Chapter 39: Change of Objectives

Chapter 39: Change of Objectives

I trust youre both aware of the circumstances we face. Corals condition is unlikely to improve. As an outsider looking in, I would advise you to brace yourselves for what seems to be inevitable, began Miles.

As he concluded, their car drew to a halt in a busy part of the city.

Exiting the vehicle, they situated themselves at a nearby seating area, reflecting on their earlier conversation.

How can you utter such words? Mrs. Ocean retorted, anger edging her voice. Is there no method to erase the mark?

Whether we erase the mark or substitute it with another, the results remain grim, Miles said. I realize my words may sound harsh, but they summarize the reality of the situation, dont they, Mr. Beach?

Puffing on his cigarette, Mr. Beach frowned. As the father of the family, he felt lost and overwhelmed, his expression etched with worry.

He grasped Miles implication. Without erasing the mark, the ghost child would relentlessly pursue Coral. Even if they decided to erase it, a replacement would only serve to delay the inevitable without changing the final outcome.

Dad, Mom, its alright. Im beyond salvation. Let me face this ghost child by myself. I dont want to be the cause of your suffering, Coral said, her voice choked with tears.

She had accepted her fate, and her initial fear now significantly diminished.

Her declaration devastated her mother, Mrs. Ocean, who broke down in tears as the pair wept together.New novel chapters are published on

No, this is not acceptable. How can I stand idly by as my daughter is tormented by that entity? Mr. Beach tossed his cigarette away, rising determinedly. Young man, if I consent to replacing Corals mark, do you have a possible solution?

Miles answered, There is a solution, but it wont substantially improve the outcome. It merely postpones the inevitable. Quenching thirst with poison might be an apt analogy.

If we dont erase the mark, Coral will survive less than three days, correct? Mr. Beach inquired.

Actually, she might not survive the day, Miles admitted. The only reason Coral wasnt attacked earlier was that the mark on her hand remained visible. The ghost child refrained from attacking her then, but now that the mark has faded, I anticipate its return within the hour, maybe even sooner.

And if we do erase the mark? Mr. Beach probed.

Miles elaborated, If shes tethered to a ghost tamer, she could possibly have a few months. The situation would be slightly improved, but the end result is the same. Also, I cant guarantee there wont be additional side effects.

Soon, the two dark handprints on Corals neck completely vanished.

Miles then released her hand a distinct ghost eye mark appeared on her wrist, resembling a red eye tattoo. It was rather conspicuous and emitted a faint red glow.

Its gone. The handprints have truly disappeared.

Coral, how are you feeling? Are you alright?

Mr. Beach and his wife couldnt contain their excitement.

I feel okay, better than before, actually. Its a peculiar sensation but hard to articulate, Coral said after contemplating for a moment. She looked again at the eye on her wrist, her expression altered, different yet inexplicably so.

Thats splendid news, Mrs. Ocean rejoiced, holding her daughter in a tight embrace, her joy palpable.

Meanwhile, Miles took a moment to examine his own physical state. Although there were no drastic changes, he did feel a subtle depletion of energy, as if hed overexerted himself.

Only those who can manipulate the ghost domain possess the power to command ghost servants. Its unclear how a living persons ghost servant might differ from that of a malevolent ghost, but Coral will certainly be no ordinary person. However, any such changes can only be tracked over time, Miles mused.

As he eradicated the mark, a peculiar scene unfolded on a nearby street. A bizarre child with a blue-black hue sprinted uncannily fast in Corals direction using all four limbs.

Did you spot that odd child darting over there? a passerby questioned, taken aback by the strange sight.

His companion responded dismissively, What child? Youre probably just imagining things.

However, the ghost child abruptly came to a standstill, not progressing much further. With the mark now absent, it had lost its main target. Devoid of a specified target, it would randomly select bystanders on this road and embark on a reckless rampage.

Damn, I bumped into something, a young man walking by exclaimed, nearly tripping over the ghost child while engrossed in his phone. Upon looking back, however, he found nothing out of the ordinary.

As he turned back to continue on his path, he found himself rooted to the spot. Before him stood a nude, bluish-black child with a contorted head and a pair of hauntingly expressive eyes.

The young man eyed the ghost child curiously. Assuming the child might be a vagrant or mentally disturbed, he decided to circumvent any potential trouble and skirted around it to continue on his way.

Yet, he hadnt gone far when the ghost child stirred again. Instead of resuming its pursuit of Coral, it trailed the young man. The horror hadnt ceased; it had merely redirected its attention to a new victim.