CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: FLIRT

Xander gave a polite nod, his expression ice cold, while the black fog clouding him deeply irked Lana, yet on the surface, her sweet smile prevailed.

Seeing him turning to leave, Lana turned her attention to Mathilda, whose expression was filled with interest.

"I will leave then. As for Xander... Es un maldito mocoso. Su vida es miserable." (He’s a damn brat. His life is miserable.)

Xander’s steps faltered, and his back grew stiff, while the black fog around him started to get tinged with red mist too.

Mathilda pretended to be calm; her eyes, however, were fixed in Xander’s direction, trying to look for a reaction.

Seeing him halting, Mathilda’s heart leaped to her throat, her fist clenched.

However, soon Xander continued to walk, as if nothing was amiss.

Her hanging heart fell, and Mathilda turned toward Lana with triumph in her eyes.

"En cuanto al fantasma que posee su cuerpo, está destinado a la condenación eterna." Lana’s ice-cold words rang out. (As for the ghost that possesses his body, it is destined for eternal damnation.)

"What are you..." Mathilda began, but she was cut off midway.

"Puta." A low, hoarse voice echoed in a deep voice. Mathild couldn’t be any more familiar with the voice; her heart pounded with panic, while her body slowly turned cold.

Xander had stopped walking, and his expression was difficult, since his back was facing Mathilda.

"Puta, estás destinada a la condenación eterna." (Slut, you are destined to eternal damnation.) Xander’s voice sounded somewhere between a woman’s and a man’s. The effect was such that the voice sounded a bit robotic and fear-enticing.

The atmosphere of the room turned ice cold, and even with no air conditioner, Lana trembled.

An invisible hand seemed to strangle Lana, making it a bit difficult for her to breathe.

Lana patted her chest because she felt as if someone had placed a heavy boulder on her heart.

It took her pale face a few deep breaths to regain some color.

Mathilda stumbled and fell straight on the plush carpet in horror.

"No... No... how can he..." Mathilda muttered in horror.

Lana’s heartbeat spiked the moment she heard the reply in Spanish. Suppressing her fear, she waited for him to finish with his curse, yet her inner mind was in chaos.

’Sh*t... now that he is speaking Spanish, he seems even more fearsome. God Nytheris, if you hear me, please let this ghost go after he finishes with his curse. I won’t curse him back, I promise.’

Mr. Crow (who can hear Lana’s inner thoughts): "..."

"Puta! Puta!" Xander’s shoulder trembled as his gritted voice cut through the air. (Slut! Slut!)

Lana tried to shrink her presence as much as she could, but the next second, Mathilda was scared out of her wits, scrambled behind Lana, and started to pat her legs while pointing at Xander.

"Exorcise him! Exorcise him! He is possessed!"

As if understanding the malice in Mathilda’s words, Xander, with a mechanical movement, turned his head toward Lana.

Lana: ૮₍˶Ó﹏Ò ⑅₎ა No, you have heard it wrong!

Lana’s soul almost left her body when she saw that the sclera of Xander’s eyes had turned black. An eerie smile tugged at his face, while the corner of his lips was stretched to the point that it was humanly impossible.

What terrified her was that Xander tilted his head and muttered in Spanish, "Comida deliciosa." (Delicious food.)

Lana: !!!!

Goosebumps broke out on the entire body of Lana, and her body reacted instinctively as she took a step back.

The cold atmosphere made her shiver while her heart threatened to pop out of her chest.

"Miss Lana, exorcise it! Don’t be afraid! I am here!" Mathilda, hiding behind Lana, cheered with forced enthusiasm.

Lana: That’s what I’m afraid of!

Resisting the urge to cry on the spot because of such a pig teammate, Lana gulped.

’Right! I have to channel my mystic energy! I will do it and the ghost will be exorcised.’

"¡Fantasma guapo, no te enojes, me gustas! (Handsome ghost, don’t be angry; I just like you!)" Lana inched toward Xander; her legs were trembling like noodles.

"I..." Lana stared straight in Xander’s eyes, and seeing the amusement and unguarded look in his eyes, yelled in her heart,

’Now!’

The next second, a finger-wide stream of mystic power poured out of her index finger and rushed to Xander.

’Done!’ Lana, sensing her success, let the smugness slip in her eyes.

The next second, however, Lana watched in horror as Xander dodged the stream, while the darkness in his eyes increased. All the mirth vanished, and what remained was a cruel glint.

Not giving him a chance, Lana changed the direction of her index finger, yet the next second, a pale, cold hand with bone-crushing strength gripped her hand.

"Ahhh!" A scalding heat seeped from Xander’s hand to Lana’s forearm. A burning smell spread through the air.

Bile rose up Mathilda’s throat, burning with the sour tang of dread. The smell was of human meat being burned.

"No! Stop!" Mathilda’s heart tightened. It took her a few seconds to realize that Lana’s skin was getting burned.

’I can’t get her hurt!’ That was the only thought in her mind.

Xander froze for a brief moment, and the eerie smile on his face twisted. As a result, when Lana struggled to free her hand from his tight grip, she succeeded and moved away.

Thump. Thump.

Lana lost her footing from fear, pain spreading from her now scalded forearm through her entire body.

’Run away... he will kill you otherwise...’ A voice whispered in her mind; the delusions about her powers seemed to have shattered into thin shards, piercing her confidence.

Should she? It would be easy. The case should never have been assigned to her in the first place, and Ferns will not blame her either.

Suddenly, Mathilda’s lifeless eyes from the scene flashed in her mind.

’No... I can’t run away... Mathilda and Fern’s family will be in danger.’ Lana gritted her teeth as the faint metallic taste spread in her mouth.

Instead, she used this rare opportunity to point her index finger in Xander’s direction, and this time her target was hit.