Chapter 4
"What... what the..." Mary was still in shock. If James hadn't grabbed the steering wheel just in time, they both would have been buried in the collapse.
James was equally shaken, drenched in cold sweat. Thanks to the magic book he had been practicing with, his senses were far sharper than an average person's, allowing him to detect the strange noise in the air. Otherwise, he and Mary would have been on their way to hell together.
However, before James could catch his breath, the scene before him made him frown.
Although they had narrowly escaped, the cars in front of them weren't so lucky. Those who were directly crushed beneath the debris—well, not even God could save them now.
"James, we need to help!"
Mary immediately got out of the car, and James followed closely behind.
Ignoring the danger, Mary rushed to the vehicles that had been hit, banging on the car doors to check if anyone inside was still alive.
James felt a pang in his heart. Even after eighteen years, Mary was still the same kind-hearted girl who had once saved his life. Her innate goodness hadn't changed.
Just as James was about to help, he noticed a little girl standing in front of him, looking utterly bewildered.
"Hey, little girl," James called out gently, "what are you doing here alone? Where are your parents?"
James couldn't leave her alone in such a chaotic situation. The building could collapse again, and there was a risk of a stampede. It was too dangerous for a little girl to be here by herself.
The girl didn't respond. She just stood there, staring blankly into the distance.
"Come on, say something. How about you wait in my car while I help you find your parents?"
As he spoke, James reached for her hand, but the moment their skin touched, he felt a bone-chilling cold. It was as if he had grabbed a block of ice.
What was going on? Some people had naturally cold hands, but this was extreme.
"Get out of the way if you're not going to help!"
James was shoved aside by a man rushing to assist the trapped vehicles.
His eyes widened in disbelief as the man passed through the little girl, her body rippling like water before returning to its original form.
"Is this what people call a ghost?"
James's beliefs were shaken. He could accept the existence of gods like Apollo, but ghosts were another matter entirely.
"Please... save my daughter!"
A heart-wrenching cry reached James's ears.
He turned to see a woman in a purple dress kneeling beside a crushed Porsche, frantically digging through the rubble with her injured hands.
"Sophia... I... I'm sorry... I... I shouldn't have left you in the car!"
Hearing her cries, people rushed over to help clear the debris.
James noticed the little girl was staring in that direction. Could it be...
A thought crossed his mind, and he led the little girl over to see if his suspicion was correct.
With many people, including Mary, helping, the debris blocking the car door was quickly cleared. The door was opened, and a small body was lifted out.
A ponytail, a pink floral dress, a beauty mark by the eye.
James turned to look at the little girl he was holding. The resemblance was uncanny, even more so than twins.
James shivered. He had indeed seen a ghost.
At that moment, medical personnel arrived. A doctor checked the little girl's eyes, shone a flashlight, and then checked her pulse and heartbeat.
Finally, he looked at the woman in purple with a sympathetic expression and shook his head.
The woman collapsed, tears streaming down her face.
The crowd watched with pity. The death of a child was always more heartbreaking than that of an adult.
"Please... save my daughter!" The woman clung to the doctor's pants, crying out, "I'll do anything... anything, if... you... you can save Sophia. I, Olivia Lee, will be your servant for life..."
Seeing the young girl passed away and hearing Olivia's heart-wrenching cries, Mary couldn't hold back her tears.
Olivia's name was well-known. She was the founder of WH Group, a billionaire.
Yet here she was, crying like a child. The stark contrast only deepened Mary's sorrow.
"I'm sorry, your daughter is..." The doctor turned away, unable to face Olivia's despairing eyes. "We'll take her to the hospital. If you need, we can also contact a funeral home."
As he finished speaking, medical staff brought a stretcher to take Sophia away.
"Wait, she might still be saved!"
A familiar voice reached Mary's ears. When she saw it was James, her tear-filled eyes flashed with anger.
"James, where were you when we were saving people? Now you're here to mess things up!" Mary elbowed James in the stomach. "The doctor said there's no hope. Don't give false hope. It only makes things worse!"
James rubbed his stomach. Mary had hit hard. If he hadn't been practicing with the magic book, he'd be in pain for a while.
"Let's not jump to conclusions until I've tried," he said calmly.
Mary's eyes showed her disdain. She knew James well.
Before he married into the Smiths, they had thoroughly investigated him. He had no background in medicine and likely wouldn't even know what medication to take for a simple cold.
Just then, James felt the spirit he was holding become restless, trying to break free.
James's face darkened. He had a feeling that time was running out for Sophia. If he let go, she would be lost forever.
James insisted, "Let me try. It can't hurt," as he led the spirit to Sophia's body, ignoring the protests.
"What are you doing? Don't interfere with our work." The medical staff tried to stop him.
James didn't answer. He bent down and grabbed Sophia's wrist.
Status: Severe internal injuries, three broken ribs, fractured skull, internal bleeding, spirit detached.
Cause: Crushed by collapsing building.
Insufficient energy for full repair. Use Nine Palace Reviving Needle.
James was stunned. He looked at his palm, seeing only a faint glow from the Holy Grail.
Nine Palace Reviving Needle? He had never heard of it.
There was no time to learn now. James's brow furrowed. He had to save her somehow.
James focused on the girl's condition. The most critical issue was the detached spirit.
Modern medicine could handle bones and organs, but not a detached spirit. If he could fix that, Sophia might have a chance.
James bit his lip. He didn't know the Nine Palace Reviving Needle, but if the spirit was detached, he could try to put it back.
With a desperate resolve, James's palm glowed faintly. Using his will, he guided the spirit back into the body.
The last bit of energy from the Holy Grail merged with Sophia's spirit.
The once faint and flickering spirit solidified, her eyes regaining their light. She looked at James with confusion.
James's heart leaped. The Holy Grail's energy couldn't fully heal her, but it had restored her spirit.
"Sophia, get back into your body, or you'll never see your mom again!" James urged, unsure if the spirit could understand.
Sophia's spirit nodded and lay back into her body, merging slowly.
At first, everything went smoothly, but when it reached her head, it wouldn't go in, as if something was blocking it.
James frowned. He had heard that if a spirit was detached too long, it would be hard to return.
"Sophia, you can do it!"
In desperation, James pressed on the spirit's head, trying to push it back into the body.
"James, what are you doing!"
Mary was shocked. To her, it looked like James was pressing on Sophia's head, desecrating the body.
The medical staff rushed over. "Stop, or we'll call the police!"
Olivia was furious. Her daughter had just died, and now a stranger was desecrating her body. She lunged at James, biting his shoulder.
James ignored the pain and the shouting. He kept pressing on Sophia's forehead.
Suddenly, James felt a release. Sophia coughed up blood and began to breathe.
"Holy shit, she's alive!" Mary, in shock, swore for the first time.
"Quick, get her to the hospital," James commanded urgently. He knew his limits. He had only managed to return Sophia's spirit. The hospital had to handle the rest.
Olivia was stunned, her anger turning to joy. She gave James a heartfelt hug before following the ambulance to the hospital.