Chapter 32: The Ghost Who Returned
A day passed, and by evening, a door that had remained closed for nearly twenty-four hours creaked open. A figure stepped out, stretching his body and neck. Without a word, he walked across the hall and made his way to the Master's throne room.
"Father!" he greeted.
The Master turned toward the voice—and was stunned. Joy enveloped him, and he stood immediately, abandoning his usual royal demeanor. In that moment, he was no longer a king, just a father reunited with his son after nearly losing him.
The Shrouded One was rendered speechless by the sudden display of affection. Yet, he didn't resist—he allowed the Master to embrace him as he pleased.
"How did I end up back here? And why am I feeling so tired? It's like something heavy was pressing on me while I was asleep. Master, did you summon me back?" he asked, confusion lacing his voice.
All he could remember was fighting the girls—then everything had gone blank. The next thing he knew, he had woken up in his childhood room, inside the Master's main house.
The Master avoided answering directly. Instead, he told him to get something to eat and rest; his body had not fully recovered. Though puzzled, the Shrouded One obeyed and made his way to the common room with the others—only to be stunned by their reaction.
The moment they saw him, the others stood up, scrambling backward as if they'd seen a ghost.
"Why are you all so jumpy? Is this the first time you're seeing me?" he asked, confused. No one responded—instead, they kept their distance, eyes wide with fear.
"You… You—aren't you dead?" Percy stammered. The others nodded in unison, clearly agreeing.
Little 9 was speechless. Dead? What did they mean by that? When had he die? Their fear was genuine, and it made him question himself. Could it be true?
Then, it all came rushing back—the fight, the Master's unusual affection, the haunted looks in his brothers' eyes. All of it pointed to one terrifying conclusion.
They believed he had died. Maybe… he really had.
Shock numbed him. Had the girls really killed me? That seemed like the only logical explanation for how things had unfolded. He had awoken in a room he hadn't used in years. Why had he returned there?
More questions flooded his mind. The most unbelievable of all—he died. And yet, here he was.
How did I come back?
This couldn't go on. He had to return to that room—perhaps the answers lay there.
He left the others still in shock and made his way back. But when he reached the door, it was locked. Strangely, he couldn't remember how to open it. The room was said to be his alone—only he had access. And yet, now, nothing worked.
What happened to me? He had no answers.
Determined, he turned back to seek the Master—the only one who might hold the truth behind his mysterious return.