The canyon mountain road stretched out ahead, winding higher with each turn, the terrain growing more dangerous.
Ruby felt the pressure mounting with every second, her pulse quickening as she handled her car, powered by her spiritual energy. She was almost neck and neck with Astra.
Astra caught sight of Ruby in her rearview mirror, and her expression turned cold. She hadn't expected this unknown witch to be so skilled. Astra had been undefeated for two years, dominating the race with her fearless driving.
She didn't need the prize money, but the thrill of being praised for her talent and bravery kept her competing. This new challenger, however, was starting to get under her skin. There was no way she would let someone like Ruby take her title.
Everyone admired her for her skill, and she basked in the pride of being the one no one dared to challenge. Losing was not something she entertained.
The mountain's height was dizzying now, and the steep drop to one side made every turn a deadly risk. One wrong move, and Ruby knew she could go flying off the edge. Many of the racers had already quit, their cars sliding or breaking down under the pressure. Of the fifteen who had started, only a few remained on the track, their vehicles struggling to climb the increasingly dangerous terrain.
Sweat dripped down Ruby's face, but she kept her focus sharp. Her car wasn't just running on fuel—it was fueled by her spiritual energy, her willpower pushing it forward.
Every bump in the road sent a jolt through her, but she maintained her control, using her spiritual flow to balance the car's speed and stability as they climbed higher. The pressure was intense, but she couldn't back down now, not when she was so close.
Astra glanced at her again, her jaw tightening. She wouldn't let some newcomer, especially one who was struggling as much as Ruby, take her title. Not today.
Astra's eyes narrowed as she glanced at Ruby closing in behind her. How dare this unknown witch challenge her? No one had come close to beating her in years, and she wasn't about to let some unknown witch steal her glory. A wicked grin spread across Astra's face as an idea formed. She could win, not just with her skill, but by playing dirty.
Ruby was struggling to keep control on the steep, narrow mountain road, her focus entirely on the twists and turns. Astra, knowing the terrain well, took advantage of Ruby's inexperience. She suddenly swerved hard to the left, cutting Ruby off. The move was so sharp that Ruby had to jerk her car to avoid crashing, her wheels skidding dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.
Astra smirked, seeing Ruby's car wobble. But she wasn't done yet.
Up ahead, the path was even more treacherous. Astra intentionally sped up, kicking up dust and loose rocks behind her. The debris flew back, pelting Ruby's windshield and forcing her to slow down, her vision partially obscured by the cloud of dust.
Astra's laughter echoed in her mind as she imagined Ruby's frustration.
"Let's see you handle that, rookie," Astra muttered under her breath.
But Ruby wasn't giving up. Through the dust, Astra could still see her determined indifferent red eyes in the mirror, and that only fueled her desire to crush her even more.
As they reached the peak of the canyon and began descending, the real test began. The road down the mountain was steep and treacherous, not as risky as the climb but long enough to send a car hurtling out of control at insane speeds. Gravity was now Ruby's real enemy. Even without her spiritual energy, the sheer momentum of the descent could send her car flying down with deadly force.
Ruby's dark red eyes flashed as she fixed her gaze on Astra's car just ahead. Astra had tried to play dirty, but she had no idea who she was messing with. Ruby gripped the wheel tighter, her lips curling into a smirk.
"You think you're the only one who can play dirty? Let's see how well you handle me."
Astra was still gunning it down the steep path, her car moving fast, but Ruby knew that Astra was getting cocky. She was underestimating her. Ruby could feel the rhythm of the descent, the pull of gravity pushing her forward, but instead of resisting, she leaned into it, letting the car accelerate. The wind whipped past her, and the ground seemed to blur as her car sped up.
Her spiritual energy pulsed within her, syncing perfectly with the car's movements.
Astra, up ahead, started weaving slightly, controlling her speed, trying to keep ahead of Ruby. But Ruby noticed something. The road ahead had a sharp turn.
"Let's see how fearless you really are, Astra," Ruby muttered under her breath.
Just as Astra approached the turn, Ruby made her move. She floored the gas pedal, her car roaring as it shot forward with sudden speed. Astra's eyes flicked to her rearview mirror, noticing too late that Ruby was catching up—fast.
In a daring move, Ruby cut close to Astra, inching dangerously close to her car's side. The pressure was on now, and Ruby knew that Astra would be forced to react. Astra tried to veer away from Ruby, but the curve came too quickly, and she overcompensated. Her car swerved slightly, her tires screeching as she fought to keep control.
Ruby smirked.
🪄
At the same time in the transparent floating cube, a gorgeous guy with long, golden-blonde hair that cascaded like silk, His long eyelashes framed deep blue eyes that sparkled with an almost ethereal quality.
His face was perfectly sculpted, delicate and fair, with plump, full pink lips that could enchant anyone. But despite his angelic appearance, there was something weird about the way he stared intently at the screen without blinking, like he was trying to out-stare a statue.
"Oh, my wife is the best," he muttered shyly, a dreamy expression settling on his face.
The ghost in the light gray robe looked utterly shocked, as if he had just witnessed a human—a myth in this world, often described as an evil force capable of destruction through their insatiable greed. Stories of humans, especially the infamous tales of the seven deadly sins showcased in a popular TV show, circulated widely among the ghosts.
Kaelan Nightmare, the one sitting opposite him, was a well-known model and daily soap actor who had become the star of the seven deadly sin show, drawing in viewers with his great acting skills, flamboyant personality and outrageous spending habits. He was arrogant, a notorious ghost who typically held disdain for witches.
"What happened?" the gray-robed ghost stammered, his head spinning as he tried to comprehend his friend's thoughts. "You—you missed a few steps there, Kaelan. How did she become your wife?" He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him as he realized his crazy ghost friend was staring intently at that witch, the only part of her visible being her striking red eyes.
Kaelan, lost in his own world, continued to gaze at Ruby's eyes, completely oblivious to his friend's bewilderment. "I don't even know if she's beautiful or not," he said, sighing dreamily. "But I like my mysterious wife. She's like that one dessert you can't quite figure out—deliciously confusing!"
—To be continued...🪄