Chapter 11
As dawn approached, I said goodbye to my brother and those ghosts, then followed my master home. I turned around to look back. The ghosts floated atop the tombstones, gradually disappearing into the night. I knew they had returned to their resting places. Just before we reached our house, I saw someone watching us. Upon closer inspection, it was my sister-in-law, her face full of worry. “Leonardo, where have you been? You weren’t back all night. I thought something bad had happened. I was so worried.”
I just realized that I forgot to tell my sister-in-law before leaving. No wonder she was worried. “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry. I went out with the master to handle some matters. I forgot to let you know. Next time, I’ll definitely inform you in advance so you won’t have to worry.” I explained sheepishly, scratching my head. The master, however, wasn’t bothered at all. He went straight inside, then turned to me and said, “You haven’t slept all night. Go and get some rest. We still have important tasks ahead of us. We need to stay strong and energetic.” He remained as mysterious as ever.
“Yawn~” I yawned loudly. I was extremely tired. It was fine when the master didn’t mention anything about sleeping, but as soon as the topic came up, exhaustion overtook me instantly. Seeing how tired I looked, my sister-in-law said nothing more and urged me to go to bed right away. She went to take care of our little nephew instead. I returned to my room, didn’t even take off my clothes, and fell asleep as soon as I lay down.
Last night’s experiences were too thrilling. Once I recovered from the excitement, exhaustion set in, and I soon fell asleep. But I had a nightmare: In the dream, my brother was still with me, and our family of four was happy together. But suddenly, the scene changed. A person with an unclear face grabbed my neck tightly. I couldn’t breathe and struggled desperately. It felt like I was about to meet my brother again. I woke up suddenly, drenched in sweat, gasping for breath. The feeling of being on the verge of death was truly terrifying.
I slowly calmed my emotions and looked out the window. It was already dark. I must have slept for quite a while. I didn’t want to lie around any longer. My stomach was growling with hunger, so I stepped out of the room. I saw that my master was already sitting at the dining table, and my sister-in-law had prepared food. “We’ve been waiting for you. Please eat quickly!” I sat down, feeling a little embarrassed. No one spoke at the table, and the atmosphere was awkward. After eating, I volunteered to do the dishes, allowing my sister-in-law to rest. After finishing everything, I sat next to my master and listened to stories about strange events from his youth. My heart was filled with longing.
That night passed without any problems. Early the next morning, I heard someone knocking on my door. “Knock, knock, knock!” It was my master’s voice. “Leonardo, get up quickly. I need to take you for training.” Upon hearing this, I jumped out of bed excitedly. I opened the door, gave a brief greeting to my sister-in-law, and then followed my master outside. Along the way, I tried my best to run fast. But to my surprise, although my master seemed old, his physical condition was surprisingly good. I simply couldn’t keep up with him. He was even more capable than a young person.
