Drake turned toward the haunted house, a slow grin spreading across his face.
Yeah…
With Supernatural Senses, he could see her now.
Clear as day.
"I thought you were grotesque," Drake said casually, eyes locking onto her form, "but… you're actually pretty cute."
The ghost froze.
She was a young girl with long, straight brown hair flowing weightlessly as if submerged in water, strands infused with faint, shimmering ghostly energy. Her cyan eyes were clear and vivid, almost painfully alive for someone who wasn't. An azure flower rested in her hair, glowing softly, pulsing in rhythm with her spectral body.
[Image Here]
She looked around Drake's age—maybe a year younger.
Her cheeks flushed instantly.
"Y–You can see me?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Drake tilted his head slightly.
I can hear her clearly too…
"Yeah," he said, stepping closer, smiling lightly. "I can see you now."
The ghost backed away instinctively—
Only to hit the wall of the house.
Her back pressed against the old wood.
D-Does he want revenge…?
She had watched him eat five Skill Fruits in a row and walk away unharmed. To her, that alone made him terrifying.
Drake raised a hand.
She shut her eyes tightly.
Her body trembled—
But instead of pain…
She felt fingers ruffle her hair.
Softly.
Drake blinked.
…So I can touch her too.
"You're quite the mischievous one, aren't you?" he said, his smile gentle on the surface.
The ghost hesitantly opened her eyes.
"You… you're not going to get revenge?" she asked cautiously.
Drake's hand tightened.
Instantly.
Her body lifted off the ground—held by her hair alone.
"Of course I am," Drake replied calmly, that same gentle smile never leaving his face.
"Ahhh—!!" she screamed, wincing in pain. "S-Stop! Stop! It hurts!"
"Then apologize," Drake said flatly.
"I–I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she cried out desperately.
He didn't let go.
"And why," Drake continued, voice colder now, "did you kill all those innocent people?"
"A-Ah! Please—!" Tears streamed down her face. "Let me go! I'll tell you! I swear I'll tell you!"
Drake sighed.
He released her.
She collapsed onto the ground, gasping—though Drake could see the truth.
She wasn't breathing.
She was absorbing mana instinctively.
After a few moments, she looked up at him, eyes red, voice shaking.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I didn't want to kill them. I really didn't."
"Then why?" Drake asked, genuinely confused. "Why did you do it?"
"I… I wanted to survive," she said softly.
Drake frowned.
"Survive? What does that have to do with killing them?"
She lowered her gaze.
"Ghosts are usually bound to the place where they died…" she said quietly.
"You died here?" Drake asked.
"No!" she said quickly, shaking her head.
Then her voice broke.
"One year ago… I was playing hide-and-seek with my friends. I found this house and hid inside—it belonged to a farmer." Tears welled up in her eyes.
"And then… I found a strange fruit."
Her hands clenched.
"I recognized it immediately. A Skill Fruit." Her voice trembled. "I got excited. Too excited."
She laughed bitterly.
"If I had just waited another month… I would've received one from the church. Something normal. Something safe."
Her voice rose, cracking.
"But I didn't wait! I ate it! And I became this!"
She gestured to her translucent body.
"A ghost!"
Drake felt something twist in his chest.
"I didn't kill those people out of hatred," she continued through sobs. "They wanted to destroy this house. Build over it."
Her tears fell silently.
"If the house disappeared… I would've disappeared too. Even if I'm not really alive… I don't want to die."
"I don't want to vanish."
Drake crouched down in front of her.
Slowly, carefully, he placed a hand on her shoulder.
She flinched—then looked up at him.
"What's your name?" Drake asked.
"…Amelia," she said softly. "Amelia Bloom."
Drake nodded.
"Amelia," he said gently. "You must've been lonely."
She didn't answer.
"What if," Drake continued, a small smile forming, "we lived together from now on?"
Amelia's eyes widened.
"…Together?"
To be continued...
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Sorry if it was shorter than usual, I didn't have much time today.