Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!

Chapter 1236: The Embodiment Of Dreams



After I explained to Sofia what would happen if she remained here until she died, she quickly realized it was indeed a bad idea.

And with Emily and Alma here to cheer her up some more, the idea of returning quickly emerged in her little head.

"We love you Sofia!" Emily started crying. "Please come back with us! We'll do our best to be... the best friends you could ever hope for!"

"Please don't die Sof!" Alma cried. "I need you with us!"

"..." Sofia looked at her friends with eyes full of emotions, crying. "Really?"

She seemed doubtful, but at the same time, hopeful.

This entire time she had been ignoring their love as friends, I don't know why.

Perhaps it was her own pride that was working against her.

But right now, she needed to let go of that.

"Yes!" I nodded. "Please, stop ignoring how much we care for you, Sofia! Come back with us!"

She widened her eyes, as she touched her chest, where her heart was, with her little hands.

And then, she looked at me with puppy eyes.

Jesus, if you look at me like that, you'll make me want to adopt you...

"Maria..."

She started crying, slowly walking towards us. Emily and Alma's eyes brightened, as it seemed that things might solve themselves more peacefully than I imagined.

"Do you promise me that... you'll be with me and... love me?"

"Huh?"

That's a weird question...

"Yes, of course Sofia," I nodded. "Emily and Alma too. Maybe your mom is gone, your father might not even show you affection, but... I don't think there's nothing wrong with appreciating the love of friends."

Sofia glanced at Emily and Alma who nodded, and then she blushed a bit after she glanced into my eyes.

"I'm sorry for never wanting to accept it... I was so dumb..."

Her parents glanced at her in disbelief, becoming completely speechless after her words.

They probably had no idea why she was acting like this, or why she was saying all these things. But this was the real Sofia talking, not the little girl they believed was Sofia.

She extended her hand towards me, as I decided to grab it, and drag her out of this place.

Yet.

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER AWAY FROM US!"

Her parents screamed with loud, monstrous voices, their faces suddenly twisted into aberrant ghostly beings, their jaws opened widely, as the sky darkened, and the entire grassland turned into a cursed forest.

RUMBLE!

The ground trembled, as their hands attempted to grab my arms and push me away with all their force. I noticed their appearances changed as well as they became completely twisted monstrous beings, their skin turned purple and their arms and legs overly long, every finger resembled claws.

"W-What?! What's happening?!" Sofia cried. "Mom? Dad?!"

"YOU'RE OUR DAUGHTER!"

"YOU CAN'T GO OUT WITH STRANGERS, SOFIA!!!"

"Wait, they're not strangers! They're my..."

She glanced at Emily, Alma, and me.

"They're my friends!"

"BUT SOFIA...! DON'T YOU WANT TO STAY WITH US?! WITH YOUR BELOVED PARENTS?!"

"WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH, MY DAUGHTER!"

Her parents glared at her, space and time around us twisted, the entire Nightmare seemed to be crumbling apart, the grasslands withered, the cursed forest grew everywhere, the ground began to tear apart and float in midair.

They glared at her, waiting for an answer.

"I wish that was the case..." Sofia muttered. "I wish... I wish the real versions of you had been as nice as you were..."

Sofia started crying again, looking at her monstrous, disfigured parents.

"I love you two... I love you so much..." she continued crying. "Mom... I miss you every day. You were a bit hysterical, sometimes too nervous... but you loved me..."

"SO... FIA..."

"And dad... You're so grumpy, and cold with me... But I still remember that there was a time when you were nice with me, when we went out to eat, and I saw you smile once..." Sofia muttered. "And despite everything, y-you're my dad... and I'll always love you anyways."

"MY... DAUGHTER..."

Sofia smiled a bit.

"But you're not real... I always knew it, this is an illusion, you're most likely Nightmares, even," she muttered. "Nightmares I created... You're my precious memories, of the times when my parents were happy, when mom was alive... You're part of me."

She walked towards them, hugging the two Nightmares.

"And I love you for that!"

The two suddenly seemed shocked, slowly returning to their normal appearances, as they

started crying, hugging her back.

"Sofia!"

"I love you, my daughter...!"

"I love you too..."

Sofia kissed her dad and her mother in the face.

"But I have to go... Would you let me go back?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The two looked at one another.

"Only if you promise us something..." her mother said.

"And only when you do..." said her father.

"W-What is it?" Sofia wondered.

Her parents caressed her head, and then smiled lightly amidst tears.

"Please... Love yourself." The two said at the same time.

Love yourself...

That's right.

I don't know why I never realized that until now.

But Sofia... her greatest flaw is that she doesn't love herself.

She thinks herself unworthy of the love of her friends, this is why she ignored them.

She didn't want them to suffer with her and her traumas.

"Love... myself?" Sofia asked in disbelief. "That's... it?"

Her parents nodded.

"It's no easy task," her mother said. "Most people can't seem to love themselves. Their failures, their traumas, their fears, their frustrations... it makes it often impossible." "But you can only begin loving yourself... when you forgive yourself," said her father. "Please, Sofia... forgive yourself. You've committed many mistakes, but don't we all? Perhaps you disappointed the real me, but that doesn't mean your life is over. And it wasn't your fault your mother died. Your mother... she decided to have you even if it meant shortening her lifespan. Because she loved you."

"Really?" Sofia muttered. "Is that really true? Can I really move on...?"

Her parents nodded.

"Mom... I love you; I'll never forgive you!"

Sofia hugged her mother again, as she cried one last time.

"I love you too."

"We love you, and we'll always do."

Her parents suddenly turned into light.

The darkness and nightmares that composed them.

They were purified...

I never thought this could ever happen.

"Take care, Sofia... And please, appreciate the friends you have..."

"They are... your greatest treasure."

As her parents dissipated into particles of light, Sofia was left there.

And I grabbed her little hand.

"Let's go, Sofia." It was time to end this.