Ghost Behind You

1.21. The Talisman

"Ah!"

Rose screamed as the ghost with long hair appeared before her. She stumbled backward, falling hard onto the floor, frantically scrambling to push herself away from the freezing presence. But before she could get far, the ghost floated closer, soundlessly extending a hand toward her.

In an instant, Rose was completely paralyzed. It felt like she was a helpless infant being lifted off the ground—except instead of gentle hands, it was a suffocating, icy coldness that enveloped her, like being submerged in a freezing river. The ghost's chilling presence wrapped around her, drawing her into its deathly grip.

"Stop!" a voice thundered from across the room. Rose saw Zach rushing toward her from the doorway. To her astonishment, glowing, ghostly faces appeared around him, their features barely discernible as they whirled like streaks of light, charging at the ghost.

In that moment, Rose was abruptly dropped to the floor, the impact jolting her body. She gasped in pain, feeling as if her bones had been shaken loose. But she couldn't focus on the pain—her wide eyes were fixed on the terrifying scene unfolding before her.

Zach looked completely different. His hair stood on end, his face twisted in rage, his expression distorted from the intensity of his effort. He extended his right arm, pointing toward the ghost with a small black bottle clutched in his hand. The ghostly faces surrounding him rushed at the long-haired apparition like vengeful spirits.

The ghost began retreating, its gaze lingering on Rose with reluctant malice. Its hand extended toward Zach, blocking the oncoming spirits with gusts of icy wind that blew its long hair back. Yet, even with its hair out of the way, Rose still couldn't see its face—there was nothing but darkness where a face should have been. The ghost's spiteful voice echoed in her mind: "You can't escape..."

With those final words ringing in her head, the long-haired ghost vanished through the window, fading into the night. The ghostly faces Zach had summoned streamed out of the room after it, chasing the shadow into the darkness.

The room fell silent. The eerie tension lifted, and everything felt... normal again.

Rose lay on the floor, breathing heavily, her mind reeling from what had just happened. She glanced between the window and Zach, who stood nearby, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving. His right arm was still extended toward the window, his face strained from the effort.

Without warning, the lights flickered back on. The air conditioner hummed to life, and the television buzzed back into action. The power had returned.

"That... that was the witch's ghost, wasn't it?" Rose asked, her voice shaky. She remained on the floor, too stunned to fully process what she'd just witnessed.

"Why weren't you wearing the talisman!?" Zach snapped, his voice laced with frustration. "Do you have a death wish!?"

Rose flinched at his outburst, shrinking back as if caught in a terrible mistake. She hadn't thought much of the talisman he'd given her earlier—certainly not enough to wear it. How was she supposed to know it was that important?

"You almost got yourself killed!" Zach knelt down beside her, his tone softening, but still firm. "Why don't you ever listen?"

"I... I didn't know it was that serious..." Rose mumbled, feeling guilty for not taking him seriously. She was still skeptical. Could a little trinket really protect me?

"If it wasn't serious, I wouldn't have given it to you," Zach said, crossing his legs as he sat on the floor in front of her. "That talisman contains a relic from a Tang dynasty monk—it holds powerful protective energy. I should've put it on you myself."

Then why didn't you? Rose thought, but she kept the complaint to herself. She hadn't realized the talisman was anything more than a strange, antique object.

"Don't be stubborn," Zach sighed, noticing the dissatisfaction on her face. "Just... wear it, okay?"

"I'm sorry," Rose whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll put it on now." She could hardly believe she was apologizing, but the reality of how close she'd come to dying hit her hard. This was the second time Zach had saved her life.

Zach watched as Rose retrieved the talisman from the bedside table, examining it briefly before slipping it around her neck. Only then did he exhale in relief. "When this is all over, I'll need that back."

"Okay." Rose responded quietly. The small charm felt cool against her skin, like a tiny steel ball resting on her chest. There was no immediate feeling of protection, but she supposed that didn't matter.

"Well, that should keep things quiet for tonight." Zach stood up, brushing himself off. "I'm heading back to my room. Try to get some sleep."

"I can't sleep," Rose replied quickly. The earlier chill had left her soaked in sweat, and now the air conditioning made her shiver. She climbed into bed, wrapping herself in the blanket, and gestured to the chair by the window. "Sit for a minute. I've got more questions." In truth, she didn't want to be left alone. She hated how scared she felt. As a forensic pathologist, she was supposed to be tough—dealing with death was part of her daily life. If I were a man, I wouldn't be this afraid, she thought bitterly.

"What else do you need to know?" Zach asked, still standing. "That was definitely the witch's ghost."

"And the footsteps outside? The slippers?" Rose asked, eager for answers.

"Those were souls the witch captured using the black cat," Zach explained. "The one tonight wasn't Gary's. It was someone she claimed long before him."

"There were other victims before Gary?" Rose sat up, surprised. She had always assumed Gary was the witch's first target.

"It seems so," Zach confirmed. "And it's likely they died in Room 104 as well."

Rose fell silent, her mind racing. She would need to dig deeper into any unusual deaths connected to this hotel.

"Alright, rest up. I'll leave you to sleep." Zach turned, slipping the small bottle he'd been holding into his pocket.

"What's that?" Rose asked, noticing the movement.

"This?" Zach hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "It's a soul jar. A tool for capturing spirits."

"Really?" Rose's curiosity piqued. "Can I see it?"

"No," Zach said flatly, clearly exhausted. "It's not just any jar."

"Fine." Rose pouted slightly. "Earlier, when you charged the witch, I saw those ghostly faces around you. Were those spirits you've captured?"

"You could see them?" Zach looked at her, genuinely surprised. "I didn't think you could."

"I could, just not very clearly," Rose replied, a hint of pride in her voice.

"Yes, they're spirits I've captured," Zach admitted. "They've been tamed and now serve me."

"How do you control them?"

"That's not something you need to worry about," Zach replied brusquely, his patience wearing thin. "It's late. You've got work to do tomorrow. And that scream of yours earlier—let's hope no one heard it. I need to leave before we draw too much attention."

"Thank you," Rose said suddenly, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"It's nothing." Zach waved off her gratitude, not even turning back as he quickly exited the room.