"No, Amelia… that's not what Ryner would want," said Rita softly.
She floated beside Amelia, her voice tinged with guilt and sadness. "Earlier today, when they ambushed him and a girl named Shimoya… they were beating the crap out of him. I helped him out by scaring them away, but he got really upset with me. He said a lot of hurtful things—things I didn't expect… things I didn't like at all."
She looked down, her translucent form flickering slightly with emotion.
"I didn't know he was going through all of this," she continued. "Before I came into his life, he already had a score to settle with Tyler. I… I distracted him from that. I got in the way." Rita paused, her voice trembling. "I have to go and apologize for intervening."
Before Amelia could respond, Rita floated away toward the school, her form vanishing into the breeze.
"Wait, Rita, don't go yet!" Amelia cried, rushing out the front door—but it was too late. Rita was already gone.
"The timer's up," she muttered, her hands tightening into fists. "I need to find Jack. Maybe he can help me get my hands on those talismans again… I need to keep seeing her."
She turned around and ran back into the house.
As the door closed behind her, another voice entered the silence—Ryner's thoughts echoing quietly within his mind.
Looking back, I remember how strange things used to happen around me when I was a child. Of course, I didn't know at the time that I could see ghosts.
There was a little girl I used to play with at the riverbank. She had this beautiful smile that always made my day. I was happy to come home from school just to see her and play, every single day.
I was naïve—just a seven-year-old kid. How could I have known she was already dead?
One rainy afternoon, my sister Amelia—thirteen at the time—warned me not to leave the house. I listened to her. I really did. But I still thought about the girl… I wondered if she'd be waiting at our usual spot.
I felt sad and sat by the window, and that's when I saw her. Standing outside our house, barefoot in the rain. Then, without a word, she turned and ran toward the riverbank.
I chased after her, splashing through puddles. By the time I reached the river, she turned and smiled at me. Then she jumped into the water.
Just as I was about to dive in after her, Amelia caught me by the collar and yanked me back. If she hadn't been there… I might've drowned.
Later, we found out on the news that a little girl matching her description had been found dead—floating upriver—a whole month before I ever met her.
Ryner took a deep breath.
"I'll be right back, Shimoya. Just take it easy and rest up for now."
"Okay… I will. Thank you," said Shimoya with a tired smile from her infirmary bed.
Ryner stepped out and walked down the hallway to the restroom. As he stood in front of the sink, he stared at his reflection, his hands gripping the sides.
"I know she was only trying to help… but this is my fight," he muttered to himself. "I need to end it alone. She probably won't even speak to me again after all the horrible things I said…"
"Ryner!!"
He jumped, startled, and stumbled backward, hitting the floor with a thud.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Rita?! You scared me half to death!"
"I thought you'd be used to seeing ghosts pop through walls by now," she chuckled.
He shot her an annoyed glare from the floor, but she smiled through it.
"Listen… I'm sorry. I had no right to intervene in that fight. Your sister—my best friend—told me everything. About how you were bullied for standing up for your classmates. About how you were preparing to face Tyler for a long time."
She floated closer, her voice cracking.
"I understand why you didn't want help. But I just… I couldn't leave you like that. I couldn't stand to see them hurt you. It hurt me too."
Tears welled in her eyes as she floated inches above the ground.
"If anything… I was the one who was insensitive," Ryner said, standing up. "I'm sorry, Rita. You were only trying to protect me, and I treated you like you were the enemy."
"It's okay," she said, wiping her tears and giving him a hug. "I'm just glad you're safe."
"Um… is that dude okay?" asked a boy passing by.
"He's been on the floor talking to himself for, like, ten minutes," said another.
"Just leave him. He's one of those demented students," someone whispered.
Ryner let out a sigh and shook his head.
"Listen, Rita. I don't need your help, okay? I'll deal with Tyler and his gang by myself."
"Okay," Rita nodded. "But five against one is seriously unfair. How about I take care of his friends, and you get your one-on-one with Tyler?"
Ryner gave her a tired look.
"There's nothing I could say that would ever stop you from helping me, is there?"
"Nope. Nothing at all," she said with a mischievous grin.
"…Fine. You can help. But promise me one thing: don't interfere in my fight with Tyler. I have to do that part alone. If I don't beat him with my own strength… I'll never feel at peace."
"I promise."