In the stillness of evening, the flickering glow of candles cast long shadows across the room. Chief purist Celestine lay on a woven mat, her body frail and weakened by an illness that had plagued her for years.
Surrounding her were her three female purists, silently meditating, their breaths even and focused. The air was thick with the scent of burning incense, creating an atmosphere heavy with ritual.
Suddenly, a knock broke the sacred silence. One of the purists opened her eyes, annoyed by the interruption but dutiful. She moved to the door and opened it slightly. A young male student stood outside, his face pale, clearly shaken.
The purist, noticing how shaken the student was, stepped aside to let him in. With a firm tone, she made it clear that the student should be quick... His arrival had interrupted something important. The student gave a swift nod and hurried forward, approaching chief Celestine to deliver his message.
"F-forgive me for interrupting, chief Celestine." The student stammered, his voice trembling.
"But... I found a girl outside the gates. She's covered in blood, and she's... Missing an eye. I took her to the infirmary, but she insists on seeing you."
Celestine stirred from her place on the floor, her brow furrowing. She motioned weakly for the purist to let the boy continued.
"She won't stop asking for you, chief."
Celestine, though weakened, spoke with authority.
"Treat her injuries. Once she's stabilized, bring her here."
The student bowed quickly and hurried off. Celestine's heart thudded in her chest, though not from illness this time.
Something about this girl, this stranger, stirred a deep and unsettling feeling within her. But she waited patiently, her mind drifting back to old memories as the minutes passed.
Soon enough, the door creaked open again. The young student, now accompanied by the bloodied girl, entered the candle-lit room. The girl's face was pale, her clothes still stained with blood, and a bandage covered her missing eye.
As she stepped into the flickering light, Celestine squinted, trying to make sense of the face before her. There was something hauntingly familiar in the girl's single, cold gaze, though Celestine could not place it.
"Who are you?" Celestine asked, her voice calm but edged with curiosity.
"And how did you come by such injuries?"
The girl gazed at Celestine, her expression distant but intense. She showed no fear, no hesitation. Her lips curled into a small, knowing smile.
"It's been a long time since I last saw you." Beatrice said, her tone eerily casual.
"You've aged... Much since the last 24 years."
The blood drained from Celestine's face as the realization hit her like a hammer. That voice, that presence, it wasn't Beatrice standing before her. It was someone far older, far more dangerous from a life long past.
The three female purists, still seated in meditation, exchanged confused glances. Celestine raised a trembling hand.
"Leave us." She ordered.
"Now."
The purists, sensing the gravity of the moment, quickly gathered themselves and exited the room, closing the door behind them.
Once they were alone, Beatrice or the entity now inhabiting her body took a step closer. Her smile widened.
"It worked." She said with a touch of pride.
"Death no longer has a grip on me."
Celestine's heart raced, not from fear but from elation.
"I'm happy for you." She whispered.
"I nurtured this possibility for years, anticipating your return."
She looked over the girl's new form, eyes flickering with a strange blend of curiosity and reverence.
"But, are you okay with this body?"
Beatrice's smile faded, her expression twisting with distaste as she looked down at herself.
"Yes... A girl's body. Perhaps it's karma for all the female souls I devoured in my past life. A fitting punishment."
She spat the words out with disdain, clearly unhappy with the form she now inhabited.
Celestine reached out, her hand trembling as it brushed Beatrice's arm.
"You'll have to get used to it. This body, this new soul might be our only chance to succeed."
Beatrice's single eye glittered in the candlelight, a dark, dangerous gleam.
"I'll adjust." She said, her voice sharp.
"I'll accept this soul and make it completely mine."
Celestine smiled weakly, her old heart swelling with relief.
"Treasure your new life, I'm afraid if you die, I might not live long enough to meet your next life."
Beatrice leaned down, placing a slow, lingering kiss on the older woman's lips.
"You helped me escape death..." She whispered against her.
"Now, it's my turn to help you escape death as promised. I'll take you into the spirit realm without going through death."
"Now it's my turn to keep my promise... I'll help you escape death. I'll take you into the spirit realm without letting it claim you first."
Celestine closed her eyes, feeling a deep, soothing calm for the first time in years.
"I've long prepared for your return. I nurtured the souls of students in my division. Feel free to devour them whenever you need."
Beatrice straightened up, her mouth curling into a sinister grin.
"Good. I'll need all the souls I can gather."
The room fell into silence, the air thick with the promise of a dark dangerous alliance. Celestine lay back on her mat, her body still weak, but her spirit now stronger than ever.
Beatrice, the reincarnated specter from her past, was finally by her side again.