Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Already Too Late?

Only now did Lana notice how cold her skin felt, even in warm air.

Her tears hit Lana’s shoulder… cold as melted ice, but to Lana they were like scalding oil poured on her heart.

“I… I was really about to give up,” Naina whispered hoarsely. “If you walked away back there… I think that would have been the end for me.”

Naina’s heart tightened ever so slightly as she held Lana.

The fragile weight in her arms made her wonder if a human life truly was something so delicate, so easily swayed between surviving and shattering.

Human lives really are this fragile… She suppressed the complicated heaviness rising in her chest and gently patted Naina’s back, steadying her voice so it remained calm and even.

“You don’t need to worry anymore,” Lana murmured softly. “I will handle everything from here.”

She slowly pulled back, brushing a strand of hair away from Naina’s damp cheek.

“I might need to make some calls. Will you wait for a moment?”

Naina nodded obediently, the faint tremor in her shoulders still present.

Lana took out her phone without hesitation, already scrolling through her contacts.

Inside, her thoughts churned.

’I cannot deal with a twelve-year-old morphing ghost alone. I need at least one more capable hand.’ So she began calling her classmates one by one.

However, the moment they heard the situation, they explained their own helplessness.

Some claimed they were already at parties; others simply did not pick up her calls. The ones who did answer hung up quicker than they dialed.

On such short notice, expecting someone to rush to a location where death hovered was almost naive.

Only when call after call failed did Lana realize that not a single one of them was free.

Having no other option, she dialed Axel. The call connected after a few seconds. Rustling noises and faraway voices could be heard on Axel’s end.

“Lana?” Axel’s tone already sounded strained. Clearly, he was in the middle of something urgent.

Lana frowned. “I need your help. Even if you can’t come, at least guide me. I need the weaknesses of a ghost.”

Axel sighed helplessly on the other end. “I am currently stuck in a nationwide-level mission. I really cannot leave. However, tell me the characteristics and state of this ghost. I will try to find something.”

Lana explained everything. The moment Axel heard the description, a long silence followed.

“This type… is one of the worst,” he finally said.

“Morphing ghosts are irritating, resilient, and almost impossible to win against. If your observation is right and the transformation has nearly reached its peak, then the chances of success are close to zero.”

Lana’s heart skipped heavily. “What do you mean?”

Axel spoke slowly, as though choosing his words.

“If you exorcise the ghost, it will most likely kill the host along with it. Once the ghost has already taken nearly full form, the host’s life force is so tightly entangled with the ghost that separating them is nearly impossible.”

A cold wave ran through Naina. She stared blankly at the dimming sky, her fingers trembling.

The sun was sinking. Evening glow spilled over the rooftops. Night was approaching. If she did not find a solution soon, she would not survive till morning.

“Is there no way left?” Lana asked, her voice tight.

“Theoretically…” Axel hesitated. “There is a rumor that if you can provide the host with life force while exorcising, the host might survive. Some refer to it as imparting a life orb. However, this has never been proven. Life force cannot be stored or transferred. No artifact exists that can preserve it. So even if the theory works, there is no means to carry it out.”

Lana’s fingers clenched around the phone. A theory without a method is nothing more than false hope.

After discussing further, Axel ended the call.

When Lana turned, Naina was watching her, smiling faintly. “Shall we go inside now?”

Lana did not move. Her voice came out low and rough. “Even if I exorcise the ghost… your chances of surviving are near zero.”

Naina froze. The joy drained slowly from her expression, replaced by a trembling, fragile stillness.

Lana hated herself for saying it. Yet she believed that telling the truth to someone nearing death was a final act of respect. At least Naina deserved clarity.

After Lana explained everything, Naina remained quiet for a long time before she looked up with a soft, unwavering smile.

“Even then, I still want to try. If I die without fighting, then the ghost wins. If I die while it is exorcised, at least it means I resisted.”

The words struck something in Lana’s chest. She lowered her gaze and nodded. “I will try my best to find another solution.”

Naina smiled. “Lana, you have already done your best.”

Those words stung. They were what people said when they believed the person was powerless.

Lana clenched her fists. Doing my best is not enough.

Once inside, Lana immediately turned on her laptop and began searching through archives, old case notes, historical references, forums, and anything related to morphing ghosts.

Time flew like grains of sand slipping through her fingers. Four hours disappeared in an instant. Midnight arrived. Anxiety tightened around her lungs like a vise.

If she exorcised the ghost, Naina would likely die. If she did not, Naina would die anyway.

As Naina prepared to lie down, she looked at Lana. “Can we talk?”

Lana glanced at the clock. Only three hours remained before the predicted collapse. Her jaw tightened. “I still need to research.”

Naina shook her head. “I know I will die anyway. Just… stay with me. I don’t want to die feeling alone.”

A knot formed in Lana’s throat. She nodded and sat beside her.

Naina spoke softly.

“My parents were strict. They always monitored my achievements. I tried so hard to earn their attention, thinking they would look at me, notice me, and care for me. In the end, they only grew further apart, and each lived their own life…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep