"Ethan, you haven't rested for more than a day now."
I shook my head, still pondering how to refine the external details. Though tired, I felt no urge to sleep. As the sun set, the distant sea of black curse energy was now almost within reach. We had arrived at the base of the rising mountains that ringed the outer trench—soon, they would flood this devouring forest.
Today, Rachel Lan seemed perfectly normal. The black suns had begun to vanish, and Sylvia Blue had cleverly led Rachel away from the city walls and into the forest as soon as those black suns appeared.
"Rachel, you still need to rest. I'm fine, don't worry about me."
Rachel came over and sat beside me, resting her chin in her hand, gazing at me with a hint of a smile in her eyes.
"Ethan, do you know why I came to the hospital that night?"
I let out a sound of surprise and looked at Rachel, then shook my head. In truth, that incident on the bus was our first real meeting. Although I'd lost my Earth Soul and become an idiot for a while, we'd met before, but Rachel hadn't recognized me—maybe because of the circumstances at the time.
The second time we met was right at the site of the bus accident. I ignored Aunt Ghost’s warning and got on that bus, while Rachel would always get involved in these things whenever she had free time. That’s how we met—she even took the initiative to give me her contact information.
Thinking back, it’s truly odd. At the time, Rachel saw me as someone who must have done something guilty, which is why I’d attracted ghosts. Later, during those events in the hospital with Susan Li, Rachel was the first person I thought of—I called her, and to my surprise, she actually came and helped me again, even inviting me to interview at her company afterward.
Now, Rachel’s gaze was a little unfocused, her cheeks tinged with red as she stared at me.
"What's wrong? Did something come to mind?"
"I don't know why, Ethan, but the first time I met you, I felt a deep sense of safety—a familiarity unlike anything I've ever experienced. You give me a kind of security I've never known before."
I made a small sound of surprise, quietly watching Rachel as she leaned closer and placed her hands on mine, gently rubbing them.
"That can't be. Back then, I was nothing—just hanging around with Evil Ghosts, and..."
"I trust my instincts. It's always been that way since I was a child. The feeling you give me is just like someone I once knew."
A sudden ache welled up in my heart. I immediately thought of what Aimee had said that day—how, when Rachel was little, she wanted to find a handsome guy as her boyfriend when she grew up. But I was never in that category; always unlucky-looking. The only women who'd ever liked me were Lily Wu and, later, Rachel herself—both true beauties.
"What's wrong, Ethan—are you jealous?"
Rachel immediately asked with a bright, teasing smile. I quickly shook my head, forcing a smile in return.
"That must have been when I was very young—maybe just over four. I was attacked by an Evil Ghost, but someone saved me."
As Rachel spoke, she leaned in closer, then took my hand and pressed it to her forehead.
"No matter what, Ethan, you're so much like the person who saved me back then. Being near you makes me feel safe and happy, like nothing could go wrong as long as you're by my side."
A surge of joy welled up in my heart. I stroked Rachel's hair and asked softly.
"And the person who saved you—did you ever try to find them?"
Rachel straightened up and nodded.
"I did. That's part of why I keep throwing myself into supernatural places and risking my life. He was so cool—just like you."
I looked up, a little embarrassed.
"What did he look like?"
Rachel shook her head.
"I don't remember. All I recall is what he said to me: 'It's all right, Rachel. No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side.'"
I stared at Rachel in surprise. Who exactly was this person she spoke of? The question left me feeling helpless.
Rachel lay on the table, quietly gazing out at the fading sunlight through the window, her hands gripping mine tightly. Suddenly, I remembered—when I'd glimpsed Rachel's memories before, there was a scene where she was attacked by a ghost and Old Moe saved her. Even as a child, Rachel showed no fear, as if she knew someone would come to rescue her.
"You know, Ethan, even before I understood anything, I could see ghosts. My dad was always gone, leaving a paper figure to watch over me. It was his stand-in, but it was just cold paper—it couldn't sense my fear. That all changed when the person who made me feel safe appeared. After that, the fear in my heart faded, because I always felt someone was silently protecting me."
"If only I could meet that person one day. I want to thank him."
Rachel lifted her head and glanced at me.
"Aren't you angry, Ethan? Hearing me say something like that... maybe..."
I shook my head.
"Back then, you had no way to defend yourself—no one to save you. But that person not only rescued you, he healed your deepest fears. That's why you became who you are today. Now it's my turn to protect you."
Tears shimmered in Rachel's eyes as she smiled with relief. A thought flashed through my mind—this wasn't our final moment. Even if I lost my emotions after leaving the Four Sacred Realm, I would still protect Rachel. None of that changed the truth.
As Rachel grew older and wiser, she often faced harassment from ghosts, but it was always Old Moe who appeared—not the man who had once saved her. Each time, Rachel wondered if that person had lied to her, but gradually she stopped thinking about it. She matured, learned to handle things herself, and her heart grew stronger.
Yet those childhood memories still haunted Rachel. Again and again, she found herself in danger, but each time she was rescued. Eventually, Vivian Ouyang appeared, the Hades Circle denizens showed up, and members of the Ghost Burial Squad came too. But that man—she never saw him again.
"It wasn't until you appeared, Ethan, that I forgot about that person. Only these past few days did I suddenly remember there was someone else. He was so much like you—even his smile was the same. I don't remember his face, but that reassuring smile has stayed with me to this day."
Outside, the sky had turned completely dark. Rachel grew sleepy, and as night fell, strange cries echoed outside. I stood up.
"Get some rest, Rachel. I need to go out and keep working."
Rachel nodded. I left the room and ran right into Sylvia Blue, who looked at me calmly.
"What's wrong, Sylvia? You should get some rest too."
"Can we talk for a moment?"
I nodded and followed Sylvia up to the city wall. In the distance, four suns shone as brightly as day in each direction. Sylvia sat down, hugging her knees, turning her head to look at me with piercing blue eyes.
"What's wrong, Sylvia?"
"The person I'm closest to is so dull—always a little boring, strict with me, and rarely ever smiles."
Sylvia's eyes grew distant. I didn't know why she was telling me this, but I smiled and sat down beside her.
"Maybe I can't help you much, but I'm willing to listen. Is that dull person your father?"
Sylvia neither nodded nor shook her head, and continued speaking.
"The only time I thought he was really cool was on my eighteenth birthday. After that, I left him behind. Now he's all alone. I want to go back to him, but I can't bear to leave you."
I let out a small sound of surprise. Sylvia grinned playfully, stood up, turned away with her hands behind her back, and gently smiled at me over her shoulder.
"Thank you for listening. I'm going to bed."
Her words left me confused—there was something strange about them. Sylvia's feelings for me weren't romantic, but more like attachment and dependence. I sighed and stood up; Sylvia had already vanished.
Work had to go on. I drifted down to the ground below, where Spirit Snake was already waiting for me.
"Let's keep going, Ethan."
I made a sound of agreement, but the Wraithlord inside me was completely unresponsive. I called out to him several times, but there was only silence.
"What's going on?"
Just as I was puzzling over it, the ground shook and a roar rang out. I looked up, and a monster—like a giant gorilla, at least six or seven meters tall—charged at me. Instinctively, I raised a hand, but my consciousness blurred.
When I came to, the monster had already been ensnared by a massive python.
"Ethan Zhang, you need to rest."
The Wraithlord's voice echoed in my mind, making my head buzz. I hadn't really rested in days; even when I slept, I was busy doing things in my dreamscape.
With a loud pop, the monster Spirit Snake had caught turned to mist. I stood up and shook my head.
"Now's not the time to rest."
I muttered, and the Wraithlord's laughter rang in my head.
"Suit yourself. But let me warn you: if your mind grows strong while your body becomes weak, you'll have problems. Or do you want to disappear from this world altogether?"
I shuddered. In the distance, something exploded, and someone came running—Earthly Soul. He punched swiftly, turning every beast in his way to mist.
"Things aren't looking good, Ethan Zhang. You need to use the Thorn of Imagination to build a path and get us out of this world. If you want Rachel to see tomorrow's sunrise, forget everything else here."