Chapter 2

"Does she have a bruise on the inner side of her knee?" Will asked.

He wasn't wrong about that. My heart had ached when I'd seen the bruise on Ivory's leg earlier. She'd just told me not to worry. She said she'd simply fallen by accident while walking and that it didn't hurt anymore.

I hadn't told anyone about it, and Ivory had only just gotten back. So how did Will nail it in one shot?

Was Ivory really a drowned wraith? I didn't dare think about it.

In the group chat, I said to Will, "Yes, there is. How'd you know? But it was just from when she came back and fell."

The guys in the group chat were stunned and chimed in quickly.

"Damn, you were right about that."

"Will, I seriously suspect you've been stalking Ivory this whole time."

"Ew, dude, that's creepy."

Will replied, "That's not an ordinary bruise. It's what happens when the nether aspect in the water congeals in the blood vessels. Look closely and see if it looks like a bluish-purple web. That's how you can tell."

I was just about to type my reply when a cold voice suddenly sounded right next to the bed. "Harvey, what are you guys chatting about?"

I jumped so hard that I almost dropped my phone.

I had no idea when Ivory had walked up beside me. She was wrapped in a bathrobe, her damp hair draped over her shoulders. Water was still dripping from the ends.

Despite being fresh out of the shower, her skin had absolutely no color to it. It was an eerie, ghastly white.

I forced myself to calm down and said nonchalantly, "Nothing much. I'm just talking to my friends."

Ivory's lips curved into a strange smile as she slowly bent down, bringing her face close to mine. I hurriedly locked my phone screen.

She exhaled softly against my neck. "You look pretty energetic to me. How about we go another round?"

I didn't know if I was imagining it, but a chill swept across my neck. And even though she'd just taken a hot shower, I caught a faint, fishy smell of pond weeds and stagnant water beneath the scent of body wash.

Thinking of what Will had said, I panicked and turned her down. "Babe, let's do it another day. I'm wiped out for the night—all out of ammo."

A flicker of disappointment passed through Ivory's eyes. Paired with her stunning face, she looked heartbreakingly pitiful.

As I looked at her, I couldn't help doubting Will's words, no matter how convincing he seemed. I decided to check the bruise on Ivory's leg carefully for myself.

"Babe, let me put some lotion on you," I offered.

She didn't refuse. She just smiled and said, "Okay."

I grabbed the bottle of body lotion, loosened her bathrobe, and started spreading the lotion over her skin. The moment my hands touched her, my body gave a tiny shiver.

She had just come out of a hot shower, yet her skin still felt ice-cold to the touch.

I steadied my breathing and kept rubbing the lotion in. Before long, I reached her lower body. I took a deep breath and carefully examined the bruise on the inside of her knee.

The next second, the room seemed to spin. It was just a small patch, but I could clearly see the bluish-purple web of veins underneath, like a tiny spiderweb. It was exactly as Will had described.

"What's wrong?"

Noticing how I suddenly froze, Ivory spoke up.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm as I resumed rubbing in the lotion. "Nothing. It just hurts me that you got hurt, babe."

Her voice suddenly sharpened a few degrees. "Just saying that isn't enough."

I did my best to keep my tone even. "Then what do you want?"

Inside, I was freaking out. I was terrified her face would suddenly twist into something monstrous, and that she would come for my life.

Ivory went quiet for a moment. She stared straight into my eyes, her expression impossible to read.