The old ghost paused, hovering in mid-air, as if considering Kael's words with far too much amusement.
Then, without missing a beat, the ghost burst into laughter again, a hollow, sarcastic chuckle that seemed to shake the very air around them.
"A favor, eh? You want me to save you, and you'll repay me later?" The old ghost's tone dripped with mockery. "Oh, my, oh my, how original. That's the classic deal, isn't it?"
Kael's form was starting to flicker and warp from the wraith's cold pull. His thoughts were clouded with pain, but he forced himself to focus.
"I don't have much time," he gritted out through clenched teeth, his voice strained from the wraith's tightening grip. "I'll do it. I promise—I'll owe you one."
The old ghost's laughter faded, but a sly smile played across his lips. "Well now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
He looked Kael up and down with the air of someone who'd just scored a very sweet deal. "Alright, kid, you've got yourself a deal. A favor it is. I'll save your sorry soul... for now."
With that, the old ghost stretched out his hand, his translucent fingers brushing against Kael's flickering form.
The air grew colder as he drew closer to the wraith, and Kael could feel the pressure lessen, the grip on his soul slackening for the first time since it had started pulling him in.
The old ghost muttered something under his breath, and with a flash, a wave of unseen power radiated from him.
Kael's body jerked, and for the briefest moment, the sensation of being devoured by the wraith paused. The tendrils loosened, releasing their grasp, and Kael was thrown backward with force, flying away from the creature's reach.
He gasped, his soul still rattled from the near-encounter, but his body was free—at least, for now.
Kael floated away, disoriented but alive. As he steadied himself in the air, the old ghost's voice called out to him, laced with that same sarcastic humor.
"See, kid? It wasn't so bad. You owe me a favor now, so don't go forgetting that." The ghost floated nearby, shaking his head with exaggerated mock disappointment.
"But you'll probably forget the favor part when you're not in life-or-death mode next time. Happens all the time. I'll collect on it when you least expect it."
Kael narrowed his eyes at the old man, knowing this wasn't a favor he'd ever forget—but damn, he had a feeling he'd been scammed.
The ghost had used him as bait and still managed to make a deal. But it didn't matter. What mattered now was that he was alive, his soul intact.
Kael took a deep breath, slowly floating back to a safer distance, but his mind was already working.
He'd figure out a way to get back at this old ghost eventually. But right now, survival was the only thing that mattered.
"Thanks," Kael muttered, despite the bitterness in his voice. "But don't think this means I won't collect when the time comes."
The old ghost chuckled, his form flickering with glee. "Oh, I'll be waiting, kid. I'll be waiting."
Kael's mind raced, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he floated beside the old ghost, who moved with unnerving speed.
The soul wraith, which had been so close to devouring him, was now a fading shadow in the distance, its pursuit far behind them.
For the first time since he had become a soul, Kael felt an odd sense of relief—he was no longer being dragged toward the underworld.
"What the hell was that thing?" Kael asked, still trying to get his bearings. His form flickered with the effort, but he forced himself to focus. "And what do you mean, 'I'm a target'? What's a soul wraith, really?"
The old ghost chuckled, his form flickering with amusement. "Oh, my, my... So many questions, kid. Can't blame you, though.
You've been thrown into the deep end." He glanced back at the now-distant wraith. "That's a soul wraith.
It's a creature that hunts souls that are too stubborn to move on. Basically, souls that can't find peace.
It drags them down into the underworld, a place where you don't wanna end up. Trust me."
Kael nodded grimly, the weight of the old ghost's words settling in his chest. He wasn't sure why, but something about the ghost's casual explanation unsettled him even more.
The idea that he could have been dragged away, to some place of no return, was a cold thought.
He wanted to ask more, but the old ghost spoke again, not giving him the chance.
"As for me, I'm a little more of a 'legendary' figure than I look, but let's not get into that." He grinned before his expression shifted to something more serious.
"Now, let me explain something you'll need to know, kid. You're a soul now. It's dangerous out here. If you wander around too much, you're a walking target."
Kael blinked, not fully understanding. "What do you mean, 'target'? Is there more than one kind of... thing after me?"
The old ghost's expression darkened just slightly. "Oh, absolutely. See, as a soul, you're not exactly... invisible. Some people can see you.
People whose powers allow them to see beyond the physical world. They can sense souls like yours—like a wolf sniffing out a rabbit.
And then there's natural predators, ones that feed on souls like you."
Kael's stomach twisted with unease. "Predators?" he repeated.
"Mm-hmm," the old ghost said with a knowing grin.
"You think the wraith is the only thing you need to worry about?" He pointed to a nearby tree as they sped through the forest, Kael floating beside him, struggling to keep up.
A red leaf, hanging precariously from the branch of a nearby plant, caught Kael's eye. "See that? That leaf right there? That's a soul-eating plant.
It survives by swallowing souls. The plant feeds on lost souls, just like the wraith does. If you get too close, that thing could snatch you right up.
And over there..." The old ghost's finger moved toward another plant, smaller, almost unnoticeable beside the first. "That one? It refines souls into pills.
It doesn't just consume you—it condenses your soul, turning it into something far more valuable for whoever needs it."
Kael felt his breath catch in his throat. "You're telling me there are plants out here that... eat souls?"