Fight against ghosts?

Deep within the castle, a pale ghost drifted through a wall and entered a room. 

This was a bedroom, its decorations once luxurious and elegant. Now, years of neglect had left it a shadow of its former glory—dusty, faded, and tragic, like the remnants of a noble past forced into retreat. High bookshelves flanked the room, still filled with books that bore signs of frequent use, as though someone had cherished them even in the end.

As the ghost glided further in, a blue flame flickered to life in the depths of the room. Its cold light illuminated the decay with an eerie brilliance. The ghost halted, trembling visibly.

"Master…" it rasped, bowing deeply to the flame.

"What is it?" The flame flickered, its voice sharp and commanding.

"There are humans in the castle," the ghost reported in a hoarse whisper.

"Then eliminate them," the blue flame responded flatly before snuffing itself out, leaving the ghost alone once more.

Straightening, the pale apparition turned and drifted out through the wall, its task clear. 

---

The group of five moved cautiously along a narrow path. 

Anticipating dim conditions, they had come prepared with torches, which Anyi lit with his "Fire Sword." The castle's halls and rooms, though not inherently menacing, bore the marks of abandonment—personal belongings scattered as though hastily left behind, furniture covered in dust, and signs of lives interrupted.

Each object they passed seemed to whisper reminders of the calamity that had driven the residents away.

Karen, having invested her abilities as a warrior, still relied on Prana as her primary attribute. This allowed her to scan the surroundings within a limited range, though even this enhanced vision was restricted to a few dozen meters—barely sufficient in the castle's shadowy, confined spaces. 

Yet, her scans detected nothing. No spirits, no creatures, no movement. And that absence itself was the most unnerving part. If there were ghosts, Karen reasoned, she would at least prefer them to appear within her sight. 

But then—!

"Ah! Oh no!" Karen suddenly gasped, her voice trembling with uncharacteristic fear. 

"What is it?!" Ariana asked sharply, her own nerves fraying.

"There's someone!" Karen stammered, clutching at her chest. Her heart pounded wildly, her royal composure cracking under the pressure.

"Someone? That's impossible," Layton said, gripping his shield tightly and resting his free hand on the wall as though for support. "Who would be in this place?"

"I don't know…" Karen murmured, her voice low and quivering. "In the third room ahead—there's someone lying on the bed. But I can't identify them. No gender, no features, not even… internal organs."

"!!!" 

Miruku whimpered and clung to Anyi's arm, tears welling up in her eyes. 'I want to go home…'

"Whatever it is," Anyi said casually, "if it's an enemy, just chop it down." 

Despite his calm demeanor, the group slowed their pace as they approached the room in question. The door was now closed. 

"Wait…" Karen hesitated, her voice heavy. "I'm certain the door was open just now. When did it shut?"

The others froze, dread creeping into their hearts. Even Ariana, ever the optimist, began to feel the oppressive weight of the situation.

Anyi sighed and stepped forward, knocking lightly on the door.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The sound echoed through the hall, followed by silence.

Then—"Knock, knock, knock." The same rhythm came back from within the room. 

"Ahhh!!" 

Miruku and Karen screamed in unison, leaping toward Ariana and clutching her tightly. The three girls huddled against the wall, trembling. Layton, meanwhile, dropped to the ground in shock before scrambling back to his feet, clutching the wall for support. 

"What's going on?!" he demanded, his voice cracking.

"It seems like something's knocking back," Anyi replied matter-of-factly, his tone calm against the backdrop of their fear.

"No!" Karen shook her head vigorously, her voice rising. "There's no one behind that door! I can still see inside! The figure is still lying on the bed!"

"Maybe its hands are growing," Anyi offered dryly, stepping forward again.

Ignoring their protests, he knocked once more.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Again, the same rhythm came from the other side: "Knock, knock, knock."

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Bang, bang…"

"Anyi, stop!" Ariana pleaded, her voice tinged with desperation. "Let's just go!"

Anyi turned, his expression stoic. "A hero doesn't retreat in the face of battle."

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Anyi's fist pounded harder against the wooden door. 

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The response from the other side came just as forceful. 

"Knock, knock, knock!" 

"Knock, knock, knock—BANG!"

With each knock, the intensity grew. The door shook violently as though something monstrous was ready to burst through. 

Behind Anyi, the unease among his companions thickened with every thunderous exchange. Ariana clutched her staff tighter, while Layton shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Karen, who remained eerily silent. 

Meanwhile, the ghost behind the door was equally baffled. 

'What are these humans doing?' it thought. 'Why are they knocking so enthusiastically? Are they… not afraid of me?'

As the knocking escalated, the spirit resolved to respond in kind. 

"Knock, knock, knock!" 

"Knock, knock, knock—BANG!!"

"Knock, knock, knock—BANG, BANG!!"

But this only spurred Anyi on further. His fists moved with such ferocious speed that they seemed to blur, creating an almost rhythmic cacophony of sound. 

The ghost faltered. 

'What… what is this human?! How can he knock so fast? Can humans even do this?!'

Even Anyi's companions stood frozen in shock. 

"What… what is he doing?" Ariana whispered, bewildered. "Is he… fighting the ghost?" 

Layton winced. "And why is it so loud?!" 

As the relentless barrage continued, the knocking on the other side grew faint, the rhythm breaking down as though the ghost was tiring. 

"Knock, knock, knock! KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK! BANG, BANG, BANG!!!"

With a final deafening series of blows, Anyi stood back, the room falling into sudden silence. 

The ghost, thoroughly overwhelmed, seemed to admit defeat. 'Tired, destroyed… I give up.'

"Boom!"

Anyi kicked the door open, sending it swinging violently on its hinges. Inside, a pale wisp darted into the shadows, vanishing before anyone else could see it clearly. 

"It's over," Anyi declared, turning to the group. He gestured toward the bed in the center of the room. "I knocked it to death." 

The four exchanged bewildered glances before cautiously stepping inside. Ariana held her torch aloft, illuminating the room—and the figure lying on the bed. 

There, unmoving and lifeless, was a wooden dummy. 

Ariana exhaled in relief, breaking into a nervous grin. "Karen, is this… is this the 'person with no internal organs' you mentioned earlier?" 

"Ah?" Karen tilted her head and ran her hand over the figure. The rough, wooden texture met her fingertips. 

"Maybe… it does feel like it," she admitted. "It certainly looks convincing in shape." 

Karen's vision of the world, a monochrome haze of black and white outlines, made it difficult to discern finer details. From her perspective, the dummy could easily have been mistaken for a real person. 

"So, uh…" Ariana's voice broke the silence. "Why is there a dummy here? And what was that thing knocking on the door?" 

Karen frowned deeply. "I suspect… it's the monster that controls this castle. It's aware of our presence." 

Layton, his face finally recovering some of its color, nodded grimly. "A warning, then. A message to leave."