Screech—
As the rusty gate, overgrown with wild roses, was pushed open, a grating sound echoed through the empty, abandoned Kariena Manor. Lex raised his arm, trying to make the lantern's light reach as far as possible, but even so, he could only see the ground taken over by weeds and wildflowers, the collapsed fountain, and the main building, dilapidated from years of neglect.
These things flickered in and out of view in the darkness. With no moonlight, the scenes in the manor were ambiguous and unclear, and the atmosphere was eerie.
Occasionally, a small animal like a field mouse would scurry through the grass, making a soft rustling sound that caused the grass to sway, sending a shiver down one's spine.
"Miss Isabella and the others are really too daring, to actually come to a place like this to play hide-and-seek." The Seer looked around somewhat fearfully, the strangely shaped dark shadows always making him feel the urge to turn and run.
Lex patted the katana, ''Devil May Cry'', hanging at his waist. A dark golden Light flashed within the pure white scabbard, and an invisible force spread outwards, washing over Kaven, and over the weed-choked ground all around.
Instantly, Kaven felt warmth, felt courage welling up in his heart, and no longer felt afraid.
This was the work of the 'Sun Halo'.
"Actually, I'm more concerned about another problem."
Lex strode towards the main building: "If there are spirits in Kariena Manor, why has it remained like this until now? Don't the Churches interfere?"
He didn't expect the Seer, an Intis native, to give him an answer, and soon he answered himself: "My guess is, either the spirits in the manor were dormant before, not disturbing the nearby residents, until Isabella and her friends accidentally trespassed, which woke them up and made them active."
"Or it's man-made; someone used a ritual or something else here to summon spirits, turning this into a haunted place."
"I lean towards the first guess, because you said Isabella saw a ghost, which means her Spiritual Vision is higher than ordinary people's. Perhaps because of this, she unintentionally awakened the 'residents' here."
Kaven sincerely said: "I hope there's only one resident here."
When Lex, having activated his Spiritual Vision, pushed open the rotten main door, he couldn't help but glance at Kaven: "I didn't expect you to have the ability of a jinx."
Just inside the door, in the living room with its tattered carpet, in the dim corners where the lantern's light couldn't reach. Semi-transparent, illusory figures with little sense of presence sat or stood, or aimlessly wandered in one spot.
These figures were in the darkness, and it was unknown how long they had maintained this state. Lex saw that some were gentlemen in formal wear, some were servants in black and white attire, and there were also children in beautiful dresses and miniature tailcoats.
They seemed unaware of their death, still attending the banquet of their former lives.
"Let's go quickly, don't mind them." Kaven focused his gaze on the ground in front of his feet, adding, "And don't look at them. Isabella had her incident in a bedroom upstairs; I know where it is."
Lex also withdrew his gaze, but just as they walked towards the stairs, although he didn't look with his eyes, his spiritual intuition told Lex that all those 'people' in the living room had now turned around.
In the darkness, they silently watched Lex and the Seer, these two uninvited guests, silently watched them ascend the stairs, yet made no move.
Based on the scene he had seen in his dream that morning, Kaven easily found the room where Isabella had encountered the spirit. And upon arriving here, just standing at the door, one could feel an indescribable chill.
Lex gently exhaled. Although Tingen in September was already showing a slight chill, the exhaled breath turning into white smoke was a bit exaggerated.
"The temperature here is at least 5 degrees lower than outside."
Lex drew ''Devil May Cry'', and gently pushed open the half-closed door with the katana. When the wooden door creaked open, light shone from inside the room, making Lex squint uncomfortably.
As he adjusted to the brightness inside the door, a figure suddenly passed by him, darting inside and emitting a joyful sound: "Miss, Miss Kaliena, Mr. Anthony has arrived, and I must tell you, he looks absolutely dashing today."
Lex felt a slight daze, then saw the bedroom inside the door, decorated with understated luxury.
In front of a dressing table laden with jewels sat a young woman, her back to Lex, but her beautiful face was still visible in the mirror in front of her.
Next to the dressing table hung a pure white wedding dress, finely crafted and well-tailored. One could imagine how beautiful and moving the bride would be wearing this dress.
"Then we must hurry, help me with my hair."
The woman in front of the dressing table said cheerfully, and in the mirror, she looked towards Lex.
The scene before his eyes suddenly blurred and twisted. The room's events were like a fast-forwarded film. After a blur of fleeting images, Lex saw again that at some unknown point, an unrecognizable man had appeared in the room.
At this moment, Kaliena was huddled in a corner, next to the wedding dress, crying as she looked at the man and cried out: "Why, why would you do this, Anthony!"
"Are you referring to poisoning the banquet and killing your entire family?" Anthony, whose face was unclear, said, "Let me tell you why, Kaliena."
"Twenty years ago, one winter, your father fainted in the snow. A kind family took him home and spent three whole days snatching him from the hands of death."
"But your father, the esteemed Mr. Ziggs, harbored ill intentions, used despicable means to kill the patriarch of that family, defiled the mistress, and finally illegally seized their property."
"Just like that, our Mr. Ziggs transformed, becoming a big farm owner, a big merchant."
"You surely wouldn't believe it, but what I'm saying is true, because I witnessed all of it myself. Because I am the eldest son of that family!"
"So you see, tonight, I'm not here to get engaged to you. I'm here for revenge!"
He lunged forward, crashing into Kaliena's embrace. When he pulled back, a dagger was already plunged into the girl's stomach.
Kaliena clutched her abdomen, trying to reach for something, but only grasped the wedding dress. Her blood-soaked hand then left a shocking crimson stain on the pure white gown.
"I don't know about these things."
"I just wanted to marry you."
"I just…"
The girl, fallen to the ground, looked with difficulty at the man named Anthony, tears streaming from her eyes: "I just… loved you very much."
The lights in the room quickly dimmed and then vanished. Anthony and the girl on the ground disappeared. Lex only saw a dilapidated bedroom, a dusty dressing table, and the wedding dress still hanging nearby, no longer white, its bloodstains having turned dark.
This truly is a tragedy.