Chapter 124: Familiar Matters
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
The dramatic event unfolded right in the bustling center of the city, causing a significant stir and drawing widespread attention. Within a mere ten minutes, emergency response vehicles, equipped for unique situations, had descended upon the location, flashing their sirens and lights.
The officer spearheading the investigation was none other than Captain Bright, the very same officer who had previously interrogated Miles concerning a mysterious event at the mall. Lately, Captain Bright had been under immense pressure. Although he was in his early thirties, typically an age filled with vigor and energy, he emerged from his vehicle with a weighty and solemn expression. He tried to maintain a composed and serious appearance, but there were unmistakable signs of weariness etched into his features.
“Ensure this area is secured and evacuate anyone who isn’t directly involved with the incident,” he commanded with authority.
“YES SIR, CAPTAIN,” one of the officers acknowledged.
Captain Bright’s reputation was that of a decisive leader who acted quickly in crisis situations. As he was giving out instructions, a fellow officer approached him with some unexpected news, “Sir, it appears Miles was in the crowd when it all happened. He might have witnessed everything. Should we bring him in for an account of events?”
Miles? The mention of the name caught Captain Bright slightly off-guard.
His astonishment was not merely due to the unexpected reappearance of Miles. Rather, it was the implication that accompanied his presence. Miles being there meant that there was a high likelihood that the event had paranormal origins. In such scenarios, Captain Bright and his team were not directly authorized or equipped to intervene; their jurisdiction required them to escalate such matters to more specialized agencies.
Recognizing the familiar face, Captain Bright approached Miles, who was observing from a distance and greeted, “Miles, our paths cross again.” He nodded courteously towards him.
Taking a deep breath, Captain Bright commented, “Today’s turning out to be quite intense for me. While the direct harm from today’s event seems limited, its implications are profound. This feels even more unsettling than that previous case where individuals vanished in the mall.”
Miles, with a pensive look, asked, “Do you have a grasp on the full extent of the damage?”
“I can’t say for sure,” Captain Bright admitted.
Pausing briefly, Miles suggested, “It might be wise to alert Enlight. He’s currently overseeing matters of this nature. This might be something beyond your team’s capabilities.”
With a half-smile, Captain Bright responded, “Engaging with the newly appointed ghost tamer might be a bit challenging. Even if we do reach out, his immediate response isn’t guaranteed. If possible, could you assist? Not necessarily in resolving the entire situation, but in helping to protect as many civilians as possible.”
Miles was quick to decline, “In our world, there’s a saying: ‘Stay in one’s lane.’ At present, Enlight is tasked with looking after this city. I shouldn’t jump in without due cause. If complications arise, the blame would rest on my shoulders. And my direct involvement might be perceived as overstepping. You get where I’m coming from, don’t you, Captain Bright?”
Understanding the delicacies of the situation, Captain Bright nodded in agreement. He had managed numerous cases and was well aware of the importance of maintaining clear lines of responsibility. It seemed to him that Miles was choosing his battles wisely, hesitant to involve himself in supernatural matters without just cause.
Recognizing Miles’s evident hesitation to step in, Captain Bright quickly moved away from him. There was a myriad of tasks demanding his immediate attention – orchestrating rescue efforts, tending to the injured, and ensuring the safety of the crowd. The scene was a maelstrom of activity and urgency. Despite the buzzing movements and quick decisions, progress seemed painfully slow and inadequate.
From amidst the bedlam, another petrified employee, eyes wide with terror, began his fatal descent from the fifteenth floor. As he fell, his voice rang out in a mix of screams and sobs, the anguish evident in his repeated pleas: “I don’t want to die! Somebody, save me!” The weight of his despair was almost tangible, a profound sadness that echoed in the hearts of all those who bore witness.
The bone-chilling sound of his body meeting the ground was something that would haunt the memories of those present. Now sprawled on the pavement were the shattered remains of what was once a living, breathing human being. The red stain of his blood contrasted starkly against the gray concrete, and the gruesome sight was almost unbearably heart-wrenching.
Several individuals paused at the precipice, torn between the unknown terror within and the certain death below. However, their moment of hesitation was short-lived as shadowy forces yanked them back into the gloomy confines of the building. Their piercing cries of terror echoed briefly before being silenced, leaving behind a chilling quiet that was almost more terrifying than the screams.
Rumors and speculations spread like wildfire among the onlookers. Many believed that the haunting screams were the final, desperate cries of those met with a grim fate.
Questions began to swirl as the crowd grappled with the horrifying spectacle. Was there a fire inside? If so, where were the billowing smoke and raging flames? If there was an attacker lurking inside, why was there no sign of any physical altercation or resistance?
What malevolent force could be at work, causing such unfathomable terror that individuals chose certain death over facing it? What could possibly be more terrifying than the prospect of a fifteen-story fall?
Gradually, the ear-piercing screams dwindled to an unsettling silence.
“I fear most have met their end,” Miles murmured, a somber look clouding his face.
Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a faint silhouette that appeared against a window on the fifteenth floor. Only the upper part of the figure was visible from Miles’s vantage point due to the distance and angle. The entity seemed to emanate an aura of cold stillness, so incongruous in the midst of the earlier chaos. Its face was devoid of any emotion, and the skin had an unnatural bluish-black tint, reminiscent of a body left to decay over time. There was no spark of life or hint of warmth in its demeanor, only an aura of impending doom.
“Could that possibly be… a ghost?” Miles wondered, a chilling realization dawning upon him.
As Miles stood there, an intense urge stemming from his ghostly eye beckoned him to unveil its full potential. He resisted the almost overwhelming pull, keeping the power at bay. The shadowy figure lingered by the window for only a brief moment before swiftly retreating, disappearing into the murky ambiance of the 15th floor. However, in the brief instant that the figure turned, Miles’s gaze locked onto its eyes. They were abyssal pools of darkness, entirely lacking pupils, appearing as twin voids of malevolence. The mere sight sent a chilling wave of unease coursing through him.
“That’s the one… I recognize it!”
The realization hit him like a tidal wave. It was unmistakably the ghost child that had once grotesquely emerged from Right’s body. The deep, hollow eyes and the signature bluish-black hue of its skin left no room for doubt. Miles had crossed paths with this spirit on two prior occasions. The initial encounter was shortly after its revival when, following Right’s demise, it emerged from his body, appearing eerily akin to a newborn. The subsequent meeting had occurred at Coral’s residence, where the entity had matured to a stage resembling a young toddler, now able to stand and even walk. Yet now, its form mirrored that of a young adult.
The pervasive bluish haze enshrouding the floor evoked memories of the ghost domain the ghost child had been nurturing during their last confrontation. At that stage, it was still in its embryonic phase, a mere shadow of a mature ghost domain. Presently, however, it seemed ominously close to its fruition.
“If this ghostly entity continues to evolve at such a rapid pace, our continued stay in Spear City might become untenable,” Miles reflected grimly. While he had yet to intervene directly, comprehending the spirit’s swift progression filled him with an unsettling apprehension.
This spirit was rapidly ascending in power.
“We must depart immediately,” he commanded River, who cowered behind him, paralyzed by terror.
Having discerned the identity of the spirit, there was no rationale to linger. But as he prepared to leave, the roar of an engine shattered the tense stillness.
Emerging like a rampaging beast from a nearby junction, a vehicle careened forward. Blatantly flouting traffic regulations, it violently collided with another car before surging onto the sidewalk, maintaining its frenetic pace. Astonishingly, its trajectory seemed to be deliberately aligned with Miles.
Frozen momentarily, Miles’s ghostly eye flared to life, and an ethereal, headless apparition manifested behind him. It exuded a subtle sensation of being wrenched upwards as though being dragged from beneath the earth.
“Is this assault intended for me?” The ominous trajectory of the car gave Miles the unnerving impression that he was its specific target.