Soul stood frozen in shock, her eyes wide open as she tried to process the words that had just come out of the handsome man's mouth. "Bring the dead back to life?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
The man nodded slowly, his piercing blue-green eyes never leaving hers. "Yes, Soul. You have the power to bring the dead back to life."
Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of it all. Was this some sort of sick joke? How could she possibly have the power to bring the dead back to life? And who was this man, really?
"I know it sounds impossible," the man continued, sensing Soul's hesitation. "But I assure you, it's very real. And you have it in you."
She shook her head, still in disbelief. "How? How is that even possible?"
The man stepped closer to her, his breath warm on her neck. "I can't reveal all the details. But trust me when I say that you have a gift. And I'm here to help you unlock it."
Her heart raced as she looked into the man's eyes. There was something about him that she was trying to deny, but it seemed as if it had been trying to reveal itself from the beginning, but she just didn't want to acknowledge it. And how come he seemed to know so much about her?
"How do you know that?" she voiced out her question.
The man smiled mysteriously. "Let's just say that I have been watching you for a long time. And I know what you're capable of."
Soul couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine at his words. There was something unsettling about the way he spoke, almost as if he knew more than he was letting on. But at the same time, she couldn't deny the curiosity that was starting to build inside her. She was still skeptical about what he was saying, but she decided to indulge him.
"O...kay," she finally said, nodding slowly. "If I really have the power that you're saying I have, what should I do with it?" Even to her ears what she said sounded quite ridiculous.
The man's smile widened. "Like I said. We start with Sarah. I want you to try and bring her back."
As Soul looked at the handsome man in front of her, she couldn't shake off the feeling that this situation was unreal. Bringing the dead back to life? It sounded like something straight out of a fairytale or a horror story, not something that could happen in real life.
But then again, there was something about the man that made her want to believe him, to trust him.
"Sarah?" she asked. "Why Sarah? Why do you want me to bring her back?"
The man's expression turned serious, almost grave. "There are things that you don't understand," he said. "Things that are beyond your comprehension. But I assure you, Sarah's return is crucial."
She opened her mouth to protest, but the man held up a hand, cutting her off.
"You don't have to understand everything right now," he said, his voice softening. "Just trust me. If you want to unlock the true potential of your gift, you need to bring Sarah back."
Soul hesitated for a moment, her mind racing with a thousand questions. But something in the man's words made her believe him, made her want to do what he was asking of her. She took a deep breath and nodded, her eyes never leaving his.
"Okay," she said finally. "If I do it, how?"
The man's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "We'll start with a ritual," he said, his tone turning serious once again. "But first, we need to talk about how you got your gift."
Her eyes widened in surprise. She had almost forgotten about that. How had she gotten the power to bring the dead back to life?
She took a deep breath before speaking. "I don't know how you know about my gift. I don't have any memory of meeting any mysterious beings or anything of that sort who would have given me the power you're talking about."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly as he listened to her. "That's because it wasn't a conventional experience," he said. "Your gift was not given to you. It was always within you. It's in your bloodline."
She furrowed her brow in confusion. "My bloodline?" she repeated.
"Yes," the man confirmed. "Your family has a long history of these abilities. Your gift is a rare one, passed down through generations. It was only a matter of time before it would manifest in you."
Soul was stunned. She had never heard anything like this before. Her family had never talked about any unusual abilities, let alone anything related to bringing the dead back to life. She had always thought she was just an ordinary person, with no special talents or gifts.
"I don't understand," she said, still trying to wrap her head around everything. "If this gift has been in my family for generations, why hasn't anyone ever talked about it before?"
The man's expression softened as he looked at her. "Your family has always kept its magical abilities a secret," he said. "It's a tradition that goes back centuries. They believed that it was safer to keep their powers hidden, to avoid persecution from those who would not understand. But now, it's time for you to embrace your gift and use it to help others."
She nodded slowly, still feeling overwhelmed by everything she had just learned. It was a lot to take in, but deep down, she knew that there was a possibility that what he was telling her was true. She had always felt like there was something different about her, something that she couldn't quite explain. She was sure that she didn't belong to the norm. Now, it all makes sense.
"And what about Sarah?" she asked, turning her attention back to the task at hand.
The man's expression turned serious once more. "Sarah is special. She has a destiny to fulfill, and it's up to you to help her on that path. If she remains dead, her fate will be lost forever."
Soul's head was spinning. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She still had so many questions, but there was one more that had been bothering her since that time they met in the graveyard.
"Who are you really?", she finally asked.
The mysterious man tilted his head, seemingly considering how to answer her question. He took a deep breath before speaking, his voice low and smooth.
"I am a wanderer," he says, his dark eyes meeting hers. "A traveler of sorts, drifting through this world without a true home. I am a collector of stories, a witness to the lives of those I meet."
He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing. "As for my name, you may call me Malik. It is a name that has been given to me by those who have crossed my path."
He offered a small smile like he was hoping his answer had satisfied her curiosity without revealing too much.
But it made him all the more mysterious to her.