FIERY RED AND ROSES

Yumi beams and grins like a Cheshire cat. "Oooh~ as expected, Ion chan, you really did like Grimrose House. Well then, I'll tell you," she whispers as she draws closer.

ZHION POV

After acquiring the information I got from Yumi, we enjoyed the rest of the day. Now I'm finally back in this lonely place of mine. I sat on the bed, my brows firmly furrowed together. I flopped my body down into the plush mattress, contemplating my life. I just wanted to sink and dive deeper. "I needed to know about that rose pendant; that's where it all started," I murmured. The drowsiness hit me, and I gradually closed my eyes.

———————

The dawn was bright, and morning had arrived. Last night, luckily, I didn't experience an unpleasant dream. So, I've gathered all of my belongings to pack in order to start my day. After all, we'd most likely be there for several days. Later on, when the scheduled time for the meet-up came, I contacted my pals Yumi and Aziel.

When I dialled the number, Aziel answered within seconds. The phone instantly connected.

"Helloo, bro, Yumi's with me now. We're going to fetch you soon; we're almost there. See you, bro," Aziel said.

"Alright then, I'm also done, so I'll be waiting outside for you guys. Bye, see you both."

The time passed by so quickly. Once Aziel and Yumi had arrived, I loaded up the car with all my stuff, and then we began to hit the road.

"Ziel fish! Are you sure this is the way to that place? Are we going on a hike now? We're in the forest like literally surrounded by big trees, I couldn't even spot a single house anymore," Yumi exclaimed dramatically, rolling her eyes.

"Tsk, can you please shut your stinky mouth, Yumi, and let me focus on driving? Plus, I know what I'm doing." 

In the front rearview mirror, I looked between Ziel and Yumi. "Here we go again..." I thought, as the two began to argue. I'm used to them fussing over little matters, so instead of listening to them, I stared out the window. Take note of the surroundings. Yes, the surroundings are very forested with long grasses. It's been a long time, so this path was probably clearer before. In any case, it's pointless to inquire as to why the location is so remote from other people's homes. It was an abandoned house, so there wasn't much to think about.

I focus my attention once more on Yumi and Ziel, who are still arguing.

"Okay, now who's the fish bitch? We're almost there!" Ziel remarked.

"Yes, finally~! after a long time because YOU LOST THE WAY," Yumi stated. As soon as she said those words, she reclined back in her seat and stared out the window before remaining completely silent, leaving just the sound of the engine can be heard. Not until the car abruptly stopped. "What?" I glance around, but I can't seem to find the house. We stepped out of the car, and we were stunned for a second by what we saw because in front of us was like a wall of hedges, except that it's real shrubs.

Yumi was the first to speak up. "Oh my gosh, don't tell me we have to walk through those shrubs?!" I expected Yumi to object to it, but to my surprise, her eyes glimmer with anticipation. I crouch down, taking a close look at the shrubs. I attempted to hold the branch, but it snapped, and the leaves began to fall apart. "Yes, we will! It showed here that the house is on the opposite side of this shrub wall," Ziel replied while looking at his phone. "Well, as much as I'd like for you guys to have fun with it, the car can simply pass through it. Because the bushes are no longer that good, the plants lack a firm woody stem and branches. Also, it's more convenient because it won't take a lot of time." I stood up and dusted off my hands. "Urgh." I heard the both of them make a sound of dissatisfaction as we headed back towards the car.

As I had anticipated, the car went through the bushes without damage, and yes, here we are at the Grimrose House. Looking around, even though the house appears to be fairly old from the outside, it nevertheless has a beautiful appearance. The door is just a regular one, and the house's construction still looks good. It's surrounded by beautiful red roses, and the door is just an ordinary one. As I raised my head, I squinted my eyes to see clearly. Something caught my eye on the foggy glass window. Suddenly, the breeze feels chilly. I remain firmly frozen in my position. I've never been scared of ghosts before, but this is the first time I've felt this way. A shadow of a person stood on the window, its fiery red eyes piercing through my soul as if giving us a warning. Gulping, I look at Ziel and Yumi whether they've noticed what it is that I have seen, but their expressions tell me the contrary: they're excitedly beaming. When I look back at the window, it's already gone. "Fuck, this is going to be a long day..."

Yumi approached me and handed me a bottle of water as she asked, "Ion Chan, are you alright? Is something wrong? What happened to you?" Aziel happened to hear her, and he looked at me. "Brooo, you look goddamn pale. Are you sure you're still alive?" Yumi instantly smacked at the back of Aziel's head. I avert my eyes and turn to look at Aziel with a raised brow. "Yes, I'm sure I'm still alive, Ziel, or else I'll bury you to death with me," I say. Yumi tugs on Aziel's ear while giggling. "Ion chan! You don't have to worry; I can bury him myself~"

It was just 2 p.m., so we decided to check out the small rose garden next to the house before moving our luggage or anything inside. Ziel brought the infrared thermometer with him to see if there would be any spirits there. With the use of infrared thermometers, we would be able to detect abrupt temperature changes, which are thought to be possible indications of paranormal activity.

The grasses have made the garden so unrecognizable that it isn't even that good. The only things left are the flowers that surround this small house garden. Yumi giggles at her words, "Pfftt. Is the owner addicted to roses? Everything is just rose and red, duh." I chuckle lightly. "Haha, who knows, maybe his family are roses and plants." In front of us was Ziel, who had come to a pause on his track. "Shhhh guys, I detected something." Hearing those words, my body felt cold, just like it had earlier. There was no breeze present. I clenched my teeth and curled my hand into a fist.