On a rainy day, Rachel Lan sat at the doorway, gazing at the bustling street, searching for her father's shadow in the muddy road.
No matter how many days passed, Rachel Lan's father still hadn't come home.
Every day, she woke up alone, made breakfast, went to school, came home, and cooked dinner.
Repeating these tasks, always hoping her father would return, Rachel often saw some white souls passing by. From time to time, she would even greet them.
"Rachel, come to my house."
A little girl—Mona Tong—smiled, her missing teeth adding to her childish charm.
"Mona, not today. You should head home early."
"Rachel, why do you always walk to and from school alone? You could at least wait for me!"
"Mona, can you go home?"
"No, I want you to come to my house." Mona said, pulling Rachel along. Finally, Rachel nodded in agreement.
At night, the two children lay under the covers, whispering secrets.
Suddenly, a dark shadow entered the room.
"Hey, what are you doing? You can't just barge into someone's house!"
Rachel Lan immediately spoke up, scolding the intruder.
"You can see me, little girl?"
"Of course I can."
It was a ghost. He grinned coldly, sending chills down her spine.
Mona Tong was already asleep. At that moment, the ghost floated to the bedside, reaching out to grab Rachel. Suddenly, Rachel pulled a Ghost Suppression Charm from her pocket. The ghost screamed and retreated.
"Catch me if you can!"
Ignoring everything else, Rachel ran out of the room and dashed downstairs.
The ghost kept chasing Rachel. Her small body ran as fast as she could. She sensed the ghost's malice and didn't want to bring trouble to Mona Tong's family, so she acted as bait to lure the ghost away.
"You can't run anymore, little girl."
In the end, Rachel was caught. The ghost seemed intent on devouring her.
Young as she was, Rachel showed no trace of fear in her eyes.
"What are you trying to do to my daughter?"
It was Rachel's father. He had returned and quickly subdued the ghost.
"Were you scared, Rachel?"
"Not at all, Dad. Hmph, that guy was way out of line."
They were together for only three short days before Rachel's father left again.
Before leaving, he kissed Rachel on the forehead.
Years passed, and Rachel Lan and her father remained distant. They spent only a few days together each year, and her father seemed increasingly exhausted and aged.
By her first year of high school, Rachel had grown into a graceful young woman. Many admirers lined up to pursue her, but she rejected them all.
Occasionally, Rachel would predict things—who would fall ill, who would get hurt and when. Gradually, her classmates found her strange and distanced themselves.
I vaguely sensed that she did this on purpose.
Eventually, something major happened. Rachel once predicted a teacher's death in front of everyone, and it really occurred. Afterwards, she was thoroughly ostracized and criticized.
Only Mona Tong continued to comfort and accompany her, never leaving her side.
One evening, Rachel prepared a large meal—her father was coming home that day.
As soon as he entered, Rachel's father looked utterly exhausted and immediately collapsed into sleep.
It wasn't until deep into the night that Rachel's father woke up and ate the dinner his daughter had reheated for him.
"Dad, did Grandpa visit you in a dream?"
"Yes."
"How is Grandpa doing down there?"
Rachel's father sighed and set down his bowl and chopsticks.
"There are still 1,037 souls left to collect. Only then can your grandfather reincarnate and start a new life."
"Dad, I've learned most of what you've taught me. Maybe I can help you, so we can finish sooner..."
"Silly child, it's not your turn yet. Do you want your old man to report down there early?"
Rachel's father smiled gently, his large hand softly caressing her forehead. Rachel gazed back, half understanding.
After that, Rachel's father rarely went out. He seemed troubled, his expression serious all day.
One rare weekend, Rachel and her father went fishing at a lake.
"Dad, have you been worried about something lately?"
Rachel asked, but her father just shook his head and said nothing.
"What did Grandpa say in his recent dream visit?"
"Let's just fish, Rachel. I love your braised fish the most."
All day long, Rachel's father barely spoke to her.
"Dad, why haven't you gone out lately? Didn't you say Grandpa is suffering down there? If you don't finish collecting the souls, he can't reincarnate, right?"
"Shut up." Rachel's father snapped. It was the first time I'd seen him lose his temper with Rachel—the gentle man seemed like a different person.
"Dad, please stop drinking, okay? Just tell me—what's really going on?"
With a slap, Rachel's father struck her. For the first time, he hit Rachel.
Rachel, holding back tears, looked at her drunken father and covered her mouth.
"Shut up, just shut up—all of you, shut up..."
Rachel's father collapsed, drunk.
Day after day of heavy drinking left his once-strong body yellowed, disheveled, and frail.
Another slap—Rachel was struck again. This time, she didn't cry. She just glared at her father in silence.
By now, Rachel was a senior in high school.
The once-happy father-daughter pair now seemed separated by an invisible crack. Rachel had asked countless times, but all she got were curses and slaps.
With a bang, Rachel smashed a bottle in front of her father.
"Drink. Go ahead and drink..."
Rachel's father reached out with trembling hands, grabbed the bottle, and twisted off the cap.
"Dad..." Rachel knelt on the floor, hugging her father's legs and sobbing.
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"Please stop drinking, Dad. I beg you, please don't drink anymore."
Ignoring her plea, Rachel's father raised the bottle and drank.
With a slap, Rachel struck his face. The bottle fell and shattered into pieces.
"Tell me, Dad, please tell me—what's wrong? What's really going on? I'm begging you..."
Rachel cried and pleaded, but her father said nothing, just stared and smiled blankly.
Even after the tears dried and her voice was hoarse, Rachel's father never spoke a word.
"Maybe..." Rachel's father finally uttered two words. Rachel looked up, her eyes red and swollen, staring at him in disbelief.
"This is the fate of those in the Hades Circle..."
Rachel entered university. Her father started going out again, rarely coming home.
Father and daughter became like strangers, barely speaking at all.
One weekend, Rachel's father returned home. Even though Rachel was already asleep, she had prepared food as always.
After reheating the food, Rachel's father ate, but I saw tears streaming down his face as he ate and cried.
He made no sound, just silently shed tears.
"Dad..." Rachel stood behind him, choking back sobs.
"Ah..."
A wave of grief overwhelmed him. Rachel's father broke down, sobbing and hugging Rachel tightly.
"I'm sorry, daughter. I'm so sorry..."
"Dad, get up, please get up... Tell me, what's going on? What's wrong?"
After a while, Rachel's father took out a Spirit Token and a Soulcatcher Gourd.
"Dad, this is the Soul Vessel and Soul Guide Tablet. Why..."
Rachel's father, hands trembling, passed both items to her.
Just as Rachel was about to take them, her father suddenly stood up, raising the items as if to smash them to the ground.
"Dad..." Rachel held her father's hands.
"Rachel, sign this document."
Rachel's father handed her a sheet filled with writing. After reading it, Rachel burst into tears.
"Dad, why? Why do you want to sever our father-daughter relationship? Why?"
Rachel shook her father, and they hugged each other, crying.
"Rachel, while I was out, I accidentally discovered the truth of the Hades Circle."
Rachel looked on in confusion.
"As a member of the Hades Circle, each clan leader must collect 9,999 souls for their ancestors to reincarnate. All the knowledge of the Hades Circle must be passed to the next generation. If not, you won't sleep at night, and the underworld will send your parents to visit you in dreams."
"But why...?"
"Rachel, I can't bear to let you go. Once the 9,999 souls are collected, I'll die, and you'll have to inherit everything and continue the cycle—marry, have children, and train the next generation."
Rachel stared in shock.
"Listen, Rachel. Someone taught me a way: if we sever our father-daughter bond, today I've collected the 9,999 souls—my time is short. "
"Dad..."
"Our family should be freed. Sign it, Rachel. Once we sever the bond, with heaven and earth as witnesses, even the underworld can't touch you. But you must continue the work. Remember, everyone in the Hades Circle knows their lifespan. Don't marry or have children—don't let the curse continue."
Rachel nodded.
"As long as you collect the required souls within your lifespan, your grandfather will be freed. Once you sign, we're no longer father and daughter—nothing can threaten or bind you. You're free, at least in this life. When you die, the task is complete and you can reincarnate peacefully."
"But, Dad, what about you? If you do this, will the underworld let you go?"
Suddenly, Rachel's father hugged her head and kissed her.
"Don't worry, child. I found a master who will shelter me for a while. Sign it quickly—after this, I have to go. Maybe, one day, we'll be reunited."
Rachel wiped her tears, picked up the pen, bit her finger, and with trembling hands, signed her name in blood on the severance document.