Possessed by Destiny

Chapter 2 Possessed by a Ghost?

Upon hearing the possibility of being held responsible, Jack snapped back to reality. Yes, even though he didn't know exactly how it happened, he had indeed beaten Danny. If something serious were to happen and he were blamed, what would he do? He could barely support himself as it was. For Jack, anything involving money and survival was of paramount importance, so he temporarily forgot about investigating the source of the mysterious voice.

All he could think about was preventing any major trouble. He felt no guilt for beating Danny, as he had never accepted Danny's insults about his parents. Although Jack was usually patient, such insults were intolerable. Yet, his rational mind warned him that if things escalated, he would be the one to suffer the consequences.

In a panic, Jack instinctively reached for the adorable pink phone adorned with stickers on Rose's desk—the phone all the boys coveted. His fingers trembling, he dialed 120 for emergency services. After hanging up, Jack didn't even have the heart to appreciate the look of astonishment on Rose's face. He quickly lifted Danny and ran towards the school infirmary. He feared that waiting for the ambulance might delay treatment and cost him more in the long run. Besides, staying behind meant facing the unknown aftermath of the incident. Fleeing was the best option for now.

Jack’s actions bewildered his classmates even more: he was the one who had beaten Danny, yet he was also the one rushing him to the hospital. Was this some sort of all-inclusive service?

The sight of the unconscious Danny revived the spirits of the old school doctor. Since joining the infirmary, his patients had mostly been cases of colds and stomachaches. It had been years since he’d seen a serious injury, and he felt his medical skills had greatly diminished. Now, with a severely injured patient, he saw a chance to showcase his abilities.

Putting on his reading glasses, the old doctor meticulously examined Danny, clicking his tongue in wonder. "My, who did this? Quite a job—fractured eye socket, broken nose, injured jaw, and severe gum damage."

Jack panicked. How much would he have to pay for such serious injuries? He quickly pleaded with the doctor, "Sir, please help. I’ve called 120; the ambulance should be here soon."

The doctor glanced at Jack dismissively. "What’s the fuss about? I can handle this myself. Why bring in those hospital quacks?"

Jack was exasperated, ready to explain, when the lazy voice in his mind reappeared, "Relax, he can probably handle it. This old doctor seems capable. Besides, the hospital would cost a fortune. Here, it's much cheaper."

Jack shivered, remembering the eerie voice. Instinctively, he tried to turn around again, but the voice interrupted, "You’re really dense. I told you, you can’t see me. Stop looking around. If you want to know who I am, find a secluded place, and I’ll explain."

Jack felt a chill in his limbs. Could something have its eyes on him? The phrase "possessed by a ghost" flashed through his mind, causing his heart to race. The voice spoke again, "Well, kid, you're not far off. I'm inside you. Find a quiet place, and I'll explain everything." Sensing Jack's shiver, the voice chuckled, "So scared! Relax, if I wanted to harm you, would I be talking so much?"

Jack didn't dare think too much. He was both terrified and curious. The perfect exam score and Danny's miserable state were probably the work of this "ghost." Though not particularly smart, Jack realized that the entity didn't seem to harbor any immediate ill intentions.

After some preliminary negotiations with the school doctor, Jack decided to leave Danny in his care. He excused himself, saying he had something to attend to, and the doctor, trusting him, let him go.

A place where no one would disturb him? His home was the only option. Jack had no desire to return to the classroom, knowing it must be in an uproar by now, with the homeroom teacher likely present. He didn't know how to face the situation, so he chose to flee.

Just a few steps away, a clear, anxious voice called out, "Jack, hey, don't run!" Before the words were finished, Jack had disappeared.

His heart pounded for various reasons: the fast sprint, his recent misdeed, the mysterious "ghost" inside him, and the fact that the girl he had a crush on had called his name for the first time.

The "ghost" in his body was unimpressed with Jack's innocent and timid reaction. "This kid is really pathetic. It's just a little incident, and a girl at that. Does his heart need to race like it's hitting one-eighty?"

Jack jogged back to his dingy dwelling, located in the filthiest, most chaotic street of St. Anna City—the city's slum. He did own a small apartment left by his parents, about 90 square meters and in a decent location near downtown. However, to make money, he had rented it out and moved to this low-rent community, pocketing the difference.

Jack had barely settled onto his worn-out sofa when the "ghost" began to speak. The entity wasn’t exactly a ghost, but rather a spirit. Simply put, Jack wasn’t possessed by a ghost but by a soul. The soul’s owner was Ethan Lee. Two months ago, Ethan had a near-fatal accident, and his body sustained such severe injuries that medical science could not save him. The powerful and influential Lee family, leveraging their resources, found scientists from various fields. In Sweden, a group of scientists had made significant progress on this topic—they could transfer a person’s soul into another’s body. After nearly a month of research, they devised a method to transfer Ethan’s soul into another body. It was fortunate that Ethan survived long enough for this procedure.

The new host was chosen—a person who was about to die but whose body was still relatively intact. Everything progressed smoothly until a minor mishap occurred during the soul transfer. Ethan's soul unexpectedly did not enter the designated host but drifted miles away into Jack’s body. Even Ethan couldn't explain why this happened.

Seeing Jack’s fear after hearing about the soul possession, Ethan sighed in frustration, “You don’t need to worry about me taking over your body. I’d like to, but your soul’s vitality is too strong. I’m already a damaged soul, so I can’t overpower you. I can only occasionally control your body when you’re extremely fatigued or emotionally unstable.”

“So, you were the one who took the exam for me?” Jack, relieved to know his life wasn’t at risk, began to accept the bizarre reality. Although it was unbelievable, he had no choice but to acknowledge it. However, he still had many questions.

“Who else? Do you think you could’ve scored that on your own?”

“And you were the one who beat up Danny?”

“Do you think you, with your timid nature and weak skills, could have done it?”

Jack was frustrated, “So, I was wronged. Not only am I accused of cheating, but I also have to pay for medical expenses.”

The notion of being possessed by another soul was indeed bewildering, but Jack, being an adaptable person, had no choice but to accept it. However, what puzzled him was why others seemed to have their souls inhabit the bodies of young masters, while his own extraordinary experience made him the host. Not only did he have to share his body with another soul, but he also suffered unjust accusations and faced financial losses due to this spirit.

Ethan, on the other hand, felt even more aggrieved. He was supposed to be reborn in another body to continue his life and pursue his goals. The process had consumed immense wealth and effort, yet inexplicably, he ended up in the body of an ordinary high school student.

He had considered taking over Jack's body—after all, people are inherently selfish and he did not want to die, especially with so many unfinished tasks. However, his weakened soul was no match for Jack’s robust life force. He was utterly defeated and nearly exhausted his remaining energy. After spending some time in Jack’s body, Ethan’s soul grew weaker, and he resigned himself to his fate.

Two days ago, during the English exam, Ethan managed to control Jack’s body for the first time because Jack was utterly exhausted. He could temporarily take over. Today, Jack was both fatigued and emotionally unstable, allowing Ethan to seize control again, though only for a short duration.

Each had their own sorrows. Jack’s monotonous routine left him with almost no real friends, while Ethan, long deprived of conversation, was suffocating in silence. Thus, the boy and the spirit conversed through the night.

Jack's life was painfully simple: eating, sleeping, attending school, and working. In stark contrast, Ethan's life was the epitome of luxury, a world Jack had never even imagined. Jack had always thought that those who drove bulletproof cars, employed English butlers, and lived in houses with swimming pools were the true aristocrats. But through Ethan’s stories, Jack was introduced to an unimaginable world. True aristocrats, Ethan explained, had chauffeurs driving their cars while they piloted their own planes. For leisure, they would fish for salmon in Alaska or hunt on the African savannah. And when boredom struck, they would breed thoroughbred horses for amusement.

Throughout Ethan’s long night of storytelling, Jack’s jaw almost never closed. Everything Ethan recounted seemed like a fantastical tale to him.

At eight the next morning, Jack arrived at school with dark circles under his eyes. He hadn’t wanted to come, having already spent the night sleepless and physically drained. However, he knew he had a tough day ahead.

By the time he reached school, it was already time for morning reading. As soon as he stepped into the classroom, all eyes were on him. Standing on the podium, collecting homework, was Rose, the class monitor and school beauty, dressed in a blue dress. Her pretty, yet still somewhat childish face, was stern, especially when she saw Jack enter. She glanced at him coldly and said, "Jack, you’re late."

Jack forced a laugh. Wasn’t being late a common occurrence for him?

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Rose frowned slightly, walked to the door, and said, "Come with me. Mr. Shawn wants to see you in his office." Jack's smile faded instantly. What was inevitable had come. He obediently followed Rose to the office.

As he watched the graceful figure in front of him, Jack's heart fluttered, especially when his eyes fell on her fair, straight legs. Her skin was as smooth as a lotus stem, and although he didn’t have the luck to feel it with his hands, just looking at it was an overwhelming temptation for someone who had barely spoken to girls all his life.

Just as Jack was about to have a nosebleed, the familiar voice echoed in his mind, "You’ve never seen a girl before, have you? Look at you, practically plastering your eyes on her."

Startled back to reality, Jack was annoyed at Ethan's interruption and disdain. He rolled his eyes, clenching his teeth. After a night of heart-to-heart conversations, they hadn’t become best friends, but their relationship had certainly improved.

Jack, deep down, had the same suppressed desires as most men, but he rarely had the chance to express them. Now, with nothing left to hide, he didn't bother to pretend. Just then, Rose suddenly stopped and turned around, catching Jack with a rather odd expression on his face. She was puzzled—this usually ordinary and silent classmate was behaving strangely.

Seeing Rose's perplexed look, Jack quickly wiped the expression off his face, returning to his serious demeanor as if the odd look hadn’t been his. Inwardly, though, he was anxious. Fortunately, Rose soon looked away, saying, "Danny's parents are here, and Bill is inside fanning the flames. Be careful when you go in."

Jack's face fell. This was going to be tricky. But then he thought, he had nothing to lose. What was there to be afraid of? This attitude, reminiscent of the character Ah Q, had helped him survive as an orphan without parental love, managing to live healthily to this point.

Once he figured things out, Jack's attention wandered. Was Rose showing concern for him? He felt a wave of happiness, looking at Rose with newfound warmth. He hadn’t learned how to conceal his feelings, and his gaze made Rose blush. She thought to herself, "He seemed so honest before, but he’s just a little rascal." She turned away and continued walking, ignoring him.