The Investigation Begins

As planned, Ethan went straight to the suburban park to investigate and interview the staff working there, as well as the tourists.

Armed with a handheld recorder, Ethan began recording all the interviews he conducted throughout the day.

"[Are you referring to that lake? I haven't heard of anyone dying there since I was young.]"

Ethan switched to the next recording as soon as he finished analyzing that one.

"[This lake isn't very deep, and as you can see, there are always people around. If someone accidentally fell in and couldn't swim, some of the people nearby would immediately rush to their rescue. I've been taking care of the ducks in this lake for years and have never heard of anyone dying. One day a little girl fell into the lake, but she was rescued right away, so it didn't end in tragedy.]"

"[No one has committed suicide if that's what you're trying to ask. Our park has been here for decades. There used to be a well, but it dried up. After a long time, it was decided to make a lake in the same place. This lake was dug after the change to the forest park. The elderly live nearby. If anyone had committed suicide here, we would know because those old men always play chess under those trees. Ha, ha, ha, are you really a detective?]"

"So, what about accidents? Have they never happened?"

"[No, no. Which newspaper did you say you worked for? I'm telling you now that this report is going to be a failure.]"

"[Young man, are you here to ask about the dead in this lake?]"

"That's correct, ma'am. Have you heard of any deaths here or any urban legends?"

"[It's not about dead people. There are ghosts here! I'm telling you quietly, this place is very evil! Don't be too curious and go home, where you'll be much safer!]"

"Ma'am, I'm here to work. I can't afford to go back empty-handed, do you understand? If I don't get any results today, it will be more detrimental to people than to me. Listen carefully; if you tell me something useful, I won't have to come here all the time. Of course, if you don't know anything, then there won't be any problem."

"[This was agreed to never be spoken about."

"What if I invite you to lunch while you tell me?"

"[Well…]"

"Now, what do you know about that lake that others don't?"

"[I don't know how to start…]"

"Be brief with your words…"

"[I know much more than anyone else. For better or worse, this is my hometown, and I grew up here. It used to be farmland, but later became a factory. The land in this park was much bigger than you can imagine, and at that time, a factory was built where a strange drink was made. I remember working in that factory when I was young. At that time, the factory was doing well; schools and hospitals were built; even a smaller park similar to this one…]"

"So, what happened?"

"[Then things got worse. Hospitals and schools suddenly became very busy. At that point, those of us working in that successful factory had fun together every day.]"

"Alright, how did things start to change?"

"[Well, this place became very chaotic due to the increase in people working here. You could see a lot of life every night. Even if it was dark, just walking a few meters, you'd bump into someone else.]"

"What happened after that?"

"[After that, the factory closed because it went bankrupt. The government took over the land. There must have been some kind of activity that we were all unaware of at the time. Anyway, the government wanted to build a park, so they demolished the factory and transformed it into what you see now, although it wasn't called the same; we had a park back then.]"

"So, what about the ghost you mentioned?"

"Ma'am, nothing will happen because I'll take care of the consequences myself... Can you tell me about that ghost?"

"[That ghost… Actually… I don't know much about it. I was working in the factory at the time, and I heard... I heard that someone saw a ghost in the newly built park forest! It was so dark, but it was said that they saw it among the leaves. It was said to have a completely white face and very messy hair.]"

"White face, black hair? Appeared among the leaves?"

"[That's what was said.]"

"Did anyone die from seeing that ghost?"

"Oh, oh, that's not the case. There were just legends and stories created with very different versions of each other.]"

"I see. Has no one investigated this matter? Perhaps someone is playing a prank and deliberately did something to scare people?"

"[What is there to investigate? There's nothing to investigate by seeing a simple ghost; no one would have much time except you, who is interested in those things of the past.]"

"Were there more rumors?"

"[Yes, many believed it was really a ghost from an urban legend, and monks were called to bless the place. I moved away for the same reason: after clearly seeing something that isn't human, one feels fear."

"Are you not afraid now?"

"[What should I be afraid of? All those things shouldn't exist, and if they do, I'm too old to fear anything. [I, a woman who worked all her life, despite seeing that female ghost, am in the last stage of my life.]"

"Thank you very much for your time."

Ethan frowned as he listened to that interview and thought of a refined way to solve this problem.

He would now have to investigate the lake and its surroundings in search of a corpse, a cursed object, or signs of a ritual. Despite the priests finding nothing, that demon must have fully formed.

According to archival records, before 1973, the forest park was located on farmland and was owned by the county's rural commune. After the 1973 reform, the city government and the community jointly funded the establishment of the Three Kings Brewery.

In mid-1979, the Three Kings Brewery expanded its area, and as a thank you, the park was created.

No deaths were recorded during the time the factory was open, there were no incidents of serial killings in the town, and no strange cases were ever recorded.

Ethan gathered all the information, both new and old, and decided to focus on interviewing the elderly, as they were the ones who truly knew the things he came to look for.

The next day, Ethan was able to contact an elderly man named Billy, so he listened to his words.

"It's been a long time since that, but I remember it like it was yesterday... I haven't told anyone else. If it weren't for you investigating, I probably would have taken those things to the grave."

Ethan reviewed the documents and notes in his files and said, "According to what I've been told, your brother saw the ghost in the park."

"That's correct; my brother told me he saw that ghost." Billy nodded as he heard the question and recalled past events.

"How did it happen?"

Ethan was running out of evidence. If he didn't find anything concrete, the investigation would be prolonged.

"This… It's a bit hard to explain, and it sounds crazy."

"I like crazy."

"Well… He was talking with friends and a girl at the factory at that time. The young men at the factory liked to gather in the park and look for a girlfriend. My brother was no different from any other young man his age. That night, I remember he went out and didn't tell us what he was going to do, but we all knew he was heading to the park to talk with friends and maybe look for a girl he liked."

Pausing, Billy said, "Usually, my brother wouldn't come back until after ten at night. But that day he came back very late and was covered in sweat—cold sweat caused by terror. We thought he was sick and asked him, but he didn't respond. He was studying to be a detective, and at that time I knew my brother's look was like he had experienced something terrifying."