Being anchored felt… strange.
I couldn't drift freely anymore.
Every movement pulled me back, like an invisible leash.
> Status: Anchored Spirit (Temporary)
Anchor Radius: 15 meters
"…So this is my life now."
The wristwatch rested near the register, ticking steadily.
Each sound echoed faintly inside me.
---
The night clerk didn't notice anything at first.
He stocked shelves.
Cleaned the counter.
Checked the time.
Again and again.
Always the same watch.
---
He picked it up.
Frowned.
"…It stopped again?"
No.
It hadn't.
He simply couldn't hear it anymore.
---
> [Passive Interaction: Minor Disturbance Enabled]
I focused.
Just a little.
The lights above flickered.
The clerk stiffened.
"…Huh?"
He looked around, uneasy.
Not afraid.
Just confused.
---
I didn't push further.
Scaring him wouldn't help.
But staying silent felt wrong.
This watch meant something to him.
I could feel it.
Regret.
A promise left unfinished.
---
He sat behind the counter during a quiet moment.
Stared at the watch.
"…I should've gone," he muttered.
The words hit harder than expected.
So this was his burden.
---
I reached out.
Not to absorb.
Just to touch.
The watch warmed slightly.
The ticking grew clearer.
---
The clerk blinked.
"…It's working?"
He stared at it, then laughed weakly.
"Guess I'm just tired."
---
> [Existence Stability Increased.]
+1%
> Current Stability: 11%
"…So helping counts too."
> [Observation: Emotional resolution generates stabilizing energy.]
"That's… better than fear."
---
For the first time since I died—
I felt something close to relief.
---
The store door opened.
A woman stepped inside.
Long coat.
Sharp eyes.
Something about her felt wrong.
Heavy.
Not human.
---
My anchor trembled.
> [Warning: Spiritual Sensitivity Detected.]
She glanced at the counter.
At the watch.
Then—
Her gaze shifted slightly.
Almost to where I was.
---
I pulled back instinctively.
The lights steadied.
The woman paid and left without another word.
But the air remained cold long after.
---
> [New Variable Detected.]
— Spirit-Sensitive Human
So it wasn't just hunters.
Some humans could feel me too.
---
The watch ticked softly.
Outside, dawn approached.
> [Beginner Task: Ongoing.]
Days Remaining: 3
I stared at the door.
"…This is getting complicated."
---