Okay, so Evelyn what do you wanna do now?
Hmm… Lela you decide, I don't know.
I asked what you wanna do and you tell me to decide.. whatever I guess, you know how to pretend to be a ghost?
Yea bear boy(Jake) here taught me.
Yea, I was the one who taught her.
Ok, then I guess you know nothing.
… That's one hell of an impression you have of me.
You suck, that's why.
Hey guys, so how do I pretend?
You pretend by–
Shut up, don't listen to him.
To be honest, I actually forgot everything bb(Jake) taught.
bb? Whose that?
Yea, it's your name, bear boy(Jake) for short, cus bear boy sounds terrible.
Then just use my real name.
That's worse.
…
Anyways, Evelyn makes a layer of soul energy on the outside of your body.
Done.
That was fast, now slowly push soul energy into the air around you, but very less at a time.
If I run out?
You won't, your natural absorption is more than sufficient.
Oh. Won't it look weird that I can absorb and let out at the same time?
No, all ghosts actually do that, just some of the weaker pathetic ones do so so slowly that it's completely negligible, if you know who I'm talking about.
Jake looks over at Lela for doing that, with a slightly annoyed look.
Hey, I didn't mention any names, if you feel offended maybe it's because you fit the description. Lela says, raising her arms up in a surrendering manner playfully.
Ok, yea but why are you teaching me this?
Simple, wanna visit the village?
Really? Nobody will find out?
No, unless one of the 3 ghosts from the council comes and focuses on you, which shouldn't happen.
Sure then, but why are there 3 ghosts?
Oh, the number can change anytime.
Huh?
Go ask Jake, I'm too lazy to explain.
Lela says signaling for Evelyn and Jake to follow along.
So?
So what?
Lela told me to ask you, so… Tell me
Fine… you simply have to be strong enough to qualify to be part of the strongest ghost.
What are the requirements?
To be able to destroy a quarter of the country.
Huh? And there's 3?
Yea.
Hey, could you guys follow along faster?
Fine fine, why is she in such a rush?
Probably to meet her father.
Huh? Ghosts have parents.
Are you serious?
Well I guess it makes sense, so you have parents too?
Nope.
Huh?
Mine didn't have enough soul energy when they died, so they didn't become ghosts.
Oh.
And why is Lela bringing me to see her parents?
How am I supposed to know?
You knew just now.
I was guessing and it seemed like I was right, right? You're going to bring Evelyn here to your father right? To brag that you actually have friends after so long? Jake starts mocking Lela and surprisingly she doesn't threaten him, but looks really annoyed.
Huh? What's going on?
Well, last time, she tried bringing friends to her house.
Human friends?
Yea, no ghost wants to be her friend.
What happened?
They ran off and never talked to her again.
Oh.
Also, her father kept asking her loudly if she had friends, RIGHT???? If I remember correctly, it was.
“Lela! Remember to make some actual friends! I don't care if their girl or guy, ghost or human! Just make some friends and keep them!” Right??? “LELA”??? Jake keeps mocking Lela.
Lela is this true?
So what if it is?! Just follow already!
Fine fine, but how far away is it?
A couple kilometers, let's just run.
Huh? What makes you think I can run so much?
Don't you have enough soul energy?
You didn't teach me how to use it like that…
Oh, it's easy, push soul energy into your muscles that you're using gently but not too lightly, if you push too much, you will be stronger but too much soul energy will be used, and if you use even more, your limb will blow up.
Really?
If you're a ghost, since you're mostly just made of you know, alive cells, it would probably just use a lot of energy and kiss off some muscles, which caused by soul energy would hurt like hell.
Great. Evelyn tries what Lela says and immediately no longer feels tired.
Oh wow, so let's just start running?
Sure, let's race! Jake suddenly interrupts before Lela can respond.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
No, let's just go.
You're no fun.
—----------------------------------------------
Couple minutes later.
—----------------------------------------------
Wow, I didn't know I could run that fast.
Even if it was just a bit of soul energy,it still made you stronger, and more importantly not tired, and most importantly, let's go in.
The village is called losoul?
They tried combining lost and soul together.
This name sucks.
Everyone knows that, but it's what everybody is used to for over a hundred years, so nobody is gonna try changing it.
Do ghosts just lose creativity after death?
No, most just decide to do or atleast try to do what they wanted when they were alive and don't waste time on names.
The only one willingly enough to waste your name would be the idiot of the left of you.
Evelyn turns to her left to see Jake looking at the sign in slight disgust.
Hey, bb(Jake).
Yea?
There's something honestly wrong with you.
Yea, I've been told that many times.
By who?
The one on your right.
Evelyn turns to the right again and looks at Lela again.
Oh.
go in.
This is the village? It's just a wasteland, I thought it would just be nearby and not actually this.
Just go in
Fine…
Upon stepping in, Evelyn immediately sees a city made of soul energy over what was originally a wasteland.
Hey, how does the A.N.I not know about this place?
We have methods to block the soul energy.
Methods?
Yea, there are some ghosts who like researching soul energy, so they get a job here and are provided with as much as they want, as long as they produce results eventually.
How long is that?
Give or take 50 years.
Huh?
Hey, the idiot on your left is 61 years old despite looking around 17-18
And the one on your right is an old hag who is above 100. Jake retorts at being called an idiot.
Wanna repeat that again hm? Lela says preparing a soul bullet.
Repeat what? Jake says feigning innocence.
You two are so much older and act like this…
We can't help it, our mental age doesn't change.
Yea, what he said, and I died around your age so my mentality is around yours.
Around mine? Yea, totally.
Are you being sarcastic? I can't tell when it's you talking, I suggest changing your tone every once in a while.
Hey guys, are you gonna keep arguing or are we Gonna go in? Jake says clearly eager to enter.
Hey, you died the oldest and yet you're the least mature.
So what?
…
Lela actually how did you die? I don't see injuries.
Heart problems.
What problems specifically?
Don't know, when I died medicine was developed enough to have a name for it yet.
Oh so you're a lot older than 100.
So what?
Alright, where are we going first?
The food sho-
My home. Lela cuts off Jake.
Oh so you actually want me to meet your dad?
Yea, to shut him up.
Why not bring bb(Jake) here?
My dad hates him too.
Ah.
Bb(Jake), it seems everybody actually hates you.
My specialty.
… Shameless.
Whatever, let's just go to your house already.
—----------------------------------------------
Lela's home
—----------------------------------------------
I think he's out right now.
Doing what?
His job.
What does he work as?
Law enforcement.
Oh similar to you.
Wanna see my room?
Sure, bb(Jake) you coming?
Nah I'll wait out here.
Evelyn follows Lela into her room
Wow, just a bed and… a bed is all you got.
Yea, ghosts don't have electricity, so no TV, and we can't even change our clothes cus they are no different from part of our body, so no closet and obviously no toilet.
Oh, but does that mean you can feel it if I touched your shirt?
A bit.
Oh.
Well technically the ghost with very high control can separate their clothes off to change but only for aesthetic purposes due to there being no real benefit.
Oh.
Evelyn and Lela suddenly look towards the door as they hear Jake shouting for help outside.
Is he okay?
Yea, just means that my dad is home.l
Ah.
Evelyn and Lela leave the room and see Jake being held upside down by Lela's father.
Ah, Lela daughter, why is this guy in my house?
I brought him here duh.
Why?
Cus his my friend is my friend.
Don't lie, you have no frien-
Lela's dad spots Evelyn and leans closely to see her clearly.
Hi? You're my daughter's friend?
Yea?
You're not being paid?
No.
You are aware that we are real ghosts and not fake ones?
Yea, also Lela didn't you say that nobody else would be able to tell?
Well, usually they can't if they don't lean directly into your face.
Thanks for the info.
See, now that was clearly sarcasm unlike your other times, the change of tone does make a huge difference.
…
Anyways, my daughter's friend, what is your name?
Evelyn.
Your friends with this guy? He holds Jake upside down using a thick blue rope made of soul energy.
Kinda.
Kinda?
Dad, it just means yes, stop asking.
Fine fine. He says dropping Jake down.
Anyways, you should probably get my daughter to help you replenish the soul energy in your eyes.
Huh?
What do you mean huh? You need it to see the soul energy including the walls so you don't hit your head.
Evelyn turns to look at Lela confused.
… Dad, she can see without soul energy in her eyes.
What do you mean?
I'll tell you later, but Evelyn.
Yea?
If I bring humans here I usually have to put soul energy on their eyes like a contact lens for them to see ghosts and soul energy.
Then can't the A.N.I also do the same?
They can, but it doesn't last long because you need a ghost with high control, and they only have machines.
Oh.
Anyways, you bring Jake out and go do something, I'm gonna explain to my dad.
Sure? Evelyn says, dragging Jake out of the house while still staring at Lela somewhat confused.
Hey, stand up, I'm not pulling you anymore.
I can't.
Why not?
Lela's father messed with the soul energy in my legs so I'm kind of paralysed for the next minute.
Oh my god…
Evelyn keeps pulling Jake to a restaurant.
So… Do ghosts accept human money?
No, they collect soul energy, you forgot?
Oh yea.
Evelyn degas Jake into the restaurant and orders food for them both onto for the food to arrive as a chunk of soul energy.
What is this?
Don't question it, it tastes nice still, just take a bite.
Evelyn takes a bite of it and gets surprised by the taste and lightness.
This is so weird.
Also you're paying.
Huh? Fine, how much?
4 grams worth.
How do I know how much is four grams?
Jake passes Evelyn a small stone at the side of the table.
Here, just fill this up till it glows and it'll be 4 grams.
That's convenient.
Yea.
Evelyn fills the stone up and leaves with Jake now being able to walk.
That was a unique experience indeed, and it was basically free.
Easy for you to say, your soul energy absorption is so quick nothing can compare.
Yea yea, stop being jealous.
You do still need human food though, please remember that.
Shame
Unless you just use soul energy to revitalise your cells.
Oh yea, forgot I could do that.
—----------------------------------------------
Somewhere hidden from Evelyn's view
—----------------------------------------------
Hm, I came to check because I heard that Lela had returned with the troublemaker but what's this? Why's there a human girl, and with no soul energy on her eyes to act as a filter to see soul energy.
I ought to visit my dear employee now.
—----------------------------------------------
Lela's home
—----------------------------------------------
Hey, I'm back with bb(Jake) here
Nice timing, we were just done talking, right dad?
We were nowhere near d–
Ok, you heard him, we're done.
Alright…
By the way, be careful of using soul energy.
Huh? Why?
Well, my boss is here, he is one of the three ghosts on the council, and he is incharge of anything law related.
Yea, what does he look like? Evelyn asks, looking behind Lela.
Well, some tall shady guy.
Is he like a blackish indistinguishable glob of goo?
Sometimes, How'd you know?
Shady? Lela that's not very kind of you Lela. A black glob of goo materialises into a ghost behind her.
Oh, uh hi boss? What are you doing here? Lela asks, looking up at the black form as it materialises into a proper ghost.
I was just checking up because I heard you brought the troublemaker in, but I saw this interesting friend of yours.
Yea, what's that got to do with you?
Hey, my daughter's friend, Evelyn right? Follow me.
Sure? Evelyn follows him out of the house along with jake.
Why?
Well, the employer employee relationship they have is not… normal, so I suggest just staying out here and waiting.
Sure, hey bb(Jake) don't go back in or you're staying in.
No way I was going in even if you told me to.
Nice.
A couple minutes later, Lela opens the door.
Hey Evelyn, could you come in for a sec?
Sure? Evelyn follows Lela back in, seeing that her dad and Jake have no intentions to follow along.
Back in the house, they sit at the dining table, one of the few pieces of furniture Lela’s home has with her employee.
Hello Evelyn I believe it was, let me introduce myself seeing as my employee here probably has no intentions to do so, I am the keeper of law, one of the three ghosts of the council.
What's your name?
I just told you.
Huh? No you didn't. Evelyn looks over to see Lela sick of his rubbish.
His name is quite literally “keeper of law”
Huh?
Yes, as my employee here has said, that's my name.
Unique name I guess?
Well, most of the longer lived ghosts like me have already forgotten their old names, so the three ghosts in the council have just named themselves after what we look after.
Seems like a pain to pronounce.
He, so feel free to call me as everyone else does, kol.
Why kol?
It's short for keeper of law
Oh, but why am I here? Evelyn turns to Lela.
Ask him, not me.
So? Evelyn asks again to kol instead.
A deal, let me train your soul energy every once in a while.
When's every once in a whirl?
I'll get Lela here to inform you.
I'm not your messenger.
I'll give you less work hours?
Evelyn, you heard him, I'll help inform you from now onwards.
…
Right, but why are you helping me?
Three reasons.
Which are?
First, this seems interesting seeing as you're the only one who can do this.
Oh, second reason?
I'm curious to see how strong you can become.
And the third?
If I help you, you'll owe me so you can help me if I need it.
If I don't?
Then it will be a shame, but the first two reasons are still sufficient.
Fine, but if I help, it won't be anything too bad.
You have my word.
Alright, Mr employer, could you get out of my house now?
Fine fine no rush. He says disappearing back into his weird black goo into the floor and gone.
What an experience.
I hate him.
I can tell.
The door opens slightly with Lela's dad and Jake peeking through.
Daughter, is he gone?
Yea, he's your boss too so hey don't you talk to him?
His a pain to deal with, and the atmosphere between you two is not something I was prepared to deal with when your mother got pregnant last time.
Too bad, anyways Evelyn Jake, why don't I show you around a bit?
Where?
The law enforcement headquarters.
You don't think that's a bad idea after what just happened?
It may be for Jake over here, but it will be mostly okay.
Mostly?
Lela keeps smiling innocently, ignoring what Evelyn asked.
Evelyn sighs knowing that Lela will just keep bothering her with it.
Fine fine…
Jake your following too or I'm handing you over to my boss.
Fine… Jake grumbles.