We drifted slowly to the ground. All around us, police sirens wailed ceaselessly. A black van was the first thing to catch my eye, followed by the screech of urgent brakes as Hugh Thompson and Chief Stone stepped out.
The moment I hit the ground, I collapsed. Rufina Howard walked over and placed a cool hand on my forehead.
"Strange, Ethan, why do you seem almost... human?"
I let out a sound of surprise and looked at Rufina Howard, speaking with a hint of grievance.
"I am human."
"Oh, right! Ethan, you are human, haha."
Redmond walked up to Master Zachary Wu, his face gloomier than ever, and stared at him.
"Old Taoist, find a way to locate that Horror Stories book. I want to go inside."
Master Zachary Wu shook his head.
"I'm afraid that thing won't show up again anytime soon. There's nothing I can do."
"Come here, you little brat."
As Redmond spoke, he pressed a hand down on Quinn Ji's head.
"Let go! What are you doing?"
"Do you have any ideas? You're just like that Horror Stories book—created by thought. Shouldn't you have some kind of connection to it?"
"Ow, that hurts! Let go first—I don't sense a damn thing. If I’d known it was this dangerous, I wouldn’t have bothered going in."
Quinn Ji had barely finished speaking when Redmond shot him a glare. Quinn quickly covered his mouth, not daring to say another word.
And me—at that moment, I didn’t know why, but my heart felt hollow, as if something was missing. Loneliness weighed on me. Hugh Thompson stepped up, lit a cigarette, smiled, and reached out a hand. I grabbed it and pulled myself up.
Afterward, I gave them a brief rundown about Wang Jianhui. Redmond kept his face tight, clearly furious. His men stood quietly to the side, none daring to say a word to him.
I walked over to Redmond and looked at him.
"Sorry, it was me..."
"Enough, Ethan. That guy isn't someone who'd let others toy with him so easily. Go home and get some rest."
With that, Redmond raised his hand toward the mirror imprisoning my parents and Rachel Lan. With a bang, the mirror shattered. I stared in disbelief as my parents appeared on the floor, quietly lying there as if asleep. Rachel Lan, however, sat up, worry etched on her face as she looked at me. I smiled and walked over to her.
"It's alright."
I reached out and helped Rachel Lan up from the floor.
"Let's go home."
Around 1 a.m., with the help of the Ghost Burial Squad, my family returned home. The house had already been tidied up—Howard Lee had come by to help. Although everyone had temporarily forgotten me, Hugh Thompson reminded them daily to write my story down on paper.
My parents were unharmed, merely sleeping as if nothing had happened. Once I settled them into their bedroom, Rachel Lan and I waited in silence. I was exhausted, but sleep eluded me—and Rachel Lan as well.
No matter how I dwelled on the matter of the grudge, I was powerless. Quinn Ji had promised to find a way—to track down the cursed book, Horror Stories.
But what troubled me now was Rachel Lan's mother's situation. I didn't know how to bring it up. Watching Rachel Lan make tea, I hesitated.
"Go ahead, Ethan. What do you want to tell me?"
I looked at Rachel Lan. Her deep eyes seemed to see right through me.
I smiled, stood up, walked over, and reached out. She quietly leaned against my shoulder, and I breathed her in.
"Stop sniffing, Ethan. I haven't showered in days. Let me go clean up."
Rachel Lan gently pushed me away and went to the bathroom. I found her a few of my T-shirts and some pants. After she finished showering, I said:
"I'll take you somewhere tomorrow."
Rachel Lan didn't ask; she just nodded and walked into my bedroom.
After my own shower, it was nearly 3 a.m. My exhausted body finally felt some relief. I sat on the sofa and tried to summon Deathbane Aura—nothing, not even a flicker. I kept thinking about the feeling when I held the Phoenix Blade in the book.
Faintly, a thread of white light slowly drifted out of my body. I tried to shape it, and suddenly, as I forced more Yang energy out, a flame ignited in my hand.
I moved closer to the sofa. The flame looked real, but it was only condensed Yang energy. I drank some water and decided to sleep, heading step by step toward the bedroom.
Rachel Lan lay on her side, facing away from me, covered by the blanket. I walked over, took off my robe, slipped under the covers, and gently embraced her from behind.
Rachel Lan turned, resting her head against me. Inside, I felt a rush of warmth and excitement—something I'd never noticed before. Maybe I'd fallen for this honest, earnest woman the moment we first met.
The next morning, the door creaked open. I snapped awake to see my mother standing in the doorway, stunned. She hurriedly shut the door and left.
Later, Rachel Lan and I got up and went to the living room. My mother, beaming, took Rachel Lan's hand.
"Oh, Rachel, you're here! Why didn't you tell us?" My father sat on the sofa as usual, reading the newspaper, seemingly oblivious to everything that had happened.
"Dad, do you remember where you two went these past few days?"
I asked tentatively. My father looked up and smiled.
"Of course I remember. Your mother and I haven't gone out in ages—we had a great time for days. But it felt like I had a long dream, Ethan. In the dream, you ran away from home as a kid. I don't know why, but... thank you, Ethan."
Embarrassed, I turned away and said:
"Dad, are you still half-asleep? What are you talking about?"
Last night, Master Zachary Wu asked me when I'd tell my parents the truth. I just shook my head and told him I was grown—I couldn't let them worry about me anymore. Someday, when the time is right, I'll explain everything.
[Irrelevant system message: skip translation.]
We all enjoyed breakfast together. My mother chatted endlessly with Rachel Lan, and Rachel Lan didn't mind—she kept up with my mother's banter, smiling all the while.
After breakfast, Rachel Lan and I decided to leave. I needed to take her to find her birth mother, Helen Lane.
"Ethan, bring your girlfriend home more often, alright?" My father said before we left. I nodded and said goodbye.
Once we were in the car, Rachel Lan asked where we were going. I just smiled and told her she'd see when we got there.
At 3 p.m., we arrived at the Lan Mountain Café. I led Rachel Lan inside.
"Ethan, if you wanted coffee, why come all this way?"
I shook my head, took her hand, and led her straight upstairs. Outside an office, I knocked on the door.
"Come in." Helen Lane's voice called out. I pushed open the door, holding Rachel Lan's hand, and walked in.
"Auntie, I've brought your daughter home, safe and sound."
As soon as I finished speaking, Rachel Lan's eyes widened, staring blankly at Helen Lane. Even if I hadn't said anything, the resemblance between them was obvious—Rachel Lan must have realized the truth.
Suddenly, Rachel Lan began to tremble all over, as if she'd heard something too shocking to bear. I quickly patted her back, trying to calm her.
"You are..." After a long pause, Rachel Lan finally calmed down enough to ask.
"My name is Helen Lane. I am your birth mother."
Helen Lane reached out to touch Rachel Lan's forehead, but with a slap, Rachel Lan brushed her mother's hand away.
"I have no mother, only a father. Even if you're my birth mother, what use is it to tell me this now?"
"Yes, I am your birth mother, but I haven't fulfilled a single duty as your mom. You're right to say so—I don't blame you."
The atmosphere grew painfully tense and awkward. I couldn't take it much longer. Suddenly, Rachel Lan stood up and grabbed my hand.
"Ethan, let's go."
"Wait, Miss... Rachel Lan."
Helen Lane stood up abruptly and walked over, standing face-to-face with Rachel Lan.
"Ethan Zhang, can you leave Miss Rachel Lan with me for a while?"
I let out a surprised sound and looked at Rachel Lan. She immediately retorted:
"If you're trying to make up for all these years..."
"Still want to be a burden, Miss Rachel Lan?"
Helen Lane cut her off before she could finish. I tried to step in and mediate, but Rachel Lan pushed me away.
"What can you teach me?"
"I can teach you far more than your bastard father ever did. You know about the Thirteen Fates of Hades, don't you?"
In an instant, Rachel Lan's eyes widened again, staring at Helen Lane in utter disbelief.
"You're lying. The Thirteen Fates of Hades only exist in myth. There's no way they could be real..."
"They exist. As for my Fate, I can't tell you just yet..."
As she spoke, I saw Helen Lane's entire body emit a golden-red glow, faint but unmistakable. She raised her hand, and with a cry, a tiny phoenix flapped its wings and appeared behind her.
"The Four Saints' Bridal Robe... this—"
Rachel Lan was even more shocked.
"Oh? Looks like your bastard dad taught you something after all. So, will you stay with me for a while, or go off and enjoy your romance with Ethan Zhang?"
Helen Lane had barely finished speaking when I let out a surprised noise, awkwardly glancing at Rachel Lan. She showed no emotion, but then I saw her slowly nod.