"SMACK!" A girl in a school uniform suddenly slapped a guy in the same uniform from behind. The guy held his sore cheek.

"Why the hell are you following me?" the girl demanded.

"I wasn't, I swear. I just happened to be walking this way, same as you," the guy replied.

"Liar. You've been following me since school. I know your house isn't around here. You got a crush on me, huh? Just say it, so I can reject you," the girl shot back.

"It's not that... I seriously wasn't following you," the guy insisted, defending himself.

"Whatever. You better watch it, if you keep following me, I'm gonna call the cops and scream my head off," the girl said, pissed.

The girl turned and walked away quickly, her face a mask of anger. The guy just stood there, rubbing his cheek and watching her disappear from view. Then he turned to look at the wall next to him.

"This is all your fault," he said to the wall.

Right in front of the wall, there was a man in a white shirt, covered in bloodstains. Half of his long pants were missing, as one of his legs was gone. The man's face was unrecognizable, his nose a bloody mess caved into his face and his lower jaw missing. His head was shaped like a crescent moon, with bloody hair sticking out of the wounds. The guy waved his hand. The man nodded and floated away.

After that, the guy turned and walked back toward the school. He glanced over his shoulder one more time, making sure the girl who slapped him was long gone and no one else was following her.

"Whatever. I'm used to getting slapped anyway, and no one would believe me if I told them. I'll just go home," the guy mumbled.

***

Yeah, the reason I was following her was because, at school, I saw her being followed by one of them, and I was trying to get rid of it. My name is Evan Ravencrow. I'm 17 and in my junior year of high school. I've been on my own since I was a kid after my parents died in a car accident, but they still kept me company, even if they looked a little different. I live with my grandma in an old-school house right behind the school. From the outside, the house looks so haunted that nobody dares to walk by it at night, but inside, it's super cozy and not spooky at all.

Living where I do, plus being constantly accompanied by my dead parents and my grandma, who passed away a couple of years ago, I've gotten used to it. My ability to see ghosts and spirits has been honed since I was a kid. There was a time when I couldn't tell the difference between living people and ghosts because they all looked the same. Even now, I still mess up sometimes and can't tell which is a ghost and which is a living person, haha.

But the ones with bad intentions look different. Like the guy following my school friend, I sort of know—well, not really a friend, I don't even know her. But I was glad I could help, even if the reward was a slap and some harsh words. Oh well, since she's hot, I don't mind; I'm used to it. A lot of people think I'm a stalker who enjoys following others, even though that's not the case. I don't feel the need to correct them, because I help people just to help, not for any other reason.

Anyway, now I'm gonna tell you about my daily routine at home. When I got home, it was around 5:30 PM. I went inside. My mom seemed to open the door for me—of course, I opened it myself. As soon as I walked in, my mom, who looks young, like she's in her 20s, reached for my bag. I gave it to her. "THUMP," my bag fell to the floor, but I just let it be. I'd clean it up later. I was happy to see her acting like she was carrying something and putting it down on a chair in the living room.

I looked into the kitchen and saw my grandma, who also looks young and beautiful, cooking. A little later, my mom came to help my grandma. I immediately went to my room to change, and when I came back out, I saw my dad, who was still in his shirt and also looked young, like in his 20s, sitting at the dining table reading a newspaper that wasn't actually there.

To show my respect for my dad, I immediately sat next to him. He put the newspaper down on the table and looked at me, smiling without saying a word. I just smiled back at him. It felt like we were having a telepathic conversation, even though I had no idea why he was just staring at me. A little later, around 6:30 PM, my mom and grandma brought the food they "cooked" to the table and served it.

After that, they sat across from me. My mom immediately served me food onto my plate, which was already on the table and had been for ten years, covered in a thick layer of dust. The plate was, of course, empty. I was happy and looked at my plate.

After she served my dad and grandma, she served herself. We all prayed together, giving thanks, and then we all started eating. My mom would often look at me, and her face would seem to ask, "Want seconds?" even though she didn't say anything. Of course, I'd answer by giving her a thumbs-up and puffing out my cheeks to show I was chewing.

Dinner lasted until around 7 PM. After that, they just disappeared. Only then could I move. I cleaned up my bag that fell and went out to get some food. The reason for this is that once, I brought food home, and my grandma and mom saw it. They didn't say anything, but their beautiful faces looked so sad and disappointed.

Since then, I've never brought food home. I only eat after "dinner" is over. After eating, I usually just lay in my room or play smartphone games. I love reading light novels, manga, or anything readable, and playing light, free online games. I usually play until around 11 PM.

The reason is that every night at 11, they show up again, wearing their pajamas and sleeping around me. Can you imagine being accompanied by your mom, dad, and grandma, who all look like they're in their early 20s, every single night? Sometimes I look at them one by one, and sometimes I'll say something goofy:

"Grandma, Dad, Mom, why don't you guys just go to the afterlife? I'm fine on my own, you know. I'm all grown up, even if I'm still a background character who gets slapped all the time. You guys should go fight the demon lord or something," I'd joke.

Of course, they wouldn't understand or answer. They would just look at me with a smile on their faces. "Bong... bong... bong," the old clock in the living room would chime at exactly midnight, and they would just disappear. Sometimes I'd think to myself and get a little tickled, "For real, just like Cinderella, haha." And that's been my life since I was five, and with my grandma, since she passed away two years ago.

Because of them, I'm never lonely, even though I don't have a single friend at school, or in my neighborhood, and especially not a girlfriend. I'm not worried about money because my parents and grandma left me a trust fund when I was born, and it's a good amount. So I can live comfortably and well without being extravagant or worrying about money. My uncle, my mom's younger brother, also occasionally sends money to my bank account to help with my daily expenses.

I've actually thought about getting a job, but one time I mentioned it to my dad, mom, and grandma, and their faces immediately went sour. It was like they were saying, "Just focus on school for now, and after that, you can think about other things. Instead of looking for a job, you should think about what you want to do in the future." That's what their faces told me, even though I'm not entirely sure what they really meant.

So that's my story and what I do every day. Right now, I have no idea that in just a few minutes, my entire life is about to change, and not just mine—all of humanity's if I can't prevent it. It all starts tonight, with my meeting with someone who will be here very soon.

"Groan... groan," Evan was in a deep, sound sleep on his bed when suddenly, "THUD," something landed on his body. "Ugh," Evan twitched restlessly in his sleep.

"Evan... hey... Evan,"

"Ugh," Evan began to moan and wake up. He opened his eyes, but he felt something pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe and impossible to get up. He tried to scream, but the sound was choked in his throat.

"What is this... why... why can't I talk?" Evan thought.

"Hehe, you're finally awake,"

Evan glanced up and was shocked to see a beautiful girl in a high school uniform sitting on top of him. He was terrified because this beautiful girl was more than just a ghost, and he recognized her. She was his classmate, even though her hair, which should have been black, was now white.

"Am... Amelia? You're... a... ghost?" he asked slowly.

"Yep... sorry, don't be scared and don't scream. I'm the ghost of Amelia, and I need your help," the ghost of Amelia said.

"Wh... why are you a ghost? Don't worry, I'm not scared, but please get off me; I can't breathe," Evan asked.

"I'm a ghost from the future, 50 days from now. I'm going to die, but I don't remember why. Please help me prevent my death," Amelia replied.

"Huh... wh... why me?" Evan asked.

"Hmm, I don't know why, but when I became a ghost, all I could remember was that you were the weird one and you could definitely see me," Amelia answered.

"You know I can see ghosts? Wait a minute... this is weird. How can you talk? No ghosts or spirits can talk," Evan said, confused.

"Hmm, I don't know either. I've read that ghosts can't talk... but whatever, you have to help me. In 50 days, I'm going to die, and I want you to help me prevent it," Amelia said.

"Please move first, I want to get up," Evan said.

Amelia immediately floated off him and gently landed beside the bed. "WHOOOOOOSH," Evan took a deep breath and let it out. He then sat up on the bed and looked at Amelia. He watched her cheerful face as she looked around his room. Evan had to pinch his cheek to make sure he wasn't dreaming, because the prettiest, smartest, and most sociable girl in his class was now in his room as a ghost.

He also tried to process Amelia's request, which she had just said twice.

"Okay, so you want me to help you not die in 50 days?" Evan asked.

"Yep, that's it. Oh, right, there's this event that changes all our lives, but I don't remember what it is, and that event leads to my death in 50 days... I think so, sorry, I can't remember clearly," a cheerful Amelia said.

"I see... but why me? Aren't you Chase's girlfriend? Why aren't you going to him?" Evan asked, confused.

"Hmm... I don't know... do I have a boyfriend?" Amelia asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"How should I know? You're the one who's supposed to tell me," Evan replied.

"Hmm... all I know is you, your house, and your ability to see me. Don't ask me how I know, because I don't remember," Amelia said.

"But how am I supposed to help you? Try to remember what event leads to your death," Evan said.

Amelia was silent for a moment. She looked like she was thinking really hard, floating and spinning around Evan's room. She looked confused and sometimes more interested in Evan's stuff in his room.

"Hey... what's up? Come down," Evan said.

"Oh... okay," Amelia replied.

Amelia floated down and sat back on the side of Evan's bed, her face cheerful but blank, as if she wasn't thinking about anything. Suddenly, Amelia leaned her face close to Evan's, making Evan pull back a little.

"How about this, since I'm still alive right now, you get close to me, the living me, and stick to me to find out what's happening to me. What do you think?" Amelia asked.

"Huh... are you crazy? You know what they call me at school: a stalker and a weirdo... if I get close to you, who's way more popular than me, I'll be judged by everyone and maybe even killed on the spot by the crowd," Evan said.

"Hmm... I don't think so. I'm sure you can do it, because for some reason, I came to you now," Amelia said, casually trying to convince him.

"No way... you hated me. You slapped me a few months ago," Evan said.

"Did I? I don't remember anything," Amelia mumbled, pulling back and trying to recall.

"Just forget it. It's better if you try to remember the event that kills you and when it happens. Come on, help me so I can understand and guess what's going to happen," Evan said.

"Hmm," the ghost of Amelia began to think again. This time she sat cross-legged and floated in the air, her face scrunched up in deep thought. Impatient, Evan got out of bed and walked over to his desk to grab his smartphone. He sat back down on the side of the bed and opened his smartphone. He opened his school schedule in his email and looked at the activities for the next 30 days.

"Look at this. Next week there's a three-day study camp, in two weeks there's a sports festival, then the week after that are exams, and after that, we have summer break. Which event do you think it is?" Evan asked, showing his smartphone screen to Amelia.

"Hmm... I remember it wasn't a school event," Amelia mumbled, looking down at Evan's smartphone screen in front of her.

"Try to remember again. If it's not a school event, then what is it?" Evan asked.

"Hmm... what is it... I really can't remember. Sorry," Amelia said, sounding weak and looking tired of thinking.

"Oh man... this is a problem... whatever, I can't sleep anymore and I'm hungry. I'm going out to get some food, wanna come?" Evan asked.

"Of course... can ghosts even eat?" Amelia asked.

"How should I know? I don't think so," Evan said with a smile.

"Hehe, okay. I don't feel anything anyway... ever since I became a ghost," a cheerful Amelia said.

"When did you become a ghost?" Evan asked.

"Hmm... when was it? Sorry... I don't remember. I just remember I'm going to die in 50 days because of an event that changes our lives," Amelia replied.

"An event that changes our lives? It's clearly not a school event... did something happen in our country... like a war? But I haven't heard about a war or anything like it," Evan mumbled, thinking.

"No... not a war... but it's like a war... hmm... oh man, I really don't remember," Amelia mumbled, floating and rubbing her temples.

"Like a war, huh," Evan mumbled, thinking.

"Hey Evan, are we not going out for food?" Amelia asked.

"Oh... right, let's go," Evan said, walking toward his door and grabbing his jacket.

But suddenly, "KYAAAAA," Amelia immediately floated and hugged Evan from the front. Evan was shocked because he could actually feel Amelia's hug, even though as a ghost she shouldn't be able to touch him.

"Hey... what's wrong?" Evan asked, confused.

"Be... behind you," Amelia said, burying her face in Evan's chest.

Evan turned around. He saw his mom, dad, and grandma standing behind him, their faces tense, looking at Amelia as if they were asking Evan, "Who is she?" Then Evan pushed Amelia away.

"They're my family. They seem to want to meet you... but how can you touch me? Oh... right, you were sitting on me and woke me up... are you even a ghost?" Evan asked.

"Um... I don't know (she turned to look at Evan's family behind him and nodded) I just met them... they told me to take care of you, hehe," Amelia replied.

Evan turned to look at his dad, mom, and grandma. All three of them looked relieved and smiled, then they slowly disappeared from Evan and Amelia's sight. Evan then put on his jacket and walked out of the room while Amelia floated and followed him from behind. They walked out of the house and headed toward the 24-hour convenience store at the end of the street. The street was quiet, cold, and dark because the streetlights were spaced so far apart.

Evan walked while looking at his smartphone, while Amelia, floating next to him, looked toward the school and seemed to be thinking. Suddenly, Amelia smiled widely, then floated in front of Evan and stared at him, making Evan stop.

"What's wrong?" Evan asked.

"I remember something... I remember you dying the day after tomorrow protecting me... you die at school and maybe that's why I came here, to warn you," a casual Amelia said with a smile.

"CLATTER," Evan's smartphone suddenly fell to the street. Evan's head felt like it had been struck by lightning, and his face suddenly went pale, his eyes wide, his mouth agape. His mind went blank as he tried to process what he had just heard from Amelia, who was floating in front of him, smiling.

"W... what? Say that again? I die the day after tomorrow at school protecting you?" Evan stammered.

"Um... did I say that? Sorry, I forgot... don't worry about it, hehehe," Amelia replied, seemingly having already forgotten what she just said, smiling casually as if she hadn't just said something incredibly important.

Evan immediately raised his hands and grabbed both of Amelia's shoulders in front of him, looking at a confused Amelia with a serious expression.

"You just said I die the day after tomorrow protecting you, so don't tell me not to worry about it... explain everything... what happened? Why was I just sentenced to death? If you're going to drop a bomb on me like this, please don't be vague," a panicked Evan yelled, shaking Amelia's body.

"Ugh... so... sorry, I forgot... please don't shake me," Amelia said resignedly.

Evan didn't go to the convenience store. Instead, he paced back and forth on the lonely, silent street. Amelia, floating in the air, looked confused as she watched him. She also looked guilty for saying something she shouldn't have and was trying to remember what came next. Then, Amelia saw Evan's smartphone lying on the street. She floated down, picked it up, and held it.

"Wow... I can really hold things... I'm so confused about whether I'm a ghost or not," Amelia said, looking at Evan's phone, clearly pleased with herself.

She looked at Evan's unlocked screen, tapped on his chat app, and opened the class group chat. After finding the right contact, she started typing a message casually while floating in the air. A pale and panicked Evan didn't notice. He just kept pacing, deep in thought and biting his nails.

Amelia stared at the screen, hoping for a reply. Suddenly, "BING," a message came in on Evan's phone. Amelia immediately read it and typed a reply. "BING," within a short time, Amelia got another reply and quickly typed a response back. Evan, who heard the repeated notifications, turned around. His eyes widened when he saw Amelia holding his phone and he rushed over to her. Evan snatched his phone and read the screen.

Evan's face went even paler. He was looking at a chat with the living Amelia, who had replied even though it was two in the morning. Evan read the chat history from the top, and this is what it said:

"Hey... you asleep?" Evan asked.

"Huh... who is this?" Amelia asked after a moment.

"You know me, I'm Evan, the guy who sits next to you in class, remember?" Evan asked.

"What do you want? You gonna follow me again, huh? Wasn't getting slapped enough for you that time? You better watch it... my boyfriend said he'll beat you up if you pull anything again," Amelia replied, followed by angry, steaming red smiley emojis.

"Just calm down and listen. You're going to die in 50 days. Something big is going to happen that will change all our lives. Can you come to my house now? You'll be safer with me," Evan said.

Evan could see a one-and-a-half-minute pause before the reply came in, and of course, it wasn't pleasant to read.

"You're a sick creep... what do you want now? I told you to leave me alone. Tomorrow I'm going to talk to a teacher and get my seat changed. I'm not sitting next to you. Leave me alone, it's late, I'm going to sleep," Amelia replied with a string of angry emojis.

"Wait, I have to meet you today or tomorrow, or I'll die," Evan replied.

"Good, just die. Don't ever contact me again," Amelia replied.

And after that, a notification at the bottom of the chat showed that Amelia had blocked Evan, so her profile picture was no longer visible. Evan turned to look at the ghost of Amelia, who was floating casually, smiling and looking away to avoid Evan's stare.

"Why did you do this?" Evan asked, annoyed.

"Um... sorry, I was trying to help," Amelia replied without looking at Evan.

"You messed everything up. I told you, you slapped me a few months ago... just because I was getting rid of the ghost of a woman who died in childbirth and was following you because you weren't being careful," Evan said.

"Ugh... I know... sorry," a genuinely regretful Amelia replied.

"Now how am I supposed to help you, and how am I supposed to know what happens to me the day after tomorrow... this is a total disaster," Evan said, frustrated.

"Hmm... maybe we should go to school now. Maybe I'll remember something there," Amelia suggested.

"It's 2 a.m.... the school gate won't be open," Evan replied.

"Oh... right," Amelia said.

The two were silent. Amelia looked guilty and floated behind Evan, not daring to look at his face. Meanwhile, Evan looked like he was deep in thought, running his hand through his short, messy hair. After a while of silence, Evan finally turned around, ran his hand through his hair again, and looked at Amelia, who was floating in front of him.

"Let's just go home. There's no point in being on the street like this. You can come with me to school tomorrow," Evan said.

"Oh... so you're not getting food?" a casual ghost of Amelia asked.

"No, I'm not... I've suddenly lost my appetite... I just want to sleep," Evan replied.

"Okay... sorry again," Amelia said.

"Whatever, it's fine... it's already happened... what else can I say," Evan said.

"Thanks, hehe," a cheerful Amelia said again.

They walked back to the house. When they got there and opened the door, Evan was shocked to see his dad, mom, and grandma standing in front of the door, smiling at him as if they were welcoming him. Evan felt extremely uneasy because his parents and grandma looked like a welcoming committee greeting him because he was about to join them very soon.

But then something unexpected happened. Suddenly, his dad, mom, and grandma raised their arms, and their arms stretched out. "GRAB," they immediately grabbed the ghost of Amelia and pulled her inside before she could react. After that, they took Amelia to the living room without letting her look at Evan.

"Huh... what's the meaning of this? My mom, dad, and grandma being out at 2 a.m. is already weird... and now they're grabbing Amelia... I should follow them," Evan thought.

Evan immediately ran to the living room. He saw his mom, dad, and grandma sitting at the dining table with Amelia. The three of them were looking at Amelia with smiles on their faces. Amelia looked relaxed and not scared at all. Her body language suggested that she was talking to them even though her mouth was shut. Evan slowly approached, but suddenly his mom, dad, and grandma turned to look at him, and their faces became angry and terrifying.

"GULP," Evan froze and swallowed. He just watched from a distance, standing still without moving an inch. After a while, Amelia stood up and floated over to Evan.

"Evan, they want to come with us to school tomorrow," Amelia said.

"Huh... how? What did you talk to them about?" Evan asked.

"I told them everything, why I came here... and how I don't remember anything... and... how you're going to die the day after tomorrow because you're helping me," Amelia replied.

"Huh... you can talk to them?" Evan asked.

"Of course I can, they're nice. They said I'm like their daughter-in-law, hehe," a happy Amelia said.

"Please don't get sidetracked. So, they didn't say how they can come with us to school since they're supposed to be tied to this house and can't leave," Evan asked.

"Yeah... they said we should use the family heirloom in the study in the back. They told you to get it and bring it here," Amelia replied.

Evan's face immediately changed. Of all the rooms in his house, the study, left behind by his grandfather, was the only one he had never entered, or more accurately, he was scared to go in there. Amelia, who suddenly saw Evan go quiet and pale, immediately waved her hand in front of his face, making Evan gasp.

"What's wrong?" Amelia asked.

"Nothing... so you're coming with me to the study?" Evan asked.

"Yeah, Grandma said I should meet Grandpa too," Amelia replied.

"Ugh... this is such a drag... why is this happening... whatever, let's go," Evan replied.

Evan and Amelia walked out of the living room and went down the hall toward the back of the house. Meanwhile, Evan's mom, dad, and grandma, who were still sitting at the dining table, turned their heads 180 degrees and followed Evan and Amelia as they walked down the hall. Their terrifying faces, their smiles, and their eyes looked like bottomless pits, not beautiful and handsome as they usually were.