Charles slammed his stick down at me, throwing me to the ground.
"Give up now, kid. Harvesting ghosts only makes me stronger!"
I raised my lower body and snapped both legs around his neck.
Bang
He hit the ground hard, rubbles flying. I rolled, recovered, and stood back up.
Bang
I stomped his chest. He gasped.
"Fuck—!"
His stick glowed green and smashed into my stomach.
Bang!
!?
A shockwave burst out, forcing me back. Same sound, same explosion as my ability.
"What the hell was that!?" my ability shouted.
"I-I don't know… it's the same as mine!"
Charles grinned, standing tall.
"Absorb and copy. That's all I'll say," he muttered.
He rushed forward, swinging his stick. I jumped, landing on the shaft.
"Not bad. You're strong."
Bang
I blasted my legs, flipping over him. He stumbled, stick crashing to the ground, but he recovered fast.
I sprinted in and hammered him with charged punches.
Ching! Ching! Ching!
Every hit only made his stick glow brighter, humming louder, like it was charging. My explosions did nothing—just got swallowed whole.
A cold feeling crawled through me. That glow wasn't good.
"Get away from him! He's absorbing it all!" my ability warned.
Too late. I was wide open.
Charles slammed his stick into me.
BAAANG!
The blast was deafening, like all my attacks stacked into one.
Pain ripped through my chest. I heard my bones crack.
I dropped, clutching my ribs, gasping, groaning.
Charles laughed, stick resting on his shoulder as he strolled closer.
"Time to harvest."
"Get up! Get up!" my ability urged.
I tried, but my body wouldn't move. The pain was unbearable.
"I… I can't," I muttered, voice fading.
She sighed. "Well… it was nice knowing you."
—Tsuk. Beep.
We both froze. A sharp thunk, then a beeping sound.
"What was that?" Charles muttered.
We turned. On the ground beside him was an arrow—glowing, pulsing like a bomb.
"Wait a sec—"
His eyes went wide.
"Fuck!"
BOOOOM!
The explosion tore buildings apart. I shielded my face, bracing for death—
—but felt nothing.
I opened my eyes. Roots. A massive wall of twisted tree roots shielded me.
Yuri stood over me, both arms covered in bark, holding the barrier.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Y-yeah… I'm fine."
Hannah and the others stormed in, weapons ready. Charles was already retreating.
"Kill him!"
"Finally, we found you," Hannah said, scanning around. "Where's Mateo? Elyzer?"
I shook my head. "I don't know. I was alone."
---
I ran as fast as I can, they are showering me arrows and bullets.
I activated the devices in my ear they gave me.
"Hey, I am in trouble here. Teleport me back"
"Well then, let's wait for Adrian and his friend. They mentioned about infection, if it goes well then it will be good to go"
***
I approached Adrian.
Hmm. His ability isn't talking. This guy will never realize his ability's alive. Still means it's only learning the language.
I charged my fists and legs.
"Why are you so different all of a sudden!?" Adrian shouted. "What's with the voice, trying to sound mature!?"
"I am my owner's ability. I took over his body," I replied.
"Huh!? Your ability can talk and take over bodies!? That doesn't make any sense!"
"Abilities are ghosts. They can talk, possess, communicate. They're alive."
"Wait, you're saying my ability is living!?"
I nodded.
"Oi! Ghost, whatever's inside me! Are you there!?"
"Your ability is still learning the language. It'll take time. He can hear you, but can't talk back yet."
Adrian looked around, eyes darting left and right. Then he smirked.
A crash echoed. Something big broke loose.
!?
The car Mateo kicked earlier, it was flying toward me.
Adrian must've unfrozen it. What are the odds I get hit by the same car?
The car slammed into me, plowing me through the air.
We smashed through a building. Concrete crumbled. Glass shattered.
Bang!
I kicked the car off me. A shadow loomed. A swing aimed at my neck.
Thwack!
I ducked just in time.
Bang!
My fist cracked Adrian's chest, sending him flying. Aura particles shot out from my punch, weaving into a thin glowing line.
It stretched longer, thinner, then ended in a glowing hand.
It grabbed Adrian's shirt and yanked him back toward me.
Bang!
I slammed him into the ground. Stone split, dust and rubble exploding upward.
I twisted, kicked him in the ribs. He tumbled, coughing.
"Wait, your aura can do that!?" Mateo shouted inside me.
"I don't know. I just did it… felt like muscle memory."
"That fucking hurts!" Adrian barked, stumbling back to his feet.
"Surrender… or face me," I said calmly.
He spat blood, chuckling.
"Who the hell do you think you are to say that!?"
"Then you've made your choice."
I sprinted. He raised his sickles, ice forming at the tips.
The ice extended into long icicles, then snapped free.
!?
They didn't fall. They floated, defying gravity, shaking, then launched.
Sharp, deadly.
I ducked under the first, uppercut the secon, shattered it into shards. Kept charging.
He rained icicles down on me.
Mateo's body, fast, lean, flexible. Built for movement. He never used it like this.
But I can.
I flipped forward. One. Then another. Acrobatics, weaving between his storm of ice.
The cold stung, biting through my clothes.
I closed in.
I landed on my hands, spun into a flare.
Bang!
My leg swept Adrian's out from under him. He dropped.
No hesitation. I launched a double coin drop.
Bang!
Both feet smashed into his stomach. He rocketed back, crashing into a lamp post.
I dropped to the rough ground, gravel digging into my palms like needles. I stood, brushing off.
"Yow! You memorized my breakdance moves!?" Mateo cheered inside me.
"I've memorized every move you've ever made."
Bang!
…..
What?
A fist smashed my face.
Elyzer.
His expression twisted, eyes blank, face burning with fury.
E-Elyzer!?