It wasn’t until eleven o’clock at night that the two finally went their separate ways...

  John climbed into a taxi heading home, his mind already spinning with thoughts.

  "Ghosts actually exist in this world..."

  "Is an era of upheaval on the horizon?"

  If it hadn’t been for the black dog’s blood, he would’ve been completely helpless against that wraith.

  He’d originally figured the authorities could handle things like this, but after what happened today, he was convinced conventional firearms stood no chance against such supernatural forces.

  "I’m a ten-grand man now—maybe I should stock up on black dog’s blood back home?"

  The blood had been only moderately effective today, but it had worked well enough.

  Besides, he couldn’t think of any other items that could ward off paranormal incidents.

  Before long, John arrived at his apartment complex.

  "Finally home."

  Yawning, he quickly washed up and collapsed onto his bed.

  The place felt cold and empty, but he’d long grown used to the solitude.

  "Got to get up early for school tomorrow. Time to sleep..."

  The events of the day had left him drained, and he drifted off into a deep sleep in no time...

  Then, precisely at midnight,

  John jolted awake as if sensing something amiss,

  his gaze instantly locking onto his chest—a searing heat pulsed there, as if a flame were raging beneath his skin.

  "Hmm?"

  His eyes widened in shock, and he tore open his shirt in a heartbeat.

  There, etched into his chest, was a blood-red ghostly face, twisted with unspeakable horror.

  Though its features were identical to his own, they brimmed with madness and malice, utterly devoid of any trace of humanity.

  One body, two faces—each radiating an aura worlds apart!

  In that moment, John was no longer fully human...

  Yet instead of fear, he let out a weary sigh, his eyes tinged with resignation.

  "Really, dude? It’s the middle of the night. Can’t a guy get some sleep?"

  Black dog’s blood was the only ward he knew of, and it had been completely useless against this thing.

  Doctors couldn’t detect anything wrong with him, and going to the police would’ve been a waste of time. At this point, he was utterly powerless to rid himself of it.

  The ghostly face remained silent, as still as a corpse,

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  until suddenly, its eyes flashed with an intense crimson light.

  In the next instant, John’s consciousness lurched—and he found himself abruptly plunged into a pitch-black void.

  "What the hell?!"

  John froze, staring around in disbelief. "Did I just get kidnapped by a ghost?!"

  He scanned his surroundings, relying on a faint red glow to make out the area within a few meters.

  But there was nothing—just empty space stretching into impenetrable darkness beyond.

  Frowning, John glanced down at his chest, wondering what the ghostly face was up to now,

  only to realize he couldn’t see his body at all.

  Wait—am I only here as a consciousness?

  Growing bored, he shifted his gaze upward toward the source of the red light.

  Hanging directly above him was a blood-red bead, casting an eerie, pulsating glow over the void.

  As he stared at it, a white object suddenly plummeted from the darkness above, landing right at his feet.

  "Huh?"

  John’s eyes widened, and he leaned down to inspect it, his expression twisting into pure bewilderment.

  "Wait a minute... that looks like a pill... no—wait, is that a freaking brick of medicine?!"

  It was easily a decimeter wide—nothing like any pill he’d ever seen. It was practically the size of a pancake...

  "Did the ghost just prescribe me meds? What’s this about—does it actually think I’m sick or something?"

  He scratched his head, muttering to himself,

  "Man, this world has officially lost its mind."

  Even with his already warped sense of logic, this was next-level absurdity...

  Cautiously, John reached out and touched the pill.

  The moment his fingers made contact, his consciousness jolted again—and he was instantly back in his bedroom, the massive pill lying right beside him on the bed.

  At the exact same time, a stream of information flooded his mind out of nowhere.

  "Huh? This pill can enhance my physical abilities?"

  He blinked in surprise, staring at the pill with newfound interest.

  Meanwhile, the searing heat from the ghostly face on his chest had faded, and the mark itself had vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there at all.

  John stared at the pill, hesitation creeping in as he weighed his options.

  "Is this a reward... or a trap?"

  He tapped his chin, running through all the possible outcomes of swallowing it.

  "It’s basically parasitizing me now—if it wanted to kill me, it wouldn’t go through this ridiculous charade.

  Earlier, when it had me trapped in the bathroom, it could’ve taken me out easily. There’s no way it’d bother with a pill now just to off me..."

  Finally, curiosity got the better of him. He stuck out his tongue and gave the pill a tentative lick.

  "Whoa... that actually tastes pretty good..."

  He licked his lips, then wasted no more time—he wolfed down the entire massive pill in three big bites.

  "Ahh..."

  A wave of drowsiness washed over him, overwhelming and irresistible. John’s eyes fluttered shut, and he drifted off into a deep, restful sleep.

  ...

  The next morning, a blaring alarm clock shattered the silence.

  John slowly opened his eyes, stretching lazily as he muttered to himself,

  "Best sleep I’ve had in ages..."

  As he stretched, his bones let out a series of satisfying pops, leaving him feeling utterly refreshed.

  "Huh?"

  John paused, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he noticed something different about his body.

  He tensed his legs, then executed a perfect kip-up, springing to his feet in one fluid motion.

  "Whoa—I feel so light!"

  He felt as light as a feather, brimming with boundless energy, like he could run a marathon without breaking a sweat.

  Without hesitation, he bolted out of his bedroom and began sprinting back and forth across the living room, his body moving with a speed and agility he’d never known before.

  Ten minutes later,

  John collapsed onto the couch, his mind racing as he processed what had just happened.

  "So that pill actually worked?"

  He glanced down at his bare chest—the ghostly face was still gone.

  "Hey, you there—you got any more of those pills?"

  He patted his chest, grinning hopefully. "It’s morning now. Meds are supposed to be taken three times a day, right?"

  But there was no response.

  "Ignoring me, huh?"

  John refused to give up. "C’mon, no more pills and I’m gonna lose my mind here."

  "..."

  "Still nothing? Don’t make me beg... Please?"

  "..."

  After minutes of pleading and cajoling, the ghostly face remained stubbornly silent—not even a flicker of its presence.

  "Fine... be that way."

  John sighed in defeat, resigned to the fact that he’d have to head out empty-handed.

  ...

  "Ugh, I’m starving!"

  John rubbed his growling stomach, feeling like he could devour an entire cow.

  Now that his physical abilities had skyrocketed, his body’s energy demands had gone through the roof.

  Soon enough, he reached the nearby bus stop.

  Shops lined the street, selling everything from pizza and milk to burgers—all the familiar sights and smells of a bustling city.