The Spirits Knew Who Was Lying Chapter 04

The Spirits Knew Who Was Lying Chapter 04 The Truth Burns
Lily stood frozen, her face a mask of disbelief as she stared at the man who had struck her. The relative was shaking with rage. “You’re lying! He would never want that child to get into college. He wished that kid would just disappear!” I raised an eyebrow and looked at Lily. She was dumbfounded. “How is that possible? That’s what he told me!” I let out a quiet laugh, then reached for the antique locket. “Do you want me to burn this?” “Once it’s gone, there’s no going back. This is the last thing he left you.” The family nodded. “Do it. That locket was the only thing he cared about. If it’s no use to us, let it go with him.” So I took out my tools—ritual paper, cinnabar, incense sticks. I lit them one by one. When the flames caught, I placed the locket into the fire. Smoke rose. It curled and twisted, slowly taking the shape of a man. Only I could see him. I studied his face and spoke to him in words the living weren’t meant to understand. I asked him what he truly wanted. Lily wasn’t about to back down. Her camera was still rolling, pointed directly at me. Her followers flooded the stream. “Why is she back again?” “Such a show-off. There she goes, burning another family heirloom.” “How else are you supposed to know? Your precious Lily was wrong, and she got slapped for it.” “Lore actually knows what she’s doing. Those tools she brought out—they’ve been passed down for generations. That’s real tradition.” The comments were split. Lily’s face was anything but pleased. A few minutes passed. The smoke cleared. I picked up the charred locket and handed it back to the family. “He said what he worries about most is his dog and his late wife. When the solstices come, don’t forget to burn paper for her. And the golden retriever—take care of it. That’s what he wants.” Lily practically shrieked. “That’s impossible!” The stream exploded. “How could anyone care more about a dog than their own child? This is ridiculous!” “It sounds fake.” “Lily’s version was way more believable.” “What if the family is in on it with Lore? What if this whole thing is staged?” But the family member clutched my hand. “Thank you. Thank you.” The dead man’s son stepped forward, his face twisted with fury. “You’re lying. Ask him where the key to his safety deposit box is. Ask him!” He was maybe twenty, shaking with anger. I pulled my hand back and met his eyes. “That dog stayed with him for ten years. It was more faithful to him than you ever were.” “He ran his stall at the spirit market for years, and you never once came to check on him. You always said you were studying, but you spent your days playing games at home.” “You act like a high school student, but this is your second year repeating. And on top of that, you sneaked out to meet strangers from the internet behind his back.” “He gave up on you. He said he left you a house. Everything else? You get nothing.” “The safety deposit box was emptied six months ago. He donated everything inside. The proof is in the third drawer of his desk—the left side, by the study.” “He said you’re his first child, the only blood left from his late wife. He said he’s made peace with it. He doesn’t hate you anymore. But he doesn’t want to see you again.” Before anyone could respond, a golden retriever appeared out of nowhere. It walked straight to me. I lowered the locket to its nose. The dog sniffed once, then rested its head in my palm. A tear slid down its fur. The family member’s voice cracked. “That’s his dog. That’s the one he raised.” I nodded. The family gathered the animal and started to leave. “We’ll go check the desk. See if the donation papers are still there.” I watched them go. Then I lit three more sticks of incense and waited until they burned down to nothing. Only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding.