Under normal circumstances, when a person dies without lingering resentment, their soul moves on to reincarnation independently after the first seven days. So the possibility of Grandma Nova returning to haunt Zephyr was practically nonexistent.
This brat could actually mimic all kinds of voices flawlessly, which proved he hadn't been possessed by any ghost yesterday. Did that mean all the stories he told were fabricated too?
What the hell was really going on here? How could a little boy harbor such sinister depths? Beyond deceiving us and demonstrating uncanny abilities, what else did he want?
The most dire part was his knife being poisoned. My body was growing numb, vision blurring at the edges.
"Don't worry," Zephyr said, "that story I told wasn't entirely false. The only fabricated part was that it wasn't a woman's body in the coffin at all—just the skin of a beautiful person."
But my brain was already swimming like a drunkard's, thoughts tangling as my head grew heavier and heavier until finally, my body betrayed me completely. I collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.
Zephyr let out a derisive snort before delivering two sharp kicks to my ribs. Satisfied by my unresponsiveness, he turned toward the doorway and gave an exaggerated "Wow."
Then Zephyr's voice shifted seamlessly back into that woman's tone, erupting in an eerie, ululating scream.
Not long after, a figure materialized in the room—none other than Nova herself.
Nova settled before the room's mirrored vanity, producing what appeared to be human skin from some hidden place. With meticulous care, she began stretching the supple membrane between her fingers.
The horror deepened as Nova draped the skin over her own body like a living garment. In an instant, she transformed into another woman entirely. Reaching into her wardrobe, she selected a red dress and slipped into it with practiced ease. Posing before the mirror, her lips curled into a satisfied smile.
The metamorphosis was complete. Cloaked in stolen flesh, Nova had become this other woman—striking in appearance, yet radiating something profoundly unnatural.
How had I failed to realize Nova was that red-dressed woman all along? During our first visit, we had been separated for a time—that's when I'd encountered the red-skirted woman with Stein.
On our second visit yesterday, the red-clad woman had been conspicuously absent precisely because Nova had been with us the entire time.
Now the pieces clicked into place. No wonder the red-dressed woman hadn't appeared yesterday, and why Daphne had spotted her on the rooftop after our departure.
"Shall I kill him, Master?" Zephyr's question sliced through the silence.
Nova's answering smile was spectral. "What purpose would killing serve? If I wanted him dead, I wouldn't have coated the blade with merely a disorienting agent."
"But why keep him alive?" Zephyr pressed. "We already have the tattoo. With this Chitipati design, that creature won't dare pursue us anymore. It's been hounding us ever since we came to the Nova household. Fortunately, our Master knew about these God and Ghost Tattoos that could restrain the thing."
That creature he mentioned—what could it be? A zombie? It had to be. Nothing else would explain why my tattoo had any effect at all.
"It's not that I'm wise—it's luck that I happened to meet the only novice of the Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts, one still inexperienced in deception. As for keeping him alive, he could be of great use. The Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts are too powerful. If I can control him and force him to study them for us, perhaps I can achieve true resurrection," Nova said.
"Master is wise. I'll lock him in the Nova family's underground chamber," Zephyr replied, grabbing my feet with both hands. His strength was unnatural for a child, and he dragged me effortlessly.
But just then, Zephyr suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, Master—that's strange. Why are there needles in this guy?"
"Needles?" Nova frowned, turning her gaze toward me.
"Why does he have needles in him?" she muttered, examining the fine needles embedded in my acupuncture points.
"These needles stimulate my meridians. That way, I can delay passing out for a while," I suddenly spoke up.
My voice startled both of them. Zephyr even let out a sharp cry. "How do you—a tattoo artist—know about acupuncture points?"
I sprang up, Copper Coin Sword raised high.
"You're mistaken. Some tattoos must be inked directly over specific acupoints to work. So I've memorized every meridian in the human body—and I know exactly what they do."
"If I hadn't pretended to faint, how else would I have lured out the other one? Now, suffer death and show me your true form!"
In one swift motion, I lunged at Zephyr. His small frame gave me an overwhelming advantage. I seized him by the throat and slammed him down. Despite his unnatural strength—far beyond that of a child—he couldn't break free once I had him in a chokehold.
Nova, still clad in her red dress, lashed out with a kick. A chilling gust of wind followed her foot as it whipped toward me.
I raised the Copper Coin Sword and slashed. Nova's face twisted in pain as she instantly recoiled, stumbling back five or six steps.
"A Holy Bronze Sword?" she gasped, paling. "Damn it! That wretched woman's memories didn't include this sword. I suppose the brat didn't use it much during the day."
With Nova momentarily staggered, I forced Zephyr's mouth open and aimed the Copper Coin Sword down his throat. "I'm going to skewer you from mouth to gut. Let's see what you really are—because you're definitely not human."
"No, no! Master, help me!" Zephyr thrashed wildly.
But Nova, wary of my sword, didn't dare approach. I didn't hesitate—this was my chance for revenge. The Copper Coin Sword plunged deeper.
Zephyr tried to bite down, but instead of breaking the blade, his teeth chipped. As the sword sank further, his body suddenly went limp, as if he'd fainted.
Then—a meow.
A dark figure crawled out of Zephyr's motionless form.