Renata hurried out of the dressing room after straightening her work clothes. Her utterly exhausted body wanted nothing more than to rest, but the image of the deserted streets at night once again haunted her thoughts. With a worn cloth bag slung over her shoulder, she walked along the increasingly empty sidewalk on her way home. Even though she was scared half to death whenever she sensed a ghostly apparition, to Renata, the threat of real humans—like thugs who could appear at any moment in the darkness of night—was far more terrifying.
Not far behind her, Amara floated along casually, keeping a distance of several yards while watching the assistant cook's weary steps. "She's so pitiful," Amara murmured, looking sadly at Renata's small back, which seemed to hunch more and more from exhaustion. "She has to walk home alone every night at a time like this. It's not just ghosts who like to bother her—humans do too. Doesn't she have any friends or family who can take her home?"
Renata suddenly got an intense chill. That strange coldness crept over her again, seeping through her thin jacket and freezing the back of her neck. The hairs on her nape stood straight up. Renata swallowed and didn't dare look behind her, already completely convinced that an invisible entity was following her. All she could do was lower her head and quicken her trembling steps.
Seeing that reaction, Amara snorted softly. "Don't be scared. I just want to keep you company," she said gently.
But Renata continued walking without reacting. Her words didn't register in the girl's ears at all. Amara rubbed her chin, thinking hard. "She can't hear me. Should I show her what I look like? But if I suddenly appear, she'll just run away screaming." Before Amara could decide, Renata's footsteps came to a complete stop. From behind the shadows of a large tree beside the sidewalk, two burly men with tattoos on their arms stepped out and blocked her path. Malicious grins were plastered across their alcohol-reeking faces.
"Well, you go home alone every day," one of the thugs taunted, his voice lewd as he stepped closer. "Want me to keep you company? Your house is near that intersection, right? The old restaurant that burned down?"
Renata lowered her head even further. Her heart pounded as if someone were beating a drum, overwhelmed by terror. She clenched her fingers inside her pocket, preparing to turn around and run as fast as she could. But before she could turn, one of the thugs in a black tank top quickly grabbed her wrist.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Amara screamed in panic.
The beautiful ghost shot forward and tried to slap away the thug's rough hand. But when she swung her transparent fingers, her hand simply passed through the man's skin without having any effect at all.
"Damn it! I don't have enough power yet!" Amara grumbled in frustration. Without thinking, she tried to force her way into Renata's body to take control and fight back, but a backlash of energy sent her spirit flying backward. With no other options, Amara finally took the reckless step of suddenly manifesting her visible form in midair.
She had only meant to help, but appearing as a ghost out of nowhere made Renata look up and stare at her. Seeing Amara's figure floating faintly in the dim night, Renata screamed in terror, "Aargh!"
The thug only tightened his grip and let out a booming laugh. "Come on, come with us for a little while. Relax, I'll pay you!"
"No! Let me go!" Renata shrieked hoarsely, struggling to break free of the grip clamped tightly around her hand.
A luxurious black sedan suddenly stopped right beside the sidewalk. The driver's door swung open, and Devandra stepped out of the car. Without wasting a word, Devandra strode forward, seized the thug's gripping hand, and twisted it behind his back in one swift, powerful motion.
Devandra slammed a hard punch into the first thug's jaw, then kicked the second thug in the chest when he tried to attack, sending him sprawling onto the asphalt. His movements were so fast, elegant, and deadly.
Amara, floating in the air, widened her eyes and held both cheeks, her eyes sparkling. She was mesmerized by the scene unfolding before her. This was the first time Amara had ever seen a man up close who wasn't just handsome, but incredibly manly too, with a tall, straight posture and a body that looked incredibly strong.