Erick was a boy graduating from high school. He was praised for being an outstanding student, earning top grades, and had already been admitted to university to start after the summer break. However, Elton, a classmate who hadn't fared as well due to a lack of mental sharpness, envied his success. He decided to ruin Erick's life without facing any legal consequences: he chose to destroy his triumph through witchcraft.
Despite not being as academically bright as Erick, Elton’s family was wealthy. He used his connections to find a powerful dark sorcerer, made a large bank transfer, and the game of black magic began.
The next day, when Erick arrived home, he found his parents arguing. He tilted his head back, stunned; he had never seen them fight like this. They were throwing things, smashing vases on the floor, and even tearing paintings off the walls. Finally, his father turned toward him with firm steps, a flushed face, and clenched fists.
With trembling lips and raised eyebrows, Erick stammered, "Wait, Dad, what’s happening?" But his father simply gave him a violent shove, sending him falling onto the sofa. He walked out the door and never returned. His mother remained in her chair, weeping, and Erick could only hold her for comfort. Days later, she fell ill and passed away in less than a month.
His parents had bought the house with a mortgage, and Erick’s savings weren't enough to cover it. He tried calling his father, but the phone was always off. Unable to pay, the house was foreclosed within months. He searched for other relatives for help, but for unknown reasons, they had all moved far away. None of his friends answered his calls or messages. He realized he was alone. The sorcerer’s curse was still at work.
Erick only had enough money to rent a small room while looking for a part-time job. He headed to the city center, where the cheapest rooms were found. On the door of an ancient, worn-out building, he saw a sign: "ROOM FOR RENT." He didn't think twice and went inside.
Days passed. He was running out of money for food and couldn't find work. A deep sense of loneliness invaded his soul, spiraling into severe depression. Unable to find a way out, he thought it was better to stop the suffering. The sorcerer’s curse was still at work.
He went up to the rooftop and stood on the ledge overlooking the street. He opened his arms, and with tearful eyes, let himself fall forward. Tears streamed past his temples as he plummeted. Suddenly, he woke up startled in his bed. He thought it had all been a dream.
However, the lack of food was still real. He told himself, "Even if I have to beg on the street, I won't give up." He went down and stepped out the back door into a crowded alley. He asked everyone passing by, "Can you spare a coin, please? It’s for food. Just a small coin, please."
But it was as if everyone ignored him—or as if no one could see him. No one responded. Then, he saw a crowd gathering at the corner, whispering and moving toward the next street. Something was happening.
Turning the corner, he saw people surrounding something in the middle of the road. He pushed through the crowd. A forensic transport vehicle was backing up. On the ground lay a body. His heart skipped a beat and his eyes filled with tears as he realized it was his own body, his own face.
Erick began to sweat, looking around frantically, his face contorted in shock as they loaded his corpse into the van. He looked at his hands; they were transparent. What he thought was a dream had been real. He was now a wandering soul, still bound to the earthly plane.
He ran back to the apartment building. It was swarming with police. The other tenants had been evicted. Yellow crime scene tape covered the entrance and his door. Officers were stuffing his clothes and belongings into black bags. He tried to grab them, but he simply passed through them. He was powerless.
He went back to the street, devastated, breaking into a cold sweat. He ran along the boulevard, consumed by anxiety. No one could see him; no one could hear him. The loneliness now seemed eternal. He ran past people who seemed locked in their own worlds, walking with heads down, hoods over their heads, and hands buried in their pockets. The ground and the walls were coated in black dust from car exhaust. The wind whipped trash through the air.
At that moment, he began to see other spirits. Some flew past his head with mocking, ironic laughter. On the other side of the street, he saw floating entities drifting without feet, and the ghosts of thieves and murderers still prowling the alleys.
He reached the city center, where the tallest buildings stood, and sat exhausted on a cement bench, watching the people who couldn't see him. Suddenly, a beautiful girl with chestnut hair approached and greeted him. Confused and frowning, he asked, "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, I am, honey. I see you’re new here. I’m Brittany." Erick reached out with a petrified expression and shook her hand. "I’m Erick," he replied. Then she said, "Meet my friend Christopher." A boy appeared beside her and offered his hand. Erick shook it, mouth agape, stammering, "You... you can see me?"
"Of course we can, and you can see us. We are like you; we are just waiting for our time to transcend. We all transcend."
A wide smile spread across Erick’s face as he realized he finally had company... and friends. They smiled back. They ran through the city streets together, sneaking into apartments to jump on furniture and beds. They played hide-and-seek on rooftops. Until one day, while running happily along a sidewalk, all three began to fade at the same time. Their souls had been detected on another planet, millions of light-years away.
“Brittany Thompson was the best singer in her school. One day she was kidnapped and lost her life in captivity.”
“Christopher White was the most handsome boy in his school. One day, during a trip to the sea, he drowned without a logical explanation; his body was never found.”
And Erick Smith finally healed from his loneliness.
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