The Ghost System

In the wee hours of the night, admist the three narrowed walls of a cold, dark alley, a young girl stood. She had a gleeful expression on her face as she examined her body.

Her appearance differed from her former self, but some prime features remained intact. Starting from her short voilet hair, to her bronze coloured skin, which radiated a surreal, youthful shine.

As the persisting autumn winds blew across her smiling, bronzed face. Her irises glowed a mysterious purple, erasing every ounce of black that once resided in those deep, discerning eyes.

She performed a few short jumps, then stopped. Noticing how agile and balanced her physique had become, she released a satisfied grin.

Her tall athletic build seemed more pronounced as it appeared dominated by an aesthetic presence of lean, hard muscle. Rippling with grace as she flexed them comically.

Her breasts were full, round and gracious. Creating a visage of pure, brown beauty, complimented by her firm butt and toned legs.

In an adjective, she was beautiful.

In two adjectives, she was beautiful and nude.

However, she appeared too excited to seem bothered about the fact. She was alone, afterall.

'I have been reborn.' Alice thought, before smiling broadly.

'And with a System to boot... The Ghost System.' Alice inhaled, sensing the otherworldly presence residing within her, the Spirit Guide.

"Hey, are you there?" She called softly, but no one answered. A few minutes swept by, and Alice was beginning to question the reality of what she had experienced.

"My brother died. While grieving him, I got burned alive by the Gemini Pendant, and... Got a second chance at life." Alice surmised, looking at her surroundings.

Her mind was clear now, refreshed even, so she was able to take in what she saw.

The enclosed walls were old and moist, emanating a rich musty odour. The ground around her was littered here and there with pieces of trash. The foul-smelling rubbish aligned in some sort of path, leading all the way to a heavily dented trashcan. Everything was clear and vivid, serving as haunting remimders of her agonizing death.

However, the absence of one other detail confused her.

'Where are the burn marks?' Alice took a few cautioned steps towards her dying spot, squinting her brows, Alice searched for any signs of burning, doing her best to not touch anything. But no matter how hard she looked, there were none. It seemed the mysterious white flames had a mind of its own. Choosing to burn her only, neglecting any sort of contact with the physical world.

Logically, when a fire dies out, no matter the source, be it petrol, gas or stone, it leaves behind the charred remains of the object that was burned. Usually appearing in the form of ash.

But the case was not so for Alice's situation. Every evidence of a her being burned alive were erased from the scene.

'Strange...'

Indeed it was, she could clearly remember being consumed by the white heat of the annihilating flames, the feeling of her skin and bones being burnt to an exceptional degree, before blacking out from the intense pain.

Then she recalled the spiraling abyss of floating orbs and the voice of a being she had come to know as the Spirit Guide.

'Speaking of him... Why hasn't he answered yet?' Alice thought, before trying a second time. But instead of calling out with her voice. Alice closed her eyes and said in her mind;

'Spirit Guide, I need you.' Alice opened her eyes abruptly, realizing she sounded a bit too awkward.

But atlas, the deep voice boomed in her head.

It worked.

{How can I be of service, Host Alice?}

'How do I access the system?' Alice delved straight to the point.

She wanted to understand the System first, even though her fate had already been decided after her rebirth.

{Well, it's simple. Use your mind.} The Spirit Guide suggested.

"Oh, okay." Alice did as told and by subtly willing it, a string of bright cursive letters appeared in her visage.

{User interface has been activated...}

{Host: Alice Silverspark}

{Age: Eighteen}

{Current Form: Human}

{Current Level: 0}

{Abilities: None}

{Life Points: 100}

{Experience Points: None}

{Statistics}

{Physicality:

Strength– 7

Agility– 13

Stamina–10} {Overall= 30}

{Spirituality:

Essence–2

Paranormal Energy–5

Immunity– 3}

{Overall=10}

Alice gazed in wonder at the bright, floating letters, before focusing on what they read.

She then frowned, realizing there were terms she couldn't understand. Luckily, she had a ghostly helper.

Alice willed for an explanation on aspects she wasn't clear about. By focusing on spirituality, a short explanatory prompt appeared.

{Spirituality– The Metaphysical attributes of the host.}

{Essence– The Supernatural aura every ghost emits.

This attribute allows the host to exude a terrifying presence which may scare the enemy into submission. The denser this attribute is, the more disturbing it will be when used on the target.}

{Immunity– The host's defensive capabilities.

It is a primal sense for danger and ability to withstand attacks.}

{Paranormal Energy– The source of every ghosts' power.

It is the Supernatural essence that builds within a ghost.

This energy can be used in many ways depending on the host's creativity. A large pool of this energy can enable the host to last longer in battles.}

Alice absorbed every written word with utmost enthusiasm, amazed at the unique possibilities the Ghost System provided.

Initially, she wanted to immediately test these attributes, hopefully becoming attuned with them enough to prepare her for battles she was more than likely to face.

But there were several problems with that. Including time and her current situation.

As much as Alice would love to play with her new powers, the stealthy passage of time would not heed her. She also had to rush home quickly. The hauntings could start anytime soon and if she were to be ambushed, her chances of survival, superpowered or not, would be very slim.

Furthermore, her current absence of clothing was also a problem. As sexy as she looked, she wasn't comfortable with being assaulted from the coolness of the thick winds. Not to mention the putrid stench of garbage permeating the air.

Dismissing the interface, Alice walked out of the alley onto the crude streets of Ashvon.

The neighborhood was eerily silent as the buildings were scanty. Alice could observe the desolate appearance of structures she walked past.

Old rickety lampposts stood crooked and bent, as some barely provided any light. Alice easily navigated through the dark paths, as though unaffected by the poor clarity. This wasn't her first time coming home this late, afterall.

Soon, a rather shabby bungalow came into view. The building looked old and was almost falling apart, just like every other house in the neighborhood, some appearing in even worse conditions.

Halting her steps, Alice gave a shaky sigh as she knocked at the creaking wooden door.

She was home.