Mysterious Awakening

Chapter 36: In the Midst of Growth

The moment Mr. Beach ended his phone call, every second felt like an eternity. The creaking sound of his front door opening echoed through the house, followed by the soft hum of a presence entering the living room from outside. The occasional shifting sound of trinkets hinted at the explorations of an invisible intruder, like a curious child rummaging through a toy chest.

Yet, these innocent noises sent shivers down Mr. Beach’s spine, and his heart pounded in his chest. The mere idea that this unseen child was lurking just beyond the wall instilled in him an overwhelming sense of dread. The thought of confronting this mysterious visitor was too terrifying to bear; he couldn’t bring himself to open the door, nor even approach it, for fear of coming face to face with the unknown.

However, there comes a time when fear must be met with courage.

The shuffling in the living room eventually ceased, as if the unseen child had grown bored of its playthings. Muffled footsteps began to approach, steadily growing louder until they came to a halt outside his door.

“It’s coming, it’s coming in. Mom, Dad, leave, it’s here for me, I can feel it, go now,” Coral’s voice spiraled into panic as if she could sense the ghostly infant’s presence.

“Honey, what are you talking about? How could we leave you?” Mrs. Ocean responded, tears streaking her face, and turned to her husband. “What’s out there? Whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”

Inspired by his wife’s words, Mr. Beach steeled his nerves, arming himself with a coat hanger. He was ready to meet the intruder head-on, intending to banish the apparition at first sight.

“No, don’t, Dad! The detective said that ghosts can’t be killed. We need to find Miles; only he can save us!” Coral argued, attempting to prevent her father’s actions. Mrs. Ocean restrained her, however.

“I’ve already contacted Miles. I offered him five hundred thousand for his help; he should be arriving soon. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” Mr. Beach tried to reassure them.

Suddenly, there was a faint click, and the door lock began to turn. The door creaked open, widening incrementally as if pushed by an unseen force.

In the next moment, the face of a child peeked in, its empty, inky black eyes scanned the room, landing ominously on Coral.

Screams of terror erupted from Mrs. Ocean and Coral.

“Back off!” Mr. Beach, fueled by his instincts as a husband and a father, lunged forward with the coat hanger at the ghostly figure.

Ignoring Mr. Beach’s attack, the ghost baby darted towards Coral with a terrifying speed, its mouth gaping open, revealing an impossible abyss devoid of tongue and teeth. It was as if it aimed to swallow Coral whole.

Mr. Beach froze in terror and rage while Coral and Mrs. Ocean huddled together, their screams bouncing off the room’s walls.

Suddenly, the bedroom light flickered, casting a crimson hue across the room. The bulb glowed like a bloodshot eye, saturating the room with a haunting red glow.

“Bang!”

With a thunderous crash, the ghost baby was hurled across the room, colliding heavily with a wardrobe.

A figure emerged from a dim corner of the room, bathed in an eerie red light. It was Miles, phone in hand. His face and the backs of his hands were adorned with numerous crimson eyes, each subtly shifting focus onto the displaced ghostly figure.

“I tried reaching out, but you didn’t answer. I was half-expecting to hear of your demise and pondering if the crematorium was getting good business. Maybe I’d need to queue,” Miles commented, his gaze shifting uneasily to the ghost baby.

Previously, this entity had crawled, but now it was capable of walking upright. It was growing. The ominous message inscribed on human skin had been accurate. Whatever had inhabited Right’s stomach was indeed extraordinary. No one could predict the nature of the ghost it might become when fully developed.

“Right, you’ve truly set something dreadful in motion,” Miles murmured.

“Miles, is that you?” Recognizing his voice, Coral’s face lit up, her fear subsiding to surprise. In that instant, Miles appeared as her only hope.

“Are you Miles? How did you get in here?” Mr. Beach questioned, disbelief etched on his face.

“How am I supposed to earn your five hundred thousand if I can’t get past a door?” Miles countered. “Don’t you believe in the concept of ‘you get what you pay for,’ Mr. Beach? This entity has evolved beyond my original estimate. I’m not certain I can manage it. Thus, the price just went up.”

He wasn’t joking.

Initially, he had been able to repel the ghost baby with only four eyes. But now it had advanced to a more fearsome stage, far more terrifying than before.

“I just hope it doesn’t evolve beyond six eyes, or I might need to retreat,” he added, glancing at the others, ready to abscond if the situation demanded. He wasn’t willing to risk his life for a group of mere acquaintances.

Noticing Miles’s hesitation, the ever-astute Mr. Beach quickly interjected, “I’ll offer you a million dollars, and there will be a bonus afterward.”

Miles sighed, “Another one with deep pockets. I should’ve asked for more in the beginning.”

A million dollars seemed a worthy gamble. That’s simply how the domestic market was priced.

With that, he shifted his attention back to the ghost baby. Now that the ghost domain had opened, he couldn’t afford to waste the opportunity.

Slowly, the ghost baby regained its footing, its head cocked to one side and its jet-black eyes scrutinizing Miles. Its greenish-black skin seemed to exude an aura of death. It hadn’t been harmed by the previous attack, merely repelled due to Miles’s entrance into the ghost domain.

Ghosts can’t be killed. Only a ghost can combat another ghost. The two statements were not contradictory.

Having the power to repel a ghost doesn’t necessarily imply the ability to destroy it.

“So, according to Right, only a ghost can effectively repel another, correct?” Miles pondered aloud, his eyes subtly flickering. Having dealt with numerous supernatural cases, he had slowly mastered his inner fears. Maybe this was tied to his dual existence as half-human, half-ghost.

“I’m not sure if you, a being such as yourself, comprehend human language or have any sense of reason. But, I’ve committed to safeguarding this family today. Would you respect that and back off?” Miles proposed.

However, before he could finish, a chilling green-black aura began radiating from the ghost baby, infecting the surroundings.

“Is this… the ghost domain?” Miles exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief and his heart pounding with apprehension. The ghost baby was learning and evolving. It was evidently not a simple entity.

“The ghost baby is dangerous. For safety’s sake, it’s best to eliminate it first,” Miles resolved, his expression hardened.

Suddenly, the ghost baby’s foot phased through the floor, causing it to plummet directly to the floor below. Simultaneously, Miles stepped forward, his red aura flickered and vanished before the eyes of Mr. Beach and his family.

The ghost domain descended with the plummeting baby – from the sixteenth floor to the thirteenth, and then to the ninth.

Just before reaching the ground floor, Miles retracted the ghost domain.josei

“Bang!”

With a tremendous crash, the ghost baby plunged from the sixteenth floor straight to the ground. Its form was compressed, lying in an odd posture on the floor.

Miles peered down from above at the immobile ghost baby. He was certain it wasn’t deceased.

Noticing the time, he realized that the duration of the ghost domain was nearing its limit.

“First, I need to get Coral’s family to safety, then figure out the rest,” Miles determined. Given his limited encounters with such vengeful spirits, erring on the side of caution was the best strategy.

In an instant, he vanished from the spot.

Moments after his departure, the ghost baby, appearing like a lump of meat flattened on the ground, began to slowly twitch. Its odd form stirred, gradually standing upright once again.