✝ Earlier this ungodly hour of the night after that demonic ghost incident ✝
"I'm going to lure it out." I said to Chang with no hesitation. I could see in his reaction that he was against it.
I can't really tell him what's going on in my mind right now since he won't understand it. I've already had a bad feeling once the case was introduced to us earlier, I knew this was a case catered to wreck me. That jarring feeling I had when I saw that ghost earlier, I've never felt that way towards a ghost before. Usually wandering spirits to me was like a gust of bad wind and I could handle it fairly easy. But that...that felt exactly like the serpent I saw at the cemetery.
"Do you know how dangerous it is to go in there alone?" he complained at me, thrusting his arm on air, pointing at the direction of the corrupted area furiously, "Who knows what that thing can do."
I understood what he meant, but I too have a feeling there's something bigger in there. Not just a powerful malicious being we need to exorcise.
"Chang, listen to me." I look straight to his eyes, "I can tell, there's something wrong in this place. There might just be a dent in there."
He shudders, but then changed to a serious expression, "How do you even know that when we've never encountered one before?"
"I just know!" I exclaim, "As much as I don't want to deal with this anymore, my body tells me to go for it." my voice shakes.
I see him mess his hair up sighing, "If this whole thing is making you upset then it must be true."
"How the hell is the validity of a dent's existence based on my mood?" I said, unamused.
"Alright," he nods at me with a straight face, "Let's hear your plan."
And here I thought I was going to hear a sermon. I grin.
I try to numb myself with the disgusting feeling of the area as I explain to him what I sense so far. I don't want him knowing just yet how dangerous the inside of the corrupted location was. I merely told him how this S-rank spirit gather the most malicious wandering souls just about the entrance of the bathroom which could potentially lose us more time than we have already lost. To make things more efficient, I proposed that he be left at the entrance to make sure no other spirits get to enter the perimeter while I go in and pursue the target. I may not be able to perform any exorcism on it, but the goal is to lure it out away from its nest. From there we proceed to eliminate it.
I can see in his face he wasn't convinced that I was sure of my plan. There were already a few details that I left out and I think he might have sensed it.
"So, you want me to stay on guard at the entrance and keep that target's minions at bay?"
"Yes." I nod.
"While you get in there not knowing what you're about to face. You do know you're a walking ghostnip, right?"
"Exactly why I am the best choice to lure it out." I try to keep a calm facade. I sense an incoming criticism.
"And what happens if you end up getting devoured? Flower, this isn't a low rank entity. Who knows what that is and―"
"I'm stronger than you think I am."
He looked stunned with my remark.
"Trust me, I will successfully lure it out." I said firmly, "But for that to happen I need you to also successfully keep the wandering souls away from it. I have a feeling what it is and it's feeding on their malicious energy."
He sighs, "But you have to promise me that if you feel any threat at all, you're going to call for me."
We may have different opinions on each other and clashing personalities at all times, but it is at these moments where I can sense our respect for one another.
I nod, "I promise."
* * * * * * * * *
Five minutes in and I have not seen any of the entrances to either male and female corridors. According to the map in the receiver, this restroom is supposed to start off with atleast six meters of an empty hallway then a brief right turn and immediately you'll see the entrances to both the respective comfort rooms. It's really dim in here with only the floor lights on and thick miasma, but thanks to my hypersonic senses, it's easier to make sense of what's around me. I glance to the map displayed by receiver on my hand and I noticed how my blinker has stopped from moving at the supposed to be brief right turn at the end of the hall. It's really bothering me since I have not stopped walking and yet there are no signs of this labyrinth ending. Chang would often check on me seeing how my blinker had not moved. I'm just grateful that he's doing a good job in keeping these spirits out or else I'd be swarmed by now and there'd be no clear path in here.
I'm starting to get impatient by this. To think the target is still able to create this warped dimension to keep me from pursuing the core.
"You know, there's no use in trying to keep me away." I yell at the ceiling, "If you're that threatened of me, lure me in! Take me! It'll be a lot easier for you if I were gone!"
I must have gone crazy provoking it like that. I already feel my fear on my knees but I'm trying to ignore it. I can't let this throw me off or else I'll really be sucked in. I suddenly feel the walls have shifted making the ground shake. I immediately call on my partner to check if it came from outside.
「TK」
"What's wrong?" I hear his voice tremble. He's too alert that my psychic interferences are making him panic for a second. Seriously, this guy.
"Was there an earthquake?" I inquire, carefully touching the wall beside me.
"There wasn't...why? What happened in there?"
"I'm fine." I went ahead and eased him even when he hasn't asked just so he'd settle down, "I felt the walls shift and the ground shake a bit just now. I think it responded to me."
"What did you do?" he said, alarmed. Why does that tone of his make it sound like I was bound to do something stupid?
"I just tried to talk to it." I said, trying to sound casual. Of course I'm not going to tell you I provoked it because I know you're expecting me to mess up. "I bet there's going to be more of those so keep up the good work over there." I cheer.
"You make it sound so easy." he said cutting off our transmission.
Oh ho, the kid got mad at me. To think he'd be able to make me laugh at a time like this. I thought Chang was trying to contact me again with the continuous buzzing in my ear when suddenly it sounded like a cry. I start moving again in this long hallway I'm currently in and the more I walk forward, the clearer the sound got. I'm positive, this is a sound of a woman crying. I see another corner where I'm supposed to turn right. I try to compose myself knowing this might just be another turn that I'm going to end up walking for the next thirty minutes or so. I took my time with each step until I reach the turn. I sharply inhaled bracing myself for whatever comes next, putting my foot forward then snapping my body to the direction of the turn. Here I thought I was going to end up in another length of a walk but no...I can now see the entrance for the male comfort room which was at the left side and the female's comfort room at the end of the hallway opposite to where I stand.
I glance at the map on my hand and carefully took steps forward, and I was so glad my blinker had started to move. I believe I internally screamed that my body had forgotten for a moment that I was about to face the biggest adversary for the night.
I couldn't feel anything from the male's bathroom so definitely the crying is coming from the female's bathroom.
"Man, this crying is starting to get annoying." I mumble to myself as I continued to move forward. In my head I was scared but the closer I got the curiosity is digging me up. I decided to sneak a peek on the men's room just in case and thank goodness I couldn't feel anything. I'll have to thank Chang's good work or this place be swarming by now.
I am now standing in front of the women's bathroom and let me tell you, the entrance is spewing in miasma. I plunged myself in ran inside to see what was going on. I was surprised to see an empty space with unclosed stalls, but the miasma was thick as ever. And there was one thing I noticed when I got in....the crying stopped.
I kept quiet, letting my senses free to tell me where it was. It's amazing how deafening the quiet was.
I don't know where it is.
The miasma is masking its presence.
I slowly reach for the dagger in my right boot, bringing it to my palm, slicing through my flesh.
I mindfully spread my blood on the floor making a circle in the middle of the dark damp room. By the time my blood had stopped spilling, the sigil was finished.
I yelled, "If you won't let me come to you, then I will make you come to me!" and I chanted like crazy.
I suddenly feel the miasma swirl around me. Huh, still trying to mask your presence with all the malice you have left in this room. I felt a lock inside me click open and my whole body bursted in mana. I was literally glowing in a violet flame as if my spirit tells me to let it all out. I follow my gut and started incorporating all that I have to my words.
What was I chanting? Crucio Demonio.
It is the only chant that I know and the only chant I have mastered. I learned it from that one priest I had worked with in my earlier years. I was clueless to why he would teach that to me. I'm the most unrefined of the bunch after all. But he told me, if I am able to master this one trick without breaking my bounds, I will be able to ensnare even the most malicious of demons that I am to encounter.
Crack.
I turn around not breaking chant and position. I see the mirror adjacent to me begin to crack from the side. It was then I realize how that one mirror was not showing my reflection. It had everything else except me. I pointed two fingers at the mirror making my chant louder. And the instance I shouted the last word of the mantra, the mirror burst into pieces falling on the floor as a loud wail roared above me, plunging to the ground.
There it was. The one we've been desperately trying to track down. It glared at me with deep setted eyes, red as my blood. Desheveled hair, crooked ugly teeth, rotting flesh, and unending tears flowing as it licked its lips ready to maul me pinned on the floor. It kept staring on the blood that dripped on my fingers.
I see.
No wonder it's been feeding on human despair. This is no ordinary ghost. I don't believe it's also a land diety that turned bad. With its activity and appearance, there is only one creature that I know of.
"You're a banshee are you?" I said and it opened its mouth, screeched so loud I thought my ears were going to burst. Thank heavens, I instinctively hummed to myself to cancel out its cry.
Of all the creatures that I have to deal with, it's something that can kill with a scream. Really now?!