"What are you doi-"
"Don't look at them! They won't do anything if they think you can't see them, please!"
Hao Xuan was so focused on observing the creature's reflection that he didn't even notice the look of exhausted fear in her eyes. And now that she was actually touching him, he was able to feel her emotional state to a degree.
The strongest emotion was concern followed closely by a panicking horror. She was petrified but couldn't tell anyone, managing only to silently pray for it all to end peacefully. And seeing her struggle so much, Hao Xuan became calmer than he should have been in this situation.
She was just a 15-16-year-old girl and even now she was trying her best to put up a brave front for him even though she was much younger. So he did his best to ease her distress.
"Hey, it's okay, you don't have to worry so much," he gently held her hand and felt the chill pass through him.
It was at this moment that he realized that it wasn't just a simple cold but the side effects of Ying Qi. In the handful of seconds he held onto her, a large part of that Ying Qi was pulled into his body. It was devoured by his right heart.
Hao Xuan could visibly see the changes. Her temperature rose and color returned to her skin. But then her eyes opened wide from shock, "How did you do that?!" her high-pitched voice sounded like a dolphin's squeal which he had to dampen himself.
"Shhh! Don't stop moving, we'll talk through spiritual sense," he said while turning her back around.
But when he tried to pull back his hand she didn't let go.
"C-Can I hold on for a little longer? Just until we get out of here?"
"...Sure...I guess."
And it was only then that Hao Xuan noticed the sickly green colored flame atop the almost depleted candle.
'Is it because of these things?'
They had fallen behind the others a little so Ma Jiang dragged him forward and sprinted towards her original position in the line. The creature following Hao Xuan kept up with him at a distance of a few meters.
When Hao Xuan was sure the creatures weren't going to attack, he asked for more information.
'What are these things? Why can't anyone else see them?'
'They...are spirits. Only special people can see them.'
'Spirits? Like the souls of the deceased? And what do you mean by special? Special how exactly?'
'No, I don't think they are spirits of the dead. Papa used to say they were from another world but, I don't know if that's true.'
'And special just means that some very rare people can see them. I don't know "how" they are special but I have only ever met one person other than you that can see them. She is Sister Helena's grandmother, the grand priestess.'
'The grand priestess? Can she see them just like you?'
'Yes. She is very strong even though she hides it really well. She can also talk to them and control some of the spirits.'
'And you can't do that?'
'No. I can only see them and most of the time they are malevolent spirits so it's not good. If they know you can see them they will never leave you alone.'
'Can they be killed? Harmed or destroyed in any way?'
'The Grand Priestess said that's only possible when they chose to show themselves to us, when they willingly enter our world and reveal their actual form. Other than that they can hurt us but we normally can't do anything to them. She explained in a lot more detail but...I wasn't paying attention...' she finished by embarrassingly lowering her head but since Hao Xuan was behind her he couldn't see her face turn a shade of cherry red.
'Are there more of them? Then just these three?'
'Eh? You can't see all of them?'
'No, I can only see when they are close and not in too much detail.'
He didn't have the heart to tell her that even that was not his ability but what he got from coming into contact with her blood.
'Oh...'
She sounded dispirited for whatever reason. After a short bout of silence she spoke up again, 'What about the voice? Can you not hear that too?'
'Voice? The one that keeps repeating the same thing over and over again?'
'YES!'
'Well....yes I can hear it, sort of. Why? What about it?'
'No nothing. It's just that it sounds weird. I could hear it ever since we first entered the valley and when we came down here it got so much louder. I couldn't even think before but-'
'But what?'
'But I...can't hear it anymore. When I touch you I can't hear it.'
'Really?'
One of Hao Xuan's eyebrows automatically rose higher than the other.
'Then does that mean.....?'