Gathering

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The forest was shrouded in nighttime fog as Charlize walked blankly, as if in a dream.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall," she murmured, and it felt like she was back in her bathroom, facing the mirror again.

"Who is the most famous of them all?" she inquired.

"It's you, Charlize," the mirror replied. "You are the most famous actor, the biggest star in the world. Keep following this path. Everything you desire is right ahead."

Yes, just as she had seen countless times in her dreams, everything she wanted was within reach.

Charlize chuckled and continued, "Just keep going..."

But then, a voice interrupted her, "Don't go any further"

The face of a woman with the same blond hair suddenly appeared in the mirror. "You've rejected me countless times before. Why didn't you reject me this time?"

Rejected countless times?

Charlize shook her somewhat confused head, finally recognizing who this blond girl resembling herself was — Alexis.

The female ghost who almost killed her? She had seen photos of Alexis, not just photos. In the dreams Christian had helped Charlize create to replace Alexis, Charlize had faced this delicate face numerous times.

In the dream world, Alexis was no longer an unknown actress who had died, but a successful superstar with a happy life, and Charlize was her assistant. Charlize silently observed her life and work in her dreams, watching her star in "Spider-Man," secure Dior endorsements, and hold up awards.

Charlize knew it was just a dream woven for Alexis, but she couldn't help but be envious. She longed to be replaced by her, especially admiring the other's acting skills.

"If I could have that kind of acting..."

She unconsciously imitated Alexis' acting skills, not just in dreams, but also in reality. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't capture the same spirit and ease.

"Sally, I envy you even more," the woman in the mirror said, leaving Charlize puzzled and somewhat angered. Envy her? What was there to envy? Charlize faced daily auditions, struggled for prominent roles, and was even accused of climbing into the director's bed. At home, her life was anything but easy, and now she was being entangled by a female ghost.

"Yes, I'm a female ghost, and I'm well aware of that," the woman in the mirror responded. "That's why I envy you. You're still alive, and you have a chance. I, on the other hand, only exist in dreams."

Alexis sighed, "Actually, what I envy most is that when you met me, you also met him. And I was"

Him?

Charlize was taken aback, but before she could react, the blond girl in the mirror stuck out her tongue, "Oh, he's here. We'll have to talk about it later"

The mirror suddenly shattered into countless shards, and Charlize was left in darkness, shivering from the cold that enveloped her. She realized that she wasn't in her bathroom facing the "magic mirror" but somewhere else entirely. She hadn't slept in the crew's cabin either.

"What" she began to say, but a hand covered her mouth. Charlize tried to struggle, but the person behind her whispered in her ear, "Don't speak, Sally. It's me, Christian."

Hearing Christian's voice, Charlize relaxed. The situation was strange, and she had been bewildered, but Christian's presence gave her some reassurance.

Christian didn't know the full extent of Charlize's emotional journey, but he had spotted someone struggling with ghosts during his night patrol, so he approached. To his surprise, it was Charlize, and the ghost tormenting her was Alexis, who should have disappeared.

The first attempt to exorcise Alexis had been unsuccessful, and Christian sensed that Alexis' attachment to Charlize was unusual. He mused that perhaps Alexis' attachment was different from that of regular malevolent spirits.

"Could it be..." Christian wondered but didn't have the chance to investigate further. Alexis seemed to sense them and vanished in an instant.

"This female ghost has become even more challenging," Christian noted. Deceived spirits were always more alert, even ghosts, and Christian was well aware of this. He didn't have time to ponder further, though, as Charlize seemed to suddenly awaken.

"So, you rushed over to cover my mouth to prevent my screams from disturbing Annika and the ghost that's been haunting her, right?" Charlize deduced.

Christian hadn't known about Charlize's emotional turmoil at that moment, but he had intervened upon seeing someone entangled by ghosts during his night patrol. He had only realized it was Charlize upon approaching. The first attempt to exorcise Alexis had failed, and Alexis had disappeared. Now, Charlize was left to face the situation, and Christian had joined to assist.

"Yes, I was afraid your screams might disturb Annika and the ghost haunting her, so I came over to cover your mouth," Christian explained. Although his excuse seemed reasonable, curiosity gnawed at her.

"You can continue following Annika. I'll go back alone, but what if something happens on the way back?" Charlize added. While the excuse was not entirely unreasonable, her inner curiosity revealed the true motive.

"That's up to you," Christian replied. He wasn't entirely opposed. He believed Charlize's reasoning had merit. Moreover, he was interested in seeing how Alexis, who should have disappeared, would interact with other ghosts.

"However, we're not far apart. Why does Annika seem completely unaware of us?" Charlize asked.

"Annika is entangled by the ghost, and her current state is akin to sleepwalking. Naturally, she wouldn't sense us," Christian explained. "As for the ghost not detecting us, it's due to this." He raised his hand to show a green leaf between his index and middle fingers. "This is called Yiye Biaomu, a protective charm. It may not work well on people, but it's highly effective against ghosts. To them, we're practically invisible."

"Invisible? You look pretty solid to me" Charlize teased.

"More or less," Christian replied, with a hint of regret, as he wished the leaf charm was more effective. He hadn't expected to use it, but Alexis had spotted them.

"Annika seems to be more haunted than I thought," Charlize noted.

Christian always felt something was amiss. He had inquired about Charlize's experience with ghostly encounters, but the blonde girl couldn't provide a clear explanation.

"But after I go back, I still need to deal with Alexis. The first exorcism attempt was a failure," Christian admitted.

"Speaking of which, you've been saying that Annika is haunted by ghosts, but I can't see anything. Do ghosts, like Hamlet's father, only appear to certain people?" Charlize asked.

"It's not quite like that. I have no blood relation to that ghost, and I believe Annika doesn't either," Christian remarked, making a rather macabre joke that sent shivers down Charlize's spine. "Ghosts can only be seen when one has opened their third eye, also known as Yin and Yang Spirit eyes. Few people are born with this gift."

"Yin and Yang eyes?" Charlize seemed genuinely interested, momentarily forgetting about the cold.

"It's possible to open them, but...," Christian began but stopped. "I don't think this is the right time."

While Charlize only saw Annika in front of her, Christian beheld a stunning sight. It was a misty valley filled with countless pale figures wandering.

"This is unbelievable. A ghostly marketplace? Or the land of the dead?" Christian exclaimed in disbelief.

"Since our distinguished guest has arrived, why not join us for a gathering?" a voice suddenly spoke, and Charlize was startled.

A horde of pale figures suddenly appeared and fixed their lifeless gazes on Charlize and Christian. Christian's wry smile said it all, "Now you can see them without me opening your yin and yang eyes."

Christian's comment sent shivers down Charlize's spine, but she was too focused on the ghostly crowd to respond.

"What is this place?" she stammered.

Christian simply shook his head. "I have no idea. But it seems we're in quite a predicament."

For the first time, Charlize felt a surge of fear.

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