The Girl Who Hid in the Dark
The mansion did not grow louder as the night deepened, It grew quieter. That was what unsettled Ruko the most. Footsteps echoed too clearly. Breathing felt intrusive in some ways. Even Aqua's whispers seemed muted, even though she's not here and the walls themselves were blocking the view so i wont see her stupid face.
The false hauntings,slamming doors, flickering shadows had slowed when walked, almost as if whoever orchestrated them believed they had already done enough.
Kazuma on the other side noticed it too.
"…Something trying to scare us," he muttered. "That's usually when something worse happens." Aqua whimpered softly. "I don't like the smart ghosts. Dumb ghosts are fine. Smart ones are a no go."
Megumin remained focused, her eyes tracing faint patterns along the walls.
"There is magic here," she said quietly. "But wait does spirits usually leave a trace of magic behind." Darkness stepped forward, armor clinking softly. "Then perhaps something is restraining itself."
Ruko on the other side felt the pulse again. "Hmm it seems like i was right to spilt us up since where been followed and can't put a finger on it and why do i feel it again," Ruko perception triggered in way he don't know!
A Split in the Path were Kazuma group reached the central hall, an open space where a grand staircase split into two wings. Moonlight poured in through a shattered ceiling, illuminating dust that drifted like frozen stars.
Kazuma rubbed his chin. "Alright. We split. Megumin, Aqua—left wing. Darkness and I—right." Aqua immediately protested. "WHY do I have to go where the ghosts definitely are?!"
"Because," Kazuma replied flatly, "you're the priest." Before the argument could escalate further on the other side, Ruko felt something tug which search and is not on his body but on his decayed weapon.
A faint pull direction toward the left wing. In the darker side of the mansion.
Ruko look left and right "Well it's seems that i'll go this direction cause i feel like im observing what to follow."
Kazuma glanced and see Ruko. "Hey Ruko you see anything?" Ruko look unsurprised. "Nope just see you here with them that just about to crawled."
"Hmm what you mean... AAAHH," While jump on Ruko. "Hey get of me," dropped Kazuma. "Oww that hurt but will you good on your own for a bit?"
The question lingered longer than usual.
Because even Kazuma could feel it now that this mansion wasn't playing fair. "Well im leaving so see ya."
Elsewhere , "A Gentle Lich" seen while Ruko moved deeper into the shadow that fate twisted elsewhere.
Kazuma catch up back with Aqua and Megumin and start looking infront due they have no time to argue.
They encounter a Lich. "Are you the people that came in the mansion?"
Her presence was soft enough that most people didn't even notice the temperature drop.
Since Kazuma did notice. "…Why do I suddenly feel like I'm about to make a bad life decision?" Wiz smiled kindly.
"Hello. I was hoping to ask if your the one take thequest."
On the other side the mansion, a shadow darted across the hallway ahead. Then started to hear something. Whispers turned into hurried footsteps.
Ruko followed silently.
The door slammed open and behind it were three men, poorly armored, eyes wide with panic. Strings dangled from their hands. "Bandits."
One shouted, "Told you they will find us this place was too haunted!" Another snapped back, "Shut up! We almost had them!" They froze when they saw Ruko.
The bravado drained instantly. "…That's not one of them," one whispered. Ruko catch what's going and start running towards them. Bandit 1: "Shit get him and take his loot!"
Ruko appear infront of him and start use his decayed sword and swing at the bandit. Then suddenly—CRACK!
Ruko look stunned at what happen, his sword just break while bandit 1 look surprised.
"Hehe HAHAHA... his sword just broke and im in one pi—
"Ruko fist in his face and send him flying. "Ouch guess his face feel like a rock." They look shocked.
Bandit 2. "What the get him." Ruko fight both at once, he dodge left and right, jump back and use his skill copy to mimic there movements. "Ok now GAH—"
Ruko trip over by ungood board on the floor and splat on his face. Bandit 3 start to stab his arm with his dagger. Ruko screamed. "AHH BASTARD!"
Kick his face by flexing and send him backwards. Ruko get up by holding his arm. "Ahh fuck guess I'm in disadvantage for once since all the fight i went through, shit must be luck in those days—"
The worst system appear. Yew: [Host get out of the cloud and start get serious." Ruko: "huh you write get serious—"
Ruko felt a pulse and drop to the floor.
Bandit 2: "He just pass out now let's finish it." Ruko stand up and feel something.
Breathing steadily. "Ok I guess I should stop being a complete idiot when it's comes to life or death," He started By push back half of his hair with one hand.
"I'll guess it's time to hunt." Setting a lazy posture then start running straight at the bandits and give a two knock out that make them unconscious. The fight... if it could be called that... was brief and decisive.
Ruko look at them with intent to kill and kill them without any thoughts. He didn't notice what he has done, fear did the work for him. They died by his hands, then start shouting in curses.
5 minutes later.
He get himself together. "Yeah human life is nothing out of the ordinary, since human always kill each other so it's nothing new." Silence returned. But the sensations didn't fade. It grew stronger.
There he found a "Hidden Room". Ruko reached a sealed door at the end of a narrow corridor. Unlike the others, this room seems different. Then his skill Unseal start to activate.
"What the why does my skill unlock this door for a reason." It was reinforced on a different type of seal that this world cannot recognize. But it seems to be protected something.
He trembled faintly but not unconscious this time, but resonating. The reaction was subtle, restrained, as if whatever lay behind that door was incomplete… but what is it.
He opened the door slowly. Inside, the room was small, bare, and occupied. Then saw a girl crouched in the corner, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, eyes wide with terror. Her clothes were worn, stained with dust and old blood.
Magic residue clung to her like a second skin with unstable fractured magic. She flinched when she saw him. "D-don't come closer…" Her voice shook like she thinks i was an enemy.
But when I look closer she doesnt look like a ghost. Which time at the entrance i begin to feel like there is someone was hiding. "So it's seems she is the one that I felt in this place."
Ruko start walking and confront her. "What are you doing here, where are your parents," Asking forwardly. She doesn't respond. "Ok what's your name cause you should have a name right."
"L-lumy."
Her name was Lumy. She didn't say it out loud. But Ruko felt it in a weird way that he can hear her name. He noticed something glowing on her chest, her core pulsed faintly, out of sync with her body. Something inside her wasn't right wrong and dangerously close to something chaotic.
She is in trauma while in silence. Lumy pressed herself further into the corner.
"They said… they said this place was safe. That the spirits would protect me."
Tears welled in her eyes. "They lied."
She wasn't talking to Ruko she was reliving what she saying: Bandits, Betrayal, Being used as bait, and worse—
Something inside her had reacted that she didn't understand then start mumbling something with a word killed.
"It's seems she is in a "PTSD" and blaming herself... hey lumy!" The mansion creaked softly around them.
Ruko's body vibrated in way he felt this time: Recognition, Reunion and Consequences. Footsteps echoed down the hall.
Kazuma's voice followed. "Hey! Found the idiots. They're tied up and crying. You okay?" He stopped when he saw Lumy.
Aqua peeked in next, her usual bravado faltering. "…She's not undead." Megumin tilted her head, studying the girl carefully. Darkness frowned. "She looks like she's endured significant distress."
Lumy shrank further back. Ruko stood between her and them instinctively. "Guys stay back I can handle this and Aqua I don't want to hear your inhabit mouth for once."
Aqua feel the hurtless in those words. Kazuma raised an eyebrow—but nodded. "Uhh alright let him do his thing. We'll figure something out."