Tank woke up to the distinct sensation of being watched. The room was dark, save for the faint glow of his alarm clock reading 3:17 AM, and an unsettling chill crawled up his spine. He groaned and rolled over, trying to ignore it.

But then he heard it—a soft, singsong voice that made his stomach drop.

"Tank... you're finally awake..."

His eyes snapped open, and he immediately regretted it. There, standing at the foot of his bed, was her. Jasmine Lewis. His high school sweetheart turned cautionary tale, still wearing the cheerleader uniform she died in, her head grotesquely twisted to an impossible 190-degree angle. The sound of her broken neck creaking as she tilted her head made him want to vomit.

"Jasmine," he muttered, sitting up. "Why the hell are you here?"

Her broken, yet disturbingly beautiful face twisted into a smile. "Because I missed you, Tank. It's been so long since we've been together."

Tank ran a hand down his face, exasperated. "You're dead, Jasmine. You've been dead for five years. What part of that screams 'get back together' to you?"

She floated closer, her broken neck swaying unnaturally with each movement. "Death doesn't mean anything, baby. We can still be together. Forever."

Tank instinctively reached for the iron charm under his pillow. He kept it there for moments just like this.

"Look," he said, holding up his hands, "I get that you're still upset about the whole neck-breaking thing, but it was an accident. I didn't mean to tackle you that hard."

Her smile vanished, replaced by a flash of rage. "Didn't mean to? You killed me, Tank! I trusted you, and you killed me!"

Tank grimaced. 'Here we go.'

"I didn't kill you, Jasmine. It was a game. You were on the field. Accidents happen," he said, his voice steady despite the ghostly venom radiating off her.

"Accidents don't break someone's neck!" she snapped, her twisted head jerking violently as she screamed. "You took everything from me, Tank. My future. My dreams. Us!"

Tank reached for the iron charm, gripping it tightly. "I'm not doing this with you, Jasmine. You're dead. It's time to move on."

But instead of recoiling, she lunged at him, her hands icy as they wrapped around his throat. Her strength was unreal, pinning him to the bed as her face hovered inches from his.

"I don't want to move on," she whispered, her voice a chilling mix of anger and desperation. "I want you. And if I can't have you in life... I'll have you in death."

Tank gasped, struggling against her grip. "You crazy bitch—"

With a burst of effort, he yanked the iron charm from under his pillow and pressed it against her chest. There was a flash of light, and Jasmine screamed, her form flickering like a static-filled TV screen as she was thrown across the room.

Tank rolled off the bed, coughing and clutching his throat. "Goddammit, Jasmine! You can't just come in here and choke me out like we're in some psycho soap opera!"

She was on the floor, her ghostly body smoking from where the iron had burned her. But instead of retreating, she laughed—a low, unsettling sound that sent a chill down Tank's spine.

"You think that's enough to get rid of me, Tank?" she said, rising to her feet. Her neck cracked loudly as she twisted it back into place, even though the angle was still horrifying. "I've been waiting for years to see you again. You can't just push me away."

Tank grabbed the iron charm and backed toward the door. "Watch me."

Tank didn't even bother to put on shoes as he stormed into his living room. He muttered to himself, cursing whatever higher power decided to make his life a nonstop shitshow.

"Tank," Jasmine called sweetly, materializing in front of him. "Where are you going? You're not trying to run from me, are you?"

Tank groaned. "Nah, I'm just grabbing some coffee before I send your crazy ass back to the afterlife."

Her smile widened, and her eyes gleamed with an unsettling mix of affection and malice. "Oh, Tank. You still don't get it, do you? I like being here with you."

Before he could respond, Jasmine lunged again. Tank barely had time to react, raising the iron charm just as her ghostly hands swiped at him. The charm flared, and Jasmine hissed, backing off slightly.

"Fine," Tank growled. "You want to play crazy ex? Let's take this shit to the afterlife."

He activated his ability, the air around him shimmering as he crossed into the ghostly realm. Colors bled away, leaving only shades of gray and black, and the familiar chill of the afterlife seeped into his bones.

Jasmine followed him, her ghostly form glowing faintly in the gloom. "You brought me home," she cooed, her voice dripping with dark affection. "How romantic."

"Romantic?" Tank spat, gripping the iron charm. "You're a goddamn psycho, Jasmine. I'm here to end this."

She tilted her head, her expression turning sinister. "You can try, baby. But I won't make it easy."

The fight that followed was chaotic and brutal. Jasmine was faster in the afterlife realm, her ghostly form darting around like a blur as she taunted and attacked. Tank fought back with everything he had, using the iron charm and his own determination to hold her off.

But despite his best efforts, she kept coming.

"Why won't you just move on?!" Tank shouted, dodging another attack.

"Because I love you, Tank!" Jasmine screamed, tears streaming down her twisted face. "And I hate you for leaving me!"

Her words hit harder than any attack, and for a moment, Tank faltered. He lowered the charm, his breath heavy.

"Jasmine," he said quietly. "You're gone. You've been gone for years. Holding onto this... it's not love. It's pain."

She froze, her glowing eyes narrowing. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't feel it every second of every day?"

Tank stepped closer, his voice softening. "Then let it go. Let me go. It's the only way you'll find peace."

For a moment, she looked like she might listen. But then her face twisted with rage. "I don't want peace, Tank. I want you."

Tank cursed under his breath. "Then I guess this is goodbye."

With a swift motion, he slammed the iron charm into her chest, releasing a burst of energy that lit up the gray world like a supernova. Jasmine screamed, her form dissolving into light. As she faded, her voice echoed softly:

"I'll always love you, Tank..."

Tank collapsed onto the couch back in the living world, drenched in sweat and utterly drained. He stared at the ceiling, his thoughts racing.

"Why me?" he muttered to himself. "Why the hell is it always me?"

From the doorway, Luna poked her head in, her wolf ears twitching. "Uh, you okay? You were screaming in your sleep again."

Tank groaned, rubbing his face. "Yeah. Just... dealing with ghosts."

Luna smirked. "Another crazy ex?"

"Yup," Tank said flatly. "And I don't want to talk about it."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You're a mess, Tank. But at least you're an interesting mess."

Tank sighed, closing his eyes. "Yeah. Lucky me."