After watching the ghost scream its ghostly lungs out, Freya lost interest in interrogating the ghost any longer.
It wasn't like it mattered anymore; the ghost had already taken a lot of lives, so it was inevitable that it would have to face the punishment for those lives.
"You'll probably reincarnate as a worm in your next life if you're lucky, that is."
The ground beneath the ghost opened at that moment and before the ghost could scream or plead any further, it quickly closed up.
"Well, that takes care of that," Freya said before dipping her hand into her pocket to pull out a chocolate.
She seemed to have forgotten that Atlas was still in the room for a moment there as she crashed down on the couch and exhaled after taking a deep breath.
She only caught sight of Atlas again after sitting up on the couch while taking a bite of the chocolate bar.
"Oh." She smiled awkwardly as she scratched her head.
"You forgot I was still here, right?"
"How could that be?" Freya laughed awkwardly as she quickly sprang up to her feet. "With a presence as imposing and alluring as yours, it'll be impossible to forget you."
"That just sounds sarcastic coming out of your mouth." Atlas rolled his eyes before turning away from her. "I'm heading upstairs, if you need something, you can grab it from the fridge."
"Okay." Freya nodded vigorously.
He wanted to ask her about what exactly happened when that ghost charged toward him, but on second thought, he decided to save the question for later.
Freya waited until Atlas entered his room before she dashed into the kitchen straight toward the fridge.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that." She muttered after examining the contents of the fridge.
Not having the appetite for anything, Atlas initially intended to just go to bed, but then he remembered that there was still someone downstairs.
He had to take her to the guest room if she wanted to stay, and if she wanted to leave, he had to see her out.
He hoped the latter wouldn't be the case.
Atlas had just exited his room when his nose caught a whiff of something, especially mouthwatering.
"What is she doing now?" He mumbled as he made his way down the stairs.
His nose led him directly to the kitchen where he saw Freya putting down two bowls on the table.
She was wearing his apron and for a moment there, Atlas saw an image of coming home to his wife.
He had to shake his head to clear that image out temporarily.
Seeing him walk into the kitchen, Freya couldn't help but smile.
"I figured you'd be hungry so I made something fast. Noodles with shredded chicken." She said, presenting one of the noodle-filled bowls in front of him.
Atlas just stared at the bowl of noodles, he was just short of falling into it.
He thought he didn't have any appetite but the food before seemed to say otherwise.
"Oh, I saw you had chopsticks. Do you know how to use them?" Freya asked.
"I wouldn't have them if I didn't know how to use them," Atlas responded absent-mindedly as he sat down.
Without saying anything else went to retrieve the chopsticks and soon returned with them, a pair for Atlas and a pair for herself.
"Most of the people around me don't know how to use it, that's why I wanted to ask first." She said as she handed the pair of chopsticks to Atlas.
Atlas didn't seem to have paid attention to what she just said, he just took the chopsticks and began to eat.
Freya, who was sitting beside him now couldn't help but smile as she watched him eat.
It was nice to find someone who appreciated her cooking.
Atlas was still in the middle of eating when he felt Freya's intense gaze.
He slowly turned to her, using his eyes to ask her what she wanted.
"Is it good?" She asked.
"Hm." He nodded..
"I'm glad you like it." She smiled.
"Are you not eating?" Atlas couldn't help but ask after swallowing the food in his mouth.
"I'm eating."
After saying that she grabbed the chopsticks on the table and began to eat.
Unlike him who was just gobbling down the food, her movements were gentle and tempered, carrying a sense of nobility.
Atlas really found this girl to be confusing, just moments ago, she was dealing with a ghost aggressively, and now she's back to the gentle and innocent character everyone was used to.
"Hey, how long have you been able to see those things?" Atlas asked.
The conversation had to start with this or he wouldn't be able to rest tonight.
Freya thought for a while before answering, "Since I was a baby."
"You've been able to see ghosts since you were a baby?!" Atlas was stunned beyond words.
No wonder she wasn't even shaken even a bit by that ghost, she was used to it.
"Hm." Freya nodded. "Isn't that the case for all sorcerers? Oh, wait, I forgot you're an exception."
"Me?" Atlas was a bit confused. "You're saying I'm just like you?"
"Yes, you're a sorcerer, a level two sorcerer judging by your spirit force." She disclosed.
"Level two? So I skipped a level?"
"Hm." Freya nodded. "I also started at level two."
"Do all sorcerers start at level two?" Atlas asked.
"No, just the special ones like me and you." She said before reaching for the glass of water.
"Special ones?"
"Yes, you have a soul bond with a divine spirit just like me," Freya explained putting the now empty glass down.
Atlas wanted to know what divine spirits were and why he had a bond with one, but before that, he needed an answer to some other question.
"How do you know that?"
"I can sense it," Freya responded without hesitation. "Do you want to ask if that's why I always showed up in front of you?" She added before Atlas could speak.
Atlas didn't deny it and just nodded.
"Yes, but it's only part of the reason." She answered honestly.
"And what's the other part?"
She stared at him quite intently for a while before shaking her head, "I'm not telling you."
"Why?"
"I can't tell you unless I'm sure."
Atlas had a vague guess in his mind, but there were more important things to talk about, so he would let her keep her secret for now.
"Why were you sure that I would be able to start seeing those things today?" He asked his next question, his expression now much calmer.
Freya's eyes suddenly narrowed as she turned to his left wrist with a deep frown.
"The seal inscription used to seal away your spirit has weakened." She said before reaching out for his wrist.
On that wrist was Atlas' wristwatch and a red bracelet, something he had been wearing since he was little.
"The inscription sealing away your spirit force is on that bracelet." She disclosed.
Now that was something that was going to take Atlas a while to digest.
That bracelet was a gift from his parents, one they had always made sure to remind him not to take off and he had never taken it off all these years.
Since his parents gave this to him, did that mean that they were aware of the paranormal world, too?
Were they also sorcerers?