Chapter 61: Successful Imprisonment
The surrounding environment held the distinct familiarity of a shopping mall, its architecture blending seamlessly into the background. Yet, this world was surreal, as if bathed in a haunting crimson glow, draping everything within sight in a faint red hue.
This world, known as the ghost domain, might appear confined at first glance. However, once within, its boundaries seemed to expand infinitely, echoing the characteristics of an alternate dimension perched precariously between reality and illusion. Its nature was so complex that even Miles, the domain’s guardian, struggled to understand its true form.
Suddenly, an ominous presence materialized before Miles – a mangled corpse. Its arm was missing, and its head grotesquely twisted at a disconcerting angle. It was a grim sight that struck a familiar chord. The corpse was one of Master Catch’s apprentices, whom Miles had been shadowing previously. Despite the dreadful circumstances, the apprentice, a young man in his early thirties, looked surprisingly untouched by time.
Miles pondered, “As I suspected, this spirit prefers to inhabit fresh bodies, discarding those decayed or incompatible. Yet, it’s capable of inhabiting any corpse as it pleases. Ethan, for all his strength, wouldn’t stand a chance of capturing it unless he somehow managed to restrict all bodies simultaneously.”
His eyes flickered with realization, “However, trapping it within my ghost domain changes the equation. It’s the only surefire way to prevent its escape.”
Miles felt a grim satisfaction, “Ethan made the right choice by choosing to collaborate with me. His role as bait has not been wasted.”
His eyes darted towards the countdown timer on his mobile. Two minutes and forty seconds had already elapsed, but that didn’t deter him. The spirit had been located, and his time limit was five minutes. As long as he could confine the spirit within that timeframe, the plan would succeed.
The stakes were high now, the danger palpable. Until now, they had only been dealing with corpses puppeteered by the spirit. Now, Miles was up against the entity itself.
The corpse before him stirred, slowly reorienting its twisted head into a natural position. Its lifeless grey eyes stared back at Miles, emotionless and rigid – a chilling sight.