I listened in awe. “Wow. I didn't know that,” I murmured. “Then you never, er... died?”
“Not once!”
“So you just popped into existence one day?” I asked.
Edgar stroked his chin. “I suppose so. Like a star being born! Except without the explosion.”
I laughed. He had a charming sense of humor.
“A phantasm, huh? That's cool. If it's not obvious by the fact that I passed out like a moron, I've never met one before,” I admitted.
Edgar clicked his tongue. “Don't belittle yourself! It was a natural reaction. Most humans will never see a phantasm in their life. Didn't I already tell you you're special for being able to see me, Mel?”
I grinned awkwardly. “You did, but it's hard to believe. Aside from being able to see you, there's nothing special about me.”
For the first time since I'd met him, Edgar furrowed his brow and frowned like he was upset.
“Never say such things,” Edgar ordered. “The fact that I'm visible to you makes you special enough. Not to mention your good looks and sweet personality.”
My knees jiggled like jelly. I was afraid they were about to give out beneath me. “G-good looks?” I stammered before bursting out into laughter. “Okay, now you're being ridiculous.”
He huffed haughtily. “I beg your pardon. I, Edgar the phantasm, wouldneveract ridiculous. What I said is the complete truth, so don't bother arguing with me. Now, did you get a good look at this chandelier?”
Edgar put his foot down and moved on from the topic, leaving me flabbergasted and flustered. He thought I was attractiveandhe liked my personality? If he wasn't so adamant about it, I would've assumed he was joking. But his statements felt genuine.
Could this phantasm really be interested in me?
Four
Edgar
I'd never been so thrilledin my whole existence. To think an adorable omega, who could actually see me, would show up right on my doorstep! It felt like I'd been blessed by fate.
Well, I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself. Even if phantasmscouldhave fated mates, I doubted Mel and I would be a match. Just because he saw me didn't mean he could touch me—and there was no point in being fated mates if we couldn't touch one another.
Still, I refused to wallow in disappointment. I'd make the most of this evening and spend as much time with Mel as possible before he returned to his normal human life... and likely forgot all about me.
As I gave Mel a tour, he followed me around the house like a curious puppy. Everything mesmerized him. His eyes sparkled with childlike wonder, even when I showed him an old candelabra with a layer of dust on it.
“This is amazing,” he murmured. “Crap. I should be filming this!”
“Filming?” I echoed.
He paused in his tracks. “Do you know what that means?”
I shook my head. There were plenty of human contraptions I didn't understand. Bert took the time to explain things to me if I asked, but I hadsomany questions and although he was patient, he was never actively enthused to play teacher.
But Mel was different. His eyes lit up at the opportunity.
“Oh! Well, I use my phone camera to film.” He paused. “Do you know what cameras are?”
“Yes. Phones are those flat devices that humans love to waste time on. And cameras take photographs. And the phone canhavea camera?”
Mel nodded. “Yeah, that's it. Cameras can also take videos, which are like moving photos. Think of it like preserving a memory.”
I nodded. “I see... So if I filmed you, I could preserve a piece of you forever.”
Mel's cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. “Yeah,” he said with a shaky laugh. “But why would you wanna do that?”
