Page 2 of Sin Eater

Could it be a sick joke? An idle kid who, if not intimidated by my status, is mocking me and the poor soul I've come to save? By what miracle?

“I summon you to show yourself!” I articulate, unsure of myself. “It's risky to interrupt a Sin Eater, you know!”

“I need to know...”

“What do you want to know?” I ask, still unable to identify the source of the voice.

“What happened to me,” the voice whispers to me, now more tangible and hoarse, though still bodiless.

“What do you mean?”

You're out of your mind, girl. As if it's possible to talk to a dead person!

“Believe me, it's me talking to you,” the entity indicates, as if reading my questions in my thoughts without my having to formulate them.

That's all I need. It's bad enough that my life is a never-ending mess, but if someone interferes in it, I'm not done yet!

“Are you saying that this body, lying here in front of me,” I begin, pointing to the inert remains, “is yours?”

“Absolutely!” confirms the ghost, materializing in a vaporous form above the body.

My work doesn't fit into the “normal” category. It calls on ancestral knowledge and ceremony derived from supernatural practices. After my initiation, my most deeply-rooted beliefs collapsed, and the boundary between what is real and what isn’t became blurred to the point of virtually disappearing, even if I sometimes persist in wondering about possible technological remedies that would explain the inconceivable. Who am I to deny what my ears hear and my eyes believe they can discern? I don't pretend to know everything about the afterlife, so I might as well find out more about this apparition, which seems strangely relevant to me.

“But why wouldn't you want me to rid you of your sins? It makes no sense. My only ambition is to offer you eternal rest!”

“What would I do with eternal rest, when I don't know what happened to me?”

Why does this dead man insist on remaining, when he could be enjoying infinite serenity?

“Is it that important?”

“Please,” he begs even more earnestly. “It's my soul at stake. Shouldn't I be the sole decision-maker?”

“Some have haunted the living,” I retort. “I can't take the chance that you'll show up somewhere. I'll be blamed.”

“I promise to remain invisible. Give me the opportunity to understand. I can't fade away without it.”

I think, trying to refuse him. He’s putting me in an unprecedented position. Under no circumstances am I to deviate from my ritual. The instructions are formal on this point. But what he requires of me is a transgression whose consequences could prove catastrophic for all the souls I'm supposed to save. And yet, how can I blame him? I would have made the same request in his place... if I had materialized after my death, of course.

What should I do? Stay here and force a soul to rest in peace, even though it has no desire to do so, or settle this matter as quickly as possible so that I can continue my work in accordance with the prescriptions of the Brotherhood? I'm aware of the consequences for both of us. Neither of these alternatives offers me a suitable way out. I'm stuck, but anything would be preferable to staying in this nauseating crypt for another hour!

I let out a sigh that betrays his victory, knowing full well that I'm about to make a terrible mistake.

“Will you be discreet?”

“I promise.”

“No chains, no night-time howling?”

He stifles a laugh, which makes me frown. A wispy cloud with a sense of humor. I would never have bet on it. It would almost lighten this mission, which seems rather hopeless now.

“Neither, I give you my word. Is that really what ghosts do?”

Excellent question! This is the first time I've come across one, despite my significant experience as a Sin Eater. In fact, I was skeptical until today. I guess folklore is more ingrained in my mind than I thought.

“No idea.”

I grab the small leather purse and slip its contents into a pocket of my bag. I'm not very comfortable with the idea of taking these six coins that I don't deserve, but abandoning them on the spot would be tantamount to admitting that I haven’t done my job as well as I should have. Not only would I be severely punished, but the spirit would be immediately neutralized; no one would have gained anything from this risky venture.

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