Family and Love

David and Edward stepped into a medium-sized inner hall. At its far end stood a wooden coffin atop a stone stand. Neat rows of chairs were placed a couple of feet away from the coffin.

Fifteen to twenty people filled the room, some seated on the chairs while others stood nearby.

Most of Edward's close relatives from Manchester were present, except for those who were out of town on business or lived elsewhere.

As soon as Edward entered the room, his tears, which he had held back just moments ago, began to flow uncontrollably.

He couldn't suppress them any longer, especially as he saw five women sitting beside the coffin on the cold floor, sobbing for him.

If he were truly alive, Edward's tears would have soaked his shirt by now. He approached the group slowly, taking in the sight of all his relatives.

Most of them were grieving, but some were simply present out of obligation, like his third uncle Henry Carter and his wife, Carla.

Edward's father had two siblings: his older sister Susan and younger brother Henry. While Edward's father and Henry remained cordial, their families' closeness had dwindled after Henry married Carla.

Edward bypassed them and approached the coffin slowly.

Next to the five sobbing women, three sturdy men stood, one of whom was clearly an uncle, remarkably fit for his age.

This uncle was none other than Edward's father, John. Despite his fitness, it was evident he needed support from the two young men standing beside him to remain standing.

The death of Edward had clearly weighed heavily on John's soul.

The two younger men beside him were Edward's cousins. The one with the buzz cut was Joseph, while the more mature-looking one was Charles. Both had their own strengths and qualities.

Joseph was Henry's son, and Charles was Susan's. Despite Henry and Carla not being deeply affected by Edward's death, Charles, who was one of Edward's closest friends, was profoundly saddened by the loss.

In Edward's family, while there might have been disagreements among the older generation, the younger members were close and cherished each other's friendship.

Seeing his father filled Edward's heart with a deep ache.

Turning away from his father, Edward glanced at the five sobbing women and knelt beside them, tears streaming down his face.

Among the five women, two were in their fifties, and the remaining three were in their twenties.

"Why? Why?... Why did you do this to me? Why did you do this to me?"

Sobbed one of the older women, who appeared to be in her early forties, repeating the question over and over.

"Mom, Mom... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Mom... I really, really am sorry for this."

Edward sobbed, pleading for forgiveness. His heart felt like it had been ripped out while he was still alive, seeing his mother, Mary, in such anguish.

He couldn't help but held out his hand as though wanting to embrace her. 

He couldn't resist extending his hand as if to reach out and comfort her.

"Edward... Stop. Don't touch the living right now. You still can't fully control your energy. It might leave an imprint on them, which isn't good."

David hurriedly intervened, pulling Edward back.

Edward quickly withdrew himself upon hearing the warning about potentially harming them. He was adamant about not causing any harm.

"Edward! I think we should go back now. The longer you stay here, the stronger the impulses will become. Trust me, it's not good for anyone here."

David insisted, aware of the effect such emotions could have on those still living.

Edward disregarded David's advice and focused on the three younger girls who were sobbing. The older woman among them was clearly Susan, John's elder sister.

Each of the three girls possessed their own unique beauty. The one with big eyes and sharp features, resembling a Barbie doll, was Edward's younger sister, Sarah.

Her face was currently streaked with unrestrained tears. The other girl, cute with a short haircut, was Linda, Susan's daughter. She and Edward were the same age and had graduated together.

The last girl, sobbing with a choked voice, was a beautiful girl with a symmetrical face and a slightly longer neck. Her dark brown eyes, usually lively, now seemed lifeless.

This girl was obviously Emily, Edward's childhood friend and the love of his life.

Edward looked at his sisters, his mother, aunt, and Emily all in such distress, and he couldn't help but recall the moment when he had almost let the netherworld take him away from this world.

The more Edward thought, the more the energy around him began to tremble in response to his emotions. As he gazed at his loved ones, irritation rippled through his ghostly form.

"This isn't good... Not good at all."

David muttered, observing the unsettling phenomenon. Just as he prepared to intervene, Edward suddenly stood up, and the tumultuous energy around him settled.

David was stunned, his hand poised awkwardly in midair, ready to pull Edward away from here.

David observed Edward, realising that he had calmed down unexpectedly quickly.

'This is truly the most 'normal' ghost I have seen in my life. F**k you normal'

David muttered, as he know that once a ghost gets agitated too much, they will fall into a different 'type' of ghosts, which are even hated by the ghost civilisation.

There were various methods to calm a ghost, but such a sudden shift in mood within seconds was beyond his usual experience.

Edward disregarded David and gazed affectionately at the five women, particularly his mother, sister, and lover. He then glanced once more at his father, friends, and everyone present before walking away.

"I promise all of you that I will return one day and never leave you alone."

Edward vowed solemnly as he reached the entrance, refusing to look back. Without hesitation, he activated his special ability, speeding away as swiftly as possible.

David hurriedly followed Edward, who was running as fast as a normal human could run, even though he had reached 'Tier three Ghost Soldier' status with the activation of 'Titan Ascent'.

Edward had only activated the second stage, knowing that advancing to the third stage wouldn't significantly increase his speed.

Edward estimated that a Tier three ghost's maximum speed was around ten miles per hour, slightly slower than the average human running speed.

Just as they reached about a mile from the funeral home, heading towards their mansion, Edward couldn't help but stop. His 'juice' is dwindling, with less than ten percent of his strength remaining.

"Looks like that helped."

David remarked, standing beside Edward who appeared extremely fatigued but noticeably less burdened.

Edward had sprinted as fast as he could to process his emotions, utilizing his ghostly body despite lacking a physical form. The exertion had released some of the emotions he had accumulated at the funeral.

"Indeed, I needed that."

Edward agreed simply, acknowledging the effectiveness of this method, which he only heard but never tried before when he was alive.