I am now in Ryner's body—but how? I thought only actual dead people were able to possess someone. I guess Jack Crow's knowledge was inaccurate, Rita said to herself. Now then, what should I do? Earlier, Jack explained that ghosts can possess people and communicate with evil spirits to convince and control them. Maybe I should give it a try, Rita said as she cleared her throat.
"Spirit that dwells in the body of this girl, my name is Rita Holt—the spirit that possesses this vessel," Rita declared with a firm voice.
"And? Just shut the hell up!!" screamed the evil spirit as it let out a chilling, manic laugh that echoed inside Ryner's head.
"Why did you choose to torment this girl? Why her?" asked Rita, trying to keep her voice steady despite the spirit's intensity.
"It's not like you would understand," it growled. "You see, I feed on fear, anxiety, and anger. That's what keeps me from going to the underworld. It was already set in stone that I'd be sent there—I've done a lot of terrible things when I was alive."
"I torment and haunt people until they commit suicide or die from a lack of sleep. Then I send their souls to the underworld to take my place, buying me more time here before the Reapers come for me," said the evil spirit, its voice full of venomous pride.
"That still doesn't explain why you chose her to be your next victim," Rita insisted.
"It was just by chance," the spirit admitted with a dark chuckle. "I stumbled across her when she was performing a ritual. A lonely and anxious soul inviting a spirit into her sanctuary—who could resist such a delight? Her soul is delicious and pure, one that will buy me a long, long time before the Soul Reapers catch up to me."
"So you plan on using her to keep yourself in this world?" asked Rita.
"And what if I am? What can you do to stop me?" the spirit hissed. "I'm attached to this girl's body and soul. I can't be exorcised. There is nothing you can do."
It was right. Not even an exorcist could remove something that was fused with someone's soul. What hope did she have alone? Rita lowered her gaze, a sense of helplessness sinking into her. But then a thought sparked—what if she tried to enter Shimoya's body? Maybe she could help Shimoya take back control.
She reached for the girl's essence and attempted to make contact—but then a powerful vision slammed into her like a tidal wave.
She saw a man's life unfold in grotesque fragments. He was a brutal serial killer who preyed on young adults and teenagers—especially females. His methods were beyond vile. He would strip the skin from their bodies and stuff it with cotton, using their preserved corpses as dolls to sleep beside. He took pleasure in their fear, their suffering, their helpless cries.
Despite his crimes, the man was careful. No bodies were ever found, so each victim was just another name on a missing person's list. It took years before the police finally pieced the disappearances together and linked them to one location. When they searched the isolated shed, they found the preserved bodies of all the missing individuals. The truth shattered the community.
The man was apprehended and executed for his crimes.
But even death didn't stop him.
After dying, his spirit continued to haunt and torment others—teenagers, the vulnerable, the lonely—driving them to suicide or death by sleep deprivation. Then he would trap their souls and send them to the underworld in his place.
He wasn't lying—he truly had caused an immense amount of death and suffering. So many young people had lost their lives at his hands, even beyond the grave. The horror of it all twisted in Rita's stomach. It was sickening.
"You're a monster," Rita whispered, her voice shaking. "How could you do all these things? Do you have no heart?"
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"When I was alive, I killed people for pleasure," the spirit said proudly. "It made me feel good—watching them beg for help, skinning them alive, hearing them cry while knowing no one would come. It was fun."
He paused for a moment, his tone changing slightly. "Now? I only kill to stay alive."
"You're only delaying the inevitable," Rita replied, her voice trembling but firm. "I can't even imagine the punishment waiting for you—for everything you've done to these poor, innocent people."
She scanned Ryner's room desperately for something—anything that might help. Her eyes landed on a pencil and a piece of paper near the desk. She quickly scribbled something down, pressing hard with the pencil, etching a desperate message.
"I hope Ryner sees this," she murmured.
Then she left his body.
Ryner gasped and jolted upright as Rita exited him and entered Shimoya instead. His vision cleared, breath ragged, sweat dripping from his forehead.
Outside the room, Thomas shifted nervously, pacing. He could feel something was wrong. He stopped and stared at the door, anxious.
"That girl is definitely creepy," he muttered to himself. "I knew it."