Wait! Don’t click away just yet! Restless spirits like Flordeliza may look frightening, but if you took a minute to cross the Midnight Bridge and talk to her, you could find out how to lead a rich and fulfilling life with no regrets (mostly from learning what not to do). But, uh, we don’t recommend that you listen to what she has to say about her skin and haircare routine.

As anyone who has ever entered the Spirit Realms can tell you, there are two kinds of ghosts who “live” on the other side. There are the friendly ones, the kind who sell sorbetes to visiting mortals with flavors like nostalgia and fulfilled ambitions (We also recommend the you triumphed over your nemesis flavor, by the way). Then there are those who cannot find peace in either the Beyond or the Spirit Realms. Those who are trying to get back to a life that is forever lost . . .

So, which one is Flordeliza? Well, do you think she looks like the type of ghost that would be happy spending her afterlife selling ice cream?

Taking Care of Business

We regret to confirm that Flordeliza falls into the latter category. The type who crosses back over into the mortal realm in order to steal precious soul keys from young, defenseless babaylans like Corazon Lopez. All because she has unfinished business in the mortal world. Now, we never like to pass judgment on angry ghosts until we near both sides of the story.

But considering that Corazon’s soul key is the only object capable of bringing her parents back to life, Flordeliza’s motives for stealing it had better be extremely understandable and sympathetic. What little we know of her previous life suggests that she was never the type of person to steal from a kid. But then again, we don’t know many magical sugarcane heiresses personally.

Putting Down Roots

That’s right. By modern standards, Flordeliza de León was both rich and powerful in her previous life. She was also warm, kind, and loving. So, what happened to make her such a vengeful spirit?

Well, unfortunately, no matter how rich and powerful you are, life has a way of throwing you some unexpected curveballs.

And by that, we’re usually talking about small and petty men trying to exert control over women they find intimidating.

During her life, Flordeliza’s babaylan magic gave her a unique sway over the earth itself. But not once did she ever try to manipulate the natural world to achieve her own goals. Instead, she worked in harmony with the world around her. She was even able to befriend wild crocodiles!

But it doesn’t take a connection with the earth to recognize when the Filipino farmers who work on that land are being robbed by Spanish settlers. And when you stand up for what’s right, you’re bound to make some very powerful enemies, no matter how much influence your family has.

Follow the Light

Is Flordeliza now utilizing that very same babaylan magic to steal soul keys from innocent kids? While we hate to see her fall so far, we’re still holding out hope that she’ll find peace in the end. Our only worry is that her peace will come at the cost of ours. . . .

The soul key that was stolen from Corazon? Technically, it’s not supposed to exist because, once it falls into the wrong hands, it’s capable of throwing off the entire balance between the spirit realms. In other words, we could see a lot more ghosts who look like Flordeliza wandering around in our backyards.

Luckily, when Flordeliza stole Corazon’s key, she accidentally left behind her choker. Now Corazon at least has the start of what she needs to create blessings that will banish Flordeliza into the Beyond for good.

Just don’t expect the ghost to calmly accept being sent to the Beyond. Especially when she’s so determined to “find her light” (whatever that means). Flordeliza’s rotting skin and messy hair are indicators that she’s been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

Almost as long as we’ve been waiting for our sorbetes. Someone should have told us that the you got the last word in the end flavor would take this long to prepare!

Want to know the whole story of Flordeliza? Be sure to pre-order your copy of The Spirit Glass today!