Lin and Mimi lay together on the bed, the room silent except for the sound of their breathing. The System flickered across Lin's face, invisible to Mimi.
[NOTIFICATION]
Endurance Level Increased.
Physical Synchrony: High.
Lin looked at Mimi, watching the way her hair fanned out across the pillow. A heavy thought weighed on his chest. Should I tell her how much I enjoyed this? he wondered. But the sadness hit him immediately. I can't be in a serious relationship. I have 49 other girls I have to date. And for what? Just to kill monsters? She's a nice girl... but I'm trapped.
Mimi noticed the change in his expression. She shifted closer, her skin warm against his. "Are you alright?" she whispered.
Lin didn't answer with words. He reached out, holding her firmly by the waist and drawing her body against his. "Yeah, I am."
She smiled, a playful light in her eyes. "So... did you like it?"
"I loved every part of it," Lin said truthfully. He leaned in, closing the distance for a kiss, but as their lips were about to touch, the air between them turned ice-cold.
A distorted, grey face materialized right in the middle of their vision. It had hollow eyes and a mouth that stretched too wide. Lin and Mimi both froze, their eyes widening in pure terror.
Lin's heart stopped. She can see that? he thought in disbelief. Usually, the weird things were only for him. But Mimi was staring right at the spirit, her body trembling with terror.
The System turned blood-red.
[WARNING: THREAT DETECTED]
Type: High-Level Spirit.
Status: Hostile.
Across the city, Robert and Yanda were in the middle of a fierce sparring session. Their movements were a blur of speed and power, neither giving an inch. Naoa sat on a floor, watching them with a bored expression.
Robert pulled back, his hands glowing as he prepared to unleash a secret technique he had been perfecting. But suddenly, he froze. The energy in his hands flickered and vanished.
"We've got a problem," Robert said, his voice tight. "The girl we were tracking there's a massive energy surge around her."
"Should we go save her?" Naoa asked, hopping off the ground.
Yanda wiped sweat from his forehead and sheathed his sword. "Go. We shouldn't have any more casualties."
"Alright then," Naoa sighed. "Time to go meet Sypht."
They walked down a long, dark hallway in the Order's base. At the very end sat a man in a black suit. He wore a blindfold over his eyes, and a strange eye tattoo was inked onto his forehead. A massive, curved scythe was strapped to his back.
"I don't want to talk to Sypht, he creeps me out," Naoa whispered, making "puppy eyes" and hiding behind Robert's back.
Robert's eyebrow twitched in anger. He reached back and dragged Naoa forward by his collar. "Quit playing around!" He looked at the blindfolded man. "Sypht. We need to get somewhere fast. Open a rift for us."
Sypht didn't move. "Why don't you use Naoa's ability?"
"You know why," Robert said, his gaze turning intense. Naoa's portals only work when he knows the location he's travelling to.
Sypht stood up slowly. He reached out, and Robert allowed his own energy to flow into the man. A purple flame engulfed Sypht as he drew his scythe. With a single, powerful slash through the air, he tore a hole in reality.
Through the purple glowing rift, they could see the door of Mimi's apartment. Naoa's face went serious. It was the same dark sensation he had felt outside the restaurant.
"We better hurry," Naoa said. They stepped through the rift and stood in the hallway of the apartment building. The air was thick, "You feel that, Robert?"
"Yeah," Robert replied, his eyes narrowing at the door. "It's strong."
Inside the bedroom, the nightmare had begun. The spirit, a mass of floating shadows and pale limbs, lunged forward. It grabbed Mimi, lifting her off the bed. She screamed, her hands clawing at the air as the spirit's cold grip tightened.
[NOTIFICATION]
Anomaly Detected: Spirit Class.
Lin panicked for a second. I've never faced a spirit before! Why do these things even exist?
He looked at Mimi, seeing the terror in her eyes. He couldn't wait for anyone. He reached into the air, and the System responded. A sleek, sharp sword materialized in his hand.
Lin stepped off the bed, standing naked but defiant, his feet planted firmly on the floor. He took a high-guard fighting stance, the blade glowing faintly in the dark room.
"Whatever happens," Lin growled, his eyes locked on the distorted face of the ghost, "I can't let her die here."