While they're standing in the lobby Belle hears a crackling sound and glances up, spotting a loudspeaker.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Mirewood House. You have been invited to a party, but once you arrive, not a soul is in sight. You decide to investigate the house and find out what is going on, but as the lines between real and fake blur, you must find a way to leave or be stuck in the house forever, " A voice says over the loudspeaker.
"Oh, they have a backstory, immersive." Liz compliments.
"This is exciting, I can't wait to see the costume designs," Belle says excitedly.
"Hmph, such mortal things could never scare me." Luna sticks her nose up.
THUD
A noise suddenly breaks through the quiet of the house, Liz, Belle, and Leslie just turn toward where it came from, but Luna jumps, floating higher into the air.
"Sure, you're definitely above 'such mortal things'" Leslie teases, noticing the change in her face, from confident to pale. Belle and Liz chuckle and start heading forward, following the arrow to go through the door. They explore the first floor of the house, learning the story through clues planted, the family that lived there died a long time ago after an illness swept through the town. The last person alive in the family searched for an artifact that would keep him alive, eventually finding a locket that would bring anyone who was wearing it back from death. Once he died, the locket brought him back to life as an evil ghost that needs to feed on human blood once every century. The man brought back the rest of his family and once a century they send out invitations to random people and feast. The first floor is well-designed, nobody jumped out at them but the atmosphere made you think it would happen at every turn. The real frights came on the second floor, with the secret revealed 'The family' started to leap out at them while they were traveling through the house. Belle appreciated the stories and costumes but he wasn't scared by the fake ghosts, once you deal with real ones it's hard to look at people in costumes the same. There was one person who got scared though, throughout the entire story Luna was either hiding behind Leslie or screaming.
"Seriously, can you stop hiding behind me? You're a ghost for fucks sake." Leslie grumbles, but he makes no move to push her away.
"I didn't ask to be a ghost, I was scared of them when I was alive, is that sufficient for you to understand my actions." She says haughtily. There was almost a shred of vulnerability in her tone, but it was covered up by the condescending tone she employs in her speech. They turn the corner again and someone jumps out at them, Belle is prepared to ignore it, but he has a strange feeling about this one and he backs up and grabs out his axe, blocking the sudden strike. It's clearly a person in the costume, but they had miasma on their hands and had tried to hit them. Before his eyes, the miasma disappears, leaving a person in the costume confused. They don't say anything though, and they back up letting them move on.
"Was that?" Leslie whispers.
"Yeah, we should keep an eye out from now on," Belle warns, putting away the axe. They make their way through more rooms, strange things happening in each, stuff falling on them and the actors getting too close. It gets more frequent as they continue along.
"Hm, if it continues like this, the actors might be in danger," Liz says. Belle had just repelled another attack, almost hurting the actor while trying to block it.
"We have to find what's causing this." Belle agrees.
"And how do we do that?" Leslie asks.
"I have an idea," Belle smirks, turning to Luna.
"What!? Why are you looking at me?!" She shouts.
"Because they can't see you and you can go through walls, you go find the cause of this and then tell us and we'll go deal with it," Belle explains.
"B-but, what if something happens?" She questions.
"You have an ability, right? You can use that to beat back your opponent or warn us, and we'll rescue you." Belle comforts.
"Urgh, fine." She replies, peeling away from Leslie and heading through a wall, disappearing from view. With Luna gone, they continue through the haunted house. As the attacks get even more frequent, Belle gives Leslie the cleaver, and he tells Leslie to put a drop of his blood on it. Leslie does it, and a red light flashes from the cleaver, lighting up Leslie's surprised face.
"What did that do?" He asks Belle.
"Try throwing it," Belle smirks. Leslie throws it across the room, right before it hits the wall it curves back and returns to Leslie's hand.
"Woah!" Leslie exclaims.
"Why do you guys get cool weapons," Liz grumbles.
"Do you want one?" Belle asks her.
"Yes! Of course, I want one, they look so cool." Liz reveals.
"Here you go." Belle throws her the kusarigama. Liz stares at it with a big grin on her face. And then she starts swinging it around, the scythe at the end heads right toward Belle and he can't dodge it in time, but it just passes right through him and embeds itself in the wall.
"Woah, be careful!" He warns her.
"Sorry." She apologizes, her face pale.
"It's okay, just don't go swinging weapons around like that in the future." Belle chuckles. While they're conversing, a sudden wind sweeps through the room, it has a tinge of miasma in it.
"That's Luna's, she's in trouble, let's go," Leslie says, running off to follow the wind. Liz and Belle run after him.
"Ah, wait! Please follow the arrows for the best experience." A voice warns over the loudspeaker.
"Sorry! I promise we'll make it up to you!" Belle apologizes. He hears a big sigh over the loudspeaker before it goes quiet. They follow the wind to a room with a closed door, they shove it open and glance into the room to find Luna, getting attacked by furniture.
"What?" They all exclaim.