go to school at night to find out where the sound was coming from. As we reached our classroom, just before entering the classroom, crying could be heard from the direction of the soccer field. The field my friends usually used for playing soccer and chatting during breaks was right in the middle of our school. It seemed like my two friends didn''t hear it, as Ken urged me to enter the classroom. I refused and explained to them that I heard crying sound from the soccer field. But Ken ignored my explanation and insisted I go inside. That''s when I started suspecting that this might just be a prank to mess with me. Why do teenagers love to prank their friends so much, especially if their friend is considered weird? Well, even though I was already used to their mischievous ways, it still bothered me. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. I ignored them and walked towards the field on my own. But, before I could take three steps, Ken intercepted me. He once again asked me to enter the classroom, claiming there was a ghost asking for my help inside. "Nonsense," I thought to myself. How could he lie about a ghost to someone who can clearly see them? Suddenly, a hand grabbed both of mine and pulled me towards the classroom. When I turned around, I realized it was my other friend, Nevo. Nevo had a bulkier physique compared to other teens in his age, so I knew I stood no chance against him. "Hey, Freakenstein, we told you there''s a ghost inside. Why are you running away?" Nevo said. "Are you just pretending? Get in now or..." he didn''t finish his sentence, but it was clear he was threatening me, as he clenched his fist, which was about the size of my face. I had no choice but to enter the classroom. First step, I was still safe. Second and third steps, nothing happened. Every step after that, everything was fine, I thought. No incidents, no traps. Maybe I just misunderstood them. "KEN!!!" Nevo''s shout echoed outside the school, "Don''t tell me you forgot to set the trap." Before Ken could respond, a bowl of raw eggs was seen above their heads, turned upside down, so they were both covered in the pungent smell of raw eggs. Even though Nevo was bulky and Ken was chubby, it didn''t make them brave enough to stand in front of the classroom for another minute. Their terrified screams could still be heard, although I was sure they had already descended to the first floor and were heading for the school gate. Funny, I just smiled in satisfaction, as if I were the one who did it to them. But I realized the main perpetrator hadn''t revealed himself or maybe herself to me yet. Maybe he or she knew I could see he or she, or maybe he or she were afraid of me. I began to walk towards the classroom door, but my steps came to a halt when the desk moved on its own, blocking my way out. I tried to find another way out, but another desk moved on its own, blocking my path. The same happened with the rest of the desks, until I couldn''t move any further. "Hey, you know I can see you, right? You were the one crying on the field, weren''t you?" I asked to confirm if he or she was still in the classroom or if he or she had left. He or she acknowledged his or her presence in the classroom, but his or her response wasn''t what I expected. Instead of using words, he or she responded by throwing a chair towards me. Luckily, I managed to dodge it. "How did you see that?" a male voice asked. Was he a child, a teenager, or an adult? My intuition told me he was still a teenager from the sound of his voice. Hopefully, I thought. Because spirits can be very aggressive if we''re not polite to them. And if this spirit turns out to be an adult, it would be very impolite not to address him as ''sir,'' which would put me in danger. "Well, of course I can see that if you throw a chair at me. Can you just show yourself and tell me why were you crying?" I asked. "You can hear me?" his voice sounded not far from where I stood, but I wasn''t sure if he was in front of me, behind me, or beside me. I kept turning to ensure the direction of his voice. "Of course, I told you, I can see you too," my response. "Damn you." This time, I could be sure he was above me. Then, all the desks and chairs seemed to move, and suddenly, one by one, they attacked me. Fortunately, I managed to avoid them all and make my way out of the classroom. "Robert... my name is Robert. What''s yours?" I asked while trying to calm myself. "What do you want, Robert?" His voice sounded closer, as if he was heading towards me. "You want to see your friends die?" "No... what are you thinking? I just want to help you, why were you crying?" "Then why were you smiling when I disturbed your friend?" Perhaps he thought I was pleased to see Ken and Nevo pranked by him. I had to admit, I was very satisfied to see Ken and Nevo pranked, but wanting them dead, that never crossed my mind. "Using the trap they set up to prank me? How could I not smile? By the way, thanks for your help. So, let me help you now," I said, still trying to persuade him to open up. He fell into the type of ghosts that were difficult to approach or closed off, usually because they were hiding something or had experienced trauma. "You were trapped? By them? Are you okay?" His voice changed slightly, he wasn''t as aggressive as before. "Yes, thanks to you. You can see, right? Or are you blind?" "Yes, I can see. Do you want me to be blind? Do you want to blind your friend?" His voice raised again, it seemed I asked the wrong question. "Hm... no, it seems like you have a problem with your friend. Is that your past? Is that why you died?" "DO YOU WANT ME DEAD???" His voice sounded like a scream. Maybe I was too hasty, but it was already midnight and I had to go home. "No, no... of course not... actually, do you know what you are?" I answered to calm his emotions. "Yes, a ghost. Aren''t you afraid?" "I''ve seen scarier things since I was a kid." "Really? What do I look like to you then?" "You haven''t shown yourself to me, how am I supposed to see you?" It seemed I succeeded in persuading him. I looked forward to seeing his appearance, whether it was frightening or not. But, like the habits of ghosts, they always surprised me, but he was different. Instead of showing a terrifying form, he showed a comical face. I tried to hold back my laughter and could only smile. I was afraid of making him angry again. "Well, how about this, funny enough?" He asked, still with his comical face. He seemed to be smiling, a sign that he wanted me to laugh, so I could laugh freely. Then he introduced himself, but we didn''t have time to chat any longer because I had to go home as it was already midnight. However, he followed me home. I realized he had trauma at school, which was why his behavior at my house was not as aggressive as when he was at school. He didn''t bother anyone as long as he was in my house, which was different from our first meeting. Since then, I became more familiar with him, and we became good friends, despite being from different worlds. ### Day by day, Desmon stayed faithful in teaching me some really difficult subjects. Maybe he was a smart and diligent student back in the day. Wait, scratch that, he was just diligent. Turns out, half of the stuff he taught me was wrong. "How was your school life, did you enjoy studying?" I asked, looking away. Desmon really hated it when I brought up his school life. I guess the trauma still lingered. "Just shut up... I don''t want to talk about it, you know that. But yeah, I did enjoy studying..." Desmon went on and on about why his love for books and learning. About he wanted to become a scientist who could create superheroes, just like the ones in his favorite movies when he was alive. I have no clue which movies he meant though. If Desmon were still alive, he''d probably be as old as my grandpa by now. Our eras were definitely worlds apart. Desmon often talked about weird stuff that I couldn''t relate to ¡ªnot even the internet knew his stories, Similarly, he often struggled to relate with what I was talking about. But one thing was for sure, he''d have adapted well to this era. He even knew some of the slang, so at least I could feel like I had a friend my age, even if we were from different worlds and eras. "It looks like I''ll have to start looking for a tutor," I mused. "You''re often wrong, so I can''t rely on you anymore." "That''s because you don''t give me the right books, or at least let me borrow your gadgets." His reasoning. "Can you even use them?" "Do you really think I can''t? Your era''s gadgets aren''t that different from mine." "That''s not what I meant. Can ghosts like you use gadgets?" "Of course, I even have a Ghostube account." "Ghostube?" Before Desmon could launch into another long explanation, I cut him off. "I think I''ll head to bed for a bit. You can tell me while I''m getting some rest." I straightened up the pile of books on my study table, filled with stuff about living creatures, math, physics, biology, existence, and the one thing I dreaded the most ¡ªhistory, especially the wars. World War I, World War II, and even about of World War III, it''s all horrifying. Do humans not have a conscience? That''s all I can think about when I read war history. Then, I lay down on my super comfy bed. Desmon once said he envied me because my bed was comfier than any he''d had in his whole life. But even so, if you''re thinking my bed is spacious, you''re wrong. Its only flaw is how small it is; even my feet hang off the edge because it''s not long enough to hold my entire height. Desmon started talking as he pushed the chair I''d just neatly arranged to the side of my bed. He delved into the story of Ghostube, an internet platform about life in the other world, as well as a means of communication for ghosts ¡ªkind of like in the real world. I never imagined the internet could reach other dimensions, but Desmon explained that the internet in both worlds was completely different. Since I''d been with him, he hadn''t used the internet or Ghostube at all. Desmon''s story went on, and I learned a lot. In the ghost world, they had objects and technology somewhat similar to the real world, but they were different and not connected at all. Desmon''s story got a bit annoying, especially when he shifted from storytelling to asking me for a bunch of things. I knew it was just a joke, but there was only one thing I could give him ¡ªhis freedom. I don''t know if I forgot or didn''t realize, but it turns out Desmon was bound to me. Maybe that''s why he never seemed to leave my house. I absolutely don''t recall ever saying or doing anything to bind Desmon to me, so he couldn''t be free. I suspect this might just be one of Desmon''s tricks, making it seem like he''s bound to me, when he really just likes chatting with me. Or maybe it''s a rule that neither of us knows about, a rule between two worlds, maybe. But one thing''s for sure, this time he can go about freely, especially when I''m at school or heading to the tutoring center that starts next month. ####-End of Chapter-#### Ghost Girl(s) On that day, it was my first day of taking lessons from a tutor. I felt nervous since it was my first time attending additional lessons from a tutor outside of school. Usually, Desmon would help me with my schoolwork, but maybe he had already passed away before he could reach my current level, so I needed additional support. I intentionally chose an exclusive and private tutoring center where there were only three students ¡ªincluding myself for each class. Each subject would be taught by an expert. My parent believed this would maximize my learning as they knew I didn''t really like being in crowded places. The tutoring center was far enough from my home, so it was unlikely that any of my school friends would attend there. The facilities provided were advanced and comprehensive. They even offered complimentary snacks and drinks, though the quantity was limited. According to the center''s management, this was to ensure we didn''t consume too many unhealthy snacks and drinks that could hinder our cognitive functions. It was a bit complicated, let me simplify it, they were just really cheap. When I arrived, the atmosphere was remarkably calm. I waited for about 20 minutes. Anyone who saw me would know I was getting impatient. My face probably had creases around the corners of my mouth, as I tended to scowl when waiting for something, unsure of when it would actually happen. Meanwhile, my limbs seemed to have a life of their own, moving restlessly as if they weren''t part of the same body. Fortunately, my parents weren''t here. Because if they were here, they might have told me to stop acting like that and sit quietly. I get annoyed when they tell me to do that, because I don''t like sitting still when waiting. They weren''t here because my mother had to go to work, while my father, for sure, was absent. The last time I saw him was at his funeral. It was then that he realized my abilities went beyond the imagination of a child, which he had believed for so long. He passed away content, which meant he couldn''t linger long in the ghost world. After imparting a word or two of advice, he promptly disappeared. That was the first moment I felt grateful for my abilities, realizing they could provide not only nightmares for me but also hope for those left behind, or those who left, by bridging communication between the two worlds. Finally, I could enter the classroom. It was only about two or three minutes before a boy entered, taking a seat to my right, introducing himself as Ryan. When I observe Ryan closely, I can tell exactly what kind of person he is. His eyes wear special lenses designed to support learning activities, as he can access the internet based on voice commands and eye movements. Last time I checked, these lenses were quite expensive. This also indicates that he comes from a wealthy family. His arms were equipped with the latest smartwatch. He owns two smartphones with different operating systems and a high-tech glass tablet that can also serve as a laptop when connected to a highly responsive holographic keyboard. How do I know all this? Because I''m into technology, and I envy him for having all the gadgets I''ve been yearning for. However, his clothes don''t quite match his tech-savvy appearance. Perhaps he''s one of those people who prioritize functionality over aesthetics, not really into fashion. But at least from all of this, I draw the conclusion that he''s a bookish or tech-savvy kid who isn''t much into socializing ¡ªan introvert, just like me. Our tutor entered the classroom, but before he could introduce himself and start the lesson, a girl entered the room. The girl had no choice but to sit next to me. "Alright, since you''re late, you have to introduce yourself first," the tutor requested of the girl. The girl introduced herself as Chloe. My first impression of Chloe was that she was quite different from both Ryan and me. She was wearing the most fashionable clothes I could imagine from her shirt, pants, hoodie, hat, and even her watch all have vibrant colors, although her watch didn''t have as many tech-features as Ryan''s, it was clearly superior for taking photos. Her smartphone had a matching red and blue color scheme with her outfit, and similar to her watch, its primary strength was photography, besides its ability to roll up might be another advantage, but I''m not a fan of rollable smartphones. Like most girls her age, she had a variety of colorful patterns on her hands, and she wore a fragrance so strong enough to made my head spin. Ryan and Chloe were like polar opposites, but I found both of them to be great study partners, at least, that was my initial impression. However, one thing bothered me is the presence of a girl next to Chloe who was still standing while Chloe had already sat down. The ghost girl appeared clean, without a single sign that could hint at a horrible death. No torn clothes, no dirty face, and no wet body. So, I assumed she passed away under normal circumstances. But why was she still lingering in the ghost world? That''s what made me feel uncomfortable, especially since she didn''t even glance in my direction, nor did she move at all. Our new tutor, who introduced himself as Lebouf, began our first lesson session, and we all got ready to learn ¡ªexcept for the ghost girl, of course. ### I took two sessions a day and three days a week for my additional lessons. After the first session on my first day, I decided to take a break and ordered food from outside. The tutoring center provided meals for every session break, but I didn''t really like the seafood-heavy menu they had that day. So, I ordered a burger from my favorite fast-food restaurant. I ate in the rooftop garden of the tutoring center. The air was a bit warm, as it was nearing the long summer season, but the fairly strong breeze allowed me to enjoy my meal in peace. The rooftop garden was quiet at the time, with only six other people besides me. Two stood by the edge of the terrace, looking down the building sometimes, really into their chat about something. Three others sat in a circle in the middle of the rooftop garden, they weren''t talking or eating anything, just accompanied by soda that they seemed to have gotten from the cafeteria, and they were really into their tablets ¡ªit seemed like they were studying. Another person sat at a dining table, busy with he food. I counted that he''d already eaten three portions, while there were two more waiting for their turn to be consumed. According to my mother, I''m considered a fast eater. That''s why it only took me four minutes to finish my burger and soda. After disposing of my food waste and getting ready to go down to my next class, Chloe showed with food she had gotten from the cafeteria. My gaze was directed towards her, but it wasn''t focused on Chloe herself, but on the ghost girl behind her. The ghost remained in the same position and didn''t move at all, hovering along with Chloe wherever she went. Seeing the ghost, the air, which was slightly warm before, now felt a bit chilly. For those of you who don''t know, the presence of a ghost can be felt through changes in the atmosphere or the surrounding environment. Ghosts usually influence the environment to become colder and gloomier. Electronic devices can be disrupted, and even your breathing might be affected. However, it all depends on what I call "the ghost''s power". Ghosts with grudges or those who died due to accidents or crimes usually have a more extreme impact on the environment. On the other hand, ghosts who aren''t vengeful or even cheerful ones like Desmon, don''t affect the environment at all. Nevertheless, according to Desmon, ghosts can also learn to use these ghostly powers. He even mentioned that in the ghost world, there''s a special school for this purpose. Once again, I realized that the ghost girl was very different from any other ghost I''d met. The ghost girl didn''t appear at all like someone who had died due to an accident or a crime, and she didn''t seem to hold any grudges. Yet, the aura of her presence suggested the opposite. Had she ever learned to control ghostly powers at a ghost school in the ghost world, as Desmon described? No, I didn''t think it was like that. In my opinion, seeing how the ghost girl remained completely still and intensely focused on Chloe, maybe she died because of Chloe, more precisely, she died due to non-physical wrongdoing committed by Chloe, like bullying her, or maybe the ghost girl was extremely obsessed with or envious of Chloe. Regardless of any speculations I came up with, no matter how much I thought about it, I wouldn''t get any answers unless I asked directly. However, approaching the ghost girl meant I had to approach Chloe first, and this was the most challenging part for me, even compared to conversing with vengeful ghosts. I stood still for a while, considering all the ways to approach Chloe, all the opening topics and conversation starters, but still, I couldn''t bring myself to do anything. I decided to continue my steps and head downstairs, but not to go to my next room for next session. Instead, I went to the cafeteria to grab some snacks. I''d heard people say something like this before, "Inviting someone for a meal is the best way to get to know them and strike up a conversation." So, I chose to strike up a conversation with Chloe through snacks. The cafeteria had a variety of snacks, but there were only two or four of each type ¡ªthey were definitely cheap. I picked two types that I liked and intended to quickly return to the rooftop garden to begin my mission of chatting with Chloe. However, that plan fell apart. If I had to blame someone, it would definitely be the food deliverer who took so long to bring my food. There''s no way my forty-minute break ended so quickly, especially when it took me less than five minutes to eat. Why didn''t they ever improve their service? ### Unfortunately, I didn''t meet Chloe again, neither in the second session nor after it ended. Maybe she only attended one session. It was getting pretty dark when I arrived home. At that moment, my house was quiet, with just me alone preparing instant noodles for my dinner. It seemed like my mother wouldn''t be coming home tonight, or at least she''d be back very late. As for Desmon, ever since I released him from our bond, he often spent his time outside, but I didn''t know what he did. The house was tidy and clean, so I headed straight to my room to get my things ready for school the next day, and then went to bed ¡ªhopefully Desmon wouldn''t disturb me while I slept. The next morning, I realized how much I had on my mind, not even noticing that today was a day off. When I woke up, Desmon was sitting in my chair, reading a book ¡ªor at least, it looked like a book, but it was translucent. "What''s that?" I asked, pointing to the translucent book. "A book. You don''t know what a book is?" "Are you mocking me?" I retorted quickly. He seemed to take great pleasure in teasing me. "Of course I know what a book is, but it''s translucent. Can''t you see it, are you blind?" "Yes, this book and everything in my world is translucent. Am I not translucent to you?" It was only then that I realized Desmon was also translucent. Had he been translucent all this time? Were all ghosts actually translucent? What about the ghosts I''d met before, were they all translucent? All these questions suddenly crossed my mind. As far as I could remember, the terrifying old woman I''d met at the mall felt very real, there was no sign of translucency at all, just like all the other ghosts I''d ever met. "You just realized, didn''t you?" Desmon continued explaining to me. "How did you know? Was it that obvious from my expression?" "Well... not from your expression, I know ''cause I did just show it to you." Desmon said with a silly smile on his face. "Idiot," I thought to myself. Of course, Desmon had tricked me, just as he always did. Why didn''t I think of that? Why was I so easily fooled? I don''t know. Desmon continued his story about the ghost world. He explained that, fundamentally, all ghosts have the same appearance as they did when they passed away. However, just like humans, ghosts can change their appearance through shopping or stealing from fellow ghosts. The currency or exchange tool used by ghosts is something similar to leaves, but Desmon himself wasn''t entirely sure about it. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. According to Desmon, the reason humans can''t see the ghost world is due to the dimensional difference. However, I have the ability to cross those dimensional boundaries, allowing me to see the ghost world. Yet, my ability hasn''t fully opened up, so I still need the ghosts to manifest themselves first. Desmon added that once my ability fully opens up, not only will I be able to see all the ghosts and the ghost world itself, but I''ll also be able to enter the ghost world, much like some people claiming to be shamans. Still, according to Desmon, due to my not fully opened ability, objects in the ghost world are still half-visible and half-transparent to me. The ghosts I meet can either fully reveal themselves, partially reveal themselves, or not reveal themselves at all. I briefly considered practicing with my ability after hearing Desmon''s explanation, but he discouraged it. He insisted that I refrain from training my ability because if I were to become a shaman, many ghosts would approach me. Some just to introduce themselves, some seeking help, and others even wanting to harm me. Witnessing how the ghosts can behave, I reconsidered my opinion that humans are scarier than ghosts. Desmon continued his story about when he left my house. He seemed very excited to talk about being able to play Ghostube again, especially when he found out that his followers on Ghostube had increased by a lot, although he said some of his old followers had stopped following him. Desmon also shared how he met some new ghost friends and chatted with them, swapping stories. It seemed like Desmon was really happy to tell his experiences with me to his new friends. I just hoped he wasn''t making up stories, whether to make me look bad or praise me, I didn''t like made-up stories. Desmon''s story about his new ghost friends reminded me of the ghost girl who always followed Chloe. Maybe Desmon can help me, I thought. I waited until Desmon finished his story before telling him about the ghost girl. However, Desmon acted like a little kid telling his parents about his first day at school. He looked very happy and kept on expressing word by word that formed into a story. "Hmm... Desmon," I said in a barely audible voice, trying to interrupt Desmon''s never-ending story. "Yeah, what''s up?" Desmon stopped his story, his expression clearly showing he was a bit bothered by my interruption, but he didn''t mind. "Can I talk to you?" "Of course, buddy. Did you get bullied again?" "Oh, no... not at all... but there''s something that caught my attention." Desmon didn''t say anything, he just looked at me, waiting for me to continue. This wasn''t his usual self. "When I was at my lesson session, I met a girl..." I said, continuing. "You fell in love?" Desmon interrupted my conversation, this was more like him. "Oh, no... definitely not... what are you thinking... It''s not the girl that caught my interest..." "So, what happened?" "Can I finish before you keep cutting me off?" "You''re taking forever, just say it. What happened, did you see a ghost? Then you..." Honestly, I didn''t know what he was going to say next, but I knew for sure he stopped because he saw my expression, which I couldn''t hide, once he mentioned I saw a ghost. "You saw a ghost?" he asked. "Yeah, more like a ghost girl." Then I told him about what happened at my lesson session, especially about the ghost girl and her behavior that left me puzzled about what actually happened to her, whether she died abnormally or normally. Desmon seemed to be enjoying my story. You can easily tell if Desmon is enjoying the conversation with you or not by the way he doesn''t interrupt your story. If he interrupts, it means he''s not enjoying it. "So, can you help me out?" I closed my story by asking for his help. "Whatever you need, just say it, my friend." "Can you find out about that ghost girl?" "Sure, I can ask around or look for her account on Ghostube. But, it might be tough, if what you told me is true, she might not be socializing much in the ghost world." "In that case, why don''t you come with me to the next additional lesson session? That way, you can ask her directly, how about it?" I suggested without much thought. "Are you crazy?" Desmon''s tone raised. I wasn''t scared of him. Our relationship had become very close, so any fear I might have once had was likely long gone. In fact, Desmon''s raised tone, which I hadn''t heard in a long time, made me a bit nostalgic. "It''s not possible and I don''t want to. Why don''t you just talk to her? You can communicate with ghosts, can''t you?" Desmon continued. "I can''t." I firmly refused, "If I talk directly to her, Chloe will think I''m talking to her, not the ghost girl." "Then tell Chloe about the ghost girl." "You want me to scare Chloe? No, that''s not an option." "Alright, don''t tell Chloe. But at least talk to Chloe about something, from there you can see the ghost girl''s expression." "That''s what I was planning, but you know me." "In that case, forget it." Desmon advised. Actually, I could just forget about the ghost girl. I''ve often managed to forget or not care about the presence of ghosts, whether they''re just silently lingering in a place as residual hauntings or actively following someone. But this time feels different. At least three things are preventing me from just letting it go. "Impossible. How could I forget it, when she shows up every time I have an additional lesson session? On top of that, the ghost girl could very well be a vengeful ghost or some other evil ghost that could harm someone, especially Chloe, because the ghost girl seems fixated on her. Besides, You must still remember my story about my father''s funeral, right?" I explained to Desmon. We both fell silent for a few minutes. Desmon seemed to regret his advice. "In simple words, I can''t just forget about it like that," I continued. "Well... I can actually talk to the ghost girl, but it can''t be at school or at the tutoring center. You know I have trauma, right? And I still can''t control it," Desmon replied. I could see his eagerness to help me, but his trauma does limit him. "Yes, you''re right. But that''s the tricky part, how do we meet them outside of the tutoring center? I don''t know Chloe''s lesson schedule." "That part is actually easy, I''ll wait around the tutoring center until the ghost girl shows up." Why didn''t I think of that? Of course, I can''t wait around for the ghost girl to show up, given all the things I have to do like going to school, taking care of the house, or doing never-ending schoolwork. But Desmon, he doesn''t have any activities except bothering me or chatting with me. You idiot, I cursed at myself. ### On that day, my mother drove me to the tutoring center, but this time Desmon joined us. My mother knew nothing about Desmon except that I had a friend from the ghost world. While my mother was aware of my ability, she was not like me, who had adapted to the ghost world. She was still afraid of ghosts. Despite my numerous explanations that not all ghosts were scary or evil, and that many of them were kind and even funny, my mom didn''t pay attention. For her, there were only two words to describe ghosts: scary and evil. I intentionally brought Desmon along that day because, although Desmon could roam freely ¡ªand often did¡ª Desmon said that he was bewildered by the streets in the real world, especially in my time, which he thought had changed significantly. So, as I suspected all along, Desmon only roamed in his own world. My goal in bringing Desmon that day was for him to memorize the route from my house to the tutoring center, so he could go there on his own next time to approach the ghost girl. Before getting out of the car, I gave a hand gesture code that Desmon and I had used to communicate secretly if there were people around. It wasn''t because I was afraid or embarrassed to be seen as strange, but I was concerned about frightening people if they saw me talking to a ghost. The code I gave instructed Desmon to wait outside the entrance for fifteen minutes, while I would go to the classroom to see if Chloe had arrived or had a schedule that day. If I returned before fifteen minutes, it meant Chloe had come or had a session that day. But if I didn''t return, Desmon could roam freely in his world again. Our hand gesture code took longer than verbal communication. It was quite a long time until I saw Chloe and the ghost girl walking towards the tutoring center. Maybe I needed to come up with a faster code. I had already gotten out of the car, and my mom had left in her own, when I noticed Desmon''s innocent face. Doesn''t he realize the presence of the ghost girl? I wondered. "Why are you staring off?" I asked. "Who''s staring off? I''m just waiting for the ghost girl you told me about. Don''t bother me, I''m serious." I thought again, does Desmon really not see the ghost girl with Chloe? Or is he just messing with me again. "She already passed by, didn''t you see?" I explained to Desmon, pointing in the direction Chloe and the ghost girl came and went. "Who? The ghost girl?" "Of course, who else could I be talking about?" "Heh... you''re joking, right? How can a ghost not see a ghost?" I explained more few times that Chloe and the ghost girl had already passed by. However, Desmon''s expression showed that he really couldn''t see the ghost girl. But how could that be? "Seriously, you can''t see her?" I kept asking just to be sure, over and over again. "Nope, I don''t see anything. Are you sure you''re seeing her?" We both stared at each other for a few seconds. "How long have you been a ghost?" I asked. "Quite a while, why do you ask?" "Well then, how is it possible that you can''t see a ghost?" Desmon didn''t answer, and we were both puzzled. Desmon gave me the idea to wait until my lesson session was over and then walk out with Chloe. From there, I could give Desmon a signal about the ghost girl''s location. Desmon''s idea sounded really good, but it still couldn''t erase my thoughts about why Desmon couldn''t see the ghost girl. Was Desmon accidentally avoiding looking so he couldn''t see the ghost girl? Or did Desmon not know which one was Chloe, so his attention wasn''t focused on the ghost girl? Or maybe there were different hierarchies among ghosts, like ghost of a ghost? I don''t know what I was thinking, but it was really bothering me. With the strong strange aura from the ghost girl, it would be very easy for fellow ghosts to detect her, or was the ghost girl truly a special kind of ghost? Maybe that''s why my attention was drawn to her without knowing the exact cause. ### This time I came a bit late, luckily our tutor hasn''t arrived yet, so I''m safe. Inside the room, I see Ryan taking a seat in the middle, while Chloe stays in her last seat, and so does the ghost girl who is in the same position as the last session I met her. I walk to my seat, preparing my study materials while waiting for our tutor to arrive and start the lesson. "You''re Robert, right? We''ve met before," Ryan starts a conversation in a low voice. "Oh... yeah... I''m Robert and you''re Ryan, if I remember correctly." I answered in a quiet tone. "You''re right, you remember it. Can I have a moment of your time outside?" "Hm... what''s it about? Maybe later, the session is about to start," I reply. During our previous meetings, Ryan and I were just study friends, we only chatted about the subject matter. So why does he want to talk privately outside? If it''s about the lesson, he could ask here. "Oh... sure, but..." Ryan answers. Ryan leans closer to me, his mouth searching for my ear. "Be careful," he whispers. I look at his face, I''m sure he''s not speaking in a threatening tone or with a threatening intention. I know for sure because I''ve been bullied and threatened at school before. But this is something else, his whisper is more like advice from someone who''s worried about something bad that might happen to you. Like when my mom advises me to be careful when I''m about to leave because something bad might happen to me. Ryan''s gaze returns toward the front as our tutor has arrived. Our tutor begins the lesson, while I sit in silence, lost in thought. Ryan''s whisper still fills my mind, and I can''t hear a word or whatever came out of my tutor''s mouth. I don''t know why, but the room suddenly feels very cold. Was the AC turned down a few degrees? And to add to that, the light is growing dimmer. "Maybe there''s a power outage," I think, still trying to stay positive, until I shift my gaze towards Chloe. The ghost girl who was supposed to be right next to Chloe being all still and fixated on her, was no longer there. Desmon once mentioned that ghosts could choose not to reveal themselves to me, like when Desmon played a prank on me back then by turning translucent. Or it could be that the ghost girl has simply vanished. But the latter option doesn''t seem likely, because I can still sense the aura of the ghost girl, and it feels even stronger now. Well, I notice it when I think about how much stronger the ghost girl''s aura has become. I know, despite my doubts and hopes that I''m wrong. I''m curious and want to prove myself wrong, but fear courses through my entire body, leaving me frozen. I''ve never felt anything like this before, except when I encountered the terrifying granny at the mall when I was little, or when I crossed paths and exchanged glances with the vengeful ghost a few years ago. The air grows colder, the light dims further, and now I can''t hear anything at all. The only thing I can still feel is the rush of sweat pouring down my body. The ghost girl''s aura kept getting stronger. Maybe I was just being overly scared, maybe she was gone all along, or maybe she never even existed because even Desmon, who is a ghost himself, couldn''t see her. If this was just my fear playing tricks on me, the only way to get rid of it was to make sure if the ghost girl was really there around me. I regretted it as soon as I tried to confirm her presence. With just a slight shift of my gaze to the right, I could already see her pale, bluish hand dangling. I don''t know what compelled me to keep tracing it up to her shoulder, then her neck, and finally, her face. For the first time, I could see her face clearly. There was nothing wrong, it looked perfectly normal, no scars, no bloodstains, no missing body parts. Just like I suspected, she looked like someone who passed away naturally, not from an accident or crime. But, just like I suspected too, her face was completely expressionless, yet it seemed to hold a deep, intense hatred. Her empty eyes stared at me sharply, her mouth didn''t move at all, but it gave off a vibe as if she wanted to curse me. She was terrifying yet oddly innocent. Her aura grew stronger. Now she was proving to me who she really was. All her innocence, all her normal appearance, all the expressionless face, it all disappeared, leaving only her smile that left me frozen in place. #####-End of Chapter-##### Exception Pain in my legs continued to gnaw at me. Exhausted, cold, and unbearably thirsty, I had been running for who knows how long, yet the light remained far away. I wanted to stop for a moment just to catch my breath, but I couldn''t. They were still behind me. The clamor of wild animals, scavenger birds, and people seemingly out to kill me continued to echo behind me. Cold hands with sharp claws kept trying to touch my body. I could only keep running with all my might to evade them. But what were they, actually? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I remembered, they had slashed my legs. Pitch darkness enveloped my surroundings. I couldn''t see anything around me at all, except for a beam of light in the distance. Oddly, no matter how fast or long I ran, the beam of light didn''t seem to enlarge to indicate that I was getting closer. It was as if I was running on a treadmill, going nowhere. Had I not been moving at all this whole time? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I remembered, when I realized I was in a running position. Similarly, the foul odor was sharp and pierced my nose. How long had I been smelling that odor. It was so foul that it made my head spin and became overwhelmingly heavy. I had never in my life smelled anything so awful, even the scent of a landfill was far more pleasant than this foul odor. Every time I ran, the foul odor would disappear, only to be replaced by another foul odor. I''d lost count of how many kinds of foul odor I''d smelled all this time. What kind of odor was this, really? And where were they from? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I believed, the odor never ended. I couldn''t take it anymore, I was very exhausted. Had the monsters stopped? No, the beam of light was still far away, and the foul odor continued to deaden my sense of smell. I only had two choices left, I thought. Death from exhaustion due to ceaseless running or death from being torn and slashed by those monsters because I stopped running. The first choice might sound lighter, I thought. But after a very hasty consideration amidst the unending run, I decided to stop. The piercing cold air slowly vanished from my body. The foul odor gradually faded away. The beam of light shifted and enlarged. The monster''s sounds grew distant. The thirst began to subside. The exhaustion started to fade. I closed my eyes, pondering what had happened. My body felt so light, the air rushed upward forcefully. I opened my eyes as the light pushed at my eyelids to penetrate into my eyeballs. Then I realized, it wasn''t the air rushing upwards, but it was my body that plunged downward. I wasn''t running anymore, but I was plunging towards the famously hard surface of the earth. What actually happened? I repeatedly thought. I looked around, down, left, right, up, front, behind. I couldn''t find anything I could use to save my life hurtling towards the ground. What actually happened? I tried to recall everything I''d experienced. My house, I thought. I saw my house when my body was almost nearing the ground. It was unmistakably my house because I recognized the pattern of the streets from this height. Could I survive? Just a few hundred meters left... less than a hundred meters... a few dozen meters... ten meters, nine, seven, six, five, four, and I woke up. ### The darkness has now vanished. The cold has turned warm and comforting. The clamor has disappeared, leaving only one sound, a very familiar one. The cold hands with sharp claws, replaced by gentle, warm, and loving hands. Slowly, I opened my eyes. The light from the lamp was bright enough to illuminate the entire room but not enough to blind me. My mother appeared on my left side, looking at me with a lot of affection. I could clearly see her mouth moving as if saying something, yet even though I heard it, her voice remained faint. "Honey, are you alright? Is your leg still hurting? Can you move your arm? Let me call the doctor," those were the first words I heard from my mother''s voice. My mother seemed so concerned about my condition, but all her words made no sense to me. I was struggling with the question: what actually happened? The doctor entered the room shortly after my mother pressed a button beside my bed. That''s when I realized my current location. Not in my room, not at house, not at school, not at my tutoring place, but in a hospital room. The doctor who entered wore a name tag that read ''Dr. Klio'' and something else below the name that I couldn''t read. His uniform was standard for a doctor, all white except for the light blue shirt. The doctor looked quite young, he might be in his thirties, if I had to guess. His body was quite tall and had noticeable muscles when when he raised his hand to check on the drip in my arm. "Any complaints, Robert?" the doctor asked. "Nothing," I replied, or at least that''s what I wanted to reply if my mouth could move. I tried moving my other body parts, but they all seemed disconnected from my mind. Every limb lay stiff. Only my eyes could move. "Robert? Can you hear me, Robert?" the doctor asked repeatedly. Repeatedly, I wanted to reply, but the result was still the same ¡ªmy body couldn''t move at all. "Robert, if you can hear me, try blinking your eyes," the doctor ordered, seemingly aware of my paralyzed state. So, I blinked several times. My mother sounded happy seeing my response. "Robert, can you move your body? Look at your mom if you can''t, blink your eyes if you can," the doctor continued. Following the doctor''s orders, I looked at my mom. My mother seemed like she was crying, but I guess they were tears of joy. I waited for a few seconds before directing my gaze back at the doctor. The doctor lifted their clipboard and wrote something on it. At the back of the clipboard was the word ''C.I.A'' written in large, grayish letters. I was well aware of the abbreviation, an intelligence organization that had been disbanded decades ago, but I could guess why Dr. Klio wrote it ¡ªHe was a fan of the C.I.A series that was trending at the time. However, I didn''t really like series like that. The doctor explained some things about my current condition. According to him, I had to stay for another two or three days, or longer, depending on my health progress. "Wait, the doctor said the word ''another''..." I thought, unsure of how long I''d been in this hospital. The doctor left the room. Now, only my mother remained, looking worried about me. In moments like this, I desperately wanted to move my body to hug her and tell her I was okay, to reassure her. But what could I do when my body was disconnected? About an hour later, my mother fell asleep beside me. She cared for me so much that she slept sitting up just to be close to me. I could feel her love. I couldn''t tell if it was day or night or if my mother was just exhausted. I couldn''t be sure. I looked around the room corners, there wasn''t anything that could be my main source of information to know how long I''d been lying here or what time it was. Then I realized something, ''Where''s Desmon?'' I couldn''t see Desmon at all. Where did that ghost disappear to? Had he forgotten about me? Or was he just busy playing that Ghostube he talked about? I didn''t know, but I missed him. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ### Doctor Klio''s prediction was off. It only took me one day to recover my health back to normal. Now, I could not only move my mouth, but my entire body could move normally again. Dr. Klio allowed me to continue treatment at home, even though he himself confirmed I was fully recovery. However, he was concerned that my condition might suddenly worsen. Therefore, he insisted on a medical check-up at least every two days and advised me to rest more. He even suggested to my mom that I take a day off from school every week and he didn''t recommend me to attend additional lesson for a while. My mom was happy to see me back to normal. Her happiness was clearly expressed not only through her facial expressions and body language, but she also offered to take me to my favorite restaurant or tourist spot. I declined the offer to go to a tourist spot but accepted the invitation to the restaurant. No, I didn''t feel hungry or thirsty like in that nightmare, but I missed the taste of delicious food. You know, hospital food, no matter how much they try, always tastes bland. My mom returned my smartphone to me. I turned on my smartphone, and my heart skipped a beat. Nothing surprised me more than finding out I had been hospitalized for more than two weeks. I still couldn''t remember what happened. "Mom... I''ve been in the hospital for two weeks?" I asked calmly, trying not to ruin my mom''s happiness. "No," she replied, appearing somewhat disrupted by my question, "Just a few days, but since the last tutoring day, you''ve always..." Tutoring? I started to search my memory bank about tutoring. However, I could only find fragments of memories. "...how should I put it? You were always absent-minded. As if your body was there, but your soul was gone. That''s why I''m very happy that you''re back..." she continued. My mom seemed to pause briefly to hold back her sadness. It was clear that tears were welling in her eyes. She still seemed saddened when recalling my previous condition, but she didn''t want her sorrow to spoil the celebration of my recovered health. Actions speak louder than words; that''s what my dad used to tell me since I was young. I knew I could calm my mom by saying, "I''m okay," but I didn''t say it. Instead, I hugged my mom tightly and kissed her cheek. "I was fine. Hmm..." she said. She tried to regain her happiness, wiping away her tears before they fell, and resumed, "So, to celebrate today, just tell me whatever you want to do or where you want to go, I''ll follow your lead." I was already happy seeing my mom happy, "No need to go anywhere, Mom. Let''s just go to that pizza restaurant and then go home." Honestly, I would have been happy to roam around the city for a while, but I knew my mom might get tired. Maybe not physically tired, but mentally tired from seeing her child sick. I could understand that, although not entirely, maybe. We arrived at my favorite pizza restaurant. Unlike what I thought earlier, I ended up ordering just one tray of pizza for my mom and me. We finished our meal while chatting about the past, I didn''t want my mom to keep thinking about recent events. After I finished the last slice and emptied my drink, we immediately returned to the car to head home. ### My mom and I immediately went our separate ways upon arriving home. My mom rested in her room, while even though I said I''d rest in my own room to her, I searched for Desmon in my house. Where had that ghost gone? I called out to him in every corner of the house. I even stepped outside briefly to make sure Desmon wasn''t out there. I entered my room cautiously, hoping Desmon wouldn''t startle me. When I opened the door to my room, there was no sign of Desmon at all. Had he gone forever? Because Desmon was nowhere to be found, I lay down on my bed. I wasn''t tired, but I just wanted to rest for a bit. I switched off the bedroom light. In the dark, I could see glowing writing on the ceiling of my room. "Hey, Robert. If you''re reading this, you must have already returned. Don''t worry, this writing is made of material from the ghost world, so only you can read it. I was shocked to find out you were affected by the ''ghost curse,'' so I left temporarily not to distance myself from you, but to gather information about this ''ghost curse''. I''ll be back, but if you''ve returned home before that, you can press the button on the device I placed under your bed. Again, the device is from the ghost world, so only you can press it. Stay healthy always, Desmon." I got up from my bed, then lay back on the floor next to my bed. I reached out far with my arm to access under the mattress. Although I couldn''t see clearly, my hand managed to touch something, so I immediately pressed it. Nothing happened. Maybe this was one of Desmon''s pranks, I thought as I withdrew my arm. I returned to lying on the bed, waiting for Desmon, but he didn''t show up. My incredibly soft bed caused my eyelids to slowly close. I tried to stay alert, faithfully waiting for Desmon. However, eventually, my eyes closed. ### When I woke up, the day was starting to get dark. I changed my position to sit at the edge of the bed, while Desmon appeared on my chair. "Huff... Where were you?" I asked Desmon. "Are you okay? What actually happened at the tutoring center?" Desmon''s lips pressed together in a thin line of worry. "Okay. I..." I actually didn''t quite remember what happened at the tutoring center before Desmon asked about it, "...saw that ghost girl." As that memory surfaced, I immediately felt the ghost girl''s aura. The air became suddenly very cold, and the lights in my room dimmed. I saw Desmon standing, tossing something to me and around my room. "What''s that?" I asked while clutching my knees to warm myself. "You can call it ghost salt. I worked hard to buy a lot of this stuff." As if Desmon could read my thoughts, he quickly explained the use of the substance before I could ask, "This ghost salt can repel the aura of the ghost girl and remove the curse she placed on you. I tossed this salt at you while you were asleep, but it seems the ghost girl''s aura is so strong that I have to regularly toss this salt at you." I might have not believed Desmon if, after he tossed that ghost salt, all my memories of that incident at the tutoring center didn''t come flooding back. Yes, I could remember everything, including the way she smiled with a terrifying grin towards me. Then, every few minutes, Desmon would toss the ghost salt at me. My body also felt more refreshed with each toss of the ghost salt. Our conversation continued with my story about the incident at the tutoring center. Desmon''s facial expression remained unchanged. His lips were still pressed thin, his shoulders tense, and his gaze fixed on me. "That ghost girl is a ''Phantom'', an entity even more supernatural than ghosts, or you could say she''s the ghost of a ghost," Desmon explained after listening to my story. "So that''s why the ghost girl could make herself unseen to you?" "Yup, just like ghosts who can make themselves unseen to humans, phantoms can also make themselves unseen to ghosts." "If you couldn''t see her, then how could I?" "Technically, you shouldn''t have been able to see her. I''ve said it before, your abilities are still untrained. You haven''t fully seen ghosts or even entered the ghost world, so it''s impossible for you to see a phantom. In the same way, I didn''t have that ability." "Then how did I see her?" Desmon furrowed his brow, scratching it before answering my question, "I searched all sources I could find for information. I asked about it on Ghostube, searched on Find-a-Ghost, and even read ancient literature about the ghost world. There''s no information about phantoms explaining why you could see her, except for one source from a ghost on Ghostube who said you''re ''The Exception''..." Now, it was my turn to furrow my brow and scratch it. "... In short, you''re special. But why and how you became special, I''m also puzzled about it," Desmon continued. We remained silent for a while, each of us pondering why I could be special. I never expected to be more special than being able to see and talk to ghosts. But now I was faced with the fact that I could even see the ghost of a ghost, a ''Phantom''. I didn''t know whether to be happy or not. Phantom, an entity more ghostly than a ghost itself. Perhaps there were some good Phantoms and some bad Phantoms, just like humans and ghosts. However, considering all my interactions with ghosts, none of them ever harmed or caused me terrifying nightmares for days. Even the old lady I met at the mall or the vengeful ghost back then wasn''t as dangerous as the ghost girl or the Phantom did. When I remembered the incident at the tutoring center, there was one thing that bothered me ¡ªRyan. Because as far as I could remember, the first time I saw that ghost girl, she didn''t move at all from Chloe''s side, except when she flew to follow Chloe, but her position stayed exactly the same. However, when Ryan whispered something to me to be careful, at that moment, the ghost girl instantly moved over to my side. "Desmon..." I called Desmon for his attention, "before I saw the ghost girl''s face, before she instantly moved over to my side, a tutoring classmate of mine whispered something to me to be careful." "Chloe? or Ryan?" "Ryan. Before that, he said he wanted to talk to me alone outside, but I refused." "Do you suspect that Ryan might know something?" Desmon asked, leaning towards me. "You also suspect it, don''t you?" "Yeah. He might know, but..." Desmon paused to stand up, "how could he know?" "I don''t know either." "I actually waited outside your tutoring place the whole day. I wanted to confirm what happened and who caused it, but I didn''t see any ghosts coming out of your tutoring center. I even saw Chloe and Ryan after they were both called by an adult, probably a tutor, who asked what happened to you..." I didn''t expect that Desmon would wait the entire day to confirm why I had become absent-minded as if my soul had vanished during that time. I thought Desmon had left just to play Ghostube, but once again, he proved his loyalty, even though he was no longer bound to me. "...at that time, Ryan never glanced in my direction," Desmon continued. "Could it be that he didn''t look at you because he knew you were there? I mean, he intentionally avoided making eye contact with you?" I asked as I stood up. "That''s what I thought too after hearing your story." Desmon continued, now standing in front of me, was looking me directly in the eyes. "We should ask him about it," we both said at the same time. "But how?" I sat back down. "My doctor said I shouldn''t attend tutoring for a while and need more rest." "Yes, because you''re still sick since the curse hasn''t completely lifted. But now we have a countermeasure, the ghost salt I brought can counteract it, well, albeit temporarily." "You''re right, but will my mom believe? Even if I agree and go to the tutoring center, she won''t allow it." "In that case, I''ll go. If Ryan can see me, I can ask him directly. But if Ryan can''t see me, I might be a bit..." Desmon raised both hands and wiggled his index and middle fingers, "...bothered him." "Good idea, but don''t be too bothered him. Just come back. Let''s wait a while until my condition fully recovers according to the doctor, then I''ll ask him about it directly." "Okay. By the way, I might go out more often to find something I can use to buy this ghost salt. You don''t mind, right?" If Desmon weren''t a ghost, I might have hugged him. How could a ghost be as good as Desmon while humans could be as evil as my schoolmate who often bullied me? "It would have burdened you, so there was no need to do that." I replied. "It''s okay, as long as you''re okay. Besides, I''ll have more time to play Ghostube." I could only smile as Desmon left when the day had fully darkened. #### Ryan Because of Dr. Klio''s instructions back then, I couldn''t do many activities outside the house. Actually, I didn''t really enjoy being outdoors, but because of the ghost girl, I wanted to meet Ryan or Chloe if possible, to ask something about the ghost girl or what Desmon referred to as the Phantom. That day, I didn''t go to school again, my mother was very worried about my condition. So, I could only stay active at home. Unfortunately, Desmon wasn''t home either because he was still out looking for information about the Phantom, or maybe he had already followed or talked with Ryan. In the morning, I just had breakfast and watched my favorite show on the streaming platform, "Beyond Infinite." While in the afternoon, when my mom had left, I searched for something on the internet related to information about the Phantom. I found three interesting articles. The first article discusses the Phantom world, which is different from the ghost world.
Author: Hunain, B.I.S People generally uses the terms Ghost and Phantom interchangeably. This happens because people do not know the etymology of both words. According to the Official International English Dictionary or OIED, "Ghost" comes from the Old English word "g¨¡st" or "g?st" which if traced further originates from the Proto-Germanic language "gaistaz" meaning soul or demon. Therefore, ghost leans more towards describing the soul of a deceased person who still roams this world. Meanwhile, "Phantom" comes from the Greek word "phantasma," which means apparition or image. Thus, scientists nowadays tend to use the term phantom to describe something that appears but does not have a tangible existence in this world, including illusions and spectral appearances. So, although society uses these two terms interchangeably, the meanings of these two terms have significant differences...
The first article clearly distinguishes between the terms ghost and phantom. Maybe because the phantom does not originate from this world at all, it''s difficult for ghosts to see phantoms. This is different from ghosts, which originally came from this world but their souls remain trapped when they die. I continued reading the second article from my favorite site. The "Ghostpedia" site often features news about ghosts. I learned a lot about different types of ghosts from this site. Although this might be just my assumption, there''s a high possibility that the writer on Ghostpedia is also someone with special abilities like mine.
Author: Dhifa Kemal Ghosts have often interacted with humans. Some of them help humans, like the warrior ghosts in the Middle East who killed the union army of the EU, but there are also ghosts that harm humans, like the death of the Al-Shadiqo family a few years ago, who suddenly threw themselves under a fast-moving train. However, phantoms are strange entities, both to ghosts and humans. If you search for phantoms on the internet, there''s very little correct information about phantoms because most phantoms are associated with ghosts. However, what''s certain is that phantoms cannot be seen by anyone, and many scientists and followers of the spiritual world claim that phantoms are just fake news. Jamel Salauddin once stated in one of his interviews on a streaming show that he could see phantoms even though he couldn''t see ghosts. Salauddin also mentioned that he was very scared when he saw a phantom. While many people argue that he was lying, some believe his statement. Unfortunately, we can''t confirm this further because he mysteriously died about ten hours after his statement, and what''s stranger, Salauddin before his death was sitting and spacing out as if disconnected from the real world.
The Ghostpedia writers cannot be entirely reliable, some of them lie or make up stories. However, this article, especially the part about Jamel Salauddin, is very similar to my experience when I saw the ghost girl, like when I was just staring blankly before my mother took me to the hospital. I''m grateful my fate wasn''t like Jamel''s.
Writer and Editor: Yarn Phantom is an entity that has never been thoroughly researched due to the difficulty in building a bridge between the human world and the phantom world. Scientists nowadays advise humans to be cautious about phantoms and to stay as far away as possible if they see one. Scientists from various countries and even scientists from the ghost world all agree that the ability to see phantoms is very rare and very dangerous for its owner. Therefore, anyone who possesses this ability, which we call "The Exception," should avoid phantoms, which can be easily identified by their appearance as vengeful ghosts. If you don''t recognize them, they usually don''t move at all and their gaze is focused on one person, always following that person. But what distinguishes phantoms from vengeful ghosts is the attraction and death aura like the feeling of intense coldness, darkness, stink, thirst, hunger, and complete silence. Update: I found one of my friends who is "The Exception," and it seems he just saw a phantom, and he was blank all day. I don''t know what happened next, whether he''s okay or not, but I hope he recovers soon. Update: I got information from one of my informants in the healthcare industry that my friend, who is "The Exception," has been cured, although he still has to have frequent treatments. Thank goodness.
This article contains many updates, but oddly enough, the last update happened a few hours ago. I couldn''t read it because the latest update is paid. Unfortunately, I don''t have enough money to pay for it right now, shit. I frowned as I felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu while reading this article. Everything written in the article, including the description of Phantom appearances, the strong attraction of Phantom, and its death aura like coldness, darkness, stink, and thirst, I really experienced all of that a few days ago. Except for the feeling of silence, I didn''t feel that in my dream. On the contrary, I heard a clamor of monster. I was also puzzled by the updates provided. The date of the latest update matched with the dates when I saw the Phantom, when I was hospitalized, and when I was allowed to go for outpatient treatment. Was this person observing me? Moreover, his name is Yarn. There''s something strange about it, but I don''t know what''s strange. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. After reading and thinking about all of those articles, my head started to ache again, and my body felt tired, a sign that I needed to rest again and sprinkle the ghost salt that Desmon gave me all over my body. I chose to sleep to rest. ### I blinked several times, my body felt as if it had lost its soul. No, it''s not that I couldn''t control my body anymore, but I was just tired. A silhouette appeared in the corner of my eye, Desmon. I didn''t say anything and didn''t want to move anything. Eventually, I just closed my eyes again to continue my sleep. "How long are you going to sleep?" Desmon''s tone moved from low to high, "HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO SLEEP?" "Shut up..." I replied softly. Desmon had it easy; he could speak as loudly as he wanted without being heard by anyone else, but if I replied loudly, my mother would definitely hear it, "Yeah...yeah...I''m awake. What''s up?" "Don''t you want to hear my story?" Desmon raised and lowered his right eyebrow several times. "What?" Now I changed my position to sit at the edge of my bed. "Ryan. I got some interesting information about him." I immediately kicked Desmon out of my seat and took turns sitting in it. Meanwhile, Desmon stood up as he started to tell the story. ### First, I immediately went to my friends. Don''t take it personally, Robert. I do have friends, unlike you, sorry. I asked the exact same question to each of my friends. "Have you ever heard of someone named Ryan who attends tutoring at a place called ''Central Intellectual Assistant''?" I did this for several days, and I also posted it on Ghostube, just in case someone knew or was familiar with him or what I hoped for a companion ghost, also known as a ''Quoranic'' in my world. However, after waiting for a few days, I found so many absurd responses. Some insulted me, some told me to go to the tutoring center alone, and some even claimed to be Ryan. But don''t worry, I sorted through all those responses and found five that I believe are credible. Firstly, from my old friend Ghibrial. He said he saw someone leaving the tutoring center over a week ago, resembling the description I gave, but Ghibrial mentioned he never met that person again. The second response was from someone I recently met a few days ago. I''ll call them ''they'' not because it''s people, but it''s just one person, so you get what I mean, their name is Thiffano. They claimed to have seen Ryan at a school not far from the tutoring center. Relax, I''ve already visited that school, but I''ll tell you about it later. The third response was from a friend of a friend, a pretty girl. Maybe I should chat with her more. Anyway, back to the topic. She said she met someone resembling my description entering a house. I asked for the address, but she couldn''t remember the exact location, she only gave me the last location she remembered. We could trust this because the location given by the girl was close to the school mentioned by they and also near the tutoring center. When I said I would investigate, she stopped me, claiming the person had a protective spell. However, oddly enough, when I went to the location she provided and searched all the houses and buildings around it, I didn''t find any protective spell. FYI, ghosts can feel protective spells even from several tens of meters away. My conclusion about the girl''s statement is either she lied, or the person suspected to be Ryan removed the protective spell, or the person suspected to be Ryan has already moved away from that location. The fourth response I got was from an anonymous person on Ghostube. They said they once met someone resembling the description I mentioned at the hospital ¡ªthe same hospital you were treated at. The person suspected to be Ryan was seen conversing with a man in his thirties in one of the morgue rooms, according to the anonymous person. This statement from the anonymous person was the closest to reality. Because I immediately went to that hospital shortly after reading their post. And yes, I found the person suspected to be Ryan, but unfortunately, I only saw his back because something odd happened. The person I suspected to be Ryan suddenly disappeared after a passing car momentarily blocked my view, just like in movies. Lastly, the final statement I received from Ghostube. I forgot his name because he just replied to me a few hours ago. Actually, this ghost''s response isn''t related to Ryan except for their attitude, similar to Ryan''s as you described. He warned everyone to be careful because there''s a phantom in our area. Moreover, he instructed all Quoranics to notify their human friends with sight abilities to stay away. It wasn''t his request that felt strange to me. But he mentioned that there had been attacks of ghost curses performed by the phantom on humans. Besides, what added to the strangeness was when they informed that the person had survived even though the ghost curse still remained. Coincidence? How did they know? That''s what I''m pondering. By the way, before you ask me a lot of questions, let me continue my story. Besides asking for information about Ryan, I also asked some of my friends to check out your tutoring center, the area near your tutoring center, and the area at the school mentioned by Thiffano. Initially, I wanted to investigate the school myself. However, even before a single step, I almost lost control of my body. You know, my trauma still held me back. Even though I was still puzzled, why when we first met, when I lost control of my body, but managed to regain control afterward. But, back to the point. All the information my friends obtained gave no clues about Ryan, except for someone who looked a lot like Ryan at the school mentioned by Thiffano, but his name wasn''t Ryan, it was Ronald. My friend who investigated was quite certain that Ronald looked exactly like Ryan, except for the name difference. However, my friend said they didn''t see Ronald directly, it''s just that Ronald''s classmates showed a photo of Ronald because Ronald reportedly disappeared a few days after the phantom attack incident. Is Ryan actually Ronald? Or are they twin brothers? I''m still pondering that. Alright, that''s all I can tell you. What about you, Robert? What have you found? Are you looking for information about Ryan too? ### I told what I found on the internet to Desmon. Desmon confirmed the truth of the first two articles I read, while for the third article, Desmon just smiled. "Yarn and Ryan, don''t you realize their similarity?" Desmon still smiled when asking me. "What?" "Anagram. Don''t you know what anagrams are? Don''t you know Harry Potter?" "So outdated, the series you watch. Haven''t you watched the latest series in the ghost world?" I replied. "Oh my... what''s wrong with this era. Alright, let me explain. An anagram is basically a rearrangement of letters..." Desmon took a ghost book and a ghost pen and wrote down the name Ryan, "So, first, we write Ryan, then we change the order of the letters, let''s say the ''y'' becomes the first, followed by the ''a'' becoming the second, then the ''r'' becomes the third, while the ''n'' remains the same..." I didn''t need to hear Desmon''s further explanation to realize that Yarn had been Ryan all along. No wonder I felt something odd about the name Yarn, but how did Desmon know? How foolish of me. "Wow... you are indeed smart." I praised, applauding. "No, you''d realize it if you read Harry Potter." "Meaning watch it, right? I just praised your intelligence and you turn foolish again." "Seriously?" Desmon''s eyes widened as they looked at me with raised eyebrows. "What''s up? Are you just realizing you''re dumb?" Desmon slapped my forehead, "Harry Potter is a novel. Sure, Harry Potter was made into a movie and even a series, but those were adaptations of the novel. Oh my." "Sorry," I replied, "Can you wait for a moment? I want to get a drink." "Wait, hold on." I stopped my step right before I opened the bedroom door. "I just rechecked the name of the fifth person who replied to my Ghostube a few hours ago. Can you guess the name?" Desmon continued. I opened my mouth wider not because I was thirsty but because I understood Desmon''s conversation direction this time, "No, but it''s surely another anagram of Ryan." "He... he... You seem to have understood. Yup, you''re right. That account''s name was Nyar." "So, they''re all the same person." "Seems like it. But we have to investigate further." "Desmon, this is getting more interesting, but can you wait for a little bit? I''m really thirsty. I won''t take long." I immediately opened the door and headed to the kitchen without waiting for Desmon''s approval. #### Dr. Klio I hurriedly went down the stairs step by step. It''s unusual for me to feel this thirsty. My mouth feels like a leaf in autumn waiting to be blown away by the wind. Shit, I forgot to turn on the lights, and it turns out my mom hasn''t come back yet. I took a moment to peek out of the window when I reached the bottom of the last stair. It''s nighttime, a very dark night. I opened some curtains to at least get a bit of light so I could reach the switch and turn on the lights. If you''re wondering why I didn''t use voice commands like everyone else, the answer is because my mom refuses it. According to her, ghosts can mimic voices and play pranks using voice commands. So, in our house, everything is still manual, like going back a few decades. I navigated through the moonlit path in the middle of the quiet night, even quieter than usual. Usually, I could still hear kids playing. But now, it''s creepily silent, as if I''m an abandoned graveyard in the middle of a forest in a remote village in a country with few population, even on the moon might have been noisier than here. Finally, I reached the location of the switch and flicked it. Click. The lights instantly illuminated the entire room in my house. I made my way back to the kitchen, my original destination. I opened the refrigerator to get a drink. Somehow, something seemed off with my fridge''s settings, because I found everything frozen. I checked the settings screen but didn''t notice any error or configuration changes. I tried to stay calm. Yet, I just realized something odd. It all started with excessive thirst, then the pitch darkness, followed by silence, and now this freezing cold. The only thing left from the death aura described by Yarn or Ryan was the stink. My body was still under my control, but I was too afraid to move it. My mind continued to conflict. Was this really the death aura given off by the phantom? But how could the phantom know my house? Did they follow me? Why now? Why didn''t they reveal themselves when I spent days in the hospital? Is this a dream or the curse again? But I used the ghost salt Desmon gave me, didn''t it work? Is this just a coincidence? But four signs of the death aura happened in a row, or am I just paranoid? In the middle of the chaos in my mind and my body frozen in fear, I could only hope that Desmon would come here soon to help me. At least, if this is just my fear, Desmon''s presence is significant to dispel it. "Creak...." I quickly turned my body towards the suddenly open door of the house. There stood someone right before my eyes. That person managed to dispel my fear. Her presence brightened all the lights in my house, shattered the silence of the night, warmed and defrosted everything, and strangely enough, my thirst disappeared. "Robert, you''re not sleeping yet?" The person asked, now standing right at the door inside my house. I was safe. "Not yet. Mom just got home?" "Yes, by the way, Dr. Klio is here. Mom got a call from him earlier, and he said he wanted to check on your condition." My mom approached me. Every step she took brought warmth to my heart. "Where?" I tried to look for Dr. Klio by stretching my head out, but I couldn''t find him. Before my mom could answer, Dr. Klio revealed himself. Unlike at the hospital, Dr. Klio was now dressed more casually. "Hey, Robert. How''s your condition?" His face was full of smiles, but I could sense something amiss behind that smile. Something that hinted that he had successfully overcome or dispelled an extraordinary fear. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Good." I replied briefly. "Do you still feel scared?" "A bit." "That''s good. Do you know how to overcome fear?" "Sorry for interrupting both of you. But, I need to go to my room to change." My mom cut me off right before I could say my first word, "Sorry, Doc." I could understand why my mom wanted to rush to change clothes, it seemed that way because of her soaking wet clothes. Did it rain earlier? Perhaps there was a heavy downpour, that''s why the air felt colder and the streets felt silent without kids playing outside. "Sure, ma''am. I apologize for coming late at night because I''ve been busy, so I only managed to check on your child''s condition now." Dr. Klio replied. I nodded without saying a word. But I''m sure my mom knew I permitted it because she immediately hurried off to her room. "So, Robert. Do you know how to overcome fear?" Dr. Klio asked again. "I don''t know, Doc. What''s the way?" "Life aura," her immediate response startled me. As if Dr. Klio knew about the death aura that scared me, logically to eliminate it, we must create a life aura. However, his next words made much more scientific sense, "So let me check your body''s condition, whether it exhibits a life aura or not." Dr. Klio didn''t say much while checking my body''s condition except asking a few related questions. It didn''t take long, even my mom hadn''t come down yet when Dr. Klio''s check-up was done. Dr. Klio quickly said goodbye to me and sent his regards to my mom, then he went home. My mom came when the sound of a vehicle, likely driven by Dr. Klio, was leaving our house. "Is it done?" my mom asked, looking more refreshed. My mom said she only changed clothes, but it seemed she had also taken a shower. "It''s done. Doctor Klio said he was in a hurry, so he left right away. Besides, mom said to changing clothes but why also taking a shower." "Sorry... I got caught in a heavy rain earlier, so I took a quick shower to avoid getting sick. I''m so sorry, but the doctor said you''re okay, right?" "I''m fine, Mom. I''m heading back to my room." "Me too, I''ll sleep in the room. Remember not to stay up late, as the doctor said..." I knew that listening to my mom''s advice would take another half-hour, especially if it''s about health. So, I just nodded and hurried back to my room. ### "Shit!!!" This was the first time Desmon had startled me since we became friends. It wasn''t typical of him to try and scare me like he did now, standing right behind my bedroom door. "You felt it, right?" Desmon asked, his eyebrows furrowed, waiting for confirmation of something he sensed from me. "The death aura?" I asked back to confirm it. "Yup. You too?" "Yeah." I gestured for Desmon to step aside from in front of me. After that, I entered, closed, and locked the door. "But everything disappeared after someone''s arrival. Because I was curious, I peeked out of the window. It seems you know that person, as I heard you both chatting in the living room." "Yes. He''s my doctor. Do you know him?" "No, but I felt as though he was dispelling that death aura, bringing life into this house." "So, you felt it too." I sat back in my chair. Too much had happened in such a short time that I forgot to get a drink, but it wasn''t a big deal now as my thirst had disappeared. "Actually, he also mentioned about the life aura that could overcome fear. I was suspicious before he finally explained the meaning of that life aura is to check my body" I continued, now leaning back against the chair. "It reminded me of what the Ghostube anonymous user said. Do you remember someone presumed to be Ryan meeting a man around thirty years old?" "Of course, I remember, but that man could be anyone, right? I mean, there are plenty of thirty-something-year-old men." "You have a point, but you need to know that not just anyone can enter the morgue room except for hospital staff, such as doctors." "Interesting, but there are still many male doctors around thirty." "Nevertheless, I suspect him, especially since he mentioned the life aura, and he glanced in my direction when I was peeping." I got up from the chair and leaned forward. I fell silent for a few seconds, as did Desmon. "It seems he does know something, just like Ryan," I said. "Both of them are indeed suspicious, and if they indeed met in the morgue, it''s even more suspicious. Do you know the doctor''s name?" "Doctor Klio." my reply, "But you know, Desmon, there''s one thing that confuses me more." "What is it?" "Why did the death aura come and disappear as soon as Dr. Klio arrived?" "If I had to guess, the death aura came because of the Phantom. But I don''t know how the phantom found us here. And why did the death aura disappear, indicating the Phantom had left just as Doctor Klio arrived? I''m puzzled too." We remained silent for a few moments. During that silence, there were several moments when either I or Desmon had wanted to say something, throw out an idea or thought about the possibilities of what was happening, but we had swallowed those back, keeping them to ourselves. We ended that night with big question marks that we couldn''t yet solve. However, we were confident that we would find the answers the next day. #### Phantom Pain in my legs continues to gnaw at me. Exhausted, cold, and unbearably thirsty, I had been running for who knows how long, yet the light remained far away. I wanted to stop for a moment just to catch my breath, but I couldn''t. They were still behind me. The clamor of wild animals, scavenger birds, and people seemingly out to kill me continued to echo behind me. Cold hands with sharp claws kept trying to touch my body. I could only keep running with all my might to evade them. But what were they, actually? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I remembered, they had slashed my legs. Pitch darkness enveloped my surroundings. I couldn''t see anything around me at all, except for a beam of light in the distance. Oddly, no matter how fast or long I ran, the beam of light didn''t seem to enlarge to indicate that I was getting closer. It was as if I was running on a treadmill, going nowhere. Had I not been moving at all this whole time? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I remembered, when I realized I was in a running position. Similarly, the foul odor was sharp and pierced my nose. How long had I been smelling that odor. It was so foul that it made my head spin and became overwhelmingly heavy. I had never in my life smelled anything so awful, even the scent of a landfill was far more pleasant than this foul odor. Every time I ran, the foul odor would disappear, only to be replaced by another foul odor. I''d lost count of how many kinds of foul odor I''d smelled all this time. What kind of odor was this, really? And where were they from? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I believed, the odor never ended. I couldn''t take it anymore, I was very exhausted. Had the monsters stopped? No, the beam of light was still far away, and the foul odor continued to deaden my sense of smell. I only had two choices left, I thought. Death from exhaustion due to ceaseless running or death from being torn and slashed by those monsters because I stopped running. The first choice might sound lighter, I thought. So, I continued my run, getting stronger, more energetic, faster, and covering more distance with every step I took. I could be free, I could be free. The light is now getting larger. I''m almost there. It didn''t take long, I could see the incredibly bright light in front of me. The gateway to freedom from this darkness was just within reach. "Help!" A young woman''s scream, probably in her teens or early twenties, came from behind me. My run started to weaken, lost strength, slowed down, and the distance I covered with each step decreased. But the light, my gateway to freedom, remained larger. "Help!" That woman''s scream was heard again. I didn''t recognize the voice, not a friend, not a sibling, not a family, or anyone I''ve met before. Then, I was no longer running. Then, I was just walking quickly. The light of gateway to freedom was still visible, although it was no longer growing larger. "Help!" That woman''s scream was heard again, sounding closer and closer. My fear and desire to break free from this fear slowly faded each time I heard those screams. Then, I was no longer walking fast. Then, I was just walking. I could clearly see what was behind the gateway to freedom filled with soul-warming light. "Help!" The woman''s scream was heard again, now sounding very close. I felt the long, thin, cold fingers gripping my ankles. Then, I was no longer walking. Then, I was standing still. The light gradually dimmed, but I could still pass through it, just a step away before I was free. For some reason, my legs couldn''t move anymore. I desperately wanted to escape that deadly darkness towards the living light ahead. But I couldn''t. I looked at my feet and clearly saw two hands gripping my ankles tightly. I followed those hands to find their owner. Then, I could clearly see her arms, then her shoulders, and then her face. The woman''s face looked clean, without any spots or marks even though it was very pale. I looked into her shiny yet sad eyes, showing a mix of fear and despair. Her wide and trembling smile begged for help, for whatever scared her. I had never seen her face before, except for that familiar smile. It was as if I had seen that smile hundreds, no, even thousands of times. I felt confusion inside my heart. I didn''t know what to do. No one has ever asked for help from a loner and weird guy like me. I wanted to help her, but I was so afraid of losing the fading light ahead. "Help!" That wasn''t a scream anymore coming from his dry, thin mouth; it was just a faint trembling that sounded incredibly vulnerable. What should I have done? Helped her and figured out how we could save ourselves? Or left her and escaped through the narrow gap of light, carrying the constant weight of guilt in my heart. There was no time to think. I had to choose one. I knelt down, reached out with both of my hands, gripping the her hands. Unfortunately, when I lifted both of her arms to help her stand up so I could carry her, what I found was the opposite. Both of the her hands was cut off, and then I was just holding onto her arms. No time to scream, no time to think, no time to run. I fell into darkness. ### I opened my burning eyelids, blinded by the glaring light. My squinting eyes attempted to locate the source of the glaring light, but I found nothing except my messy, empty room with no one around. Somehow, the glaring light began to dim. I scanned my room once more, observing each corner. On the left, my study desk with an untidy chair ¡ªthere was Desmon, sleeping. Next to him was my bedroom door, the key hanging on it, uncertain if I had locked it. Shifting to my right, I found my gadgets and equipment. Lastly, I glanced toward the window situated on the upper right near my head. I had forgotten to close it. I blink my eyes a few times. I don''t know what I felt at that moment, but I feel like wanting to keep looking at every corner of my room over and over again. Maybe after about seven or eight times, my soul finally gathered, and I became aware that I could only move my eyes. My body was once again stiff. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The light that had awakened me from my nightmare had disappeared; my room was surrounded in darkness. The hair on the back of my neck had turned into sharp thorns piercing my bed and pillows, gripping them tightly. Rows of hair on both my arms stood on end, just like on my legs. I consciously understand what''s happening, an unwelcome presence. The darkness surrounded my room, the silence within that darkness, the freezing cold from the open window, and now the sensation of thirst back. I hadn''t had a chance to drink earlier, because to Dr. Klio''s visit, so I could understand my thirst. Yet, the three other death auras still scare me. Only one remained, the foul odor. I hoped I hadn''t smelled the foul odor, at least for tonight. I hoped for a warm night, at least for tonight. I hoped for noise disturbing my sleep, at least for tonight. I hoped my lamp would shine so bright it pierced my eyes, at least for tonight. I hoped my thirst would disappear, at least until tomorrow morning. I closed my eyes once more. The desire to inspect every corner of my room returned. I don''t know why it was so hard to ignore this strange desire. Reluctantly, I slowly opened my eyes again. My wish came true. I don''t smell any bad odor. The cold of the night air was replaced by warmth throughout my body. The silence was broken by the barking of dogs. My lamp now shined brightly as usual. Now I can see clearly, my closed bedroom window and my study desk with an empty chair, neatly arranged. Was something odd? Of course, who had closed my bedroom window and tidied my desk, plus, where Desmon at? The oddity didn''t take long to be answered. A translucent woman was sitting on my belly. Beside her was Desmon, leaning against her shoulder. I couldn''t recognize her because her face was covered by thick hair. Yet, I knew who she was. The death aura that I thought had disappeared earlier turns out it hasn''t disappeared, it just transformed into the form of death itself. The translucent woman radiates her captivating aura, but at the same time also radiates a terrifying death aura. I could only hope this was all just a dream. A dream like the nightmares I''ve recently experienced, whether in the hospital or in my room a while ago. But, once again, I was wrong. The translucent woman moved her neck and head to face me. Yes, she was the ghost girl. However, her face was now more vibrant, though her appearance remained the same. Yet, the loss of paleness in her face made her look more human, except, of course, for being translucent. The ghost girl stared at me for a few minutes. I couldn''t look away from hers for several minutes either. Yet, our eyes didn''t exchange a word. Slowly but surely, the ghost girl''s mouth began to move. Slowly but surely, her eyes met mine. As far as I remembered, the last time the ghost girl looked at me and displayed her smile, I was frozen, and my nightmares began from that moment. So, without waiting for my brain to command me, I closed my eyes. I managed to shut my eyes and avoid eye contact with her. Yet, unfortunately, my wish to reopen my eyes emerged, and it was very difficult to ignore. Once again, I reluctantly opened my eyes. And once again, I made eye contact with her. The ghost girl smiled at me again. But unlike before, I felt a warm sensation behind her smile. "Thank you," those words came out in a faint tremble from her still-smiling lips. ### "Hey, are you awake now?" Desmon''s voice brought me out of my strange dream. "Yes" I replied casually. I knew Desmon was still talking to me, his voice was clear. However, I ignored it. The recent incident was truly disturbing. No, it didn''t make me scared anymore, Instead, I''m now confused. I got up from my bed. My body felt fresh again, and the paralysis I experienced before seemed completely gone. I walked around my room, checking something I wasn''t sure about or searching for what, I couldn''t identify. "Um... Robert? Are you paying attention to me?" Desmon''s annoying face suddenly appeared right in front of me out of nowhere. Again, I ignored him. But now, I wasn''t checking anything. I just sat on my chair. "Robert? You''re Robert, right? Hello!" It was Desmon''s annoying face again. "Yeah... yeah... what''s up?" I grumbled. "You haven''t been listening to me? What''s wrong with you?" "Did you feel something strange?" "The death aura, you mean? I''ve been telling you about that," Desmon was flying into the ceiling of my room. He loved lying there, claiming it gave him an easy view of my entire room. So, if anything odd, like a ghost trying to intrude and disturb me happened, he could easily prevent it. Thanks for that, but I felt uneasy when he did that while I was lying in my bed. "Yeah, but it''s more than that." I told Desmon about what happened in my dream, the same one I had while I was in the hospital, except for a woman who asked for my help. My story continued with the recent event ¡ªwhether a dream or reality, I didn''t know. The appearance of the ghost girl, I tried to explain to Desmon how odd it was. Initially, I felt fear, but the ghost girl''s smile was different, not as terrifying as at the tutoring center. However, no matter how I explained it to Desmon, he was as confused as I was. Either he was confused by my complicated explanation or because the ghost girl didn''t fit the typical description of a Phantom we knew so far. "I felt her death aura so strongly," Desmon''s eyes still wide, although I could sense he was trying to suppress his tone to avoid sounding scared. "But seriously, did I lean on that ghost girl?" "Seriously, like a couple." We continued our conversation with some jokes and attempts to scare each other. But still, we were puzzled as to why the phantom which was reported to be highly dangerous, came to us and even thanked us without leaving any sign of danger. "It seems like only Ryan can help explain all this. But where did that kid go?" Desmon blurted out in the middle of his joke about dating that ghost girl, saying it''s interworld dating. "Actually, besides Ryan, there''s one more person we forgot, but maybe she also know about it." I tried to put on a serious face, but whether it worked or not, I couldn''t tell. "Who?" "Chloe. The ghost girl had been staring at Chloe all the time, but since the incident at the tutoring center, the ghost girl hasn''t been seen with Chloe." "Wait...how do you know?" Desmon''s eyebrows shot up. "You mentioned earlier that you asked your ghost friends to visit my tutoring center, right?" "Yeah, and?" "They really did it, right?" "Of course. Why?" "They really entered that tutoring center. Did they meet Chloe?" "They definitely entered the tutoring place. I saw them entering the tutoring center myself. But whether they met Chloe or not, I don''t know. What''s this all about?" "If you personally saw it, did you see Chloe? Even from a distance?" "I saw her. Seriously, Robert, what''s going on?" "You didn''t feel the death aura from the phantom at all?" Desmon fell silent for a while, while I just smiled. Is this what it feels like to be the smart one? Is this what Desmon feels every time he teaches me something? "So, you mean the phantom has disappeared from Chloe?" Desmon asked, although his eyebrows weren''t raised anymore. But his face still showed his confusion to me. "Exactly, the ghost girl isn''t by Chloe anymore." "So, what does that have to do with us asking Chloe? Clearly, she can''t see it. Chloe also doesn''t show any odd behavior." "That''s precisely the oddity." I replied in a short and brief way, causing confusion for Desmon, I was sure. "Oh...I get it. Chloe has been constantly stared at and followed by that phantom, so she should feel disturbed by her presence, including sensing her death aura. But so far, Chloe has just been silent, as if nothing''s happening." Desmon didn''t seem as foolish as I thought. "Yes, exactly. Ryan seems suspicious, but he seems to sense the presence of the ghost girl in our tutoring class. Our tutors take shifts because they specialize in teaching one subject within their expertise, so perhaps they haven''t sensed the presence of the ghost girl yet. Meanwhile, Chloe, she''s always been with the ghost girl in the tutoring center all the time, at least how could she not feel the ghost girl''s presence? Isn''t that odd?" Desmon nodded in agreement. "So, it seems like we agree to focus our search on Chloe?" I suggested. "It''s better not to. We still need Ryan because he seems to understand phantom the most. Chloe, we''re unsure if she can see ghosts or not. So, you''re the only one who can interact with Chloe. Can you do it?" How stupid of me. I was used to interacting with two creatures at once, humans and ghosts, so I thought they were the same. I didn''t realize that Desmon was a ghost too, and Chloe was a human. Clearly, Chloe couldn''t see ghosts unless she had abilities like mine. The main issue now was how I could interact with Chloe without appearing weird to her. Actually, I didn''t care if I was considered weird by anyone, but from my experience, I learned that weirdo were often avoided by others. Because I wanted to dig for information from Chloe, I had to maintain my relationship with her for as long as possible, so I couldn''t look weird. In simpler terms, I couldn''t be myself. I had to change. Shit. If only I had human friends, this would probably be much easier. I had no other choice, I was now completely consumed by curiosity about who and what the purpose of that ghost girl was. "I''ll try." I replied. #### Last Contact, First Contact About four years ago, that was my last memory when I dared to have a conversation with a girl other than my family. At that time, I was working on a school project. I wasn''t alone, of course. Like any other school project, this one was meant to emphasize teamwork, or at least that''s what the school expected. My group consisted of five people, three boys and two girls. The two boys in my group were named Dani and Alax, and the two girls were Xhelone and Shappire. Dani and Alax were like true best friends. Whatever they did, they did it together ¡ªwhether it was eating, going to the restroom, skipping school, or not participating in group work. Yes, they often skipped group work, leaving me with just two girls to complete our project. Xhelone seemed diligent, at least in my opinion, because she always submitted all her school assignments on time, even though I never saw her working on them. However, Xhelone really helped us in completing our project by doing Dani and Alax''s parts as well, of course it required more time for her. Shappire was different from Xhelone. She wasn''t diligent, quite lazy in fact. She often submitted her school assignments late or sometimes didn''t submit them at all. However, what stood out the most and what both I and the teachers admired was her intelligence. We were lucky to have Shappire because she greatly assisted us in completing our project. The first meeting was a little awkward for me, being the only boy in the group. However, Shappire made it easy. Everyone received their tasks, allowing me to focus solely on my work without having to worry too much about interacting excessively with Shappire or Xhelone. On the other hand, Xhelone also seemed a bit awkward, but she could easily lighten the atmosphere, especially with Shappire. I thought maybe it was easier because they both were girls, but thinking about it again, it doesn''t seem so because I still couldn''t lighten the atmosphere as easily even with other boys. The next meetings went smoothly as well. Until one time when Xhelone was absent, not only from school but also from our project work. That day, Xhelone was absent from school again, but this time she returned to work with us. It was then that I saw a weak old man standing next to her, gently patting her head. Xhelone immediately explained the presence of the old man next to her ¡ªnot directly, of course. She probably didn''t even know that there was a ghost next to her. However, She explained that her absence was because of her grandfather''s recent passing, the grandfather who loved her the most. Too obvious, right? I tried my best to avoid eye contact with Xhelone''s grandfather, even avoiding looking at Xhelone. But it was hard to ignore something that you could see but others couldn''t. The following days, I kept doing the same thing, avoiding looking at Xhelone. I knew and I can say for sure that both Shappire and Xhelone noticed my changed behavior. It became evident with the rumors that were spreading between Shappire and Xhelone, implying that I might have disliked Xhelone. To prevent adding suspicion or spreading their gossip, or even worse, creating new rumors about why I didn''t want to look towards Xhelone, I had to glance at Xhelone from time to time. Turns out, the choice I made was really RoB. I don''t know where that idiom comes from, but its meaning turned out to be accurate for me. Maybe you''ve heard it before, but if not, let me explain a little. Imagine you''re in a restroom, and someone offers you a red tissue or a blue tissue. If you choose the red tissue, you''ll be stabbed to death by the ghost. But if you choose the blue tissue, you''ll be strangled to death by the ghost. In essence, no matter which tissue you choose, you''ll die. It was exactly like my situation, right? If I chose not to look at Xhelone, the rumors would spread, and I would gain a bad reputation. But if I chose to look at Xhelone, what happened was, would it be me making eye contact first with Xhelone''s grandfather, or even worse, Xhelone''s grandfather recognizing my ability. Then, the grandfather who loved his granddaughter so much would start talking to me. Responding to or ignoring Grandpa Xhelone''s words also proved the idiom "Red or Blue" for me. If I chose to ignore him, he could escalate by disturbing me or even harming me, possibly taking control of my body. However, if I respond to him, he''d probably get hooked and keep talking to me all the time or even ask for help in communicating something to Xhelone. Although I hadn''t experienced it at that time, many people in Ghostpedia had shared such experiences. And it was true. I looked at Xhelone, and unintentionally, I made eye contact with her grandfather. After that, Xhelone''s grandfather spoke to me about many things. I tried my best to respond without being noticed by Xhelone and Shappire. Everything was going smoothly so far, even though the two of them looked at me differently, as if I were a person with a mental disorder. However, that situation changed when Xhelone''s grandfather asked me to tell something to Xhelone. I repeatedly declined, but he seemed determined to try to take over my body to tell it himself. So, reluctantly, I accepted it. The message was simple and common, so I thought it would be safe to tell. "Eat a lot, drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest, take vitamins, study hard, and pray a lot." That was the message, quite common, right? I wrote it on a piece of paper. I intended to tell the message to Xhelone in two ways. The first was to tell her directly. The function of the letter was for me to memorize it. The second way was just to give her the letter. I thought the second method was much easier and required minimal interaction, making it safer. So, when Xhelone and I were alone, I quickly gave her the paper. Fortunately, she accepted it without saying much. I immediately continued working on that project again. "Who is this message from, Robert?" Xhelone asked. Without thinking too much, and because my mind was back focused on the school project, I simply answered, "Your grandfather, Nhiel." Xhelone immediately ran away to hide. I was confused about what happened. But it was explained when Shappire arrived. Xhelone warned Shappire to stay away from me, saying I was friends with a demon. Xhelone was so sure because the message on the paper was exactly the same advice that her grandfather always gave her. I thought it was exactly the same if indeed Xhelone''s grandfather had given that advice. But my mistake was not in the message itself. After reading it, Xhelone didn''t run away, if you remember. Xhelone also added another piece of evidence that I was friends with a demon because I knew her grandfather''s name was Nhiel even though Xhelone never mentioned her grandfather''s name to anyone. I''m screwed. Shit, Nhiel. Since then, nobody wanted to be close to me, and some of them were even scared just by looking at me. I was isolated in school because of that, and I ended up having no friends. There were a few who had been my friends, but it ended because they either bullied me, used me, or were disapproved by their parents. Like my friend named Hekael, his parents even transferred him abroad so that he couldn''t meet me again. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Since then, I became even more isolated than before, more solitary. Especially with girls, I hardly ever talked to them again, except when necessary at school, and even then, they were afraid, and some even fainted. ### That day, I managed to convince my mother to let me attend my tutoring session. Not forgetting, I also asked Desmon to come along with me. Desmon actually suggested bringing one of his female ghost friends to help me communicate with Chloe. I didn''t refuse, but for some reason, whether human or ghost, all women still didn''t want to be friends with me. This made me anxious again, but Desmon encouraged me once more. "It''s easy, just say what you''re thinking. Be yourself, but don''t talk about ghosts," Desmon''s advice, which we both knew was a clich¨¦ advice that might be correct less than one percent of the time. During the trip, I planned, arranged, practiced, revised, replanned, rearranged, practiced again, and revised again the opening line I would use when introducing myself to Chloe. The rhythm of my heartbeat echoed loudly, similar to the sound of war drums in my ears. I was sitting in the front seat beside my mother in the car, in the midst of a not-too-scorching yet non-rainy midday. However, I could feel the flow of water rushing rapidly from my wrist towards my palm like water streaming from a mountain to a lake. I didn''t know what I wanted to do or what goal I wanted to achieve. But I had been continuously tapping my hands on my knees. Even now, the knee part of my pants looked as if it had spilled water. I was nervous. Extremely nervous. And I knew it. Not only me, but Desmon also knew it. "Relax, buddy. Relax. You want to meet a girl, not a phantom," Desmon''s attempts to calm me down only made me more anxious. It was useless. "Are you okay, honey?" My mother asked, noticing my state, which I hadn''t been aware of. "Nervous," I replied shortly. "Do you want to go back? It''s okay if you want to go back, I can turn around." "No need, Mom. Let''s just move," I said, trying to smile at my mother, although I wasn''t sure if I was smiling or displaying a different expression, "As I said, if I miss tutoring, I could fall behind in all my lessons. So let''s just go to the tutoring center, okay?" "Okay. But wipe your sweat first." I did what my mother asked, but the sweat kept flowing. ### When at the tutoring classroom, there was only me. Both of us already knew Ryan had disappeared somewhere, while Chloe seemed to be running late. It had been twenty minutes since the session started, and there was still no sign of Chloe. Was she not coming? Or had she quit the tutoring? But if she had quit, why was her name mentioned on the attendance list? I didn''t know. Forty minutes had passed, and there were only twenty minutes left before the session ended, yet Chloe hadn''t shown up. My nervousness began to fade when there was still no sign of Chloe''s presence. My tutoring session finally ended with Chloe''s absence. Where did she go? Did she disappear like Ryan? Or maybe she just had some ''ordinary'' urgent matters? I didn''t know. Actually, from what I observed ¡ªif I remember correctly, Chloe wasn''t the type who enjoyed studying. Going to school or tutoring might just be for her to find friends. So after several days of both Ryan and me not being here, maybe she felt like she didn''t have any friends here, so she decided not to come anymore. Who knows? After my tutoring session ended without Chloe''s presence, I lost all enthusiasm for the next session. Remember, my goal was to meet Chloe to find out about the ghost girl. So because my goal wasn''t achieved, I decided to go home. Before leaving, I messaged my mom to ask for a pickup and, of course, the reason why I didn''t want to attend the second session. I could have gone home by myself, and usually, I did go home without being picked up. But I had already promised my mom to ask for a ride in exchange for her allowing me to attend the tutoring. My mom was still worried about me. But without her knowing, I was actually kind of looking for trouble by trying to find out about that ghost girl, which people and Desmon considered very dangerous. Rebellious? While waiting, I browsed the internet for more information about the phantom. Nothing was trustworthy, and many wrote nonsense about the phantom. Why was information about the phantom so hard to find? I didn''t know. "Sorry, the session is over, right?" The voice of the girl came from the door. She was still wearing vibrant-colored clothes, but this time more towards red and green. "Y... yes...," It seemed like there was a slight nervous system disorder from my brain to my mouth. "Hm... You''re Robert, right?" The girl continued as she stepped forward, step-by-step of her long and slim legs. "Y-yes..." My nervous system disorder got worse. It seemed like I needed to see a doctor. "Oh, hey. How are you? Where have you been? Haven''t been here for a long time? I thought you were smart, that''s why you didn''t come to the tutoring." The girl then took a chair in front of my table, turned around it, and sat down. Now we were talking face-to-face, closer. When I looked closely, the girl wore two layers of clothing. The first layer was shiny and yellowish-white, while the second layer was made of quite thick fur ¡ªdidn''t she feel hot? The accessories she wore was quite varied, from rings on both her ring fingers and one on the middle finger of her right hand, bracelets on both her wrists, and a necklace around her neck. But they all had one thing in common: they were all made of sparkling gems or glass ¡ªI didn''t really understand accessories. Besides the accessories, I could clearly see she was using earphones in her right ear. I didn''t know what she was listening to, but from this close, I could hear the music she was playing, although very faintly in my ears. Her aroma was quite soothing, with a blend of citrus, lavender, and rosemary. But there was one thing familiar about the girl''s face. Her eyes seemed like someone who was still sleepy but had to wake up because something was important, especially the dark bluish area beneath her eyes. Her smile was also sweet but seemed forced. Maybe she didn''t actually want to go to tutoring, but her parents forced her to. "Do you want an orange?" She offered, peeling an orange. "Eh, no thank you." The nervous system disorder was fixed. Somehow, seeing her comfortably talking to me without fear made me feel comfortable as well. "So, how?" "How? What do you mean?" "Ah... You didn''t pay attention to people talking earlier? I asked earlier, how are you? Where have you been? Haven''t been here for a long time? I thought you were smart, that''s why you didn''t come to the tutoring." "Oh... Sorry... I didn''t hear it earlier. I was..." Before I could answer, she interrupted me. "Not hearing or mesmerized by looking at me?" Again, her smile looked sweet, but this time it didn''t seem forced. "Uh..." What should I say? Yes or no? Would she be offended if I said no? Would she actually be offended if I said yes? "Hahaha... I was just kidding, go ahead and answer." "Hehe..." I laughed along, but very softly, "So, I''m okay for now. Before, I was sick, so I couldn''t attend the tutoring." "Oh, really? What kind of illness?" "I don''t know, I forgot the disease''s name." Honestly, I didn''t know if I forgot or if Dr. Klio hadn''t told me the disease''s name. "Well, thank goodness you''re recovered and back here. Unlike Ryan, he just left without a word. So, it''s just me. And it''s not good to study alone, you know why?" "Why did Ryan leave? Or why is it not good to study alone?" "Just ignore him. I also don''t really like him, he''s too mysterious and weird." "Weird, why?" "I said just ignore him, why you ask about him?" "Sorry... I was just curious because it''s been a long time since I haven''t been here, so maybe there''s some info I missed." "By the way, do you have an FWC account? Maybe you can add me, so we can chat later?" The girl asked while taking out her rollable smartphone. "Sure, here''s my account name..." I shared my account and added hers to my friends list. This was the first time someone asked for my social media account. Even she looked confused because the number of my friends was less than ten, judging from her slightly raised eyebrows when seeing my profile on FWC. We continued our conversation on the topics of the subjects I had missed. Opposite to my previous assumptions, this girl was very smart. How could she not be smart, she could memorize and explain complicated formulas and theories. So, why was she attending tutoring? My earlier assumption seemed to be correct, she was just looking for friends at tutoring. Without realizing, we had been chatting for more than 20 minutes, equivalent to eating 8 oranges. How did I know? Because the girl herself counted how many oranges she had finished. "Sorry, the oranges are gone. So I''ll go to the cafeteria first." She said. I glanced at my smartwatch for a moment, which blinked. Turns out, it was a message from my mom saying she''s arrived. "Sure, I also want to go home, my mom has come to pick me up." "Oh, Alright. So, goodbye, Robert." She waved her hand with a smile. "Bye, Chloe." #### On The Bridge I officially added a new schedule to my daily routine. Apart from playing games, watching movies, reading books, browsing the internet ¡ªespecially Ghostpedia, and chatting with Desmon, aside from my duties as a student such as going to school, studying, or more precisely, doing school assignments and attending tutoring sessions, now I also chat with Chloe. Chloe is quite cool, she doesn''t make me feel like I''m a weirdo. In fact, Chloe is someone who doesn''t judge others. If you remember, I assumed she was someone who just wanted to find a friend. And I was right. So, the day after we became friends on FWC, I accidentally once mentioned that Chloe was my first friend. Even though I had other friends before her, but everything changed when someone called me weird. Chloe replied that she doesn''t think anyone is weird just because they''re different. That''s when Chloe started telling me about how she had met and befriended many people from various different backgrounds such as different cities, countries, nationalities, beliefs, races, economic classes, and education levels. Chloe even mentioned having friends from different worlds. Different worlds? Do you think that refers to the ghost world? I also thought about that, but apparently not. The world Chloe meant was a gaming world, a kind of Virtual World game where you play a character in that world and interact with other people and NPCs entirely controlled by AI. "How was it? Did you already tell him?" Desmon asked, appearing behind me without me noticing. When I shared Chloe''s story about her being open-minded, Desmon urged me to be completely honest with Chloe and tell her that I can see ghosts. How rude, indeed. Actually, Desmon knows clearly when was the last time someone else found out I can see ghosts, I''ve told him that multiple times. Can''t he understand that I have some sort of trauma or fear about what might happen if others know about my ability to see ghosts? What if I tell him to go to school? Will his school trauma not show up? Annoying. But on the other hand, I understand. That ghost girl, or phantom, hasn''t just been bothering me but has also scared Desmon. A ghost being scared by a phantom? Sounds quite weird. At least, even though we might not be free from phantom''s bother or fears, if we get to know it better, perhaps we can adapt. It''s similar to my ability, I can''t be free from ghost bother or fears because of this vision, but now that I''ve gotten to know ghosts better, I''ve not only adapted but even made a ghost my friend. And one way for us to get to know phantom is by gathering information about it. Unfortunately, we only have two most reliable sources regarding phantom ¡ªthough this isn''t certain yet. The first way is to ask Ryan, but unfortunately, we lost track of Ryan. The second way is to ask Chloe. So, I understand why establishing communication with Chloe has become so important here. Therefore, Desmon urged me to hurry up and tell Chloe that I can see ghosts, so I can start asking about that ghost girl. But Desmon''s rushed attitude could backfire if after I tell her about my ability, Chloe ends up distancing herself from me. "Yeah, wait. Hold on a sec," I declined. "Why is it taking so long? If you said she''s open-minded, it shouldn''t be a problem. You know we''re running out of time before that phantom returns, right?" Desmon grumbled while turning my chair around. I looked into Desmon''s eyes, he seemed angry. "But you also can''t answer, what if after I tell her, she just distances herself? We''ve lost Ryan. So, let''s not lose Chloe." "How long are you going to wait? We could be killed by the phantom if you keep delaying." "Okay, okay. After school, I''ll tell her. I''ll think about how to tell her at school." I got up from my chair, and when I saw my mom had taken out her car, a sign she was ready to take me to school. "Alright, I''ll come with you," said Desmon. "No. You just search for information about Ryan. Let me handle Chloe," I requested. I immediately left the room and closed the door, I didn''t need to wait for Desmon''s approval. ### My school is located in a different sector, although the distance isn''t too far. My school is located in the Les Cervelle Rose sector, which, because it was too hard to say, many people refer to as Lecer or just LCR. Lecer is known for its traffic jam, despite having almost no permanent residents in the sector. After World War III, Lecer was repurposed exclusively as an academic area where the center of knowledge resides. So, you can understand that my school is top-tier school, which means the burden I carry is quite heavy. Normally, the trip from home to school takes about 15 minutes if we can access the school''s exclusive lanes. But if those lanes are closed or under maintenance, like today, it takes around 40 minutes because we have to go through the main public bridge that connects many sectors. But today seems different. The streets appear much more congested, almost at a standstill. I looked in every direction ¡ªfront, back, left, right, up, down¡ª everything was filled with vehicles heading to their own destinations. It''s not usually this congested unless it''s a long weekend or holiday season. My mom has made more than two calls already since we started moving again, but it didn''t last long. The roads were at a complete standstill. But even with thousands of vehicles, I sensed silence. No honking or the typical sounds of vehicles. Yeah, all vehicles today were definitely noiseless, but there are still people who have mental disorder that make their vehicles very noisy. I turn off my mom''s car AC after I see her rubbing her body and smoke coming out of her mouth. I also felt this coldness starting to bother me. But isn''t cold air better than hot air when you''re in a closed space? Heat would make it harder to breathe. About ten minutes after being stuck on the bridge and after my mom had called five people, she decided to take a quick nap until we were out of the bridge, so she activated the autopilot. I usually use trip time to get some extra sleep, but right now, I don''t need it. What I need is extra time to find information about that ghost girl. I''ve assigned Desmon to search for information about Ryan, so my task is simply to chat with Chloe. Unfortunately, Chloe is currently inactive on FWC. So, I''m just looking out for the traffic jam, who knows, I might find the source of this unusual congestion. I looked out the window to my right. Big dark clouds were moving toward us, a sign of heavy rain ¡ªor even a storm if the clouds were that massive¡ª is about to happen. Luckily, I''ve prepared all the necessary equipment to face the storm, from raincoat to an umbrella drone and an waterproof bag. The movement of those clouds is super fast, not like how clouds usually move. From the distance and speed, I predicted that we''d be hit by that rainstorm while still on this bridge. Of course, the air will get colder. Of course, we''re stuck in traffic longer because vehicles tend to slow down when it''s dark and raining heavily. The AI sensors aren''t advanced enough to see through both darkness and heavy rain. Shit. I should have arrived about twenty minutes ago. I know I''m definitely going to be late for school, but I received an announcement from my school app notification that the school''s start time was delayed by thirty minutes due to the traffic. But even with the delay, I''ll still be late, maybe even miss the first class. My initial plan was, upon arrival at school, to have about 10 minutes before the first class bell rings, so I could order food and eat in class. I really miss the taste of the ramyeon sold by the Korean aunties. But all my plans were canceled because of this congestion. And shit, now I''m feeling hungry because I haven''t eaten anything this morning. The autopilot slowly moved our car forward whenever there was a gap. Although we could have gotten a few gaps, but because our car''s autopilot had a low-level priority, we had to give way to other cars whose autopilot had a higher priority. We were finally close to getting off the bridge after being there for about 25 minutes. The big dark clouds carrying the heavy rainstorm were just a few meters away from where my car was, but the rain had already started pouring heavily. The cold air and darkness began covering us, plus the silence of the autopilot cars. And my stomach started growling, demanding food. Our car''s autopilot was turned off, and my mom was now fully awake to take over driving again. Just a few minutes before my mom and I entered the empty lane toward my school, just moments before we were free from this traffic jam. I, who had been looking around, saw an odd sight, and right then, all the hair on my body stood on end. Not just one or two, but I saw about a dozen eerie black figures, far back between the bridge''s center. These black figures faced toward my left side area, that still bright before it was covered by the dark clouds. "BOOOMM!!" A white lightning bolt struck behind us. It was blinding, so I couldn''t pinpoint its exact location. The sound was deafening, and I could even feel the vibrations in our car. When my eyes and ears began to recover from that terrifying lightning, I noticed that some car windows were shattered. Even our car''s window had cracked. I realized something odd from behind us, exactly from the direction of those black figures, so I looked back at them. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Now, I could clearly recognize one person. She stood, or more exactly, flew above the car. Her hand pointed forward as if commanding the black figures to leave or attack something. The girl''s clothing wasn''t like usual, which is vibrant and full of colors, but now she was wearing dark and quite tight clothes that showed off her body curves. When she turned her face toward me ¡ªwhether she actually looked in my direction or not¡ª I could clearly see her face, confirming my assumption that the girl was none other than Chloe. What''s happening? What is Chloe doing there? Who are the mysterious black figures? And, most importantly, am I the only one seeing them? Or can everyone else see them too? I turned my gaze to the left, curious about where Chloe was directing those black figures. What I found was even more shocking, Ryan. There was no mistaking it, that was Ryan, the one Desmon and I had been looking for. He seemed surrounded by the black figures. But it wasn''t just Ryan, he was accompanied by a few others. They all seemed to be in some kind of fight. What''s happening here? Who are they, really? Are they just ordinary teenagers? Are they secret agents or superhumans? Is there some sort of secret war going on like in movies? I can''t be sure. Especially since lightning kept striking, worrying my mom. So, when my mom saw the chance for us to be free from the traffic and enter the lane toward my school, she took it without hesitation. Then, she pressed the accelerator as hard as she could. We sped away from all those strange events or the secret war between Chloe and her shadowy forces against Ryan and his friends ¡ªmaybe that''s what was really happening, hehe. But among all the questions swirling in my head and the confusion about what really happened, at least I could answer one question. I''m the only one who can see them, or at least my mom clearly couldn''t see them because she kept talking about the lightning, rain, cracked car window, and our lateness to school. Not a single mention of the black figures, the person flying, or the battle Ryan was facing. Who exactly are you, Chloe? And who exactly are you, Ryan? ### Thankfully, my school is very understanding. All classes before the first break were canceled because almost all students and teachers were stuck in traffic. So, I had time to grab some food before the next class started. I couldn''t understand what my teacher was teaching at all. Maybe it was because I was stupid, or my mind was filled with Chloe and Ryan and what happened to both of them. My social studies teacher was replaced by an economics teacher, but my mind remained unchanged. I was still thinking about the incident at the bridge earlier, so much so that I didn''t pay attention during the economics class either. The second break bell ring. My teacher was the first to leave the classroom, followed by my schoolmates one by one. Now, there was only me alone inside the classroom. I really wished Desmon could be here. There were so many things I wanted to tell him and ask him. But I knew he couldn''t enter the school as long as he still had his trauma. Actually, Desmon wasn''t entirely unable to enter the school. If you remember, my first meeting with Desmon happened at my school. I once asked Desmon about it, and he answered. According to Desmon, he wasn''t entirely in control at school. In fact, he had previously harmed some students before I came. Desmon also emphasized that he could have harmed my friends, Ken and Nevo, if it hadn''t been for my presence that drew his attention. So, my presence saved Ken and Nevo. Based on Desmon''s story, I think Desmon could enter the school grounds as long as I accompanied him, because my presence could draw his attention and prevent him from losing control. But Desmon refused, especially considering that after the incident with Ken and Nevo, everyone at school, including my teachers, blamed me for the students Desmon had hurt. Perhaps it left an impact on Desmon, and he still feels guilty towards me. I sat quietly for a few minutes in the empty classroom. With no friends around, I opened my smartphone to message Chloe, trying to find out what she had actually been doing on the inter-sector bridge earlier that morning. However, my chat history with Chloe suddenly disappeared. Not only that, Chloe was no longer friends with me. Even when I searched for Chloe''s account, it was as if her account never existed on FWC. This only added more questions in my head about who the real Chloe was. As I couldn''t gather information through Chloe, whose account suddenly disappeared. I decided to browse Ghostpedia. But only the homepage loaded before my smartphone suddenly shut off at the same time as the school''s power outage. Seeing the dark classroom conditions, I couldn''t understand why everything became so dark even though it was still daytime. I knew there was still sunlight, but it felt insufficient to lit up my classroom. I stood up to leave the classroom, but a cold hand grasped my shoulder as I did. The hand pushed me back into my seat. The owner of the hand, with a pale yet somewhat colorful face, walked past me, moved the chair in front of my table, turned it around, and sat on it. "Hi, Robert." Her voice sounded alive, unlike before, when it was terrifying, almost ghost-like. But this time, her voice sounded more human. "Yo... you..." I struggled to put my words together, still in disbelief at what I was seeing. But at least I could move, especially my index finger, which I pointed at the ghost girl. "Yes, my name is Leina. We''ve met before, but this is the first time I''ve been able to talk, although briefly. So, I''ll get straight to the point. I want to thank you for saving me from the clutches of that cursed girl''s influence. Be careful of her because her deceit is much stronger than you can imagine. If you need something, don''t hesitate to call me." The ghost girl, or Leina as she introduced herself, spoke in a bit of a rush. Maybe she couldn''t speak freely to me because the phantom dimension and the human dimension are different. I wasn''t entirely sure. However, one thing for sure, now Desmon and I could get rid of Chloe and Ryan first because I already got the main source of information, Leina, or the ghost girl herself. Leina gave me a transparent paper, even more transparent than the items Desmon had in the ghost world. Perhaps it''s true that the connection between the phantom world is more closed off compared to the Ghost world, so items from the phantom world are much harder to feel and see. After giving me the paper, Leina disappeared again. Just before disappearing, I could still see her smile. The same smile as before, but this time much sweeter. Leina disappear, leaving warmth in my body and maybe throughout the entire classroom. However, she also left something puzzling, especially her words about the cursed girl. Who is the cursed girl Leina referred to? Is that cursed girl the one who had trapped Leina, turning her into a ghost girl or a terrifying phantom? Then what deceitful powers does the cursed girl possess, which Leina warned me about? It seems I have to ask Leina about this directly, but not now. Desmon also needs to know about this, so I called Leina later at my house. Right now, I just wanted to open the paper given by Leina to see if there were any specific requirements to call her, or maybe the paper actually had something else on it. As I was opening the paper from Leina, the power came back on. The voices of my classmates became closer, and right on time, the bell rang again, signaling the next class was about to begin. I continued to unfold Leina''s paper, there were only two folds. Strangely, the paper had nothing written on it, completely blank. I wondered if the ink was also transparent, making it hard for me to see, or if the paper was truly blank. Whatever it was, I couldn''t confirm it right now, as my classmates had started entering the classroom. So, I just folded the paper back and put it in my pants pocket. ### The bell rang ten minutes ago, but my mom hadn''t arrived yet. I glanced at the sky in every direction, there were no signs of dark clouds like this morning. The late afternoon sky was clear with a refreshing breeze. Shortly after, I spotted the lights of my mom''s car from the end of the street. As the car arrived, I immediately got in. Inside the car, I saw my mom sitting in the driver''s seat, talking on the phone while her hands were busy tapping the screen on the dashboard to activate the autopilot control towards our home. Unexpectedly, in the back seat, sat Desmon with a ghost girl whom I guessed was his friend he mentioned before. Without needing a signal or listening to Desmon, I knew I had to ignore their presence because my mom was there. So, I remained silent. "What''s wrong, honey? Did you see a ghost?" my mom asked. She had finished her phone call. "Nothing''s wrong." "Okay. Are you ready?" "Yes." We left my school and headed home. During the trip, my mom and I chatted ¡ªexactly, I stayed quiet while my mom kept talking non-stop¡ª about her workload, which was overwhelming and left behind because to severe morning traffic. The congestion had even made it to the news portals on various platforms and media. Meanwhile, Desmon and the ghost girl were talking about something not sneakily or whispering, but their voices were too soft compared to my mom''s voice and the radio''s sound. So, I could only faintly hear their conversation. I signaled with my hand to get Desmon''s attention, but it seemed unnecessary because after my mom finished venting all her work-related issues, she fell asleep. Meanwhile, our car continued to drive on autopilot control. I made sure my mom was really asleep before speaking to Desmon. But as usual, Desmon immediately started talking even while I was checking on my mom. "Hey, Robert. Did you see what happened this morning? By the way, this is Cherry, whom I told you about." I just raised my hand in greeting. She probably knew my name from Desmon, so I didn''t need to introduce myself directly. "So, at that time, Cherry told me she had seen Ryan. So, I decided to go to Cherry''s location. When I arrived there, because Cherry was frightened, I investigated on my own. I managed to follow it to the inter-sector bridge, honestly, I lost track of Ryan, but I sensed something strange, an extremely strong death aura. So, I followed that death aura. What shocking me was that Ryan was already there with some people I didn''t recognize, fighting against a black figure that I thought was a phantom." If there were a mirror, I would see my eyes widened and my mouth wide open. Everything I saw this morning was exactly as Desmon described. I retold the incident in my version to Desmon, starting from how I being stuck in traffic, seeing the dark clouds, the group of black figures, and Ryan and his friends fighting the dark figure. "But to me, that wasn''t a phantom. Because you said yourself that phantoms cannot be seen, even by ghosts, and you don''t have that power," I stated. "You''re right, but for your information, that black figure wasn''t a ghost either." "But definitely not a phantom." "I also actually thought they weren''t phantoms, but all the phantom characteristics were present in them. You know, the aura of vengeful ghosts accompanied by the aura of death." "I felt it too," Cherry finally joined our conversation. Desmon and I turned our attention to her, but it seemed to make her a little embarrassed as she slumped a bit in her seat. "Ummm... I mean, the death aura that Desmon described, like silence, darkness, coldness, thirst, foul odor." "You felt all that?" I asked to confirm. "Not everything, you know, ghosts don''t feel hunger and thirst. But I felt silence, darkness, and coldness." "You know, that could be because of the weather. There was a rainstorm and those massive dark clouds." "You''re right." Desmon agreed with my opinion, "But at least we know one thing, Ryan could see that black figure too. So, he definitely has abilities like yours, Robert." "Yeah." I replied, "But there''s one more thing I forgot to mention." Desmon and Cherry had prepared themselves to hear my next words. "Chloe. I saw Chloe among the black figures, seemingly giving commands to them to attack Ryan," I continued. "Are you sure? Could you have seen wrong? You yourself said your position was far enough from the center of the bridge, maybe you just got it wrong," Desmon questioned. "I don''t know, I wanted to message her and ask about it, but her FWC account and all our chat history disappeared. Maybe during our next tutoring session, I can ask her." "You haven''t asked where she lives?" "Not yet, didn''t get the chance." Desmon buried his face in his hands. "I told you not to put off. You didn''t want to listen to me. Now we''ve lost all clues." I tried to remain calm while taking out the paper from Leina from my pants pocket. "Relax, I got the main source," I said, showing the Leina paper to Desmon and Cherry, "I can call her to ask." "Hmm..." Desmon leaned closer to the Leina paper, and so did Cherry. Then the two of them looked at each other. "Why?" I asked. "Are you showing something?" Desmon asked. "I don''t see anything," Cherry said, nodding along with Desmon. "Seriously, you both don''t see this paper?" I moved my hand holding Leina''s paper towards them both, "This is the paper given by Leina, the ghost girl or the phantom." "Really," Cherry''s voice sounded like someone meeting their idol. "Yeah, you don''t see it?" I asked again to confirm. "No," Desmon replied, raising his hand and index finger towards something in front of my car. "Isn''t that Chloe?" I turned my body back towards the front of the road. I didn''t realize that we had already arrived at our home. The direction pointed by Desmon''s finger indeed led to a girl named Chloe, who at that moment was doing something, and somehow she knew the location of my house. She was standing right in front of my house as if waiting for me to come home. #### Chloe The notification that indicated we had arrived at our destination woke up my mom who was sleeping in the car. Just like Desmon and me, my mom was also surprised to see a girl in front of our house. Without waiting for my permission or asking me anything, my mom immediately opened the door and got out of the car. I followed her, opening the car door and stepping out. Meanwhile, Desmon, much like Cherry, a ghost, simply passed through the car. "Excuse me, who are you looking for?" My mom asked the girl. "Robert," Chloe turned her face towards me with a smile, then shifted her eyes to my mom, "Sorry, ma''am, I''m Robert''s classmate from the tutoring. My name is Chloe." My mom took a quick glance at me, then turned around and said, "Oh, his classmate. Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long, please come in." "Oh, it wasn''t long, ma''am. Thank you," replied Chloe. As my mom walked towards the door to open it and let Chloe in, I approached Chloe. "Um... how did you find my house?" I asked. I felt a bit uncomfortable with a sudden visit from a girl, so without thinking, I put my hands in my pants pockets. "Well, I found your house because I followed-" Chloe was about to answer my question, but my mom called us to come inside and chat. "It seems your mother is calling us inside. Can I come in?" "Of course, you''ve got my mom''s permission, so why not. But honestly, you''re the first girl to come to my house, so sorry in advance if you might feel a bit uncomfortable later." "Don''t worry. Just relax. Don''t be too stiff or nervous." I smiled and gestured for Chloe to go in first. Chloe seemed to have many friends of different kinds, and she was very friendly. Before going inside the house, I glanced over at Desmon. I could see Desmon and Cherry talking about something before Cherry left, and Desmon came over to me. "What''s up?" I asked Desmon, using our hand signals instead of speaking. "She wants to go home. By the way, did you invite Chloe in?" "It wasn''t me, it was my mom." "This is the first time you''ve got a guest. Want me to accompany you so it won''t be awkward?" Desmon smiled. It was a different smile this time, I was sure it was a mocking smile. Perhaps he never imagined a girl coming to my house, so he teased me about it. Who knows? "Sure." I walked until I stood in front of my house door. I checked out the scene in my living room. My mom was serving some drinks and snacks on the table in front of Chloe, who was already seated on my couch. They seemed to be completely absorbed in a conversation, discussing something. Meanwhile, Desmon, since nobody could see him, was lying down near my couch. Yeah, he did whatever he wanted, even in my room, he often lay on the ceiling. In the end, I decided to enter and close the door to my house. ### My mother didn''t chat for long with Chloe before deciding to go to her room. My mom said she was too tired after the long traffic jam and a stack of work. So, it was just Chloe and me in my living room, and Desmon, of course, if you consider the ghost there. I didn''t know what to do. I''ve never had a guest or a friend over at my house, especially female friends. Should I have asked about how she was doing first? Should I have asked about her trip to my house? Or should I go straight to the point and ask her how she found my address? Or was there a specific reason she came to my house? Yes, I know I already asked how she found my house, and Chloe was almost answering before being interrupted by my mom. But earlier, I asked automatically or unconsciously, shocked by the sudden appearance of a girl visiting my house. But now, I''m fully conscious. Wouldn''t it be weird if I asked the same question again? Wouldn''t it come off as pushy? Honestly, I was confused about where to start, so I just took a sip of the drink my mother provided. "Oh... I''m sorry." I realized the guest should drink first before the host, a mistake that could be fatally judged on my manners. "Please, have a drink and help yourself to the snacks." "Oh, sure. Thanks... About your question before..." Chloe said. Thanks to her understanding my confusion and starting the conversation first, whether she realized it or not. "...I actually saw you when you were on the bridge. But." Chloe abruptly stopped talking. I could clearly see her gaze not directed towards me but towards Desmon, who had changed position to stand beside me. I wasn''t sure if Chloe could see Desmon or if her gaze was coincidentally directed at him. "But what?" I replied, bringing Chloe back to reality. "Sorry." Chloe blinked a few times, then took a sip of the drink on the table before continuing to talk. "I mean, I followed your car to your school, and your mom''s..." It wasn''t meant to be rude or disrespectful, but her words made it sound like it was a normal thing, when in fact, she was openly admitting to stalking me. What did she actually want? Her explanation made me more suspicious. Was she a good person or a bad one? "Sorry," I interrupted. "Why?" she replied. "Um, well. Maybe I misheard earlier, or you misspoke, but did you say you followed my car?" I tried not to offend her. Maybe I misheard. "Oh, sorry. I didn''t mean it badly, but... uh... how do I explain this?" Chloe fell silent for a moment. She tilted her head, looking towards Desmon once again, then shifted her gaze to her glass and the snack on the table. I understood her struggle to begin her explanation. I''ve been there too every time I meet someone new and struggle with what to say during our first meet. Chloe now picked up her glass, drank from it, and placed it back. She blinked several times, along with deep breaths. "Maybe I should explain about ''vision'' first," Chloe finally explained, "Vision is a term for people who can see things that others generally can''t. Many refer to it as seeing ghosts, demons, spirits, supernatural beings, paranormal, or something of the sort." Chloe chuckled for a moment before continuing her explanation, "You might not believe in it or think it''s weird. It''s up to you. You''re free to believe whatever you want, and I can''t force it. But I have that ability." After her unexpected explanation, Chloe took her glass again, drank from it, and opened the snack wrapper, eating. Chloe also shifted her seating position, no longer facing me but the table in front, avoiding eye contact with me. I gave a faint smile. I was glad to finally meet someone like me, someone who could see ghosts. But on the other hand, I felt pity for Chloe. I knew how heavy it was for Chloe to have that vision because I experienced it myself. Seeing things that others couldn''t see wasn''t fun, especially if it was something terrifying and frightening. Moreover, support from the people around is crucial. So far, only my parents supported me with my vision, while everyone, including my school friends, either distanced themselves from me, feared me, or even bullied me. Yes, I''ve been through it all, and I was sure Chloe went through it too, based on how she''s acting right now. How could Chloe remain calm? Well, not exactly calm, she seemed clearly confused and nervous when admitting her ability. But if I were in her situation, I might have run away immediately. That''s why I never dared to reveal my ability consciously and willingly to anyone except my family. "I can actually see them too," I said, repositioning myself to face the table. From the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe turn her face towards me. She looked happy and started to display a faint smile. I was also happy, not because Chloe was happy, but because I found a friend who shared the same fate as mine. I''m sure anyone would be happy to meet someone with a similarity, whether it''s a shared hobby, taste, thoughts, or abilities. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Really?" Chloe asked, still facing me. "Yes. I''ve been seeing ghosts since I was a child." "Since you were a child? I started seeing ghosts when..." Chloe and I eventually shared our experiences about our own abilities to see ghosts. Turned out, Chloe was more experienced than me in seeing ghosts. She talked she had been able to see them since she was five, but at that time, she considered them as imaginary friends because to her parents'' influence, who thought it was just a child''s imagination. Just like my father believed about my case. Then the story shifted to when Chloe turned six. She experienced a tragic accident because to a fault in the car''s autopilot control system, causing her parents and older sister to die instantly, while Chloe incredibly survived with only minor injuries. At that moment, Chloe began to realize that what she had considered imaginary friends were actually ghosts because she could see her parents and sister beside her while she was in the hospital. Similar to how I explained my vision to my parents, Chloe also tried to explain her ability to her grandparents. However, like most people, Chloe''s grandparents only saw it as trauma from the accident, as diagnosed by the doctor. Chloe''s story then moved to her school years. Unlike me, who tended to be a coward and always hid my ability, Chloe dared to be open to her friends about her ability to see ghosts. However, as it seems to be a natural human behaviors, anyone who is different will face hatred. Chloe experienced somewhat the same fate as me. She was isolated, feared, bullied, and even experienced physical violence aside from the routine verbal abuse from those around her, not just her school friends but also teachers and other parents of students. At that moment during Chloe''s story, I had a thought. What do people actually want? Why are they so reluctant to accept others who are different from them? Are they scared? Disgusted by being different? Or what? Up to this point, I couldn''t find the answer. I didn''t just refer to Chloe and me, who have different abilities, but the history of humanity, especially the history of wars, has proven this. That''s why I dislike studying history. Going back, Chloe''s story now shifted to her hopes and what she did to achieve those hopes. Chloe''s hope was actually very simple ¡ªto have many friends. For people like us, who were isolated and hatred, having friends felt like a precious treasure. That''s why I was so enthusiastic and happy when I found out that Chloe also had the same ability as mine. However, I couldn''t express it, fearing I might overreact and annoy Chloe. The most major difference between Chloe and me lies in our actions to fulfill our hopes. I tended to be silent and distant from people because I was afraid they''d find out about my ability and eventually distance themselves or bully me. But not Chloe. She was actively involved in various social activities and school clubs to find as many friends as possible, and she didn''t hide her ability. "Sorry, I talked for a long time. Because it''s my first time meeting someone who has the vision ability," Chloe ended her story. She seemed to take a long breath. "Actually, you''re not the first, but I want to hear your story first." Not the first? Then who was the first person with the vision ability that Chloe met? I don''t know. Putting aside my disturbing thoughts, I began to tell Chloe about how I first got this ability. From meeting the terrifying old lady at the mall, my father''s death, where eventually my father believed I could see ghosts, meeting vengeful spirits, and to becoming friends with Desmon. Concerning Desmon, I wasn''t sure when he left, but I was sure I didn''t see him by my side anymore. I wanted to look for him, but I felt uncomfortable leaving Chloe to search for Desmon. So, let it be. Besides, it seems I''ve found a replacement for him. Furthermore, about Desmon as my ghost friend, I became curious if Chloe also had a ghost friend like how I had Desmon. I wanted to ask, but Chloe seemed to have drunk a lot of water since she asked for permission to use the bathroom. ### After accompanying and showing Chloe the bathroom, I walked to the kitchen to get my favorite drink from the fridge. Not forgetting, I also brought a few bottles to place on the table in the living room for Chloe later on. "Nah-nah, look who''s got a new sweetie!" An annoying sound from Desmon. I didn''t need to see his face directly, I could already imagine his annoyed smile, as if he was making fun of me. "What?" I responded, annoyed. "It seems like you''re going to have a girlfriend." I immediately closed the fridge door, turned around to face him, "Don''t be silly! She can see ghosts, you know. So, zip it!" "Yeah, I know, I heard it. That''s why I said." I was sure he was about to say something ridiculous again. So I gave him a fierce stare, sending the message. "Forget it. So, do you still need me?" Desmon continued. "Doesn''t seem like it," I replied, this time confident that I could have a casual talk with Chloe. I returned to my couch in the living room, carrying a few bottles of my favorite drink, while Desmon went to my room. ### Roughly, Chloe took about three times longer in the bathroom than I did. Finally, Chloe returned from the bathroom and sat back on the couch. "Eh... Chloe, go ahead and have a drink," I said. Unfortunately, I still found it confusing to start a conversation, even though I felt more at ease when the conversation had begun. "Yeah, thank you. By the way, I forgot to answer your question before because I got carried away with the storytelling." "Hmm... what question?" "''How did I know your house?'' Do you still need an answer?" Chloe asked, opening the bottle I''d provided and taking a sip. Chloe''s story had been so engaging that I didn''t even realize when Desmon left or remember my own question. Was this what it felt like to have a human friend to talk to? "Not necessary, but feel free to answer if you want." Truthfully, I still needed her answer, but again, having Chloe as a friend who shared my fate made me want to maintain our relationship. So, I thought it best to avoid anything that might make her uncomfortable, like avoiding any kind of pressure. "I''ll tell you, so you won''t misunderstand. But first, let me give you some context by sharing my story first." I held onto my drink as I listened to Chloe''s story. ### Based on Chloe''s story, my assumption about Chloe wanting to make friends or having many friends wasn''t limited to humans only. Chloe''s story also answered my question. Apparently, based on Chloe''s story, she had around a dozen ghost friends. Far more than I did, I only had Desmon as my ghost friend. Chloe seemed to be more ''social'' in both the human and ghost worlds compared to me. Furthermore, Chloe explained that her frequent interactions with ghosts had allowed her abilities to further develop. She could now enter the ghost world, although not entirely or for a long time. Hearing about entering the ghost world reminded me of Desmon''s explanation about my abilities. This confirmed what Desmon said. Also, Chloe explained that her interactions with the ghost world had led her to be affected by an death aura. The more she interacted, the stronger this aura became. For Chloe, the death aura she had wasn''t a big deal. She just used or did something that acted as the opposite of the death aura, which was the life aura. So, this explained why she always used vibrant colors, wore earphones playing music, always drinking even from the beginning when we were chatting, and did many other things. I began to understand her reasons for doing all of this. Chloe then moved on to the biggest mystery for me. She explained that her growing death aura could attract more vengeful ghosts and phantoms, and that was a big problem for her. Vengeful ghosts, as far as I knew, could harm, injure, or even kill humans. Chloe was aware of this. However, she had a solution. According to Chloe, phantoms were ghost entities and could be considered natural enemies of vengeful ghosts, despite sharing similar characteristics. Based on Chloe''s experiences, some phantoms she knew had protected her from attacks by vengeful ghosts. That''s why, Chloe heavily relied on phantoms for her safety from vengeful ghosts. However, at one point, according to Chloe, one of her phantoms disappeared. She worried it might have been because of the actions of vengeful ghosts. Therefore, she asked her other phantoms to search for the missing one. While listening to her story, I had already found answers to my previous question, but I also had some new ones. However, I didn''t say anything for now, I didn''t want to disrupt Chloe''s story. I was also happy seeing Chloe excitedly sharing her story, she looked so cheerful. Chloe''s story shifted to the incident at the inter-sector bridge earlier that morning. Chloe was indeed at the bridge when Ryan''s battle incident happened. But her explanation didn''t clarify whether the figure I saw commanding the mysterious being was her or not. While on the bridge, Chloe sensed the presence of her missing phantom. Oddly, according to Chloe, the phantom''s presence actually came from a strong life aura. So, Chloe decided to trace the source of that aura. In the end, Chloe found that the source of the life aura came from a car. Sneakily, Chloe followed the car, which finally stopped at a school. That was when Chloe realized that it was me emitting the life aura. "So, that''s why I followed your car until we met at your house," Chloe wrapped up her story. "Wow," I sighed several times after finally realizing I hadn''t been breathing while listening to Chloe''s story. "Hmm... I don''t know what to say." "Yeah, I understand. But I want to ask you, can you see phantoms?" Chloe turned her entire body towards me. "Wait a moment... let me catch my breath." I took a few deep breaths. There was too much information, and all of it was crucial. So, I needed a few extra seconds to think. After patiently waiting for me while she checked her smartphone, I finally answered, "Yes. I can see phantoms and have even met one." As if already knowing my answer, Chloe immediately followed up with her next question. "Leina? Is her name Leina?" "He..." I found it really hard to control my breath, it was so unsteady. "How did you know?" "Yeah, because she''s my phantom that disappeared." "Really?" "Yes. You definitely saw her for the first time when she was beside me, staring at me." "Wow," My breathing slowly became steady again. "You''re right. So, she''s your phantom." "Yup. It''s okay if Leina chooses you, I''m just worried because she suddenly disappeared." "Hmm... thank you. But don''t worry, Leina is fine, and she seems brighter now, not pale anymore." Chloe pressed her lips tightly and widened them slightly, smiling with a raised eyebrow as she heard about Leina''s condition. I was glad to see that Chloe felt relieved knowing about Leina''s condition. "By the way, if you can be friends with ghosts, is the ghost that was next to you your friend, Desmon?" Chloe changed the topic. "Oh, you saw him too." I wasn''t surprised that Chloe could see Desmon after hearing Chloe''s story, but never mind. "Yes, the one earlier was Desmon." "Where is he now? Did he leave?" "He''s in my room. Do you want to meet him? I can call him." "Nope... it''s not necessary. By the way, Robert, I''ve deleted my FWC account, so we can''t chat there anymore." Chloe changed the topic again. I wasn''t sure what she was trying to do, but I felt something odd. "Oh, I see. I knew this morning when I..." I remembered what happened this morning and also remembered that it hasn''t been explained yet, so I intended to ask Chloe about it. "Sorry, Robert, but I have an urgent matter to attend to, so perhaps we can chat another time. How about the day after tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Maneuvers Coffee Shop? Would that be okay?" Chloe quickly pulled herself together, finished her drink, stood up, and straightened herself. "Maneuvers Coffee Shop in the Ventus sector?" I asked to confirm. As far as I knew, there was only one coffee shop called Maneuvers in the Ventus sector, unless it had opened a branch or there was another coffee shop with the same name. "Yup, that''s right. 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. is fine too. I''m sorry, but I really have to go now." Chloe was already walking towards the front door of my house. I hurried to catch up, intending to open the door, but Chloe had already opened it herself. When at the front door, I saw a car parked in front of my house with a sign that read ''Let''s-Ride''. It turns out Chloe had already ordered an online transportation service without me realizing, maybe she ordered it while in the bathroom, that could explain why she took so long in there. Chloe waved goodbye, and I waved back. She was a cheerful girl, and her smile was quite sweet. #### Maneuvers I returned to my room. Once there, I found Desmon reading a book. "So, how was your date?" Desmon asked, his tone flat, but I could tell he was teasing me with a faint smile on his face, even though I couldn''t see it entirely. "Shut up!" My energy was used up after chatting with Chloe. I headed straight for my bed to lie down. "But seriously, what did you guys talk about?" This time Desmon''s tone wasn''t flat but felt more intense. His face didn''t display that thin smile anymore. I thought Desmon had listened in on our conversation. Especially when Chloe went to the restroom, he had teased me, mentioning he knew that Chloe could see ghosts like me. "Weren''t you listened in on me and Chloe?" I asked to confirm. "That was before you said you didn''t need me anymore. After that, I preferred to read a book in a room." Desmon leaned closer to me, "So, what did you guys talk about?" "Not much, just about vengeful ghosts, phantom, death aura, and life aura." I said, trying to shut my eyes to sleep. "Hello... Robert." Desmon said, this time I could feel the air coming out of his mouth when he talked. "You''ve realized this is the information we were looking for." "Yeah." "Then why aren''t you excited? What exactly did you talk about? Don''t make me curious. You know I could haunt you because I was curious." His breath felt colder against my face, bothering me. Bothered by the air coming from his mouth, I slowly opened my eyes. "Shit!!" Why was his face so close to mine? The distance between us might have been just three or four cm. I pulled my hand then aimed it at Desmon''s body, pushing him away with all my strength to distance his face from mine. "Why are you so close, bothering me?" Desmon didn''t resist at all. He finally moved his chair away and sat further from me. "That''s what happens when you ignore me. Tell me what you talked about." Desmon replied. As I didn''t want him to come close again, especially to touch my face, I reluctantly told him what Chloe and I had talked. I wasn''t sure where to start, but I clearly told everything Chloe had told me. This included how Chloe had developed her ability, gaining a stronger death aura the more she interacted with the ghost world. Then, my story shifted to Chloe being haunted by a vengeful ghosts and the phantoms trying to protect her. Later, one of Chloe''s phantoms disappeared, and it turned out to be a ghost girl named Leina, who had haunted us all this time. I also explained why Leina haunted me. According to Chloe, I had a life aura that attracted Leina''s attention. So, that was the end of my story to Desmon. "Done, aren''t you asking anything else?" Desmon asked. "There are a few things I want to ask, but she had to leave urgently. That''s why she asked me to meet again the day after tomorrow." "At what time? Where? Can I come with you?" Desmon always flooded me with questions. "In the late afternoon, around four or five. At Maneuvers Coffee in the Ventus sector. Honestly, I do need a friend, especially a human friend, as you know, it''s the Ventus sector." I said. "Are you sure? I mean, Ventus sector?" His voice weakened at the end when he said ''Ventus'' I knew he was concerned about me. After all, who wouldn''t be worried if someone close to them, whether a friend or family member, went to the Ventus sector? Among the eleven sectors in my city, there was only one that was known for its danger, and the entire nation was aware of its danger it is the Ventus sector. The Ventus sector had gained several nicknames, none of which had positive meanings, they all referred to violence and crime, criminal activities. One of its famous nicknames was the ''lawless sector.'' However, that was a few years ago before the government decided to revamp the Ventus sector. Started by forming a special unit to crack down on criminals there and secure the Ventus sector. Until four years ago, the government reduced the Ventus sector area, leaving only the central part of the Ventus sector. During this transformation, the Ventus sector was isolated from the outside world. But after the transformation was completed about two years ago, Ventus sector began attracting people, especially curious individuals who wanted to see the results of the government''s work and the majority of them were teenagers. In today''s social circles, there''s a term, "Live soaring high like the wind, die motionless like a stone." It roughly refers to two opposing sectors ¡ªthe Ventus sector, which means wind, and the Highrock sector, which means stone. Ventus was full of adrenaline-pumping activities, while Highrock was full of luxury, which some people, especially teens, found boring. Therefore, within two years, many restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and other entertainment venues emerged in Ventus, all designed to attract teenagers. Almost all these businesses could be considered successful. So, I completely understood why Chloe chose a coffee shop in Ventus as our meeting place. Especially considering Chloe was a social butterfly, had many friends, and probably one of her friends had invited her to that coffee shop, making her like the place. There was nothing wrong with that as it was a current trend. However, Desmon and I, who might be considered antisocial because to our lack of socializing, still found the Ventus sector terrifying. The sector''s image as a lawless sector was still firmly rooted in our minds and was hard to erase. "Yeah, that''s why I said I needed a human friend." I replied. "But you don''t have one, and neither do I." Desmon responded. "Why don''t you change the location to somewhere closer and, most importantly, safer?" Desmon''s words were correct, and I had already considered them. But I didn''t want Chloe to feel uncomfortable because we chatted somewhere she didn''t like. Maybe that was just my opinion, but better be careful, right? "That''s what I wanted, but I''m also curious about the Ventus sector. Is it safe or not? Besides, if I go to the Ventus sector, I might make more human friends." I replied, trying to look at the positive side of going to the Ventus sector. "Okay, it''s up to you. But I''ll definitely come with you. This is not a request." I smiled at Desmon. Desmon was indeed a caring friend. We continued our conversation about something else, something that could distract us for a moment from the issues of ghosts and phantoms, especially if it was a movie. But our conversation lasted less than half an hour before I became too tired and wanted to fall into a deep sleep. ### The journey from my home to the Ventus sector took more than an hour and a half, at least according to my map app. So, I decided to get ready and leave by 2 PM. I ¡ªand Desmon¡ª went using a car from the Let''s-Ride online transportation service. The safety was pretty good, so it made us feel calm at least during the journey. I don''t know if we felt calm or not when we made it to the Ventus sector. We traveled through the inter-sector bridge, the same one where the incident involving Ryan and the mysterious figure happened. However, this time, we took a different route than the one leading to my school. Actually, it took only forty minutes for us to reach the sector border and enter the Ventus sector. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The entrance gate to the Ventus sector appeared very tall and solid. As far as I knew, it was only the Ventus sector in my city that had an entrance gate and one of six sectors across the country to have one. The Ventus sector entrance gate looked old despite its new equipment and paint. This was because the gate had been revamped two years ago, at the same time with the government''s completion of the transformation process. Before the revamp and during the government''s transformation process, as far as I knew, there were news about checkpoints to enter the Ventus sector. But the checkpoints were indeed left out during the transformation, and the isolation policy was implemented by the government. Turns out, to this day, there are still no checkpoints to enter the Ventus sector. Who knows until when, or perhaps there will never be checkpoints again because the government now considers the Ventus sector to be safe. Who knows what policies the government will implement? I don''t know. Since there was no checkpoint, I could enter the Ventus sector without any trouble. Perhaps this is why many teenagers consider the Ventus sector as their hangout spot. No inspection means freedom, that''s what teens like. But that doesn''t mean my trip was entirely without any trouble. Although I entered the Ventus sector without a security check, but the traffic here was terrible. If you want to imagine how terrible the traffic is in the Ventus sector, imagine teenagers from ten other sectors in the entire city coming together towards at the same place, was it jammed? Therefore, since it was a holiday, many teenagers came, plus tourists who wanted to enjoy the now ''cleaned'' Ventus sector. I should have realized this from earlier. This traffic was much worse than the previous one I had experienced on my way to school. It was so severe that many teenagers decided to leave their vehicles and walk. Didn''t they think ahead? Indeed they could command their vehicles, either continue their trip or turn back home or to another destination. Their vehicles weren''t the problem, in a sense. Instead, it was those who walked that caused the problem. They left their vehicles in the middle of the road, walked at a slow pace, without any sensors or AI systems to calculate their direction. As a result, other vehicles would give way, slow down, or even stop as long as they detected pedestrians in the middle of the road. In the end, their wild actions caused a severe traffic jam. Purely selfish. Honestly, It''s not that I didn''t want to get out either. But seeing the crowd of walking teenagers, I was afraid something might happen. Plus, if I got out of this vehicle, Let''s-Ride''s safety assurance would no longer apply. So, I could only patiently wait inside the car. Besides, I still had plenty of time. Firstly, I played on my smartphone while waiting for the traffic to clear, but my curiosity about the scenery within the Ventus sector made me leave my smartphone and focus on observing everything. Not far from the Ventus sector entrance gate, although it took me fifteen minutes to reach, I could see the only skyscraper remaining in the Ventus sector. If my count isn''t wrong ¡ªI counted it three times¡ª the building had forty-eight floors. These forty-eight floors symbolized the twelve months in the four cardinal directions, according to one of East Asia''s beliefs. I knew this after looking up the information on the internet. The skyscraper, once called Ventus Tower, was now renamed Surveillance Tower and served as the Special Unit''s center during the Ventus sector cleanup operation. Based on rumors, the skyscraper still stayed some members of that special unit or intelligence members. Whether the rumors were true or not, I felt something odd about the building. The same feeling I experienced whenever I visited my father''s grave. It was as if the building was a mass grave. "Do you feel it too, Desmon?" I wanted to confirm whether this was just my feeling or if Desmon sensed the same thing. "Deaths and corpses. Yes, I sense it." Desmon confirmed that my feeling was totally right. "But this one is much stronger than an ordinary graveyard. It''s better not to go there, whatever happens." I nodded in agreement. Whatever it was. Whatever had happened in that building, especially when the Ventus sector was isolated, I didn''t want to know or come near it even a bit. I shifted my attention to another corner of the sector. There was nothing special about this area, except that all the equipment and paint looked new, even though the buildings themselves seemed old. It seems like the government really cleaned up this sector and made it more beautiful. After having a good look around, I returned my attention to my smartphone. The time on my phone was almost 5 PM, and our trip still seemed to need more than half an hour. Way off from the initial guess, seems like late afternoon is when teens start gathering. I understood why Chloe had suggested 4 or 5 PM. Since I had already seen every part of the sector that I could see, I just continued playing games on my smartphone. What else could I do? ### Not long after, we finally arrived. It actually took about an hour to reach Maneuvers Coffee Shop, but that hour seemed short if you spent it playing games, right? Without waiting any longer, I entered the coffee shop. Fortunately, this place didn''t operate on a reservation basis, so I could just walk in, although I couldn''t spot any empty seats. Many people were standing while drinking and chatting. There were so many people that it was hard for me to find Chloe. I started to doubt whether Chloe would come or not. Or maybe she had come and left because she waited too long for me. Realizing I was already late and not wanting to keep Chloe waiting even longer ¡ªif she had come and was still waiting for me¡ª I decided split up from Desmon. Luckily, Chloe could see Desmon and had seen what Desmon looked like, so she could recognize Desmon if she saw him. Desmon went to the second floor while I checked the first floor. If I were to count the number of people on the first floor, I''d need a calculator because there were definitely more than a hundred. Maneuvers Coffee Shop was actually spacious enough to make room for more than seventy or eighty people per floor. I could tell by the number of tables multiplied by four chairs for each table. However, even with that capacity, it wasn''t enough to make room for its customers. How the shop owner enjoyed the profit and how stressful it must be for the employees to serve so many customers at once. I ran out of places to look and couldn''t find Chloe. I should''ve gone upstairs to check, but Desmon had already checked the second floor, and I let Desmon handle the third and fourth floors as well. At least Desmon could fly and see from above, which would save time searching. Besides, he could pass through floors, making it more efficient. Eventually, I just ordered a drink at the counter, then, after getting the drink, I chose to be outside the coffee shop. No, I didn''t leave the coffee shop. I was just outside because it was too crowded inside, and I felt uncomfortable in the crowd. I found one empty spot where I could sit, even though there was no seat there, but that was fine with me. While waiting for Desmon, who was still searching inside the coffee shop, I decided to continue my game and enjoy the cool evening with the coffee I ordered. "I''ve been looking for you everywhere, turns out you''re sitting here." A figure behind me spoke, appearing like a ghost. "Did you meet her?" "No, that''s why I''m here alone," I replied while continuing to play the game. "Then why didn''t you look for her, instead kept playing?" "I was actually waiting outside. If Chloe got stuck in traffic and just arrived, she would definitely see me out here. It would be hard for her to find me inside." Desmon stayed silent for a few seconds. "Hmm... seems like you''re right. In that case, I''ll stay here too." "Don''t," I paused my game and looked at Desmon, "It''s better if you search around here. If she''s already gone home, she might not be too far away." "Why don''t you search, and I''ll stay here? Why are you giving me orders?" Desmon squinted his eyes, with creases between his brows, and a rise in his tone. I stared directly into his eyes, trying to get my point across. "Firstly, it''s dangerous here for humans, you know that, and you know I''m human. Secondly, you can fly, so you can see further, and you can even pass through vehicles, so the chance of you getting hit is zero. Is that enough of a reason?" Desmon took a long breath, whether he actually breathed or not, then let out a breath. He raised his hand, squeezed all of his fingers except his pointing finger, which was aimed at me. "Why are you smart at times like this and stupid at school?" He said, whether it was praise or not. I could only smile, realizing the irony between his words and mine. Like Desmon, I was also puzzled about where this intelligence came from, maybe influenced by the Ventus atmosphere? Who knows. Desmon then agreed to my plan and left to start his search. Meanwhile, I resumed playing my game, but before that, I put away of my empty coffee cup. When I was enjoying playing my game, suddenly I felt something strange. A feeling I''ve never experienced before. It''s hard to explain, but it brought warmth and a sense of joy. I paused my game again, curious about where this feeling came from. I got up from my seat, looked around, but found nothing strange or suspicious. I shifted my gaze upwards, maybe the feeling came from above. However, I couldn''t find anything except for the sky turning dark, yet at the same time, it seemed bright. Because I couldn''t find anything unusual, and I was afraid to walk around in the Ventus Sector, I decided to go back and continue my game. "Excuse me, this seat taken." Without me knowing, there was a teenage boy''s voice behind me. Since when had he been there? How did he get there? Maybe I was too focused on playing my game and forgot about my surroundings. "Of course," I said, slightly shifting my body to indicate that he could sit there. "Thank you." The teenage boy then sat behind me and placed his coffee next to him. When the teenage boy sat down, I could feel an incredible warmth and my vision also seemed brighter. Suddenly, I remembered Chloe''s words about me having a life aura. If I remember Chloe''s story correctly, she explained that a life aura is the opposite of a death aura. Because the aura of death had this coldness and darkness, as far as I remember, so the opposite of that is warmth and brightness. Honestly, I was initially puzzled by Chloe''s statement that I gave off a life aura. But now, it seemed I understood what Chloe meant back then. Somehow, the teenage boy sitting behind me also seemed to have a life aura. At least, he brought warmth and brightness. Could he also see ghosts like me and Chloe? Could he even see phantoms just like me and Chloe? Or maybe he couldn''t see ghosts, especially Phantoms, but he only had life aura? Or did he know something, whether related to ghosts, phantoms, death aura, or life aura? Whatever the answers to all those questions, he seemed like an interesting person. And hopefully, he could become my friend. At least, that way, I''d achieve one of my goals in the Ventus sector ¡ªhaving a human friend, besides Chloe. #### New Friends (or not) The teenage boy is quite tall compared to me. His hair is dark black, yet his face looks glowing. His nose is not too pointed or sharp. His gaze seems to convey a mysterious yet serious impression, like the eyes of spies in movies. When I turned to him, he seemed to be just staring at the sky, which had a warm orange color fading into a dark black that gave off a feeling of quiet and lonely. He sometimes sipped his coffee, then gazed back at the sky. I just looked at him, then looked at the sky, then looked back at him, then looked at the sky again. He seemed so calm as if life''s troubles had never come his way. His calm also infected me. In the evening, as night came, my mind felt peaceful looking at the sky. I never thought it would be so calming. "Do you want?" Without me realizing, he had placed the coffee right next to me, offering the chilled coffee. "No, thank you," I replied shortly. I looked at him, he still hadn''t turned away from looking up to the beautiful view in the sky. "Beautiful, isn''t it?" The boy asked. At a glance from the side, his eyes seemed to release light. Of course, I knew it was only a reflection. I turned my gaze back to the sunset sky. "Yes." "You know, this scenery was nothing compared to when you were in the wilderness," he said, continuing to sip his coffee. I didn''t answer, nor did I nod. I just stared at the sky. I''ve never been to places with nature views like beaches, forests, mountains, or stuff like that since I got my abilities. It''s not because I''m afraid of ghosts. Maybe when I was younger, yes, but not now. The reason I avoid these places is that tourist spots are usually crowded with both humans and ghosts. I don''t particularly like places crowded with humans, they tend to drain my energy. But places crowded with ghosts are even more dangerous. Unlike graveyards, places filled with ghosts had different kinds of ghosts, including vengeful ghosts. Graveyards usually were quiet, or at least ghosts in graveyards weren''t harmful. Why? I didn''t know until Desmon explained it to me. Vengeful ghosts and other ghosts with unfinished business will leave the graveyards to ''resolve'' their issues. Meanwhile, those staying in graveyards are usually the kinds who''ve accepted what happened. Moreover, those who died peacefully, naturally, and have no unfinished business will disappear immediately and won''t linger in the ghost world like my father. So, that''s been my reason for avoiding tourist spots. While I was still lost in thought, enjoying the beauty of the sunset sky, the teenage boy had gotten up. "Are you alone?" he asked, bringing my full attention back. "No. Waiting for a friend. You alone?" I replied. "Alone. Just sightseeing," the teenage boy said before sitting back down after throwing away of his coffee cup. "My name''s Robert. Nice to meet you." I extended my hand to introduce myself. The teenage boy only glanced at my hand for a moment, then gazed back at the sky without making any effort to extend his hand to shake mine in return. I pulled back my hand, looked at him briefly, then resumed looking at the sky alongside him. In my mind, I counted the seconds it took for the teenage boy to tell me his name. But it seemed he had no intention of sharing his name at all. Maybe my voice wasn''t audible earlier? I glanced at him and said, "Hello, my name''s Robert. Nice to meet you." "Likewise," the teenage boy replied without bothering to turn his face towards me, very briefly. "Um, if I may ask, what''s your name?" "It doesn''t seem necessary." I wonder what kind of person he is. I know several kinds of people who are difficult to talk to, usually, they''re introverted, or shy, or antisocial, and nearly all of them wouldn''t likely choose Ventus as a tourist spot. Another kind I know is arrogant, they feel powerful and won''t tell their names. But this person is different. He could be considered friendly, and usually, friendly people like to introduce themselves. He also didn''t seem arrogant or playing favorites, as shown by him opening the conversation by offering me his coffee. Maybe this is what people call stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things. "Oh, sorry," I said, shortly. I didn''t want to make him uncomfortable, or rather, disturb him because who knows what he might do to me if he felt I was bothering him. I mean, better safe than sorry, right? "No need," he replied. I could hear a slight giggle and see a thin smile for a brief moment, "Why apologize if you haven''t done anything wrong?" "Sorry. But I thought I might be bothering you." "No, not at all. You''re not bothering me at all, so just relax. And don''t apologize all the time." "Um... okay." I ended up just staying silent, gazing at the sky. Honestly, the situation felt so awkward for me at that moment, I didn''t even know what to say or do. Usually, saying sorry and showing regret is enough as long as you haven''t made a fatal mistake. But he told me not to apologize. Should I apologize for apologizing? Or say something as an apology for apologizing? I don''t know, I''m really confused. So, I just stayed silent. "Are you from here?" the teenage boy asked after a brief silence. "From Ventus Sector? No. But I''m from this city, just a different sector." "So, you''re just hanging around here?" "Yeah, you could say that. Actually, my friend invited me here, we wanted to talk about something. But it seems like she either didn''t show up or left because I was late because of the traffic." "Why don''t you contact her? You have a smartphone, right?" "Of course, I do. But unfortunately, I don''t have her contact or social media, she deleted it a few days ago." "Seems like your friend is unique." Unique? A somewhat strange word to me. Usually, others would say ''weird'' when meeting someone different from them or different from the general. Like me, who has the ability to see ghosts ¡ªmy friends all think I''m weird. I understand completely why he might call my friend unique. I mean, in this day and age, it''s nearly impossible for someone, especially a teenager, to not have any social media. It''s the 22nd century. But what surprised me was that he used the word ''unique'' instead of ''weird''. I became more sure that he''s actually a good person, or at least he didn''t judge or treat people differently just because they were different. He saw ''different'' as something unique, not weird. "Yeah, something like that," I replied with a wide smile. "About yourself, are you unique?" Once again, his words caught me off guard. "I don''t know. I don''t consider myself unique." "If so, why are you friends with her?" I fell silent for a moment, pondering his words. What did he mean by his question? I didn''t want to answer it with a wrong perception. "What do you mean?" I asked. This time, my face wasn''t gazing at the sky but looking at her with a serious expression. "Anyone who befriends someone unique has only three scenarios. First, they are similarly unique. Second, the unique person is just being used. Third, the unique person is just using others." He stayed quiet for a moment to shift his sitting position. Now, his sitting position is solely focused towards me, just like his face and eyes. "You said you''re not unique, so there are only two scenarios. Are you being used by her, or are you the one using her?" he continued. "Hmm..." I fell silent and could only murmur. I didn''t know what was on his mind or what experiences he''d had to think like that. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. I mean, could friendship to him just be about using and being used? At least, his question seemed to prove why he could travel to the Ventus Sector alone. "Let it go if you don''t want to answer it," he said after waiting quite a while for my response but not getting one. I felt a bit relieved and smiled, "Sorry. But it''s not that I don''t want to answer, it''s just..." "No, no. You don''t need to apologize. I said not to apologize if you haven''t done anything wrong." After asked that annoying question and told me not to say sorry, then he moved around and looked up at the sky, but it wasn''t orange anymore. I''m still puzzled by people like him, the first time I''ve met someone like him. So, because the day was almost turning into night, and I was actually getting curious, I decided to ''counterattack.'' "Sorry, but do you think friendship is only about using and being used?" "Of course not. Why would you think that?" He responded to my question without turning towards me. "Then, what did you mean by your earlier question?" "It seems like you didn''t quite get it. Maybe you should learn more about vocabulary." He took a quick break before continuing, "I said before that in the case of unique people, they usually only befriend others who are like them, or their relationships with non-unique people are usually just about using and being used." "Sorry, but I still don''t understand." "You know, it seems there''s a lot you need to learn," He finally turned back to face me, "First, understand not to apologize if you haven''t done anything wrong. Second, understand that my earlier words were actually to determine whether you''re unique or not." If I could visualize my current thoughts, it seems like a traffic jam at the entrance gate to the Ventus Sector would fit the situation. I really didn''t know what to say. His words were really hard for me to digest. What did he actually want to tell? Fortunately, I didn''t have to ask because he immediately answered my confusion. "For me, it''s clear that you''re unique because you don''t understand it. Those who are different or unique are usually ostracized and only hang out with others who are also shunned by society. However, there are some among them who can befriend a few members of society, or let''s just call them normal. Usually, these unique individuals use their normal friends to blend in with society, or conversely, their normal friends use the unique person to step away briefly from the monotonous society." Even though it took me a while to figure out the vocab, but now I get what he meant. Indeed, what he said made sense. For example, there''s Chloe. Chloe befriends many people to blend into society, at least to gain protection or support if someone bothers her. I also understood why he could say that I''m unique. Because myself was actually different and not like Chloe, who tried to blend in, I actually avoided it. So, I don''t get why it''s so crucial to have a friend who fits in with everyone else. It made me wonder if Chloe understood this. If so, perhaps her reason for choosing the busy Maneuvers coffee shop in the Ventus Sector, crowded with teenagers hanging out, was indeed to help me blend in into society. Chloe was unique, but thanks to hanging out with normal people, she also had common traits like everyone else. With Chloe''s ''normal'' side, she seems to be trying to encourage me to socialize and have many friends so that I won''t feel lonely anymore. I imagined how it would''ve been if it wasn''t traffic jam earlier or at least if Chloe was at the coffee shop. Would I have some new friends by now because of Chloe? I don''t know. "By the way, because you''re unique, you should be careful," said the teenage boy, "But I''m sure you''re already aware of that." This time, he didn''t need to explain anything to me. As someone who was kind of weird or unique, I needed to be careful. "Yes, you''re right. Thank you." A thought crossed my mind. His words from earlier seemed to indicate that he might also be weird or at least have a weird friend. I mean, not everyone cares or has enough time to pay attention to those who are different or weird. In fact, to most people, we might be seen as not existing or inferior. But he wasn''t like that, isn''t that enough to say he''s also weird. "And what about you? Are you also unique?" I asked him, now back to gazing at the sky. "Yes," he replied shortly. "You shouldn''t need to ask, you''ve guessed it, haven''t you?" I smiled, as if he could read my mind. "You''re right." "I''m curious," he said briefly before falling silent and standing up, then sitting back down. "What actually makes you unique?" I chose to ponder the words I was going to say. His question was simple and I could answer directly if I wanted to be honest, but I thought it might scare him. "No need to answer if you don''t want to," he said. I briefly thought that maybe I could follow in Chloe''s footsteps, being honest with everyone about my abilities. At least I could be myself. Moreover, if I could make new friends, I considered that as a bonus to my courage. "I''ll answer, just thinking about the right words," I replied. I fell silent for a moment, considering where I would start explaining my uniqueness. "This is actually related to the ability I have," I continued. "Ability?" "Yes. I have the ability to see ghosts," I said, closing my eyes. I didn''t want to see his expression because it might shatter what little courage I had. So, I couldn''t tell whether he was laughing at me or not. "Okay," he replied shortly. It was a response I didn''t expect and had never imagined. I mean, I thought he might mock me, call me a liar, or at least laugh at me. On the other hand, maybe he would avoid me because of a fear of ghosts. Besides those negative thoughts, I also thought getting a positive response, like him praising me or at least admiring my ability. But he responded briefly without expression, without showing whether it was a positive or negative response, just ''okay'' Is that all. "Hmm, alright... I mean, do you believe it?" I asked. "Believe what? In ghosts? Or that you can see them?" "My ability." "I believe you can see something, but I don''t believe what you see are ghosts." Why does he always give such interesting, confusing, and unexpected questions or answers? Usually, people either believe in ghosts or don''t. If they don''t believe in ghosts like my father, they''d think my ability is fake or that I''m lying. For those who believe in ghosts, they''re divided into those who call me a liar or believe I can see ghosts. But his answer was different again. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Like I said, you need to learn a lot. In my opinion, what you see are not ghosts. Something living isn''t dead, and something dead isn''t alive. You have to understand that." Confusing? I didn''t understand his meaning either. "Sorry. But I still don''t get it," I asked again for an explanation. "You don''t need to understand to comprehend, you just need to feel it. I''m sure you can sense something that normal people can''t." "Sorry. But really, I don''t understand what you mean. I''m not smart in school, so could you explain a little more clearly? If you don''t mind." This time I really asked him directly for an explanation. His words might be full of meaning, maybe with some crucial advice, but it would all be pointless if I didn''t understand. Or was he just bluffing? I don''t know. His gaze focused on me before he started his explanation, but when a word was about to come out of his mouth, he immediately shifted his gaze elsewhere. The teenage boy stood up and looked to his left. I didn''t know what he was looking at because I didn''t see anything in that direction except passing vehicles. He didn''t look at me or gaze towards me as he began to speak, "You''ll be confused if you rely on your five senses or information from others, including me. If what you say about your ability is true, then you must be able to sense something that normal people can''t, so rely on that feeling to know the truth about something." Wow. The teenage boy cleaned his clothes by shaking them with his hands and then walked in the direction he had been looking. "Wait, I still don''t understand what you''re saying." I hurriedly stood up and headed to him, asking him not to leave just yet. "No. I''ve already said you don''t need to understand, but feel it. Isn''t it because of something you felt that you wanted to talk to me and get to know me?" I stopped following him. Not because he asked me to stop or blocked my way. There was nothing in my way. I stopped because his words raised many questions in my mind. How did he know? Can he also sense auras? Does he actually have the same ability as me? But he doesn''t believe in ghosts? I don''t know. "I have to go," said the teenage boy, then he ran off. I wanted to chase after him to ask for the meaning behind all his words. I needed an explanation from him. But I couldn''t catch up with him. Not only was the distance getting farther, but I also had to wait here in case Chloe, or at least Desmon, could find me. ### I went back to the coffee shop to order coffee and snacks while waiting for Desmon to return or for Chloe to arrive. However, it seems that my order takes longer than Desmon, who returned shortly after the teenage boy left and I entered the cafe. While waiting for my order and seeing Desmon wanted to talk, I gestured to Desmon to hold on. Besides the noisy environment in the cafe, I didn''t want to get everyone''s attention to me while talking to Desmon, who they couldn''t see. Even though I could''ve used hand signals to communicate with Desmon, it was too complicated and time-consuming. There''s no harm in waiting a bit, right? It didn''t take me more than five minutes to get my order. Desmon and I immediately left. Once outside, Desmon, who seemed eager to speak, hurried to explain what he wanted to say. "Quick, order Let''s-Ride, we need to leave from here," Desmon''s words rushed out as if he were being chased by something. "Wait a minute. What''s going on?" I asked in a more relaxed tone while sipping the coffee I had just ordered. "Order it now, please. I''ll explain while we wait." I looked at Desmon carefully. His face didn''t show signs of joking, he looked very serious. Because I was sure Desmon wasn''t joking, I ordered Let''s-Ride to go home right away. "There was chaos not far from here," Desmon said as I was ordering Let''s-Ride on the app. "Why didn''t you tell me earlier? Where have you been?" My reply wanted to stare at him because he for being late in warning me about the chaos, but I couldn''t. I had to finish the order at Let''s-Ride first. "It actually happened quite far away, but it''s spread now," Desmon replied. Desmon then flew way up. I wasn''t sure what he was doing, but I thought he was checking how far the chaos had spread. "If it gets closer, why wasn''t there any public warning?" I asked. As far as I knew, the government had a system to detect chaos or anything dangerous. When the system detected chaos, everyone in the nearby location would receive a warning to stay away. But there was none this time. "The chaos isn''t caused by humans, but by ghosts," Desmon replied. Just as the Let''s-Ride car I ordered arrived, I suddenly felt a cold and dark sensation ¡ªa death aura. I jumped right into the car without any second thoughts. As soon as I got in, the car automatically started its trip towards my home. "I''ve never heard of ghosts causing chaos before," I said. "As a ghost, I''m also seeing this for the first time." "Very strange. But I''m feeling the death aura, and it''s getting stronger. Is the chaos getting closer?" "It''s getting closer. Can''t you adjust the speed of this car?" "Unfortunately, I can''t." Every second, I felt the cold getting colder, dark getting darker, noise fading into silence, and a foul odor starting to reach my nose. The car I was in could only speed up when it got onto the main road, and luckily, the road wasn''t jammed at that time, though it wasn''t empty either. At least our car''s speed was enough to reduce the death aura I felt, a sign I was getting farther away from that ghost''s chaos. "Are we far enough now? Or is the chaos getting closer?" I asked Desmon to confirm. Desmon came out of the car and flew high. Then, with all his strength, he flew towards the car I was in that had already moved away from him. "It seems like the chaos has stopped spreading. I''m not sure, but I saw a bright light coming from the direction of the chaos," Desmon replied after re-entering the car. "Thank goodness." I took a deep breath and let it out through my mouth. I wondered what would have happened to me if I had been trapped in that ghost''s chaos. It might not have mattered if they didn''t know I could see them, but if they did, it would have been a big problem, especially if there were vengeful ghosts. "Why didn''t you tell me on time?" I grumbled to Desmon, who still seemed worried. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but it''s like something was stopping me, something that kept me away from your location." "What was it?" "I don''t know either, but it seemed like a life aura," said Desmon. #### Moonlit Night I shifted my gaze, staring at him sharply. "Life aura? What do you mean by life aura?" Desmon''s lips moved slightly, it''s like he was struggling to find the right words. But he didn''t say a single word, not even a murmur. I was pretty surprised when Desmon said the life aura. Desmon for sure knew about the life aura after I told him what I heard from Chloe''s story. But there was something odd. How could a life aura prevent Desmon from approaching me? I mean, I''ve been living with him for several years now, and even at this moment, Desmon is close to me. And if what Chloe said is true, I have a life aura. Could it be that it''s not my life aura that''s keeping Desmon away, but the life aura of the teenage boy before? But if that''s the case, then what''s the difference between the life aura that boy had and the life aura I have? Don''t we both possess a life aura? And if the life aura can keep ghosts away, then why have I actually met ghosts all this time, even meeting more than dozens of them? Even if I remembered Chloe''s story correctly, Chloe''s phantom was attracted to me because of the life aura I gave off. Are phantoms actually attracted to a life aura, while ghosts are attracted to a death aura? And is it true that ghosts can''t get close to someone with a life aura? If so, does the opposite apply to phantoms, meaning they can''t get close to someone with a death aura? However, once again, Chloe''s story doesn''t explain that. What I remember from her story is about vengeful ghosts and the phantom being attracted in Chloe because of the death aura she possessed, and the phantom also being attracted to the life aura. As far as I can remember, I''ve never get any information about ghosts avoiding the life aura. There were a few ways to repel or prevent ghosts from getting closer to you, but the concept of the life aura was never mentioned. Back to Desmon''s statement, if what he said is true about him being blocked by the life aura, then the only possible explanation I can think of is that life aura is different from mine or maybe that life aura is much stronger than mine. But when I think about it, just by its name only, I understand why Desmon might not be able to get close. I mean, Desmon is dead. In other words, he lost his life, that''s why he can''t getting close to that life aura. Or in other words, the death can''t getting close to the life, they belong to different realms. And specifically about phantoms, if I remember correctly from an article I read, it stated that phantoms are an other entity and different from ghosts that were once alive and then dead. But that contradicts what Chloe told me. According to Chloe, the phantom is nothing but another kind of ghost. Confusing. Mind-boggling. Full of ambiguity. It seems I''ll have to ask Chloe a lot of questions about the life aura, hoping she knows about it. "Don''t you know anything about it either?" I broke the silence between us. I''m sure Desmon also has many thoughts about the life aura, just like me. "Yes, you''re right. I also don''t understand what''s happening. How to explain all of this." Desmon replied, leaning back on the rear seat of the car next to me. "It seems we need to ask a lot of questions to Chloe." "You''re right. You''re absolutely right. So when you meet her, ask her directly about it and don''t start dating." Desmon joked, smiling towards me. In any situation and in the middle of confusion like this, it seems he still has thoughts to mock me. "Stop it," I replied, "By the way, do you know I met someone earlier?" "Chloe?" "No, someone else. Someone pretty weird." "How weird?" "Yeah, weird because I could feel a life aura from him." Desmon faced me completely. I mean, he wasn''t sitting next to me anymore, instead, he was sitting through the chair in front of me and looking directly at me. Ghost style. "Perhaps that person''s life aura is what''s keeping me away." He said it with a tone as if to surprise me with a statement like in movies. It seems I need to cut back on watching movies, especially with Desmon around. "Maybe... but if that''s true, what makes his different from mine?" "I think maybe his mastery of his ability is much stronger than yours." I furrowed my brow as I raised both eyebrows. I didn''t realize I was doing that, but I could see the reflection of my face barely in the mirror in the middle of the car. As you know, every Let''s-Ride car is equipped with a makeup mirror in the middle of the car between the two front seats, and another hidden mirror in the dashboard in the front passenger seat that can be opened by pressing a button or voice command, depending on the type of car. A feature pretty essential for those who care about their appearance. "Whether you''re mocking me or praising him by saying his ability is much better than mine, but is a life aura really an ability?" I asked. No, I wasn''t annoyed. "To be honest, when you talked about the conversation with Chloe about you having a life aura, I didn''t believe it." Desmon silent for a moment, "I mean, if indeed you have a life aura, I should have realized it from the start. But until now, I haven''t felt it." What Desmon said had a point, and it''s true. But I feel something strange about everything related to the phantom, life aura, death aura, and all that. I''ve had the ability to see ghosts since I was seven years old until now, but why are all these things only coming to my attention now? Even Desmon, who is actually a ghost, doesn''t quite understand. There must be something still hidden, something we don''t know. "Don''t you know any ghosts who are older or more experienced?" I asked. "Unfortunately not. If I had, you''d know I''d have asked them by now," Desmon replied. "All of this is truly confusing, as if I''m just born into this world, knowing nothing." "Same here, except I''m not born but rather recently dead." Desmon smirked again. I liked his vibe. When we were surrounded by thousands of questions we couldn''t answer, thousands of confusing thoughts, at least we could still joke around to cheer each other up. During the rest of the trip, which wasn''t much longer ¡ªabout ten minutes until I reached home¡ª we spent time teasing each other, with Desmon now making new jokes about my relationship with Chloe. It didn''t bother me, as long as we could have fun. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ### We arrived at my house when the sky was dark, but not too dark as usual. I just walked up to my house''s front door, planning to open it. But it wasn''t needed. The door opened from the inside. I could hear voices talking. At that moment, my initial thought was that it might be my mom''s friend visiting or her colleague discussing office matters. But I was wrong. The first person I saw when the door open fully was Chloe. "Hey, you''re back?" Chloe stood by the door, greeting me. "Honey, you''re home?" My mom, in the living room, walked towards the door. "Chloe was looking for you." Desmon glanced at me, as if to ask, ''Weren''t we supposed to meet her at Maneuvers coffee shop?'' Unfortunately, I couldn''t turn my head to explain or signal back to him, at least not for now. "Um, yeah, hi," I messed up. I was really surprised to see Chloe at my house, so don''t imagine I prepared an explanation words. "Alright, you two can talk inside," said my mom, already outside. My mom then came up to me and whispered, "Go talk to her or take a walk, she''s been waiting for you." It was hard for me not to glance at my mom. What was my mom thinking? Was she thinking something odd about my relationship with Chloe? Why were there so many weird things in one day? My brain couldn''t handle it all. Hehe. My mom slipped something into my pants pocket, then she turned around. "I''ve left you both alone now. See you later, Chloe." "See you," Chloe replied. Then, my mom reentered the house and seemingly headed straight to her room. Meanwhile, Chloe closed the door behind her and walked towards me. As the distance between us was only a meter, she shifted her gaze towards Desmon. "So, this is your Quoranic?" Chloe asked, directing her face towards Desmon but her eyes towards me. I felt like I''ve heard that word before, but I couldn''t remember when or its meaning. "You know about Quoranic, right?" Chloe turned her face towards me this time. "Of course, he knows, right, Robert?" Desmon said. "You can hear me, can''t you, Chloe?" Chloe turned back to face Desmon. "Sure. Didn''t Robert tell you?" "I did, I''ve told him," I shot back, responding to what Desmon had said earlier because he answered instead of me. Desmon adjusted his position so that the three of us could talk without needing to change our view. "Just making sure." "By the way, could you explain Quoranic? Sorry, but I forgot," I said. "A ghost''s friend or companion that''s called Quoranic in the ghost world, right, Desmon?" Chloe replied. "Perfect score for you," Desmon replied. "Sorry, Chloe, I didn''t expect you to come to my house. I thought we agreed to meet at the Maneuvers coffee shop in the Ventus sector," I said. "Oh, right. Actually, I should apologize, especially if you''ve already reached there, the traffic was terrible," Chloe replied. "Extremely bad, as if it wasn''t moving at all," Desmon added. Chloe glanced at her smartphone briefly, "How long were you waiting there? I''m really sorry, but honestly, I intended to go there, but because of the traffic, I changed my mind and just came to your house to inform you. Turns out, you were already gone. Sorry." "No worries. What time did you arrive here?" I asked. "I left for the coffee shop at two, but due to the traffic, I canceled and headed to your house. If I''m not mistaken, I reached your house around three," Chloe replied. I could say we left at the same time, but the difference was I continued the journey to the Maneuvers coffee shop, while Chloe turned back. Maybe, without us realizing it, we might have crossed paths on the way, but unfortunately, we had no means of communication, so we wouldn''t have known. "By the way, I just realized something," Chloe said. "What is it?" "When we''re chatting like this, you and I can freely talk to Desmon without worrying about being seen as weird by others," Chloe smiled at me, a sweet smile. I understood what she meant, although a bit late. Desmon and Chloe had already smiled and laughed, and not wanting to be left out, I joined in the laughter too. I never thought about it, I only needed one human friend to appear ''normal'' in the eyes of people. With that, I could freely talk to any ghost as long as there was that one human friend. Like now, Chloe and I, a human, and Desmon, a ghost, gathered together. The three of us could talk freely, and others wouldn''t find us weird or think much of it. They''d simply see me talking with Chloe, and that seemed normal. If there were no Chloe or me, then one of us wouldn''t be able to speak with Desmon this freely. Because those who saw us would think that either Chloe or I was talking to ourselves like a crazy person. We continued our chill chat filled with jokes for a while, then Desmon said, "You didn''t want to invite her inside, Robert?" After hearing Desmon''s word, my attention immediately turned to Chloe, as did hers. "Do you want to come in?" I offered with a smile. "Sorry, not to be rude or anything, but I seem to be getting bored indoors after chatting with your mom for so long," Chloe replied, also smiling. "What were you talking about?" I asked, curious. Until now, I never knew or never saw my mom talking for such a long time with any of my friends, even before I had this ability. Usually, it was small talk when they met on the street, but beyond that, there was no conversation at all. So, I was a bit confused and curious about what was actually happening. Did Chloe have a special trick for talking to someone? If so, it seemed I needed it. Or had Chloe cast a spell on my mom? I knew that was impossible, I was just kidding. Or the most likely explanation was that my mom was super excited that her only child finally had a friend after years of being alone, especially a girl with such a sweet smile as Chloe''s. Desmon clapped his hands in between us, "Sorry, but I think I''ll head inside now." Desmon stopped for a moment, first looking at Chloe, then at me, before continuing, "Since Chloe doesn''t want to be indoors, why don''t you take her out for a walk tonight? It''s brighter than usual." Both Chloe and Desmon had smiles on their faces, but I could clearly tell the difference between the two kinds of smiles. Chloe might have been smiling because she was happy or embarrassed, I wasn''t sure. However, Desmon''s smile definitely showed an annoying smirk, the kind he often used to mock me. "Why not?" Chloe replied. "It''s a good way to burn calories, if you don''t mind." I thought for a moment. I didn''t mind taking Chloe for a walk at all. In fact, I wanted to. But I still wasn''t sure. I had to make her feel comfortable during our walk because I was afraid that if I failed, Chloe might not want to meet me again. "I don''t mind at all. Not at all," I said. "But where do you want to go?" "Anywhere, we could just stroll to the park. If I''m not mistaken, there''s a park nearby, right?" Chloe replied. "Hmm... Okay, if you don''t mind." Desmon clapped his hands again between us, "Alright then, you guys go for a stroll in the park. I''m heading to my room now. See you later, Chloe." "See you," Chloe replied. At that moment, I desperately wanted to punch Desmon''s face because he was clearly teasing me, or at least I thought he would use this to tease me later. But, on the other hand, I was also grateful to Desmon because of him, I could walk alone with Chloe without feeling awkward about inviting her. Before leaving, Desmon took a moment to pat my pants pocket. The same pocket where my mom had slipped something earlier. I think I understood Desmon''s intention. So, he was just following my mom''s orders to take Chloe out. It seems he overheard when my mom whispered to me. Thanks to Desmon for that, because I almost forgot to check what my mom had slipped into my pocket. So when Chloe''s attention turned to Desmon, who was walking or flying into our house, I took a moment to check my pocket. I didn''t need to take it out and see it directly with my own eyes, I could tell what my mom had placed in my pocket just by feeling it. I could clearly feel the numbers and the symbol of a bank on the card where it was issued. Yes, a bank card. This is crazy, absolutely crazy. In my entire life, I never imagined my mom would give me her bank card without any warnings for its use like ''Remember, don''t buy anything weird,'' ''Only for school purposes, nothing else,'' or ''Only for one item as a gift, nothing more than that.'' Was my mom so super excited to know her child had found a friend? I don''t know. "So, are we going now?" I asked. "Of course," Chloe replied. Before I could take a step, Chloe lifted her face towards the night sky, "It seems what Desmon said is true, tonight is brighter than usual." I already knew that, long before Desmon said it. Yet, I lifted my face towards the night sky too, "Yes. Absolutely beautiful." "Bright as if illuminated by the aura of life, just like how you illuminate my darkness with the light of your life." I never thought those words would come from Chloe. I looked at her, smiling. Chloe replied by looking at me, smiling back. I would never forget her sweet smile. Very sweet. #### Shadows at Night The Northingham Public Park is close to my house. Walking along the main road takes about half an hour or less, but my housing complex has a shortcut path that reduces travel time to ten minutes. During the way, Chloe and I talked about many things, especially related to my mother. I knew Desmon had been pushing me to ask puzzling questions about things like the life aura. However, I thought those questions required serious answers, and serious answers required a serious place, or at least not while walking. So, I kept all those questions to myself, and we only chatted about light topics. But unexpectedly, light conversation on the topic of my mother led us to a sad conversation. Initially, I asked Chloe the same question about what she and my mother talked about. Chloe answered by telling a story that started when my mother was cooking when Chloe came for a visit. Then, although not asked for help by my mother, Chloe felt uncomfortable just standing by seeing my mother struggle with her cooking. Admittedly, my mother isn''t a cooking expert, far from it. That''s why both she and I often order food. Even so, my mother still tries to learn cooking on her own. My mom''s main reason for cooking was so she could put her love into my body through the food she made, at least that''s what my mom said. And indeed, I have to admit her skills have been improving over time. Back to the story, Chloe finally helped my mother with her cooking, even though Chloe admitted she wasn''t good at cooking either. According to Chloe, that''s when their interaction became more intense. They weren''t just communicating stiffly but started exchanging jokes, and all of that was because they began to unite through the process of working together in the kitchen, Chloe said. After explaining what they did and discussed while cooking, including how their final dish turned out surprisingly terrible in terms of both taste and appearance, Chloe told my mother she still enjoyed it. That''s when the tone of the story started to shift. My mother, who was curious, finally asked about it, and Chloe began to explain the fate of both her parents and her own situation after being abandoned by them in an accident. After the accident, Chloe lived alone mentally for several years. Yes, only mentally alone, because Chloe had been well taken care of by her grandparents. However, Chloe felt the love from her grandparents was different, especially considering they didn''t believe in Chloe''s abilities. From Chloe''s story, I at least learned that Chloe had a similar phase in life as mine, feeling mentally trapped alone because a lot of people didn''t really understand her. I could relate to that with my father. Chloe continued her story by saying she was glad because my mother seemed to replace her parents who have passed away, especially since Chloe had told my mother about her ability to see ghosts. Chloe felt happier because my mom recognized and accepted her ability. I was happy that she was happy. "Then I told her how I got that ability, how I lived with it," Chloe continued telling, "And you know what? Your mother just smiled and praised me." "Yeah, that''s my mother. She always has that kind of nature," I replied. "That''s why I''m really happy to have met and talked with your mother. So, maybe someday I can visit again just to talk with your mother. Is that okay?" "Of course, of course. As long as my mother allows it. But I''m sure she''ll allow you." Chloe smiled, a very sweet smile. Chloe''s story was really interesting, especially seeing her happy expressions, which made us forget and only realize again when we were already at the park. ### The Northingham Sector Public Park is usually open at all times, except for specific areas that require permission from the management, such as the performance fields. So, we could enter the park even though it was already night. When we arrived, the park was bustling with people. I forgot that today was Saturday night, the perfect time for couples. And the park was one of the most visited places, besides being free and easily accessible ¡ªit also offered refreshing breeze from the trees, and, most importantly, everything was natural, not artificial. "I forgot that the park gets crowded on Saturday nights," I said. Chloe looked at me, "Does it bother you?" Initially, I thought Chloe would be bothered, but when I glanced at her, I realized she wasn''t bothered by the crowd at all. Instead, it was me who felt uneasy in the middle of the crowd. "Honestly, I feel a bit uneasy," I admitted. "I can see that. Do you want to go back?" "How about we go to a nearby restaurant instead? It should be quiet there, and the food is good. Would you like that?" Chloe''s face was directed towards me, but her eyes were scanning the park as if she was looking for something. "Okay, but wait here just for a moment." Chloe then walked into the park, leaving me alone. I tried to catch up with her but didn''t call out to her. I just followed her. For some reason, it seemed like something suddenly caught Chloe''s attention or something she was searching for. Chloe even sped up her pace and paid no attention to me. I was curious about what Chloe was doing. Was it related to the ghost world? Or the phantom? Or something else? Or maybe Chloe just wanted to play a prank on me. I ran a little to catch up as she was quite far ahead of me. Shortly after, Chloe stopped in front of a building. A building that was usually used for performances or community activities. I managed to catch up to her and wanted to ask what Chloe was actually doing, but Chloe''s gaze was entirely fixed in one direction, ignoring my. "Do you know how to get inside?" Chloe asked without turning her face at all. I looked around the building to realize which side I was facing, "Yes, there''s a door on the right the building from here. But we can''t enter it right now as it''s probably locked." Chloe turned her body to face me, her expression serious. "Can you help me?" "Sure, what can I help with?" Chloe approached the building''s wall and then sat leaning against it. "Sit." I tried to guess what Chloe was really doing. Why was she sitting and leaning there? Especially sitting on the obviously dirty ground. There must have been something serious, otherwise, why would she want to sit on the dirty ground? Because I was sure it was something serious, I didn''t ask her anything, afraid of disturbing her focus. I just followed her command and sat on the ground next to her. Moments after I sat down, Chloe''s hand started searching for mine. Once she found it, without waiting for any signal, Chloe''s hand instantly grabbed mine. As our hands held together, my heart raced as if I had broken the sprinting record. My breath started acting weird and uneven, it seemed like my breathing was off. Moreover, I started sweating a lot, soaking my entire body, as if I were standing in a heavy rainstorm. Throughout my life, I had never held a woman''s hand, except for my mother. I had touched a woman''s hand before, but never held hands like this. Moreover, I could feel Chloe''s grip, so tight as if she didn''t want to let go. "I don''t have time to explain, so please protect me," Chloe said before leaning her head and body onto my shoulder. I didn''t know, didn''t understand, and really didn''t get what was happening. Seeing Chloe''s body and head leaning on my shoulder actually made my heart race even more, my breathing even weirder, and I was already sweating a lot. And now, I felt an extremely cold chill throughout my body. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I tilted my head to see Chloe''s face, trying to figure out what she was actually doing. However, all I found was an expressionless face and tightly closed-eyed Chloe. It was calming to see her so peaceful, making my heartbeat return to normal, as well as my breath. Although I was still sweating and feeling cold. At first, I thought Chloe had fallen asleep or pretended to sleep. But after looking at her face for a longer time, I realized something was amiss. Worried and trying not to assume the worst, I moved my free hand towards Chloe''s nose. She wasn''t breathing. She wasn''t breathing at all, there was no airflow coming from her nose. Realizing this also made me aware that the cold I felt was coming from Chloe''s body touching mine, especially from her hand that was still holding mine. Suddenly, I felt another rush that made my heart race. It can''t be! It can''t be! I knew exactly what was in my mind at that moment, but I rejected it and tried to push away or even get rid of that thought. IT CAN''T BE! I had to think positively, stay positive. It couldn''t be that Chloe suddenly passed away. She must be okay, there had to be something my foolish brain couldn''t understand, I had to stay calm. I wanted to let go of Chloe''s hand and change my position to face her. To look at her closely, to make sure she was okay. But I immediately remembered Chloe''s last words, ''...please protect me.'' I was sure Chloe must be okay. I was sure she must be okay, she knew something I didn''t. She must have planned this. I ensure myself, I reassure myself that everything is fine. Slowly, my heartbeat began to return to normal, my breathing had already returned to normal, and my sweating had stopped. However, I still felt cold on my shoulders and hands, as if holding onto blocks of ice. Thinking it over, Chloe seemed to have done this intentionally. I mean, she suddenly leaned back, asked me to sit beside her, held my hand, and now her head rested on my shoulder. Could she be teasing me? I mean, Chloe did all these things quite suddenly. And after thinking about it more, anyone who saw us would probably have the same idea, thinking we were dating. Especially Desmon. If he saw Chloe in a seemingly sleeping position on my shoulder with our hands held together, he would surely assume we were dating. And that could be bad for me because he would definitely mock me endlessly until maybe he could live again ¡ªbecause there''s no way he could die again. Chloe still hadn''t woken up. And I was still in a state of confusion, whether Chloe was really dead or doing something I couldn''t understand, though at the moment I leaned more towards the latter possibility. I stared at the sky, waiting for Chloe to wake up. I might have been gazing at the sky for more than ten minutes. Because Chloe didn''t wake up even after waiting for a few more minutes, I started to get anxious again. But luckily, my blank mind while staring at the sky brought me back to the past, to the time when my father passed away. At that moment, when my father died, he immediately became a ghost, leaving his body in this world, and that was when he realized my ability was real. So, that reassured me once more that Chloe wasn''t dead. I mean, if Chloe was dead, I would definitely be able to see her as a ghost in the ghost world, even if only for a short time. But this time, I didn''t see Chloe in her ghost form at all. So, I made sure that Chloe was still alive. I was still looking at the bright moonlit night sky. However, the longer I looked, the darker it felt. Was the moonlight starting to dim? The cold chill that Chloe''s body gave off had spread throughout my body and was getting colder. I also just realized something that was actually very easy to notice, the bustling park had now become quiet, very quiet, I couldn''t even find a single person. There was silence all around me. I reached for my smartphone with my free hand to check the time. Without realizing, Chloe and I had been in this park for more than half an hour, and most of the time was spent just sitting here. My stomach started growling, I hadn''t eaten anything since noon except for drinking coffee and ordering snacks that only helped fill my stomach temporarily. This wouldn''t have been a problem if Chloe wasn''t like this because we should have been in the restaurant by now, and my stomach would have been full. Shortly after my stomach growled, I smelled something bad. Immediately, I tried to remember what I was feeling from the darkening sky, the spreading cold, the crowd turning into silence, my hungry stomach, and now the foul odor piercing my nose. The death aura. Whoosh! A dark shadow darted from behind me to in front of me, right on my left side. It moved so quickly that I couldn''t identify whether it was a black cat or something else. Whoosh! Another black shadow also passed through the same path. This time, I could easily identify the second black shadow because it stopped right after it crushed the first black shadow. Both shadows had a human-like form. The first shadow, which was pinned down, had a quite large body, while the second shadow, which was pinning the first shadow down, had a rather slim body. When both shadows were right in front of me, I felt a powerful death aura from them. Strangely, I also felt a slight life aura gradually disappearing until I could no longer feel it. The first shadow suddenly jerked its body, as if trying to break free from the second shadow. However, slowly but surely, its movements weakened until it came to a complete standstill. Seeing this odd scene in front of me, as a normal human being in general, I wanted to escape or at least hide. But unfortunately, I couldn''t control my body. I didn''t know why my body couldn''t be controlled was it because of the two shadows in front of me? All of my life, I''ve never felt paralyzed except after Leina came up to me that one time. I immediately blacked out, and when I woke up, I couldn''t control my body in the hospital. That''s why, for a moment, I thought that both shadows might be Phantoms. Moreover, I felt an extremely strong death aura from both shadows, making me even more suspicious. But, if that were true, another question that came up was why were they fighting? Not long after the first shadow stopped fighting back, the second shadow released the first. Then both stood up, and the first shadow walked away from me until it was out of sight, while the second shadow stay motionless in its place. When standing, I felt like I knew about the second shadow, as if I could recognize it even though the second shadow was facing away from me. I don''t know why, but when I didn''t feel like running away anymore, replaced by curiosity to know the second shadow, suddenly my body could move again. As I said, I no longer wanted to run away, so I just stay silent when the second shadow turned around to face me. Chloe. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn''t mistaken. Turns out, I was right, the second shadow was Chloe. Still in disbelief, I looked at my right shoulder, checking if Chloe''s head was still leaning on it. Then I shifted my gaze to my hand, checking if I was still holding Chloe''s hand. Then I moved my head forward, checking to my right side, if Chloe''s face was still looked innocent and expressionless. And the answer to all those questions was yes. Chloe''s head was still leaning on my shoulder, my hand still held hers, and Chloe''s face still looked innocent and expressionless. Still puzzled, I looked back at the shadow, double-checking that I wasn''t mistaken. And the answer still same, the shadow was Chloe. Different from Chloe, who leaned on my shoulder without any expression on her face, the shadow that looked like Chloe was smiling and chuckling. A sweet smile. "I know you''re puzzled, but relax, it''s me, Chloe," The shadow looked like Chloe spoke in the middle of her chuckling, then she pointed towards the body of Chloe on my right side. "And that''s my body-" "What do you mean?" I shouted a bit while continuously glancing between the shadow that looked like Chloe and Chloe''s body. Which one was real? "Calm down. I want to explain it, but you need to stay calm." Right after saying that, the shadow swiftly moved towards Chloe''s body. Instantly, the death aura I felt disappeared. The night sky became bright again. The cold chill had turned into a refreshing breeze, and I could feel Chloe''s warmth again. Sounds of people chatting, singing, and laughing from a distance can be heard again. The foul odor was gone. All death aura disappeared, except for my growling stomach. Turns out, I was truly hungry, not hungry because of the death aura. Hehe. As everything seemed to return to normal, Chloe''s body stay in the same position. Except now, I could feel her hand that was holding mine starting to squeeze. "Thank you for looking after my body," Chloe said softly but startled my soul. Yeah, I was shocked to death. Even accidentally, my body''s reflex made Chloe''s head hit the wall of the building we were leaning on, and my hand let go of Chloe''s hand. "Hfft. I''m sorry," I said, followed by my hand gently touching her bumped head, without me realizing it. Chloe didn''t seem angry with me, she giggled and then smiled. "I did intend to startle you, but I didn''t expect karma to hit me so quickly." I smiled back and chuckled lightly. After all the consequences of Chloe''s prank were over, Chloe held my hand again, and her head leaned back on my shoulder. Chloe standstill, staring at the sky. "I''m sorry if I puzzled you. I didn''t have time to explain to you because there wasn''t any time. But I will explain it now." I was glad she was finally explaining it, something that made me feel like riding a rollercoaster. Tense, fast heartbeat, and difficulty breathing, then calm again, then tense again, and so on. But it all seemed to have ended. I had gotten off the ride. "Firstly, I want to explain that earlier I entered the ghost world," Chloe continued, "You should have seen my soul leaving my body, but because it was rushed, my soul exited backward, penetrating the wall. So, you couldn''t see my soul leaving." Chloe silent for a moment. Although her body had been here by my side without moving at all, it seemed to me that Chloe was trying to control her breath. Chloe continued her explanation after catching her breath, "So, you might have been puzzled when my body suddenly seemed lifeless, felt cold. That''s how it is when you enter the ghost world, your body will feel lifeless." "But why did you suddenly enter the ghost world?" "Because... you must have seen the shadow I pinned down earlier, right? He''s a ghost who would turn into a vengeful ghost, and I had to rush to prevent that. Do you know why phantoms and vengeful ghosts share similar traits?" "No. Why?" "Because they''re actually the same. There''s only one thing that differentiates them, and that''s phantoms are created from vengeful ghosts whose grudges have faded as they accepted what they went through. That''s why I rushed, I had to make him accept what he had gone through so he wouldn''t become a dangerous vengeful ghost but become a protective phantom." "But how did you do that?" Chloe didn''t answer, but she breathed out from her mouth, "Huff." Then Chloe said, "Sorry, I want to explain, but can we move to a warmer place first? I''m feeling cold." Chloe''s body seemed weak, so without hesitation, I stood up and helped her to stand. "Sorry, I didn''t know you were feeling cold. Let''s head straight to the restaurant." It seemed Chloe''s body was also not strong enough to walk, she seemed unsteady when she started to take steps. So, I supported her by offering my shoulder, making it easier for her to walk. "Thank you. Actually, I feel cold because of the effect of entering the ghost world," Chloe said while still trying to walk. "It seems like you often enter the ghost world," I replied. Chloe could only smile. Her energy seemed completely drained. I spoke again, "Actually, I wanted to enter the ghost world. But Desmon didn''t allow it." I silent for a moment, "Can you teach me?" Chloe glanced at me, her smile never fading. "Sure, but after I recover." #### Night at Restaurant It took less than fifteen minutes to reach the restaurant. It could''ve been faster if Chloe could walk normally from the start. But I understand her condition. Fortunately, Chloe could walk normally after we moved a bit away from the park. The restaurant I meant was actually a casual diner that only served fast food. What set this restaurant apart from other fast-food chains was its variety of sauces. I know not many people, especially in this country, liked various types of sauce. Usually, they just liked one or two sauce types. But, as teenagers often say, ''Mix it, enjoy it'' this restaurant did target the teenagers. However, every Saturday night, this restaurant was always empty. I once asked one of the waitresses out of curiosity about why this restaurant was quiet on Saturday nights when it was always bustling every other night. The waitress said, "You know, young people prefer to explore when they''re on vacation." That''s why this restaurant became my favorite on Saturday nights, quiet yet delicious food. Based on that, I thought this restaurant could be a good place to talk and discuss the ghost world issues with Chloe. Enjoying delicious food and talking about something weird without worrying that our conversation would be heard by others. When we arrived at the restaurant, Chloe picked a seat in the farthest corner of the room to avoid the waiters from listening in. I agreed and liked Chloe''s choice of seat. On the touchscreen at the table, I ordered my favorite menu, while Chloe just went with my recommendation, which is my favorite, hehe. After we ordered and I paid with my mom''s bank card, the estimated time showed on the screen, five minutes. "So, how are you feeling now? Are you better?" I asked to start a conversation. "Better. It usually took half an hour or more, but now it''s much better. Seems like it''s thanks to the life aura you gave off." I looked into her half-closed eyes because of tiredness, "Actually, I wanted to ask many things. But seeing your condition, I''ll ask later." Chloe smiled again, but this time her smile was faint and brief. "Thanks, you''re understanding. But after eating, I''ll feel better, so feel free to ask your question." I nodded. Like always, in any restaurant, drinks were always served first before the food. I don''t know why they do that, but I think it''s their marketing strategy to get us to order more drinks. I drank my drink, and so did Chloe. Chloe''s drink was even finished in a flash, and kind of embarrassed, she asked for another of the same drink. We just sat quietly waiting for our food and Chloe''s drink to served. I didn''t want to start a conversation or engage with Chloe at a time like this because besides Chloe not being able to or finding it difficult to reply, I''m sure Chloe also had a hard time to get any interaction from me. When the food was served, we eagerly started eating. I usually really enjoyed my food, appreciating every single bite. But it seemed like Chloe wasn''t quite into it. Chloe, to me, is the kind of person who eats without caring about taste. They''ve become numb. Why? Because they eat so quickly ¡ªmaybe they don''t even chew it. How not to be quick, Chloe even ordered food again when I had just finished half of my portion. "Sorry." That was the only word that came out of her mouth. I could understand that. Maybe even really got it if I felt the same feeling drained and hunger after going into the ghost world. I mean, ghosts are people who have died, and one of the death aura is hunger, so wouldn''t it be automatic that if you enter the ghost world, you''d be super hungry. Right? In the end, we just focused on our food to getting energy before starting a conversation that might be very serious later. It didn''t take more than half an hour for us to finish our foods, excluding the extra time Chloe took for her additional food. After eating, and the waiter took away all the eating utensils, except our glasses that still had drinks in them. We finally had time to talk. "So, do you want me to start from where?" Chloe asked while wiping her mouth. "I don''t know, I was confused too." "What if from the beginning?" "Hmm... Okay, so what really happened." "I told you before, I felt the death aura from the shadow you saw, so I rushed to help it from becoming a vengeful ghost." I stayed quiet for a moment to think and took a sip of my drink. "I don''t remember you mentioning that you felt the death aura before." "Really didn''t?" I shook my head, then Chloe continued. "Maybe my mind was a mess because I was tired. So, that''s it, I felt the death aura, so I thought someone would become a vengeful ghost, and I hurried to help him." There''s something odd for me lately. I''ve been hearing these two words a lot, ''life aura'' and especially ''death aura.'' It''s like these two things are really important. What''s odd is, I''ve never felt these auras before. I felt the death aura for the first time when I met Leina, and the life aura when I met that unique teenager. What''s even odder is that I couldn''t feel the death aura like Chloe did. I mean, when Chloe talked about feeling that death aura, I didn''t feel it at all. The same goes for Desmon, he said he couldn''t feel the life aura from me, even though Chloe said she felt a strong life aura coming from me. Odd, right? I fixed my facial expression and body movements as best as I could to not show that I didn''t believe her explanation. "Sorry. It''s not that I didn''t believe you, but I didn''t feel any death aura at all before." Chloe''s face seemed quite surprised to me, so I quickly added, "Again, sorry, but maybe there''s something you could explain. Was I insensitive, or what?" "Hahaha..." Chloe just laughed and smiled, "I wasn''t offended at all. You don''t need to apologize." I replied with a relieved smile because I was worried she might get offended. "Yeah, that''s normal. Not everyone can feel the death aura and the life aura. Normally, for those who don''t have the same aura, it''s harder, unless the radiation of the death aura or the life aura is extremely strong." I understood Chloe''s explanation a bit, but I was still confused. "So, what you''re saying is, only those with the death aura can feel the death aura?" "Kind of. If you know about resonance, maybe you''d get it better," said Chloe before she drank her drink to refresh her throat. Chloe''s last words helped me understand better. Resonance is when one thing vibrates because another thing with the same frequency vibrates. So, in this case, it''s like Chloe''s death aura was also able to detect the death aura from other people or ghosts because they had the same type of aura. This might also explain why Desmon couldn''t feel my life aura because our aura types were different. And it also explains why I could feel the life aura from the unique teenager at the Maneuvers coffee shop earlier. "But there''s one thing that confused me. Why could you, who had the death aura, feel my life aura, but Desmon couldn''t feel my life aura? Do I really have a life aura or maybe there''s something unusual about Desmon?" I asked after I made sure Chloe finished her drink so she could talk. "Wait, couldn''t Desmon feel your life aura?" Chloe asked back. "Yeah. Was there something weird?" "No, I just thought your life aura was very strong at first, but it seems I was wrong," Chloe replied and then silent for a moment. "So, what do you mean I didn''t have a life aura?" "No, no like that. All living humans basically had a life aura, that''s why it''s called a life aura. And all ghosts, who were once living humans, had the same thing, they all had a death aura. But there was something strange-" I was so silly for not understanding that. Of course, it''s called a life aura because it comes from a living person, and that''s why it''s called a death aura because it comes from someone who''s already dead, like a ghost. While waiting for Chloe to think, I took another sip of my drink. "This might not be certain... but I think I couldn''t actually sense your life aura." Chloe continued. "What do you mean? So, what actually-" "I had three possibilities, and maybe they were all wrong. First, I was still alive, so I still had a life aura that I previously thought had disappeared from frequently entering the ghost world. So, maybe it was my life aura that actually resonated with your life aura." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "It could be, that makes sense." Chloe took a sip, which I could tell she was actually putting together words. "Secondly, what I felt wasn''t your life aura, but I sensed the resonance of my phantom, Leina''s death aura. However, since Leina''s death aura is very different from the life aura, I could feel that difference significantly." The second possibility also sounded make sense to me. Clearly, the bond between Leina and Chloe had become incredibly strong. Even remembering Chloe''s previous story, she told she could feeling Leina''s presence before realizing that it came from the life aura. It''s possible that Chloe couldn''t feel my life aura, just like Desmon, except for that one time when my life aura felt so noticeable because it was so different from Leina''s death aura that Chloe felt. "So, you mean, my life aura felt so strong when near Leina''s death aura?" I asked to make sure I got it right. "Something like that, you could imagine seeing a small dot of light surrounded by total darkness. Even though it''s just a dot, that light can light up around you, making it easier for you to see, right?" A great analogy. Like when you were in a dark place and you turned on a flashlight, even though the light only came from the flashlight, it was able to light up the surroundings and make it easier for us to see around. So, in conclusion, I did have a life aura like any other living person, which wasn''t strong. Basically, both Chloe and Desmon couldn''t feel it. However, during the incident on the bridge, because Leina''s death aura surrounded me, or in other words, Leina''s darkness covered my light. Chloe thought the light was quite strong as it brighten Leina''s darkness, but it wasn''t, it was just a tiny dot of light. I waited for Chloe to explain the third possibility, but after a while, she still didn''t explain it. "So, what happened next?" I asked. Chloe shifted her gaze towards the window, seemingly avoiding eye contact with me, "The third, hmm... actually, this doesn''t sound good. It''s about Desmon, do you still want to hear it?" Desmon? If Chloe said it wasn''t good, then something was wrong with Desmon. So, as his friend, of course, I had to listen to her. "Sure, what''s wrong? Is something wrong with Desmon?" I asked. "Before that, I wanna ask something, just to be sure," Chloe said, looking back at me. "Do you know why he died?" The reason Desmon died. He didn''t like me talking about it because it brought back his trauma. But at least he once mentioned it to me, well, he didn''t really tell me. At that time, I was telling Desmon about one of the movies I had just finished watching. In the part where the main protagonist was trapped, drowned, and betrayed by her friends, Desmon showed signs of trauma. Desmon went berserk and even tried to attack me, but I managed to dodge and calm him down. Slowly, Desmon became calmer, and that''s when he accidentally told me that he had been pranked by his schoolmate until he drowned. That''s why he was deeply shaken by anything related to school, including my school friends, but slowly, his trauma got better. He said since meeting me, he started to adapt. Chloe stayed silent after hearing my story, "So, that''s how it went." "So, what was wrong with Desmon?" I asked. "This was just my assumption, I could be wrong. But do you know what what makes different a vengeful ghost from another ghost?" I think I understand where Chloe''s conversation is heading. "Wasn''t a vengeful ghost wanted to take revenge on someone who did something wrong toward them when they were alive?" Chloe nodded to show she agreed, "But you might not know that not all vengeful ghosts were vengeful ghosts from the beginning when they became ghosts." "What do you mean?" "Many people were treated badly and then died, becoming ghosts. Those who became ghosts didn''t turn into vengeful ghosts yet, because their memories got a little distorted when they died." I asked again after getting a chance when Chloe paused to take a drink, "When did they become vengeful ghosts?" Chloe answered, but this time her gaze was completely focused on my eyes, not to intimidate but seems like to see how I reacted to her words. "When their memories were restored. They usually went through some messed-up stuff, like trauma for humans. But, once their memories were restored, they completely turned into vengeful ghosts." I don''t know why, but I felt a really strong punch suddenly hitting my chest. No way, my only friend could turn into a really dangerous vengeful ghost. Desmon was the only one who could cheer me up ¡ªwell, besides my mom¡ª and now he might become a creature that could harm me. "Are you okay?" Chloe asked, clearly noticing the change in emotions within me as she had anticipated this. I tried to calm myself by taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly, before answering to Chloe''s concern. But still, I couldn''t answer her with words, so I just nodded my head. Chloe reached out her hand to the table and touched my hand on the table, "At least you were still able to stay calm for now. At least Desmon didn''t turn into a vengeful ghost yet." I looked at her hopefully, at least she misjudged or at least there was something I could do. "Are you sure that Desmon could become a vengeful ghost? Are you not mistaken about it?" "I might be wrong, as I''ve said before. But your previous story about Desmon actually made me more sure." "What did you mean?" "Desmon seemed to be gradually regaining his memories, but as you said, after meeting you, he could adapt to his trauma. In other words, it seems like your life aura did help him reduce that trauma and come to accept what he experienced in his life." "I didn''t quite get it." I might have understood it if my mind hadn''t been messed up by the fear of Desmon becoming a vengeful ghost. "Do you remember what happened earlier in the park?" "Yeah, you helped the ghost from turning into a vengeful ghost, so what does that have to do with Desmon?" "You did the same thing with Desmon. You helped Desmon not to turn into vengeful ghosts with your life aura. In other words, your life aura held Desmon''s trauma and prevented him from turning into vengeful ghosts." I silent for a moment, and so did Chloe, giving me time to process that information. When I really thought about it, it actually made sense. The first time I met Desmon, he felt quite dangerous, but he managed to calm himself when facing me, and Desmon admitted to that.$ I told Chloe about my first meet with Desmon and Desmon''s words about being tied to me, which made him unable to leave my house, even though the tie had been broken. If someone were to ask why I suddenly told this, I wouldn''t know. Somehow, I felt comfortable and trusted Chloe, so without realizing it, I told about it. After hearing my story, Chloe nodded and leaned back in her chair, "I''ll consider Desmon lucky. In my opinion ¡ªand I tell you that I could be wrong¡ª Desmon, while at your school, was probably recalling his troubled past when he was alive. In other words, he was in the process of becoming a vengeful ghost-" Chloe''s story aligned with what Desmon had told. If I remember correctly, Desmon did mention that he hurt some students at my school before my arrival. So indeed, he was in the process of becoming a vengeful ghost. "-but as I said, Desmon was lucky to meet you. Your life aura, at the very least, slowed down that process. So Desmon didn''t become a vengeful ghost, and that''s all thanks to you." Chloe smiled again, as if praising something I wasn''t fully aware of. "But what about the tie that Desmon mentioned, saying he wasn''t free and was stuck to my house after meeting me?" I asked while turning my hand that Chloe was touching, so our hands were held. "Honestly, I''ve never directly seen a case like yours, I''ve only read about it. So, I might be wrong. But in my opinion, there isn''t an actual tie between you two. It''s just that Desmon unintentionally tied himself to you," Chloe replied. As usual, Chloe sometimes give explanations that weren''t very clear, so I had to ask again about her meaning. "What do you mean?" Chloe silent for a moment. It seemed Chloe struggled to explain it to me. Was I too foolish, or was Chloe being too complicated? I didn''t know. "What does Desmon want as a ghost according to you?" Chloe asked back. This time, I was the one left silent because of her question. Honestly, even though we had been friends for a while, I had never asked about what Desmon wanted after he became a ghost. I was more interested in his past. If Chloe were to ask about Desmon''s dreams, I could surely answer. But as for what he wanted after becoming a ghost, I couldn''t answer that. "I don''t know. I''ve never asked," I replied. "Typically, a ghost only has three desires. Firstly, if they died peacefully, they''d want to return to the afterlife, if you believe in that. Secondly, if there''s an unfulfilled desire from their living days, they''d want that as a ghost. Lastly, if someone did something wrong that caused their death, they''d seek revenge, becoming a vengeful ghost," Chloe explained. Chloe then tried to take a sip from her drink, but she didn''t realize her glass had been empty for a while. So, I pushed my drink towards her, "Do you want mine?" "No, thank you. Hmm... for Desmon, at least we can rule out the first and third desires." "Okay, but I''m still confused. I mean, what''s the connection between Desmon''s desires and his tie to me?" I asked again because Chloe''s explanation was still unclear to me. "His desires during Desmon''s life are what tied him to you," Chloe said. "But his dreams during his life were to become a scientist. I don''t see how that connects to me," I said. Chloe pulled her hand back, placing both elbows on the table and holding her head up with her palms, leaning toward me. "Are you sure, you don''t know?" I did the same, for some reason, I don''t know why. "I don''t know about what?" Chloe changed her position again, this time leaning back on her chair while turning her gaze towards the window. "I thought you were his friend, but you''re unaware of his true desire." "What is it?" I asked as quickly as I could. I felt a bit offended when Chloe mentioned my friendship with Desmon, as if she was saying I didn''t care about him. "According to you, why do you think he was pranked by his classmates to the point of drowning?" Chloe directed her gaze back at me. I didn''t answer, I just stayed silent, shaking my head to indicate I didn''t know. "You should understand, he was also bullied in his life. Perhaps more tragically than you. He felt a deep loneliness, and his biggest and true desire was just to have a friend." It felt like a tight rope was tied around my neck, making it hard for me to breathe. It felt like hundreds of boxing robots were punching my chest, making it feel squeezed. I understood why Chloe suddenly pulled back her hand from mine, turned her face away from mine, and said that I didn''t seem to care about Desmon. Because I indeed didn''t care and was too foolish to understand. Even though Chloe''s explanation was very clear that Desmon desired a friend just like he did when he was alive, I still had questions about why he was tied to me. I wanted to ask her, but my breath was hard to control, and my chest still felt tight. So, I just leaned back for a moment. Chloe noticed I needed time, so she only tapped on the table to order another drink, giving me some time to calm myself. "But Desmon has many friends in the ghost world, why is he tied to me instead of his ghost friends?" I asked. "Because of his desire. Do you still not get it?" Chloe paused for a moment. "He wanted a friend during his life, and that desire remained even after he became a ghost. In other words, he still wanted for a living friend." I still found it hard to control my breathing, and my chest still felt tight. So, I stayed silent. I didn''t want to make myself look more foolish or not caring again and again. "At least that''s what I think. I could be wrong, but it might explain why Desmon is tied to you, because he''s tied to his desire, and you, being his living friend with a life aura, fulfilled that desire." "So..." I tried to summarize, but I couldn''t finish because I was having trouble breathing. Chloe recognized my limitations and helped me summarize, "So, actually, Desmon felt your life aura, and your life aura made his desire come true, tied him to you. Also, because Desmon''s desire came true, he forgot his grudge, and by forgetting it, he didn''t become a vengeful ghost. In other words, your life aura saved Desmon from becoming a vengeful ghost." #### Midnight I was still quite shocked after Chloe made me realize how much I didn''t care about others. No wonder I had no friends. How could anyone be friends with someone who couldn''t even understand them? Did I deserve to ask for understanding of my abilities from them if I couldn''t understand them? I needed to change, but I didn''t know how. At least with Chloe patiently explaining things to me, I could learn a lot from her, also since she seemed to have many friends. While I calmed myself, Chloe continued her story about how she first learned about the death aura and the life aura. Her journey to study them seemed challenging because she had to visit various places to find rare documents about them. She even mentioned being fooled a few times or chased by vengeful ghosts during her exploration in the ghost world. Listening to her story allowed me to understand her and her personal life better. She was now completely independent, something rarely done by teenagers in this era. She worked as a freelancer in various fields, especially those related to the ghost world. After hearing Chloe''s long story, although shortened according to her, at least her story give me enough time to calm down. Once I had calmed down, I actually wanted to ask her about something that intrigued me after watching her actions in the park earlier ¡ªhow to enter the ghost world. However, before I could ask, Chloe suggested we talk about something light before diving into serious matters again. It seemed like she was concerned about my condition, or perhaps she just wanted to enjoy the snacks she had ordered before diving into another serious lesson. So, in return for Chloe''s long story about her adventures, I told her about the incident while waiting for her at Maneuvers coffee shop. Yeah, I talked about the life aura I could sense from the unique teenager. At least, through my storytelling, I could understand her previous explanation about life aura and death aura more thoroughly. It became clear to me that I sensed the life aura from the unique teenager because our auras resonated. However, from my story about that, I was reminded of Desmon''s experience. "Desmon told me that he couldn''t come to warn me about the ghost''s chaos because the life aura was blocking him. Was he wrong? Or perhaps you can explain?" I asked, concluding my story. Chloe didn''t immediately answer my question. Instead, she opened her smartphone and typed something on the screen. I wasn''t sure what she was typing. I stayed silent, waiting for Chloe to respond to my story and question. I didn''t want to interrupt her, thinking she might be receiving an important message from someone. I was worried that interrupting her might make her think something bad about me. "Sorry," Chloe said, placing her smartphone on the table. "I noted down some important things from your story. So, do you want me to explain the ghost chaos or how the life aura blocked Desmon first?" I found it easy to decide which explanation I wanted to hear first. Since we had been discussing auras, I chose to hear about life aura to keep things in line with our previous conversation. Besides, I wasn''t particularly interested in ghost chaos. "The life aura, first. Can a life aura really block ghosts from approaching?" I asked. Chloe adjusted her sitting position to get comfortable before starting her explanation. "A strong aura can disturb something with an opposing, weaker aura. For instance, a strong life aura can disturb a ghost with a weak death aura, and vice versa ¡ªa strong death aura can disturb a person with a weak life aura." I nodded, indicating my understanding of Chloe''s explanation. She continued without changing her position. "For example, when you meet a vengeful ghost, which usually has a strong death aura, don''t you also feel disturbed?" It made sense. I could immediately notice the difference and feel fear when facing vengeful ghosts. This was because of the intensity of the death aura they had. "So, you mean the unique teenager I talked about has a strong life aura, strong enough to make Desmon stay away?" I ask to make sure. "Exactly. But to my knowledge, ghosts can only be expelled using mantras of protection or specific substances believed to expel them, like salt. I''ve never heard of life aura repelling ghosts," Chloe replied, seeming like she wanted to continue and express her opinion, but she didn''t continue. "So, do you mean that even though the life aura of the unique teenager is strong, it wasn''t his aura that kept Desmon away from me?" I asked to confirm. "Yes. That''s why I noted it on my smartphone to study it further later," Chloe explained while glancing towards her smartphone. "There''s one hypothesis I can offer, the person might be using his life aura as a protective mantra." At first, I didn''t believe in anything related to protective mantras until Desmon told me about his search to find Ryan during his time in the ghost world, where he first mentioned and explained protective mantras. Since then, I have believed that protective mantras are indeed real and can repel ghosts. After all, how could I not believe when the ghost itself explained it to me. However, Desmon never mentioned how the protective mantra works, and the connection between the protective mantra and the life aura. Well, maybe, during his time as a ghost, Desmon spent all his time dealing with his trauma, so he didn''t have the chance to learn much. Since Desmon himself was unreliable about auras, I could only rely on Chloe. Unfortunately, in this case, Chloe also seemed puzzled. she even took notes on her smartphone to study it later. "Desmon mentioned several times about protective mantras, but he never explained them in detail. So, could you explain them?" I asked, curious about this, as it might be useful for protecting myself from vengeful ghosts. As usual, Chloe smiled before giving me an explanation. "I''ve never been interested in protective mantras. In my opinion, there''s no mantra that''s one hundred percent effective." "What do you mean?" "Mantras are usually inherited from cultural traditions. If you believe in them, they''ll be ingrained in your mind. Then, when you become a ghost, as I explained before, your memories are still preserved, although distorted. So, when you become a ghost, you still believe in the power of that mantra. And then, you unconsciously fear and avoid anyone reciting that mantra." As usual, I needed to ask again each time I heard Chloe explain something to make sure I didn''t misunderstand. Her explanations tended to be unclear. "So, you mean only ghosts who believed in a mantra during their lifetime can be repelled by that mantra?" I asked. "Exactly. But that''s for mantras. It''s different for substances that can repel ghosts." "What do you mean?" "Substances like salt or certain leaves can genuinely repel ghosts because they usually contain elements that are essential or vital for life." When I heard the word "elements," I felt like I was back in school, finding it dull. Unlike Desmon, I wasn''t particularly interested in scientific matters, in fact, I tended to avoid them. So, before my brain could burn from this lesson, it''s better for me to ask for a break for a moment. Or maybe, I could change the conversation to another topic, which I also wasn''t interested in but was better than talking about elements. I leaned back in my chair. "Alright, then. How about ghost''s chaos? Have you ever heard of it?" Chloe changed her position again, not leaning or resting her head on her arms on the table this time. Instead, she stood up. "Sorry, but I need to go to the restroom first," Chloe said, grabbing her smartphone from the table. "Oh, sure," I replied, and Chloe walked towards the restroom. While waiting for Chloe, I just touched the table, searching for a menu for snacks or drinks to order. While I was enjoying searching the menu, I suddenly realized how many drinks and snacks I had ordered. But it wasn''t much when I glanced at the empty glasses and empty plates on the part of the table near where Chloe was sitting ¡ªthere were more glasses than mine. No wonder Chloe wanted to go to the restroom, she had drunk more than five glasses during our conversation.
Thinking about how many glasses I had drunk and Chloe headed to the restroom, I suddenly felt the need to use the restroom too. So, without further delay, I followed Chloe to the restroom. ### The restroom in this restaurant, like restroom facilities in various places in this country, are all unisex. There''s no gender discrimination or grouping that leads to the violating someone''s rights. I''m grateful that the era I live in understands humans as complete beings. As I chose and entered the farthest stall, I heard one of the stalls flushing, which I thought was Chloe finishing up. The restroom was empty at that time, just like the restaurant. Even though I wasn''t overhearing, I could still hear every footstep, seemingly heading towards the sink or maybe exiting the restroom. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Once I finished my business, I quickly left the stall and went to the sink to wash my hands before leaving. When standing right at the entrance door of the restroom, I accidentally looked towards our table, but I didn''t see Chloe sitting there. Curious, I consciously scanned the entire restaurant, searching to find Chloe. Chloe remained undetected by my sight, completely. I went back inside with the thought that the person I heard walking out of the restroom might not have been Chloe, maybe a restaurant staff. I checked the doors of all the stalls, and all were marked ''vacant''. So, where could Chloe be? Where did she go? I immediately rushed out of the toilet towards one of the waiters near the entrance. "Excuse me, did you see a girl coming out?" I asked. The young-looking restaurant waiter only shook his head. "Are you sure?" "Your girlfriend hasn''t left, I''ve been here the whole time. She hasn''t left the restroom." The waiter said, his expression turning annoyed. Maybe I was bothering him. "Alright, sorry to bother you." I went back to our table after the waiter said Chloe hadn''t come out of the toilet. Well, even though I didn''t fully trust his words, I also didn''t want to create more trouble by annoying him more with the next questions. Chloe might still be inside one of the toilet stalls. Since I didn''t check each stall one by one, I only looked the ''vacant'' sign on the stall doors. So, Chloe might have forgotten to change that sign while inside. Besides, I had also ordered a drink, so I couldn''t just leave it like that ¡ªit would be a waste. ### For some reason, when I saw Chloe walking out of the restroom, she looked so enchanting. My heart began to beat faster, as if the engine had just been warmed up and was now ready to full speed. "Why?" Chloe asked, standing beside her chair without me realizing, and then she sat down. I closed my eyes and shook my head slightly, "It''s nothing, I thought you had left." "Of course not, how could I leave you? I will stay with you." She replied, smiling sweetly at me. After Chloe sat down, she finished her remaining drink before starting to explain to me about the ghost''s chaos. "So, about the ghost chaos earlier, right?" "Yeah. How about it? Do you know anything about ghost''s chaos?" "Hmm... I''ve read about ghost chaos but never experienced it because this case is very rare-" I sat up straight because I was getting curious. The thing is, neither I, Desmon, nor Chloe has ever experienced it, and Chloe herself said this is a very rare case. So, can I be considered lucky or unlucky for having experienced ghost''s chaos? "-As far as I know, and my knowledge, ghost chaos only happens if there''s disorder in the death aura found in every ghost-" Why does Chloe always use such difficult language? "In simple terms, every ghost is consciously aware that they are ghosts and can also recognize other ghosts. However, there''s a moment when the ghosts don''t realize all of this, creating a situation where one ghost tries to scare or possess another ghost." Still, Chloe uses language that''s too hard to understand. "What do you mean?" "You surely know that many ghosts often scare humans or enter the bodies of humans to take control, right?" I smiled and almost laughed, "Of course, isn''t that what ghosts do?" "Exactly. But usually, ghosts can recognize who is human and who is a ghost. However, when there''s disorder in the death aura, the ghost can''t see the difference between humans and ghosts. So, instead of scaring humans, the ghost wants to scare and enter the body of another ghost. If that happens, what do you think occurs?"$ I took a breath, exhaled it, trying to think about that, but my brain was too foolish. "I don''t know, is it even possible?" "Of course not. That''s why the ghost that is trying to scare or take over another ghost will rebel, leading to chaos among the ghosts, and ghost chaos begins." I think I understand. At least, I understand ghost''s chaos is similar to human chaos, which is conflicts among ghosts, only the cause of the conflict is different. I have never heard of ghosts having conflicts among themselves. Apparently, the only thing that can make them fight is the disorder in their own death aura. Chloe leaned back in her chair, "Actually, humans can also experience it." "What do you mean? Human chaos?" "No, but disorder in the life aura." Growing more curious, my body leaned toward Chloe. "What do you mean?" "Yes, you must have heard of the term sleepwalking, right?" "Sleepwalking, the term for someone who walks while asleep?" I asked back. The term is not unfamiliar to me, not because I''ve experienced it, but because it''s often mentioned in movies I''ve watched. "Yup. Do you know its cause?" "I don''t know, maybe lack of sleep, stress, lack of vitamins, or something else. I haven''t studied it, just know it from movies." I replied. "All the things you mentioned could be true, but even so, sleepwalking is still considered a disease..." Chloe raised the index and middle fingers on both hands, emphasizing the word ''disease'' when it came out of her mouth, "...that occurs randomly. Do you know the cause?" I shook my head, "No." "Because they misunderstood it. It''s not a disease but disorder in the life aura. A condition where someone doesn''t realize whether they are in the world of the living or the dead." "But they don''t die, I mean, sleepwalkers don''t die." Chloe back to her original position, "Hmm... maybe you haven''t learned it, but when the body is asleep, we are actually in a brief state of death." "What do you mean?" "Medically, some parts of the body will rest when we sleep, and our body temperature will also drop. At that moment, we are actually entering the ghost world, or in other words, we are in a brief state of death." I smiled and almost laughed again. This time Chloe''s explanation sounded a bit weird and made-up. "You''re joking, right? It''s impossible for us to die while sleeping." Chloe''s expression didn''t change, she wasn''t joking. "Seriously, you must have heard of someone dreaming of meeting a dead person. How could that happen if the person isn''t entering the ghost world and meeting a ghost from those who have died?" I pulled back my word, Chloe is right. The incident of someone dreaming of meeting another person who has died, especially their relatives, is something I''ve often heard. But I''ve never been able to explain it, even though I can see ghosts myself. Turns out, that''s the explanation. I asked another question, "So, you mean when sleepwalking happens, the person is actually dead?" "You could say the person is in the ghost world, but they also control their body in the human world because they themselves can''t see the difference between the ghost world and the human world due to the disorder in their life aura." "But how does the aura become disorderly? Is there something causing it, or does it happen randomly?" Chloe smiled and instead asked me, "Aren''t you realizing?" "Of what?" I was confused by Chloe. Since earlier I looked so foolish, but why does she keep asking back my questions instead of answering them? "Hmm... a very intense life aura will disturb the death aura, and vice versa. Do you still remember the incident at Maneuvers coffee shop that you said?" Maybe I''ve said this many times, but I am indeed foolish. No wonder Chloe keeps asking back. "So, the life aura given off by that unique teenager is what caused the ghost''s chaos?" "Yes, you could say that." After satisfyingly listening to Chloe''s long explanation, we chatted for a while longer until I finished the drinks and snacks I ordered. After I paid for all our orders, we went home. ### I couldn''t estimate how long we had been chatting in the restaurant, but the sky was already dark. When I glanced at my smartphone while waiting for Chloe, who was making a call, I was really surprised. The time displayed on my phone indicated it was almost midnight. Shit. I never go out at night, and now I was still outside even after the day had turned. I couldn''t imagine how angry my mom would be, I''d surely be scolded for days because of this. Desmon also seemed to be worried about my condition, he might be wandering around looking for me. Or maybe not, considering he seemed to want me to date Chloe. How would I know? Because he always teased me. Isn''t it usually like that? You get teased, so that the teasing becomes true. But more important than all that was how about Chloe. I mean, there are many teenage girls roaming around late at night, but I wasn''t sure if Chloe was one of them or not. I might be able to ignore Chloe''s parents or grandparents since they''re no longer there to advise her, so I can say Chloe is free. My only concern was whether Chloe minded staying out late. Usually, in movies, if someone stays out late after hanging out with friends, they would be offered to stay at their friend''s house because it''s dangerous to be on the streets late at night. But I was confused about whether to offer Chloe to stay at my house or not. Firstly, if I did offer, where would Chloe sleep? In my mom''s room? That seems unlikely because it would bother my mom, who''s already asleep. In my room? I was a bit hesitant, but I could go along with it. But what about Desmon? Would he understand the situation or not? Or in the living room? This was the most silly option, as it would seem rude and disrespectful to the guest. Secondly, I was unsure about how to offer Chloe to stay at my house. Should I directly offer, or should I use small talk? If I must use small talk, then what kind of small talk should I use? At least, I had fifteen minutes to think before we reached my house. Or maybe Chloe''s house is nearby? If her house is around here, maybe I can drop her off first, and after that, I''ll run as fast as I can to my house. Yeah, honestly, I''m afraid of being alone on the streets at midnight. "Sorry for taking so long," Chloe said, after her call ended. "My friend called to ask where I am."
"It''s okay. In fact, I should apologize because I really enjoyed chatting, and I didn''t realize it was already late at night. Are you okay with that?" I replied while walking with Chloe toward my house. "Nope, no problem at all. But I''m just confused about how I can get home because my house is quite far from here. If you don''t mind, can I stay at your house?" One of my concerns was resolved. I didn''t need to think about how to offer Chloe to stay at my house, she had already asked. Before I could answer, Chloe stopped for a moment, turned her whole body toward me, and said, "If you''re worried about getting scolded because your mom won''t agree, I promise I''ll leave right away." I couldn''t hold back my laughter. Chloe seemed desperate, and it also seemed like she really had a problem being on the streets this late, but she didn''t want to worry me, even though she was worried herself. Seeing me laugh, Chloe also laughed, a desperate kind of laughter. "No, my mom won''t be mad. Don''t worry, I''m sure about that. So, you can stay at my house," I answered after controlling my laughter. "But the problem is, my house only has two rooms." "Oh, don''t worry about that. I can sleep anywhere, even in the bathroom," Chloe said playfully. Hearing that, both of us burst into laughter. "Right, alright. So, you in the bathroom," I replied, also jokingly. Chloe''s cheerful face immediately turned drastically serious. "Are you serious?" I wasn''t very good at holding back laughter, so I burst into laughter as soon as I saw Chloe''s face. In the end, Chloe laughed along with me. After laughing for a while, now that I had controlled myself, I give a more serious answer. "I don''t actually mind if you sleep in my room, but there''s Desmon in my room, and I don''t know if he minds or not. So, sorry in advance. If Desmon minds, you might have to sleep in the living room." Chloe give back her smile, even sweeter now. "No problem. Thank you." "I''m the one who should thank you for being my friend and with me all night," I replied with words that seemed to flow out of nowhere from my mouth. Chloe just nodded and continued walking. I followed her from the back. During the trip home, we took the opportunity to chat about our own school lives, not about friendships at school but rather about studying. I didn''t expect Chloe to be a student who, in my opinion, is smart. #### Goodnight I didn''t need to worry about waking up my mom to enter the house because the security system at my house knew me well, so I could allow Chloe to enter without needing permission from the administrator, my mom. The living room in my house was dark, as it was my mom''s habit. She would turn off the lights and deactivate the step detector to automatically turn on the lights when it was nighttime. She said it was to save money and energy. After turning on the lights in the living room, I asked Chloe to wait for a moment while I prepared some drinks and snacks for her to enjoy while waiting. In the meantime, I would go to my room to inform Desmon that Chloe was staying over. Of course, I also wanted to ask Desmon to compromise and let Chloe sleep in my room. Moreover, thinking back, I should be able to ask Desmon to leave because this was my room, not his. However, it was not possible, not because I was afraid of ghosts, but I couldn''t bear to drive away a friend. In front of my room, I began to feel sleepy. Usually, I sleep around 10 or 11 pm, or at the latest, around midnight. So, it was reasonable for me to feel sleepy when it was already 12:30 am when we came home. I didn''t find Desmon in my room when I entered. I didn''t know where he went, maybe he was in another part of my house, or maybe he already knew I had come back, and right now, he was hiding and waiting for the right time to shock me. I couldn''t guess which one was correct. But at least his absence helped me. I could offer Chloe to sleep in my room instead of the living room. However, before going down to the living room and making that offer, I had to make sure first that Desmon was really not in my room. It didn''t take long to confirm Desmon''s absence in the room because he had left a note ¡ªof course written using paper and a pen from the ghost world. In his message, Desmon only wrote that he would be gone for a while to the ghost world, and also mocked me for strolling around until night with Chloe. So, I could assume he would come back, but when he would come back, I didn''t know. This made me confused. Should I offer Chloe to sleep in my room or not? If I did, and Chloe agreed, Desmon could come back at any time, and it might bother either Chloe or Desmon, or both of them. But if I didn''t, it could also bother one of them because Chloe would surely sleep in the living room, and when Desmon comes back, he might pass through the living room and meet Chloe. Why did Desmon make everything more complicated? Because I thought I had left Chloe for too long, I decided to come back right away while still thinking about whether to offer Chloe to sleep in my room or not. ### When I got to the living room, I was startled by a strong death aura from the appearance of a ghost I didn''t expect. It wasn''t Desmon, as I hoped, and not any other ghost that I could have guessed. Fortunately, it wasn''t a vengeful ghost too that I needed to avoid, and also not a phantom, which is rare for me to meet. But, the ghost I saw was Chloe. "Chloe?" I didn''t know and couldn''t control my tone, but it seemed to surprise Chloe as well. Ghost Chloe ¡ªI don''t know what the right term for this is, so I''ll just call it ghost Chloe¡ª smiled as she looked at me. And then suddenly, Ghost Chloe moved very, very fast toward Chloe''s lifeless body lying on the couch. I could be sure that my eyes could clearly see Chloe''s body, which was limp and lifeless, suddenly moving. "Sorry," were the first words that came out of Chloe''s now lively body. "Didn''t mean to startle you, but I wanted to make sure this place is safe before sleeping." Without waiting for Chloe''s signal, I walked toward her. Unconsciously, I sat beside Chloe, looking her face. "What are you going to do?" Chloe asked, pushing my shoulder gently, which, after I realized, was leaning towards Chloe''s body. I didn''t know how close our faces were before Chloe pushed me, but I knew there was about a hand''s width between our faces. So, I could imagine why Chloe asked and pushed me.
"Sorry, I didn''t mean anything, but-" I said abruptly, fully realizing it. I didn''t want Chloe to think something bad about me, so I right away created some distance between us and shifted my gaze elsewhere. "It''s okay, I understand," Chloe interrupted, maybe feeling awkward about the recent situation. That''s why she also shifted her gaze away from me. I tried to calm myself and started thinking about what to do next. But there was only one thing I could think of ¡ªwhy Chloe entered the ghost world again. Maybe asking about it was a good idea for now, well, at least it could shift the focus away from what I just did. Before speaking, my hands, without waiting for commands from my brain, were playing with my knees. "Sorry, but... why do you have a ghost-like appearance?" I glanced at Chloe briefly, she seemed to be back to her usual self, still a bit awkward. "Uh... well, I told you I just wanted to make sure this place is safe," Chloe said. I tried to command my hands to stop moving before saying, "What do you mean?" "Yeah, do you remember the aura resonance I explained earlier?" I tried to remember it, not because I forget easily, but apparently, my memory was confused by the previous situation. "I do." "Luckily," Chloe said, looking fully relaxed now and no longer awkward when I glanced at her briefly. "So, it''s easier for me to explain. I entered the ghost world to strengthen my death aura, so I could sense if there were vengeful ghosts nearby or not." I tried to process it, but with Chloe being at ease, my mind also cleared up, making it easier for me to understand Chloe explanation. "In other words, you''re trying to resonate or connect with the aura of vengeful ghosts. If successful, there''s a vengeful ghost nearby, and if not, we''re safe. Is that right?" Chloe nodded. "Yes. Fortunately, it''s safe here." "Thank goodness," I said. As my mind began to clear, and we both stayed silent for a few moments, I remembered our conversation in the park. Yes, I remembered that Chloe promised to teach me how to enter the ghost world after she had recovered. However, our conversations afterward were only about auras and the ghost''s chaos. So, I thought this was the right time. "Hmm... so, how to put it..." I said, something meaningless but enough to break the silence between us. I turned my face to look at Chloe, but she had already done it first. "Well, what''s up?" Chloe said in a softer tone than usual, maybe trying to make me more relaxed to speak openly. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "How do you enter the ghost world? You promised to teach me about it in the park," I finished, ending my question with a smile. Honestly, I might not have consciously smiled while talking in front of a girl the same age as me for a lifetime, so I didn''t know if the smile I made looked natural, sweet, or just gave a bad impression. But at least, judging by Chloe''s response in the form of a smile, I thought I succeeded in giving a good impression. "Oh, haha," Chloe smiled and chuckled lightly ¡ªshe looked very sweet and maybe even pretty, "Sorry, sorry, I forgot to teach you. But are you sure you want to learn it?" Without thinking much, I immediately expressed my dedication to learn how to enter the ghost world. "But it''s dangerous. Desmon must have told you, that''s why he forbade it," Chloe explained. I knew Desmon wouldn''t agree with this because it''s very dangerous. At least, that''s what Desmon said, and Chloe admitted it too. However, I remained committed because I had a strong reason why I needed to be able to enter the ghost world. So, I thought I could accept the risks, especially after seeing Chloe, who had experienced entering the ghost world and was still fine until now. Even though I was sure, I still needed to know the risks of entering the ghost world. "What are the dangers?" "There are many, of course. But at least, the one you should worry about the most is that your body can be possessed, or you can be approached by vengeful ghosts," Chloe replied with an expression that couldn''t hide that she had experienced both of these things. At least, that was my guess from her different facial expressions.
Being possessed by a ghost or facing a vengeful ghost, both are without a doubt very dangerous. This danger made me rethink, although I still decided to continue learning how to enter the ghost world. "Alright. But I still want to enter the ghost world," I might not be good at controlling my facial expressions to look convincing, but at least I tried to do that so that Chloe would be willing to teach me. Chloe fell silent for a moment. She seemed to be thinking about my request again, or maybe she was thinking about how and where to teach me so that I could understand quickly ¡ªand safely. While I waited for Chloe with her thoughts, I opened a bottle of soft drinks and snacks on the table in front of us. I also opened a drink for Chloe. "Okay, I''m willing to teach you," Chloe said, and then her hand reached out to mine, gripping both of my hands tightly. "But you have to promise not to do it without my supervision. Deal?" I smiled, not only because my wish was given by Chloe, but also because for the first time in my life, I could feel someone other than my parents and a ghost named Desmon worrying about my safety. I felt noticed and cared for as a human being. "Thank you, Chloe," that''s what I wanted to say to her. But my lips said otherwise, "Understood." Chloe then released her grip and drank the drink I had opened earlier. "Do you still remember my explanation about dreams earlier?" Chloe asked after finishing her drink. I knew Chloe had explained it at the restaurant, and I still remembered it. But I thought it would be better to pretend not to know to avoid any misunderstanding, so that Chloe would explain it again. So, I just shook my head.
"Hmm... The important thing is, when you dream, you''ve actually entered the ghost world, but you''re not aware because your consciousness is still left in the human world," Chloe explained. "Then, how can you be aware when entering the ghost world?" I asked. "It''s easy, by removing your life aura and replacing it with the death aura, or in other words-" "Becoming a ghost," words came out of my mouth unintentionally and out of control. Immediately, my whole body shivered. I found it difficult to breathe, and I also lost control of my body, although fortunately, all of this happened for just a few seconds. I might have said this several times, but I still had to repeat it over and over again ¡ªI''m foolish. I mean, it''s clear that if you enter the human world, you have to become human, so it''s clear too that if you enter the ghost world, you have to become a ghost. Why is something as simple and clear as that still difficult for me to understand? And how could I still have the wrong thought that I, who am still a human, could enter the ghost world without becoming a ghost? I saw how foolish I had been as I consciously saw Chloe looking like a ghost when she entered the ghost world. That means Chloe became a ghost when she entered the ghost world ¡ªI even called her Ghost Chloe. But how could I still think that, as a human, I could enter the ghost world without becoming a ghost? Silly. But among my thoughts filled with proving my foolishness, there was one thing different. "But after becoming a ghost, you can return to being human, right?" Chloe fell silent for a moment. She didn''t seem to be putting words together to explain or answer my question, but rather thinking about something sad. Her eyes seemed to be looking downward with a gaze as if mourning something, much like her lips that lowered as if holding back tears or giving in to something bad. Her shoulders also looked slightly slouched, as if crushed by something very heavy. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Chloe took a deep, heavy breath until the vibrating sound of her breathing could be heard by me, "Unfortunately, the more you become a ghost, the chances of returning to being human will become zero." I could feel the shake in her voice, as if someone scared. "If that''s the case, then don''t," I said without realizing it. Chloe raised her gaze back to me, clearly staring into my eyes. "Sorry?" I knew why I could say it without realizing it before, it was because I was also worried about Chloe. "Don''t go back to the ghost world." Hearing that, Chloe smiled while wiping her eyes with her palm, although I couldn''t see her tears, but at least it indicated that she was holding back her tears. My worry couldn''t be measured, but instinctively, I reached out my arms and pushed Chloe''s head from behind to my shoulder, hugging her. We didn''t talk or move for a few moments until Chloe calmed down again. I released my hug, and Chloe also looked back to her usual self with her sweet smile. "Thank you," she said. Before move on to anything, Chloe and I both took a sip of our drinks. Once she could control herself again, Chloe continued her explanation. "You don''t need to worry about me, I have my own way of handling things. You could say I''m experienced," she said, smiling. I was relieved to see her smile; it was better than when she looked sad. "That''s good." "But you should worry about yourself. You lack experience, and the chances of you returning to being human are slim after becoming a ghost."
"Maybe it should be like that, but I trust you," I replied, smiling. "At least you found your way. So, as long as you''re around, I''m sure I can return to being human." "Thank you for trusting me," Chloe replied. I didn''t know what else to say, so I asked Chloe how to become a ghost. "So, going back to the beginning, how do I become a ghost to enter the ghost world?" "As I said, you need to have a death aura." I somewhat forgot about that, but as far as I remember, she hadn''t explained it yet. "So, how do I get a death aura?" Chloe didn''t immediately answer my question. Instead, she grabbed a snack and started eating. "Of course, you have to own everything related to the death aura." "What do you mean?"
"Yeah, you have to feel the cold, feel the darkness, breathe the foul odor, feel thirsty or hungry, and feel the silence. You need to do all of that to trigger the death aura within you."
Yes, you probably know what I''m going to say¡ªI''m being foolish. But this time, it''s reasonable for me not to guess it. I mean, Chloe didn''t even experience all that when she turned into a ghost. For instance, before this, Chloe turned into a ghost in my living room, which was not dark but still bright. Curious, I asked about it, "Are you serious? I mean, you yourself didn''t feel all of that when turning into a ghost, both here before or in the park." "Of course, I don''t need that anymore. If you remember, I''ve already told you that I have a death aura."
"Oh, I forgot about that." Honestly, I really forgot. Because, even though Chloe had told me she had a death aura several times, I still didn''t feel it. Chloe also explained that I couldn''t feel her death aura because she behaved and appeared in a way that made her feel a life aura.
I chuckled to myself. Of course, the answer I was looking for had been explained long before this, but I didn''t realize it. Chloe was, indeed, dominated by the death aura. So, when she was in the human world, she needed the life aura. And to get the life aura, she needed to feel it herself. Because of that, her appearance was vibrant with striking colors, she always wore earphones, consumed food or drinks, wore slightly thicker clothes, and used fragrant perfume. It could even be seen when I first met her in the tutoring center. Silly of me not to have realized it. If that''s the case, then I''m the opposite of Chloe. I mean, I''m still dominated by the life aura, so to enter the ghost world, I need the death aura. And to get the death aura, I need to feel the death aura itself. If I were a bit smarter, maybe I would have figured it out earlier. "Why?" Chloe asked, "Are you laughing to yourself? Is something funny?" Maybe I didn''t chuckle, or maybe I couldn''t hide my laughter. "Nothing, I just feel stupid for realizing something just now." I replied. "What is it?" "It''s nothing. I just realized that you seem to be the opposite of me. I mean, you need the life aura, so you behave and appear in a some way to feel that life aura. And I need the death aura, so I have to behave and appear opposite to you." Chloe seemed different from me, she could easily understand what I was talking about even I didn''t need to explain it for the second time. I can see the difference between a smart person and a foolish one. I, without realizing it, took my drink and was about to drink it because my throat was starting to feel dry. However, right before I could drink it, I remembered that I had to feel thirsty to have a death aura, which could give me the ability to enter the ghost world. So, I put my drink back. "Then, if I''ve got the death aura, what should I do next?" I asked for the next steps in entering the ghost world. "Next, you could say it''s easy and difficult at the same time." "What do you mean?" "Basically, there''s only one way to enter the ghost world, your soul must separate from your body. It''s challenging to do, but unconsciously, every day, people''s souls leave their bodies when they sleep." "So you mean I have to sleep?" Chloe finished her drink before answering, "You could say that, but you have to be conscious when you sleep." "Lucid dream, do you mean?" Chloe nodded, "Yes. So that''s what I mean, it''s easy because you only need to sleep but difficult because you also have to be conscious when sleeping." I''ve heard of the concept of a lucid dream, and I''ve often watched movies or played games related to the concept of a lucid dream. So, I''m familiar with it. You can say that you''re aware you''re in a dream ¡ªthat''s the main concept of a lucid dream. But, as far as I know, there hasn''t been a scientific explanation of how it works. So, a lucid dream, even though it''s been talked about a lot and is a common thing in science, but how it works is still being argued about and hasn''t been solved. As Chloe said, that''s the most difficult part. "Can I have another drink?" Chloe asked when I was lost in thought. I should have been a good host and gotten her another drink, but I felt like my relationship with Chloe was deeper, even though we had only met twice. Also, the laziness, tiredness, and sleepiness I felt, along with thoughts about how to enter the ghost world, made me not want to stand up to get another drink for Chloe. So, I told her to get it herself from the fridge, "Sure, you can get it from the fridge. It''s free for you." After getting my permission, Chloe immediately stood up and walked towards the fridge to get her drink. While opening the fridge and looking at its contents, I could hear Chloe saying, "But I seem to have a special method. Even though I haven''t tried this method." I turned around to look at Chloe, who was opening her drink and closing the fridge. "What method?" "You know the concept of sharing lucid dreams or mutual lucid dreams or something like that?" If you''ve heard the concept of sharing lucid dreams, you''ll probably think of some famous fiction that talked about it. "Of course, I often watch movies and play games with that concept." I replied. Chloe walked back to the couch, "So maybe we could use that concept to help you enter the ghost world." "What do you mean?" Chloe, who was now sitting on the couch, took a moment to sip her drink before explaining that to me. "So, you''ll fall asleep and dream as usual, it should be easy to do. And as I explained earlier, when you dream, you automatically enter the ghost world." Chloe seemed to grasp how my mind worked, so she paused, giving me time to understand the information before continuing. "As for me, I''ll also fall asleep and enter the ghost world. However, since I''m conscious when entering the ghost world, I can act freely. During dreams or in the ghost world, I''ll find you and try to make you aware that you''re in the ghost world. How about that?" The interesting concept and method. I understood the Chloe''s method, both of us would fall asleep, dream, and enter the ghost world. The only difference was that Chloe, being aware, would awaken me once we were both in the ghost world. It was easy to understand, but I wasn''t sure how easy it would be to pull off. While I pondered, Chloe still eating her snack. "But are you sure this method will work?" I asked, worried. Not that I was worried about anything bad happening, I was just not sure about its success. "Like I said, I haven''t tried it before. So, I can''t guarantee if it will work or not," Chloe replied. I stayed silent for a moment, carefully considering Chloe''s method. After finishing her snack and having a sip of her drink, she said, "I won''t force or recommend it, but I think it''s worth a try." "You''re right, at least it''s not dangerous."
"I indeed couldn''t guarantee its success, but don''t worry, this method is safe, as you''ll just fall asleep and dream as usual, while the rest you can leave to me," Chloe replied, flashing her smile again.
"All right then, let''s give it a try!" I replied with enthusiasm ¡ªat least as much enthusiasm as I could give when I was already tired and sleepy. Chloe seemed puzzled for a moment before continuing, "By the way, not to be rude, but just to clarify, I need to know where I''ll be sleeping." Oh my, I forgot about that. Since I didn''t have enough time to think, and Chloe already asked about it, I chose the option that seemed safest to me.
"Do you want to sleep in my room or here? But, sorry in advance, Desmon is leaving now and he can come back anytime, so maybe when he comes back, he will bother you," an option that hadn''t crossed my mind until now. "Here is fine, but maybe I''ll need a pillow and a blanket if you don''t mind. And about Desmon, it''s okay. I don''t mind," Chloe replied without thinking about it. "Alright then, I''ll get a pillow and a blanket for you," I said, getting up and heading towards my room. "Robert," Chloe called, stopping me in my tracks. I turned to face Chloe, asking, "What?" Chloe stood up and approached me, "Hmm... so, I know this might sound rude or weird, but, in my opinion, I think I know how to increase the chances of the shared lucid dream working." "How?" I asked. "But I don''t want to be awkward about it," Chloe said, which I could easily guess from her body language that she was confused. "Just say it, I''ll listen."
"Hmm... how about... but it''s up to you whether you agree or not, I''m not forcing you."
I smiled, "Okay, so how''s what?"
"You also slept on the sofa, or at least close to me, so I didn''t have to look for you in the ghost world. It''s just a suggestion, so don''t be offended or think strange things." Chloe''s words spilled out so quickly from her mouth that I could barely grasp them clearly. I stayed silent for a moment, trying to fully understand Chloe''s words. Though I could still hear each word clearly, I wasn''t sure whether Chloe meant what I imagined. "Sleeping close to you, huh?" I asked to confirm what Chloe wanted to say. Chloe stayed silent for a moment, her face slowly blushing, though it might have been my hallucination. "You could say that, but you''re free to disagree."
Chloe''s confirmation of what she wanted to say sent a strong shock to my heart, leaving me silent for several moments. I could never have imagined sleeping near a girl, and the thought itself made me not sure whether I''d ever have a wife. For all my life, especially after gaining the ability to see ghosts and experiencing failed interactions with female friends, it seemed as if this had mentally traumatized me, making me avoid females, even people. So, it never crossed my mind that I''d be friends with a girl. But now, not only was I friends with a girl¡ªassuming Chloe thought of me that way¡ªbut I had also touched, held hands, and even hugged Chloe, remembering everything we''d been through together. And all of this happened in a single day. And now, as if Chloe wasn''t satisfied with shocking me with what her doing and her explanations, she was now asking me to sleep close to her. Honestly, I couldn''t think of anything weird in Chloe''s suggestion. I fully understood why Chloe offered such suggestion, as it would surely be much easier. I meant that Chloe wouldn''t have to wander in the ghost world to find and awaken me since we''d be in the same location when falling asleep. So, she only needs to wait for me in ghost world and then awaken me ¡ªso much easier. However, hearing the suggestion still left me in shock. Because I was tired and sleepy, along with the shock from Chloe, I couldn''t think quickly to give Chloe an answer on whether I''d follow her suggestion or not. So, I could only say, "I''m sorry, but-" "No need to apologize, I understand. Take your time to think, and I''ll be waiting here," Chloe interrupted my words. I looked as Chloe walked back to the couch. While I continued thinking about Chloe''s suggestion, I went to my room to get a blanket and a pillow for her. ###
While in my room, I pondered the idea of accepting Chloe''s suggestion to sleep near her. It shouldn''t be a big deal, especially in this era. However, what about my mom and Desmon''s reactions? I mean, I''m already getting a headache thinking about Desmon''s reaction when he finds out that Chloe is staying overnight at my house, and also my mom''s reaction. And then, if Chloe and I sleep close to each other in the living room, their reactions would be really wild. So, after considering all possibilities, especially the reactions from my mom and Desmon, I think Chloe''s suggestion is good. However, I think it''s not for today, not at my house, and not when my mom and Desmon could come across and see us anytime. At least, if I have to follow Chloe''s suggestion, it should be in a different place, and they must not know about it. They might be pleased just seeing me sleep near a girl, and as for Desmon, he might tease me for the rest of my life. But if they know the main reason why I''m doing this, they will surely be disappointed and angry with me. Entering the ghost world is not a safe thing. So, if I want to follow Chloe''s suggestion, and if Chloe is still open to it, now is not the right time. After grabbing a blanket and a pillow for Chloe, I immediately rushed back to the living room to meet her. ### Until I came back to the living room with a blanket and pillow for Chloe, Desmon still hadn''t come home. Maybe he had no intention of coming back until noon, I don''t know. I saw Chloe, who was didn''t know I was around, busy playing with her smartphone while munching on snacks and drinking a soft drink she took from my fridge. "Sorry for the wait. Here''s the blanket and pillow," I said while handing over my blanket and pillow to Chloe. Chloe smiled weakly when she saw there was only one blanket and pillow, "So, you''re not sleeping here?" "Sigh... seems not for today. I feel awkward and don''t know what to do if Desmon and my mom see us sleeping close to each other." Chloe just nodded while setting up the pillows and blanket for her, "Alright, maybe next time." I smiled, "Okay, then I''ll go to my room. Honestly, I''m already tired and sleepy." "Okay," Chloe replied shortly, lying down on the couch. I cleaned up the empty drink bottle and snacks before heading back to my room. When everything was done, and I took my first step to come back to my room, I heard a call from Chloe. "Robert, goodnight." I saw her smile, and it made me happy, "Goodnight for you too." #### In The Morning I woke up a bit later than usual, still feeling sleepy or at least not as refreshed as usual. Upon waking up, the first thing my eyes saw, helped by the sunlight lit up my room, was a translucent figure seated at my study desk, in a position like someone reading a book. I immediately shifted to a sitting position, leaning against my bed, "Desmon?" The translucent figure turned around, "Hey, just woke up?" "And you just got back?" I replied while trying to fully awaken. "Yeah. Speaking of getting back, your girlfriend also returned a few hours ago." Desmon''s words helped me gather my consciousness. I quickly straightened up and was about to head downstairs to confirm it, "Are you sure?" Desmon stood up from the chair, approaching me with something in his hand. "Absolutely, and here''s a letter from her, left it with me." I took the piece of paper held by Desmon''s hand. I could feel the cold coming from the paper. Of course, it is, after all, the paper from the ghost world. "From Chloe?" Desmon nodded, "Of course, who else would be your girlfriend besides Chloe?" Maybe one of the reasons I''d add to my list of reasons for entering the ghost world would be to punch Desmon as hard as I could. As expected, he would start thinking and teasing me about my relationship with Chloe. Although I might get used to it and not mind, if these mocks continued without considering that Chloe could be there and hear him, it would be very bad for me, as my relationship with Chloe could be ruined instantly because of Desmon''s actions. "Please stop it," ask me who had given up, "But how could she? I mean, this is a ghost paper, right? How could Chloe write on it and leave it with you?" Desmon just muttered and sat on my bed, "Seriously, you don''t know?" I shook my head. "Honestly, I''m a bit puzzled why Chloe would be friends with you. There''s nothing to expect from you." I sighed deeply. How patient should I be when facing a ghost like him? "What do you mean?" Desmon began his words with his sly smile, "Yeah, you''re not handsome, not rich, not cool, and, above all, you''re too stupid." Even though I couldn''t physically harm Desmon, at least I could show I didn''t like him by squeezing my fist, creating a strong punch that I aimed right at his face. Desmon seemed unfazed, simply passing through my squeezed fist. "Seriously, how stupid are you not to know how Chloe can write on ghost paper?" For this time, I wouldn''t say I was stupid because I had just woken up, and there was so much information got last night. It was quite normal for me to be a bit forgetful this morning. However, at least Desmon''s words immediately brought back my memory. So, without needing Desmon to explain further, I already understood how Chloe could write on ghost paper. Of course, she could interact with the ghost world, so writing on ghost paper was easy for her. "Yeah, yeah. I just wasn''t woke up. No need to explain." I said, trying to look away from his face, which I figured would once again show an annoying expression. "Alright, then, I''ll go downstairs for a while to give you time to read the letter," Desmon said, then he walked ¡ªfloated¡ª through my bedroom door. After making sure Desmon was gone, I sat in the corner of my bed and opened Chloe''s letter. It was a bit challenging because my hand went through the paper several times when trying to unfold it. Maybe I needed to practice touching things from the ghost world again. But in the end, I could open it. Hi, Robert. Sorry I couldn''t find you in the ghost world last night. But I promise we can try it some other time, whenever and wherever you want, just let me know in advance. Also, sorry for leaving without telling you, but I had to go back as early as possible. By the way, maybe Desmon has already told you, but I''ll tell you again in case he didn''t. I left this letter with Desmon after we had a conversation. If you''re curious because Desmon might not have told you, I''ll answer, yes, we did conversation in the ghost world. As for what we talked about, I won''t tell you. You can ask Desmon for this, but only if he''s willing to tell you. But at least, that''s what I can tell you about what happened while you were still asleep. Oh, almost forgot. I also ask for permission to visit again the day after tomorrow or three days later. Desmon has allowed it if you''re concerned about his permission, but I don''t know whether your mom would allow it or not. I hope you can ask for her permission or at least inform her before I come, but it''s all up to you. Bye, Chloe. The first letter I got from a girl. There wasn''t anything I could expect from Chloe. By her giving me a letter, even an empty one, it already meant a lot to me. It might have seemed a bit too much, but if I had a photo frame, I might keep this letter framed. Because, for me, it was an achievement. I don''t know what people would see if they walked in and saw me right now, but I''m sure they''d see me smiling alone. I lay on my bed, my mind blank, but my heart filled with joy. Time feels short when you''re happy because not long after lying down, Desmon has returned to my room. "What''s in it?" were his first words after appearing suddenly in my room''s ceiling. I sighed, and that also swept away my happiness. "Can''t I have privacy in my own room?" "Yeah, sorry. But what''s in it?" Desmon said, completely ignoring my words. "Haven''t you read it yet?" "Nope. It''s a letter for you, so of course, I didn''t read it." With a smile, I replied, "Because it''s a letter for me, that''s why you''re not allowed to know its contents." I was quite surprised by Desmon''s reaction. His reaction wasn''t what I expected. Instead of insisting on making me to tell him, he agreed with me and returned to his chair to continue his reading. Well, even though he had mocked me for not telling him, I appreciated him. After I folded and saved Chloe''s letter, I became curious about the conversation Chloe and Desmon had. "You met Chloe before, right?" I said. "Yeah," Desmon replied shortly, as if sulking. "So, did you have a chat with Chloe?" "Yeah." I approached Desmon, and this time, I was the one who showed my face in front of him, "If I may know¡ª" "No. That''s our conversation, so you''re not allowed to know," Desmon cut off my words. Fair enough, but I still curious. ### I didn''t care about the messy condition of my room. So, I went straight to the bathroom, not to take a shower, but just to wash my face. After that, I headed to the living room with the intention of tidying up the blanket, pillows, and the drink and snacks Chloe used. However, the intention seemed somewhat useless because Chloe had already tidied up the blanket and pillows, while the drink bottles and snacks had been thrown away by Chloe into the trash. So, all I needed to do was put the blanket and pillows back in my room. But before returning, I noticed something. There was a piece of paper, seemingly a letter, lying under the pillow. Initially, I thought it was a letter from Chloe, but I was wrong. It was a letter from my mom. There wasn''t much in it. It only had a list of questions about why there were blankets and pillows in the living room and why my blankets and pillows had a different aroma. It seemed like I had to explain it to my mom as soon as possible. But honestly, I was quite amazed that my mom could tell apart the scent of me from Chloe''s on the blanket and pillows, which had faded when I tried to smell them. Maybe it was because my mom smelled them when the scent was still strong? I don''t know, but I''m still impressed with her because, at least, she can tell apart her son''s scent. After saving the letter from my mom in my pocket, I quickly brought the blanket and pillows back to my room. ### I didn''t need much time to tidy up my room. So, I had plenty of time to relax on my bed before going to take a shower. "By the way, where did you go last night?" I asked Desmon, who had been reading his book without paying attention to me tidying up the room. Desmon seemed to know that this would be long conversation or, at least, bother him, so he closed his book first. "Just went out, got bored being alone at home." "With your ghost friend?" "No, not firstly. I went to the library to read a book," Desmon showed me the book he was reading, "including this one that I borrowed because hadn''t finished yet." If Desmon was going to keep teasing me about my relationship with Chloe, it seemed I had to have something to tease Desmon about. So, I decided to bring up Desmon''s relationship with the ghost girl who met me that time. "So, you weren''t with your friend from that time?" I asked. Desmon silent for a moment, "Cherry, you mean?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. I nodded, "Yes, Cherry. Weren''t you with her?" "Why do you ask?" Desmon said with a sharp look in his eyes, and I felt he was becoming suspicious. "Just curious. You said you were bored being alone, so I thought you went to meet your ghost friend." "Yeah, I firstly just wanted to read a book, but I met Cherry at the library," Desmon answered. I started to show a teasing smile, trying to imitate Desmon''s teasing smile, "Coincidence or did you plan to meet her at the library?" Desmon give me back his sharp look, "If we did plan to meet at the library, so what? Is that a problem for you?" I tried to hide my smile, "No, no problem at all. I was just curious." Even though I said that, Desmon still didn''t shift his sharp look. "I was just curious if you had a special relationship with Cherry?" I asked after waiting for a few moments of silence. "At the moment?" "Yes." Desmon shrugged, whether he did it intentionally or not, "You could say not yet." "What do you mean?" "Yes, I like her, and it''s still in the stage of getting to know each other, not dating," Desmon gave me another sharp look, "if that''s what your question means." It seemed there was something I misunderstood about Desmon. He was not like me. He was truly open about his feelings and not afraid to be teased by me. Or maybe he did it on purpose to make me think it was pointless to tease him. "So, you do want to date her?" I asked to make sure. Desmon nodded, "Yeah, do you have a problem with that?" "Of course not, but I''m quite surprised you''re so open about it." "Yeah, unlike you," Desmon replied, opening his book again, "if you have no more questions, I''ll go back to reading." I knew Desmon liked studying, but he had never been so serious about reading a book until I felt like I was being ignored by him. I stood up and approached him. I looked at the book he was reading, "What book are you reading?" "Phantom history," he said briefly. Phantom history, it seemed he was still curious about the Leina case. At least for me, I was no longer curious because Chloe had explained what really happened. "You''re still curious about Leina," I said. "I''m not like you. I''m trying to approach things with a skeptical mindset, like a scientist, you know. So, I can''t just believe your girlfriend like that." I smiled and chuckled a bit when I heard Desmon mentioned being like a scientist. It seemed like his life''s dream still stuck even though he was already a ghost. "Yeah, that''s good, keep it up," I said. I left from his side to give him time to read his book about phantom history and walked towards my wardrobe to get ready for a shower. "You know, there''s something strange about Chloe," Desmon said. "What do you mean?" I answered while choosing the clothes I would wear for the day, something casual, of course. "It''s not actually about Chloe but you when you''re with Chloe," Desmon said, then he looked at me, "You seem to forget important things when you''re with Chloe." I stopped choosing clothes and approached Desmon, "What do you mean?" Desmon stared into my eyes ¡ªthis time, his gaze was very focused. "You forgot about Leina, you forgot about the incident at the bridge, you forgot how Chloe gave orders to the black figures to attack Ryan. You forgot all of that." I didn''t understand what was really happening, but Desmon''s tone kept rising, and he kept stressing the word "forgot" whenever he said that. Yes, I had to admit that I did forget about all of that. But I had my reasons. It was because I felt comfortable being near Chloe and talking with her. I mean, I hadn''t had a friend for a long time, so wasn''t it normal for me to be excited to talk with Chloe and forget all of that? Another reason was that I felt it was too sensitive to discuss with Chloe. If I messed up when talking about that, it could worsen my relationship with Chloe, which I hoped would last forever. I wanted to say all of this, but unfortunately, I couldn''t. I remembered Chloe''s words that Desmon could become a vengeful ghost, and Desmon''s deepest grudge was against his friends. So, I thought if I bothered Desmon''s emotions, I might also bother Desmon''s grudge. With that, Desmon could become a vengeful ghost. So it was better for me to hold back, and besides, I couldn''t say all of that smoothly if I really wanted to. "Sorry," I answered while looking at my feet, "I promise I''ll ask about it when I meet her." I had to say it. For the first time, I made a promise that I planned not to keep. Sorry, Desmon, but I won''t ask about it for now, at least until I can enter the ghost world. I don''t want my relationship with Chloe to worsen before I can enter the ghost world. Desmon shifted his gaze back to his book, "If that''s the case, after you shower, please tell me what you two talked about last night." I didn''t answer him. Telling Desmon about all that happened last night could have bad consequences, especially if I accidentally mentioned that I wanted to learn how to enter the ghost world. So, I decided to take a shower first, and during my shower, I could think about what to tell to Desmon and what to hide from him. ### The water in the morning always feels cold, but not the kind of cold that makes you uncomfortable. Instead, the cold I mean is the kind that makes you feel relaxed. I don''t shower very often, but when I do, it takes me a long time. Not because there are many things to do, but because I''m too comfortable bathing in the bathtub, often losing track of time and my surroundings. The sound of my house door opening brought me back to reality, and I got ready to grab a towel to check who was opening it. Since it couldn''t be Desmon doing it, because he''s a ghost, even though he can touch doors, I believed he wouldn''t do it. Fortunately, I don''t have to grab a towel. My mother''s voice calling my name can be heard by me. "Robert, are you showering?" My mother''s soft voice can be heard by me from the kitchen. "Yeah, why?" "No, it''s okay. Are you almost done?" "In a bit." "Alright, come to my room afterward." "Okay." Even though my mother didn''t tell me why she wants me to come to her room, I can surely guess that it''s about the blanket and pillow in the living room, or maybe it will lead to questions about what I did last night with Chloe. But one thing she''ll definitely ask is about her bank card. I forgot to return it, no wonder she came home early. She can''t stay away for long without her bank card. Not because she can''t buy things, she can do that with her smartphone. But it''s more about her lack of trust in giving me her bank card. Yes, I''m too big spender in her eyes. To make matters worse, I forgot where I put my mother''s bank card. But I''m sure it wouldn''t be left in the park since I used it to pay for the food at the restaurant. But after that, I forgot. Maybe it''s in my pants pocket, so I have to check that first. Not wanting to keep my mother waiting for too long and worried she might have other matters to take care of, I quickly speed up my shower and head straight to my room. ### When entering the room, I no longer saw Desmon. He came and went as if my room were his private room. But let it be, I didn''t care too much about it, as long as he tidied up the things he used first, and he always did. Desmon''s book about phantom history was neatly placed on my desk next to my own books. I quickly put on my clothes after wiping my body once again to make sure my body was completely dry. Then, after dressing, I put my towel in the dirty laundry hamper. But before that, I, of course, took my pants from yesterday. I reached into my pants'' pockets, all of my pants'' pockets. But I couldn''t find my mother''s bank card, which, of course, made me panic a bit. But still, I tried to stay calm. Maybe the bank card fell and got stuck among the pile of dirty clothes, so I just poured all the clothes in the laundry hamper onto my bed. Usually, I would do the laundry once a week, and today was the day I was supposed to do it. So, all the clothes I had worn for a week were now on my bed, and I was making a mess searching for my mother''s bank card. It had been a few minutes of searching, and I still couldn''t find it. I tried to remember calmly in the middle of the panic of not finding the card. "What are you looking for?" Desmon''s soft voice came from behind me, and I didn''t feel the presence or his getting here, which was enough to startle me. "Shit!" I said, putting my hand on my chest, "Don''t sneak up on me like that." Desmon floated to my side, looking at the messy pile of dirty clothes. "So, what are you looking for?" My focus was still on messing with my dirty clothes to find my mother''s bank card. "My mother''s bank card, have you seen it?" "No, where did you keep it?" "In my pants pocket from last night. I haven''t taken it out since paying at the restaurant." "Are you sure?" Desmon''s question sounded simple, just one word. But it was enough to make me silent for a moment. Desmon was right. I might have forgotten to take it out or forgotten that I had taken it out. So, I stopped my search for a moment and tried to remember what happened on last night. While I was silent, Desmon seemed to float over to my bed. He seemed to help me find the bank card. And that was good enough, I mean, Desmon could move through objects, so he didn''t need to bother moving my clothes to find the bank card. He just needed to move through my clothes until he felt the bank card. After being silent for a few moments, my memory remained unchanged. I only took it out to pay for our orders at the restaurant last night, both mine and Chloe''s, and then I put it in my pants pocket. "I''m sure, I''ve tried to remember it again, but it''s the same." I replied, then continued with the search activity.
"If so, where did you put your pant last night?" Desmon asked again. "Of course, in the laundry hamper. Where else?" "Are you sure?" Desmon asked again, looking the pants I was wearing. Usually, before going to bed, I would change my pants into shorts. But I just realized that last night I didn''t change. Maybe I was too tired and sleepy, or maybe there was another reason that made me forget to change my pants. And, of course, I was still wearing that pant this morning. Even after taking a shower, I put them back on. Honestly, I wasn''t being dirty or anything, but I forgot. Usually, I would wear my pants again after showering in the morning because I usually wore shorts. Not without reason, I did that because I was too lazy to carry clothes back and forth from my room to the bathroom. So, I choose to change in my room. But for this case, I didn''t realize that the pants I wore were not shorts. I didn''t know why I didn''t notice. But it seemed like I was in a hurry to my room to check my mother''s bank card, afraid of losing it because my mother would be very angry with me, or afraid that my mother had other needs that required the bank card. Until I didn''t realize that the card was in the pants I was wearing. I reached into my pants pocket, and, as expected, my mother''s bank card was safely inside. I took it out right away. Accidentally, when I took out my mother''s bank card from my pants pocket, I also took out a transparent paper ¡ªmore transparent than the letter written by Chloe. Desmon, who was on my bed ¡ªthrough my bed, actually¡ª also looked at the bank card and the transparent paper I was holding. "What''s wrong?" Desmon asked while approaching me. With all I could do, I tried to remember my memory of the paper. I could feel for sure that the paper was different and felt important. The death aura also surrounded the paper, though faintly. It was for sure not from this world but from the ghost world. But from whom, I still couldn''t remember.
"Hey, are you listening to me?" Desmon said again, now right in front of me. "Is there something wrong with the bank card?"
I shifted my gaze to Desmon''s translucent eyes, "Didn''t you see it?" "See, what?" "The paper I was holding?"
Desmon fell silent for a moment, looking the object I held closely. "You mean, a bank card?" The paper so transparent, even more transparent than the ghost paper written by Chloe, and now Desmon also said he didn''t see that paper ¡ªthough not directly. Suddenly, my memories could come back, though still faint.
"Leina!" I said, maybe sounding pretty loud, as I saw Desmon''s body shake for a moment, like he got surprised.
Desmond, with a puzzled expression on his face, asked, "Leina?" "Yes, the paper I got from Leina. Oh gosh, I completely forgot that I kept this paper." I continued while sitting on the edge of the bed. "I remember telling you about this paper, right?" Desmon, who was still standing, stay silent for a moment, with a face like someone trying to remember something. "Seems like it. But you haven''t told me what''s written on it."
"Yeah, maybe, it seems. But what I remembered is that I haven''t read it, or actually, I can''t read it because the writing is so transparent." "Can''t see it for me," Desmon replied with a little laugh. Desmon approached his eyes again to the paper from Leina that I was holding, "I wonder why I can''t see it, and you also can''t read it. If this paper is from the phantom, and the phantom is a vengeful ghost, as Chloe said." "What do you mean?" "Yeah, of course, if the phantom is just a good version of a vengeful ghost, more or less that''s Chloe''s explanation." Desmon silent for a moment, "So, automatically, I should still see the paper because it should also come from the ghost world."
Desmon''s words were reasonable, but it didn''t mean I was thinking something bad about Chloe. I mean, there were so many things that Desmon himself, as a ghost, didn''t know, so there must be a reason for this. Desmon continued his words, "We better check this paper, maybe I can contact my ghost friend to help. What do you think?" Desmon''s suggestion sounded good. "Okay, but I have to go to my mother''s room first and return her bank card." "Of course, I also have to contact my friend first. So, you just wait here, don''t go anywhere." Desmon asked. "All right," I said. I then stood up, putting Leina''s paper back in my pants pocket, while still holding my mother''s bank card, and walked to my mother''s room to explain about the blanket and pillow in the living room this morning and return her bank card. #### Death & Life I could let out a sigh of relief because my mom didn''t scold me, and it turned out she didn''t need her bank card. In fact, she gave me the bank card in case I wanted to treat Chloe or other friends later. If I may express my opinion, it seems she''s overly happy and excited when she sees her only child have a friend again, especially a female friend. Yeah, even though I know in this era, relationships between males and females are not the only common sexual relationships, but my mom still hopes that I can have offspring in a ''conservative'' way. I, on the other hand, don''t mind that at all, and I''m not bothered if I have to have a relationship with anyone ¡ªif it''s possible. Because my only hope in this matter is to have a friend, especially a life partner, regardless of their gender ¡ªI don''t care, as long as they can make me comfortable. After dealing with my mom, I kept my promise to Desmond to wait for him in my room. At first, I wasn''t too tense, but after rethinking about it, I became nervous. The main thing that made me nervous was Desmond''s ghost friends. So far, I have never met any of Desmond''s ghost friends, even though Desmond has told me about them several times. Of course, except for Cherry, and even that was only for a short while. While waiting for Desmond to come back with his ghost friends, I spent time looking at the paper given by Leina. I was just curious about the paper ¡ªwhat was it all about? Or, at least, was there any writing on it? I also thought about several things that might explain why I could see and hold Leina''s paper but Desmond couldn''t. But from the various possibilities I could think of, none of them could be believed Deep down, I actually hoped Chloe could be here. I was very sure that Chloe could explain the questions raised by Leina''s paper since Leina is Chloe''s phantom. And, I was also sure that their relationship was very strong because Chloe looked so relieved when I told her that Leina was fine. After about an hour of waiting for Desmond, but he still hadn''t come, my nervous turned into anxiety. My thoughts only focused on two things, whether Desmond still remembered his promise to find out about Leina''s paper here, and whether Desmond was fine. Because Desmond still hadn''t come. Even after patiently waiting for him for another few minutes, my curiosity about Leina''s paper started to fade, replaced by my curiosity about the book Desmond had been reading that I had accidentally seen still on my desk. So, I decided to put Leina''s paper back into my pocket and began reading Desmon''s book titled ''Phantom History''. The first thing that came to my mind when I started touching Desmond''s book was whether ebooks existed in the ghost world. I mean, if ebooks did exist, why did Desmond choose to read a physical book? Was it because there was no environmental crisis in the ghost world, so cutting down trees ¡ªif ghost books were made from trees¡ª could be done freely? In this era, I must admit that books were still widely sold, but ownership of books could be considered limited. Besides needing some kind of permit mentioning that I had contributed something to the environment, like planting a tree, book prices were also relatively high.
Sure, I had some books, but they weren''t really mine, not even my family''s. All the books in my house were gifts, either from my parents'' friends, or they were rewards, or whatever it was. Of course, the books I meant were exclusive ones made from trees, not synthetic materials. If the book was made from synthetic materials, I had plenty of those. So, the thought crossed my mind that Desmond might be rich in the ghost world, or another possibility was that there was no environmental crisis in the ghost world. I opened the book cover to see the first page of the book. Somehow, my gaze was right away drawn to a sentence written in the upper right corner, the sentence being ''Cherry''s book.'' I smiled. Oh... Desmond. I continued flipping through the pages of the book, but unfortunately, the early pages of the book didn''t get my attention. Everything was written in a complicated way because it only contained lists of terms used in the book. When I turned the next page again, I felt a strong death aura approaching me. So, I closed the book right away. I stood in the middle of my room, wanting to find out where the death aura was coming from. But the death aura moved fast, and I couldn''t figure out its direction. At first, I thought the death aura came from a vengeful ghost, and honestly, it scared me. But shortly after, I felt something different. The death aura seemed to come from many ghosts, not just one. So, I right away thought it might be Desmond and his friends. Shortly after, my thoughts become reality. I didn''t expect Desmond to bring six of his friends. At first, when he said he would inform his friends, I thought he would only bring Cherry or at most three of his friends, including Cherry. But here were six ghosts in my house. No wonder I could sense their death aura from a distance. "Sorry for keeping you waiting," Desmond said to me. "Let me introduce you to my friends. Maybe, aside from Cherry, others can introduce themselves." "Hey, you Robert, right? I''m Johnny, nice to meet you," said the chubby ghost with a weird hat on his head. "I''m Hellen," said the older-looking female ghost. "And this is my son, Vic," continued Hellen, pointing to the ghost on her left who looked mature but wore clothes and behaved like a child. If I had to guess, maybe Vic had a disorder, who knows. "Yo, wassup, you can call me Mr. G," said the next ghost, whose appearance looked like a young man addicted to alcohol in my opinion. "Nice to meet you, I am Kim Jaehyun," said the ghost who looked like a bookworm to me. Desmond moved towards me and made a gesture as if introducing me, "And this is Robert, The Exception." Huft. I really didn''t know how to deal with Desmond anymore. After the introductions, Desmond asked me to sit on the edge of my bed, while the other ghosts formed a semi-circle in front of me. Except for Desmond, who was right in the middle among all of us.
Desmond began discussing Leina''s paper by briefly explaining who Leina was, what a phantom was, and talking about Chloe''s explanations. It ended when he asked me to show Leina''s paper. "So, can anyone see the paper that Robert is holding?" Desmond asked, finishing his presentation. Although the words coming out of their mouths were different, their meanings were the same ¡ªthey couldn''t see the paper I was holding. Because some of them not sure, some of them approached me to look more closely. "Is it transparent for you, or does it look real?" Jaehyun asked, his face closest to my hand. "Transparent, even more transparent than the paper from your world," I replied, met with curious looks from Jaehyun. While Jaehyun looked closely, I could see Hellen also getting closer to my hand, although not as close as Jaehyun. Meanwhile, Johnny seemed busy with something that looked like a rollable smartphone but translucent. Then, Mr. G seemed to be chatting with Cherry about something I couldn''t guess. Then, as for Vic, you can just ignore him in his own world. "Interesting. Do you feel any sensation?" Jaehyun asked again. "What do you mean?" "Sensation, like a cold or warm feeling, soft or hard, anything." I shook my head, "No." After a while, Jaehyun seemed satisfied, and he returned to his place, as did Hellen. Meanwhile, Johnny called Desmond and discussed something. "So, have you all finished looking at it?" I asked them all when I was sure they weren''t looking at my hand anymore. As usual, their words were different, but they all said that they had finished looking at Leina''s paper. So, I could put it back in my pocket and lower my hand that was starting to feel stiff. After the discussion with Johnny was over, Desmond returned to his position in the middle of us. "So, does anyone want to share opinion first?" Mr. G raised his hand. "Sorry, but I can''t see anything, so maybe he''s lying." he said, pointing towards me. Without me needing to say anything in defense, Desmond already stood up for me, "Hey! I know you don''t know him, but he''s my friend, and I trust him." Desmond then added by pointing back at Mr. G, "If you still don''t like it, it''s better for you to leave. Thank you." I only now realized that Desmond was open-minded, or in other words, he always expressed his feelings without hiding them. So, I didn''t expect him to be that firm. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Even in my own opinion, Desmon''s behavior seemed a bit much. I mean, it''s understandable if Mr. G couldn''t trust me because he didn''t see the paper from Leina, and he had just met me. Isn''t that normal? But it seems like Desmon didn''t want his friend to be underestimated. Mr. G''s gaze suddenly changed, he seemed angry at Desmond for kicking him out. But Cherry, who was next to him, immediately whispered something to him. I don''t know what Cherry whispered, but Mr. G immediately left even though his gaze still held anger towards Desmond. Honestly, I''ve never seen ghosts fight before, so this is also my first experience. After Mr. G left, Cherry approached Desmond. "I know there''s doubt from all of you about Robert. But please consider Robert not lying, consider Robert telling the truth. Because this is a very rare opportunity and maybe the only one we have to learn more about the phantom world." "Just like this, what Robert and I want is an answer. If you don''t trust us, you''re free to leave anytime. But if you trust us, let''s together find the answers." Desmond said to complete Cherry''s words. Jaehyun raised his hand, "I can trust him, but finding the answers will be difficult, so I''ll excuse myself for a while to gather some information." "Please," Desmond replied, "I think we might also need time to find information, so how about we take a break for a few minutes before returning." I nodded and expressed my agreement, as did the other ghosts. Although Desmond said to take a break to gather information, I had a different intention when agreeing, which was to go to the kitchen and grab some soft drinks and snacks to bring back to my room. Well, what can I say, I was too thirsty from waiting for Desmond for too long. ### It turns out my mother was already in the kitchen. When I looked, she grabbed a can of drink and a lunchbox. "Where are you going, Mom?" I asked to greet her as I walked towards the fridge. My mother seemed to have noticed my presence, so she wasn''t surprised. "Go to office again, got some work to finish." I grabbed two cans and snacks from the fridge. My mom, looking rushed with her bag and lunchbox, kept talking. "I might be home late, so order your own food. And don''t forget to wear warm clothes, it seems the weather will get cold." Honestly, I could guess the cold my mom felt because of eight ghosts in my room, bringing a pretty strong death aura. But I couldn''t tell her, so I just nodded with all my mom''s advice before she quickly left.
After my mom left, I didn''t go back right away to my room but checked something in the kitchen to make sure she didn''t forget anything. It was during this check that I was startled by Vic''s sudden appearance out of nowhere. "Shit! You scared me, Vic," I said. But Vic didn''t show any expression or say anything. He just stay silent, staring at me.
Since I got no response from Vic, I slowly stepped back, thinking about returning to my room. His behavior made me somewhat frightened. And indeed, Vic suddenly moved to block my path to the room. "Vic, what are you doing?" I asked again, trying to walk in another direction. Just like before, Vic still didn''t respond, and his face looked empty to me, really like a dead person, not a ghost, but the body of someone who died. I could only take a few steps before Vic blocked my path again. "Vic, what do you want? Do you want something?" I asked again.
I took another path again after Vic still gave no response, and the same thing happened again ¡ªhe blocked me again. "Vic!" I said, this time quite loudly. But even so, Vic still didn''t respond, and his gaze still empty. Fortunately, this time Hellen came and held Vic''s hand. "Sorry, my child is a bit strange," said Hellen, holding both of Vic''s hands. "Please go ahead, I''ve got him." "Thank you," I replied, continuing my way to the room. Before my sight was blocked by the wall, I briefly glanced at Hellen and Vic. I saw Hellen seeming to advise Vic, but Vic just ignored her and kept staring at me with his empty facial expression. Too bad, our eyes met. ### I waited for about half an hour to give Desmon''s ghost friends time to gather information about the paper given by Leina. Desmon, who also seemed bored waiting, finally returned to his position. "Well, I think the time is enough. So, does anyone want to say something?" Johnny, Hellen, Vic, Jaehyun, and Cherry, hearing Desmond''s words, then went back to their positions. "Unfortunately, I didn''t find anything that could help," said Johnny. Hellen, who had been holding Vic''s hand, shook her head. It seemed to me that Hellen was too focused on keeping Vic from wandering rather than finding answers about Leina''s strange paper.
That makes sense to me because Vic, until now, still stared at me with a blank expression and hadn''t said anything at all. Next, Jaehyun still busy reading the book he brought and didn''t respond to Desmon. Meanwhile, Cherry, like me, looking everyone, finally asked, "Did you find something, Jaehyun?" Noticing that everyone was expecting him to say something, Jaehyun finally closed his book. "From what I read, there''s a unique and interesting theory worth hearing." Hearing that Jaehyun seemed to have an answer to this issue, all of our attention ¡ªexcept Vic''s¡ª shifted focus to Jaehyun. Jaehyun cleared his throat, "This theory was proposed by a human expert named Harold. He presented a less-known theory, but I think it''s the closest to what we know now." Jaehyun silent for a moment to make sure all our attention was on him. "In his theory, Harold explains that a phantom is a term for an entity existing in two worlds but also not in two worlds at the same time." Being and not being in two worlds at the same time. I''m not sure I can understand the meaning of that explanation. When I looked at Desmon and the other ghosts, it seemed like they also didn''t understand Jaehyun''s point.
"Basically, a phantom is a human or ghost that is difficult to be seen by other humans or ghosts. That''s why it''s called a phantom, which has the meaning of an apparition or image, as it can only be seen sometimes in certain unexplained conditions. So, many people believe phantoms are just illusions," continued Jaehyun. I was wondering, was I the only one who was stupid, or were they all pretending to understand Jaehyun''s unclear explanation? "So, is Leina a human or a ghost? And why can only I see her while you all can''t?" I asked, not caring if they thought I was foolish or not. At least someone had to ask so I could understand better.
When I asked, I actually felt a bit awkward, getting attention from all of them. You can imagine being stared at by six ghosts, you''d be scared. Fortunately, it didn''t last long because when Jaehyun answered, he drew back all that attention to himself. "Leina you mentioned is quite simple. If we delve deeper into Harold''s theory, we can easily reach that conclusion. First, we need to identify who can see and who can''t see Leina. If ghosts can see her but humans can''t, then Leina is a ghost. However, if both ghosts and humans can see her, then Leina is human. Then-" "Sorry," I cut off Jaehyun''s words. I didn''t mean to be rude, but I was a bit confused by the conclusion Jaehyun took. "I just want to ask why you can reach such a conclusion?"
Jaehyun looked at me, "You should have known that only ghosts can see other ghosts, except in certain cases like yours, having a vision. And you should have known too that ghosts and humans both can see humans. Isn''t that clear enough?" "Okay, thanks," I said, feeling embarrassed for not understanding something so simple.
"So, what about Leina? She can''t be seen at all except by Robert," Desmon asked Jaehyun. "And Chloe, don''t forget your own story," Jaehyun replied. "That''s why I said it''s quite simple." Our attention back to Jaehyun, hoping he would continue his explanation soon. "Leina can only be seen by those with vision, which means she''s a ghost. But strangely, she''s not visible to other ghosts. So, Leina, who we call a phantom, is in the condition that should make her visible to ghosts, a condition that only Robert and Chloe have fulfilled. Can you guys guess what the condition was?" Jaehyun continued. It seems I''ll never be a good fit to be friends with Jaehyun, his explanations are just too unclear for me. I mean, of course, Leina is a phantom that can''t be seen by anyone, but why is she only visible to me? That''s the real question. But Jaehyun just kept talking in circles without giving any clear explanations.
"So, in other words, according to your theory and the theory you''ve read, Leina is a ghost that can''t be seen by other ghosts unless certain conditions are met?" said Cherry, summing up Jaehyun''s explanation, and it really helped me understand Jaehyun''s explanation much better. Jaehyun''s confusing explanation with Harold''s theory, seems to match Chloe''s explanation, especially the part I understood, which is that Leina or phantoms are ghosts that are hard to see or even invisible to other ghosts. Even so, Chloe''s explanation seems more detailed so far, saying that phantoms are vengeful ghosts whose grudges have been gotten rid of.
Jaehyun nodded, "You can say it like that. So, according to Harold''s theory, actually, all of us ghosts could have seen Leina and the paper from Leina if we met certain conditions, just like Robert and Chloe who had met those conditions." "So, what''s that condition?" I asked.
Johnny raised his hand with a small cough, which I took as a request for attention. "You said the condition Robert and Chloe have? Does that mean something not owned by ghosts?" Johnny asked after getting our attention. Then our attention back to Jaehyun, waiting for his answer, but he just nodded. "Could it possibly be related to humans or something related to life?" Cherry asked. "But if it''s related to humans, other humans should be able to see it too, not just me and Chloe. Right?" I said while looking at each of them, hoping someone would agree with me. Johnny chuckled after hearing my opinion, "Sorry, but it seems you still don''t understand. Let me help explain. So-"
Desmon seemed to ignore Johnny''s words by interrupting him, "The point is, based on Harold''s theory, a phantom is an entity in two worlds, meaning it''s a ghost that also has something related to humans ¡ªin other words, a life aura." Jaehyun smiled hearing Desmon''s words, "You''re right. The main reason why we, ghosts, can''t see Leina is that she has a barrier, possibly the life aura Desmon mentioned. That also explains why Robert and Chloe can see Leina, as they both have the vision to see ghosts and the life aura to penetrate Leina''s barrier." "So, in other words, to see Leina or the phantom, we must have auras from two worlds, the death aura and the life aura?" Cherry asked. "Exactly," Jaehyun replied. #### Experiment Our discussion about Leina continued for more than an hour. Jaehyun''s opinion about the possession of both auras to see Leina became the main topic. Among us all ¡ªexcept for Vic, who could be ignored as he just silently looked at me¡ª only Hellen and I didn''t fully agree with Jaehyun''s opinion. However, I was actually in a state of unsure. Jaehyun''s words made a lot of sense because so far, only Chloe and I could see Leina, and coincidentally, we both had the same ability to see ghosts and were still alive. But what confused me was why I also found it difficult to see Leina clearly. I could see her, but Leina appeared transparent, and the paper that Leina gave to me was also transparent, even more so than the paper from the ghost world. I had explained this to all of them, including Jaehyun. After hearing my explanation, Jaehyun didn''t give a definite answer, even though it was challenging for me to understand. Instead, his answer was the opposite ¡ªeasy for me to understand, but unsure, as he was also confused. Since no one could give a definite answer, and Jaehyun''s answer was the most reasonable for all of us ¡ªexcept for Vic, of course, who still silent¡ª Desmon suggested testing it. The first thing we would test was to act out the incident when Leina gave me the paper. "You must remember as many details as you can so that we can recreate the incident as accurately as possible. This way, we will find it easier to understand," Jaehyun asked, "Hopefully." Johnny, Hellen, and Vic went somewhere, I don''t know, while I tried to remember the incident. Meanwhile, Desmon, Cherry, and Jaehyun were still busy discussing this matter. I could faintly hear their conversation, discussing the next test if this one failed, but I didn''t know what the next test would be, and hopefully, we wouldn''t need to try another test. Fortunately, none of them rushed me to remember the incident quickly, so I had quite a bit of time to relax and try to remember. I had tried many things, from just sitting still, drinking soft drinks and eating snacks, playing on my smartphone, playing games, lying on my bed, reading a book, running, even pretending to do push-ups, but I still struggled to remember the exact events. All I could remember was the dark vibe of my classroom and Leina handing me that piece of paper. I did remember Leina saying something like introducing herself, but I couldn''t remember her next words. Strangely, it felt like there was a dark cloud over that part of my memory. It sounded weird, so I thought the dark cloud was just my imagination or a hallucination because I watched fiction movies too often. "So, how? Can you remember it?" Desmon asked after patiently waiting for me. Sigh. I shook my head and looked down, saying, "No. I''m sorry." Jaehyun shifted his look from me to Desmon, "It seems like we can''t recreate it, as it would be in useless. What if we follow your suggestion?" "Sorry, but what suggestion?" I asked. Desmon turned towards me, "Balancing the death aura and life aura." "What do you mean?" I asked again. Jaehyun stood up and approached me, as did Cherry and Desmon. "We suppose that if you have a balanced life aura and death aura, it will help you see the writings on Leina''s paper," explained Jaehyun. "But how? I mean, the death aura is only owned by ghosts, and the life aura is only owned by humans. How could I have both, or even balance them?" I asked, looking at the three of them, filled with confusion. "Indeed, you won''t be able to possess both. You only have a life aura, but we will help you temporarily have a death aura," Cherry explained. "Sorry, but I still don''t understand." "So far, every time Leina visits you, you surely feel the death aura, right?" Cherry asked, now standing right in front of me. "Right. Then?" I replied. Jaehyun, who stood to my right, took turns explaining, "We will influence the surrounding atmosphere with our death aura, so you will feel two auras in the same time. Your life aura and the death aura from the atmosphere we influence." "In other words, our death aura will replace Leina''s death aura," Desmon continued Jaehyun''s explanation. "Okay, alright. So, what do I-" My words were cut off as I understood their meaning. I could feel the cold, the dimming light in my room, and the silence. "You just need to open Leina''s paper and look at it, whether you can read it or not," Cherry asked. I followed that command. I took Leina''s paper from my pocket, pulled it out, unfolded it, but what I found still the same ¡ªno writing at all. I shook my head while still looking at Leina''s paper. "Can any of you see it?" Desmon asked Cherry and Jaehyun. The answers from both of them were the same, no one could see Leina''s paper. "It seems like the death aura isn''t strong enough," I said. I had to admit, I felt the cold and the dim light because of the influence of their death auras, but it wasn''t as strong as Leina''s. I really remember when my classroom felt as dark as nighttime, even though Leina came in daylight. "It looks like we need help. Where are Johnny, Hellen, and Vic?" Desmon asked. "I''ll call them," Cherry replied, quickly leaving as if running, but she flew instead of running. "Do you want to take a break?" Desmon offered, looking at me. I don''t know what expression I wore or maybe from my body language, but it seemed like Desmon understood that I was a bit tired or, more exactly, uncomfortable because of the influence of the death aura they gave off. "Sure, I''ll go to the bathroom first," I said, accepting Desmon''s offer. ### All the ghosts had gathered, forming a circle in my room when I returned from the bathroom. Desmon, Johnny, Cherry, Hellen, and Jaehyun were all holding hands, while Vic sat silently outside the circle with his legs tied with translucent ropes. The first time I saw this scene, I couldn''t help but think my room had turned into some kind of horrifying cult meeting place, especially since the ones forming the circle weren''t humans or humans possessed, but the ghosts themselves. It was really frightening, wasn''t it? The atmosphere of my room also supported that. The bedroom lights turned off, the bedroom window closed, although the faint sunlight could still pass through. The AC was set at a very cold temperature, and there was a foul odor that I didn''t know where it came from. Moreover, when I closed my bedroom door, it felt like entering another world because of the complete silence, to the point where I could possibly hear my own heartbeat. The horror was increased by the intense looks from all of them, including Desmon. But, among all the looks I got, there was one that was different but really frightening for me ¡ªVic''s empty stare with his blank-faced. Even though I could reassure myself that Vic wouldn''t bother me because his legs were tied, and I guessed his hands behind his back were also tied, his empty stare was far more frightening and made me more afraid than the fake sharp looks made by the others. Without saying anything, Desmon released his grip on Jaehyun to make way into the circle. I understood their intention without asking anything and followed by entering the ghost circle. After that, Desmon took Jaehyun''s hand again, and the ghost circle became complete. The atmosphere inside the circle was not much different from outside the circle, except that the foul odor piercing my nose became even more intense, to the point where it felt like not just my nose but my lungs were also being stabbed. I looked at all of them forming a circle, spinning around, waiting for the next command for me to do. However, it wasn''t words that I got, but the movement of Desmon''s pupils. They kept shifting constantly from staring into my eyes to looking at my feet, back to my eyes, and then down to my feet again. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I could guess that at least one of the five of them was holding back from shouting at me to check the paper from Leina that I kept in my pants pocket. Because, it took me quite a while to understand the signals from Desmon''s pupil movements. After figuring out the next command, I put my hand into my pants pocket. I could feel the paper given by Leina, but this time, the paper felt much more real to me. I mean, even though I could touch things from the ghost world and Leina''s paper, their textures were so soft that I felt like I wasn''t touching anything. However, this time, I could clearly sense the texture of the paper as if it were from the human world, although I could still notice the difference because the paper''s texture I felt sometimes disappeared, as if the paper slipped away from my hand. When I took out the paper from Leina, I was quite surprised because this time Leina''s paper looked much more real, almost not translucent compared to before. When accidentally glancing at Desmon''s face in front of me, I noticed a change in his facial expression. Curious, I looked up to get a clearer view of Desmon''s face. Desmon seemed hard to believe. I then shifted my eyes back to Jaehyun, Cherry, Hellen, and Johnny. They all gave similar expressions like Desmon. Looking at their faces, I might conclude that they all could now see the paper. Slowly, I unfolded the paper that Leina gave me. What I found after opening the paper was nothing but emptiness. There were no scribbles at all. "Still empty. No writing at all," I said, flipping the paper a few times. I looked back at Desmon. But, Desmon exchanged glances with Jaehyun, as did Cherry, Hellen, and Johnny. After exchanging glances with each other, Desmon said, "Are you sure?" I nodded, "Completely empty." "What if the paper is indeed blank?" Hellen said, who was behind me. My eyes shifted to her, "Impossible. Why would she give me a blank paper?" Vic made a sudden movement in my peripheral vision, catching my attention. Unintentionally, our eyes met, his still empty. As we stared at each other, I felt a really creepy sensation, a sensation I hadn''t felt in a long time. A vengeful ghost. Vic suddenly managed to stand even though his hands and feet were tied. Realizing this, Hellen immediately released her grip, causing the ghost circle to be broken. Hellen then in a rush grabbed Vic''s shoulders and hugged him. Johnny did the same, but more forcefully. He kicked both of Vic''s knees from behind, making Vic fall with his knees touching the ground, and then Johnny held Vic''s hands from behind. "Robert, quickly behind me," Desmon shouted, his hands now free. Confused and frightened, I just followed Desmon''s command. "Let''s end the meeting for now, at least we now know the paper is real, proving our theory," Jaehyun said. "Hellen, take Vic with you." Hellen nodded and pushed Vic, but Johnny, who was behind Vic, decided for a more practical way by carrying him. Soon, they were gone, disappearing from my view. The atmosphere in my room returned to normal, and Cherry turned on the lights. Not forgetting, she also adjusted the AC back to its default settings. "You can contact me anytime," Jaehyun said before leaving and disappearing from my view. I hadn''t realized how fast my heart was beating until things calmed down, and I could finally feel it. "Actually, what happened?" I asked, sounding like someone who had just finished intense exercise. "We apologize. Hellen informed us, but we insisted," Cherry said, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I told you not to do something foolish. Why did you still insist? Damn idiots!" Desmon yelled, a yell unlike any I had heard before. "I''m sorry, once again, I''m sorry," Cherry said, keeping her head down, not daring to look at Desmon. "Are you okay, Robert?" Desmon''s voice, wanting to ensure my safety, sounded just like his usual tone, different from his previous tone.
"Huft... huft..." I tried to get my breathing back to normal. "I''m okay. But what actually happened?" Desmon sat on my bed. "I''ll explain later. For now, it''s better for us to rest. You''re free to do anything. Thank you." I actually still wanted to ask what really happened to Desmon, but seeing Cherry walking towards Desmon and sitting next to him, I gave up on that idea. Without saying a word, I opened my room door and walked out, leaving Desmon and Cherry alone. I knew Desmon was very angry, and his emotions exploded when I heard his shout. At that moment, I was remembered of Chloe''s words telling that Desmon''s true desire is to have a friend. So, I thought, what happened earlier must have been very dangerous for me. I mean, wouldn''t you be very angry if your true desire was threatened? At least, I hoped Cherry could calm Desmon down so that he wouldn''t become a vengeful ghost, as Chloe explained that Desmon had the potential to become one. Besides, I also felt that this might be a good opportunity to deepen Cherry and Desmon''s relationship. So, I''ll be gone for a while, I don''t know where I''ll go, maybe to my favorite convenience store to enjoy my special iced coffee blend. ### The weather was quite hot for this season, especially when I stepped out, the sun was right above my head. But at least, the convenience store I headed for wasn''t too far from my house, probably only taking about ten minutes. Because this convenience store was intended for my housing complex, its location looked like a smart choice. As intended, the convenience store was quite crowded with people buying different stuff for their homes. I wasn''t surprised about that, as this convenience store was usually busy every day. Even though it was bustling, there was at least one reason why I enjoyed this convenience store. It''s because this convenience store has a second floor for hanging out, especially since teens in my housing complex rarely hang out here. So, I could enjoy some quiet time, although not completely alone, because there would always be a few people hanging out. But at least they weren''t too bothersome, and the number was usually only three or at most six people. After making my favorite iced coffee ¡ªwhich, to be honest, I doubted was even considered coffee because of the small amount of coffee¡ª and grabbing some snacks, I paid for everything and headed straight to the second floor. Fortunately, that day, there were only two people chatting in the corner near the window. So, I could grab an empty seat tucked in the corner, unseen by others outside the store, my favorite spot. Honestly, my purpose for coming here was just to give Desmon some time to calm down and maybe date Cherry. That''s why I didn''t bring many things, like my laptop. So, had no choice, I played games on my smartphone while enjoying the coffee and snacks I had bought. Even though I often played games, I knew my skills weren''t anywhere near those pro esports players who were really good. My gaming skills could even be considered bad, which is why many people would insult me in the game chat. This is also why I chose to play on servers abroad to avoid the game chat insults. Sure, foreign players could still insult me, but at least I didn''t understand their language, so I didn''t think too much about it. I didn''t realize it, but I had been playing for over an hour with a record of eight losses and one win. Hehe.
When my smartphone started running low on battery, I just realized I didn''t bring the charger. Because I had no choice, I paused the playing game for a while and moved to a seat near the window, while my smartphone was charging using sunlight. I heard a story, unsure if it''s true or not, that in the old days, smartphones couldn''t be charged with sunlight, and people had to carry chargers everywhere. I can''t imagine how troublesome it must have been for them if their smartphone battery ran out while they were on the go. Whether the story is true or not, I''m grateful that nowadays smartphones can be charged with sunlight, even though it''s quite slow, and the phone gets really hot compared to using a charger. That''s why I had to take a break from using my smartphone. While waiting for my smartphone to charge, I went down to the first floor to buy a soft drink and a snack, as my coffee and snacks from earlier had run out during the gaming session. The first-floor convenience store was quite empty at that time, with only about ten people still choosing their groceries. I walked through the store''s aisles to find an empty kiosk that I could use.
Even though this convenience store and several others surely have a lot of kiosks, for some reason, many of those kiosks couldn''t be used, whether it''s because they were broken, needed maintenance, or the system was just errors. It got me thinking a bit, do they not hire technicians to take care of all their kiosks, or at least use robots? No, not robots. Sorry. In one of the aisle, I finally found an empty kiosk that I could use. While busy choosing a soft drink and snacks, and, of course, a promo code to use, I heard someone chatting. The voice wasn''t unfamiliar, but I felt like I had somehow forgotten it. Because curious, after placing my order and getting it, I walked towards the source of the voice. Of course, I walked slowly and kind of sneakily. As I got closer to the source of the voice, exactly from the next aisle, I tried to peek at the owner of the voice through the gaps between the kiosks. Nevo. I didn''t understand why Nevo would be here. I mean, surely, his home isn''t in this complex. Not wanting to get into trouble with him again, I quickly walked back to the second floor while hoping that Nevo wouldn''t hang out here. Or, if he did, I was definitely in trouble ¡ªbig trouble. "Look who''s here," someone from behind me said, "The cursed devil. What are you doing here? Planning to curse this place, huh?" I knew the voice was coming from Nevo''s friend, who was also a bully, so I just stayed silent and kept walking towards the second floor. "Hey," Nevo''s friend said, seems like approaching me as his voice got closer, "Hey, are you deaf? Robert." I still ignored him and continued walking to the second floor. But my path was blocked by a large figure at the end of the aisle. With a smile, the figure said, "Hell, Robert. Long time no see, how''s your ghost doing?" I realized I was trapped, with no way out. However, I also realized that we were in a convenience store with some customers, so I was confident Nevo wouldn''t bully me, or at least wouldn''t go too far. Especially when I glanced up to see Nevo, unintentionally, I also looked at the CCTV recording us. "Hi," I replied, approaching Nevo not to challenge him but to ask him to make way for me. "Excuse me, I need to pass." Nevo shifted his body, creating a gap for me to pass through. I didn''t expect that, to be honest. "Hey," said Nevo''s friend, who I guessed was now right behind me. I didn''t know if Nevo was holding back his friend or doing something else, but I overheard their conversation. "Just leave him be, I sense something strange," Nevo told his friend. "But, you-" Nevo''s friend said. I guessed his friend was just following Nevo''s commands, or at least not at the same level as Nevo. "Do you want to die killed by a ghost?" Nevo''s whispers, whether intentional or not, could still be heard by me, "Let''s leave right now." I could breathe a sigh of relief if they indeed left without hurting me. #### Convenience Store
I had returned to the spot where I left my smartphone, left to absorb sunlight energy to charge its battery. When I checked it, my smartphone''s battery hadn''t increased by even one percent after I spent a long time selecting and ordering below, and also facing Nevo, it wasn''t even enough to charge one percent of the battery. I wished I had brought the charger so I could charge the battery much faster. If my estimate wasn''t wrong, maybe my battery would have already been charged one or two percent if I had used the charger instead of using the sunlight. So, while waiting for what seemed like a very, very long time until my smartphone''s battery charged, at least up to five or six percent, allowing me to play games again. I would spend the wait enjoying soft drinks, snacks, and the view in front of me. Not much and not too beautiful to look at, indeed. But at least I could still enjoy it during this waiting time. I looked up at the bright blue sky above, which was boring because it only displayed a blue sky. When I lowered my eyes a bit, I could see a row of houses and buildings that were symmetrical and similar. Unfortunately, I couldn''t see my house because it was in the opposite direction. Lowering my eyes again, I could see something slightly interesting, people passing by. The streets of the housing complex seemed deserted, which was normal at that time because it was not rush hour. I noticed some people I recognized passing by ¡ªmy neighbors, people I often met in the park, and even some teenagers who often made noise near my house. But honestly, what I really enjoyed wasn''t the scenery, but my soft drinks and snacks that quickly ran out because there was no other activity I could do. Since my soft drinks and snacks were gone, I was back to being bored. My mind offered two options. First, I could buy more soft drinks and snacks, but I felt like I''ve already had too much, so I should stop not because I''m worried about my health, but to be more save money. The second thing on my mind was to go back home, maybe Desmon has calmed down. While I was still thinking about, someone was sitting next to me without me realizing it. "Do you need a charger?" From the voice, I already knew who it was, but I confirmed by looking directly at the person. It was indeed Chloe. "Hey, what are you doing here?" I greeted. "Just keeping my friend company," Chloe replied, extending her hand holding a charger, "Do you need a charger?" I took the charger from Chloe''s hand, "Sure. Thanks, but how did you know I needed a charger?" "I saw the solar charging on your smartphone was active," Chloe answered while opening the snacks she brought. As I activated Chloe''s charger and placed my smartphone for charging, I looked at Chloe. "You said you''re keeping your friend company, but where is she?" "She''s downstairs," Chloe answered, "I''ll have to leave soon, so you can just keep my charger. I''ll pick it up when I come to your house." "Are you sure? I mean, don''t you need it?" "No, don''t worry. I have a spare." We chatted for only a few minutes about why Chloe suddenly left earlier in the morning, it turns out her friend was looking for her and needed her help. I didn''t mind at all if Chloe left early in the morning, I wasn''t curious either. I just wanted to make sure she was okay, and, more importantly, I didn''t want to make any mistakes that would annoy or even make Chloe hate me until she left early in the morning. Not long after we chatted, Chloe''s friend, a tall and slender girl, finally showed up.
"Chloe, sorry to interrupt. Are you still chatting?" Chloe''s friend asked, her fashion style totally different from Chloe''s, her clothes dominated by cream colors rather than vibrant ones. "No," Chloe replied. "Are you done shopping?" "Yes," Chloe''s friend replied briefly, then fell silent. I thought she was in an awkward situation. "All right then, let''s go," Chloe said as she got up from her seat. "I''ll go first, Robert." I nodded and said, "Okay. Thanks for the charger."
Chloe''s friend seemed to not care about my presence, she turned around and walked away. Meanwhile, Chloe followed her from behind. I didn''t immediately go back to my smartphone because I knew it was still charging. Instead, I still focus on Chloe and her friend. I don''t know what really happened, but Chloe''s friend seemed weird to me. It wasn''t her attitude, seeming to not care about my presence, I was used to being treated like that. If she indeed didn''t care about my presence, I could guess that she already knew about me being able to see ghosts from a friend or her friends'' friend or through social media. Because being ignored by others has been a regular thing for me, not just this time. Even when I transferred to my new school, some of my classmates kept their distance from me. When I accidentally looked into why they were avoiding me, I was shocked by how quickly information spread. A photo of me, taken without my knowing, had been going around on social media with captions like "Cursed Child" or "Beware, Devil Worshiper" or something like that. So, it was normal for me. But what''s weird is how she could accept and be friends with Chloe. I mean, it''s clear from all my conversations with Chloe, whether directly or indirectly, Chloe always talks about how she enjoys socializing, having many friends, and being open with her friends about her ability to see ghosts. Or maybe that''s just my thought, so Chloe''s doesn''t meant like that. I don''t know. But if what I think is true, then Chloe''s friend should have known about Chloe''s ability to see ghosts, the same ability as mine. So, why would she be friends with Chloe but ignore me? Is it possible that it''s just her attitude? Maybe Chloe''s friend always seems not to care about new people she doesn''t know, so it''s not because she knew I could see ghosts that she ignored me. When Chloe and her friend went down the stairs, I caught a brief look of Chloe shifting her eyes towards me and smiling. A sweet smile as usual. But I didn''t want to get too excited, maybe Chloe and her friend were just joking, and that''s why Chloe smiled, accidentally glancing in my direction.
After Chloe and her friend disappeared from my sight, I turned my eyes back towards the window, exactly looking at the streets in front of the convenience store. Yes, you can guess it, I was waiting to see Chloe come out of the store and walk somewhere, who knows where. It didn''t take long for Chloe to walk out of the convenience store, along with her friend. At that moment, the mystery of Chloe''s friend could be answered, but at the same time, a new weird thought crossed my mind. Chloe''s friend appeared faint, almost translucent. Could Chloe''s friend is a ghost? If so, that could explain why she ignored me, maybe she thought I couldn''t see ghosts. But if Chloe''s friend is a ghost, why would she be shopping at a convenience store? I know ghosts can interact, like touching objects in the human world, but what''s the point for them? If they need something, wouldn''t it make more sense for them to buy it in the ghost world, as Desmon does. So, I didn''t jump to the conclusion that Chloe''s friend was a ghost. I thought ¡ªhad to thought¡ª if it was just my hallucination or perhaps some kind of light reflection, sunlight, or maybe the window glass disturbing my vision and making it seem like Chloe''s friend looked translucent. Who knows. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
I was still looking at Chloe and her friend walking away, but not long after, Chloe turned around, and she looked at me. Of course, I immediately shifted my eyes elsewhere, hoping she wouldn''t know that I''ve been looking at her since earlier. Besides, why did Chloe suddenly turn around and look in my direction? Could she be aware that I was looking at her, or maybe she has abilities like telepathy? I doubt it, there''s no such ability.
The only thing I can think of if Chloe really noticed me looking at her is that there must be a Chloe''s ghost friend or Chloe''s phantom that has been watching me since I started looking at Chloe, then told Chloe that I was watching her. But I didn''t see any ghosts or feel the phantom that should have a strong death aura since earlier. So, it might just be a mere coincidence. I mean, Chloe could have turned around and looked in my direction without any reason. Or maybe she''s just like me, wanting to look at me from a distance. Another thing that crosses my mind is the presence of Leina. I suddenly remember Chloe''s story about the incident on the bridge. In her story, Chloe explained that she felt Leina''s presence from a car, then followed the car, and it turned out I was the passenger in that car. Could that incident be happening again? If so, this is my chance. Clearly, I have to check the paper Leina gave me if Leina is indeed here. I mean, the paper comes from Leina and contains something that Leina wants me to read, and I remember that when I tried to read the paper back then, Leina had already disappeared. So maybe the writing on the paper can only be read when Leina is present. I don''t know what theory supports my thoughts, but I think it''s worth a try, especially if Leina is not present or if the paper is indeed empty, I won''t get any bad effects at all. So, I took out the paper from Leina and unfolded it. When I unfolded the second fold, this time I could easily see the writing on Leina''s paper.
"I don''t know if you can see this writing or not. I don''t know if you can see this writing, you''ll be able to read it. I don''t know if you able read this writing, you''ll be able to call me. I don''t know if you''ve called me, I will appear to you. I don''t know if I''ve appeared to you, I''ll be able to talk to you. I don''t know if I''ve talked to you, you''ll be able to set me free. But what I know is, you have to be careful..."
The writing on Leina''s paper faded again, becoming translucent, until it disappeared completely. I just stared at the paper, hoping that the writing would reappear because at a glance, there seemed to be a lot of writing that I hadn''t had a chance to read. "Robert," someone called me from behind. I turned around to see the source of the voice. "Sorry, but it seems I left something behind, have you seen it?" the owner of the voice, Chloe, asked. I immediately stood up and looked towards where Chloe had been sitting before to check, "Didn''t see anything, what did you leave behind?" Chloe, who had also returned to her seat, joined in looking for her lost item, "A ring box, it''s small in size." While checking, I glanced briefly at Chloe''s friend who was already beside her, also helping to search for the ring box.
"Actually, that was meant as a gift, but carelessly, I misplaced it," Chloe said. I could feel the regret in her voice. I feel Chloe''s concern, so I tried to calm down her by saying, "Don''t worry, we''ll definitely find it." Not long after I said that, Chloe''s friend immediately stood up and patted Chloe''s shoulder, "Found it." "Phew... thank goodness. Thank you," Chloe said while hugging her friend. I didn''t expect a hug from Chloe, so I just returned to my seat, saying, "Thank goodness." Chloe looked back at me, "You too, thanks, Robert." I nodded in response. Chloe then turned back to her friend and whispered something. I didn''t know what she said, but her friend immediately headed downstairs. After that, Chloe looked at me again, "Sorry, I lied." I without thinking held my breath and couldn''t control my facial expression, staying silent for a moment. Chloe then returned to her seat, "I had to lie because there''s something I need to talk to you about." I still silent even though I could breathe again and control my facial expression, "Sorry, but you want to talk to me? About what?" "Leina," Chloe replied, "Can you sense her presence?" I nodded, "Yes, just now, before you came back. I could even read the writing on her paper." Now it was Chloe''s turn to look surprised, "Her paper? Leina''s paper?" I nodded again, "Yes. Do you want to see it?" I said, showing Leina''s paper to Chloe. "And you can read the writing on her paper?" Chloe continued, taking Leina''s paper from my hand and unfolding it. "Yes. Is there something strange?" Chloe''s eyes were only focused on the paper as she replied, "Nothing. But this is just rare, phantoms seldom give something to humans." "What do you mean?" Chloe fell silent for a moment, looking at the unfolded paper from Leina. I tried to peek, but I couldn''t see any writing. Why was Chloe looking at it so seriously as if she were reading something on the paper?
"Nothing. Hmm... well, I mean," Chloe''s words didn''t really answer my question, and I was also confused about what was going on. She seemed suddenly puzzled. Chloe shifted her eyes towards me. "I can''t explain it right now because I have to leave soon. But I promise I''ll explain it at your house the day after tomorrow." Chloe then stood up and walked away faster than usual. "Chloe," I said, intentionally raised my voice to call her. Chloe looked back. I stood up and approached her, saying, "Sorry, but you took a paper from Leina." Chloe raised her hand and looked at her open palm. "Oh, sorry. I was in a hurry," Chloe said as she handed Leina''s paper back to me. I took the paper back, smiling to stay friendly. I could understand that, "It''s okay."
"Alright, I''m going now. Bye," Chloe says goodbye, ending it with her sweet smile for me again. "Okay, take care," I replied with a smile, although I wasn''t sure how my smile looked. After Chloe went down to the lower floor, I returned to my seat and stared out at the street through the store window. I could see Chloe and her friend leaving the store, half walking and half running as if trying to catch a bus or train because they were running late. Once Chloe and her friend disappeared from my view at the crossroads, I checked my smartphone, which now had enough battery for me to play games. So, I put Leina''s paper back into my pants pocket, grabbed my smartphone, and started playing games again. I spent almost two more hours in the convenience store before deciding to head home. ### I came home to find the house in the same condition as when I left it, empty with no one around, or more exactly, no humans at all. I headed straight to my room after entering the house. From behind the walls, I couldn''t hear any sounds, and I also didn''t feel any death aura. So, I thought that either Desmon and Cherry were gone, or only one of them was in my room. Although, I was more suspicious that it was Desmon. Why could I think like that? Well, because the death aura from one ghost didn''t affect me much, meaning I didn''t feel it. That''s why, it was only when Chloe told me that I realized all ghosts must have a death aura, it''s just that the intensity of the death aura varies for each ghost. I opened my room door and walked inside. As per my thought, my room was empty, with no one here, human or ghost, except for me who had just come. Because I was tired and had a lack of sleep from staying up all night with Chloe, I, without thinking about it, immediately threw myself onto my bed, not even bothering to take off my clothes. On the soft bed, I closed my eyes several times, preparing to sleep, but there was a slight ¡ªjust a little bit¡ª feel of unease because I was afraid Desmon would surprise me again, as he often did recently. My worry turned out to have the opposite effect. Desmon entered my room at that moment in a usual manner, without anything surprising. I shouldn''t have been surprised by that, but because I was too worried, it startled me enough to scream. "What''s wrong with you?" Desmon asked, seeming surprised by my scream. I tried to catch my breath before speaking. "Sorry, I was afraid you''d surprise me." Desmon shook his head briefly, "Actually, you''re the one who surprised me, humans." I looked at Desmon as he moved towards the chair, which seemed to be his favorite spot for reading books. Meanwhile, I was still lying limp on the bed, staring at the ceiling, still trying to sleep. My efforts to sleep were disturbed by a question from Desmon, "Where are you from?" I actually wanted to ignore him and stay focused on my attempt to sleep, but I knew or rather worried that Desmon would keep asking that question, and he might even show his annoying face right in front of me if I still not answer his question. "Just a convenience store," I replied shortly, briefly, clearly, and with a tone and snoring as if I were sleepy, letting Desmon know not to ask questions or disturb me again. Fortunately, my words managed to reach him and were understood. I didn''t know and didn''t care about what Desmon was doing at that moment. Maybe he continued reading his book, who knows? But one thing''s for sure, I could sleep without being disturbed by him. #### New Story Previously, I had never felt this way, this anxious feeling in my heart, waiting for something promised but never coming. Did she forget? Is she okay? Is she intentionally doing this? What actually happened? Question after question came out in my mind, and not a single answer was I got it. I didn''t know if these questions would find their answers or not. Until when should I endure this waiting, until when should this anxiety linger in my heart, until when news about her would not reach me. I don''t know. Hehe... Do I seem a bit different? Maybe I indeed want to change. People say, someone will change when they meet new people or a new environment. And all these recent events are new to me. After years of being alone, unable and unwilling to make friends, often bullied, finally I found someone who could accompany and accept me. Not only from the same species like Chloe, who became my first human friend after the past few years, but also I got friends from the ghost world introduced by Desmon. Cherry, Johnny, and Jaehyun, they are the names of my new friends. Although we only met a few times, they could accept me, especially Cherry who visited my house more frequently, even more often than Chloe. And that''s what made me jealous and anxious. How could I not, seeing Desmon ¡ªmy friend¡ª hanging out with a girl. I felt as if I was being ignored by Desmon, although I was sure he wouldn''t do that. But still, when Cherry came, Desmon preferred to chat with her rather than with me or at least invite me to chat. It also made the wait for Chloe''s visit to my house, which she promised, feel more torturous and distressing. Why hasn''t she come even after a week of waiting for her to show up from the time she promised? "Still not here?" Cherry asked, sitting on the edge of my bed, leaning her head on Desmon''s shoulder next to her, who was also sitting on the edge of my bed. I felt uncomfortable seeing them both and just sat on my study chair trying not to look at them, although I still glanced a few times out of curiosity I couldn''t hold forever. "Not yet, can''t you find her?" I had asked Desmon and Cherry several times to help find Chloe. And I must admit they had also searched for her, but still they couldn''t find Chloe at all, even they had searched in other sectors. "Come on, don''t be feeling low all the time," Desmon convinced. I just ignored him. I could faintly hear Cherry and Desmon whispering to each other, I didn''t know what they were actually talking about, but not long after they both left my room together, leaving me alone. I don''t know if I should be thankful for not seeing Cherry and Desmon being affectionate in front of me, which made me jealous, or I should be sad because only the two of them were left to be with me. Yeah, for the past few days, I have been alone. My mother had to leave me because she had a business trip out of town, leaving me alone at home. Yes, that also answers why my mother looked so happy when she met Chloe. Maybe she thought I finally had a friend, so she could reduce her worries about me a bit, thinking I wouldn''t be alone at home. That also explains why my mother gave me her bank card, which I wasn''t allowed to use at all before. Of course, she gave me the bank card so I could buy food or other things while she wasn''t home. I love my mother, she plans things without me knowing so that it doesn''t become a burden on my mind. But I feel sorry for her if she has too much on her mind without anyone else to share the burden with. Since Desmon and Cherry had left without me knowing where they were going, and because I was also bored alone, I thought I should try something new. I realize my life is slowly changing. I can no longer rely on Desmon to accompany my days, he has found a new friend or partner, and I can''t force him because that''s his life ¡ªI mean, his death. So, I have to start looking for friends. I have to be like Chloe, who still has many human friends even though she has the same abilities as me. I have to start changing, but where do I start? While thinking about where to start this change, I changed my clothes. I was still confused because I had no guidance from anyone, but at least I thought I should start going out. It didn''t take me long to change clothes and check myself in the mirror to make sure there was nothing strange about me that could make me laughed at or bullied by people. People say change can start from the smallest things. Does that mean I should start taking walks around my housing complex? Maybe that''s a good idea since I already know the area, so I decided to go to the convenience store to order coffee and then go to the park. ### The weather has been very sunny lately, although today isn''t as sunny as yesterday because there are some thick clouds covering the blue sky behind them. I did it on purpose to go out when the day was turning into dusk. I don''t know why, but lately, I don''t like the sunlight that''s too bright. Besides being dazzling, the hot air also makes me feel uncomfortable. According to the initial plan, I walked to the convenience store to buy coffee, but I intentionally slowed down my pace compared to usual so I could look around. Who knows if there''s something interesting, right? I arrived at the convenience store after it had passed its busy hours. When I entered the store, I could feel the silence and calm. Strange, the store didn''t have any customers at all when I entered. But maybe that''s how it usually is because I never go to the store at dusk like this. I ordered coffee and snacks without any problems at all, except for something that seemed to tickle me, the death aura. I could feel it, although faintly ¡ªmaybe there was a ghost nearby. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I ignored the death aura and quickly left the store. I think I''ve spent too much time dealing with the world of the dead ¡ªthe ghost world¡ª that I''ve forgotten my own world ¡ªthe human world. So, for now, I''ll start making small changes to focus more on the human world than the ghost world. ### The park was much busier than usual when I arrived. I could guess that there was an event going on somewhere in the park, but it definitely wasn''t on the field because I entered the part of the park that was close to the field and the field was quiet with only a few teenagers playing basketball. The main reason for my guess besides the fact that there were many more visitors to the park than usual was that they were wearing uniforms of the same color, black and gray, and some of them were even wearing or carrying the same accessories. A concert? No way in this park, which is quite small for a music concert, unless it''s a concert by a less famous musician. The more I explored the park, the more it led me to the place where the event was taking place, the same place where Chloe had turned into a ghost. A building that was indeed intended for holding art events. I saw many people coming out of the building, maybe the performance was over, or they didn''t like the performance. The second option sounded silly to me, so I assumed the first option was more reasonable. I stopped for a moment, unsure. Whether to continue walking through the crowd of park visitors or choose another path to take. I knew I had to go through the park visitors if I wanted to be more sociable, maybe I could meet some people by pretending to be friendly or at least I could feel the sensation of being in a crowd without anyone I knew and willingly, because even at school I was already in a crowd but it was because I was forced to. But it seemed like I would try something smaller first. So I avoided the crowd and took another path. I just walked around the park, not knowing where to go. Until finally, because I was tired of walking, I sat down near the field in the park. For a dozens of minutes, I just watched the teenagers playing and exercising on the field while enjoying my coffee and snacks, they looked happy. There was one teenager, small in body but I could clearly see his muscles. He challenged everyone around him to an arm wrestling match. There were some who dared to accept his challenge and some who refused his challenge. Among those who dared to accept, there were some who lost ¡ªalmost all of them¡ª but there were also some who won. Interestingly enough to me, there was no anger on their faces, they were all having fun even though they were testing each other''s strength. On the other hand, there was a group of teenagers playing basketball. A few times I saw it clearly there were some of them who were pushing, elbowing each other, and there were even some who looked emotional to the point of staring at each other and arguing. However, interestingly enough to me, after the game was over or they changed players, everything went back to normal. There was no more emotional arguing, pushing, elbowing, they didn''t fight, instead they laughed and looked happy. I know it''s a normal thing that happens often anywhere in the world, either on earth or off earth, if there is life in space. I''ve also seen similar things in the movies I watch. But why did seeing them directly make me feel weird? I never imagined that I could be like them, fighting with each other''s emotions but in the end, they could laugh together happily and forget the past. I''ve only ever ¡ªoften¡ª experienced a part of that, just the part where we fight with each other''s emotions. I''ve fought with other people, and the most common thing that happens to me is getting beaten up without a chance to fight back. But what happens after that? We don''t laugh together happily, we''re still enemies, and it''s even worse than before. Even though I still call them friends, I never meant to say that they are my real friends. What I mean by "friends" is people I know. Can I be like the teenagers on the field? Playing, exercising, joking, and laughing together? I want to be like that, but I''m also scared. I still sat in the same spot, watching the same field, with the same coffee and snacks. Though people had come and gone, the little boy who liked arm wrestling had left a while ago, the teenagers playing basketball had also been replaced by a new team, along with their spectators and other teenagers, although there were still some who continued to do what they were doing. My coffee and snacks had actually been gone a while ago, but I still drank and ate them even though I was only pretending. I just felt weird if I was still holding the snack wrapper and coffee cup if I wasn''t doing anything with them. Besides, I was too lazy to get up and throw them away. The sun slowly lowered its head to nature''s will, leaving its orange mark in the sky. I don''t know how long I had been sitting there. When it was starting to get dark, when the sun had set, when the orange had turned black, when many people had left the park to go home or go somewhere else, I just got up and threw away the trash. After throwing away the trash, I continued on my way, not to go home or go anywhere else, but to the field. As I approached, there were still three teenagers who seemed older than me ¡ªmaybe college students¡ª who were still playing basketball. I don''t know what pushed me to approach them, I just followed my steps without thinking. The three of them who were passing the ball back and forth stopped when the tallest one saw me approaching them. When they stopped, the ball was held by a slightly chubby teenager ¡ªwhether it was because of fat or muscle or just big bones. "Hey, can we help you?" said the tall one, his heavy breaths could be heard between his words as he panted from exhaustion after exercising. I stopped right in front of them, "Sorry, I''m just hmm... curious." They all stared at me with the same look. "Cur...ious?" said the tallest one. I blinked for a moment to give my brain time to clear again, "Hmm... I mean, hmm... can I play?" I said, waving my hands around not knowing what their function was for. "Oh, sure. Do you want to use the court with your team or play against us?" said the tallest one who might be the spokesperson for the three of them. "Haha..." I don''t know why I laughed, really. "Hmm... I mean I play with you guys." This time the tall one didn''t answer right away, but the three of them exchanged glances. Not long after, the tall one nodded, "Sure, why not." Just after the tall one agreed, the slightly chubby teenager who had been holding the ball threw it at me. The ball was thrown so hard and fast that it hit my stomach and made my stomach hurt. "Sorry, are you okay?" said the slightly chubby teenager who immediately ran over to me, picked up the ball that had fallen, and then held my shoulder to help me stand up straight. I took a deep breath, trying to think positively and hold back the pain in my stomach. "Whew... I''m fine, I wasn''t ready before." "Maybe we should just play slowly." suggested the teenager who had been silent until then. I shook my head, "No, it''s okay. I''ll keep up with your playing pace." "Are you sure?" said the slightly chubby teenager. "Sure, I was just not ready yet," I replied. The tallest teenager picked up the ball from the slightly chubby teenager and said, "Let''s play slowly, we''re tired too. By the way, what''s your name?" Before I could answer, the ball was thrown back at me. "My name is Robert." "Nice to meet you, I''m Niel," said the tallest one at the same time as I threw the ball to the slightly chubby teenager. The slightly chubby teenager caught the ball from me, dribbled it for a while while introducing himself, "You can call me Decka." The ball was thrown back towards the quiet teenager. The quiet teenager caught the ball. "My name is Frank," said the quiet teenager, who threw the ball back at me. As soon as I got the ball, I threw it back to Niel. We kept throwing the ball to each other randomly while chatting to get to know each other better. Even though it was already night and darkness had filled the sky, we kept playing. And I was glad they responded well to me. I could probably say that that day was the first day I started a new story. Socializing with humans, not ghosts. Even so, I still like ghosts, especially Desmon, my best friend. #### Lonely at Home I returned home at last after a long time of playing and chatting with my new friends Neil, Decka, and Frank. Although I was actually getting comfortable playing with them and still wanted to continue our game, but unfortunately the three of them had to go home with the excuse that tomorrow they had to go to college. At least I was right in guessing that they were older than me and college boys. When I got home, my house was very dark. I guessed that Desmon hadn''t returned yet, because usually even if there were no humans at home, my house still wouldn''t be this dark because Desmon would turn on some lights in some rooms at least to give me a clue if he was home and maybe scare off any thieves who tried to break into an empty house. Luckily the home assistant system or H.A.S was still working, so I could ask it to turn on all the lights automatically while I was still standing right in front of the door, inside the house. After the lights came on with a blinding light, I asked the H.A.S to dim the light a little, after that I closed the door and locked it and intended to go straight to my room. I knew my body was covered in sweat, even some of them were still wet. My clothes were also weathered and of course gave off a foul that disturbed anyone''s sense of smell. But I didn''t care about that, I was too tired and lack of spirit, at least I wasn''t afraid of being scolded by my mom because she not here for a few days. Maybe it was because my mother wasn''t around, coupled with Desmon leaving, and made worse by Chloe who I had pinned my hopes on having a human friend who never came to keep her promise, I felt strange. I don''t know what exactly I''m feeling, but I''m getting bored with my old life, I''m not excited anymore, I''m thinking about strange things more often. Arriving at my room after previously taking the time to go to the fridge to get some softdrinks and snacks, I immediately lay down on my bed in my smelly clothes with the softdrinks and snacks that I threw on the bed just like that. I could feel the exhaustion, not just physical exhaustion but also mental and mind exhaustion. The atmosphere of my room at that time was quite cozy, the dimly lit lights, the silence of the night, the cold air from the air conditioner, all contributed to making me close my eyes to fall asleep. ### Pain in my legs continues to gnaw at me. Exhausted, cold, and unbearably thirsty, I had been running for who knows how long, yet the light remained far away. I wanted to stop for a moment just to catch my breath, but I couldn''t. They were still behind me. The clamor of wild animals, scavenger birds, and people seemingly out to kill me continued to echo behind me. Cold hands with sharp claws kept trying to touch my body. I could only keep running with all my might to evade them. But what were they, actually? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I remembered, they had slashed my legs. Pitch darkness enveloped my surroundings. I couldn''t see anything around me at all, except for a beam of light in the distance. Oddly, no matter how fast or long I ran, the beam of light didn''t seem to enlarge to indicate that I was getting closer. It was as if I was running on a treadmill, going nowhere. Had I not been moving at all this whole time? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I remembered, when I realized I was in a running position. Similarly, the foul odor was sharp and pierced my nose. How long had I been smelling that odor. It was so foul that it made my head spin and became overwhelmingly heavy. I had never in my life smelled anything so awful, even the scent of a landfill was far more pleasant than this foul odor. Every time I ran, the foul odor would disappear, only to be replaced by another foul odor. I''d lost count of how many kinds of foul odor I''d smelled all this time. What kind of odor was this, really? And where were they from? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I believed, the odor never ended. I couldn''t take it anymore, I was very exhausted. Had the monsters stopped? No, the beam of light was still far away, and the foul odor continued to deaden my sense of smell. I only had two choices left, I thought. Death from exhaustion due to ceaseless running or death from being torn and slashed by those monsters because I stopped running. The first choice might sound lighter, I thought. However, the second option doesn''t wrong either. If I had to die then what was the point of choosing. As my mind was confused by the two choices, I unconsciously stopped running but just walked, walking very slowly. Slowly but surely, I felt comfortable with this cold. Slowly but surely, I also didn''t care anymore about the sound of my stomach that kept beeping demanding food to enter it. Slowly but surely, my eyes that need light to see have now adapted to the darkness, I am able to see in the dark. Slowly but surely, my head feels light and so does my body, the foul odor that previously made my head dizzy has also been felt normally for me as if I have often inhaled the smell. Slowly but surely, the noisy sound is no longer heard until it reaches the absence of sound even including the sound of my heart which I can no longer hear, bringing me to calmness and peacefulness. Slowly but surely, alone in here makes me feel a happiness, I don''t know why. Slowly but surely, I slowed my walk to a stop and stood still. I could still clearly see the beam of light in front of me, but the light was too blinding for my eyes that had adapted to the darkness. It''s like you''ve been trapped in an underground tunnel your whole life without seeing or getting any sunlight, and then suddenly you stare directly at the bright summer sun in the middle of the day, I''m pretty sure you''ll go blind. Do I have to go out of this place to the light spot ahead? I don''t know what awaits me there, is it safety or danger? Was it behind that blinding light that I met the savior or were the monsters coming from that light. Strangely enough, when I stayed motionless in this place, the place that previously terrified me, now became a place that gave me a sense of security and comfort. Should I leave this place? I don''t know, at least I don''t have to make any decisions right now because I''m currently safe. Maybe I can stay still for a few minutes to take my energy back. ### I don''t know how long I''ve been staying in this place. I don''t even know if I''m still standing or sitting, I can''t feel it. Right now all I feel is my consciousness ¡ªif I''m still conscious. I can no longer feel my entire body, or barely. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The beam of light that I had been looking at, grew smaller and smaller. In the midst of the silence without any sound, I suddenly felt an echo. Although, I''m not sure when the echo existed, because at first I didn''t feel it at all, then I barely felt it, then the longer I stayed the stronger the echo became. I''m not sure if the echo is a voice or a sound. I couldn''t tell if it was the voice of a human, animal, or monster, or if it was the sound of an item, a vehicle, or the air. When the light was almost invisible, as if the hole through which it broke into had been repaired, that''s when I could clearly hear the echo. The echo was a human voice, precisely a female voice or more precisely a girl''s voice. The voice sounded like a girl shouting from a distance with an almost desperate feeling, I felt the vibration. "Go away!" Go away? Why is she telling me to go? Or maybe I heard her wrong. I was stay still trying to focus all my attention to listen to the echo even better, "Go away! Go away! Go!" The echoing voice slowly became clear, it was no longer an echo, it had transformed into a shouting voice. She was telling me to go, I knew it. From her voice it was clear it was her command and request for my safety, like in the movies when someone tells their loved ones to go save themselves during a disaster. But the question is where? Where should I go? Although the voice was clear to me, I couldn''t figure out where it was coming from. I was standing up, at least that was what was in my consciousness. I turned my eyes in all directions, but there was nothing to see. I was panicking, obviously. I knew there was danger coming for me, and I had to go as the girl''s voice told me to, but where. My panic broke my concentration, I couldn''t even breathe ¡ªor maybe I hadn''t been breathing all along¡ª and I couldn''t feel my heartbeat ¡ªor maybe my heart hadn''t been beating all along. The panic inside me increased as the screaming grew louder. As I looked around the pitch-black surroundings, my eyes was interrupted and fixated on that almost disappeared beam of light. Could it be that I needed to go to that beam of light? Perhaps. After deciding which direction I would go, I ran with all my might in that direction. But before long, the beam of light disappeared and now I was in total darkness. ### I opened my eyes but all I could see was darkness. My room didn''t feel as cold as before but that didn''t mean it was hot. I don''t know how long I slept, but I know what woke me up. This time it wasn''t Desmon or my mom, nor was it the alarm I set earlier, but the sound of thunder booming. I don''t know when it started raining, but it was raining so hard that it was accompanied by lightning strikes one after another without giving me enough time to fall asleep again. The lightning that struck this time is usually referred to as "Brightning" by the people, I''m not sure the word is in the dictionary. If I''m not misunderstanding it because no one has explained it properly and I don''t know its origin, but it''s definitely a modification of the word lightning. Bright means shining with a lot of light, and it''s match to describe the lightning strikes that take turns at night to illuminate the darkness of the night with their light. Since I couldn''t go back to sleep because of the brightning, I decided to lie down instead. Brightning is actually very rare in my city, by rare I mean that it only happens once every few years and even then if you''re lucky. This eventually led to born of an urban legend in my city. "Brightning: The war between devil and angel" is one of the movie titles based on this urban legend. It tells the story of a war between the underworld inhabited by devils or ghosts against the upper world inhabited by angels. Of course the story is made up, but Desmon has another opinion. According to him, humans use brightning to fight back against ghosts because the darkness of the night is attacked by the light of lightning, the silence of the night is attacked by the thunderous sound of lightning, the cold night air is attacked by the heat brought by lightning. Therefore, in the ghost world brightning is often avoided by ghosts, and this is strange to me, how can ghosts be afraid of something especially of humans, isn''t it the job of ghosts to scare humans. At first when Desmon told me this, I kind of agreed with the story. Sometimes humans are indeed more cruel and scarier than the ghosts themselves, in fact I often say how can humans be cruel but ghosts like Desmon are not. But I change my mind now, not all humans are cruel, for example Chloe and the three friends I just got today ¡ªor maybe yesterday if the day has changed. If I think about it now, it seems that Desmon''s story of urban legend brightning in the ghost world is almost like a form of fight of the life aura attacking the death aura. I mean obviously, darkness is defeated by light or silence is defeated by a thunderous sound. Thinking about that, I couldn''t help but think of Chloe. I missed her, longing for an explanation that would satisfy my curiosity. Maybe Chloe had her own explanation for the brightning, one that made a lot more sense than all the urban legends I''d heard. But where was she? Why didn''t she come? Had something happened to her? In the middle of the darkness of the night that was constantly illuminated by the lightning in the sky, I who still wanted to lie down seemed to be forced to get up. I wanted to use bathroom. I finally got up from my bed, while getting up, I felt a softdrink can roll into my hand. I forgot to drink it, and also ate the snack I brought. After getting up from my bed, I immediately looked for the switch button to turn on the lights. I found it, and I pressed it, but the light didn''t come on. Finally, I was forced to call H.A.S. and ask him to turn on the light, but the result was the same H.A.S. didn''t work. There was only one explanation for this, a power outage. The light provided by the brightning was enough to allow me to see my room, but I''m sure not the bathroom. My bathroom didn''t have any windows or anything that could see out of the building, so obviously it wouldn''t get any light. Luckily, when I checked my smartphone, it was still on and I could use it as a flashlight. Since I couldn''t stand it, I rushed straight to the bathroom. ### At first I just wanted to pee, but why is it that while I was peeing my stomach was churning as if it wanted to release all its contents. So I''d rather release it than hold it in while I''m in the toilet. I looked at the time displayed on my smartphone screen, I realized that I had been in the bathroom for too long, but I didn''t think it was that long and it was probably twice as long as usual. Did I throw out my entire stomach, from the feces to the organs? As long as I was in the bathroom, I found no sign of the rain stopping. I could still clearly hear the army of water that descended from the sky attacking everything below. I could also hear the lightning striking each other every fraction of a second. But when I turned off my smartphone to save its low battery power so that I could use it as a flashlight after I was done with my business, I started to feel strange. The strangeness I was referring to came from the bathtub next to me that was covered by the curtain when I entered. Strangely, at this time my hand was toying with the curtain, but the curtain was no longer there. I can confirm that there''s no one in the bathroom. Because when I entered the bathroom, I had pointed my smartphone that functions as a flashlight at every corner of the bathroom, but I found no sign of a human being, including his shadow that should be visible when there is light directed at him. If a ghost had moved the curtain, it was possible. But I couldn''t sense the death aura, so I thought it was Desmon. Indeed Desmon had pranked me when I was in the bathroom, not even once but many times although not often either. So I thought it could be Desmon. So I turned on my smartphone again and used it to illuminate the bathtub which turned out to have an open curtain, but I didn''t see anything either human or ghost. I also pointed my smartphone in all directions in the bathroom, but still I couldn''t find anything. If people in general will be scared if there are objects whose positions change but there are no humans around, then they will definitely think it''s the work of ghosts, because they can''t see ghosts. But what about me, I was obviously scared because my bathtub curtain suddenly opened and I couldn''t see anything either, should I think it was a ghost too? Even though I can see ghosts. Or maybe I should think it''s a phantom, but I can see phantoms too. Then who''s doing it? They say the best place and time for imagination is in the toilet when you''re pooping. And that seemed to be proven, I wondered if there were other entities besides humans, ghosts, phantoms that I didn''t know about. It''s possible, but unproven. Not long after I played around with my imagination and finished my business that I had meant to sped up. I came out of the bathroom. When I opened the bathroom door that''s when I had the answer to who opened the curtain. A translucent figure. My smartphone was off, so I lost my light source. At the same time I also felt the cold, the silence, the foul odor, and the thirst and hunger. You''d guess that this was a very strong death aura, so strong in fact that I wasn''t sure whether my smartphone had died because of its battery running out or was being affected by this death aura. Because there was absolutely no light to help my eyes see, I was blind. Even so I could still feel the translucent figure, his position hadn''t changed, he was still in front of me. "Stay, don''t move or you''ll perish." His voice sounded faint in my ears, but his threat made me tremble. I couldn''t control my breathing or my heartbeat. I just stay obeyed the figure''s orders. Not long after, the power came back on, getting rid of all the darkness and death aura I felt as well as the translucent figure in front of me. However... #### Last Nights Brightning However, the door of my house suddenly opened along with a lightning strikes, so that the person standing in front of my door was only left as a shadow to look at ¡ªjust like a classic horror movie. I could be sure that the figure was a human, not a ghost or a phantom. Although I said that I could only see the shadow, the shadow was not translucent or transparent, it looked real. The closer the person got to me entering my house, the more I could clearly see that the clothes worn by the person had been wet by the rain that was falling heavily, droplets of water were also seen falling from his clothes. This also strengthened my suspicion that he was human. He was getting closer to me, even in the living room. Actually I was already know who she was, I knew her and missed her, she was the person I was waiting for her presence. But seeing her come to my house, past midnight, when the brightning was hitting, moreover she was soaked and seemed to come alone, I never expected it at all. "Chloe?" I asked, also walking towards her with slow steps. I''m in the middle of confused, disbelieving, worried, happy, even so many feelings and emotions mixed together I can''t describe them one by one. Chloe''s face looked pale, wrinkled, and of course wet as the distance between us grew closer. My first thoughts only reasoned that Chloe''s face was like that because she had braved the heavy rain in the middle of endless lightning strikes to come to my house. But, there seemed to be something else about her expression, something that seemed to say that she was worried about me as well as saying she was very tired because she had gone on a journey or adventure that was very terrible and draining. Chloe didn''t answer my question, she didn''t even say a word. She just smiled when we were facing each other. I could feel the cold from her body. I guessed that the cold was because of her braving the rain, obviously the water of heavy rain at midnight accompanied by strong winds and lightning that continued to strike, of course it felt very cold even freezing maybe. As an initiative from me to see Chloe who was cold, I wanted to turn to the bathroom and take both towels ¡ªmine and my mother''s¡ª to wrap Chloe''s body and warm her body. At least that was my intention, before Chloe give her usual sweet smile and immediately fell towards me. I could briefly see the movement of her eyeballs which means Chloe was losing consciousness. Suddenly facing Chloe''s body that fell towards me made myself reflexively hold her falling body. At that moment of course our skin accidentally touched, and at that moment I felt how cold Chloe''s skin was. It was even colder than when Chloe turned into a ghost and left her body to me in the park. So, I don''t know, or at least I''m not sure, if Chloe really fainted or if she just turned into a ghost and left her body to me again like in the park. Or maybe, it''s something I shouldn''t be thinking about, but why is the thought coming up, that Chloe is dead. Whatever it was, I had to at least lay her down first, so with all the strength I had at that moment, I shifted Chloe''s body onto our sofa. Yes, shift her, I wasn''t strong enough to carry her at that time. I also felt guilty and bad, but what else could I do. I also panicked seeing Chloe''s condition like that. After I managed to lay Chloe''s body on the sofa, I rushed to the bathroom and completed my first intention to cover Chloe''s body with towels. After all I had done, including closing the door, raising the temperature of the living room, making herbs to warm the body, I had even covered Chloe''s body with an extra blanket. However, Chloe didn''t regain consciousness either. At that moment, I knelt in front of the sofa where Chloe was lying while constantly monitoring Chloe''s condition. In the confusion of what else to do, I felt a mixture of feelings, either happy or sad and worried. I was happy that at least I could know for sure that Chloe wasn''t dead. Because as I watched, I didn''t see Chloe''s soul leave her body. This is a sign that Chloe isn''t dead and a sign that Chloe hasn''t turned into a ghost. However, I was also sad and worried because it was also a sign that Chloe had really fainted. Or maybe it''s worse like being in a coma. It was my worry that stupidly made me forget to call for help. I only realized I had to call for help after about ten minutes which seemed pointless because when I stood up I could see the slightest movement on Chloe''s face. All I could think was that either Chloe was dreaming which meant she''d been asleep all along and that was a relief, or Chloe''s consciousness was just starting to return after she passed out and that was a relief. I knelt back down. I brought my right hand to her head, stroking her dark black hair that seemed to shimmer under the lamp and the flashes of lightning. Chloe''s hair feels silky and soft. "Chloe" I called softly with my right hand still stroking her head accompanied by my left hand shaking her shoulders softly. The change in expression on Chloe''s face is more obvious, but she still hasn''t opened her eyes. Meanwhile I was still doing the same thing by calling her softly and gently and rubbing her forehead and hair. Although, I see Chloe''s condition seems to be better, but I still have my own concerns, especially regarding Chloe''s body which still feels cold, even the cold does not decrease at all. "Chloe" I still call her again and again in the same tone. I don''t feel tired about this, at least until the moment Chloe can wake up. I have to keep her safe. I don''t know how long I''ve been doing the same thing over and over again but never get a good response from Chloe who is still unconscious. But that didn''t decrease my spirits at all, I still had to take care of her and wake her up. Brightning is still happening as well as the rain, but now their intensity has decreased unlike before, maybe we''ve passed the peak. I should still wake Chloe up and take care of her, that''s what I had in mind and what I told myself over and over again. However, I can''t seem to control my body completely. My eyes started to close on their own, I also started to lose consciousness, but at least I could still hold that. I mean, I had to hold my sleepiness and stay awake for Chloe''s sake. At that moment, I don''t know if I was already asleep and dreaming or if I was just half-awake and hallucinating or if it was actually happening. But clearly, I saw another hand touching my right hand that was stroking Chloe''s forehead. The hand felt warm and was in very contrast to Chloe''s forehead, which felt very cold ¡ªas cold as when you swim at night in the arctic, maybe. The hand didn''t stroke or touch Chloe''s forehead. Instead, it just touched my hand, giving me warmth. I don''t know what happened, but my sleepiness slowly disappeared but also slowly came back as long as I touched Chloe and my hand was touched by that hand. Maybe it was just my hallucination or something, but I''m sure it wasn''t real. Because I could see it clearly when my sleepiness disappeared for a while, the hand was translucent yet glowing. Something that sounds contradictory. Strangely enough, the hand seemed to want to grasp my hand and hold my hand from stroking Chloe''s forehead and hair anymore, maybe it even wanted to lift my hand from touching Chloe again. Strange, indeed. But when my sleepiness back, the hand looked clearer and clearer, no longer translucent but the glow was also gone. And what was even stranger was that the hand actually seemed to encourage my hand to stroke Chloe''s forehead and hair again and again, even I could feel the pressure from the hand like telling me not to lift my hand from Chloe''s forehead. And that weirdness happened over and over again as my sleepiness disappeared and returned. I don''t know how long it lasted, but I''m guessing it only lasted a little while. After that, everything disappeared. What I mean is that the mysterious hand disappeared, as well as the warmth it gave, and Chloe''s coldness also disappeared, and including power also disappeared or outage again, along with the rain that had subsided and the lightning that had stopped. Really everything disappeared in an instant. Including my consciousness which also disappeared only a few seconds after that. ### Pain in my legs continues to gnaw at me. Exhausted, cold, and unbearably thirsty, I had been running for who knows how long, yet the light remained far away. I wanted to stop for a moment just to catch my breath, but I couldn''t. They were still behind me. The clamor of wild animals, scavenger birds, and people seemingly out to kill me continued to echo behind me. Cold hands with sharp claws kept trying to touch my body. I could only keep running with all my might to evade them. But what were they, actually? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I remembered, they had slashed my legs. Pitch darkness enveloped my surroundings. I couldn''t see anything around me at all, except for a beam of light in the distance. Oddly, no matter how fast or long I ran, the beam of light didn''t seem to enlarge to indicate that I was getting closer. It was as if I was running on a treadmill, going nowhere. Had I not been moving at all this whole time? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I remembered, when I realized I was in a running position. Similarly, the foul odor was sharp and pierced my nose. How long had I been smelling that odor. It was so foul that it made my head spin and became overwhelmingly heavy. I had never in my life smelled anything so awful, even the scent of a landfill was far more pleasant than this foul odor. Every time I ran, the foul odor would disappear, only to be replaced by another foul odor. I''d lost count of how many kinds of foul odor I''d smelled all this time. What kind of odor was this, really? And where were they from? I couldn''t answer or even think. There was only one thing I believed, the odor never ended. I couldn''t take it anymore, I was very exhausted. Had the monsters stopped? No, the beam of light was still far away, and the foul odor continued to deaden my sense of smell. I only had two choices left, I thought. Death from exhaustion due to ceaseless running or death from being torn and slashed by those monsters because I stopped running. The first choice might sound lighter, I thought. However, the second option doesn''t wrong either. If I had to die then what was the point of choosing. As my mind was confused by the two choices, I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. A cold hand, colder than when you bathe in the arctic at midnight. I could also smell the foul odor coming from that hand. However, strangely, instead of making myself afraid or at least uneasy, the presence of that hand made my heart comfortable and feel at peace, as if I was used to it. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Not long after, the beam of light that I had been looking at and was the target of my escape, was now blocked by something that moved to cover it. However, slowly but surely, the beam of light grew bigger and it allowed me to clearly see my surroundings. Instantly, I realized something. Something that feels odd, I''ve been here and experienced this. Not exactly like this, but the beginning is always the same. As I tried to clearly remember what exactly happened and whether it was true that I had been in this situation, suddenly the hand that grasped my shoulder pulled me down into the darkness behind me. When I fell indeed, I had blinked my eyes because of the pain in my body. However, when my eyes opened again, I could see a big, very dark figure standing tall in front of me. The figure only stood facing the direction of the light, more precisely the direction of the thing that moved earlier. The position of the big, dark figure reminded me of someone protecting something ¡ªjust like in the movies. Not long after, before I even had time to stand up, I could clearly see the big figure clashing with something moving from behind the light. The clash sounded loud, but the sound seemed to be muffled by something. The first clash managed to make the big, dark figure take a few steps back as well as its enemy. At the end of the first clash, I managed to stand up and balance my body. However, that didn''t last long until the second clash happened. This time, the clash was much stronger than before, causing the big, dark figure to take more steps to the back, before its feet stepped on... ### Huff! Huff! Huff! Huufff! I realized that I had woken up from a nightmare, but my breathing was still difficult to manage. At least I could see, but it took a few minutes for me to fully realize and understand what I was seeing. I woke up on the sofa in my living room, the sofa that Chloe was supposed to be sleeping on. Realizing that, my eyes immediately look around every corner of the room in search of Chloe. I found the towels and blankets I''d used to keep Chloe warm had been tidied up and placed on a chair next to the sofa. "Are you awake?" comes Chloe''s voice ¡ªof course I''ve recorded her voice in my memory¡ª from the direction of the kitchen. I didn''t immediately turn around to look for her, but instead I repositioned myself so that there was enough room for Chloe to sit next to me on the sofa, even though I didn''t know if she wanted to sit next to me or not. As I was repositioning myself, I realized my clothes were quite wet, especially the back of my shirt. I must have very sweated while falling asleep. As I gathered my energy and consciousness, I started to say, "Chloe, is that you? Sorry I fell asleep." Actually, I still wanted to explain more about the conditions earlier, but hearing my voice which was still unstable because of my breathing which had not fully normal, I stopped for a moment. Chloe was already walking towards me. She gave me a glass of water that she put on the table right in front of me and sat down next to me. "Yes, of course. As for apologizing, I''m the one who should be apologizing. And thank you." I took the water and drank it. "You must have a lot of questions about what really happened. So I''ll tell you first before you ask, anyway you should recover your breath first." Chloe said. I didn''t direct my gaze towards her, like Chloe said I just focused on recovering my breath first. "You must have heard the urban legend of brightning." Chloe continued, "Of course like most urban legends, not all of them are true. However, for brightning there are some things that are true." The water in my glass was gone even before Chloe got into the main of her explanation. "Brightning is an event when the life aura and the death aura appear one after another, you should already be aware of that. It''s actually harmless, except for a some of people including you and me." Chloe continued. Hearing the word harm for me, I then turned my gaze towards Chloe. "You and I have something in common, we can see ghosts and we are even friends with ghosts and humans. This makes us indirectly exposed to the life aura and the death aura, both of which will be very standing out during brightning." Chloe''s face didn''t look as pale as before, not even pale at all. I assumed she had fully recovered, as she looked brighter. "When both of our auras are standing out, it will be easy for the ghosts to identify anyone who is a human with the power to see and even enter the ghost world. So it is just as dangerous when we enter the ghost world, you know like your body will be possessed or a vengeful ghost will hunt you down. But this time it''s much more dangerous because you have no escape point, unlike when you enter the ghost world where you can run away and return to the human world, but when brightning you can''t run anywhere." Chloe paused for a moment and looked into my eyes, as if she wanted to make sure that I was aware and could understand what she was saying. So to summarize it, I tried to make a conclusion, "In other words, during brightning, those of us who have the ability to see ghosts seem to be in two worlds at once?" Chloe was still silent for a moment, "More or less, therefore you must have seen or encountered some ghosts?" Without thinking because I still clearly remember the translucent figure I met when I came out of the bathroom, "Yeah. The death aura is so strong that it can even turn off my smartphone." "A vengeful ghost?" Chloe asked which I didn''t have time to answer, because she had already answered it herself, "But it''s not. If it was a vengeful ghost you would have been hurt." "But it could be. Because he did threaten me." I replied. "Threatening?" I tried to remember, I realized that the figure''s voice was faint. "Shut up, don''t move or you''ll perish." I said in a low tone trying to imitate his voice. Chloe''s face showed a different expression when she heard that, now her eyes were more wide open with a tighter jaw. "But you survived? Not hurt at all." "Luckily the lights were on so the translucent figure disappeared right away," I replied, who had also just realized again, "but it in same time with your arrival." "But I didn''t feel any death aura at all." Chloe replied. I don''t know why but I felt something different from her answer this time. "Are you sure?" Chloe shifted her gaze to another direction, "More precisely I can''t feel any death aura other than my own." I fell silent when Chloe said that. I didn''t need any further explanation this time, I already understood because I felt it myself. I felt how Chloe''s death aura felt very strong, especially for the cold. If the cold I felt when I touched Chloe was part of her death aura, I couldn''t imagine how strong her death aura was. Although I don''t need an explanation about it, but the question arises in me, how dangerous is it if humans have a death aura that is so strong that the strong death aura of ghosts or other creatures is not felt. But, looking at Chloe who seemed to be avoiding when talking about her death aura, I''d rather not ask about it at least for now. Chloe returned her gaze to me again, "By the way, where are your mom and Desmon?" "My mom is out of town on business. As for Desmon, I don''t know where he went." I replied. And yes, we were silent again. Because my mind was just filled with questions that I was afraid to ask, afraid that it would hurt or at least make Chloe uncomfortable or sad. Chloe smiled back, "I know you have something to ask. Just ask, I''m fine." I returned her smile while wondering if my face was too predictable. "Hmm... Actu... I... I was just wondering why you came?" Chloe''s smile faded into a frown, "You don''t like me coming?" Hearing that made it difficult for me to breathe. I knew she was sensitive from the start, so I didn''t want to ask her anything for fear that it would offend her, like this. I made stupid, meaningless hand gestures while muttering something that also didn''t form a word at all. I was basically being stupid. However, seeing that Chloe just laughed. Why did she laugh? I don''t know, but she looks cute when she laughs, after all I''m happy if she feels happy so I think there''s nothing wrong if I laugh too, even though I laugh softly and if I hear it like forced. "I''m kidding, I''m really okay," Chloe said between laughs, "I came because I was worried about you." Maybe before I felt Chloe''s body like ice in winter, but this time I felt her words that were as warm as a cozy blanket in spring. Her words have melted my heart, it really feels comfortable. It''s not without reason that I exaggerate her words, but you know my life story which is full of bullying and being avoided by people, maybe not physically avoided but they don''t want to be friends with me. In addition, I also saw her struggle to come to my house, how her body got cold and her face pale just because she was worried about me. I should have been the one worrying about her when she came to my house in that condition. That''s why her words really touched my heart. I could no longer manage my behavior or facial expression. Maybe right now my face was already flushed with a smile like a fool, or maybe it was worse than that. If there was mirror, maybe I could see it directly, but unfortunately the reflection of myself in Chloe''s eyes didn''t show my face clearly. "Huh... Hmm..." was the only sound I could make in response to Chloe''s words, and that was with my hand scratching the hair on my head that wasn''t itchy at all. Before I looked away, Chloe had smiled. "I''m serious, I''m worried about you." Chloe continued, now holding my hand that was on my thigh, "and I know you''re worried about me too." Enough, enough is enough Chloe. Her words are getting warmer and more touching. I don''t know what else to do. Embarrassed, maybe that''s the word that fits my feelings at that time, of course, in addition to pleasure. I felt like want to disappearing from there as soon as possible, teleporting if that ability really existed to another country or even to another planet. But, in the middle of my unclear behavior of course, I thought about her last words. How did she know that I was worried about her too? Suddenly, I welcomed her hand that held mine, now I grasped it. I also turned my gaze back to her, though I still avoided eye contact. "What do you mean?" I asked. My gaze was on the lower part of Chloe''s face, because I was avoiding her eyes, but it was the wrong move. Chloe smiled broadly, a smile that didn''t show her teeth, but I felt the purity and affection from her. "You took care of me when I passed out until you fell asleep next to me. So I guess you must have been worried about my condition too, and I''m grateful, very grateful for that." I could feel the sound and breath coming out of Chloe''s nose, it was refreshing like the life aura being breathed into me. "I also thank you for worrying about me," I said, getting carried away, so carried away that I didn''t even think about it when I said, "you look very sweet and beautiful." ### After my embarrassing moment of blurting out my thoughts, we were silent for a while. Until we realized that my clothes were still wet from my sweat. So after that, I asked Chloe to wait in the living room while I went to my room to change my clothes. As I was changing my clothes, I realized that it was morning or maybe noon because the sunlight was streaming through my bedroom window, but why wasn''t Desmon back yet. Whether he didn''t want to come back or something was holding him back, I didn''t know. After I changed my clothes, I was supposed to go back to the living room and chat with Chloe, but it seemed like that plan had changed a bit. When I opened my room door, Chloe was already in front of my room. "Chloe?" I said. I wasn''t too surprised actually, because I had heard footsteps approaching me, moreover I felt the death aura. But, what made me quite surprised was that I had expected Desmon to have returned, but it turned out to be Chloe. "Sorry, I don''t mean to be rude, but is Desmon back yet?" Chloe asked. "Not yet, so why?" I asked back, "Heh... please come in, if, hmm... I mean, if you want to please come in." Chloe smiled, "No need if you mind. I-" I shook my head, "No, no, I don''t mind. I''m just confused about offering it, because you know, you''re in front of my room suddenly. But I don''t mean to blame you or-" I heard and saw Chloe laughing and that stopped me from saying what I already didn''t know what to say. "No need, I''m just wondering if Desmon is back or not, because maybe he got caught in the brightning." Chloe said continuing her explanation that was cut off by me earlier. "What do you mean?" "During brightning, as I said, the two auras appear one after another. You must be aware that many people get scared when brightning happens, because they feel the death aura. The same is happen for ghosts, they feel fear too because they feel the life aura. Of course, only for some ghosts that have a weak death aura, and usually happy ghosts are ghosts that have a weak death aura." Chloe explained. "So, are you saying Desmon has a weak death aura?" "It could be, considering you yourself can''t feel Desmon''s death aura, right? At least it''s not bad news, but rather happy news, because then the possibility of Desmon becoming a vengeful ghost is very small, because he has been happy." Once again, Chloe''s words brought relief to my heart. Chloe really was like an angel sent to bring happiness to me. "Thank goodness, if that''s the case." Chloe nodded. I could see the relief and happiness I felt painted on Chloe''s face as if she was representing me. "Alright, then, I''m going back to the living room." Chloe said, immediately turning around to leave. Reflexively ¡ªI don''t know why I did it either¡ª I held Chloe''s hand, preventing her from leaving. Of course, Chloe stopped and faced me back. Our eyes met, and it was enough to bring me back to my senses that I hurriedly released my hand. "Sorry, I... I mean... look, I''m sorry about earlier. I don''t blame you, and I also don''t mind if you want to come to my room, in fact I''m even happy. But-" "You don''t need to apologize because I have no problem with it. And thank you for the offering, but I''ll just stay in the living room for now." Chloe cut in with a smile. Then, I didn''t prevent Chloe from going to the living room again this time. I just watched her from the front of my room while thinking about how stupid I was and what I actually did earlier. #### Letter at Night I quickly followed Chloe into the living room. However, before we continued our conversation, I took the time to grab a few drinks and snacks for myself, as Chloe refused them after I offered them to her. I don''t know why, but I felt thirsty and hungry, but strangely at the same time I didn''t want to eat. After I was done with my business, I then sat down next to Chloe. Chloe was the first to open the conversation while I was still opening my soda can and snack. "Sorry, yes." I drunk the soda water that had entered my mouth first, before speaking. "...About what?" "Yeah, your offer. I wanted to, but I didn''t think you were ready." Chloe replied with a worried look on her face. "You mean, my offer to go to the room earlier?" Chloe searched my eyes for eye contact, while my eyes were still searching for the snack I wanted to eat, while sometime glancing at her. "Honestly, do you feel awkward?" I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Chloe''s words were true. Although I was happy to finally have a friend, maybe I even hoped for more than a friend, but I still felt awkward with Chloe''s presence. I mean, there''s obviously nothing wrong with Chloe, in fact she seems perfect to me. Chloe is the same age as me, has vision and can see phantoms which is also the same as me which means I can tell her about many things and we can understand each other, Chloe is also beautiful to me especially her smile that can''t get out of my head, she looks so beautiful. Chloe is also smart so she is suitable to be a teacher for me. Besides that and the most important thing is that Chloe is caring and seems to love me, she even easily guesses what I think, what I feel, she is also patient with my stupid questions, explaining them without anger at all, and the most evident is her willingness to come to my house when the brightning is going on which is very dangerous for her. So, it was obvious my awkwardness that I, who was far from perfect, had to deal with the perfect Chloe. I had realized that especially when I was waiting for Chloe who never came to my house. It was also what made me try to make friends with other humans, so that I didn''t feel too awkward when I was with Chloe. Chloe held my hand because I didn''t answer her. "You don''t need to answer, I understand." Chloe said with a sense of peace. This time I felt the warmth from Chloe''s body, in very contrast to a few hours ago. But, it also happened the other way around, I felt my body was a bit cold, so the warmth from Chloe''s body was very comfortable. "But, I''m sure, you will be able to not be awkward anymore, and at that time let''s chat in your room." Chloe continued. I looked at her, "Thank you for being so understanding." I said as I closed with a sweet and charming smile of my own ¡ªat least that''s what I wanted to do. "No problem." Chloe replied as well as her smile. Then, a moment later Chloe released her hand that was holding mine. "It seems like a peace and perfect time to answer your question about Leina''s paper. Or maybe you''ve already found the answer?" "Haha... of course not" I replied, which was came with laugh that I myself was also confused afterward why I was laughing. "Well, then shall I tell you first or do you want to ask first?" Chloe offered. "Hmm... you better tell me first, I guess." Chloe returned with a smile, "Okay, but do you want me to hug you?" Ahem. I almost spilled the soda I was drinking. I couldn''t think for a moment at Chloe''s words, and it made me cough for a while as my throat felt choked with soda water. Why would Chloe say something like that? Was she flirting with me? If so, then that another question, why was she flirting with me? Chloe with her initiative or reflex ¡ªI don''t know¡ª she patted my back, "Are you okay?" After I didn''t cough anymore and my throat also felt relieved, I took a deep breath. Huff! "I''m fine." I replied. After hearing that I was fine, Chloe laughed softly, "I''m sorry, but I didn''t mean to startle you earlier. I was just offering if you wanted me to give you a hug." I welcomed her laughter, "That''s what surprised me." "Yes, I know. Hence, I apologize. But really, I saw you like you were cold, actually not only saw, I felt your body cold when I touched your hand. That''s why I offered that thing that might make yourself warmer." Chloe explained. If only Chloe gave an explanation first, maybe I wouldn''t be surprised and experienced the incident earlier which honestly I thought was a bit embarrassing. "But why are you offering that? It''s strange to hear, usually people offer warm drinks or the like," I replied. "Indeed. But I wanted to return the favor." If I had said Chloe was perfect earlier, maybe I could have found Chloe''s only flaw in that she didn''t explain the details first and forced me to think and keep asking her questions. Or maybe that''s not Chloe''s flaw, but mine? I don''t know. "What do you mean?" I asked Chloe as usual. "So, you forgot? A few hours ago when my body was cold, I could feel the warmth thanks to you." Chloe replied. "No, I remember about that. I did give you towels and a blanket to warm up. But why don''t you just offer me a towel and blanket if you want to return the favor?" Chloe smiled and laughed, "Haha... you really forgot or didn''t realize. But, when I woke up, you were already beside me. Your right hand was on my forehead, you were probably stroking my hair since it was a little messy when I woke up, while your left hand was hugging my body and your head sleeping on my stomach. Honestly, it''s a bit ticklish. But I''m glad you did that." Once again I couldn''t say anything and just stayed silent and blushed, but it seemed as if my stunned face was saying, "Really?" Chloe nodded as she said, "Of course, you really don''t remember it at all?" Chloe''s explanation really surprised me. I really don''t remember what happened, at least why I fell asleep or what my position was when I fell asleep, all I remember is me stroking Chloe''s forehead and hoping she gets better soon. But at least, this time knowing how I was asleep before moving to lying on the sofa. I don''t think I need to ask again, it''s definitely Chloe who laid my body down. Actually, I also remember a moment before my consciousness disappeared, I remember there was another hand that shone and touched my hand that was stroking Chloe. Whose hand was it? I still don''t know until now. Maybe I should ask Chloe about it, but if I do I''m admitting that I remember stroking her forehead and that makes me a little embarrassed and awkward. So I decided not to ask about it at the moment, rather focus on Leina''s paper first. I shook my head, "No." "That''s okay. But that''s how it happened, so I''ll offer it again, do you want me to hug you?" Chloe said. I was silent for a few moments, thinking about what to answer. To be honest, I really want to be hugged by a girl, especially this Chloe, besides that I can also feel the warmth of her body which is very comfortable. But, wouldn''t that make the situation even more awkward. I mean obviously I''m not used to it, even I still can''t even offer Chloe to enter my room normally, let alone if I have to hug her, although I realize that we have actually hugged indirectly ¡ªtechnically I mean. I shook my head again, "No, but thank you." Chloe nodded and smiled, "Well, that''s your decision." I was glad she didn''t take offense and welcomed my decision. "But," Chloe continued as she began to move herself closer to my body, pulling my left hand and placing it behind her shoulder as if to make myself embrace her. Then, Chloe''s hand tried to push through between the back of my body and the sofa, while Chloe''s other hand did the same thing but from the front of my body. In short, Chloe had hugged my body. "You don''t need my permission when you hug me, so I''ll hug your body without your permission. Let''s call it even." I couldn''t move my body, more precisely I didn''t want to move my body, or rather I was confused about what to do. So I just stayed silent and mumbled something no sense. "It''s fine, just shut up. I want it, and I know you want it too, it''s just that you''re still awkward. So, make yourself relax." Said Chloe who now also leaned her head on my shoulder. "Al...Alri...alright..." I stuttered of course, but at least it was better than meaningless mumbling. "Then I''ll start telling the story. Phantoms like Leina can write things on paper from either world, but in this case it''s from the ghost world. You must have realized it because the paper is transparent." Chloe began her explanation of Leina''s paper. Chloe''s initial explanation was in line with Jaehyun''s explanation which stated that phantoms could come from two worlds and in Leina''s case it was from the ghost world. "However, as you know that phantoms are very attached to what I call the freedom of vengeance, this is what makes phantoms different from vengeful ghosts. Well, this freedom of vengeance is what affected Leina''s writing." said Chloe who was still explaining. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "So, why can I see Leina''s paper but can''t see her writing because of the freedom of vengeance?" I asked as usual. "That''s right. Actually, it can be said that a person''s grudge including ghosts cannot disappear completely, they can only forget for a moment or ignore it but it will always come back if something triggers their trauma. For example, like Desmon, he may have put his grudge behind him when he was with you, but he still finds it difficult to enter school because it will trigger his trauma and his will to vengeance can return." Chloe explained further. "Then?" "The same thing happened to Leina, it seems like her grudge came back because something triggered it. Therefore, Leina wrote a letter to you with a writing that was filled with full of revenge, it doesn''t have to be always bad like swearing at someone or cursing them, her writing could be praising others but still filled with full of revenge." Chloe continued her explanation. "So you''re saying that Leina can turn back into a vengeful ghost?" "That''s right. But that''s at least a long way off if I read what she wrote." "Wait, so you can actually read it? How?" I asked curiously which accidentally moved my body so that Chloe had to change her position slightly. "I already told you, the paper for Leina''s letter from the ghost world wasn''t influenced by Leina''s grudge, so you can see it. And then, Leina''s writing is affected by her grudge, so you have to understand her grudge first to see it." Chloe replied. "You mean I have to feel what she feels?" "More or less like that, but you can also resonate your life aura with Leina''s writing, because after all Leina''s grudge is an trace of her life aura." Chloe''s explanation made me more confused than understanding. "So, are you saying I should resonate my life aura with Leina''s?" I asked again. "That''s right. But when you resonate your life aura with Leina''s life aura, you must not cover up the death aura of the paper." Chloe explained further. My brain seemed to have burned to a crisp and was putting out thick black smoke that clumped together if my skull was opened. But at least I kind of understood what Chloe meant. "In other words, balancing the two auras?" I asked with the same conclusion as my discussion with Desmon and his friends. "Yes, but more precisely the death aura plus a little of life aura." Chloe replied. Finally for this time Chloe''s answer was quite clear and not only that Chloe''s answer also explained why our experiment failed, because Desmon and his friends'' experiments really focused on balancing the two auras so that no aura was more dominant than the other. Chloe hugged me even tighter, "But at least that''s one theory. I never tried it myself, because I already understood Leina''s grudge that''s also why Leina became my phantom." "So if you understand Leina''s sense of vengeance, then you can read it?" I asked for confirmation. "Simply put, if you already understand someone''s feelings, then the communication between you and that person is no longer words. You must have seen lovers or friends or family who can understand what their partner wants to do without having to say anything. You might know it better as chemistry." Of course, I understand what Chloe means. I myself experienced that with Desmon several times, I didn''t need to say anything but Desmon already understood what I meant. It seems, if Leina is Chloe''s phantom, I might be able to assume Desmon is mine if only Desmon is a phantom. I nodded and tried to hug her tighter, it seemed like I was getting comfortable with this position. "But, why can I read her writing even if it''s just for a moment?" "If I''m not mistaken, I already said it strange at that time. Because it is strange, obviously you don''t fulfill the first theory of balancing the two auras, and you also don''t have the chemistry that I have with Leina, so the only possibility left is Leina''s presence." At least for this one I had guessed it beforehand when I was at the convenience store even without any theoretical basis, and at least Chloe''s answer this time I could use as a theoretical basis for my previous actions. "So that''s the explanation, finally answered." I said with a sigh of relief, at least one puzzle in my life could be solved. "But I''m curious, when did you get that letter?" It was Chloe''s turn to ask. "Hmm..." I mumbled to signal to Chloe that I was remembering. I really was remembering. There were so many unusual events that I had experienced in the past few days, events that were fun, exciting, touching, sad, scary, and stressful. Too many emotions have been played with lately like a rollercoaster ride, sometimes I get positive emotions like joy, but also I get negative emotions like fear. So, I had to retrace the events one by one to remember exactly. Actually, I do still remember the incident when Leina gave me the paper, at that time I was in class alone and the incident also happened during the day. But the exact time of the incident I didn''t count. So I have to count it first even though I can remember it. "A few days ago, when you first came to my house, if I''m not mistaken." said I who couldn''t count how many days had passed but at least I could give Chloe a clue that maybe she would remember too. Chloe, who was hugging me, immediately released her hug and moved to the opposite side of the sofa from me. "We''re late, almost late." I watched Chloe''s freaked-out gestures. Did I mention something wrong, or does this have something to do with the message Leina left on her paper. "What do you mean?" I asked, looking at her. I saw a look on Chloe''s face that I had never seen before, she looked tense with her mouth and eyes wide open as if shocked by my words. "You didn''t read the message, the message from Leina?" Chloe asked in a raised tone and faster than usual. Completely different from the usual Chloe, it was obvious to me that she was panicking. But why is she panicking? What exactly did she read in Leina''s letter? Is there something important that I missed? I corrected, that sounded stupid. Of course I missed a lot because I only read the first part of the letter. "Not yet." I replied briefly. I honestly realized it after saying it, realizing that I had answered wrong. My main point was that I hadn''t read the part of the message that could make Chloe panic, not read Leina''s message at all. But when I wanted to clarify it, Chloe had already said, "Can I look at the letter again? I''m sure I didn''t read it wrong, but I was hoping that I was wrong." "Sure, sure." I reached into my pants pocket to give Chloe the paper from Leina. I reached into my other pocket because I couldn''t find the paper, maybe I had the wrong pocket. But the few times I checked, all my pants pockets didn''t hold the paper. "I''m sorry, but it looks like the paper fell out or-" I said to Chloe while continuing to look for Leina''s paper. However, in the middle of my words my eyes and Chloe''s eyes met. I don''t know what happened, but it seemed like we had built the foundation of our first chemistry by saying together, "That pants." I got carried away because I saw a panicked Chloe who immediately stood up and prepared to go to my room, so I also stood up and led the way to my room by running a little. ### Arriving in my room, I immediately unloaded my pile of dirty clothes onto my bed and divided the pile into two. One to be checked by me and the other volunteered to be checked by Chloe. If we weren''t in a state of panic, maybe I could feel a little happy because it was the first time I invited a girl into my room, the first time Chloe came into my room. But maybe if I think about this incident again in the future, it will be a little funny and more embarrassing, because the first time Chloe came into my room was not to chat or do something like other normal teenagers, but to check every pocket of my stacked dirty pants to find a piece of paper. We searched for a few minutes without saying anything until Chloe raised her hand and said, "Got it." Chloe then sat on the edge of my bed, while I followed by sitting next to her. Chloe hurriedly unfolded the paper from Leina and started looking at it or maybe reading it, I wasn''t sure which because I only saw a blank paper with no scribbles at all. I stayed where I was without moving or saying anything even though I was very curious about what was going on, but I didn''t want to disturb Chloe who seemed to be seriously looking at or reading the paper from Leina. I waited for a few minutes. "Can you read it this time?" asked Chloe in her usual tone and her serious, panicked face had also disappeared, although she was still looking at the paper when she asked. I shook my head, "No. Can you read it? I mean you''ve read it?" Chloe faced me with a smile, "I did, lucky I was wrong, we still have time." "Thank goodness," I replied with a smile, "but what does it say?" "Do you want me to read the message, or should I just summarize it?" asked Chloe who suddenly lay down on my bed. I don''t mind if she lies on my bed, but if she suddenly does that I''m surprised. But I can probably understand it, she previously panicked which for me must have consumed energy, then after she was free from her panic, then she just started to feel her tired, so now she chose to lie down. I also lay down beside her, "Please just read it if you don''t mind." Chloe raised her hand low enough to at least allow her to see and read the paper from Leina, "Okay." "I don''t know if you can see this writing or not. I don''t know if you see this paper, you''ll be able to read it. I don''t know if you read this writing, you will be able to call me. I don''t know if you had call me, I would have appeared to you. I don''t know if I had appeared to you, I would have been able to speak to you. I don''t know if I had spoken to you, you would have been able to free me. But what I do know is that you have to be careful, that girl''s trickery is so powerful and terrifying, if you can''t break free from her, then you have to kill her. I know this sounds crazy, but if you are trapped in that girl''s trickery, then you won''t be able to get out and you will forever be a slave to her. If you are hesitant to kill her, feel free to call me, you know where I am. I will be more than willing to help you get rid of her. Don''t be afraid, I''m not crazy, nor do I hate you or that poor girl. I just love you, I worry about you. Moreover, I want you to be free from her influence, the influence that made you leave me alone without help and power, but don''t worry, I won''t take revenge, you know me, my dear. So, let us free ourselves from the influence of that cursed girl''s trickery, let us be together again, and let us get rid of that cursed girl once and for all until she cannot breathe and influence others anymore. I''m sorry, Robert, but could you do me a favor. Please tell him about this message or if you are willing, please get rid of the cursed girl as well. I know it may be hard, but I will serve you later, I love you. BUT if you won''t help me, if you delay my request for help, I will come to you, and I will take over your body if you still ignore my request for help. I will get rid of that cursed girl myself with your body, and I will not return your body. So please help me, I know you can see me, I know you understand me, I know you pity me, so please help me. Maybe you''re confused about who that girl is, unfortunately I can''t explain it but I can show it. So if you need anything to help me, feel free to call me. Leina." Chloe read the message of Leina''s letter with an up-and-down intonation as if she was reading a movie script. I looked Chloe as she read the letter, her face full of expression. If only Chloe wanted to, she could probably be a great actress. How could I not? I thought that Leina was talking directly to me. Chloe is really getting into the role. After hearing the message of Leina''s letter, I understood why I couldn''t read the message. As Chloe said, the message of Leina''s letter were filled with her grudges, I could feel her hatred and vengeance even though I still didn''t understand what exactly happened to poor Leina. "So it was a revenge letter." I said while staring at the ceiling of my room. The letter from Leina reminded me of Desmon, not the message of the letter but the grudge it said. According to Chloe, Desmon is also a vengeful ghost or at least Desmon has a grudge even though he hasn''t become a vengeful ghost yet. But what if one day Desmon really becomes a vengeful ghost, this is not impossible considering Leina the phantom, whose grudge should have disappeared, her grudge can return. So it is very possible that one day Desmon''s grudge will also return to him, it seems that I really have to keep him away from schools and students so that his trauma does not return and so that his grudge does not return. I don''t want to see Desmon ¡ªmy best friend¡ª become a vengeful ghost, that would be terrible. "You could say that," Chloe replied and then paused a moment, "Actually, this is not the first time Leina has given a letter like this. I''ve also received it, even in the letter she gave me, she gave the title ''Letter at Night'' with almost the same message as the letter given to you." "Then what did you do with the letter?" "I called Leina according to the instructions on the letter." replied Chloe who then directed her gaze at me, "Do you want me to tell you about the story?" I also directed my gaze towards her until our eyes met. I didn''t expect her face to be so close to mine, maybe only enough of a palm to fill the space between our faces. "Sure, if you don''t mind." Chloe smiled with her usual sweet smile, "Okay." #### Someone at Night About a few years ago, when I was still living with my grandparents. One night I saw a girl sitting alone in the park near my grandmother''s house, but the girl was different from other girls, she looked transparent. I approached the girl slowly, both scared and curious, a habit of mine that is hard to break. As I got closer, I could feel the air getting colder, the noise getting quieter, and the moonlight getting darker. At that time, I didn''t know that what I was feeling was a very strong death aura. When I was right in front of the transparent girl, I greeted her. However, she never answered my greeting. I didn''t give up and continued to greet her, but it was useless she still didn''t give an answer. Finally, as it was getting deeper and darker, I touched her shoulder. After that I didn''t remember anything. I fainted. ### That day was the first day I had the ability to enter the ghost world, but at that time I was still unconscious and still couldn''t control it. Ghost world or dream world, it''s the same. In the ghost world, I felt the whole death aura including cold, darkness, stench, silence, and thirst and hunger. However, not long after, the silence turned into the wild sounds of a creature that I didn''t know what it was at the time. The creature is a monster, at least that''s what normal humans would call it, but if you look closely you will realize that it is a ghost in its true form. According to some beliefs, ghosts can change shape but they just like humans have an original form. The monsters then chased after me, they seemed to realize that I wasn''t from their world, I wasn''t from the ghost world. Scared, I ran with all my might away from the origin of the noise. I ran continuously without stopping while avoiding some of the monsters that were blocking my way. During my escape, I could feel the foul stench of the monsters, the cold touch of their long, thin hands. Until I came to a place from which I saw a small beam of light. At the time I didn''t know if that small beam of light was the exit to the human world. So I turned in another direction and didn''t head toward that small beam of light. Not long after, I bumped into something. Something big and darker than my surroundings at the time, like vantablack in the middle of regular black. You could only see the difference when a little light illuminated it. The figure just stood facing me. For some reason, I felt a sense of peace at that moment, so I thoughtlessly approached the black figure that was so full of darkness that I couldn''t see anything but I kept running. ### I didn''t realize the details, but when my eyes could see again, I was in my room. The most surprising thing to me at that moment was that I saw my own body, but next to my body was the girl I saw in the park. This time I didn''t approach her, but the girl moved closer to me. At that moment, I could already see the girl perfectly, she was no longer transparent. I may not remember the details of what she said but it was something like this, "Hi, my name is Leina. We''ve met, but I''ve only been able to talk to you for a short while. I thank you for coming to me, but beware of the cursed girl and her tricks that you can''t imagine. Next time, don''t hesitate to call me." After saying that and without saying anything else, she stepped out of my room. While I, still in disbelief at the sight of my own body lying on the bed, went over to my body and touched it. Instantly everything went dark. ### I woke up with a sucked in a breath. When I woke up my mind was still chaotic, but not for long. After I came to my senses I hurriedly wrote down what I experienced on my smartphone. Then the days passed as usual, but as long as I had free time, I would re-read my notes. Until one day, after I searched for information and read my notes thousands of times. I realized that I had entered a ghost world or a dream world. From then on, I tried to re-enter the ghost world, but always failed. But I didn''t give up. Until one day, or rather when I was learning about the death aura and the life aura, I realized that I could enter the ghost world because of the influence of Leina''s death aura. After that, almost every night I always called Leina from the call in my heart, in my mind, until I said it clearly, even several times I shouted calling her. But everything failed. I had done that until it seemed to be a routine that I had to do every day, countless times. But all failed. Until one day, when I had just finished doing endless schoolwork at my friend''s house, I was forced to go through the park again at night like the first time I met Leina. At that moment, I saw Leina again. I approached her again, but not slowly anymore. This time, I didn''t speak to her but sat directly beside her. Because of my silence, Leina looked at me. She smiled at me, a smile that could make me freeze when I saw it. ### Long story short, I experienced the same thing, although at the time I didn''t realize it at all. I was in a place filled with the death aura, then the noise of monsters, then I ran, then I saw a beam of light, then I turned in another direction, then I bumped into a big, dark figure, then I approached it, then suddenly I was in my room seeing my body lying on the bed and Leina sitting next to it, then Leina approached me. Everything was the same, although there was a slight difference, except at the end. Leina instead of talking to me, she just gave me a piece of paper, then she went towards the exit of my room. Confused, I held her back by grabbing her shoulder. However, Leina just lifted my hand and continued to leave. I just stared at the paper Leina gave me while sitting on the edge of my bed. I purposely didn''t touch my body because I knew at that moment that if I touched it, I would return to the human world and I was afraid I wouldn''t have time to read the paper Leina gave me. So, I read the paper first. "I know you can see this writing. I know you can read it if you look at it. I know you can call out to me if you read it. I know you can see me if you call me. I know you can hear me if you can see me. I know you can help me if you can listen to me. Do me a favor, do the poor girl you met in the park alone at night. This is a Letter at Night from me to my hero, my best friend, my beloved, my love. I have been stay for a long time waiting for you, I just stayed in that place. But thankfully you came, so you should be careful. Be careful, since you came to see me, you''re my best friend, you should be careful. The cursed girl''s trickery is powerful and terrible, she will make you turn away from me, she will make you distance yourself from me, she will make you hate me, she will have you forever as her slave. So if you cannot escape from it, then run. If you cannot run, then walk away. If you can''t walk away, then attack the girl, kill her. I know it sounds crazy, but it''s better because if you''re already caught up in the girl''s trickery, then you won''t be able to get out of it. You are her cursed slave. But I''m always by your side and you know that. I will always support you and you know that. I will always help you and you know that. I will always love you and you know that. So if you''re hesitant to kill her, feel free to call me, you know where I am. I am very happy and excited to finish off that cursed girl who is bothering you. Don''t worry, don''t be afraid, don''t be disappointed. I don''t hate you, you know that. I don''t hate that girl, you know that. I love you, my hero, my best friend, my beloved, my love. So I will help you who helped me to be free from the influence of that cursed girl''s trickery. I hold no grudge against you. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Come to me as you would come to me, help me as you would help me, please me as you would please me. I will repay you, I will make things right. I''m sure, together we can be free from that cursed girl, free from her influence, free from her deceit. Let us start again as before, let us reunite as before, let us destroy the cursed girl and all her influence until the world will thank us for being free from the influence of the cursed girl. Please, do me a favor. Tell him this message, tell him how dangerous the cursed girl''s influence is, and KILL the cursed girl. I know it''s hard, I know you don''t understand, so come back, I love you. BUT beware, if you don''t help me, if you are influenced by that cursed girl, I will come after you, I will kill that cursed girl with my own will using your body. So get rid of her. Help myself, help this girl, help your friend. I know you understand me. Come back to me, I''ll help you find the cursed girl. Come back to me, I''ll give you the power to kill. So if you need anything, don''t hesitate to call me. Leina." It was my first time meeting a ghost like her, obviously I was shocked and speechless. In the middle of my silence, I unintentionally let go of the paper from my hand, and I fell against my body. ### I woke up with a sucked in a breath again, I wasn''t used to it yet. Just like before, when my mind was just clearing after the chaos of waking up, I hurriedly recorded all the events on my smartphone. However, there was a slight difference. When I got up from my bed, I saw a transparent piece of paper. I picked it up and looked at it, it was just blank paper. I kept the paper to study it later. At that time, I didn''t know that the ghost world had their own objects, objects that were similar to those in the human world but would appear transparent. At that time, I also didn''t know why I couldn''t read Leina''s paper. Then I went about my days as before, most of the time I spent like a normal child, a small part of my free time was spent studying my notes and about the ghost world through various literature that I could read, another small part of time was spent trying to re-enter the ghost world in various ways. Entering the ghost world at that time was like a miracle to me, I didn''t understand, didn''t comprehend, and it was very difficult to enter. I had tried at least four ways to enter the ghost world, namely by lucid dreaming, calling Leina before going to bed, manipulating a death aura before going to bed, and if possible I would go home at night through the park where I met Leina. But nothing worked. I tried for more than a week, until one day when I had manipulated the death aura in my room, when I had called Leina from the mind until I shouted a little, when I was about to fall asleep, I saw a transparent girl sitting on the edge of my bed, Leina. That was my first communication with Leina. It wasn''t me who spoke first, but Leina. Leina asked me if I had finished doing what she told me to do, her tone was calm but she emphasized every killing word. It made me a little scared especially since the death aura she carried was also getting stronger and stronger every time she spoke. I tried to distract her by asking who she was, what was the cause of death, and things like that. However, Leina only said to kill, kill, kill. As I tried to change the conversation, Leina''s voice grew higher. In fact, her face looked filled with emotion and a desire for revenge, a desire to kill. Since I knew what would happen next if I didn''t comply with her wishes, I gave in. I asked about who the cursed girl was that she mentioned so many times and why that girl had to die. Of course I didn''t intend to kill the girl, but I purposely asked questions like that to buy time and find information about Leina''s true self. Leina''s emotions didn''t seem to subside, but they were no longer directed at me. Leina started telling me about the cursed girl by referring to her as Jis ¡ªI don''t know if this was her name or a nickname. Leina''s story began with her meet with a man. But she didn''t tell me whether he was her husband, boyfriend, lover, brother, best friend, friend, acquaintance, or anything else, not even his name, just a man. But I could guess it was her boyfriend. The first part of Leina''s story is like a classic romance, she tells how she met the man, they started a relationship, they fell in love, and that''s it. In the next part, the story switches to the arrival of Jis, who Leina says came from hell. In this part Leina fills her in on Jis''s deceptions to the man such as seducing him, stalking him, giving him gifts, touching him constantly, and the like. Indeed, Leina''s story is like a classic romantic story, I told you that. The story of a couple''s relationship that was ruined by a third person. So the main problem is indeed simple. From Leina''s story, I learned a lot about Leina and her emotions. When she talks about or mentions Jis, her emotions are filled with anger and a grudge to kill. But when she talks about or mentions the man, her emotions were filled with love and kindness. And I took advantage of that. I then asked Leina to tell me who the cursed girl was, where she was located, what her features were, and how to kill her. Of course I didn''t want to kill her, I emphasized that once again. However, I asked to find out where Leina lived, because the location of the cursed girl shouldn''t be too far from where Leina lived since they often met. It was at that moment that I realized the ghosts in the ghost world weren''t meant from the same era as us. The ghosts may not have died a day, a week, a month, a year, or even a decade ago. They could have died hundreds to thousands of years ago. I realized that when Leina told me the girl''s location in Beverly Hills. So if I wanted to kill that girl, I couldn''t do it either because she was already dead. But if I told Leina about it, I''m not sure she would be able to accept it, accepting that the death of the cursed girl she hated had died before her vengeance was realized. Thus, I just agreed to her order by saying I would find out first. After that Leina disappeared, her death aura also disappeared leaving only my manipulation of death aura. ### The next day and the days after, I no longer tried to enter the ghost world, in fact I avoided it. At that time, I was afraid of meeting Leina again and her demanding me to kill Jis. I was afraid that if either Leina found out that Jis had died peacefully or I didn''t manage to kill her, she would get angry with me and take over my body. So I avoided the ghost world. It was at that time that I tried for the first time to manipulate a life aura by dressing in thick, vibrant colors, listening to loud music at all times, always drinking and eating, and wearing perfume with a strong scent. It was a bit strange to remember the first time I did it, and a bit embarrassing, but I slowly got used to it. I had my normal life, when I didn''t see any ghosts at all when I manipulated the life aura, at least for a few days. I used those few days to learn about the ghosts world and the types of ghosts. Of course, at that time I was also the same as you who didn''t know or understand about phantoms. But after I studied the ghosts world, I got a clue about it. I found out about vengeful ghosts and what their purpose is. They are only obsessed with getting revenge, but deeper than that, they are obsessed with having their own version of happiness. For example, Leina is obsessed with the man she mentions over and over again. According to Leina, he could bring her happiness, but that all changed when he was approached by Jis. For about two or three days, I wondered what would happen if we managed to cure the grudges of the vengeful ghosts. Curing is not granting, in other words, could the grudge be let go and forgotten by the vengeful ghosts. I didn''t know, but I was curious. So I tried to communicate with Leina again, trying to get her to let go of the grudge she had held for centuries. Since then, I''ve been trying to enter the ghost world again, but with a new method, namely with an manipulated lucid dream. Lucid dreaming can indeed be manipulated, but that doesn''t mean it''s easy to do. I tried to manipulate it by doing three main things which is questioning reality, remembering and recording dreams, and imagining a dream when going to sleep as if I had been lucid dreaming. It didn''t work for a few days, but eventually it did. ### Long story short, I returned to the same place and the same event. I was in a place filled with the death aura, which was broken by the noise of monsters. But this time the biggest difference was that I wasn''t running, but rather I was walking before I realized that I had experienced this. That was the first time I realized that I was dreaming, that I was in a ghost world. And I was at a loss as to what to do. In the midst of my confusion, I looked around and I found a beam of light that was a sign for the way back to the human world. Because this time I really intended to explore the ghost world looking for Leina, so I walked away from the beam of light. Not long into the walk, I found the figure that always disturbed me every time I entered the ghost world, their true form. However, even though I felt fear, but like the ghosts I saw in the human world their personalities varied, some of them were good, some were bad, some were caring, some were ignorant, some were busy, some were lazy. So I just needed to control myself, make myself seem like I was part of them and not care about them too much, and it worked. I was able to go further into the ghost world. That world was dark compared to the human world, but somehow I could see through it. I explored every place, met various ghosts'' true forms, and of course I was amazed at the technology and things they had. Long story short, I finally met Leina. I found her in the same place as in the human world, in a park. However, this time her form was not transparent. I approached her and Leina recognized my presence. The first thing Leina said to me back then was whether I managed to kill her. I had anticipated that, so instead of answering her question with any answer, I told her that the man Leina often mentioned missed her. I knew I was lying, but I was sure that way Leina''s attention would be shifted from revenge on Jis to the happy time when she was with that man. And it worked, Leina didn''t ask about Jis or whether I managed to kill her, instead Leina asked how about the man. Long story short, I told her about many things about the man, several times I was wrong. However, fortunately after I asked a few additional things implicitly, Leina was willing to answer them and gave me a lot of information about the man including his name, Peter. From there, I slowly but surely shifted Leina''s attention to the time before they both knew Jis, to their good times. And it worked. ### I distracted Leina not once, but several times. During that time, I entered the ghost world much deeper than before. That was the first time I turned a vengeful ghost into a phantom, that was my first mission. Although at that time Leina had not yet become a phantom. I had to do a few more things, including getting Leina to let go of Jis'' presence which was the hardest and longest part, but with great patience and care I managed to implicitly insert those messages when I chatted with Leina about Peter. To top it off, one day Leina approached me in the human world. Her form was much more transparent than before. At that moment, I knew that something was strange, but I didn''t know what. At that moment, Leina said that she was grateful that I hadn''t fallen for Jis''s trickery ¡ªthat''s right, Leina didn''t call her a cursed girl anymore¡ª and thanked me for bringing back her beautiful memories. As usual, I said it was no big deal and so on. Until at the end of our chat before Leina disappeared she said, "I love you and will protect you as you protect me, I am you and I let go of what is past and only want to be here for you." I still don''t know exactly when and how a vengeful ghost can become a phantom, but I believe that was the point when Leina changed from a vengeful ghost to my phantom. Leina is me, she is my phantom and she will protect me. #### Until Nightfall This moment is the most important moment in my life. There are so many new records I''ve set in my life with just this one moment. The moment when Chloe told me about herself, about Leina, and I learned so much from it. The first record, obviously, is Chloe being here in my room to tell me her story. In my entire life no one has ever been in my room except my parents. Yes, never a single person means not my cousins, not my big family, even my friends where I also don''t have a single friend who wants to come to my house even chatting they don''t want to. The second record, obviously I just heard the longest story told directly by the person without me cutting it. Chloe and I definitely have a lot in common, besides of course we are both humans who can see ghosts, Chloe and I are also curious, the difference is Chloe is more courageous in exploring her curiosity. So, it''s hard for me not to cut into other people''s stories, even before this Chloe''s stories I often cut with questions that crossed my mind. But this time it was different, I listened carefully, appreciated it, learned from it, and was entertained by it. The third record, obviously the relationship between me and Chloe is getting closer as seen from this record, which is the two of us lying together next to each other on my bed which is only separated by a distance of no more than an arm''s length. My breathing goes hand in hand with hers, I can hear them both because we''re so close. In addition to these records, I also learned about Chloe''s life. Chloe spends time like a normal person but in between her normal activities she takes the time to study the ghost world, study the types of ghosts, study phantoms, and do not forget that after all the knowledge she gained, she also brave enough to do some experiments or trials without anyone''s help. Chloe is a girl who is sweet, beautiful, smart, friendly, brave, very curious, and of course kind. The first time I manipulate an aura was during my first experiment with Desmon and his friends. At that time, we experimented to manipulate the death aura to make me able to see and read the writing in the letter from Leina. But it failed. Who would have thought, what I just did for the first time turned out to have been done repeatedly by Chloe even she did it alone. This is proof of my saying that Chloe is a smart and brave girl. Chloe''s kindness and courage are not only portrayed in her story that struggles to make a vengeful ghost named Leina to be a phantom by entering and exploring the ghost world alone. But, I have also proven her kindness and courage myself with her sacrifice to come to my house alone during brightning just because she was worried about me. In addition to Chloe''s amazing life, I also gained new knowledge about the ghost world. During Chloe''s storytelling, several times it crossed my mind that what Chloe told me especially when she dreamed was more or less the same as my dream lately. My first dream after meeting and witnessing Leina''s smile was running endlessly in a very dark and cold place like ice, full of horrible monster sounds, accompanied by a foul odor that pierced my nose with a very thirsty condition. And the dream repeated itself several times, just like Chloe told me. I found out that I had entered the ghost world a long time ago, I just didn''t realize it. The record of my life has been created, the knowledge of Chloe''s life and the ghost world has been obtained, which means there is only one thing left, the knowledge of phantoms. If Leina was Chloe''s first phantom, then I could probably say Desmon was my first phantom. But unlike Chloe who was brave and willing to trace the traces of Leina''s life patiently and carefully, and even dared to confront Leina who was consumed by vengeance, I was far from that. The first time I met Desmon, I ran away. I also didn''t dare to bring up Desmon''s trauma any further, on the other hand I also didn''t find out about Desmon''s trauma myself. When compared to Chloe and Leina''s relationship, mine and Desmon''s was far from friendship. I was embarrassed but I had to admit it. After telling the story for a very long ¡ªeven though there were some parts that were cut or shortened¡ª Chloe just fell silent, and so did I. I don''t know for sure, but if I glance at her briefly Chloe is looking at the ceiling of my room, just like me. Chloe''s story is so touching to me, there are many valuable lessons that I must keep and understand carefully. So I don''t want to rashly move on to something else. About a few minutes we were still silent looking at the ceiling of my room before Chloe who breaths heavily began to say, "You know, remembering the past is sometimes useful to evaluate the decisions you have made. Whether the decision was right or not, what to fix from that decision, what to get rid of from that decision, all of that is useful to make yourself better." I knew there was only myself from both the human world and the ghost world at that moment in that place, but I wasn''t sure if Chloe was talking to me. Even so, what Chloe was talking about was very true. But, I seemed to reject it. In my life I''ve made decisions on many things, and almost all of the decisions I''ve made have brought me to hitting rock bottom. I remember my decision to go to a ghost and it led me to meet a vengeful ghost. I remember my decision to avoid seeing Xhelone and it made me the most hated and isolated person in school. Almost every decision I make always leads me to a miserable condition, that''s why I hate to look into the past, hate to learn history, history is a dark time for me. "Yes." I answered briefly. Chloe changed her position, now her face was facing me with her hand touching my hand. "You know, we might be able to hangout today." I looked at her, "Go for a walk, where?" Chloe as always gave me her beautiful, sweet smile, "Whatever you want, I''ll come along. We can spend some time together having fun if you''re not scared." I was silent for a while, thinking about the meaning of Chloe''s words that said fun if not scared. Did she mean something else? "How?" said Chloe who seemed to be impatient for my answer, by the way she sounded cheerful. "Hmm... if that''s what you want, I''ll go along. But where are you going? To the park? To a restaurant? Or somewhere else?" I asked. This time I was quite confident. No, not because I was getting used to being social or anything like that, but this was the only time I was given access to use my mom''s bank card. If it was on a normal day when my mom was at home or at least not out of town, of course I wouldn''t be able to go anywhere because of my limited finances. So like it or not, I had to take advantage of this. "I said whatever, but maybe to a place that is fun but can also be scary." Chloe replied still in her cheerful tone except at the end of her words. At the end of her words, I don''t know why but Chloe moved her eyebrows up and down. I knew it was a sign, but what did it mean. Instead of me guessing which also ends up wrong, I better ask her directly, "What do you mean?" Chloe smiled and laughed. Not long after, she brought her head closer to me, she brought her face to mine, she brought her mouth to my ear. "The ghost world," she whispered. For a few seconds, I couldn''t breathe. There were a few things that made me like that, first I didn''t expect Chloe to take me to the ghost world. Secondly, I thought that if we were going to the ghost world, we would have to sleep together here, in my bed, in my room. Thirdly, I wasn''t sure we could enter the ghost world during the day. But of course what I was most worried about was what Desmon''s reaction and thoughts would be when he saw me and Chloe sleeping together in my room. But on the other hand this was a good time. I really wanted to enter the ghost world and explore it, but I didn''t want Desmon to know about it because he would definitely disagree and he might get angry with me. Besides, considering that the conditions for entering the ghost world meant that I had to sleep and Chloe who was helping me would also have to sleep near me, it would be very difficult to do if my mom was at home. Actually, my mom might not have a problem with it, but I''m just uncomfortable with the stares and questions she''ll give me later. So, you could say that right now when the two people, Desmon and my mom, weren''t at home was the best time to try entering and exploring the ghost world. I weighed all the possibilities that would happen for a few seconds. Chloe had pulled her face away and returned to her original position, lying beside me and facing the ceiling of my room. "Hmm... I don''t think so today." I said finally after much thought. I knew it was a rare opportunity, but I couldn''t imagine Desmon''s anger and disappointment if he suddenly came and saw me learning to enter the ghost world. Desmon would be furious and it would be bad. Firstly, it''s most likely that I''ll just be given endless complaints by Desmon. Secondly, what is also most likely to happen is that Chloe will be hated by Desmon considering how angry Desmon was when we did the experiment which ended in a dangerous condition for me, he was very angry with Vic. Third, what could possibly happen is that Desmond feels betrayed or ignored. This could trigger the trauma he experienced during his lifetime to resurface. As a result, it''s very likely that Desmond''s grudge will return, and he might become a vengeful ghost. Of course from all the bad possibilities that could happen if I still tried to enter the ghost world at this time and got caught by Desmon, I was most worried and didn''t want is the last possibility, Desmon becoming a vengeful ghost. So, I unwillingly decided that I''d better not do it this time. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. However, when I rejected her, there was another worry in me. I was worried that my rejection would be negatively received by Chloe. It''s not impossible, although I''m sure Chloe wouldn''t be that bad, but I haven''t known her that long. It was possible that Chloe would reject me when I asked her to teach me to enter the ghost world or the worst and most unlikely thing to happen according to my beliefs was that Chloe would go away from me. Honestly, I had been alone for too long without a friend and now I had one very good friend, so it was only natural for me to have so many worries about my behavior and words to Chloe because I didn''t want her to leave me to be alone again without a friend. I didn''t want that so I was very careful and probably too careful to the point of being silly and stupid. But luckily none of that happened. My ridiculous worries didn''t happen. Chloe welcomed my answer, smiling as she continued to stare at the ceiling of my room. "Are you worried about Desmon?" Chloe said without facing me. I don''t know if Chloe can really read minds or if her feeling are too strong or if my unconscious body language makes it easy for her to guess. I took a breath and let it out, "He doesn''t like it when I enter the ghost world and I''m afraid of disappointing him, I''m afraid he''ll get angry." "Then we''ll just talk today or do you want to do something else?" Chloe said I know I should be happy when Chloe is here. However, because we briefly talked about Desmon earlier, it made me miss him. It''s true that we haven''t been separated for long, in fact the two of us have been separated for much longer than this, but somehow I really miss him. "I don''t know, but do you know why Desmon hasn''t come back yet? I mean you said the brightning held him, but now the brightning has passed. Is there something else blocking him?" I said while looking at Chloe with a hopeful gaze, at least that''s what I tried to do. Chloe turned her body around and now she returned my gaze, "Don''t worry he''ll be fine. If you''re still worried maybe we could go for a walk to see where he is? Or do you want to stay here, who knows he''ll be home soon?" "I think it''s better here. But, do you want to hang out?" I replied with a question because I had to ask. The reason is easy, if I ask it will make the impression that I am not selfish by thinking about my own opinions and desires, by asking I also know Chloe''s opinions and desires. Isn''t that so? At least that''s what I read from friendship tips on the internet. Chloe was quiet for a while. Even though she was just silent, but somehow she looked amazing. "I don''t have anything to do today, so I''ll do whatever you want." Chloe replied with a smile. "Then do you want to watch?" I asked again. Chloe nodded and smiled, "Sure. But we''ll watch a horror or romantic movie, I like both genres." I learned again that Chloe liked those genres but I didn''t like them at all. The reason is simple, horror movies are not based on reality, I can see ghosts and interact with ghosts, and that is completely different from the ghosts shown in horror movies. It''s true that movies are not based on reality, but I dislike the portrayal of ghosts in horror movies that are always scary, frightening, and mainly evil. In reality, there are more kind ghosts than bad ones. I don''t like the romantic genre either, it makes me jealous. How could I not, when I had no friends and was always bullied, the romantic genre displayed human affection and love that I never got except of course from my parents. To be honest, I prefer war and action movies. In those movies you can see the human nature of hurting and killing each other, just like my friends often hurt and harm me. So this movie was very true to reality and just like my life. Yeah, although the fictional part, where the good character always wins, didn''t prove to be true in my life, in real life. But then again, I can''t be selfish. Chloe has sacrificed by following what I want, which is to watch movies, which means I have to repay her by following her preferred genre, which is horror or romance. "Okay, but I don''t have any recommendations. Do you have any?" I said. "Of course," Chloe said and then paused a moment, "But you''re okay with a little sex, right?" I don''t know what Chloe thinks of me. I mean, of course it doesn''t matter. I was of legal age and this was a free country and we also lived in a time and society where sex was no longer taboo. But maybe, just my guess, Chloe thinks I''m not used to it considering I''m not as social as she is. If it was like that, I could understand it, at least she was trying to respect my personal views. I smiled accompanied by a chuckle, "Of course it doesn''t problem." "Alright, then the movie is-" "Wait. Let me turn on my computer first and you can look it up yourself, I''m going to the kitchen for a while to get a snack and soft drink. How about it?" I interrupted Chloe as I got up from my bed and turned on my computer on my study desk. "Good idea," replies Chloe who also got up from my bed and is now standing next to me. "Alright, by the way is there anything you want to request in the kitchen for me to bring?" "Nope. Bring me whatever you want." replied Chloe who was already sitting in my chair and was typing something on my computer. I went out of my room to get some snacks and soft drinks in the kitchen, after that I returned to my room and Chloe had finished choosing the movie we were going to watch. The romantic movie I dislike I have to watch with someone I like, is this irony or sacrifice. I don''t know. ### The first movie finished and it was followed by the second romantic movie then the third and so on. If it were possible I would have left my own house, I was bored and not interested at all except for one thing which is seeing cheerful faces, smiling faces, sad faces, and various other facial expressions painted beautifully by Chloe. That''s the only reason I can survive until it''s almost night and the sky is almost dark. Without realizing it, our position has changed several times. At first Chloe sat in a chair while I sat on the bed, then we took turns, then we were both on the bed but not sitting but lying down, then our positions changed again and again. Until the end of the fifth movie which was also the end of our show, our position ended with Chloe hugging me while we were both lying on the bed. It wasn''t awkward when we weren''t aware of it, but after the movie ended and we realized it, it became awkward. Chloe hurriedly pulled herself away from me and so did I even though we were still both lying on the bed. "Sorry," Chloe said, sounding sorry and embarrassed. "I''m not... I mean I''m sorry too" I said sounding stupid and silly. I knew we should say something to make the awkwardness melted away, but instead of us being able to say something, we both stuttered and mumbled something silly. After the awkwardness peaked with our stuttering, our eyes suddenly met. The look in Chloe''s eyes was clear to me as if she was saying that she was comfortable and happy to spend time with me, or was it just my desire to think that way. I don''t know. But clearly our gaze only lasted a split second before we both smiled and laughed. I realized that there was nothing funny about Chloe and I didn''t think there was anything funny about me either, except for the awkwardness we both felt. "Awkward?" Chloe said her first words between laughs. "Sure." I replied as well, between my laugh. After we laughed for a few more seconds, Chloe, who was still lying on my bed, looked up at the ceiling of my room. "But I''m happy. I''m happy you want to spend your time to be with me. I..." I looked at Chloe, I knew she was happy but I didn''t know what words she would say next. I just waited in silence to find out what Chloe wanted to say next. Chloe took a short breath, "I hope-" Shit. Motherfucker. I never expected something bad from him. We were both shocked as Desmon appeared through the window of my house, which was right in the middle of my bed. Without caring about his surroundings, Desmon just flew through the window, phasing right in to the mattress right between me and Chloe. Damn. Damned. I couldn''t control myself and I unconsciously said the words I didn''t want to say in front of Chloe, "Shit, you fucking shit." Of course, those words didn''t just attract the attention of Desmon, the ghost with no manners and the bringer of bad luck. But it also attracted the attention of Chloe, whose face showed a lot of surprise, but I don''t know whether she was surprised to see Desmon flew through the mattress in the middle of me and her, or whether she was surprised to hear me say those words loudly and firmly, or maybe both. I don''t know. Desmon looked at me for a moment before continuing to look at Chloe. He smiled his silly, stupid smile, "Sorry." Chloe looked back at Desmon, "You did it on purpose, right?" While I was still silent because I didn''t want to lose control again and say words that I shouldn''t say in front of Chloe. "Sorry, I already sorry. After all, I''ve been waiting for you guys for hours but you didn''t finish dating." said Desmon who even though he claimed he was sorry, his silly and stupid smile said otherwise as if he was having fun making fun of me and Chloe. "Dating?" said Chloe who looked back at me. I closed my eyes. I''ve never said that once in my life. Never. But that idiot Desmon, who is probably a ghost nature who likes to play tricks on humans, why would he say that in front of Chloe. Shit. Very unlucky. "No, no. I was joking. But I''m really waiting for you who have been seriously watching for hours." Desmon said again, as if he wanted to save me. I didn''t know if Chloe was looking at me or not, but I knew she had walked to door from where her voice came from, "I know you''re joking, but Robert should have explained that. But he just closes his eyes and stays silent." After Chloe said that, I heard the sound of the my room door opening. I opened my eyes to make sure and it was Chloe going out of my room. "Why don''t you explain it, idiot?" Desmon''s words instead of comforting me made me even angrier at him. "You''re the stupid one, why say that?" I replied in a tone that I purposely raised. Desmon opened my room door, "Then you just want to stay here?" "So what, you don''t like me in my room now? You should have thought, if this is my room it''s not yours and you should have thought to enter through the door. You stupid ghost." I said, already very annoyed with his behavior. Desmon came up to me and he looked at me, "You know, I apologized. I was wrong, yes, I''ve admitted it and apologized. But now try to think with a clear head. Do you want us to argue and fight here to satisfy your anger or you better go and see Chloe. I know I''m took it too far to say you''re dating, but I know you better than you know yourself. I know you like her, you''re comfortable with her. So would you be happy to argue with me, or would you rather pursue what you love?" The words were quite piercing to me. Desmon was right that I liked Chloe, I was in love with her but I never dared to express it. "Robert! Now or you''ll regret it." Desmon said to me again but now he waved his hand and pointed at my open room door. "I said NOW!" I was still thinking and thinking, I was filled with indecision, but Desmon''s shout made me unconsciously step out of the room. Yes, it can''t be helped. Although I''m still confused about what to do, but I hope the decision I make this time can have a positive result and I hope I can control myself completely. I walked out of my room and my bedroom door was closed by Desmon. ####