Chereads / My Ghostly Girlfriend / Chapter 9 - Echoes of the Past

Chapter 9 - Echoes of the Past

The midnight wind swept through the cracks of the window, carrying with it a sharp, biting chill. The room was quiet once again, as if the chaos that had unfolded earlier was nothing more than a distant nightmare. But Wang Yifan knew it was real—every harrowing second of it. And worse, this was only the beginning.

Leaning against the wall, he struggled to steady his breathing. His body felt weak, drained by the backlash of the Spirit Mirror.

Li Yin sat next to him, her brows furrowed, her expression a mix of concern and something deeper, more complex. She glanced around the room, which now seemed eerily calm, and spoke in a low, steady voice. "The rift is closed, but we need to leave here immediately. The Enforcers won't give up so easily. This area has been tainted by the forces of the spirit realm, and danger could return at any moment."

"You make it sound so simple…" Yifan forced a dry chuckle, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Do you have any idea how much the Spirit Mirror took out of me? I can't even stand right now."

Li Yin sighed softly. Her gaze lingered on his pale face as she raised her hand, faint light flickering at her fingertips. She seemed ready to try healing him again, but hesitated, recalling how her energy had been repelled earlier. With a troubled look, she lowered her hand.

"What just happened back there?" Yifan asked, his voice firm despite his exhaustion. His dark eyes locked onto hers, searching for answers. "Why did the Spirit Mirror react like that? And why did that Enforcer back off so suddenly?"

Li Yin was silent for a moment, her expression unreadable as she held his gaze. Finally, she spoke, her voice quiet but filled with certainty. "It's your bloodline, Yifan. You're not just an ordinary human."

Her words struck like thunder, reverberating through his mind. He stared at her in stunned disbelief, struggling to process what she'd just said.

"Not ordinary?" he echoed, his voice rising in incredulity. "Are you kidding me? I'm as ordinary as they come!"

"If you were truly ordinary, the Spirit Mirror wouldn't have chosen you as its wielder," Li Yin said calmly. "And the Enforcer wouldn't have retreated." Her tone softened, but her words carried an undeniable weight. "You possess a power that even I can't fully understand. It's not just the key to sealing the rift—it's also why you've been dragged into all of this."

Yifan opened his mouth to protest but found himself at a loss for words. Ever since meeting Li Yin, his once simple life had been thrown into chaos. He couldn't deny that he seemed to be at the center of every strange and supernatural event they encountered.

"So, what do you know?" he asked finally, his voice tense. "Stop holding back. I need the full story."

Li Yin hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Your family made a pact with the spirit realm generations ago," she said. "This pact granted them unique abilities, but at a cost. Their bloodline became tied to the spirit realm itself. And you… you are the heir to this legacy."

"A pact? An heir?" Yifan's voice cracked as a wave of disbelief and unease washed over him.

"Yes." Li Yin's tone was firm, but there was a trace of sympathy in her gaze. "This pact not only affects your fate, but it also makes you a 'key'—a bridge between the mortal world and the spirit realm. That's why the Spirit Mirror responded to you. That's why the Enforcer hesitated."

"Then why didn't I know any of this?" Yifan demanded, his voice rising with frustration. "If my family had ties to the spirit realm, why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Maybe your family severed their connection to the spirit realm long ago. Or maybe they hid it from you, hoping to protect you," Li Yin replied. Her voice softened, but her gaze remained steady. "But now, there's no escaping it. The rift was just the beginning. The real danger lies ahead."

Yifan slumped back against the wall, his expression grim. "So what am I supposed to do?" he muttered, his voice low.

"We need to find answers," Li Yin said, her tone resolute. "The truth about your bloodline and the pact. Only then can we figure out how to stop the balance between the realms from collapsing."

"That sounds like an impossible task," Yifan said with a bitter laugh. "Where are we even supposed to start?"

"The Edge of the Spirit Realm," Li Yin replied. "It's the intersection of reincarnation and memory, the final resting place of all truths. If there's a place to uncover the answers, it's there."

"The Edge of the Spirit Realm?" Yifan repeated, his brow furrowing. "That sounds like a place where I'm more likely to die than find answers."

"It's dangerous," Li Yin admitted without hesitation. "But you're the key. Only you can open the path to that place."

"Of course, it's always me," Yifan muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Fine. Let's say I agree. How do we even get there?"

"We'll need a guide," Li Yin said. "Someone who knows the rules of the spirit realm. Someone who can lead us through its barriers."

"And where do we find this guide?" Yifan asked skeptically.

"They'll find us," Li Yin said, her gaze shifting toward the window. The darkness outside seemed deeper, almost alive. "When you're ready, they'll come."

The wind outside began to die down, but a lingering unease filled the air.

"So, what do we do now?" Yifan asked, his voice tinged with resignation but also a flicker of determination.

"Rest," Li Yin said, rising to her feet. She reached out a hand to help him up. "The journey has only just begun, and you'll need all your strength for what's ahead."

Yifan hesitated, then took her hand, allowing her to pull him up. He didn't know what the future held, but one thing was clear—there was no turning back now.

As they stepped into the cold, silent night, their silhouettes disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind a quiet room and the distant echoes of fate that loomed ever closer.