9:40 p.m.
Ryan City.
The streets gradually grew quieter.
The bright lights of downtown faded behind her.
Asiya walked at an unhurried pace.
A small canvas backpack rested on one shoulder.
Inside were fresh talisman paper, cinnabar, spirit ink, peach-wood charms, and a brush she had bought that afternoon.
The child ghost floated beside her.
"...It's creepy."
"Mhm."
"...You're not scared?"
Asiya thought for a moment.
"...A little."
The child ghost blinked.
"...Really?"
"I'm more worried about mosquitoes."
Silence.
The long-haired ghost sighed.
"...Our Keeper's priorities remain unique."
A gentle breeze brushed through the empty road.
Far ahead-
An old iron gate slowly came into view.
Beyond it stood the abandoned villa.
Moonlight washed over cracked walls and broken windows.
Wild vines covered nearly every corner of the building.
The entire place looked forgotten by time.
Asiya stopped outside the gate.
She quietly looked at it for several seconds.
"...It's still here."
The child ghost hugged itself.
"...I don't like this place."
"...Neither do I."
She reached out and lightly touched the rusted gate.
Her jade bracelet gave a faint pulse.
Golden light flickered beneath her sleeve.
Very briefly-
She saw faded talismans hidden beneath layers of moss.
Most had long since decayed.
Only a few remained.
"...Someone tried to reinforce the seal."
The long-haired ghost frowned.
"...Long after the shaman died."
"...But they failed."
Asiya nodded.
"...The formation has been weakening for years."
She gently pushed the gate.
Creeeak...
It opened by itself.
No wind.
No sound.
Only silence.
She stepped inside.
Crunch.
Dry leaves cracked beneath her shoes.
The courtyard was overgrown.
A dry stone well sat crooked in one corner.
Broken lanterns lay scattered across the ground.
Everything felt...
Still.
Too still.
The child ghost looked around nervously.
"...Where are the ghosts?"
"...Waiting."
"...That isn't comforting."
Before anyone spoke again-
A bright flashlight suddenly swept across the courtyard.
"Who's there?"
A man's voice rang out.
Firm.
Alert.
Asiya turned.
A tall young man stepped out from the shadows.
Dark jacket.
Flashlight in one hand.
A notebook tucked beneath his arm.
The moment he recognized her-
His eyebrows knitted together.
"...You?"
Asiya blinked.
"...Oh."
"...It's you."
He frowned.
"...What are you doing here?"
She answered honestly.
"...Working."
"...Working?"
He looked around the abandoned villa.
"...At this hour?"
"Mhm."
His expression grew even more skeptical.
"...Do you have any idea how dangerous this place is?"
Asiya looked around thoughtfully.
"...Yes."
"...That's why I came."
He stared at her for several seconds.
"...You're serious."
"Mhm."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"...I'm Investigator Shen."
"...I'm looking into an old murder case connected to this villa."
"...This area has been closed for years."
"...You shouldn't be here."
Asiya nodded politely.
"...Neither should you."
"...I'm on duty."
"...So am I."
Silence.
The child ghost whispered excitedly,
"...He's buffering again."
The long-haired ghost nodded.
"...A common condition."
Investigator Shen rubbed his forehead.
"...Miss..."
"Asiya."
"...Miss Asiya."
"...Please leave."
She didn't move.
Instead-
She slowly crouched beside a cracked stone path.
Her fingertips brushed away years of dust.
Ancient crimson lines emerged beneath the dirt.
Circle after circle.
Symbols intertwined with faded characters.
Her expression softened.
"...Found it."
Investigator Shen walked closer.
"...Found what?"
She traced one of the faded symbols without touching it.
"...The heart of the sealing formation."
He frowned.
"...Sealing formation?"
She looked up at him.
"...This isn't just a crime scene."
"...It's also a prison."
The breeze suddenly stopped.
Even the insects fell silent.
The child ghost instinctively hid behind Asiya.
"...They're watching."
The long-haired ghost slowly scanned the darkness.
"...Not hostile."
"...Yet."
Investigator Shen followed Asiya's gaze.
"...Who's watching?"
She smiled faintly.
"...Not you."
"...You can't see them."
He looked around again.
Nothing.
Only broken walls.
Empty windows.
And the sound of his own breathing.
"...You're making even less sense now."
Asiya stood.
She looked toward the villa's entrance.
The smile disappeared from her face.
"...He's inside."
"...Who?"
"...Asher."
Her jade bracelet pulsed again.
This time-
More brightly.
A thin golden thread appeared before her eyes alone.
It stretched from the courtyard...
Into the darkness of the villa.
Straight toward the second floor.
The child ghost gasped.
"...It's guiding us."
Asiya nodded once.
"...He's waiting."
Without another word-
She stepped toward the old front door.
The wooden floor creaked beneath her feet.
Behind her-
Investigator Shen hesitated.
He looked at the strange girl walking calmly into the darkness.
Then at the old symbols carved beneath the dust.
Finally-
He tightened his grip on the flashlight.
"...This better not be another wild goose chase."
He followed.
The villa quietly swallowed them both.
Somewhere deep inside-
A child's frightened voice echoed through the empty halls.
"...Is..."
"...Is someone there?"
Asiya stopped walking.
Her eyes softened.
"...We found him."
The darkness answered with a long...
Slow...
Creak.
As though something inside the villa had just awakened.