A chilling wind whispered through the tall, skeletal trees. The moon hovered low, bathing everything in a pale glow. Ravenshade Manor stood like a rotting monument at the center of a forgotten forest—its iron gates half-collapsed, and ivy crawling up its crumbling stone walls. The windows were either shattered or boarded shut, and its once-grand tower leaned precariously to one side.
The group had arrived.
Oliver: "Alright. I'll take you up to the main entrance."
Noah: "Henry, think about this again."
Henry: "I've made up my mind. Let's go."
They moved slowly down the cracked stone path, crunching dead leaves beneath their feet.
Rose (whispering): "It looks even worse now..."
Noah: "Henry, don't do this."
Henry (trying to keep calm): This is beyond anything I imagined. I never thought it would look this terrifying...
Oliver: "Why'd you stop? Cold feet?"
Henry (through clenched teeth): "No. I'm going in."
Oliver: "Then go. We'll meet at the university... if you survive."
Rose (angrily): "Banana peel! Shut your mouth."
Oliver (ignoring her): "Why are you all still here?"
Rose glared at him and crossed her arms, fuming.
Henry approached the front doors—weathered wood, rusted knobs. They groaned as he pushed them open.
Henry: "Is… is anyone here?"
The door slammed shut behind him. He spun around.
Henry (panicked): "What did I walk into?"
The halls were lined with broken mirrors, and portraits with scratched-out faces. The air smelled of mildew and old decay.
He moved from one room to another, drawn by a faint whispering sound.
Henry: "Where are those sounds coming from?"
Fear gripped his chest as he approached a door. It creaked open slowly...
Henry: Empty... No one's here.
Suddenly, a voice behind him.
???: "Looking for me?"
He turned—and screamed.
Henry: "GHOST! GHOST!"
Stranger: "Where? I don't see one."
Henry: "Y-you… please don't hurt me!"
Stranger (grinning): "You think I'm a ghost? How rude. I'm a jinn."
Henry stumbled backward, trembling.
Jinn: "You must be very brave, wandering in at this hour. I don't usually get visitors."
Henry: "Please… I won't come again. Let me go."
Jinn: "No one leaves once they enter. I… like you."
Henry: "No, no, no!" He ran toward the door, but it slammed shut on its own.
Jinn: "You're too handsome to let go. It's been ages since I had company."
Henry collapsed in fear, his body shaking uncontrollably.
Jinn: "You're mine now."
---
Next Morning
Sunlight filtered through the broken windows. Henry woke up on the cold floor of a dusty hall.
Henry: What… was that? A dream? A nightmare?
He bolted out of the manor, his heart racing.
Henry: "That place... I stayed there all night. But why does my head feel so heavy?"
Just outside, he spotted a folded letter weighted down by a rock. It was from Noah and Rose.
Henry: They stayed… They were worried about me.
He smiled faintly, though the weight in his chest didn't leave. As he walked away, a faint rustle echoed behind him—but when he turned, no one was there.
Unbeknownst to him, something followed.
---
Outside the Manor – Moments Later
Rose: "Come on, Noah! I'm too worried."
Noah: "Let's go then!"
They drove toward the manor and stopped when they saw someone.
Oliver, standing still by the gate, looked shaken.
Oliver: "Why hasn't Henry come back yet?"
Noah (furious): "Move or I'll knock you down!"
Oliver: "What? I'm just asking—"
Henry: "Why are you all missing me?"
He stepped into view.
Oliver (startled): "You? How?!"
Noah (laughing): "What's wrong, banana peel? Shocked?"
Rose (teasing): "Look who's come back from the dead!"
Henry: "Do you remember our deal?"
Oliver: "Yeah... Tell me what to do."
Henry: "I'll let you know. Soon."
Oliver scowled and walked off.
Henry (groaning): "Ugh..."
Noah: "Are you okay?"
Henry: "My body's sore, and my head… it hurts. A lot."
What Henry didn't say—was that something still whispered in his mind.
---