Apprentice Sorcerer

"So, your full name is Charlize? Charlize Theron?"

Christian couldn't help but feel a bit incredulous as she looked at the debt statement in his hand. 

"Yes, isn't the full name written on the debt statement? Is there a problem?" Charlize Theron, or Sally, seemed oblivious to Christian's surprise.

"Then Sally is—"

"An abbreviation"

Christian rolled his eyes.

"All right."

She looked nothing like he expected, particularly since Christian hadn't seen any of her films. He couldn't be sure if the "Charlize" in front of him was the famous actress.

"In short, let's get down to business. Let's start"

Christian might have a future star's autograph tucked in his pocket, but he kept a serious demeanor. Apart from lacking a sighing face and beard, he resembled the master exorcist John Constantine. However, beneath the surface, apart from a lingering feeling of humiliation, he couldn't help but feel like laughing.

Christian's main goal wasn't to collect money from Charlize, but rather to deepen her trust. People could be strange; when they didn't trust you, they worried that you wanted to cheat them out of money. Yet, when they did trust you, not asking for money made them suspicious that you wanted something even more valuable.

Christian was no stranger to people with such a mentality. Back when the old ghost taught him spells, he had been instructed to set up a stall in front of a hospital. The target audience was middle-aged men just discharged from the hospital, looking for some solace and "relief."

"Isn't it responsive?" he had asked at the time. 

The old ghost had quickly set him straight, explaining that responsive signs would immediately raise suspicions of a scam. It was better to appear as an illiterate and attract people's attention through conversations.

"But why should I lie? There are real spells..." Christian had questioned.

"Can you use them?" the old ghost had shot back.

This discussion had shattered Christian's idealistic view of spells, but he hadn't learned magic solely for power. His interest in spells remained, and he couldn't help but become even more intrigued by the unusual art of deception.

"So, you asked me to set up a stall near the hospital just to learn how to deceive people?" Charlize inquired.

"That's right! If you can deceive people, you can also deceive demons and ghosts, allowing you to use spells effectively once you've learned them," Christian explained, now determined to gain Charlize's trust.

He continued, "When people don't believe you, they worry you want to swindle them, but when they trust you, they suspect you want something more precious."

Christian then went on to recall his experiences, recalling his early attempts at deception under the guidance of the old ghost.

"Isn't it said that people practice faster than demons and ghosts?" Christian had inquired.

The old ghost had exploded with frustration, explaining that humans couldn't learn magic faster than creatures born with an innate grasp of it.

"The power of the human body is never stronger than that of beasts, and similarly, humans can't outmagic ghosts and monsters. Spells are just a means, but what matters most is here," the old ghost had pointed to Christian's head.

The old ghost had shared his wisdom, and Christian had gradually become adept at deceiving people, even becoming a "Master" in certain circles, even though he could barely perform a single spell.

"…I was still too young back then," Christian reflected, realizing how much he had changed. Yet, despite his transformation into a skilled deceiver, his focus remained on his original goal - to learn magic.

With Charlize's collection of money not being his main purpose, Christian wanted to further solidify her trust in him. He began to share more about himself, explaining how he had noticed her troubles, which led to the whole ordeal with the grudge and the videotape.

However, this story was fabricated to gain Charlize's trust further, as Christian hadn't inhabited his current body at the time. Nevertheless, he recognized that honesty and trust were essential, and he hoped to reveal more to Charlize to strengthen their connection.

"When you attempted suicide the last time, I sensed your problem, but I couldn't confirm it. I wanted to discuss it with you, but I didn't expect to encounter this situation," he said, pointing to his bandaged head. Charlize smiled somewhat sheepishly, and Christian continued, "However, this helped me confirm that you were indeed haunted by a ghost, so as soon as I regained my memory after the concussion, I told you about it..."

Of course, this was all part of his strategy to gain her trust. At the time, he hadn't experienced the events he was describing. His main goal was to build a stronger bond with Charlize.

"Later, because you were hesitant to believe, I had to deceive you into taking a potion and communicate directly with the ghost that plagued you. This resulted in the videotape you saw."

"That's incredible," Charlize said, holding her forehead.

"But why? Why is this so-called ghost haunting me?"

"Romeo, why are you, Romeo?" Christian invoked a famous line from Shakespeare's tragedy, incorrectly, but Charlize shot him a disapproving glance, prompting him to continue.

"Sometimes, ghosts haunt people without a clear reason. However, in your case, there might be a specific reason."

Christian paused, searching for an analogy that Charlize, who didn't know much about ghosts, could relate to.

"Have you heard of water ghosts?"

"Water ghosts? Are those the ones that lurk in the water, grabbing swimmers' feet and dragging them down to drown?"

"That's right. Water ghosts are relatively common in ghost stories from both Eastern and Western cultures. Although many people think these ghosts are mere products of tangled water weeds, they do exist. They, in essence, share similarities with the vengeful ghost that haunts you."

"Similar? You mean they harm people too?"

"Let's say they do," Christian nodded, "but their main common trait is that they constantly relive the moment of their death through someone else."

"The original water ghost might have drowned due to entanglement in water weeds, and therefore, it repeats this form of death on others. Even if many people encountering real water ghosts can escape, they often unconsciously associate the experience with aquatic plants because of the uncanny resemblance."

"In the past, what people believed to be water ghosts were often just aquatic plants. But with the advancement of science and widespread belief that they are merely plants, you're telling me they might be water ghosts? Deliberately deceiving people into thinking they're water weeds" Charlize mumbled in disbelief.

"So, according to you, the ghost that haunts me bewitched me into attempting suicide when I was drunk because she died similarly?" Charlize sought to clarify.

"Probably," Christian affirmed. "I suspect that the vengeful ghost named Alexis didn't just commit suicide but might have shared a similar fate. After getting drunk, she might have jumped off a pedestrian bridge to her death."

 *********

Author's note:

Yes, Sally is Theron. Several hints and even explicit statements in the previous chapters, such as the cider house and the child of the Cornfield 3, hinted at this fact. Readers more familiar with this aspect may have noticed it a while ago.