Those people all looked hideous, baring their teeth and brandishing their claws as they lunged toward me on stage. They surrounded the entire platform, leaving me no possible escape.
Damn it, now I'm trapped. These people are all possessed by ghosts—are they going to devour me alive?
Just then, Stella leaped into action. Light as a swallow, she vaulted onto the stage by stepping on the shoulders of the crowd.
In her left hand, she held a bell; in her right, she clutched a twisted yellow Taoist talisman. Chanting the incantation, she declared, "By the law of heaven, the universe shifts, and evil spirits scatter!"
As soon as the words left her lips, the bell in her hand rang sharply, its clear chime spreading across the stage.
The sound froze everyone in place. They stood motionless, yet the grotesque expressions on their faces remained, their eyes gradually turning scarlet as a hostile aura emanated from them.
"This is bad. They weren't satisfied with the performance and refuse to leave. You've ruined it for them—now they won't stop until they kill you," Stella said.
Panicked, I asked, What do we do? What will make these ghosts leave?
Even if I don't knock Harper out, she shows no sign of stopping. The outcome is the same—these damned ghosts are insatiable. They're already dead, so why are they so obsessed with the play?
Stella said there was nothing she could do. With so many ghosts, exorcising them all was impossible—they had to leave willingly. She had assumed my Ghosts Performing Opera would attract only a few spirits at most, but the sheer number had spiraled beyond her control. My Yin-inspired Tattoo was far too powerful.
I snapped, Talking about this now is pointless. We need to deal with the ghosts right in front of us. We can't escape, and who knows what these possessed students will do next.
Just then—bang!—the bell suddenly exploded, shattering into pieces in Stella's hand before scattering across the stage.
The moment the bell fell silent, the ghosts regained their movement. This time, they grew even more violent, surging toward us in a frenzy. Their faces darkened under a shroud of black aura, their eyes burning scarlet.
Stella stomped her foot, intertwined her fingers, and chanted another incantation:
"Talismans, dispel the evil! Destroy, slay, scatter!"
As the spell ended, the talisman in her hand shot forth like spectral fire, blasting the crowd to the ground. The talisman's flames licked at their bodies, and after a brief struggle, tendrils of black smoke burst from them. The people collapsed, unconscious.
Although the ghosts had been expelled, many more remained. Stella threw a few more Yellow Taoist Talismans, and as the ones in front fell, those behind surged forward like madmen, their eyes growing redder and the black aura shrouding their faces thickening.
Stella said these ghosts were descending into madness and might permanently possess the students' bodies, endangering the world.
The situation was worsening, but we were powerless. Stella had already exorcised a large number, yet at least half remained—and now, her Yellow Taoist Talismans were exhausted.
"There's no way out. I didn't bring my peachwood sword today, and without talismans, there's nothing more I can do." Stella wiped the sweat from her forehead, her breathing ragged from exertion. But behind her, hordes of ghosts still advanced.
"Let's go, or we'll die here." Stella was ready to give up. No matter how dire things were, survival came first.
She grabbed my arm to escape, but I suddenly yanked her back and pressed my lips to hers.
At a time like this, how could Stella guard against me? She never expected I'd kiss her in such a critical moment—and not just a peck, but a full, forceful kiss that left her dazed and unresponsive.
When she finally reacted, she shoved me away, spitting in disgust.
"Damn it, Ror! What the hell are you doing? That was my first kiss! Are you insane? I ought to kill you!" Enraged, Stella raised her hand to slap me.
But the blow never landed. Instead, I dropped to my knees with a thud, leaving Stella even more bewildered. She hadn't even struck yet—why was I surrendering? This wasn't like me.
"Baby Stella, from the moment I first saw you, I fell in love. Tonight, in front of so many people—no, so many ghosts—I've decided to confess. Will you be my girlfriend?" My words dripped with sincerity.
"Ugh—'Baby Stella'? That's disgusting." She gagged, jabbing my forehead with her finger. "Are you possessed too? What kind of evil spirit got into you?"
As I spoke, I frantically winked at her, but she remained oblivious, still itching to hit me. A confession was one thing—why the sudden forced kiss?
"Baby Stella, you have no idea how much I miss you every night. Without you, my world is empty—I'd rather die. You're the light that brightens my life and warms my heart." The cheesy lines kept coming, making even me cringe.
"Fine then, go ahead and die! If being with you means enduring this, I'd rather get eaten by them—"
"Together, together, together…"
Suddenly, the agitated group of ghosts below the stage stopped advancing toward us and began cooing at the two of us. This instantly confused Stella again—she froze, completely baffled by what was happening.
As I expected, these ghosts didn't just want to watch the show? Fine, I'll give them a real performance.
"Hey, damn Ror, what...what's going on here? What kind of scheme are you pulling?" Stella asked through gritted teeth, trying not to alert the ghosts.
"Don't ask questions, just play along. This might be our way out," I whispered back urgently.
"Play along how? You don't actually expect me to say yes, do you?" Stella sounded reluctant.
"It's just an act. What are you scared of? It's not like anyone actually cares about you. If you were mute, I might even consider dating you for real."
When Stella stays quiet, she's easily a perfect ten—flawless looks, perfect figure, worthy of being called the school's belle. But the moment she opens her mouth, she drops to a three, no different from a tigress or some crazy bitch.
"Aiya, you—!" Stella gnashed her teeth in anger but couldn't lash out. Strangely enough, my outburst seemed to have calmed the ghosts.
"Fine, fine, whatever! Do what you want!" Stella finally relented, stiffly waving her hand with an expression of utter disgust.
"You're saying yes? That's amazing! I'll love you ten times more from now on and make you the happiest woman alive!" I quickly stood up and pulled Stella into a tight hug.
The stage erupted in thunderous applause. Some ghosts below even started cheering. From their envious eyes, I could tell—these ghosts must've all been single losers when they were alive.
"Damn Ror, don't push it! Why are you hugging so tight? Trying to make this fake act real?"
"Why won't you let go? Are you trying to take advantage of me?"
"Ah, you pervert! Get off! You're rubbing against my—!"
After what felt like an eternity, I reluctantly released her. The look in Stella's eyes was more terrifying than any ghost—she looked ready to tear me limb from limb.
"Come on, let's go home." I took Stella's hand and began leading her offstage.
Stella glared daggers at me but had no choice but to follow, her hand stiff in mine.
At that moment, black smoke began pouring from the mouths of the possessed students below. Their eyes rolled back as they collapsed one by one. Within moments, everyone around the stage had fainted, and the ghosts had vanished.
"So I'ma love you every night like it's the last night."
I suddenly remembered this line of lyrics and couldn't help but feel emotional. The song would eventually end, and those ghosts...what were they really seeking by watching the performance? Was it to remember people and things from their lives, or...?
"Ror, I've put up with you long enough! Still holding my hand? I'll fucking kill you!"
Stella's hand snapped up and twisted my entire wrist over. I winced in pain, but that wasn't all—a couple of heavy punches sent me crashing to the ground, followed by some hard, complementary kicks.
"Big sister, was that necessary? I was just acting too! It's not like it was real, why are you hitting me?" I retorted from the ground while protecting my head.
"You call that acting? When you stuck your tongue out while kissing me? You shameless bastard! You just wanted to take advantage of me...Take this!"
That only made things worse. The more I talked, the angrier Stella became, and she launched into another frenzied beating.
"Ah...! Pain! Stop hitting!"
In an instant, my wails echoed across the entire campus.