Prologue

It was a cold, night in the old abandoned mansion that overlooked the battlefield from the war many years ago. The air was filled with an eerie silence, broken only by the distant sound of gunfire or was it thunder? The legend that surrounded the two-hundred-acre property was shrouded in many mysteries one was so basic that it said, the mansion was haunted by the spirits of soldiers who had lost their lives in the most brutal conflict between what was known as the Creepers and humans.

As the clock struck midnight, a chill ran down the spine of the lone traveler who had sought refuge in the mansion from the heavy rain. Oddly enough it wasn't supposed to rain that night. He had heard the stories of the ghostly apparitions that roamed the halls at night but paid no heed to them. As they were just stories written in haunted mansion magazines and random blogs on the internet. He had no choice but to seek shelter from the storm within the mansion.

Moving quickly through the mansion the traveler took note that nothing had been moved nor stolen from the interior. Every room looked exactly like their pictures online, just with slightly more dust. Eventually, he settled into his makeshift bed, which he had set up on the second floor overlooking what was expected to be the horrific battlefield. As he settled for the night he heard the sound of footsteps echoing through the empty corridors beyond the closed and latched door. The traveler's heart raced as he peered out into the darkness through a crack in the door frame, trying to make out the source of the noise. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows within the room, dressed in the tattered, blood-stained uniform of a United Human Federation, a soldier from the war.

The ghostly soldier approached the traveler, his eyes filled with a haunted expression. He seemed to be reaching out to the traveler as if trying to communicate something urgent. The traveler could feel the icy grip of fear as he realized that this apparition was not just a figment of his imagination. It was a real ghost, trapped in this mansion for eternity.

As the ghostly soldier drew closer, the traveler could hear him whispering unintelligible words, as if trying to relay a message from beyond the grave. Suddenly, the mansion was filled with the sound of disembodied voices, the echoes of the souls of fallen soldiers, crying out in despair, crying out for relief, for food, for death. The ghost soldier's head snapped to the window, harsh diapers were heard, and the soldier flew to the window only to disappear. Was the message meant for the traveler or for someone who had previously sat in fear as he did sat now, back to the door?

The night was long filled with the sounds of thudding footsteps and gunfire. As morning crept in, the raging storm gained momentum.

The traveler knew he had to do something, something to help put these tormented spirits to rest. The Traveler searched the mansion looking for soldiers' belongings looking for the hidden library that was roomered to be locked away. He stumbled upon it by accident, he tripped over a loose floorboard falling into what looked like a solid wall but was a secret door. He scrambled through the old library, searching for any clues that could help him understand the history of the war and the soldiers who had perished in it. He found many maps, strategic books, and findings on the autopsies of the Creepers. Finally, he stumbled upon an old journal, just the one that was filled with the accounts of the final battle written in many different hands.

Many horrible things had taken place on the very grounds of the mansion.

As he delved into the journal, the traveler learned of the terrible loss and suffering that had taken place during the war. Much of the losses were not just on the battlefield but the surrounding farms, towns, and cities. He learned that many surviving citizens took refuge within the mansion's walls and grounds. He felt the overwhelming weight of the soldiers' unfulfilled destinies, their hopes and dreams cut short by the brutality of the conflict. The innocent lives were lost to the brutality. He knew that he had to help these spirits find peace, especially the children who were conscripted into fighting during the war efforts.

Armed with this newfound knowledge, the traveler ventured into the battlefield, locating the many mass graves. He was determined to honor the memory of the fallen soldiers. He lit candles and offered prayers for their souls, hoping to provide some solace for the tormented spirits. All while documenting on his map where he believed the graves were for future exhibitions on the land. As he did so, he felt a sense of calm and tranquility wash over the once-haunted or maybe still haunted mansion.

The traveler returned to the room he spent his first night, for his final night in the mansion. The ghostly soldier who had approached him on that fateful first night appeared before him once more, this time with a look of gratitude in his eyes. With a solemn nod, the soldier disappeared into the mansion that night, joining the other spirits who had found peace at last. At least that's what the traveler believed as he made it down to rest before his long trek back to civilization.

From that day on, the old mansion was no longer haunted by the restless souls of the war. Instead, it stood as a solemn monument to the sacrifice of those who had fought and died on the battlefield, their memory honored for eternity. The traveler turned all his findings over to the historical society that would be in charge of the mansion and its vast graves. The traveler, forever changed by his encounter with the ghostly soldiers, carried their stories with him, vowing to never forget the horrors of war and the humanity that had been lost. He would go on to travel the world in search of more fruitful treasure hunts, mindful of the spirit world that lay slightly beneath everything.