I Refused To Be Reincarnated

The sky darkened as they journeyed through the village's streets.

As they almost reached Alina's house, a black-haired man holding a stick blocked their path, grinning malevolently.

"If it's not my dear Alina, long time no see. Where are you coming back from?" He asked, his eery smile causing her to shiver.

"Oh, I... hum... came back from the apothecary's shop." She answered, unhappy and scared to meet the despicable man.

"What were you doing there? You don't have enough money to buy medicines." He asked, his blue eyes radiating curiosity as he approached her with that smile still plastered on his face.

"He proposed to... hum... to lend me medicine for the baby. He couldn't bear to see him sick!" She tried her best to make up a story.

"I see... By any chance, did him lending you a potion have any relation to your nocturn escapade to the graveyard?" He said, raising his eyebrow, standing before her.

Then, he moved his tightly clenched right hand around the baby, making her frown in confusion and fear.

"N... No, what are you doing? I need to go home. It's almost night, goodbye." She stuttered before picking her pace and walking away.

She knew he wouldn't act in front of witnesses and since it wasn't night, the streets weren't empty yet.

Gaston's eyes dimmed as disappointment painted his features. He wasn't the one he looked for. With a sigh, he gazed at Alina's back when his fist suddenly started to tremble.

His smile broadened to reach his ear as his deep blue eyes exuded thin wisps of dark smoke.

'What's wrong with that creep?' Adam thought as he gazed at Gaston's scary face with disgust before passing him.

'Wait, how did he know about the graveyard?' he suddenly realised, with a frown before following Alina inside.

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Simultaneously, Gaston opened his hand, gazing in joy at a vibrating crystal.

"That snake-like woman was right all those years ago. The time has come to hasten my plan." He muttered, his eyes gleaming calculatively as every pieces of the puzzle fell into place in his mind, before walking towards the forest.

******

"Thank you, sir ghost," Alina said inside her house. Then she pointed at her baby and added, "With the apothecary caring for him, I can finally focus on work."

Despite her initial doubts, after these two days and his last deal, she was convinced the ghost was good. After all, what kind of malignant being would ask for someone to help care for a baby? Why would the child giggle each time they were left alone, and why would he try to imitate the ghost reading the recipe as if he were a model?

She gently put the baby and the potion in his cradle before leaving the room with a smile, feeling that her life would improve starting tomorrow.

Noticing her grateful smile, Adam murmured, "Don't think I did that to help you! It was just part of the deal."

Alas, she couldn't hear him.

Then, he gazed at the scary potion with mixed feelings. He didn't want to consume it but had little choice. He sighed, feeling he was gambling with his life.

"How can I even drink it?" He asked, trying to grab the potion. However, his hand phased through it, confusing him.

"Gah, gah, gah!" The baby imitated him and grabbed the flask with an excited gleam in his eyes. Then, he put it in his mouth, scaring Adam.

Luckily, the flask was sealed, causing him to sigh in relief before furrowing his brows. The baby treated it as a pacifier and refused to let go.

He gently touched the baby's hand before his eyes lit up.

'If I guide the bottle to my mouth using his hand, won't I be able to drink it?' He thought before shaking his head. He had no guarantee the potion wouldn't flow through his body and end up on the ground.

As new ideas emerged in his mind and he rejected them one by one, he slowly fell asleep, exhausted after infusing the potion with his mana.

*********

"huh? When did I fall asleep?" He asked, realising he was back in his apartment.

He rose from his bed in confusion, before noticing he was holding something.

He lowered his tired face and widened his eyes. The Ghostly Elixir of Ethereal Energy was in his hand.

Amidst his shock, he realised how peculiar this place was. He could bring items from the real world and safely store them here.

Then, he gazed at the potion with reluctance. He could now drink it, but it didn't make it safer. What if the potion was flawed? What if he was exposed to the backlash?

"Close your eyes and drink it fast, like bitter medicine." He tried to encourage himself, but his hand trembled in unwillingness.

After a deep breath, he contemplated the Ghostly Elixir of Ethereal Energy one last time, as the translucent liquid inside shimmered with an otherworldly glow, casting an eerie grey light in the room.

Closing his eyes, he steadied himself for the unknown. He raised the vial to his lips. The surroundings warped and rippled as if the very fabric of the ethereal plane responded to the impending act.

With a swift, determined motion, he uncorked the vial. The air filled with a faint, otherworldly aroma as the ethereal energies within the potion were unleashed. He tilted it, letting the liquid flow towards his mouth.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment. The glow of the elixir intensified as it neared its mouth. He could almost sense the power contained within, a force that could either bring him salvation or plunge him into the dark embrace of death.

As he swallowed the elixir, a surge of energy coursed through his veins. It felt like a cascade of ethereal currents intertwining with the essence of his flesh and bones.

The room's glow heightened, and for a brief moment, he sensed a connection to something beyond the mundane.

The elixir continued its journey, each drop infusing him with a spectral vitality.

Then, the ethereal elixir's potent properties connected with his soul, mending the fractures resulting from his past trial.

Soon, the room gradually returned to its usual state.