Mysterious Awakening

Inside a public restroom after fleeing his apartment, water spurted vigorously from the faucet as Miles scrubbed the stubborn blood stains from his face. The chill of the tap water had a soothing effect on his fraught nerves.

“There was something off,” he whispered to himself, reminiscing about his recent encounter. “The ghost had the power to alter memories, crafting a non-existent entity in my mind and manipulating me into believing its reality. Even my special eye was unable to perceive the deception.”

“I would still be entangled with the ghost if it weren’t for Rain’s intervention.”

He looked up, meeting his own gaze in the mirror. The unique eye that usually adorned his face had vanished, and he momentarily resembled his normal self.

“Miles, if you can hear me, please respond. It’s Rain,” a voice emanated from the satellite phone resting by the sink, a conversation that had been left open.

“I’m here,” Miles acknowledged.

“What transpired at your end?” Rain inquired.

“Your speculation was accurate,” Miles confessed. “My father did pass away in a car crash during my early school years. The entity at home was not a person but a ghost.”

“Did you manage to get away?”

“Yes,” he affirmed, drying his face. His eyes landed on a crimson scrap of paper adhering to his hand, remnants of an earlier newspaper.

“Your safety is paramount,” Rain expressed. “Could you describe the ghost?”

Miles shared, “The ghost has the ability to manipulate memories. Its intent and manner of killing are yet to be deciphered. However, I did experience near-suffocation from a blood-drenched newspaper earlier. That’s all I can provide for now.”

“Understood.” Rain quickly jotted down the information.

“Given that my father was a ghost, what happened to my mother? When did the ghost make its first appearance? You should be able to access local surveillance footage. Could you assist me?” Miles implored.

“I can support you, but in return, you must collaborate with us,” Rain negotiated.

“What kind of collaboration?” Miles queried.

“For now, just basic information collection. You must notify us immediately if you come across any powerful ghost,” Rain explained.

“And the benefits? Do you expect me to risk my life without compensation? I’ve visited your website, and unless there’s a tangible advantage, I won’t work for you,” Miles stated, a serious tone underlying his words.

“Whatever, let’s hold off on this conversation. I have an urgent matter to address. We’ll resume later,” Miles declared, ending the call.

Rain heard the terminating “beep” and couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration.

Miles wasn’t avoiding the subject. He was just distracted by the red paper adhered to his hand and decided to attend to it. He peeled off the eerie, palm-sized red paper, intending to dispose of it as it radiated an unsettling aura.

However, as he detached the paper, an acute pain tore through his hand, rending it open.

A red eye emerged once more.

Simultaneously, an anomalous sensation spread throughout his body. The eyes within him became agitated as though their recent display of power had awakened them.

“Could it be…” Miles mused, scrutinizing the red paper in his grip. Instead of disposing of it, he opted to reattach it to his hand, covering the newly exposed eye.

With the reattachment of the red paper, the newly surfaced eye promptly closed, and the peculiar writhing sensation within his skin abated. A tranquility seemed to envelop him.

“This red paper appears to have a suppressive effect on the eye’s power. Not total, but enough to dampen the eye’s resurgence,” Miles deduced, a hint of relief washing over him at this finding.

He recalled the adage: only a ghost can conquer another ghost. If the eyes residing in him were to be categorized as ghosts, then the red paper was likewise ghostly. The clash of two ghostly forces could potentially result in their mutual restraint. This might just be his lifeline.

But something gnawed at him.

Miles knitted his brows. “If my hypothesis is right, why didn’t the eye suppress when the ghost infant bit me back at school? Why did the eye flare up even more potently?”

Red paper versus ghost infant – what distinguished the two?

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to shelve the question for later. The fact that the red paper could stifle the six eyes inside him meant he needed to secure it, regardless of the risk. It was his key to survival.

“I must return home once more.”

Determined, Miles took a deep breath and stepped out of the public restroom, bracing himself for the perilous journey home. However, as he exited, he found himself in the company of a group of young men, looking rather troublesome.

“Hey, just came out from the restroom? Don’t run off. Now that we’ve crossed paths, let’s chat, yeah?” One of the youths spotted Miles, swiftly closing the distance and slinging an arm around his shoulder.

“What is it?” Miles queried.

“Nothing much, just a little friendly introduction. I’m Ah Fei. And you are?” the young man who identified himself as Ah Fei enquired.

“Miles.”

Ah Fei flashed a grin. “Great, we’re pals now. And friends help each other out, don’t they? I’m a bit strapped for cash today. Could you lend me some? Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back tomorrow, right here. Not a penny short.”

Miles arched a brow, sizing him up. “Borrowing money? Sounds more like a shakedown. Why not pick on someone else? I’ve been feeling less than normal recently. You’d do well to steer clear. I wouldn’t want to accidentally lose control and end up on the wrong side of the law.”

“You’re a cocky one. Ah Fei’s asking for a loan out of politeness. Don’t push your luck. If you’re looking for trouble, just say the word, and we’ll gladly comply,” a youth brandishing a small knife chimed in, casually resting the blade against Miles’s cheek.

“Let’s not make this a bigger issue than it needs to be. It won’t bode well for anyone. How about we just forget this encounter and go our separate ways?” Miles suggested diplomatically.

“No can do, you’re not going anywhere until we get the cash.” The knife-wielding youth smirked malevolently.

“Come on, it’s not a big deal. Think of it as a friendly loan. We can sort it out next time we cross paths. Friends don’t need to be so strict,” Ah Fei interjected, grinning mischievously.

Miles conceded, “Since you’re so persistent, I guess I don’t have a choice. The money’s in my pants pocket. Help yourself.”

“Wise decision.”

The youth with the knife seemed eager, his hand darting into Miles’s pocket for the money. However, as his hand made contact, he was met with something cold and glass-like.

On instinct, he yanked it out.

To his sheer terror, the young man found himself clutching a red, subtly twitching eye, its uncanny gaze boring right into him. His hand was now soaked in fresh blood.

“Ahhh!” The youth yowled, his face blanching in shock as he recoiled.

Suddenly, their surroundings were awash in a vibrant crimson hue. The apartment buildings, the street lamps, even the moon overhead and ground underfoot were all shrouded in a red glow.

“Since we’re friends, you wouldn’t mind stepping into my ghost domain, would you?” Miles leisurely said as he emerged from the restroom.

Ah Fei’s eyes bulged in disbelief. The individual who was now sauntering out of the restroom was the same person he’d been chatting with just moments before. Then who was the one he had been leaning on?

At that instant, he didn’t dare turn around. The body next to him was chilling to the touch, like a cadaver.

“A ghost, it’s a ghost,” Ah Fei stammered, his complexion ashen. He spun around and bolted, fleeing from the public restroom. The other youths followed suit, running in terror.

At that moment, Miles glanced at his hand. An eye manifested beneath the red paper, only to be quelled once again by the paper. Then the eye resurfaced as if caught in a relentless tug-of-war.

“With all six eyes, I can command the ghost domain. But with the red paper dampening one eye, only five eyes are operational, yet I can still invoke the ghost domain. The ghost’s resurgence has been stemmed,” he pondered.

He felt the throbbing ache from five splits in his body, and from five viewpoints, he could discern everything around him with a crystalline clarity.

“Six eyes are the maximum my body can tolerate, but the condition is notably improved with five eyes. Although side effects persist, they’re less severe,” Miles concluded, gaining a clearer understanding of his own limitations.

“If I secure that red paper and quell all six eyes, could it mean I can harness the ghost’s power without any backlash? And no longer fret over the ghost’s resurgence?”

“But before that, I need to master this ghost domain.”

Miles watched the retreating group. They seemed like the perfect subjects to test his capabilities on.

Gaining control over the ghost domain would be vital for his impending encounter with the ghost. As such, making use of the ghost’s power once was a necessary move, not wasteful in the slightest.