"How many days? And how much do I have to pay?" Heka asked, seeking clarity on the practical and personal costs of this mysterious process.
Mr McVeigh gaze softened as he answered. "Maybe for 4 days. Don't worry about your parents. I will tell them. Then, for the price, you seem to have to pay more for it. You will lose something in your life."
***
When Ansel escorted Heka out of his house, Ansel saw him contemplating. In the deepest of his heart, he felt very sorry for Heka.
Someone who does not have a rotten heart must accept a very bad destiny. The fact was so vulnerable.
"Heka, are you okay?" Ansel's voice was gentle but filled with genuine concern as he looked at Heka.
"Yeah, I'm fine. By the way, how much should I pay for your Grandpa?" Heka replied, though his voice carried a hint of hesitation. Then, shifting the topic, he asked with a faint smile.
Ansel scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed. "Because of that, hmmm… I don't know. Grandpa never mentioned when it comes to this. You don't have to think about that."
He hoped his words would soothe Heka's worries, and for a moment, he saw a brief smile flicker across Heka's face.
"Okay…" Heka murmured, still uncertain but willing to trust Ansel's assurance.
Ansel stepped closer, lowering his voice to a comforting tone. "You just calm down. Grandpa will handle everything. You just need to follow the directions. Everything will be fine. But the last time Grandpa said, I'm sure you can definitely get through it. If you need help, I'm ready to help you."
Heka's eyes met Ansel's, a silent gratitude passing between them. The road ahead was daunting, but knowing he wasn't alone gave him a flicker of courage.
Just then, Ansel noticed someone approaching the house from a distance. A figure carrying a cardboard box walked briskly toward them. Ansel called out, his voice brightening with recognition. "Ren!!!"
The person waved enthusiastically and smiled as she drew nearer. She greeted warmly, his energy a welcome distraction from the heavy conversation. "Hi Ansel!!!"
"Well, I will leave." Heka said quietly, steeling himself for what was to come.
"Take care of yourself." Ansel's voice was soft but filled with genuine warmth as he pulled Heka into a brief, heartfelt hug.
When he finally let go, Ansel watched intently as Heka climbed into the car. His eyes remained fixed on the vehicle's steady acceleration, following its path until it vanished from sight, swallowed by the winding road ahead.
"Ansel!!!... Ansel!!!... Ansel!!!..." Lorena's loud exclamation pierced through his reverie, pulling him abruptly from his daydream.
"Yeah, what's wrong?" Ansel said. He realized, with a slight start, that he had unintentionally ignored Lorena's presence for a moment.
"Is Mr McVeigh inside? I brought the plant that he ordered." Lorena said, holding up a cardboard box carefully cradled in her arms.
Ansel's curiosity was piqued. Without hesitation, he leaned over and opened the box, peering inside to see the contents. he asked, his voice tinged with intrigue. "Ren, what is this?"
Lorena smiled knowingly. "Passiflora," she replied simply.
****
Lorena was not just any ordinary woman; she was one of Grandpa's most dedicated students and a proud Shenmorta. Her love for flowers was well known among those who knew her, and this passion blossomed into a flourishing flower shop that she owned and operated with great care.
She had spent years learning the language of flowers, understanding their symbolism, and often embarked on adventurous hunts to find rare and exotic varieties that few had ever seen.
Lorena carried a heavy burden from her past. At 35 years old, she had lived alone for a decade, a solitary existence shaped by tragedy.
Her entire family had been wiped out overnight in a horrific event that left her the sole survivor. The pain of that night was etched deeply into her soul, a wound that never fully healed.
The perpetrator of that tragedy was a man possessed by an evil spirit, transformed into a terrifying creature known as a feyfiend.
This man was no ordinary killer; he was a member of the Forbidden Sect, a secretive and malevolent group devoted to hunting Shenmorta. Their allegiance was to the Devil, and their mission was ruthless and unrelenting.
On that fateful night, the feyfiend slaughtered Lorena's family with merciless intent. When he turned his deadly gaze toward Lorena herself, salvation came in the form of Hansel who arrived just in time to slay the feyfiend and save her life.
The evil spirits that possessed humans to create feyfiends were insatiable entities, driven by a hunger for human souls. Once an evil spirit entered a human body, it was impossible to separate the two.
The spirit would absorb the human soul, gradually taking over the body until the person was no longer themselves but a feyfiend, a monstrous being consumed by darkness.
This possession was irreversible. The only way to end the torment was to kill the feyfiend, which would reduce the corrupted body to ashes, freeing the soul from its torment but ending the human life forever.
After surviving such a harrowing ordeal, Lorena dedicated herself to mastering spiritual powers. Under Mr McVeigh's mentorship, she learned to protect herself and others from the dark forces that lurked in the shadows.
Her training was rigorous, but it gave her the strength and resilience to ensure that the tragedy she endured would never happen again.
Physically, Shenmorta were indistinguishable from ordinary humans. However, their souls were unique. It is marked by extraordinary sensitivity and power. This made them magnets for spirits, ghosts, and demons.
Some of these supernatural beings were harmless passersby, while others sought to prey on the souls of the Shenmorta. Yet, some spirits acted as Guardians, protecting Shenmorta from harm.
The soul of a Shenmorta was a rare and potent force. It held advantages that ordinary human souls did not, including the ability to enhance the power of immortals.
This made Shenmorta highly coveted by malevolent entities like feyfiends, who sought to absorb their souls to increase their own strength.