The candied landscape of the sun kissed beaches were immaculate. Though not the most popular location among Malaysia, it was certainly a quiet and serene place to relax.
"Haha!" Hazel giggled. "Stop it!"
Jun, her boyfriend playfully splashed the cold water onto her, smiling with joy. "Come in!"
Hazel shook her head. She was enjoying the warmth of the sun as she sat on the sheet that lined the sand. The sun casted beautiful golden rays onto her body, covered mostly by her lavender one piece swimsuit. She wasn't there to tan, but to relieve stress from the academic workload.
Suddenly, Jun ran out from the water and jumped beside Hazel.
"Hey!" Hazel exclaimed. "Get your cold and wet hands off!"
Jun ignored and pressed his lips tightly onto Hazel's, her eyes immediately softening. Jun's hands caressed her neck, as Hazel unconsciously pulled his body closer.
"Stop!" Hazel giggled as Jun began kissing her neck. Jun looked up at Hazel's face, locking eyes again.
"Alright. Let's go home. It's already 3:00pm anyway,"
Jun stood up and dried the remaining water off his body with a towel as Hazel grabbed the rest of the items and packed them neatly into a bag.
"Jun, dinner sometime after school?" Hazel suggested.
"Sure, Friday sounds good to me," Jun replied, tossing his shirt on. The two snuggled together as they rode the bus to their neighbourhood, parting ways.
The next day felt eerily gloomy for some odd reason. Perhaps it was hinting at a much sinister force, with the soccer team returning from their trip to Singapore to compete for the National Under 18s Soccer Final.
Ryan Song was the team's alleged leader, always having the strong and commanding voice which ultimately led them to win. He was in control and led the team to success, so no one challenged him. Ever.
"Jun my boy!" Ryan teased. "How have you been?"
"Good, yeah…" Jun smiled nervously, clutching his textbooks.
"Did I miss anything?" Ryan asked.
"We have a practical project today in physics," Jun explained. "Mineral Conductivity."
As the boys entered the classroom, they moved to the bench on the side.
"I do have to warn all of you, there is danger in this experiment. Do not do anything stupid!" the teacher boomed. The students all listened carefully. The experiment had begun.
Minerals were distributed among the students and Jun and Ryan ended up with Quartz and Orichalcum, two rather odd minerals.
"Why is the Orichalcum glowing?" Jun asked.
"Dunno. Should be fine," Ryan replied.
"Okay, when I say okay, turn the circuit on, okay?" Jun explained. Ryan being the academic failure he was at all the rest of his subjects took his statement quite literally, realising he had said okay straight after.
The electricity shot through the copper wires as Jun's fingers still held them, lowering them onto the mineral. Ryan's eyes darted, realising that wasn't the signal. In panic, he flicked the switch off again, hoping Jun wouldn't realise.
But the current was strong enough to vibrate the Orchicalcum, conducting an invisible load of energy straight into his brain and completely frying his internals. Jun's body jolted around as other students began to turn heads, seeing what was happening.
The teacher rushed over to Jun immediately but it was too late. There was no pulse. Emergency was called.
Meanwhile, Hazel sat quietly in the boring mathematics class when suddenly something hit her head, causing her to flinch and wake from her slumber.
"Hazel, you alright?" the teacher asked.
"I'm so sorry, may I use the bathroom?" Hazel asked. The teacher nodded with approval, giving her permission to go wash her face in cold water knowing she was asleep.
Hazel thought little of that hit until she returned to her seat to hear ambulances outside the school, hauling a student into one of them. Hazel couldn't see who exactly it was, but she felt something was off. Something was completely wrong.
But Hazel didn't let it bother her. She continued through class and powered through the rest of the day. The one thing that disturbed Hazel was Jun, she hadn't seen him all day. Perhaps he was sick, and she just didn't know about it. Normally, Jun would text her if he was absent, but it was different.
On her way home, she stopped by Jun's house. But there was no answer. When she tried calling Jun's phone, it was dead on the other end.
"Crap…" Hazel thought. The last thing she wanted was to believe that it was Jun that was carried away in that ambulance. She had to text Ryan. He was one of Jun's friends.
> Hazel: have you seen Jun today?
> Ryan: i knew you would ask me…
> Hazel: what?
> Ryan: wdym?
> Hazel: srsly, idk what ur on abt…
> Ryan: Have you not noticed that everyone has been secretly staring at you?
> Hazel: ???
> Ryan: ur gonna kill me if i say this.
> Hazel: say what???
> Ryan: you wont believe me that's all
> Hazel: tell me NOW
> Ryan: it really hurts to tell you…
> Hazel: ur making me panic…
> Ryan: im really sorry, but i think Jun died today
> Hazel: WHAT
> Hazel: ???
> Hazel: HELLO? RESPOND?
Hazel's heart stopped for a moment as she reread Ryan's message. "Jun died today". Her breath hitched and it grew faster. She couldn't hold anything in. Frantically, she dialled Jun's mother's phone number, a last resort she had saved in her contacts. It was never for her to use, rather Jun as he would occasionally forget to charge his phone.
"Hello?" Jun's mother spoke. Her voice was shaky, almost trembling. "Who is this again?"
"It's me…Hazel…" Hazel stuttered.
"Oh, Hazel dear…you must have heard the news…" his mother cried. Hazel could hear the sadness and grief in her voice, as if Jun had really been in a fatal accident. "I'm so sorry darling…you two were made for each other but still…"
Hazel couldn't help but bang at their house's door even louder, trying to ease her pain. She struggled to walk, even to her house just 100 metres down. As she reached the door, her mother knew exactly what had happened and helped her in. There was nothing left for her.
That night she couldn't sleep. She couldn't breathe properly. Heck, she wasn't even able to visit the hospital. It was at 2:00 AM in the morning when Hazel's eyes lit up for the fifth time, having nightmares on how Jun had died.
She grappled tight to her sheets as goosebumps crawled up her skin, tensing her muscles up. But then, a gentle hand softly navigated her curves, elegantly calming her down. Hazel didn't even think much of this, her mind was already running that it had no time to process this. But somehow she eyes closed again and for 12 hours straight, she did not dream of a nightmare ever again.
A loud yawn and some stretches woke Hazel up the next morning, or afternoon perhaps. To Hazel, she believed that was the best sleep she had in a while, thinking it was only 7:30AM.
"Morning sweetie," her mother called. Usually, her mother never came into her room on school mornings. It was a surprise to say the least.
"Morning mum," Hazel replied grumpily as she got dressed in her school uniform.
"What are you doing? I already called in sick for you,"
"What do you mean?"
"It's already 2PM," Hazel grabbed her phone and indeed did it display 2PM, realising she had slept through her alarm and basically the whole school day. "Sweetie, I know you're sad…Why don't we go out for dinner tonight?"
Hazel smiled a little and slipped back into bed, watching videos on her phone until it was time to go to the restaurant. Of course they went to her favourite restaurant, a Korean place.
"Get me a kimchi fried rice, for my sake alright Hazel?" a voice asked.
"Alright," Hazel smiled. "Wait what?"
"Hmm?" her father asked. "What's wrong?"
"Did you say you wanted kimchi fried rice?" Hazel asked back.
"Me? No, I'm sharing the bulgogi with your mother," he replied.
"Oh. Must be hearing things then,"
The days following the restaurant incident blurred together. Hazel found herself constantly second-guessing what she heard, wondering if grief was playing tricks on her mind. She'd catch herself setting two plates at dinner, or pausing mid-conversation as if waiting for someone to respond. Her parents exchanged worried glances more frequently, whispering in hushed tones when they thought she wasn't listening.
At school, she moved through the corridors like a ghost herself. Classmates offered their condolences, but their words felt hollow. Ryan avoided her completely, ignoring and moving on with her. He didn't want to disturb her.
The funeral was held days after. Hazel sat in the front row, mourning his death tragically. Tears shed and whimpers of pain were let out. It was disgraceful.
"Calm down!" the voices soothed, gently massaging her fluctuating panic. Of course, Hazel thought nothing of this and believed it was her own mind saying these commands.
"Hazel, are you alright? It looks like you've just seen a ghost," her mother warned.
"I'm fine…It's just…"
"It's hard to digest? I understand,"
"No, no. I can hear his voice still calling me somewhere!" Hazel whined.
"We'll get you to a psychologist. It will help you get over it."
"As if it is going to help," Hazel scoffed.
"How would you know that?" her mother asked.
"I just…I just do…" Her mind cut blank.
But it was clear to Hazel that the voice's interventions became more frequent. It whispered "Breathe, Hazel" during panic attacks in the grocery aisle, a phantom pressure on her shoulder when she felt like collapsing.
Her mother's suggestion of a psychologist felt less like help and more like a sentence, an admission that the fragile connection she felt to Jun was just broken wiring in her brain.
"Ms Hoon, you have been diagnosed with schizophrenia." the nurse explained, holding a sinking tone. "Your levels are only mild and for now, no medication is needed,"
It was a shock to even be diagnosed like this. It would change her life. That night, nothing added up. The voice felt too real, yet so fake at the same time. She knew that ghosts were not real and that it must've been the tragedy that shaped this hallucination.
As Hazel laid back down into bed immersed in the dark and silent room, she felt a warm sensation gripping onto her hip. No, it wasn't just another vision of hers, it felt so real. Then, a radiating body of warmth pressed onto her back. She snuggled happily, a slow grin forming on her face.
Then she jolted back. Was someone in her bed? Frantically, she turned the bedside lamp on. But nothing was there.
"Are you alright?" the voice echoed again.
"Who are you?" Hazel wailed, immediately bursting into tears. "Just end me, please! I don't want this fear to linger anymore in me!"
"What are you talking about Hazel? It's me…There's nothing to cry about," the voice calmed. Hazel looked towards the wall littered with posters. Then a faint neon blue outline faded into her vision. "Don't worry, it's just us. Only you can see me and interact with me…"
"No…it can't be…!" Hazel cried, sniffing. Hazel fell forwards towards the ghost, landing in its arms gently. Its hands wrapped around Hazel's swiftly, comforting her like he had always done. "Is it really you…Jun?"
It was a question that could be answered without words, the same feeling, the same sensation.
"Yes, it's me Hazel. Rather, it's my soul. Now that it's been almost a month since the incident, I understand how my soul is still alive," Jun explained.
"Go on," Hazel whispered, loosening her grip on Jun. She turned off the lights and slid back into bed. "I want to hear more of your story. I'll always love you, even if you're a wandering soul…"
"Well, I never told anyone about the experiment. Ryan and I during physics were doing mineral conductivity and we chose Orichalcum…What we didn't know was that the Orichalcum was actually impure and had clumps of cosmic energy…After I died, I saw my body violently thrown to the ground and my soul stood there, flickering. That's when I realised I needed a host, so I chose you." Jun clarified. Hazel cuddled tightly in Jun's arms as his voice calmed her down, like a soothing lullaby.
"What is it like to be a soul then?" Hazel asked quietly.
"Well, I can fly and teleport back to you. That makes you able to fly as well since you can hold onto me. I do have a range of 50 metres so I can't stray too far away from you," Jun began. "Obviously I can't touch anything, I phase through any physical body. I actually don't know much else…"
"Woah, really? You reckon we can go for a fly sometime?" Hazel suggested.
"You bet! If that helps make you happy, sure," Jun smiled. Hazel saw Jun smile, his spirit-like body grinning. Though almost a ghost, Hazel didn't mind. It was him and he was by her side, forever.
"I love you so much Jun," Hazel whispered, cuddling tighter against his body. Jun leant down and kissed her, the warming feeling filling her body.
As morning came around, Hazel felt revitalised. It was nearing the end of the school year so their exams had begun. Hazel devised a new way of communicating with Jun, now typing messages on her phone to show to him.
"Tell me the answers for every question of the…exam. Hazel…you cheeky girl! Stop cheating!" Jun giggled. Hazel quietly blushed, hiding it behind her innocent smile.
But there was no sign of guilt coming from her. It was a pure invitation, request perhaps, for Jun to satisfy. Hazel usually was one of the brighter students, but having experienced a tragedy, she hadn't studied much over the past month. It only felt right for Jun to help her through her academic struggle.
"Wow! Well done Hazel," the teacher congratulated days after. "You must've let go well and plowed through your studies! 98%!"
The exam paper drifted onto her desk and a bold A+ was streaked across the front page. A faint smile lit up on her face. It was small actions like this that made Hazel feel happy, but most importantly, safe. She knew she could count on Jun to help her.
Across the days they spent, the two would go for evening flights to highpoints to watch the sunset, and romantic nights cuddled up in her room watching movies on her monitor. It was pure joy for Hazel and she cherished every moment of it.
But everyday well spent felt like a step in the wrong direction. Something felt off in Singapore. There was more than just a mystic aura that surrounded the inner city. It felt haunting, and this ominous apprehension only increased when Jun formed as a ghost. Was there a much more sinister force within the city?
---
It was about 5 years prior, when Hazel and Jun were both young and vigorous, enjoying their early childhood. Cramped in a lackluster and vintage apartment was a fresh graduate out of the country's national university, Paige Pastel, an aspiring author.
Paige's works derived from her Arts degree, attempting to create authentic and unconventional works. She wrote meticulously, day and night. But something just didn't click with her. Every story, every idea never sold, her narratives laying to waste in her fantasy.
To Paige, writing was a form of love, she felt closely connected to it. Her desire to create a viral sensation of a novel had always churned deep within her heart, it was just needing to be heard. Something just had to jump off the page that hooked readers.
When desperate times called, Paige looked towards marketing strategists, but even those campaigns would sell low volume, with critical reviews that brought Paige even further down.
"Monsters…Monsters!" Paige cackled, ripping the pages of her notebook. Her actions were frivolous, frantically seeking that of desperation where hope could once again sink itself into her mind.
Then there was the buzz. The phone was vibrating ecstatically.
"Who's this?" Paige asked.
"Hello Paige, my name is Barton Colerico from Anateros." Barton mumbled. "I really liked your book…your creativity intrigues me…"
"Go on…?" Paige began. The line ended abruptly, with a new message incoming that detailed the location. The message read "Tomorrow at noon", with an address attached. Paige questioned the credibility of the man, debating whether it was a special contract or some guidance. Nevertheless, Paige knew that she had to take the risk as it could lead her to new opportunities to show her passion.
As Paige stepped into the facility guarded with tall, electric fences, the man calmly approached her. His expression was monotone, his movements robotic.
"Ms Pastel, Colerico is waiting for you. Let me show you the way," the man offered, welcoming Paige to one of the headquarters Anateros had. The facility was complex internally, with walls painted in white, emphasising the more scientific vibe rather than a creative or media agency that would work with Paige.
"Ms Pastel I presume?" the figure asked.
"Are you…Barton Colerico?" Paige asked.
"Yes…Yes…Let me have a moment please," Barton suggested, motioning for the worker to move away. "Now then, you say you want to become noticed for your dedication? I can do that for you. Do you have what it takes?"
Paige's eyes lit up as she heard the voice of reinforcement, praising her talent. She was another step closer to achieving her dream.
The white room sung like a void as she stepped into the muffled headspace, feeling as if she was sinking into an ultra soft mattress.
"Mr Colerico, will this really work?" Paige asked.
"You are one of the very few subjects that have been selected. Trust me, you won't feel a thing." Barton reassured, leaning against the lever. Slowly, a hatch revealed a small concentrate of pure orichalcum, reflecting the speckles of light down into the room.
An ethereal glow almost burning as bright as a vibrant orange erupted, followed by a patch of black smoke that diffused under Paige's breath. The unexpected explosion didn't appear to harm or hurt her in any way, and was glady suprised.
"Well? Do you feel any different?" Barton asked.
"No, nothing. Is this a scam?" Paige asked.
"No, no, there must be something wrong! I'm certain it worked!" Barton begged.
"Because you praised my work, I won't say anything. Goodbye," Paige declared, storming off. She felt somewhat disappointed, and also a flicker of hope that resurged under the panic of escaping love.
Though Paige had a new sensation of success now ingrained to her, she still couldn't shake the overwhelmingly critical view of her works. Statistics still didn't change, even though Barton had promised. For Paige, it was an uncertain feeling of hope and believed that she went to such drastic measures for nothing.
So, bored out of her mind in her apartment, she took her pen out from her coat pocket and began sketching ideas. As each stroke brushed the surface of the notebook, strange vibrations played beneath the pages, a violent pull tugging on the pages.
What Paige had sketched was a terrifying beast with a head of a dragon, the body of a lion with wings of a falcon. To her surprise, her sketches came to life. Now transformed from the ordinary static ink to more of a vintage styled animation, she realised that Barton's scheme perhaps wasn't a fluke. It gave her innovation, so she began writing.
Her novels became more of a graphic novel with more and more of her pocket sized animated graphics printed on paper, where audiences were stunned to see the moving characters.
Finally, Paige found her books selling, but it wasn't for her writing. It was for the visuals, the new innovative images that nobody could get their heads around.
---
"Did you hear about the new book by Paige Pastel?" Jun asked as Hazel studied.
"No? Who's that?" Hazel asked.
"Word says, she has a really unique style of art that allows for static visuals to move…" Jun explained.
"Really? I might have to go to the bookstore then…" Hazel replied, closing her laptop. The day was clear so Hazel decided to go to the mall, to satisfy Jun's wish to read Paige Pastel's book. In fact, Hazel also took upon the curiosity in Paige's book. Jun's explanation, how could static visuals move on a piece of paper?
The bookstore was eerily grim somehow, almost no customers inside. It was decorated nicely, with the front shelf displaying Paige's books.
"Let's see," Hazel began, flipping through the pages. As each page breathed in the light, they moved along the thin sheet of paper, crawling against the edges. "Woah!"
The rumors were indeed true and the images moved, so Hazel watched eagerly. The boy twirled his pencil around on the page, toying around with the words that were printed beside him.
"Hazel! Those images…they have some cosmic energy…I can feel it! It feels sinister in a sense….Hazel we have to go!" Jun exclaimed. "There's something terribly wrong!"
Just as Hazel tried to close the book, the boy picked up a phone from another page, dialling a number.
"What?" Jun exclaimed.
"Shut up, ghost!" the boy yelled, his voice echoing throughout the store.
"Ghost?" customers asked, directing their attention towards Hazel. "Ma'am, are you alright?"
"Hah, I'm fine," Hazel replied embarrassingly, hiding the book back onto the shelf. But it was too late. The phone call had been made.
"Hazel! The boy, he called someone! We might be in deep trouble…"
"What?" Jun exclaimed. Hazel flipped the page.
"Us sketches can do anything within our paper dimension. It's completely 3D! As long as we are exposed to light we can move, talk and appear 2D whenever we want," another character explained.
Hazel's heart skipped a beat. There were some new sounds, a trail of foodsteps that rang in the back of her ears. A grim lady walked in with pink headphones on, ignoring the chatter amongst the customers. She directed herself towards Hazel.
"Move!" Jun ordered, the two quickly bolting out of the store.
---
"So the ghost kissed her neck right?" the boy in the book began. Paige listened carefully on her phone, paying attention to the minute details he gave. "That's what you're missing out on."
"A ghost? Someone that is dead…still loves her?" Paige spat. "People appreciate my work…But it isn't for my writing!"
Her tantrum forced her out, but Paige knew what to do. Hazel's cosmic energy perhaps was the best option, her powers holding the potential to fulfil the prolonged infatuation of innovation Paige had desired.
"What is her power? Is it…like mine?" Paige asked.
"It appears it might be a ghost…" the boy replied. "That's all,"
"Yes! I know! I will be able to spy on great writers and copy their habits…" Paige snarled. "Once she is mine, she'll love me for the amazing literacy I craft! with her power!"
Paige couldn't hold back her tears, weeping in joy outside the mall. She wiped her tears and drew a mouse. "Go! Go! Find me Hazel Hoon, and I will capture her alive…No one will escape my prison!"
Soon, the mouse latched onto its target, contacting Paige immediately. She rushed to the abandoned rooftop garden where Hazel was presumed to be, ready to fight.
"Hazel Hoon," Paige's voice sang.
"And who are you invading my privacy? How did you get up here?" Hazel asked.
"The stairs," Paige scoffed, pointing towards the folded paper stairway she had created. The folds were sharp,
"You…you…!" Hazel gasped. Paige laughed and sketched a blade, a katana appearing in her hand.
Paige's paper katana swiftly gushed thousands of paper cuts on Hazel's body, creating tiny streams of blood that trickled all over her. Hazel limped, her body growing weaker.
"You…bastard…" Hazel groaned. She stepped forward, pushing herself. Jun stood focused, giving her more energy.
"Pathetic!" Paige snickered, her paper katana now shifting into a chain. "I've now folded my creations…You cannot rip it apart!"
The chain wrapped tight around Hazel's neck, strangling her. Hazel gasped for air, but her grip on the chain loosened. She felt her body giving in.
"Stupid girl…" Jun muttered, disappointed. Hazel was almost dead, her body weak. The redness around her neck was becoming more apparent, and there seemed to be nothing she could do. As Jun began his takeover of Hazel's body for his last act, he gave it his all, concentrating all his energy. It was his time. His body, temporarily.
Swiftly, Hazel's hands snatched Paige's pen that was lodged in her pocket to scribble some scissors, cutting the chain loose.
"How could you…? That's MY pen!" Paige yelled, lunging towards Hazel. Jun reacted quickly, drawing a wall making Paige run into it.
"This will be your own undoing," Hazel muttered, beginning to draw a portal. "Live in your imagination! You'll never be anything,"
The portal radiated a dim white, shades of gray begging her to come. The grainy ink hands pulled against the ripples of the portal, sucking Paige into the abyss.
"My…own creation…? Where am I going?" Paige screamed. "It can't be! Trapped in my paper dimension!!"
"It's called…innovation…" Jun muttered, grinning. "To be honest, I actually liked you as an author…I've read your book '27 Reasons Why'. Such a shame…Paige…Pastel…"
"You…read my book?" Paige gasped as her body seeped into the portal.
"Yeah, you said in that book, life is simple…love isn't a prize" Jun laughed weakly, spitting out blood from Hazel's mouth. "I love how you contradict your own writing."
Jun quickly snapped the pen, breaking it with the cosmic energy erupting from the vial. Ink splattered everywhere and the energy soared back into the skies.
Using his last breath, Jun finally ripped the portal up, prohibiting Paige from returning. Her power was truly horrifying, being able to manifest her sketches into paper objects. Jun was terribly weakened, his energy all drained.
Hazel's body then instantly froze, slowly toppling forward with a loud thud. Jun's energy was dissipated, and Hazel was already out from previously. The cuts began to bleed again and she laid there on the floor, unconscious.
Both girls brutally fought with fatal injuries. One trapped in an eternal prison created by her own love, while Jun was trapped in an eternal prison created by Hazel's love.
---
The quiet hospital room lingered with uncertainty. Hazel slept peacefully, still hurt from the aftermath. Her eyes blinked at the sound of the machinery that surrounded the bed, slowly coming to her senses.
Jun emerged from her now conscious body, clinging onto her tightly.
"Thank god…You're alright," Jun sighed. A tear fell from Hazel's eyes, then carefully wrapped her arms around him. She was careful that no one was around, as it would be awkward.
"Hazel Hoon," the voice called. The curtain was pulled, then a fresh face appeared behind. "You must be the spirit that has been appearing in my dreams…"
"You can…see me?" Jun asked. The man placed a hand on his ghost, clearly showing that he could also see him.
"My name is Elias Novem. If you two would want, I can get you contracts under the International Supernatural Intelligence Division as a force. We're in constant need of allies as more cosmic disparities take place among Earth," Elias explained.
"There's more like us?" Hazel asked.
"No, nothing like you. What has happened to you is Jun has conjured his soul into your body and your love is able to manifest him as what you see him as," Elias began. "Our other units all have unique abilities, similar but not the same to you."
"Do remember, the more you enchant yourself, I do have to recharge within your body. My powers aren't unlimited." Jun explained, kissing her neck. Hazel giggled as she laid back down. Elias had left already to respect their privacy, leaving a contact card on the table beside her.
Then, there were knocks at the door. It was her family.
"Hazel? Are you alright?" her mother cried. She wept out in tears and she hugged her daughter, relieved she was fine. "I had thought you died!"
Her father chuckled as he grinned happily, seeing the change in mood of her daughter. "I'm glad you're safe and all better,"
Hazel joined in on the happiness, comforting her parents, realising the consequences she had to bear with. Her parents threw them off casually, something they wouldn't normally do and instead blamed themselves. But Hazel knew that was out of their control. It was solely her own fault. But then, Hazel had realised her journey.
It wasn't just about reconnecting with Jun's ghost, nor about winning and beating that scumbag of a doofus into a pulp. For a moment, Hazel cleared her mind, ready to move forward.
Hazel was glad that her family was here. Hazel had finally understood what it meant to love someone. She understood that people could still live internally even after their physical death, supporting, protecting, guiding and enchanting one to success.