novelraw Chapter 235: The Price of Growing Up
Chapter 235: The Price of Growing Up
Flames licked the stone wall, bathing the shelter in a warm, bright light.
Midnight was still a long way off; the night stretched long before them.
The sound of waves crashing on the shore once again filled the space.
After a brief silence, Lu Li asked, "What's in the hut?"
"Why do you want to communicate with the inhabitants of the sea?" Friday countered. She was as curious about Lu Li's thoughts as he was about the creature in the hut.
"For a sentient being, the desire to communicate with other sentient beings is perfectly natural. There's nothing unusual about it," Lu Li replied.
Perspectives don't change overnight. Lu Li, for instance, was still accustomed to viewing the world through a materialist lens, and this was what primarily set him apart from the people of this era.
"But they're enemies of humanity! Countless exorcists have died at their hands over hundreds of years," the voice from beneath her hood replied, a note of interest creeping in.
"Being enemies doesn't prevent communication," Lu Li answered calmly.
"Well, you have a point there," Friday conceded. Noticing that Lu Li was still staring at her, waiting for an answer, she added, "You'll see for yourself in the morning."Her answer was vague once again. Lu Li nodded and asked, "Have I failed my trial?"
"Essentially. Trainee investigators are required to operate alone, and I intervened."
Lu Li said nothing, his face betraying no negative emotion.
He still had one more chance.
"When will help from the Investigators arrive?"
"Soon. If we're lucky, we'll see a messenger tomorrow."
"A messenger?"
"You'll see."
A yawn escaped from beneath Friday's hood.
"I'm going to get some rest. Wake me if anything happens."
Friday tucked her legs beneath her black robe and leaned her head against the warm stone wall. A few seconds later, she lifted her head again and looked at Lu Li. "You're not going to hide the fact I helped you just so you can become an investigator, are you? You wouldn't kill me in my sleep so no one finds out I intervened?"
"You're being a little too specific," Lu Li said, watching her. Her words sounded more like a suggestion than a question.
Friday didn't answer, merely adjusting the hem of her robe. "And don't try to peek under this."
She pressed herself against the wall and lowered her head. Gradually, her breathing settled into a steady rhythm.
Lu Li watched her in silence for a moment before looking away and tossing another branch onto the fire. As sparks flared, he picked up the two cans of food Friday had brought.
The cans were untouched. Friday hadn't eaten—and perhaps hadn't even had a drink—all day.
Setting the cans by the wall, Lu Li turned his gaze to the shelter's entrance and resumed his watch.
Friday's arrival hadn't changed his plans, but the difference between solitude and having someone else present was stark, and even Lu Li couldn't deny it. At the very least, with a real investigator nearby, he could face any external threats with greater composure.
Besides, when Friday awoke, he would finally be able to get some rest.
The thought stayed with him until the first glimmers of a cold light appeared outside.
The night was receding, and morning drew near.
After the string of unsettling events in the first half of the night, the second passed in relative calm, save for the occasional illusion and faint whisper.
Come to think of it, nothing strange had happened since Friday's return. Was her presence somehow responsible?
Lu Li glanced at Friday, still asleep against the wall, then pushed aside the makeshift bed and climbed out of the shelter.
The morning sea breeze washed over his face. Dark waves broke against the shore as the eastern sky began to lighten. The last vestiges of night still clung to the island, casting its features in strange, distorted shapes.
The second day on the deserted island.
...
"Dawn again..."
A soft whisper echoed through the dark detective agency.
A translucent figure sat on the sofa, its head bowed.
Thump... thump... thump.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway outside the door.
The transparent figure snapped its head up, staring intently at the door. But the footsteps didn't stop; they continued past the agency and faded away behind the neighbor's door.
The hope in the figure's eyes gradually died.
"He promised he'd be back yesterday morning..."
Anna had waited all day, but the familiar figure had never appeared.
"Even you..."
Anna was terrified to even consider the possibility that Lu Li was dead. Every time the thought entered her mind, she felt an unbearable ache in her chest, as if she still possessed a heart.
The last time she had felt anything like this was when she learned of her mother's death.
"If I had gone with him..."
Her whisper echoed through the agency. Outside the window, the sky had brightened slightly, and the sounds of the neighbors, which once soothed Anna, now seemed unbearably loud.
As unbearable as the reason Lu Li hadn't taken her with him.
She was too weak. Not only could she not protect Lu Li, but she would have been a burden to him.
"If only I had enough..."
"Power..."
A dark aura emanated from Anna's ghostly form, blurring her human features. In their place, her power began to swell.
In the dark agency, a strange, faint shadow stretched out from beneath her feet. It was so pale it nearly blended into its surroundings, making it difficult to see.
"Not enough..."
Anna whispered, rising silently to the ceiling. She passed through the roof and emerged above the building.
Smoke rose from a neighboring chimney, spiraling toward the overcast, gray sky. Anna hovered aimlessly above the street. She wanted to become stronger, but she had no idea how.
At that moment, Anna sensed the presence of another of her kind in one of the houses.
Her eyes gleamed, and the invisible figure slipped inside.
...
Dark red blood stained the walls and a candlestick. Thick curtains blocked all but the faintest glimmer of light.
A body lay slumped against the wall, its eyes wide open, a mask of terror frozen on its face.
A ghost stood before the body, its mouth bloody, a cruel smile on its face. Suddenly, it sensed something and turned to see an elegant figure in a white dress standing behind it, looking like a porcelain doll.
A flicker of admiration crossed its eyes, then vanished. The ghost stepped toward Anna and smiled elegantly. "My lovely lady, I—"
Its body suddenly froze. The elegant smile twisted and contorted, as if an invisible force were pulling its face apart, stretching and blurring it like a reflection in disturbed water.
Pop!
With a sound like a small explosion, the male ghost burst into fragments.
Countless streams of energy flooded into Anna's soul, strengthening her.
"This power..." Anna could feel her might growing. "If only I had this before..."
A flash of pain crossed her clear eyes.
"Still... not enough."
Her current power was not enough to find Lu Li.
A new expression formed in Anna's eyes. Ignoring the mutilated body, she floated out of the house.
Her resolve was unshakable.