In a daze, Zoe found himself standing in front of Neil's house. He thought he would never return to this place, yet here he was. The lights outside and inside were still on, indicating that Neil had not gone to bed. There was a wreath on the door, the same wreath Zoe had made for Christmas the previous year. Neil had refused to take it down, saying it was Zoe's work and that he wanted to keep it until the next Christmas, when he would replace it with a new one made by Zoe. Zoe gazed at the wreath, now faded and withered, but still hanging there, a testament to Neil's sentiment.
Zoe hesitated before placing the silk flower and the necklace he was holding onto the wreath. After a moment, he put the necklace around his neck and tucked the flower into his shirt, cherishing it as the only memento he had from Neil. Before leaving, Zoe wanted to see Neil's face one last time, so he approached the window to sneak a look inside, wondering if Neil was sitting on the sofa watching TV, as they used to do together.
Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from inside the house—clearly the sound of a gunshot. Zoe's heart skipped a beat as he rushed to the door and pushed it open, crouching beside Neil. Neil was lying on the floor, bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound in his arm.
Shaking with fear, Zoe tried to comfort Neil, even though his body felt paralyzed with dread. "No, no... Neil, what’s happened to you?" His voice cracked as he clutched Neil tightly.
Neil, in immense pain, tried to push Zoe away. "You need to leave, get out of here now."
"No, no, I’m not going anywhere," Zoe insisted, holding Neil even tighter. He turned his furious gaze toward Brian. "Why did you shoot him? You’re a police officer! How can a police officer just shoot someone like that?"
"He’s not a police officer," Neil managed to say through his agony, grasping Zoe’s hand. "He’s Jill. He has taken over Brian’s body."
Zoe stared at Neil in disbelief before looking back at Brian, who stood smiling calmly.
Brian—now Jill—lowered the gun and blew on it as if polishing it. He tilted his head, feigning remorse but clearly reveling in his power. "Surprised, aren’t you, Zoe? Even I didn’t think I could pull this off."
Jill sauntered over to the sofa and sat down, crossing his legs. He looked at Zoe clutching Neil and held up the gun, examining it.
"But I must thank you. Thanks to your ability to harness spirits, I’ve regained my strength quickly," Jill said with a sneer. "I hated pretending to be weak and frightened in front of you, Zoe. But now, I can possess bodies at will and kill with my own hands. Isn’t that wonderful?"
"You deliberately provoked me to kill people so you could harvest their souls. I thought after I destroyed your vitality in the wine cellar, you wouldn’t be able to recover," Zoe said, anger and disappointment mingling in his voice.
Jill laughed derisively. "True, I was weakened after that day, but that only motivated me to fight harder. Even if it was painful, I couldn’t be torn apart because I’m a spirit, right? I’ve absorbed many souls, so I know how to assimilate them. Moreover, reincarnating a spirit isn’t difficult for a spirit who has done it many times. Absorbing vitality from living people only makes me stronger."
Jill grinned. "I haven’t experienced the joys and sorrows of this world for a long time, but now I want to embrace it fully, Zoe. I want to live like a real person."
"But why did you choose me? To live like a human, you had to turn someone else into a monster?" Zoe’s voice was ragged with anger. "You use others’ suffering to make yourself stronger. Eventually, you’ll end up as a monster yourself."
Jill laughed loudly. "Hahaha… I accept that. If I truly rid myself of all my hatred, I might vanish from this world. I can’t turn back. I can’t just disappear." Jill tilted his head, looking at Zoe. "But didn’t you contribute to my becoming this way? You allowed me to taste other souls, and that feeling was incredibly new and thrilling. I can’t forget it, and I couldn’t resist its allure, so I did whatever it took."
Jill sighed. "I was once timid and gentle, without a trace of ambition. My heart was filled only with hatred for the one who killed me. But once the soul ignites with the desire for vengeance, it transforms into an invincible warrior with invisible armor, sharp weapons, cold eyes, and daring resolve. Do you understand now?"
"Then why do you want to kill Neil? He hasn’t done anything to you." Zoe's voice was hoarse with fury, trembling with intensity.
Jill shrugged nonchalantly. "Because he’s between me and you. Because he wants to take you away from me."
Brian’s clear, beautiful eyes and sunrise-like smile were fixed on Zoe, while Jill, inhabiting Brian’s body, smiled sweetly.
"Our existence is meant for each other, Zoe. You have the ability to use spirit energy to kill, and I rely on that ability to absorb other souls. We are inseparable."
Jill glanced at Neil, who was leaning against Zoe. "His presence has disrupted our relationship, so I must kill him to reclaim you."
Neil looked at Jill with scorn. "You’re just a spirit, and Zoe is human. How can the two of you be together? You want to use Zoe, and once you achieve your goal, you’ll kill him too. You want to kill me because I’ve thwarted your plans, don’t you?"
Jill’s face darkened, eyes reddening like a demon. "I used you, but I would never harm Zoe. If someone hadn’t killed Zoe’s parents, he wouldn’t be in this state. He would be living happily with his family. Who is it? Who gave him such a wretched, sinful life? It’s you, officer."
Jill seemed to have held back for too long, venting his frustrations while laughing madly, as if he were a lunatic.
"It’s you, officer. And yet, he still protects you, doesn’t kill you for revenge, and even forbids me from touching you. Look at how much he loves you."
"Shut up," Zoe hissed, glaring at Jill, loathing the malicious taunts.
Jill stood up and aimed the gun at Neil once more. "What can you do, Zoe? Make a move if you dare, or I’ll shoot him."
"I’m giving you one last chance, as a token of thanks for making me human again," Jill said, his voice cold. "But you have only three counts."
Before Jill could even begin counting, Zoe’s expression changed. He moved with the speed of the wind, rushing in front of Jill, grabbing his gun hand and pulling it forward. With his other hand, Zoe grabbed Jill by the throat, eyes blazing with fury.
"Then let’s die together. You and I are both filth that should not exist in this world."