"What does she plan to do?" After a moment of surprise, Reginald became curious again. "If it's just relying on stories to lure people in, it might only make a quick buck."
If she plans to make merchandise like paper dolls, people will only buy them once, though the sales might still exceed his expectations. In fact, he didn't expect the paper dolls to sell so well. It was said that even the second batch of dolls, once released, was quite popular, and the entire city of Lunton seemed to be swept up in a fashion trend led by them. It was rumored that even the editors of Ladies' Monthly had invited Elena to join, though she hadn't yet had time to respond to the offer.
Vera smiled mysteriously and added, "She's not just planning to scare people with stories. She has a big plan, and this story is just the tip of the iceberg."
Reginald and the other members of the academy exchanged puzzled glances, all of them staring at Vera with questioning eyes. Even the usually quiet Charles looked over, curious. "Even if something truly terrifying happened in a house before, readers might visit out of curiosity, but it still doesn't seem like a big plan, does it?"
"Ha, so you don't understand Elena," Vera said slowly. "She plans to bring the story to life in reality."
This statement immediately caused an uproar, and everyone's eyes went wide with disbelief as they looked at Vera.
"What do you mean?" Reginald quickly asked.
Vera smiled faintly. "She plans to find an old, mysterious house in the city, then use her story as the blueprint to create a real-life 'haunted house.' People can enter this house, experience the scenes described in her story, and feel the real fear."
Reginald and the other members were immediately stunned, staring at Vera with wide eyes. The plan sounded so crazy, yet so irresistible, their curiosity growing instantly.
"Are you sure this isn't a joke?" Charles asked Vera, looking at her in disbelief.
Vera shook her head gently. "Absolutely not. Elena has already started looking—well, not her, but the Duke of Berkeley is looking—for a suitable house to begin this bold plan. She even wants to rent several houses all at once, because in her vision, there are several stories that could form a series. She specifically asked for a house with a dungeon."
"Cool…" Reginald's eyes lit up. "A dungeon, a castle, secret passages… When I write stories, I always wish I could visit a place like that."
It was clear that his family didn't have a castle with a dungeon to visit.
"Indeed," Charles was also moved by the idea. He even joined in on envisioning the future. "Some of the small magic we've developed, if we could apply it here, it could provide the audience with a very unique experience."
"What are you talking about?" Other members quickly discouraged him. "Unless you want to be arrested by the authorities."
"Actually, if the Earl… well, it's not impossible," Vera hesitated, adding, "At least he has that ability."
Moreover, he didn't look like a monster.
"This is insane!" one of the students exclaimed.
"But I'm actually looking forward to it. If we could experience the terrifying scenes from the story ourselves, it would be an absolutely one-of-a-kind experience," another student said excitedly.
Vera realized she might have oversold her friend's plans, and quickly brought them back to reality. "Anyway, Elena's new story will definitely blow your minds."
Even Charles, who was always quick to criticize, stopped making remarks and probably started thinking about Elena's new plan.
This new idea immediately captivated everyone in the Mystery Society. After Vera left, they spent the entire afternoon discussing the haunted house. But they still found it hard to imagine how such a house should be created.
If they just placed a few bloodied objects or decorations, it would be no different from a wax museum. In fact, the wax figures, especially the decapitated wax heads, were even more terrifying.
"I can't think of a really scary house," Reginald said in frustration. "Is my imagination too limited?"
The scariest things he could imagine were the gallows and execution platforms, both of which could already be found in the wax museum. As for the scariest people, they had to be the deformed people in the freak show or the lunatics in the asylum. Clearly, the people of Lunton had quite an aesthetic sense, as they had already thought of every terrifying thing.
"Actually, I think the stories she wrote before could be put in," said a late-arriving Boulder, who hadn't heard Vera's bold speech but pieced together the conversation from fragments of what the others had said. "For example, we could create a wax figure of a dead man in a wine barrel or hide someone in a wardrobe. When someone curiously opens the wardrobe—boom—"
"That's a good idea," Reginald immediately approved. "You could even have a freak show performance inside."
While everyone was letting their imaginations run wild, Elena learned of the conversation that had just taken place at the Mystery Society from Vera.
"Sorry for revealing your plan," Vera apologized sheepishly. "I was so upset by Charles that I got carried away."
"Oh, no worries," Elena said with a relaxed smile. "My idea is still in its early stages. I was just hoping you guys could help me expand on it. I think the Mystery Society has a lot of great resources that could help make this house truly terrifying." She winked playfully.
The Mystery Society had been studying magic and rituals for so long, and had quite a foundation. The shape-shifting badge they produced last time was a good example. Elena wanted to use their research to enrich her ideas. As for whether she could use it, that would depend on the Duke.
After all, he was the only normal-looking person in the entire club.
"So what are you planning to do?" Vera couldn't help but ask curiously. "Some of the students have suggested ideas, but I think they're all too ordinary."
Elena didn't hesitate to share her thoughts. "I'm planning to create a 'haunted house' that will bring my story to life for the audience. But this isn't just an exhibition—it's more like an interactive horror experience."
"An interactive horror experience?" Vera repeated, clearly not understanding what that meant.
"For example, in my story, there's a scene where the protagonist's wife is combing her hair, and the reflection in the mirror slowly turns around…" Before she could finish, Vera interrupted.
"What? The reflection in the mirror moves? That's terrifying!"
Vera widened her eyes and crossed her arms, shaking her head as if trying to shake the terrifying image from her mind.
"Yes, the reflection in the mirror will stare at you and start singing a combing rhyme," Elena quietly hummed, "'One comb from top to bottom, two combs from end to end~'"
"Stop, stop!" Vera rubbed her arms, trying to press down her goosebumps. "This is too scary."
Elena stopped and said, "If there's a dressing table in the house, and you sit at it, you might feel like picking up a comb and brushing your hair."
"No, I don't want to," Vera immediately rejected.
"…And as you're brushing," Elena continued without listening to her, "the reflection in the mirror will repeat the story, turning around and staring at you…"
"I'd run away screaming, I swear," Vera said seriously.
"And then the house will play the combing rhyme…" Elena spread her hands. "It's that simple."
Vera nodded, now fully understanding what an interactive experience meant and didn't need Elena to provide a second example.
"You'll scare the audience to death," Vera said solemnly.
Elena laughed at her expression. "It's not that bad."
"Really," Vera lowered her tone, "if someone really dies of fright in that house…"
Elena now understood why haunted house attractions and horror movies had those disclaimers. She quickly agreed that she would ban minors, the elderly, and people with heart conditions from entering.
Once Vera was convinced, Elena pulled out the horror story manuscript and showed it to her. After that small excerpt had already scared Vera so much, Elena hesitated for a moment before deciding whether to let her friend read it.
"I'm even scared to read it myself," Elena said cautiously, glancing out at the evening sky. "Are you sure you want to see it?"
"Of course," Vera grabbed the manuscript impatiently. "I'll read it with Grace if you're worried."
Vera, holding the manuscript, made her way toward the restaurant, her heart a mix of curiosity and nervousness. She knew this story would be bone-chilling, and that small scene had already made her uncomfortable. With her excellent memory, she wasn't even sure she could look at a mirror right now. But as Elena's friend, she wanted to support her.
At the restaurant entrance, she met Grace.
"Hey, Grace," Vera greeted her. "Do you have time? I want to check out Elena's new story, but I'm too scared to do it alone. She said it's a really terrifying story."
Grace curiously glanced at the manuscript in Vera's hand, her face lighting up with excitement. "Of course, I have time. I've always been interested in Elena's work."
The two of them walked toward the parlor, ready to enjoy some tea and share the chilling experience of Elena's new story.