At 23 Flemming Street, a mansion is said to be haunted.
It was a rumor that had quietly circulated among children for quite some time.
The eerie atmosphere of the secluded mansion, located adjacent to Luke Forest, certainly contributed to the spread of such stories, even if there were no ghosts to be found.
At a glance, it might look like a cozy mansion, but upon closer inspection, it resembles a dilapidated house that seems about to collapse, which is precisely the mansion the rumors speak of.
Moreover, the area surrounding the forest where the mansion sits feels particularly desolate, suggesting that the rumors are not entirely unfounded.
As autumn deepens and winter approaches, the bare branches look like the wrist of a desiccated corpse, and the piercing wind cuts through the skin, making one draw their coat tighter.
The encroaching darkness of the evening amplifies the unsettling atmosphere.
In many ways, this is not a suitable place or time for a walk.
Nevertheless, two small figures are walking along this forest path.
“Ugh, it’s cold,” one child muttered, shivering.
It’s unclear whether the child’s shivering is due to the cold or a lingering fear that has settled in their heart.
Perhaps it’s a combination of both feelings.
Still, the child’s body is one, after all.
“Hey, let’s not go any further. Mom and Dad told us not to enter the forest at night,” the shivering child pleaded.
At this, the other child laughed at their trembling companion. “What’s wrong? Are you scared?”
It was an absurd statement.
They were discussing safety, yet the other child simply blamed their friend’s lack of courage, which was quite irritating.
…Of course, they were indeed scared.
Realizing that advancing further was not an enjoyable prospect, the child stood still, clutching the collar of the other brave (or perhaps reckless) child and said, “B-but what if there really are ghosts? Let’s just go back, okay?”
As the frightened child clung to them with a still trembling voice, the other child shook off their grip firmly. “No, that’s why we came! Did you forget?”
Their purpose was to see a ghost, after all.
There was no way they would turn back.
Hadn’t they specifically taken a bus for several hours to reach this place?
The child’s interests were quite peculiar.
While other kids were interested in beasts or transforming steel golems, they had a particular fondness for monster biology.
Among those, they were especially drawn to ethereal monsters, commonly referred to as ghosts or banshees.
In the career aspirations they researched at school, they boldly wrote down “monster biologist” without hesitation.
In fact, when going out with family on holidays, they preferred visits to monster-themed zoos over ordinary ones.
However, unlike other monsters, ethereal monsters are not exhibited in such zoos.
The reason is not an instinctive aversion to the fact that they were once human, but rather because they are simply beings that cannot be commonly seen.
Since these beings cannot be observed with the naked eye, they must be confirmed through “special devices.” So, when exhibited, all people really get to see are ethereal response graphs or subtle color differences on a “monitor.”
There isn’t much to see, after all.
For this reason, modern monster zoos avoid raising ethereal monsters.
Moreover, it’s often more economical to manipulate equipment slightly to create the illusion of a ghost in a cage than to endure the hassle of capturing and containing a troublemaking ghost.
If one feels sad about it, placing a simple model in a corner could be a decent solution.
“But, if we come here, we might see a ghost,” the brave child said, eyes shining with determination.
In this world, the possibility of actually seeing a ghost could exist!
It was natural for him to feel curiosity towards such a notion.
But even in the face of the brave child’s determination, the trembling child clung tighter, pleading once more.
“B-but they say the ghosts here are really scary. They say they eat people!”
However, no matter how scary it may seem, the story of a ghost eating people is indeed terrifying.
While they had followed their friend here like a reluctant companion, survival was now the domain!
Determining that they would not take another step forward, the child stayed put, prompting the brave child to stop and assess their friend’s expression.
Their body quivered like a trembling aspen, hair and cat ears bristled in fear, and their eyes wandered aimlessly.
“Haah… Are you that scared?”
“Well…”
Seeing their friend sigh in front of them, the child suggested with a glimmer of hope, “W-well, now that we’re here, let’s just… go back. Mom will start worrying…”
But the answer was the same.
“I don’t want to.”
“Eeeek!”
If a feline hybrid friend, known for being slightly more sensitive than other species, was that terrified, it only added to the credibility of the rumor.
In the end, the child was pulled along, arms still gripped.
—–
“Is it possible you’re still scared?”
“……”
Upon seeing the child still trembling, displaying a decidedly unboy-like demeanor, the other sighed.
“Eating people? That’s all nonsense! I did my research, and not a single case of missing persons has been reported here! Think about it, ghosts that come to kill people when they enter the mansion! No adult would just leave such a ghost unchecked, right? If that rumor were true, they would’ve demolished that dilapidated house long ago!”
“…But, it could be true.”
“Ugh, how naïve and frustrating.”
When asked to come, the child had agreed, but now they were acting like this—it really annoyed them.
Had the reliable appearance shown before arrival all been an act?
If so, why did they even agree to come along in the first place?
Thinking that convincing them might be difficult, the child waved their hand dismissively. “Fine, then I’ll go by myself. You can go back…”
At that moment.
-♪…… ♫.
“……!”
“……!”
The faint sound of string instruments coming from somewhere made both the trembling child and the once-brave child freeze in place.
However, as it was a very quiet sound, wondering if they had heard an illusion, they turned to their friend.
“What was that sound? Did you hear it too?”
“I-I heard it! It’s g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-ghost!”
“Could it really be a ghost?”
“Of course it’s a ghost; it can’t be a fake ghost! Aaaah! We’re going to die!”
“No, we’re not going to die.”
“Eeeeee!”
“Hey, wait! Be quiet for a moment! Let’s listen again and see if it was really made by a ghost!”
After finally calming down their friend, who was screaming and hugging a tree, they caught the faint melody that came again.
It was ostensibly a beautiful tune, but perhaps due to the eerie atmosphere of the forest, it sounded quite eerie.
What kind of instrument could it be?
It was clear it was the sound of a stringed instrument, like a violin or cello…
“Hmm.”
Speaking of which, there were tales about how ghosts particularly liked the sounds of such string instruments.
Percussion instruments were considered too noisy for them, and since wind instruments required strong breath, they were hard to play.
And, reasonably concluding that there wouldn’t be a person practicing string instruments in such a secluded forest, the child ultimately came to a conclusion.
“It really seems like… it might be a ghost.”
A clear truth, a heartless proclamation.
With that, there was no longer any reason for the child to refrain from screaming.
“Aaaaaah!”
The terrified child’s loud cry.
As they grasped the collar of the fleeing child trying to climb a tree, they barely managed to calm them, but the music of the instrument ceased to be heard.
Now only a deep, sticky silence filled the forest.
Perhaps anxious about it, the sweat and trembling from their clasped hands intensified.
The child was already damp from the sweat of the boy, but now it was almost like they were washing their hands.
But at that moment, there was no room to even think about discomfort.
“W-why isn’t there any more sound…?”
“Well, I don’t know about that either…”
After a moment’s deliberation, the sudden cessation of the music didn’t serve as a reason to turn back.
If anything, it became an even stronger reason to move forward.
“If we go to the end, we might find out.”
“Y-you really plan to go to the end?”
“Of course. That’s why we came.”
Just then.
“Where are children going on such a dark night?”
Suddenly, a surprisingly clear voice from behind them made both children gasp in shock.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Heeek!!”
——-
Luke gently covered his ears at the children’s frantic screams.
This was not the fault of the children but rather his own for startling them.
He had quickly pursued whoever had triggered the intruder alarm he had set up near his home, but it turned out to be children.
He thought he had quietly engaged with them to ensure they weren’t startled, but that didn’t seem to be how it was perceived from their perspective.
However…
“Why does this girl’s scream contain elements of both fear and joy?”
As Luke raised an eyebrow, the girl pointed at him and shouted.
“Sister, are you a ghost?”
“What?”
