Chapter 6: Absorbing Death Energy, Skills Upgraded
"Come, sit down and talk."
Finding two chairs, Lynn motioned for Lily to sit.
Under the gaze of David's spirit, Lily sat down and pulled a metal tag out from her necklace.
The tag was identical to the one clenched in David's hand; even the name carved on it was the same.
"My dad joined the circus when he was sixteen, and then he had me. So, just like David, I grew up in the circus too."
"In my dad's and Uncle Wilson's eyes, David and I were the circus's future stars, the best heirs to the trapeze and the contortionist acts."
Handing the tag to Lynn, Lily's eyes filled with sadness. "But the truth is, David and I hated the circus."
"Because our fathers didn't get along, David and I could only love each other in secret. We only made it official three months ago."
"Detective Lynn, David and I both knew... we knew our fathers would tear us apart if they found out we were together."
She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, her expression heartbreakingly lovely. "But we couldn't stand to be apart. Just like… just like Romeo and Juliet in the story."
"Half a month ago, we even secretly put on a circus version of Romeo and Juliet."
"I was hanging upside down by my legs on the trapeze, playing Juliet, and David was on the ground reaching up as Romeo. But... my father found out halfway through the performance."
Wiping away her tears, Lily took the tag back from Lynn. "David made this himself. He said it was a symbol of our love."
"With our fathers in the way, it was impossible for us to be together openly. So… so we made a pact... to act out the end of Romeo and Juliet."
Listening to her story, Lynn glanced at the spirit. David was reaching out on pure instinct, trying to wipe away Lily's tears.
But his spectral hand passed right through her cheek.
"Are you saying… you wanted to kill yourselves?"
"Yes!"
Lily nodded hard, taking a shaky breath. "We promised to die together. It was the only way we could finally be together."
"So, during the show last night, David was going to suffocate in the box, and I... I was going to let go during the trapeze act... and fall to my death."
"But when I was on stage... when my father and I did the hand-off, right at the moment I was supposed to let go... I got scared. I grabbed my dad's arm."
Clutching her strained right arm, Lily's voice trembled. "After the show, I ran backstage as fast as I could... but David was already gone. He was already dead in the box."
Tears streamed down her face like rain as Lily covered her face, sobbing.
After a long while, she finally choked out, "I was so devastated... I didn't know what to do. So I... I threw the suitcase with his body into the Hudson River."
"Detective Lynn, that's the whole truth."
As Lily finished her story, the red light of obsession in David's spirit's eyes began to fade.
He turned instinctively to Lynn, repeating the same phrase over and over. "Romeo… doesn't blame… Juliet."
Lynn, understanding everything, knew this was David's final, lingering obsession.
At this, Lynn stood up, pulled a tissue from his pocket, and handed it to her. "Here, wipe your tears."
"Thank you."
She took the tissue, mechanically dabbing her eyes.
Lynn was silent for a moment, then said, "You know, Romeo never got Friar Laurence's letter. He thought Juliet was really dead, so he poisoned himself at her tomb."
"I like to think... if Romeo's spirit knew Juliet was only faking, he absolutely wouldn't have blamed her."
"Just like David doesn't blame you."
Hearing Lynn's words, Lily sat stunned for a second, then covered her face and began to weep uncontrollably.
David's spirit leaned down slightly and placed a kiss on her forehead.
The next second, David's translucent spirit began to dissolve.
The obsession vanished completely, and a massive surge of death energy was instantly absorbed by Lynn.
In that instant, Lynn felt a wave of heat rush through his body.
Immense power flooded every part of his being.
[Name: Lynn Hall]
[Age: Twenty-two]
[Identity: Emissary of Death (1%)]
[Supernatural Abilities: Physical fitness at three times peak human potential, Mystic Potion Crafting (LV1), Phantasm (LV2), Super-Sense (LV2), Bone Shield (LV1), Immortality.]
He looked at the system panel. His physical fitness was now at three times peak human, and both his Phantasm and Super-Sense skills had leveled up.
Most importantly, his inactive [Emissary of Death] identity had just reached one percent.
A thrill of joy surged through Lynn.
'This is what you get from a spirit with a red-level obsession.'
Lynn was now incredibly excited to find out what kind of earth-shattering changes would happen once his Emissary of Death identity was fully activated.
"Hey, Lynn!"
Coming out of the main tent, George Stacy had looked all over, finally spotting Lynn and Lily behind the circus.
He saw Lynn with one hand on Lily's shoulder, apparently comforting her.
George Stacy's face instantly darkened, and he shouted.
Hearing George's call, Lynn gave Lily's shoulder a final pat and walked over to him.
He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to George.
Before Lynn could even speak, George Stacy said exasperatedly, "I'm serious, can you just stop turning on that damn charm of yours?"
"Lynn, we're in the middle of a case. We don't have the truth yet. You can't just... just because she's pretty…"
Before George could finish, Lynn cut him off. "The case is closed."
"What did you say?"
George stopped mid-sentence, stunned. "You know what happened? The whole thing?"
"Of course. What, you thought I was just hitting on her?"
Lynn slung an arm around George Stacy's shoulder, turning him back toward the car. "George, times are changing. You need to update that mindset of yours."
"Like, how many times have I been to your house for dinner? Gwen just talks to me a little, and you look at me like I'm a wolf."
"Come on, George. You know I don't mess with seventeen-year-old girls. I have some standards."
"Even if Gwen is into me, don't you trust my integrity? I'd swear to God!"
"Shut up, you damn asshole! Don't you say my daughter's name. And don't think I don't know you don't even believe in God!"
As they walked, George said, "Now, hurry up and tell me. What's the real story with this case?"
The two bickered as they walked, the sun setting behind them.
Their shadows, cast long, stretched out toward the car.
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