The ghost scoffed and leaned over the table, swiftly pulling the bookmark out of the woman's reach.
"Who said you could touch it?" he muttered, a frown creasing his brow.
The young woman let out a soft gasp, thinking she had accidentally flicked the bookmark across the table. She quickly reached out to fix it, but the ghost shot her a look so intense it would have made a lesser soul turn to ash.
"It's alright," Ein picked up the bookmark before Adriel could add to the list of people he had haunted inside the cult.
The young woman nodded and laughed nervously. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and pointed at her bookmark. "Mine's that one."
Some of the old ladies turned to glance where she pointed, admiring her work. It had red flowers glued on, kisses drawn with markers and white ribbon bows on the corners.
"My, that's youthful," one of the older ladies commented.
"Youthful and flirty. It reminds me of the notes I passed to my crush back in middle school. Those were the days," another lady added, chuckling as she passed by.
The ghost remained unimpressed, his lips pursed into a thin line as he inspected her work. "Yeah, it looks like a teenage girl made it."
Ein scratched his brow, getting a sense that the ghost was dissatisfied with something, but he wasn't able to pinpoint what it was.
As the young woman accepted the compliments and turned back to Ein, she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice to a whisper.
"By the way... Is it true that you died and came back to life? We all saw you lose consciousness during the Main Prayer, and then I heard the nurses talking..."
They were interrupted as the woman with the short bob went around collecting the used materials, stopping next to them. "Did you all have a good time?" she asked cheerfully.
Sandra's eyes flicked to Ein's bookmark, then to Ein, and her smile widened. "Are you an artist? I've seen many wonderful crafts, but this one has a certain... professional touch."
Adriel smiled proudly, glancing at Ein as if waiting for acknowledgement.
"I'm Emily, by the way," the young woman extended her hand to shake Ein's.
Ein didn't even manage to react to her introduction before a roll of ribbon was thrown out of the basket of materials, the spool landing on the table with a clang.
Adriel had seemingly decided to play catch with it. Ein's eyebrow twitched. Was it so hard to stay still for five minutes? Just a few more ghostly activity around him, and people would start suspecting Ein.
He turned to glare at the ghost, but Adriel shrugged innocently, acting like he was not the cause of the noise. The ghost was picking at his fingernails apathetically.
Emily's hand fell limply back down, never receiving the handshake.
Meanwhile, Sandra, who was collecting the materials simply picked the roll back up and placed it back in the basket. "Oh, boy. It must have rolled out."
Ein glanced back to Emily. Actually, this was a great chance to stir up some gossip.
"You're right, I died for a while," he put on a sincere act. "I even saw my dead body from an outer perspective."
Emily leaned in, fascinated. "Really? What else?"
Ein recalled the chaotic scene of being slapped back to his body by Adriel, then waking up to the vibrant green eyes locked onto his. He shook off the strange feeling and cleared his throat.
"I saw a tunnel with a white light," Ein lied, webbing the story like a spider. "But as I walked halfway through it, our Leader's voice called out to me, so I turned around and ran back. Then I woke up."
Emily clasped her hands together as if in prayer. "Wow... So it's true? People can actually come back to life? I can't believe it..." She quickly waved her hands. "N-Not that I doubt our Leader! It's just..."
"Miraculous," Ein continued in a soft voice, playing the part of a mystical survivor. "It's truly an unbelievable experience."
He cringed internally, but Emily looked intrigued. She would likely tell others about it as soon as she left the book club area. The rumor was going to reach Victor Hale in no time.
"You are so lucky," Emily marveled, her excitement growing. "It's like you were the chosen one! Have you perhaps met our Leader personally?"
"Not yet. I believe patience is a virtue. I'll wait until our Leader is ready to speak to me," Ein said, picking up her bookmark and giving it to her, hoping she would run to talk about it as soon as possible.
"I'm sure he's just as amazed as I am!" Emily's face lit up as if she'd just been handed the key to the greatest secret in the cult. She clutched her bookmark tightly. "Can I tell the others about it?"
"Of course. Everyone should know it's possible," Ein noted, still in his holy pretense.
Emily waved goodbye eagerly, practically bouncing on her toes as she hurried to the main hall. Before she even reached the door, she stopped to whisper to one of the older women, who immediately gasped and covered her mouth, eyes turning to Ein in wonder.
Ein allowed himself a faint smile. The rumor would spread faster than wildfire.
He picked up his bookmark and the book he was given, and left to stroll through the small, secluded park right outside the building.
"What a way to twist the situation in your favor," Adriel commented, stepping on his heels as usual. "Seems you're getting better with your words. Though you're lucky that girl was gullible."
Ein picked a bench farther away from the doors and windows, engulfed by spruce and pine.
There were a few other members getting their daily dose of fresh air within the fenced territory. Everyone was minding their own business.
"What was up with that?" Ein questioned the ghost, opening the book to pretend to read.
Adriel sat down close by, crossing his legs with feigned indifference. "Up with what?"
"The ribbon? The sour face? The whole act?" Ein looked up at the ghost. "Something bothering you?"
"No idea what you're talking about. I'm acting the same as usual," the ghost shrugged, playing dumb.
Ein studied Adriel's pout for a while before lowering his gaze to the page. "Sure."
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the quiet whispers of the wind. Every now and then, Adriel let out a heavy sigh, uncrossing and crossing his legs restlessly.
"What if I just stay dead in the end?" The ghost plucked the bookmark from between the pages to play with it. "Then this whole cult thing would've been a useless struggle."
Adriel seemed serious for once, with a deep look in his eyes as he stared into the distance. Ein followed his gaze thoughtfully. It was a bleak view of naked tree branches and gray skies.
"You..." Ein was scrambling for reassuring words once again.
Getting better with his words? No way. He was still struggling to find the right words to say. That is, until he caught the sight of Adriel's thoughtful expression turning sly.
The concerned tension on Ein's face dropped immediately. What was he up to again?
Adriel leaned back with another sigh, the mirth in his eyes betraying his act. "There are so many things I could've done in these thirteen days... What a waste."
Ein knew he was walking right into a trap, but still asked, "For example?"
"Weeell," the ghost dragged, shooting a quick glace at Ein, his lips twitching into a smirk. "I died without ever kissing anyone I liked."