Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The Shift In The Air
The moment Nani stepped into the building, he felt it—fear. But it wasn’t his.
The air inside was thick with something unseen, something that sent shivers down unseen spines. It was a sensation he had grown used to—a lingering presence, the way the air crackled with energy when the dead were near. But fear? That wasn’t for him to feel. It was for them.
With a smirk tugging at his lips, he turned the key in the lock. “Well, home sweet home…”
His eyes roamed the dimly lit corridor, taking in the peeling paint and flickering lights. The room was small—too cramped for a normal person, but for someone like him, it was just enough.
He had spent his life moving from place to place, never lingering long enough to grow attached. There was no reason to stay. There never had been.
As he fiddled with the keyhole, a sound reached his ears—soft, distant, almost imperceptible.
Laughter.
His head snapped toward the far end of the hallway. A childlike figure darted through the corridor, running toward him with hurried steps—only to stop the moment their eyes met.
Nani didn’t flinch. He had seen countless spirits before, but it was always the same. The moment they realized he could see them, their expressions twisted—not with curiosity, but with fear.
The child-ghost stood frozen, its face contorted in silent terror before vanishing into the air like mist under sunlight.
A low chuckle escaped Nani’s throat. They always react the same way.
“Not bad for a first greeting,” he mused, finally managing to unlock the door.
But just as he pushed it open, a scream erupted from inside.
Shrill. Ear-piercing. Panicked.
Nani’s gaze flickered across the room. They were everywhere. Shadowy figures scrambled in all directions, darting through walls, vanishing through the floor—an entire horde of spirits, their movements erratic, frenzied. Within seconds, they were gone.
A deep sigh left his lips as he shut the door behind him. “Did they use this place as a meeting room or something? That was way too many at once.”
Unbeknownst to him, in that very moment, something in the air shifted.