Nightfall ✓

Chapter 28

"What does she want from us?" I asked her. "I just can't understand anything."

"She wants to go to the afterlife and live again, but she can't because she was murdered. All people who died an abrupt death keep haunting the places where they died till they are exorcised. For some reason she thinks that if she kills William then her task on Earth would be accomplished. But no. It's true that a soul can't move to the afterlife till it has lived its purpose. But this "purpose" is not to kill someone. Its purpose is... its mission. What the soul came here to do. But she thinks that if she kills William, then she can reincarnate. How will killing William help her do this? Why is she asking you to kill him, even if it does help? If this 'killing your killer' business is really true, like Mary was thinking after she died, then she should be the one killing William. All this makes no sense. She doesn't understand. She is wasting so much effort, trying to kill you to take your energy, causing so much pain to everyone. She blew up the building to try to kill you or maybe to show you what she can do, killing hundreds of people." 

"So...all these people that she has killed. Why doesn't she use their energy?"

"She can't. Because their souls aren't Bound to hers."

I was quiet for a moment. She looked at me. "When that hotel is rebuilt, it will be haunted by the ghosts of all those innocent people. And they will cause chaos in the city." That raised goosebumps on my back. She closed her eyes. "So much destruction for nothing. William is probably dead by now."

"But she said she could feel his essence."

"Maybe she felt the energy of someone close to kin. It could've been his son. It's hard to tell."

"Before she blew up the building..."

"Yes. I know. She Fractured your boyfriend's soul. She took energy from him. And then she blew up the building, which seriously depleted her energy, which is why you didn't see her for one whole year. But now she is going to come back."

All this that she was saying should've driven me crazy, but I was actually feeling calm and satisfied. Because now, I was finally understanding what was going on. I could now look for a more definite solution. "So she thinks that she would go to the afterlife if she kills William, who, by the way, is already dead and for that she is forcing us to kill him or trying to take energy from us so that she can kill him herself. But this won't help her." I was so relieved that we won't have to commit a murder to rid ourselves of the ghost. "So what will?"

"All the ghosts who are murdered or had committed suicide need to be exorcised. That's the only way."

I was going to say something, but then she asked, "You're pregnant, aren't you?"

"Yeah..." I said slowly.

She shook her head. "That's bad."

"W-why?"

"Because if she thinks she needs energy, then you're going to be her first target. There's a young soul developing inside you. You have more energy than your other three friends."

"So we can exorcise her, can't we?" I asked hopefully. "Then she'll go away. That'll be the end of it."

"No," Rachel said. "Too late for that now."

"What?"

"See, she took a part of your boyfriend's soul. And half-souls can't be exorcised."

I didn't understand, and looked at her blankly.

"She took a part of his soul, didn't she? That part is now joined to her. But it is also connected to him. So that part can't be sent to the afterlife with her."

"So you're saying that we'll have to... kind of... disconnect that part from her before the exorcism?"

"No. That's not possible." She looked at me. With... pity? "We'll have to join his soul to that part again, to make it whole. And then both souls can be sent to the afterlife together."

"What?"

She didn't answer. She looked at the floor instead.

"And then we'll bring his soul back after Mary is gone?"

She remained silent. I turned things around in my head, and after a long silence, said it out loud for clarification. "You are saying that you will join Liam's beautiful soul to that bitch, and then send him to the afterlife with her? That he'll... die?" My voice shook. "And he won't...come back?" I desperately hoped I was wrong.

She nodded. It felt like I had been thrown into a bucket of ice-cold water. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know how much you love him. I could feel the emotion through your hand."

"No,"  I said. "Nope. Sorry. He can't die. It's not an option. It's out of the question. Tell me another way."

"There is no other way, Hazel. She wants to pass on, and no matter what you do, exorcism is the only thing that can do this. And exorcism can only be performed on whole souls. For that, Liam's souls which is in his body must join that part which is with Mary—"

"But they're just energy! You said all souls are one, didn't you? So souls can't have a boundary! What does it matter if she has a bit of his soul, it's just energy!"

"On the ethereal level, yes. Here, on the physical plane, they're different and very much separate."

There was a lump in my throat. "What should I do?"

"I've already told you. There's just one way."

"But there has to be a way! You are the only one who can help me. Please," I pleaded, feeling desperate."

"I can't help you. This curse can't be broken, Hazel. I'm afraid there is no other way," she said sadly, shaking her head. "One of you has to die."

"One of us?" I asked, looking up hopefully. "You mean if I'm willing to—"

"No, Hazel. You know what I mean. I don't want to say it out loud."

I shook my head decisively. "No. That's not gonna happen."

She stood up and her necklaces jingled. "Well, you have my number if you need me."

I locked the door after her and went back to the bedroom, where Liam was curled up on the bed. I snuggled in quietly, but his eyes opened. "You're awake?"

"Bad dream. Where were you?"

"Drinking water," I replied, my heart beating fast. He nodded and didn't question me further. His fingers softly traced the shape of my jawline. His face was carefully blank, like he didn't want me to know what was going on in his mind.

What was going on in his mind?

"I love you," I said.

"Me, too." 

I punched him. "Say the whole thing."

"I love you." He planted a kiss on my neck, making me shiver with pleasure. Then silence engulfed us, and he fell asleep, but I didn't. How could I sleep after knowing that he had to die to break the curse? The thought of anything happening to him was like daggers slicing through my heart. I couldn't lose him again. I just couldn't. I couldn't live without him. I bent down to kiss his head; a tear escaped from my eye and got caught in his hair.

But he wasn't going to die. I wasn't gonna let that happen. Nothing in this whole world could take him away from me. Nothing.

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