Chapter 7

"You stood me up. I was at the dance, and you were nowhere to be found." 

"My mom wouldn’t let me go, honestly. She didn't even purchase me a dress; I tried to tell him."

"Yes, well..." He said with hesitance and uncertainty creeping into his voice. "You and I are in different grades. I'm about to graduate from middle school and head straight to high school. So we won't be able to spend time together." He replied coldly, "Besides—I don't enjoy long-distance relationships anyway."

His tone was cold and detached; he could not have been any less convincing. It was as if he were attempting to persuade someone—unsure about himself as he spoke. I suspect it was unlikely that he even trusted his own story by his demeanor.

I felt awful for disappointing him, for letting things fall apart between us. But at the same time, a part of me wondered—was there even a point in trying to fix this?

My mind went numb with despair. My plans for our future didn’t seem to matter anymore, so I thought, why bother attempting to move forward?

After he finished speaking, he turned and walked away quickly—no doubt, no hesitation, no looking back.

After he finished speaking, he turned and walked away quickly. No hesitation. No second glance.

Time passed, and I was starting high school—a new chapter full of adventure and a chance to start something new.

This year, my goals shifted. I wanted a job, a place of my own, and maybe even a roommate. I was determined to leave my mother’s house to carve out a life of independence and peace.

Over the two years, my guardian baby had the chance to train me. It wasn't easy, and I still had a long way to go before I became strong enough for real battles.

I discovered that people known as Waymakers can drive out devils and free spirits to the afterlife. I trained endlessly, but I still couldn't unlock my abilities or powers any further. Baby told me not to give up hope that my powers would manifest at the appropriate time.

On my first day of high school, I was less than thrilled. The only bullies left were the occasional possessed students, and that was a whole different level of trouble.

One such incident occurred when I attended the wrong class. This guy attempted to mess with me. Then again, I was kind of asking for it. The teacher had me pass out papers. I was not in the best mood when she called me; running late and having difficulty finding my classes made me irritated. Getting through the crowds was hard; the halls of the school were long, and the buildings were huge.

As I was passing out the work assignments, I came up to a guy with greasy black hair covering his face. Seated at his desk, he was completely absorbed in whatever he was scribbling in his notebook. He didn’t even acknowledge my presence when I tried handing him a paper.

I stood there for a couple of minutes, growing increasingly annoyed by the second.  "Here. Take your paper," I said, not bothering to hide my annoyance anymore.

No response.  Either he did not hear me, or he was ignoring me. 

Then I tried again; I spoke up louder, this time in an unpleasant tone.

I was overwhelmed with all of today's frustrations, and now I feel all the pressure flustered together inside me. 

I finally yelled, letting loose all that had been boiling up inside. “HEY—Boy, take your stupid paper already!" I snapped.

Slowly, he lifted his head, peering through his hair, giving me a look that sent a chill down my spine, like he was contemplating whether to hit me.

Over the summer, I developed a bit of an attitude—or perhaps I should say a backbone—and stood my ground. As he looked at me, I was without fear.

He answered coldly, "I didn't see you there." He finally muttered.

I retaliated, aware that words were merely my only weapon at my disposal. "You might notice something if you remove that mop of hair of yours." 

Given my behavior, I knew that reaction was a bit uncalled for, but something about him got under my skin.

It pained me. I was not about to let myself go another year being bullied and mistreated by anyone. No more being a target, not at this new school! I thought to myself.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. I bolted out, eager to escape the awkward tension. But as I tried maneuvering through the packed hallways, I felt it—the weight of his stare. Wishing to get free of that jerk from earlier.

All the students filled the halls, obstructing my path. I was trapped at the entrance; I was unable to flee fast enough. I was well aware that I was stuck in a dangerous situation here. I could feel him pursuing me.

He employed a too-simple, all-knowing bully maneuver. This oily-haired prick smacked the books from my hands and kicked them across the floor as he draped his arm around his gothic-looking but awful girlfriend. As he walked away, he turned his head to look at me, smiling proudly and boastfully.

"Oh man," I puffed. My blood boiled—thinking of 100 ways to get back at him.

But before I could seek my revenge, my schedule was changed, and I was transferred out of that class. I never saw him again. Probably for the best—I swore if I had seen that jerk's face, I would have torn him a new one if given the chance.

When I got home, my daily routine consisted of homework, dinner, and regular household chores. Baby would take me out at night and teach me how to combat the Deabrus.

Deabru—skeletal demons. Some were soulless beings, lost and wandering between worlds. Others were people who had been forcibly changed, targeted by darkness, and twisted beyond recognition into a demon.

"So, spirits that linger on Earth are cursed?" I asked Baby as we walked.

"Yes. If they remain too long, they risk becoming soulless. A person with overwhelming negativity can also be targeted and consumed by a Deabru." 

She peered at me as though trying to correct me.

"What do you mean by that?" 

"If you don’t let go of your negative energy soon, soulless can come and rip you from your spirit."

"Yikes… I see; I understand what you are saying." 

"So it will be your job to stop the Deabru’s and soulless from coming after pure spirits and the living."

"To the souls and the soulless, you are the difference, the protector. Keeping them safe by exorcising them before they become part of the lost and take over."

"Now, I also must teach you what is a fully born. I believe you met one two years ago, thehellhounds that attacked us—standing on the street when I first revealed myself to you.

"Full Born is the fully fleshed version of a Deabru. They are like a guard of the underworld, hunting dogs seeking prisoners.  The unfortunate aspect is that they can be seen living among people.  They cause panic wherever they are, but they are rare sightings."

"Standing here talking to the baby, A bone-chilling howl cut through the night, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Was that—?"

"A soulless," Baby confirmed grimly.

We were interrupted by a scream. "I heard the sounds of a girl being attacked just now!"  I said, leaping into action. "We have to save her," 

"Kaysi, you’re not ready! You arenot trained enough, and you have no weapon or form ofreal protection," Baby yelled with disapproval.

"I know, but I have to see if we could help."

We arrived at Spencer Park, where only a few flickering lights illuminated the scene. The area was a mess—trees were uprooted, bushes were flattened, and everything was destroyed.

It looked like some wild animal bulldozed its way through. I bent down to my knees to look at some tracks and fur. As I did so, I heard the howl again, this time closer.

It almost sounded like the wild boar. Wild boars are known for their ability to destroy landscapes and crops in the area.

Fastly coming, a girl ran through the thickly wooded trail.

Indeed, something large was chasing her in the distance. Behind her, something massive was knocking the trees over. They lay down flat, closer and closer as it came.

I barely had time to react before I saw it— an enormous boar-like creature.  As it came out of the forest, I could see its skull and parts of its bones. There were areas of rotten, foul-smelling flesh, like something not alive. I saw a mark resembling an upside-down heart with an X slashed through it.

Baby came not soon behind me speaking. "This is what we were talking about—a soulless. What you are seeing is the form someone takes after death if they are possessed." "You are cursed to take the form of your natural animal instinct; if you change when you die, everyone has a spiritual animal that their soul resembles."

The monster closed in on the girl.

I didn’t think—I just moved. My body reacted before my mind could catch up. I lunged, grabbing onto its tusks with all my strength, trying to distract it.

"RUN!" I screamed at the girl.

The beast thrashed, its strength far greater than mine. I struggled to hold on. 

I jumped on top of the board and yanked its head, hoping that I could divert its path with my weight. 

What came next caught me off guard. He turned, heading towards a tree. It was going to crush me. I needed a plan—I needed something...

I attempted an evasive move. But it stopped abruptly, sending me flying forward.

—Too late.

I gasped in pain. Searing, unbearable pain.

The soulless had impaled me straight through the stomach.