As they walked together, Tony glanced around the castle's vast interior. "I wonder how long this castle has been here... and how come I didn't see it before?"
Kenji surveyed the surroundings, his eyes narrowing as he noticed layers of dust and cobwebs. "This place must be ancient. Look at all the spiderwebs and bugs everywhere."
"Yep," Eleo chimed in casually.
Kenji turned to glance back at Eleo—and instantly recoiled with an exaggerated gasp, his eyes bulging and his arms flailing like a cartoon character. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STILL WEARING THAT THING?!" he yelled, pointing dramatically at the oversized helmet still perched on Eleo's head.
Eleo burst out laughing, holding his sides. "Because it's so cool! I don't even want to take it off!"
Kenji's jaw dropped, his hands thrown up in disbelief. "Cool?! You look ridiculous!"
Tony, meanwhile, was scanning the area with a more serious expression. As Kenji continued to argue with Eleo, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing Kenji to bump into him.
"Why'd you stop—" Kenji started, but Tony raised a hand, silencing him.
"Shhh," Tony whispered. "Do you hear that?"
Eleo tilted his head, trying to focus. "I can't really hear much. My ears are stuffed inside this helmet."
Kenji, still fuming, snapped back. "Well, maybe you should take it off!"
Eleo waved him off with a grin. "Nah, I think I'll keep wearing it. I'm even gonna call it Helmet-Kun."
Kenji's face twisted in disbelief as he threw his hands in the air. "And now you're NAMING it?!"
Tony sighed and shook his head, tuning out their bickering as he stepped toward the source of the mysterious noise. The hallway stretched on, lined with countless doors on either side, their old, creaky hinges silent but menacing. Tony followed the faint sound, which grew louder with each step.
Finally, he stopped in front of a door. The sound was unmistakable now—a low, rhythmic thudding, accompanied by faint whispers. Tony leaned closer, straining to make out the noise.
Tony whispered, "Guys…" but Kenji and Eleo were too wrapped up in their argument to notice.
"Guys," Tony repeated, slightly louder. Still, they ignored him.
Finally, Tony clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and shouted, "GUYSSSS!"
Kenji and Eleo flinched, snapping their heads toward him.
"What?" Kenji grumbled, rubbing his ear.
Tony waved them over urgently. "The noise. It's coming from in here," he said, pointing to an old wooden door.
Kenji raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Hm. Well, let's see."
"Wait!" Tony said, holding out a hand. "We should be carefu—"
But Kenji had already pushed the door open.
The room inside was old and dusty but oddly well-decorated. It had the vibe of something fancy from a bygone era. A small crib sat in the corner, its wood warped and cracked with age.
"Hmmm," Kenji muttered as he walked in, glancing around the room.
Eleo bounced in excitedly. "Wow! This place looks awesome!"
Tony followed, his eyes sweeping the room. "Fancy. I like it."
As they explored, Tony scratched his head, frowning. "But the noise… I swear it was coming from in here."
Eleo hopped over to a small table and peeked under it. "Maybe whoever made the noise is hiding somewhere."
"Or invisible," Kenji suggested, narrowing his eyes.
Tony paused, looking thoughtful. "Could be. Or maybe it wasn't a person at all. Could've been one of the old furniture creaking or something else entirely. But whatever it was, I'm not leaving this room until I figure it out."
Suddenly, Kenji froze. He heard a faint giggle. "Hehehe…"
"Huh?" he said aloud, whipping his head around. He glanced at Tony and Eleo, who were still absorbed in their search. Did I just imagine that? Kenji thought, his brow furrowing.
Shaking his head, he continued looking around. But then he heard it again. "Hehehe…"
"Okay, who's giggling?" Kenji demanded, spinning around to face the others.
Tony raised an eyebrow if he had one, and Eleo tilted his head. "Not me," they both said in unison.
Kenji's jaw tightened. "Then why the hell am I hearing someone giggling?"
Eleo stroked his chin, pretending to think. "Hmm… maybe it's because you're old?"
Kenji's eye twitched. "I'M SIXTEEN!" he bellowed, his face reddening. "Have you ever thought that you were the old one, huh?"
"I said I'm only eight years old," Eleo replied casually, his grin widening.
Kenji stopped mid-step and crossed his arms. "Fair point. But STILL!" He jabbed a finger toward the crib. "I know what I heard! Someone is giggling!"
Tony adjusted his scarf, his gaze fixed on the room's shadowy corners. "And I know I heard noises in this room earlier. Let's keep looking. Whatever it is, it's not normal."
The three of them spread out, each determined to find the source of the mysterious noises. But as the eerie giggle echoed faintly once again, a chill ran down their spines.
As they continued searching, the three regrouped. Tony crossed his arms, looking frustrated. "Okay, have you guys found anything?"
Kenji shook his head. "Nothing."
Eleo grinned and held up a small figure. "Well, I found a doll."
Kenji squinted at it. "A creepy doll, more like it."
Tony sighed, rubbing his temples. "Damn it. I thought we'd find something useful, but all we've got is this stupid doll."
Suddenly, the doll's eyes glowed, and it spoke in a sharp, childlike voice. "Who are you calling stupid, stupid?"
The trio froze, their jaws dropping in unison.
"WHAT?!" Eleo yelped, flinging the doll into the air in sheer panic. The doll hit the floor with a soft thud, slowly getting back up.
The doll dusted herself off, glaring at them. "Why are you three perverts in my room? Are you looking for my underwear or something?"
Kenji recoiled in disgust. "Ew! No! And you're way too young to even say that. We only came in here because of the noise, and I'm guessing that was you?"
The doll smirked. "Yep, that was me snoring. And you bastards woke me up from my beauty nap! Now you must pay… with your lives!"
Eleo let out an awkward laugh, glancing nervously at Tony. Tony returned the laugh, equally uneasy. Kenji hesitated but eventually joined in, their chuckles echoing in the tense silence.
"Oh, so you think I'm joking, huh?" the doll sneered. Her tiny hands glowed with a strange energy as she levitated a knife into the air. Without warning, she flung it straight at Eleo.
Eleo ducked just in time, clutching his helmet. "HEY! YOU COULD'VE HURT HELMET-KUN!"
Tony sighed, already bracing himself. "Welp, I can't believe I'm saying this, but… it looks like we're about to fight a doll."