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The grey walls stood still in place, it’s monochromed palette of colors already spread through the whole mysterious ambience of the manors around them. Ceilings of dimly lit chandeliers and walls of paintings and other odd works of art etched within forever as a memory- an expectation where all but positivity around the atmosphere, hidden horrors lurking under it’s rooms and corners. A place like no other; The Devil’s Manor, holding high regard with the rumors concerning the place’s… “inhabitants”.
In truth, no one really knew the history of this place. Whoever visited this manor was meant to dissapear forever; It’s own location was far beyond the towns and cities of the world that it would be impossible for locals to find so easily. It’s own existence was only known through myths and legends, some often exaggerating stories of it. If it meant for one man, let alone a group of adults to not enter this place, then anyone would be more than happy to do so for the sake of all’s safety.
That was supposed to be the case. It was supposed to stay that way. But recently, something different had taken over the manor.
It wasn’t a completely major change, either. At some point in time, someone had somehow ended up in that monochromatic manor, their behavior acting completely opposite to the atmosphere the place had been holding for a long period of time. Unfortunately, this also gave rise to the ghosts who had wanted to be broken free of this endless misery of emptiness.
Although, a little bit of humor and comedy from that “visitor” completely wrecked the overall dark tone of the place. Mayhaps that was a good thing.
Footsteps were heard on a corner of a room, the door left open as it slowly stopped moving from the small force it was given by a girl, with her long waist-length hair gently hitting the back of her oversized jacket. She makes a sigh, slumping against the gray wall with an exaggerated fearing expression.
“What the hell, I’m out… “
“....”
The mirror companion said no reply— only glancing a look to her side with an expression that An didn’t even know the meaning of. Her silence was like a loud answer to the girl, only for that silence to be filled with her soft-spoken voice, compared to An’s loud tone.
“If you’re tired, we can rest here for a while.”
“Ahh no no— I don’t wanna die, Kohane-chan. I appreciate the gesture though.”
She laughed with her reply, rubbing her back despite the possible seriousness of that statement. Eventually, the most her sanity could do was pick up the mirror, shortly before standing to look around the current room they were in. It’s only now it hit her that there were dolls. Dolls, everywhere. Although, shelves of books also stood on the walls, along with a door that most likely leads back to the Main Hall’s Corridors. It might serve a purpose for something. Thankfully, at least the lights won’t be going out on this room.
“What the???” An retorted, almost about to pass out again, with Kohane’s voice being the only factor to keep her awake at that moment. “Shiraishi-san, don’t pass out now… We’re almost there.”
‘Oh wait, she’s right—’
Her memory still stood tall, reminding her of the prior events that occured before they had reached this point. That ghost with a single hair tail on the side- Mizuki, giving her that ridiculous puzzle of trigonometry that her braincells could possibly not solve in an instant, so she naively asked Toya to do all the work for her sake, including the amount of times they gave her the wrong directions of the manor, almost causing her death- Kohane’s own quick mindful wits saved her.
Or perhaps that time where Akito just never stopped chasing her to get a hold of her own body to be able to escape the manor. She was sure that it was never going to stop, no matter how many times her feet ran. Apparently, a piano wasn’t enough to put him back in his place. She was sure that for a moment, his own sister- Ena, had mocked him of his stupidity and persistence whilst she herself had given up on the entire idea.
Then… Kanade. Well, she was the least complicated one. It seemed that she was more calm and composed despite the turmoil she had initially brought against An herself, compared to the other amount of chaos and misery the other ghosts brought that An was thankful for once. Although, her warning of one of the ghosts never left her mind… A moving painting? How terrifying. An’s own naive behavior in the manor had blessed her with such to move somewhat quick enough, guided by Kohane’s own wise words to help her out.
An is quick to get back to her pace, quickly scratching her head to look through. Her eyes focus on a specific doll in the middle, tied by strings by its wrists, feet and neck. She grimaces, only then to look below to see a glass box with a key. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion before tapping on the glass itself, only a small part of her reflection staring back against her own.
“So the uhh… key- Where does this lead to?”
“On the other side… I think. There was a room we couldn’t open earlier, so maybe this was the key for it.”
“Ahh, good idea! It’s locked though-”
An old padlock kept the item in its safe space. Numbers???
Great. So that’s another puzzle she has to solve, and An isn’t even good with the other puzzles prior to this. Meanwhile, Kohane’s own hand prys out of the mirror, pointing at a doll on the far side as to give An a hint on what she may have to do to get the key. The other girl’s head turns, before her feet took her to said doll. It was in a peaceful state, unlike the heavy dark tone that the doll in the middle exhibited from earlier.
Taking the doll gently, she notices a star-shaped crest on its own clothes.
“This doesn’t… hint on anything?”
“... Maybe the answer is from the books on the shelves.”
An gives Kohane a shocked expression, with Kohane only being able to return a somewhat apologetic one.
“I HAVE TO CHECK EVERY BOOK IN THIS ROOM???”
Left with no other choice, An decides to check on each of the other dolls, leaving the one with the glass box. As far as she could understand, she had found around 6 symbols, just like 6 dolls. If she were to go with Kohane’s advice…
She finally reaches on the shelves of books, checking the spines for any signs that resembled any of the symbols she had found. She takes a book which has the star symbol, before flipping through its pages. “I don’t see anything???”
Kohane peeks out of the mirror to glance over, seeing that something else is on one of the pages. "Go back to that page.”
“Ahh- where???”
“This one.”
Her hand tries to flip back to a specific page, instead making contact with An’s. Her expressionless face almost turns to a flustered one, quickly retracting back her own hand as she quickly apologized. “S-Sorry, Shiraishi-san.”
“A-Ahh, it’s fine, don’t worry! I think I can find the page you’re referring to.”
Kohane’s own smart mind had her paired with much equality in choosing to help the long-haired girl escape the manor, whilst having her own qualms to deal with the other inhabitants of the place. Her thoughts slowly drifted off, as she was now stuck with her own train of thoughts. In truth, she didn’t know why she had chosen to help her either. Maybe it was for the better. While their journey was terrifying at times, with multiple accounts of running to do for An’s survival, she had to admit that she felt a close bond with her. And yet, it didn’t feel right.
Kohane’s dead. An’s not. It was only fair that she be treated like the other ghosts in this place… However, An accepted her suggestion.
Why?
She wasn’t expecting this girl to suddenly bring a moment of positivity that made her life suddenly more entertaining now than ever. She wanted to treasure those memories, while wishing she can do so much more to protect her from the other inhabitants lurking at every chance they get to possess An’s body and escape to deal with whatever unfinished business they still had in the Real World.
Especially those two boys… If things were easier, then maybe everything would’ve been much better for An’s case to get her out of the ma—
“There we go!” An’s joyful tone broke that train of thought, forcing the grey mirror to look at the now suddenly unlocked glass box.
Did… did time pass that fast for her? Kohane didn’t realize she was thinking too hard.
However, that joy was quickly converted into fear, the doll suddenly giving a hint of life as it’s eyes opened, giving a blank stare at the two. Her gaze was more focused on the girl with color, before An lets out a shriek.
“EEEEK— WHAT IN THE-”
An falls to the floor, forgetting that she still had Kohane with her.
“Shiraishi-san…”
“OH- Sorry, sorry!”
A quick apology wasn’t really going to solve Kohane’s own temporary headache from the sudden change in gravity… although, it did at least solve her own calm composure. She was quick to forgive An, as it was normal for fear to display on her face. Her eyes look back at the time, as it now stared at her.
‘You might be the one Kanade had spoken of.’
A part of Kohane was affirming this possibility— and sure enough, she was right. Unfortunately, the way she had to find this out was An’s own naivety taking over for the umpeenth time, as she unhesitantly opened the glass box to take the key. What she did not realize was that the key also connected to the doll’s strings.
Kohane watches the doll pulled in half, an arm torn off as An grabbed the key for herself.
“Yes! I got it. We should be able to get to that room now. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I think we’ll—”
“Shiraishi-san…”
Both girls could hear a loud hiss on the entrance they had gone to earlier, as they quickly turned around. Pairs of claws etched on the doorway, before a mask crept through to look at the guests who had destroyed its precious master.
“Holy fucking shi—”
“Shiraishi-san, run!”
And immediately, she did in a mad dash. The most she could muster was to throw a book toward the potentially large cryptic figure, before putting the key onto her pockets before she started to run out in the other direction.
“I’M NOT DYING TODAY!!!”
Somewhere in the manor’s halls, a body almost walks out of a mirror by itself. Now that he was ready to try again, he might as well do it now as soon as possible before that colored girl managed to leave the place. It’s the only chance he’s gonna get, and he will do anything in his hands to make sure he’d be successful in his attempt.
This time, and this time he’ll—
“Are you gonna try to possess her again? How many times are you gonna do that?”
His brows furrowed in irritation; Akito turns his head to the right, seeing Ena’s own irritation in full display with crossed arms. He does not bother to care however, still stepping out of his own painting, before patting his sleeves.
“Mind your own damn business, Ena. It’s not like you’re gonna try to possess her either.”
He feels a splash of paint hit his face, before wiping his hands to get rid of the blank ink that was almost jetted intentionally in his eyes. “ The hell is your problem!?"
“You’re an actual idiot, aren’t you? Was a piano concussion not enough to give you an idea?” Ena replied, with a paintbrush now on her hand. Akito almost walks over to Ena, before grabbing her out. “You little-”
“I’m serious, you moron. Just go stay and play games with your little boytoy that you enjoy talking to instead of wasting your time trying to possess An.”
“Toya isn’t a goddamn boytoy, and you know that.” Akito almost considers pushing Ena for a moment, but he drops Ena instead, putting her back to her own painting space. He huffs, before asking, “Where the hell did you get that idea anyway?”
“Oh, Mizuki told me.”
“Goddamnit.”
“... Anyway, even if you did want to get her, Mafuyu’s already one-upping you by a mile.”
“...Hah?”
Ena turns her head back after she fixes her ribbon, but she takes one last glance at Akito.
“You haven’t even realized that the Ribbon Jackpot Painting isn’t here anymore. Where else would it go to?”
“... You’re fucking kidding.”
A roaring echo paints the halls, disrupting the prolonged silence that the manor held for hours. A painting almost falls by the hanging edge,with majority of the manor’s residents now alerted of the monster that has initially slumbered. That balance of silence and atmosphere has been twisted into one of horror. Akito watches a chandelier fall off from the ceiling, as the large roar has almost caused a small earthquake into the manor’s floors. Even’s Ena’s voice almost falls into deaf ears, followee by Mizuki’s laugh of entertainment that she was sure to spectate and witness in amusement. Akito didn’t know where the hell was everyone else either, but he was sure that they're probably react to it as well.
With it’s awakening in place, it was sure that only chaos was bound to happen. Behind that monstrous painting, a girl in black smiles eerily as she sent out her only sole order as it sprung and leeched into the hallways to chase it’s target and grab her for good. Finally, she’ll have that taste of freedom.
One that she had been waiting to grasp for so long.