Chapter 20:

I leaped from the window and landed softly on the ground below.

No sooner had I touched down than a sharp pain split through my head, forcing a silent scream to rise in my chest.

It felt like lifting something impossibly heavy after pushing your muscles to the extreme—a punishment for pushing my telekinesis to its limits.

‘Ugh… I guess I did overdo it.’

Reflecting on my actions, I couldn’t help but marvel at their absurdity.

I had dashed through the streets, pulverizing close to hundreds of fake zombies, taken down an uncountable number of ghouls and vampires, and even pushed Drakel, the mastermind of this chaos, to the brink of death.

Compared to the small, measured use of telekinesis I usually employed, I’d practically emptied the well this time.

‘…How am I going to get home?’

Leaning against a wall to steady myself, I was struck by a daunting realization.

Using telekinesis any further was out of the question.

If I pushed myself now, I’d surely pass out on the spot.

But without telekinesis, how was I supposed to make it back home?

“What the hell?! All the zombie heads I gathered just disappeared!”

“I just lost 30,000 credits! I’m going to complain to the Black Liquor Guild!”

“Ugh, ugh!”

The loud voices of disgruntled bounty hunters echoed from beyond the alley.

I glanced down at my tattered cloak, now stained with dirt and blood.

Wandering around like this would draw far too much attention.

Sighing deeply, I reached up to remove the ruined fabric when I felt something hard in my palm.

‘This… It’s the Tesseract. I brought it with me?’

The hard object was none other than the Tesseract itself.

In the chaos of my escape, I had apparently grabbed it without thinking.

‘Now what do I do with this? Another problem to deal with.’

I instinctively rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

The Tesseract was a troublesome object.

Its ability to manifest alternate realities’ possibilities was immensely powerful, but using it came with severe costs.

For example, curing an incurable disease might render the user permanently blind, or gaining a new talent could erase all their memories.

It was a classic double-edged sword, with stakes too high to wield recklessly.

‘And now that Drakel’s fallen, someone’s bound to come looking for this.’

Worse yet, the Tesseract wasn’t just any artifact—it was tied to the force that had destroyed the otherworldly realms.

Its ability to transcend magic and disrupt fundamental laws was no accident.

If word of its existence spread, the city would descend into chaos.

I didn’t need to think hard to imagine the disaster that would unfold.

‘Maybe I should just throw it into a deep sewer and forget about it.’

It wasn’t something I could handle.

Perhaps the only one in Nighthaven capable of dealing with it was the Dragon Mayor in the city’s highest tower.

The best course of action for me was to hide it somewhere no one would find it.

Since the invaders would eventually retrieve and misuse it anyway, removing it from the narrative might even be for the best.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

‘It might actually be better this way. Sorry, Tesseract.’

Resolved, I lifted the Tesseract to eye level, ready to bid it farewell.

But just as I stared into the cube’s translucent surface, its inner cube turned toward me and… spoke.

[ …Mommy? ]

“…?!”

Startled, I jumped back, nearly dropping the artifact as my heart leaped into my throat.

I wondered if I had finally gone mad, but when I cautiously placed the Tesseract on my palm, the inner cube shifted, as if surveying its surroundings, before locking onto me.

[ Mommy! ]

“….”

It was real. The voice was coming from the Tesseract.

Well, not a voice exactly—it felt more like telepathy, resonating directly in my mind.

‘Why… is it talking?’

Still dazed by the unexpected development, I blinked at the Tesseract as it spun in place, its tone bright and cheerful.

[ Pet me! Pet me! ]

‘Pet… you?’

Confused, I reached out with a finger and gently stroked the cube’s surface.

The Tesseract, no bigger than my thumbnail, was surprisingly easy to “pet.”

But it seemed that wasn’t what it wanted.

With a dissatisfied grumble, it shook itself back and forth in protest.

‘What am I supposed to do, then?’

Frowning, I tried stroking the inner cube with telekinesis.

[ Whee! Mommy, I love it! ]

The Tesseract quivered with delight, the inner cube expanding and contracting in excitement.

But just as I began to relax, a wave of dizziness overtook me, blurring my vision.

‘Right… I’m not supposed to use telekinesis right now.’

“…!”

My legs buckled, and I barely managed to stay upright, clutching the wall for support.

If I hit my head in my current state, I’d pass out for sure.

[ Mommy? Are you hurt? ]

“….”

[ Mommy… don’t hurt! I hate it when Mommy hurts! ]

As if sensing my condition, the Tesseract’s voice turned tearful, almost pleading.

Suddenly, I felt an odd connection—like my body was tethered to something incomprehensible.

The world around me shifted, losing all sense of up or down.

All directions felt equal, as if I were floating in a boundless void.

It was disorienting, yet strangely euphoric, like the pleasant haze of mild intoxication.

Just as abruptly as it began, the sensation subsided, leaving me bewildered.

When I opened my eyes, the harsh reality I expected wasn’t there.

Instead, I found myself in a perfectly healed body, free of any injury or pain.

‘Huh? My body… doesn’t hurt.’

It was incredible.

The bruises and gashes that had covered me mere moments ago were gone.

Not a single scratch or ache remained, and the pounding headache that had felt like my skull was splitting had vanished entirely.

I felt as though I could wield telekinesis again without hesitation.

Even the bloodstained, tattered cloak and shredded maid uniform I had been wearing looked pristine, as if they were freshly bought.

It was as though the battle with Drakel had been nothing but a bad dream.

That’s when I realized what must have happened.

“…!”

The Tesseract. This had to be its doing.

The Tesseract’s power was rooted in a give-and-take system: whatever it gave, it demanded something of equal value in return.

In other words, if it healed my body completely, it would take something from me of equal magnitude.

‘…But then why hasn’t anything happened?’

I braced myself for the inevitable backlash, tensing every muscle as I waited for the price to be paid.

But no matter how long I waited, I felt no sense of loss.

I half-expected to lose my sight, hearing, or even a hand, but… nothing.

Puzzled, I brought the Tesseract up to my face and studied it.

“….”

[ Mommy. Not hurt? Good… I’m sleepy now…. ]

With those words, the Tesseract stopped moving, seemingly falling into a peaceful slumber.

In that moment, the realization struck me:

‘Did the Tesseract pay the price for me? …Why?’

It had apparently taken on the cost of my healing itself.

But why would it do that?

I had merely patted it a little. There was no reason for it to go to such lengths.

Still perplexed, I decided to hang the Tesseract around my neck instead of discarding it.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t throw it away after all.’

The Tesseract had never shown signs of sentience in the original story. Nor had there been any mention of it paying costs on behalf of others.

If I wanted answers, I’d have to wait until it woke up and ask it directly.

Besides, abandoning it after everything it had done for me seemed unnecessarily cruel.

‘But… “Mommy,” huh? I guess I’m a mom now.’

Couldn’t it at least call me “Papa” instead?

Glancing at the now silent and motionless artifact, I sighed and leapt gracefully onto the rooftops.

My condition wasn’t just restored—it felt better than ever.

My body was light, almost like a feather.

Thanks to this newfound energy, I managed to return to my hideout without encountering anyone or running into any trouble.

Finally safe, I stepped inside, shrugged off my cloak, and gazed out at the bustling city below.

Even though the crisis had ended, the streets were still chaotic. Neon lights flickered in the darkness, casting an eerie glow over the remnants of the night’s madness.

The sight reminded me of my first days in Nighthaven.

‘A lot has happened since then. Fighting vampires, becoming a wanted criminal….’

If I had to describe it, I’d say it wasn’t so bad.

Living as a Ghost had its inconveniences, but it came with unparalleled freedom. I wasn’t bound by anyone or anything.

Still, it was time to graduate from being the Ghost.

I had caused too much of a stir, far more than I’d intended. It was no longer something I could maintain or control.

So, I decided to leave it all behind.

I threw the white cloak into the wind, watching it flutter and drift away through the open window.

‘From now on, I’ll live as Yuria. The Ghost no longer exists.’

A skilled pickpocket, a regular at the bakery, and a vampire hunter with a bounty on her head—those titles were now history.

I resolved to keep my distance from the main plot and live quietly under Greg’s roof.

After bidding farewell to the cloak that had accompanied me for so long, I curled up on the creaky bed and drifted off to sleep.

Thanks to the Tesseract, my body was physically rejuvenated, but my mind was still exhausted from the intense focus required to fight zombies and vampires alike.

—

The next morning, I headed to Greg’s general store as usual.

That’s when I was hit with a thunderbolt of a revelation.

“I’m sorry, Yuria. Because of last night’s commotion, the shop is too damaged to operate. I’m afraid we’ll have to close for a while.”

‘What?! The shop’s closing?! But I threw away my Ghost outfit!’

Clutching my cheeks in silent despair, I let out a scream that no one could hear.

Six days into my new job, and I was already unemployed.

Today, my world crumbled.

TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES