Ruby took a deep sigh and made her way toward the bench.
"Hey, where are you going? Don't go too close to Princess Belle," a witch shouted, grabbing her arm and looking at her as if she had lost her mind.
Ruby turned towards the witch, shook her hand off, and looked at her with cold, sharp eyes. The intensity of her gaze made the witch step back in fear, unable to handle her strong aura.
With a cold smile, Ruby sat down on the bench.
Princess Belle, the fat cat, tilted her head curiously. Always protected and rarely exposed to anything new, she wasn't scared when Ruby sat next to her. In fact, she seemed intrigued.
The other ghost gasped in horror.
"Oh my god! She is crazy. How dare she sit next to Princess Belle?" one ghost exclaimed.
"She should be banned!" another shouted.
"She is committing a sin!" a third one cried out.
The crowd went wild, shouting that Ruby was a sinner. However, their eyes widened in disbelief when Ruby dared to hold the fat cat in her arms and place her on her lap.
"What the heck is that witch doing?" someone muttered in shock.
"I can't believe this. It's horrible," another Ghost said, shaking his head.
"Disrespectful..." yet another added, frowning deeply.
Ruby smirked a little, feeling a sense of satisfaction. She started rubbing Princess Belle's furry head, her fingers moving gently through the soft fur. The cat purred loudly and leaned into Ruby's hands, her eyes squinting in pure enjoyment.
"Meow," Princess Belle purred contentedly.
Everyone felt shocked.
"Was this witch blessed by Princess Belle?" someone whispered in awe, unable to believe what they were seeing.
The disbelief and amazement in the air were palpable. Ruby's bold actions had stunned the entire crowd, leaving them speechless.
After a moment, Ruby gently placed Princess Belle back on the bench and stood up. However, she felt a tug on her robe. She turned to see the cat looking up at her with wide, pleading eyes, holding her edge of robe with its mouth. Ruby smiled warmly, bending down to kiss the cat's forehead.
All the ghosts around suddenly felt shy, witnessing such a beautiful and tender moment. Her smile was cold yet stunning, captivating everyone around.
It was only then that they truly noticed Ruby's beauty: Her long, flowing hair was a pure, snowy white, cascading down her back like a waterfall of silk.
Her skin was fair and flawless, glowing with an almost ethereal light. Crystal red eyes, sharp and piercing, held a depth that seemed to see right through to one's soul. They were framed by long, dark lashes that contrasted strikingly with her pale complexion.
Her lips, a soft shade of pink, curved into a cold yet mesmerizing smile.
Despite her beauty, her robes were dirty and wrinkled, making her look so poor.
"I will take my leave," Ruby said, giving Princess Belle one last gentle pat on the head. The cat meowed softly in response, seeming content. Noticing that the crowd remained in a stunned silence, Ruby took the opportunity to slip away.
As she walked off, she thought to herself, Cat is a cat after all—whether on Earth or in this strange world.
"Oh my god! Such a beautiful witch!" someone exclaimed.
"She is a cold and beautiful witch! Straight out of the novels I always imagined," another added.
"But where is she?" a third voice questioned.
The crowd looked around but couldn't find Ruby anywhere.
Ruby's forehead was sweating as she leaned against a creepy tree, its twisted branches looming overhead. She took a deep breath, feeling her heart race, and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Finally," she whispered to herself, "I'm alone."
However, when she opened her eyes again, the sight that greeted her was far from comforting. The environment had an eerie crimson glow, casting unsettling shadows everywhere. The long, tall tree she leaned against looked even more sinister in the dim light, its bark rough and gnarled like twisted faces frozen in silent screams. She gulped, her eyes darting around as she took in the haunting scene.
She shuddered, realizing that she might be safer in the crowd. The oppressive silence of the deserted area made her long for the noisy market she had just left behind.
She felt a cold sweat trickle down her back.
However, Ruby knew she had to reach home—or rather, the broken plastic tent she called home.
She also needed to find a safer roof for herself and her husbands, she began walking through the eerie landscape.
The sounds of crickets chirping and distant howls filled the air, amplifying the sense of isolation and danger. Each step she took seemed to echo louder in the oppressive silence. Ruby tried to focus on the path ahead, forcing herself to ignore the chilling noises that surrounded her.
Ruby felt a wave of exhaustion and homesickness wash over her as she trudged through the dark forest. Her mind drifted back to her once opulent mansion, a grand estate in the middle of the sea, renowned as one of the world's most unique houses.
The memory of her lavish past—a life of luxury and wealth—stood in stark contrast to her current dire situation.
Once a billionaire, she now found herself in a position that felt worse than poverty.
The reality of her life in the ghost world, struggling to find even the most basic comforts, left her feeling more impoverished than any beggar.
And it hadn't even been 24 hours since Ruby had arrived in this strange world, yet she had already faced an overwhelming array of problems.
The constant stress and strain were starting to take their toll. She felt a throbbing headache and an overall sense of dullness that made her crave a good bath and a full night's sleep more than anything.
The grime of her situation, combined with the exhaustion made her long for the comfort and peace.
Ruby walked down a dirt road, her surroundings increasingly unfamiliar and unsettling. She glanced around, but the forest's encroaching shadows made her uneasy.
The crimson environment and the eerie trees heightened her sense of dread, making the forest seem even more dangerous.
Goosebumps prickled her skin as she continued forward, trying not to let her growing anxiety get the best of her.
The need for a bath and a good night's sleep was becoming more pressing as a headache and a sense of dullness weighed her down.
Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her.
—To be continued...🪄