Have you ever felt tired?
So tired… to the point you couldn't sleep?
Mikel had experienced that kind of exhaustion more times than he could count, especially last night.
Lying on his side, he stared blankly at the wall of his cubicle in the cafe. His eyes weren't the only thing that was blank, but his mind as well. The remnants of the river ghost's memories lingered at the back of his thoughts, adding an extra chore of making sure these memories wouldn't merge with his or Lawrence Gatsby's.
"Tch." He shut his eyes. "Damn it."
[Statistics show that the number of people paying for gym subscriptions has increased by 8%. You are handling the weight really well for free, Master.]
Mikel saw Doom's screen light up in front of him, but he didn't want to read whatever snark it had in store. After all, part of him wanted to weep for his children—except he had no children. He was a kid himself!
But the other part of him…
Mikel opened his eyes before he could stop himself or justify his actions. As expected, his face twitched at the cold message glowing before him.
"Damn it," he hissed more irritably, tossing himself to the other side. "Stop bothering me, Doom. My heart... is still grieving. I'll move on once I sleep it off."
Again, the screen reappeared where he rolled.
[Don't you want to check your progress bar before you sleep?]
He deadpanned, staring at the screen dead in the eye. "Is there… anything in what I said that you don't understand?"
[Good night, Master, and well done.]
He snapped his tongue faintly, closing his eyes as he tried to catch some sleep. But after just a minute, another shallow breath escaped him, and he opened his eyes ever so slowly.
"Say… Doom," he muttered, staring at the blank screen. "I don't have to exorcise that guy yet, right?"
[You are never obligated to help the forgotten, Master.]
"I know, but I'm worried that replacing him with a new one will slow things down for me," he explained. "He and that other girl are adapting to their role well, after all. They are becoming more helpful than you are."
[That would've hurt me if I had feelings. However, regarding your concern, that is not fully in your control, Master. A ghost may need a medium to cross over to deal with their regrets or unfinished business. However, ghosts are designed to naturally cross over if they meet a few requirements.]
"Like?"
[That they do not have lingering regrets or a desire to stay in the world of the living. Second, they have already found their peace.]
"And considering his body has already been found, I bet it's time for me to think of a better replacement," he whispered, closing his eyes as he let out a shallow sigh. "What a shame."
---
Sleep didn't come immediately for Mikel, but when it did, he slept like sleep itself owed him a debt. If not for the sudden booming music in his head, he didn't think he would ever wake up.
Why need an alarm when he had one built-in?
Mikel groggily opened his eyes, only to be greeted by the screen he had been growing very familiar with.
[Good afternoon, Master.]
His face twitched as he groaned, shielding his face with his arm. "For once, can you give me a break?"
[It is never up to me for breaks, Master. You are the Upholder of the Protocol, and I am a mere guide.]
Mikel didn't see the message immediately until he pulled down his arm. He shouldn't have checked, knowing it was just another wicked line he would see.
"For Pete's sake…" he grunted, rolling on his back as he sighed heavily.
His body felt heavy, or rather, his heart. It felt like it was sinking deeper than the river ghost could take him. He thought sleeping it off would make him forget about the river ghost's memory. However, that wasn't the case.
Surely, the Book of the Dead could help him deal with spirits stronger than he was. However, the repercussions were just as heavy as his victory. If Mikel wasn't careful, he was afraid he might lose his own memories, values, and himself, with all these memories polluting his mind like a plague.
Mikel shook his head and slapped both cheeks to reset his focus.
"Get it together," he told himself, opening his eyes. "If I don't… they would."
As soon as those words rolled off his tongue, his eyes drifted to the bracelet around his wrist. That was what he meant by "they"; he meant this bracelet, which would take every opportunity to control his hand, Doom to corrupt his mind, and the Book of the Dead—whatever that book could take away from his sanity.
Shaking off the heaviness, Mikel sat up. He swung his legs out of the reclining chair that had been his bed to the little space on his side.
He still had some important things to take care of, other than the remnant memories of the ghost river.
After doing some mild neck and shoulder stretches, Mikel grabbed his bag and took out a small notebook. The page showed his horrible writing of today's to-do list.
"This is a lot," he muttered, skimming through the list that involved ordering new construction materials, some of the ghosts' requests for their crossing, and more errands. "Including finding a replacement for that guy… I don't have plenty of time."
Mikel slapped the notebook shut, pausing when Doom's screen hovered inches from his face.
[Do you want to check your progress bar now?]
"The Blood Chain is well-fed." He waved a hand across the screen, packing his things to start his day. "I need to focus on the renovation for now."
[The Blood Chain is always hungry, Master. Do not forget that.]
Of course, I won't… not when it made its hunger rage so memorable.
With that, Mikel walked out of his cubicle, which he wouldn't see until tomorrow at dawn. But just as he walked out of the cafe, the bright ray of the midday sun hit his face, and the warmth of the pavement under his shoes, Mikel paused.
There, standing outside, were the two ghosts that had been tagging along with his nightly errands.
"Hello, boss!" they greeted with all smiles.
Mikel sighed as his eyes landed on the male ghost. "If you're asking me to help you cross over, then wait for it later."
As he said his piece, he resumed his steps and walked past the two of them. The ghosts intuitively stepped aside, even when Mikel could just pass through them.
"Boss…" the male ghost whispered, staring at Mikel's back. "But—"
"What are you still doing?" the female ghost snapped at him. "Let's go and beg him!"
The male ghost let out an awkward laugh, while she had already skipped toward Mikel.
"Wait—" He hurried after her, moving faster than he had since becoming a ghost.
"Boss~!" she yelled out, slowing down when she was walking a step behind Mikel. She rubbed her fingers together as she muttered, "Boss, the thing was, he wants to ask you a favor."
She then cast the other ghost a look. "What are you doing? Go and tell him!"
Mikel didn't stop, nor did he plan to listen, thinking that if this was just an additional request for their crossing, it wasn't worth listening to. But then the male ghost spoke, and his steps came to a full halt.
"Boss, so, I was thinking… is it possible not to help me cross over yet?" The male ghost scratched the back of his head, his voice a little reluctant and nervous. "I mean, I know you found my body, and my family already retrieved it to host a proper funeral. I mean, what I'm saying is—can I stay for a little longer?"
He jolted when Mikel stopped, his shoulders trembling in fear.
"I mean, if that's okay for you. It's just that, even if I feel like I can now cross over, I still want to help you with the hunt and also… see your house get completed," he explained. "If that's fine… of course."
Mikel blinked.
If that was fine? No—it wasn't just fine. It was damn great!
This guy just scratched off one of Mikel's long list of things to do today. How was it not fine?
Mikel's brows twitched, ignoring the screen from the corner of his vision. His mouth twitched into a quiet smile, which disappeared almost immediately. He glanced over his shoulder and coldly said,
"Crossing now is ideal, but if you still wish to stay, then don't cause me trouble. I've already fulfilled the end of our deal, so don't expect extra."
Upon saying that, he strode off.
Meanwhile, the ghosts stared at his back with a slight blank look on their faces. After a second, their faces brightened, translating Mikel's remarks as outright approval.
"Yippee!" the female ghost cheered and then saluted. "Thank you, Boss!"
The other ghost glanced at her before he awkwardly mimicked her, grinning from ear to ear. "Thank you, Boss!"
Mikel didn't stop, didn't look back. His steps remained at a steady pace, but the corner of his mouth curled up.
[Congratulations, Master. It seems you do not have to look for a replacement so soon. However, I still suggest improving your recruitment and building plans.]
"Nah," Mikel whispered, chuckling from within. "Everything's fine, so there's no need for that."
Had Mikel known he would not only take back what he said but choke on it, he wouldn't have thought about it. Because when he finally returned to the construction site, something massive, wrong, and horrific was waiting for him.