Chapter 105: The Truth of the Vige


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    In front of them, the silhouette rising from the coffin was not some ghost or ghostly apparition. It was Frank, recognized as the inaugural City Head of Spear City.


    Franks mysterious disappearance had been tied to the eerie events that transpired in Yellow Hill Vige. Based on the timeline they pieced together, he had been unounted for over a quarter of a year. It was nothing short of a miracle that Frank was still amongst the living after vanishing for such an extended period.


    The very notion that he had endured in this spine-chilling, spiritden vige all by himself was beyondprehension. By all ounts, any other person in his shoes should have perished ages ago. While Miles burned with curiosity regarding Franks survival, there were more pressing issues to address.


    As Miles confronted him, Frank replied with an even tone, I had duly informed HQ about the goings-on in this ce. If you heeded that intelligence, youd have the corresponding document. Anyone familiar with that dossier should be clued into my predicament. Candidly, considering my precarious condition, I cant delineate the entire scenario for you. My attempts have been to discreetly influence the vigers to provide you with clues. This influence, though, is tenuous, given the dire straits Im in.


    At first, I was uncertain about the true motives of your team of ghost tamers when you descended upon this vige. Regarding the elderlydy, yes, I orchestrated her presence there. The coughing wasnt a decoy. It was meant as a beacon, a subtle hint that theres someone on your side, and Im not an adversary. I wanted your focus on the spirit, not on me. Regrettably, my intentions got lost in trantion.


    Miles retorted, his voiceced with frustration, Dont pretend to be the innocent party here. Had it not been for your cryptic clues, I would have been oblivious to someone like you even being in this ce. Ive perused the file you alluded to. Crucial details had been expunged. While you portray a faade of assistance, youve, in fact, muddied the waters. At the outset, I was dealing with a singr spirit. Your involvement has addedyers ofplexity to this already perplexing supernatural challenge.


    Offering an apology, Frank said, I regret the unforeseen consequences. Yet, his face was as impassive as stone, betraying no trace of genuine regret.


    Undeterred, Miles pressed on, Was it an oversight? Or was there a malevolent intent to lead us to our doom? I ventured into this hall previously and attempted to utch the coffin, only to be thwarted by you. What were you hiding from? Did you fear the wrath of the vindictive spirit? I gather the sole sanctuary in this haunted vige is within that very coffin, isnt it?


    As Miles confronted Frank, thetter returned his gaze with a distant and emotionless expression. My confinement to this coffin isnt driven by the dread of death. The real peril lies in allowing the malevolent spirit outside to reim this coffin as its own. If that were to happen, the sheer magnitude of its terror would amplify beyondprehension. It wouldnt just be a vige in peril; an entire city could plunge into turmoil. If you or your actions inadvertently release this menace, meeting our end in this forsaken vige might be a mercy. When you were inches away from prying the coffin open, that sinister spirit lurked nearby. Such a gamble was too risky for me to entertain.


    A chilling sensation, tinged with indignation, surged through Miless core.


    Youre suggesting that this malevolent entity was a breath away from me as I tried to unseal the coffin? Thats preposterous! The initial time I made the attempt, the hall was devoid of any spirit. Ibed every nook and cranny! Miles protested vehemently.


    Frank challenged him, Did you truly scrutinize every corner?


    Suddenly, a pang of realization struck Miles. He swiftly turned his attention to the altar, focusing on a portrait frame, which was now eerily vacant. Upon their arrival in the vige, it showcased the visage of a dashing young individual.


    That photograph Miles stammered, his voice quivering with trepidation as he fixated on the barren frame. The depicted individual was he the ghostly entity?


    Frank nodded gravely, Precisely. He is the spirit that haunts these grounds, ever-vignt in watching this coffin. Wherever the coffin finds its ce, the portrait is never far behind. I am perpetually under its surveince. So, as you were about to breach the coffin, know that the ghost was observing your every move.


    It eagerly awaited the opportune moment to regain the confines of the coffin. Once inside, my fate would be sealed, followed by yours and all present. If our roles were reversed, would you have permitted the coffin to be unveiled?


    The reason you could spend a night in this hall unscathed isnt due to its inherent safety. My presence within the coffin was your shield. You were never truly isted. The spirit never found a conducive window to unleash its wrath.


    Frank continued, Youve disyed remarkable intuition. Even if some of your deductions were off-target, the end result was urate. This ancestral hall is a paradox  its simultaneously the most perilous and the most secure location. The spirit and I both reside here. If you tread cautiously, youre momentarily secure.


    Iveid all my cards on the table. Any more questions? If not, perhaps we can join forces, strategize, and eventually cage this spirit, thereby restoring normalcy to Yellow Hill Vige.


    Processing this cascade of revtions, Miles grappled with a tempest of emotions.


    While part of him bristled at Frank, another part rebuked himself. However, directing his ire at this man seemed unwarranted. Frank had indeed cautioned them to remain united, avoiding vulnerable istion. In the grand scheme of things, that advice had indeed borne fruit.


    You believe certain clues and indicators were purposefully ced in your path, leading your team to the misguided notion that the elderly woman was the ghostly entity. Frank rified, In reality, I had manipted her presence to subtlymunicate that Im aligned with you, not against you.


    Stretch, who had till now been a quiet observer, found his voice, Theres something nagging at me. Those vigers we crossed paths with earlier, what were they? Ghosts or humans?


    Having determined that the entity emerging from the coffin was very much human, other puzzling pieces still jostled in his mind.


    Responding, Frank borated, They are, forck of a better term, ghostly entities. Their exact nature eludes me. Whats clear, however, is that their existence is tethered exclusively to this vige. They bear semnce to ghost ves but possess distinct characteristics. Ghost ves are manifested by sinister spirits, but these phantoms are products of the ghost coffin. Given that the entity within the coffin isnt a ghost but myself, it possibly exins their more human-like demeanor.


    And due to my confinement within this ghost coffin, Ive acquired a limited capacity to manipte their thoughts, enabling me to indirectlymunicate with you through them.


    Still grappling with the flood of information, Miles probed further, Earlier, you referenced this coffin as the ghost coffin. Whats its significance?


    Drawing on his memories, Frank replied, I had documented the ghost coffin in my earlier reports. If such information eludes your files, it either implies your security clearance isnt sufficiently elevated or you arent the true authority here. Im restricted from sharing such confidential insights with you.


    Miless expression turned stormy.


    Hastening to defuse the brewing tension, Frank interjected, Please, dont take offense. When the time is right, the truth will unravel. Our immediate concern is to ensure this ghost coffin remains beyond the grasp of that malevolent spirit.


    Emerging from the coffin signaled a paradigm shift. Frank exined, The equilibrium here has been disrupted. The potency of that spirits terror intensifies proportionally with the ghostly popce in this vige. The escting casualties from your end have effectively rendered this vige wholly subservient to it. Yet, your prior tactics weremendable  liberating another ghost to supnt the viges ghostly entities did, in turn, diminish its influence.


    Did you scheme to release the captured ghost I had as well? Miles probed further.


    Frank rified, No. The individual you heard coughing outside on that fateful night was a viger named Genrong, whom I momentarily controlled. My primary aim was merely to unnerve you,pelling your team to regroup and avoid istion. Unfortunately, my grip on him eventually ckened, leaving him susceptible to the malevolent entitys influence, which led him to your doorstep.


    Frank continued, Hence, it was this formidable entity, not me, that coveted the spirit in your containment. For reasons unknown, its quest was abruptly abandoned. As he divulged this, his gaze instinctively drifted towards the barren portrait frame adorning the altar.


    Frank took a moment to gather his thoughts, then exined, To simplify things a bit, consider this vige as a shifting realm. Those you cross paths with here can oscite between being genuine humans, mere echoes of my past self, or ghostly apparitions. However, theres a concrete truth you need to understand: as of now, the only genuine living souls in this vige are us three. Everything else  every urrence, every entity  is intrinsically linked to this ghost coffin.


    Miles, piecing things together, surmised, So, our initial objective  to unravel the mysterious urrences here  was merely a facade. The true mission was to extricate you from this entanglement.


    Frank nodded. Thats one way to put it. However, the stakes are monumental. Any misstep could topple the precarious equilibrium, leading the ghostly forces here to erupt in chaotic fury. Personally, I believe your intervention here was unnecessary, even potentially hazardous. If the higher-ups sanctioned this operation, their primary concern wasnt my well-being. Their true agenda revolves around this artifact, he borated, indicating the ornate coffin.


    Miless eyes were riveted to the coffin, pondering its significance. To the untrained eye, it seemed a standard burial vessel. However, its allure was such that even ghosts vied for it. Its intrinsic power and value must be profound. Yet, Franks reticence on its exact nature made its mystery all the more tantalizing.


    Their deep conversation was interrupted by Stretch, whose anxiety was palpable. Sorry to intrude, but have you two concluded your exchange? Theres a palpable shift outside. He pointed towards the window.


    The vige, which had momentarily bathed in a semnce of daylight, was now steadily being shrouded in shadows once more. Although nights grip wasnt as instantaneous as before, the changing ambiance was a clear harbinger of impending challenges.