"Ugh..."
The boy stirred awake with the most mindblowing migraine in existence, it felt like his head was going to explode. His blurry gaze didn't clearly indicate the position he was in. But something had changed... something that had stayed together with him all his life had finally shown signs of variation.
The sky-blue-coloured dot in his vision was now red as blood and flickering.
'Andrew! Y-you're alive!'
He heard the beautiful ghost's voice, trying to sit and find an object behind him that he could lean against. He could vaguely see the progressively clearing silhouette of Sophia who seemed to be standing not too far away.
"Sophia, what happened...? why are you so far away?" With more seconds going by, he finally realised where they were... it was underneath a bridge in front of a river channel. Broadway Bridge is technically the northern edge of Manhattan.
"Why are we so far away? wait, seriously what's wrong with you?" Andrew staggered up and saw Sophia's eyes looking at him with some fear as she stood approximately ten metres away from him next to the river.
The moon was not shining, instead, there was a fair drizzle. The only visible light was that of the light post on the bridge together with the occasional vehicles passing by. His gaze flickered around to see many tents belonging to the homeless. She couldn't have taken them to a more unsafe spot.
'Andrew... don't use those blue flames again, they're scary!'
"Blue flame? what are you talking about... didn't that thing- what happened to that thing?!" Andrew approached and took Sophia by her shoulders, quickly releasing her to inspect his torso which was bereft of wounds.
'But I remember that... thing... sliced me with its arm, on my chest... and it did hurt'.
The migraine didn't stop and he held his head again, paying more attention to that red flickering dot in his vision. When he did so, two abhorrent red words appeared in his mind.
Low Vitality Mode.
'Low vitality, what the-?'
Without any possible explanation for the incidents that took place, Andrew sighed, holding his head and leaning again towards the steel bars of the bridge. Sophia sat next to him, inspecting him and explaining everything that took place.
"You flew with my body, here...? I see, I released blue flames that scared away the monster... that's ridiculous. Don't ask me... I don't know why that happened" He wondered if he could tell her about this flickering red dot and also, the quest... to absorb a soul. So far she has been the only ghost he has been able to speak to.
It was then that he noticed that his phone was in Sophia's hands and he deadpanned.
"Why do you have my phone?"
!!!
The girl started to shake and smile awkwardly.
'Sorry... there were a lot of people calling you, so...' She handed him the phone and Andrew -still holding his head- inspected who had sent him messages; something that surprised him since he didn't usually get any.
"Uncle, Clare, the concierge and... Beatrice." He could guess the first three had been calling him since he wasn't back home yet which was unusual, but Beatrice?
"My father wrote to you as well..." Sophia declared, fidgeting.
It turns out she had already answered everyone in his stead.
"..." He frowned, not having liked that at all.
'They would have worried further if you didn't answer!'
"Fair enough..." He sighed and looked at the questions and answers that he got.
His uncle just asked for his location since the concierge had reported him missing... the days when he didn't have part-time work he'd arrive by nine at the latest. On the days he had part-time he'd arrive a 1 PM at the latest and in every instance, there would always be a concierge waiting for him. His schedule was tight and there hadn't been a single instance until today in which it was broken.
'Everything is alright uncle, I'm just staying in my friend's house' Sophia had written that response and there weren't any answers yet. There was a problem however that made Andrew blush in anxiety and shame to the point he almost threw the phone away.
"W-Why did you put a heart emoji in my uncle's chat!?" He wanted to be buried alive right now.
'I apologise, I'm just used to using emojis!' Sophia placed her arms together apologetically; she knew he wouldn't like it but by the time she did it, it was too late.
He then checked up on Clare who apparently had been contacted and informed by his uncle about his location. Andrew didn't even know that his uncle had Clare's number.
'Mind your own business, Clare' Sophia put, together with a skull emoji.
"..." Andrew didn't know what to say, all he did was throw the awkward Sophia an unamused glare.
'W-What?'
"I don't know if I'd have answered her this way, that's a little cold and why the skull emoji?"
'Hmph! She was one of Mariah's friends... even if she's helping now. She looked at Sasha getting beaten a lot of times and did nothing... I don't like her' The Ghost expressed her hatred quite vividly.
"I see... but you also didn't stop them, did you?" He remarked, earning her wrathful glare.
"Of course, I did try! They'd not put their hands on me but they'd beat her when I wasn't around. That happened so much around school, with other groups, with other boys... I didn't know how to tackle it, we spoke to teachers but the teachers wouldn't do anything, I tried Andrew!".
He didn't think Sophia would harbour so much hatred about this matter... he for one wasn't ever bullied... but he saw others get bullied. Who would dare? those bullied at school were usually the poor or those that came to the campus through scholarships.
"What happened to Sasha?" He decided to ignore the matter and instead ask for something important. They had gone to that basement for Sasha's sake after all.
When he mentioned her, it was as if the wrath was replaced by sorrow... Sophia slide down and broke into silent tears, hugging her knees.
*sob*
"T-That thing took her, Andrew... she already looked quite battered and lifeless. I don't think she will make it".
"Sorry..." All he could do was give his condolences, curious about what would happen to Sasha. This new shadow existence was not something he had seen prior, moreover... this thing looked like it devoured ghosts? or tortured them?
'I don't know what it does, but that thing is evil...'
"It is okay, we did what we could... I-I just want to know what that thing was".
They both nodded, promising to research further in the future about that shadow. He then inspected the message that he received from Leon Jones, Sophia's father... it was mostly him asking if he arrived safely and also trying to confirm if he could get Andrew and Clare's assistance to solve his daughter's case.
Sophia's answer to that question deeply astonished Andrew.
'Good evening, Mr Jones! I have to confess I'm a huge fan of your manhunt buffet and will do my absolute best to help you do your daughter and her friend justice! You don't need to be worried about me, I'm in a friend's house discussing our next move to try and solve! Pace e Gloria!'
"Why does it sound like I'm a master bootlicker!? and why Italian in the end!" Andrew growled towards the ghost who was looking towards the side of the river, whistling.
He then received the answers for each message.
'Do you have friends, Andrew? that's new...' That was his uncle's message, he seemed to have ignored the heart emoji, for both of their sakes.
"Uncle!" Andrew didn't know if he should laugh or cry, as for Sophia? she was laughing.
'Why are you so cold? Are you still upset with me, Andrew? I thought we were cool... I-I'm doing this for your sake, not for Sophia or Sasha! I want to help you!'
Seeing her message, he didn't know what to say... she was still that arrogant spoiled girl even now.
'We are cool, Clare... I was just a little pissed off, talk to you later and also, I hope you tell me why my uncle has your number'.
'I don't have his number. Your uncle called my father, and my father told me that your uncle was anxious because you weren't home yet, which is unusual... by the way Andrew, where are you, don't tell me you're in some girl's house?!'.
Andrew frowned, that's even more suspicious, 'So they know each other? perhaps it makes sense? Clare's father is a millionaire so they could have connections'.
The boy ignored the girl's questions, something that would bite up his bottom later on.
...
'I didn't know you were such a huge fan of my buffet, Andrew... but thanks for your and Clare's heIp. I shall schedule a meeting just so we can talk further about this case together with your uncle and her father. This is not a small matter but if I can receive your support, it will be my immense gratitude. You don't need to worry, my buffet will have your back...!'
The message looked quite grounded and optimistic, yet everything Andrew could see was honorary costs that his wallet couldn't handle, "That's going to be expensive for god's sake... why did I even get involved in this?"
He complained and Sophia frowned but then, another message arrived.
'Don't worry, it will be free of charge so long as we can bring the bastards that did that to my daughter to justice!'
"I don't have to pay for anything? you have such a good father, Sophia!"
*SNORT!*