When A Ghoul Falls In Love

There isn’t a single picture in the book. The letters look like worms in different shapes. The ink smells sweet though. I close the book, feeling exasperated. It’s quiet now. I wonder what Devil is doing outside.

Unlike that cat, I can’t go out.

“Hmm.” I straighten my back. There’s nothing to do in Eli’s room. I don’t want to sleep and dream again. How was Eli when he was young? Was he similar to the person he is today?

I wonder

When I hear the sound of the door opening, I turn around to look at the person. Thankfully, it’s Eli. Right behind him, there’s another cloaked figure.

A wizard?

Eli enters the room. “Nell, I brought a friend.”

If Devil was here, he would have been happy or annoyed. I greet the man behind him. “Hello, I am Nell, Eli’s girlfriend.”

I don’t know why it feels awkward to say that.

“Wife,” Eli corrects me with a blushing face.

“We aren’t married yet.” I give him a look. Since I don’t know if the seal can stay intact till our wedding, I don’t want to promise him anything. I don’t know what will happen after the seal is broken.

“In my mind, we are already married,” Eli tells me with a sugary voice.

The person behind him sighs loudly. Half of his face is hidden under the hood of his black cloak. “Of all the people in the world, he had to fall for a human.”

I shrug. Why is it that odd? “He has his preferences.”

“Yes, yes, my preference is Nell Solomon.” Eli gives me a wide smile. “There’s no one like her in any universe.”

He always says that. So, I am used to it. It’s not a good thing though. I don’t want to take him for granted. “You should stop talking nonsense.”

“But I am only speaking the truth,” Eli looks at me with starry eyes. “My wife is the only one.”

My ears might drop at this rate. He is always speaking in this manner. What does he see in me anyway? I scrutinize his face, wondering whether I should ask him or not. I have a feeling that I won’t be able to handle his answer. Sometimes, it feels like he has imprinted upon me just like a little duckling imprints on any creature that it sees when it opens its eyes for the first time.

Falling for someone after 632 years Why is it me? The answer can’t be simple.

“There’s no reason why some truth can’t be nonsense.” The man removes the hood of his cloak, revealing chartreuse green bangs shadowing his black thick-rimmed glasses. His face is thin and long, sickly pale, donning a parrot nose and unusually thin moss green lips.

I can’t help but stare at him. I am not enchanted or anything. I am just curious about this creature. His eyes are also green, darker than Devil’s eyes. But there are whites in his eyes. He looks like a middle-aged man who is going through menopause.

“I feel judged.” The man frowns at me. “I don’t know what you are thinking about, but let me tell you this: I have been kidnapped from my home because this stupid ghoul wanted me to take a look at you. And I don’t see him as a friend.”

“Not as a friend?” I cross my arms. The dislike is mutual. “You aren’t one of his admirers, are you?”

He spits on the floor. “I would rather die.”

Okay, he passes.

“Amachi, aren’t you being overly sensitive?” Eli smacks the back of Amachi’s head, laughing.

“Do you remember what you did to me?” Amachi glares at Eli. “You stole my precious treasure and sold it to the neighbouring kingdom for gold?”

“Steal?” I probe the man. Why would a duke’s son steal?

Eli peers at me sheepishly. “Wife, don’t believe him. I didn’t steal. I only borrowed it back then.”

Why can’t I bring myself to believe this guy? “What did you borrow it for?”

“I needed to pay an entrance fee to the Council.” Eli puckers his lips, looking sideways. His brows are pulled together, seemingly embarrassed.

“You!” Amachi shakes in anger. “For an entrance fee to the human world How could you sell my precious treasure?”

“I will pay you back,” Eli promises him, giving him a dangerous smile. “Why don’t you start doing what you are good at?”

Amachi clicks his tongue. “Give me back with interest.”

“Sure.” Eli walks toward him. “Wife, please sit down on the bed. Amachi is useless in many things, but he’s pretty okay in healing.”

I frown at him. “You are a doctor.”

“I am worried about your health since you are in a different world.” Eli strokes my hair gently. “A world without any moon I don’t know how it will impact your” He pauses for a moment. “I mean, your health.”

I guess he wants the healer to inspect the spell, but he wouldn’t say it directly. “Okay, you don’t have to explain that much.”

Eli apologizes to me. “Don’t be afraid. I am here with you.”

He’s too worried. I sit down on the edge of the bed. Amachi kneels down in front of me and takes my hand. He pinches my nails first and then, checks the colour. Then, he looks at my face.

“The damage is high,” He mumbles.

“What kind of damage?” Eli keeps a poker face.

“Soul damage.” Amachi replies to Eli in a formal tone, “What kind of shitty magic is this It suppressed her growth. A piece of soul is broken away, but there’s still some connection. Maybe it’s one of the reasons why she’s not dead yet.”

Eli pales, unable to hide his fear. He eyes me solemnly. I guess that he’s more afraid of death than I am.

“You can’t connect with your emotions well, can you?” Amachi’s voice is passive. “Perhaps, you feel too empty sometimes or too full. I heard that your element is the moon itself. Sometimes, you are overwhelmed by emotions. At other times, you might feel empty. You might be affected by the changings in the moon. If your will is weak, the moon might rule your mind, and milady, the moon isn’t as sweet as people believe it to be, especially the one from the human world.”

I have no idea what he’s talking about. I think it’s best to keep quiet. The moon isn’t a person. It’s a natural satellite revolving around planet earth. I mean, it’s easy to believe in ghouls, other worlds, and this weirdo in front of me. But everything can be explained by logic. But this person is talking as if the moon is a person.

“Before you could reach your glory, your wings were clipped away.” Amachi releases a depressed sigh. “Suppression of magic can harm both the body and the soul. And then, there’s a seal on your mind. The protection around your mind is also weakening. Are you truly fine with dying?”

What is he saying? I blink my eyes. I know about the seal in my mind and the magic inside me. The magic I must have inherited it from my father. “Nobody is fine with dying.”

The healer tilts his head as if he could read my mind. “Then?”

“Nothing.” I don’t want to explain myself to this stranger. “You haven’t said anything new to me.”

“You might die when the seal is broken.” Amachi remarks, “The seal is a fine piece of work. I have never seen such delicate magic. The caster must have been a sadist. When you recall the sealed memories, you will basically go through it again in your mind. Now, sealing memories is nothing new. But I have never seen anything that suppresses magic and makes the body go through the same thing. I am sure that there are painful memories. Do you know what you went through the first time?”

“You don’t need to answer.” Eli places his hand on my shoulder. “The seal won’t break. I will find a way.”

But I want to remember.

“If the seal doesn’t break, she will die.” Amachi lets go of my hands. “Did you forget about the suppression of magic? Her soul isn’t complete either. After the seal is broken, her mind and body won’t be in the best condition. Her suppressed magic will be unleashed. We are talking about a decade of acc.u.mulation. It might lead to magic poisoning. Her soul is already not in good condition. If you keep the seal intact, the body, mind, and the soul will continue to suffer. After some time, the magic might burst her body apart. It’s dangerous to everyone around her.”

“…” Basically, he’s calling me a suicide-bomb. I don’t know how to react.