Chapter 51: To Die Quietly

    Was this it?

    Seventeen years of his life, not even full — just memory scraps of his grandmother’s voice, that gentle smile on her wrinkled face, the simple birthdays where she never failed to get him a cake regardless of their tight budget, the sound of tires screeching when he was two which took his parents’ lives, then the meaningless fist fight against delinquents until he was grounded by blindness.

    Seventeen years...

    Mikel scoffed at the face of death. "Fuck you."

    The man smirked in amusement as he coldly responded, "Even now, you refuse to die quietly."

    At the same time, Doom’s screen glitched for the last time, pulsing as it showed one last message:

    [System Emergency Protocol... ready for launch...]

    Mikel’s neck rippled from the pressure of the tank-topped man’s hand coming close to it. A thin slash appeared on the side of his neck, starting with just half an inch until the slit stretched wider.

    But then —

    CRASH!

    A force suddenly pushed Mikel, causing him to roll to the side. His arms yanked upward, hooked by hollowed hands, wincing as his lower body slammed on the ground, his upper body avoiding it.

    "Oh?" the blindfolded woman hummed, tilting her head to the side. "That’s... interesting."

    Meanwhile, Mikel grunted at the brief pain on his lower back. But when he came around, his mind blanked for a second.

    What?

    Mikel looked up, his eyes widening at the ghost duo that had their arms hooked around Mikel’s.

    "What are you two..." he trailed off, catching them looking back at him.

    Their hollow faces were paler than ever, barely holding their form. Their ghostly bodies trembled. Yet, regardless of the fear that was greater than their own spiritual beings, a glint of determination flickered on their faces.

    However, that wasn’t Mikel’s concern; not their sudden interference, nor how these two were able to pull him away from danger just in time.

    Shit!

    Mikel clenched his teeth, knowing this wouldn’t end well — neither for him nor for them.

    "What are you — leave! I told you not to —"

    "Boss!" the male ghost yelled, his voice ringing sharply. "I’ll buy you some time — take him with you!"

    The female ghost nodded, tightening her grip on Mikel’s arm. "Boss, let’s go —"

    Before she could even say the rest of her sentiments, a shadow towered over them from behind.

    All three froze as the pressure behind them thickened the air.

    "Buy him... some time?" The man’s low voice caused everything in the vicinity to turn cold and silent. "Big words for lesser beings such as yourselves."

    His long leg was already flinging for a sidekick, aiming for the three of them at once. Mikel, already on his last leg, held his breath while the ghost duo froze for just a brief second. Then, in the snap of a finger, they reacted — stomping their feet and holding Mikel’s arms to create distance from the threat they knew they could never win.

    They threw their shoulders under Mikel’s arms, cushioning his fall. His landing barely hurt — unlike theirs.

    Mikel stared at them, stunned, eyes wide. "Hey... you can’t..."

    They would not win.

    But he didn’t have to spell it out for them.

    The two knew; they were aware... but they didn’t care.

    "We’re not going to let you die here, boss," the male ghost forced out his words, his voice barely making it without breaking. He maintained his hostile eyes toward the man, gulping, knowing tonight wouldn’t end without anyone dying.

    "We’re already dead," he breathed out, balling his hands into a tight fist. "But you!"

    He huffed, brushing Mikel’s arms off his shoulder as he stepped forward. His tight fist trembled, but then the determination in his heart supported him to stand before Mikel and his partner.

    Clenching his teeth, his mind drifted to the nightly errands they’d been doing until now. A wry smile turned up on his face.

    "I’ve gotten my peace, boss," he whispered, the softness in his eyes gradually replaced with determination. "Please don’t change that by... becoming one of us yourself."

    Mikel’s face blanked and paled.

    "No," he whispered, his heart sinking. "No, no, no — you idiot!"

    "GO NOW!" the male ghost yelled before jogging to where the tank-top guy was standing.

    The female ghost stared at him, holding her breath as if it might keep him from vanishing. Looking away with great difficulty, she dragged Mikel with her.

    "Let’s go!"

    "No, no —!" Mikel shouted, struggling against her grip, but she dragged him away anyway. His breath hitched, eyes unblinking, stuck on the male ghost that was throwing a pathetic jab at the man.

    The tank-top guy didn’t move and just stared at the little ghost brat coldly. Slowly, he extended his arm, his middle finger curling to his thumb in a flick position.

    "Ghosts naturally know their place," he muttered, not at all pleased by such bravado from this ghost or the reason for how this ghost could even stand before him. "But it seemed spending time with the kid made you forget your place."

    "Ahhh!!!" the male ghost shouted, launching a jab at the man.

    However, he couldn’t even touch the man’s arm as the latter flicked his finger, and the ghost vanished — like he had never existed — like he imploded soundlessly.

    No...

    Time slowed for Mikel, his breath stopping as he witnessed how the male ghost had just disappeared without a trace. The ghost couldn’t even come close, let alone land a hit.

    "No," he breathed out, snapping out of it when he noticed the man turning his head in his direction.

    The man didn’t even flinch; he didn’t care about erasing that ghost.

    He just turned his head to Mikel and the female ghost that was dragging him like they were next.

    No, no, no...

    Not having enough time to grieve for that male ghost, Mikel glanced at the female ghost.

    He needed to do something because... she was next.

    Mikel flung his arm as if tugging the Blood Chain awake. The bracelet only pulsed once — a pulse of determination, but it no longer had the energy to fight.

    "Damn... it!!!" he roared, then his breath hitched as the female ghost dragging him skidded to a halt.

    Her body trembled as her eyes widened, staring blankly at the man before her. She couldn’t even look away from him, watching him raise a hand as if to slap her to oblivion.

    Mikel, on the other hand, looked up. His heart sank, not because he didn’t know this would happen. He knew it would happen, but there was nothing he could do.

    "Boss." Suddenly, she spoke with a soft voice.

    Mikel looked back at her, his face crumpling as he caught the subtle smile on her face.

    "I’m sorry," she muttered with a smile. "And thank you... for letting me live even after death—"

    As soon as those words rolled off her tongue, she pushed him away. Mikel reached out to her, but his fingertips barely brushed the hem of her short sleeve.

    No...

    She kept her soft eyes on him, smiling, not even looking at the incoming hand.

    Mikel’s breath stopped as his mouth fell open.

    All that followed was the sound of his body landing on the ground and the silent yet deafening sound of her end.

    She was gone — erased, just like that.

    [System Instability Detected: Emergency Protocol launching...]