Chapter 63

Suddenly, the hollow voice turned ice-cold as black mist poured out of the staff.

Chika's instincts screamed danger. Without a word, she spun around and ran, her voice shrill with panic. "Help! Someone help me!"

"Huh?" Natsuki was in the middle of chatting up a hot blonde when Chika's screams pierced the air. He looked up, squinting in the dim light.

"That's not staff - it's a ghost!" Kaguya's usually cool voice was tinged with worry.

Natsuki's face hardened. "A ghost? Seriously?" Without hesitation, he sprinted down the corridor, his anti-spirit aura flaring to life.

It didn't take long to spot Chika's pink hair and the figure chasing her. As Natsuki got closer, he could make out a twisted, hollow face - so transparent he could see right through it. Definitely a ghost.

Chika slammed into him at full speed. The impact nearly knocked Natsuki off his feet.

The ghost surged forward like a shark that had scented blood. As it neared them, its form began to burn, but it showed no signs of stopping. It reached for Chika with grasping fingers, determined to grab her even as it disintegrated.

"Chika! Are you okay?" Umi called, rushing over.

Despite her usual cheerfulness, Chika burst into tears. "I was so scared! I thought it was just a haunted house worker, but it was real!"

"Glad you're safe, but... can you let go? I can't breathe," Natsuki wheezed.

Kaguya bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I should have realized it wasn't human."

Natsuki's tone turned serious. "So there are actual ghosts mixed in with the staff. We need to be more careful from here on out."

As they continued through the haunted house, they came to a fork in the path. Suddenly, screams erupted from both directions.

Chika tensed. "More ghosts?"

Before anyone could answer, thundering footsteps approached. In the darkness, they collided with another group. When the chaos cleared, Natsuki found himself alone - well, almost. Kaguya stood beside him, her eyes wide, looking utterly lost.

Natsuki eyed the gloomy, empty corridor before turning to Kaguya. "Maybe we should just wait outside?"

Kaguya lifted a finger, her voice stern. "Absolutely not. We need to find the others. A boy who runs from a challenge won't win any hearts."

Natsuki fought the urge to roll his eyes. It's not running away, it's damage control! he thought. Besides, haunted houses are way more fun solo!

"Any idea which way they went?" he asked instead.

Kaguya shook her head. "It was too chaotic. I couldn't see."

What chaos? You're a spirit! No one can even touch you! Natsuki bit back the retort. "Guess we'll have to search bit by bit," he sighed. "Let's split up to cover more ground."

"But I'm scared," Kaguya said, her voice small.

Natsuki stared at her, dumbfounded. "You're a spirit. How can you be scared of a haunted house?"

"Guardian spirit," Kaguya corrected primly. "There's no rule saying we can't be afraid of haunted houses."

"Whatever," Natsuki grumbled. "It's dark anyway. Just... let me know if you find anything."

Despite agreeing to split up, Kaguya couldn't stray too far from Natsuki. Still, in the creepy darkness, they had enough space to search.

Natsuki picked a random corridor, keeping his anti-spirit aura active. No point in freaking out the staff again.

He hadn't gone far when a girl burst out of a room to his right, her face pale with panic.

"Ahh!" she screamed, spotting Natsuki. Clearly mistaking him for a ghost, she spun around and fled without a word.

That was definitely another player, Natsuki thought, recognizing her hairstyle. His eyes fell on the open door, curiosity piqued. Most people stuck to the main paths unless they were majorly brave - which that girl clearly wasn't.

So why'd she go in there?

Steeling himself, Natsuki pushed the door wider. With his aura up, he felt pretty fearless - this was the real world, after all.

The room was dim, but he could make out the basics. It looked like an old-fashioned bridal chamber, complete with a vanity, curtained bed, and wedding trinkets. Whoever set it up had paid attention to the details.

"Anyone in here?" Natsuki called from the doorway.

A familiar, sweet voice answered from the corner. "...Natsuki?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Relieved, Natsuki headed towards the voice.

Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief. He'd found Kaguya - the real one this time.

"You alone in here?" he asked. "Have you seen Chika or Umi?"

"No... neither of them," Kaguya's voice sounded off somehow.

As Natsuki got closer, he was shocked to see the usually composed Kaguya sitting on the bed's edge, her face pale and eyes brimming with tears.

What the hell? he thought. We agreed on blood, sweat, and fears - not tears! It's just a haunted house!

"Why are you hiding in here?" Natsuki asked, bewildered. "Why not just leave?"

Kaguya's voice was small, vulnerable - so unlike her usual icy demeanor. "I can't get out. Some random girl grabbed my wrist and pulled me in here. When she realized I wasn't who she thought, she screamed and shoved me away. Then..."

Natsuki's expression turned serious. "Don't tell me you twisted your ankle?"

"No, nothing like that," Kaguya shook her head.

"Oh, good. So what happened?"

"My hair got caught on something. I can't untangle it."

Thank god, Natsuki thought. Anything but a sprained ankle.

"Is your hair down?" he asked.

"No."

"Want me to take a look?"

To Natsuki's surprise, the usually proud Kaguya agreed without hesitation. "Yes, please."

But then she paused, biting her lip. Her eyes darted to the vanity. "First... turn that mirror around."

Ah, so that's why she's teary-eyed, Natsuki realized. Looks like getting pulled into that mirror world really messed her up.

He reached for the mirror. "There. Nothing to be scared of now."

"I'm not scared," Kaguya insisted, her voice lacking its usual conviction.

Natsuki couldn't help but smile. "Oh yeah? So you won't mind if I turn it back around?"

Kaguya's silence spoke volumes.

What a jerk! Kaguya thought, fuming. I won't forget this.

Out loud, she changed the subject. "Where's Auntie?"

"We got separated," Natsuki explained, kneeling beside her. "She's searching too. Where's your hair caught?"

"Back left," Kaguya murmured. "I can't reach it."

"Hold still," Natsuki said, leaning closer.

A subtle, pleasant scent hit him - something like orchids and musk. No wonder they say girls are made of spice and everything nice, he thought.

Their eyes met briefly. The tears in Kaguya's eyes were fading, but was that a blush on her cheeks?

Natsuki held his breath, focusing on the task. "Found it," he said after a moment. "The curtain clip caught your hair."

His warm breath on her neck made Kaguya shiver. She instinctively tried to pull away.

"Don't move," Natsuki ordered.

Kaguya froze, gripping her skirt. Her face felt like it was on fire. Too close! This is improper! Stop breathing! But to her shock, she realized she didn't entirely hate the feeling.

"There, you're free," Natsuki said, standing. He offered his hand. "Need help up?"

"Mm," Kaguya mumbled, taking it without thinking.

As he pulled her up, Natsuki frowned. "This place is a mess. Want to tie your hair up so it doesn't happen again?"

"With what?" Kaguya asked, finger-combing her hair to calm her nerves.

"Here," Natsuki pulled out a red hair tie. "It's from that gacha machine yesterday."

Kaguya hesitated, then took it. She quickly tied her hair in a bow, similar to Chika's style.

"Let's find the others and get out of here," Natsuki said, heading for the door.

Kaguya nodded, following close behind. Her heart was still racing, and she wasn't sure if it was from the scare earlier... or something else entirely.