"Is that… is that you?"
The question seemed to echo in the quiet night, carried on the breeze and the steady stream of the river. Mikel turned to the male ghost, arching a brow as he studied the man from head to toe.
"N—no," the male ghost stuttered, eyes fixed on the body floating in the river. "This is not where I was drowned…"
Then, the rest of his words caught in his throat as a memory—a very clear one—flooded his mind.
A memory of him idling by this river, writing poem after poem in his notebook. He had been so immersed in his writing that he didn't notice the time. By the time he did, the sun was already setting. But as he packed up, one of his pens slipped into the river. When he tried to retrieve it, something grabbed his wrist, and before he knew it, he was pulled under the water, never to be seen again.
His mouth slackened, wide-eyed.
"It was… it's…" he trailed off, eyes still locked on the body floating in the river. "...me."
The female ghost and Mikel furrowed their brows, recalling the completely different story this ghost had told them. But then again, that had always been his wish—to have his body found.
Once more, the two of them turned their heads to the river where the body was drifting.
Not long after, the female ghost gasped as more bodies surfaced, one after another, unable to be swept away by the calm current.
"That's… that's a lot… of them," the female ghost murmured, covering her mouth, staring at the horror before her.
Mikel, on the other hand, slowly widened his eyes. It reminded him of what the river ghost had uttered before drowning herself in this same river.
"As long as this river exists, I will not rest."
And she might have done it not just for the last 400 years, but for generations yet to come. This river might outlive them all, with bodies still waiting to rise… one after another, forever.
[That's a lot of bodies, Master. I'd say something comforting, but I am just a guide.]
[Crystal Status: 31%]
[Congratulations, Master. Do you want to see your progress bar now?]
For crying out loud, Doom. I don't need your congratulations right now.
---
With so many bodies rising—and more still resurfacing—Mikel had no choice but to report it. Even if he was trying to avoid any involvement with the police, he just couldn't leave the scene for others to discover.
Even if it meant sitting through an hour of questioning by the officers.
"So, you were just here in the middle of the night to ghost hunt?" the officer asked, eyeing Mikel, who was given a blanket by the first responders.
Mikel sat by the tree trunk, shivering in the cold. "Mhm."
"And then, you just happened to see all these bodies?"
"..." He slowly gazed up at the officer, cocking his head to the side. "Officer, don't you believe me?"
"What?"
"Are you implying I drowned… all these guys in there?"
Mikel's question seemed to snap the officer back to his senses. He glanced at the scene, watching as some responders tried to carry the bodies out of the river. The bodies weren't just one or two—not even a dozen. It was a lot more than that.
"Ahem!" Clearing his throat, the officer looked down at Mikel.
This young man couldn't have done this all. I may have sounded a little harsh on him. The kid is clearly traumatized.
Sighing, the officer put down his notes and placed a hand on Mikel's shoulder. "I'll call one of my colleagues to help you go back to your home, alright? For now, try to stay warm."
He squeezed Mikel's shoulder, only to notice how firm the teen's build was. His brows rose as he glanced at Mikel, only to realize Mikel was staring back at him blankly.
"You'll be fine," the officer laughed it off, patting Mikel's shoulder twice before withdrawing his hand. "I hope this is a lesson for you."
After saying his piece, the officer turned and walked away, shaking his head.
"Kids these days would just go out in the middle of the night for their vlogging and get famous."
As the officer walked away, Mikel kept his gaze on him, hearing the officer's grumbling. He ignored it and shifted his attention to the ghost duo, who were following the responders retrieving the male ghost's body.
Hey, Doom. How could he not remember where he drowned?
[Ghosts exist because their lingering emotions are strong enough to keep them in this world. However, the longer they stay, the more their memories blur, causing confusion.]
Does that mean the probability that some of the ghosts on-site are just as confused?
[Focusing on your priorities instead of wallowing — you're as efficient as ever, Master.]
[The probability is high, although you have yet to encounter one. I suggest forcing them into the labor force and letting them face exorcism without bonuses.]
And then what? Expect the ghost unionizing? Hell no.
[Humans—alive or dead—are naturally greedy, Master.]
That's not for you to worry about.
Mikel kept his eyes on the ghost duo before his attention shifted to the nearby tree. Looking at it, he furrowed his brows.
Is it just me, or did that tree look more withered now than it did when I sat here? He wondered, but Doom didn't respond anymore.
Mikel shook his head, telling himself it was probably just the lack of light or his exhaustion. With that, he pulled down the blanket, folded it neatly, and set it aside before pushing himself up.
[Heading to the next location now, Master?]
"Nah," he whispered. "Tonight's enough."
He limped away from the scene, knowing he had already given his statement. That was enough. There was no reason to linger.
---
At the same time, in the South Block of District 5…
The ghosts frowned, surrounding the offering altar.
"Again?" one of the ghosts frowned deeply. "Is the boss neglecting us now? These are the same offerings as yesterday and the day before!"
The next ghost nodded, also displeased. "And even these incense look cheap. They make the food taste and smell bad!"
"I want a cake!" another ghost yelled. "The boss promised us sweets two nights ago, but we've been eating the same diet every day!"
"This is bad management!"
Arthur, standing not far away, watched as more and more ghosts expressed their growing dismay. He raised his hand, sporting his most friendly smile.
"Everyone, the boss is just busy with his errands…" he trailed off, biting his tongue when he received deathly glares from all the ghosts.
Taking a step back, he felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of his hollow neck.
Mikel… this is bad news.