The old ghost laughed softly. "Oh yes, kid. Nature's a lot more dangerous than you think. Everything's trying to feed off souls.
It's not just the wraiths. In the world of the living, the dead can't just disappear without a trace. There are creatures, people, plants... all kinds of things that want to take a piece of what you've got.
As a soul, you're basically walking food for a lot of things."
Kael shuddered, looking at the red leaf again. He could almost imagine it reaching out, pulling his soul into its grasp, just waiting for the right moment. He swallowed hard, trying not to think about it too much.
"So... what now?" Kael asked, still struggling to wrap his mind around everything. "What do I do? How do I survive?"
The old ghost shot him a mischievous glance. "Well, kid, if you want to survive, you need to learn how to protect yourself. But the first lesson is simple: Don't wander too far from what you know.
There's a lot of dangers in the world that'll come after you, and trust me, not all of them are as forgiving as I am."
Kael felt a surge of irritation but held his tongue. The old ghost had already saved him once, but something about him rubbed Kael the wrong way. Still, the ghost seemed to be offering some guidance, even if it was in his usual sarcastic manner.
"Okay, so... I just stay close to you?" Kael asked. "That it?"
The ghost laughed again, that same mockery in his voice. "Oh no, kid. I've got my own things to worry about. But if you want to survive, you'd better start learning quick.
There's more to this world than you know. And the sooner you get used to that fact, the better off you'll be."
The old ghost paused, letting Kael absorb the information. "For now, though, just stick with me. We'll outrun the wraith, but you'd better get your act together.
You won't always have someone looking out for you, kid. And I'm not sticking around for long."
Kael nodded, his mind still buzzing with everything he had just learned. He hadn't expected his death to lead to a world full of so much danger.
But now, he had to find a way to survive, or he'd end up as just another soul for some hungry predator.
Kael, still trying to make sense of his new, haunting reality, couldn't help but ask. "What about the other wraith? You mentioned the time wraith before. What's that all about?"
The old ghost's grin twisted into something almost playful, but there was a knowing glint in his eyes. He glanced at Kael before looking out over the landscape as if searching for something in the distance.
"Ah, the time wraith," the ghost mused, his voice taking on a faraway tone.
"Now that one's a bit... special. It's the stuff of legends. No one's ever really seen it, but it's said to come after those whose actions affect the timeline.
People who mess with time—create ripples, change things they shouldn't—it hunts them down. It's a whole different beast from a soul wraith."
Kael blinked. "Wait, so it only goes after people who mess with time? But... how would it even know that? And what happens if it catches you?"
The old ghost chuckled softly, his voice laced with dark amusement. "Ah, you're too curious for your own good, kid. Like I said, no one's ever seen one. Not firsthand.
But the rumors? Oh, they're out there. Some say it doesn't just take your soul—it erases your existence from time. Poof. Gone. Like you were never there in the first place."
Kael shuddered. "Erased from time? So, you'd never have even existed?"
The old ghost nodded slowly. "Exactly. No one's ever confirmed it, though. It's one of those things that people whisper about in dark corners, but whether it's true or not? Who knows? All I know is, if you're playing with time, you do not want to run into it."
Kael paused for a moment, digesting the information. He'd only just gotten a grasp on the dangers of his current predicament, but now, there was this legendary wraith he had to worry about as well. It was a lot to take in, especially since no one had concrete proof that such a wraith even existed.
"Sounds like a myth," Kael muttered, half to himself.
The old ghost's grin widened, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Maybe. Maybe not. You're in the afterlife now, kid. Legends come to life here in ways you can't imagine.
But for now..." He paused, eyes flicking toward the horizon. "You don't need to worry about that one. Time wraiths are a big problem, but I think you've got enough on your plate with the soul wraith chasing you, eh?"
Kael could only nod grimly, not wanting to dwell on yet another layer of complexity in this bizarre existence.
"Right," he said dryly, trying to keep his focus. "Let's just get away from the soul wraith first, yeah?"
The old ghost laughed again, that sarcastic edge to his voice. "That's the spirit, kid. Keep it simple. One monster at a time."
Kael followed the old ghost deeper into the twisting labyrinth of the peach fruit. The air was thick with an unnatural energy, and every step felt like he was walking through the veins of something much larger, something ancient. The walls seemed to breathe, pulsing with life, though Kael had no idea what kind of life that might be.
He couldn't shake the urgency gnawing at him. Every second spent in his current soul form was a risk. The weight of the world seemed to press down on him more than ever before, and the memory of the soul wraith's cold, predatory presence lingered like a shadow in his mind. His thoughts circled back to one thing over and over: He needed a body. The sooner, the better.
The old ghost floated ahead of him, moving with casual ease, as if the strange, surreal space they were in had no effect on him. His pace never faltered, and he didn't seem to notice the creeping tension in the air. He was like someone who had been to this place a thousand times before, comfortable in the strange, liminal space.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity winding through the fleshy walls of the peach, the old man stopped. He turned to face Kael, a smirk still playing on his lips.
"This is the place," the old ghost said, his voice smooth and dry. He gestured grandly at the surroundings. "A safe space. For now, at least." His eyes twinkled with amusement, but there was a calculating gleam behind them.
Kael stepped into the space cautiously, his mind still racing. It was a large, open chamber inside the peach, the walls pulsating with a soft, almost comforting light. But Kael wasn't here for comfort. He was here to get answers.
"I need to ask," Kael started, keeping his voice controlled despite the storm of thoughts in his mind. "Is it possible for a ghost like me to possess a body? I mean... is that even something a soul can do?"
The old ghost laughed.