真実性-2

Veracity-2

Phoenix

14:35 PM — We arrived at the location. I climbed off the bike, legs a little wobbly from how fast Ace had been driving. Seriously, does he think he's in a race every time we hit the road? I caught sight of myself in the rear-view mirror and grimaced. My hair was a complete mess — sticking out in every direction like I'd been caught in a wind tunnel. I ran my fingers through it, trying to make it look at least somewhat presentable.

Ace pulled off his helmet with that effortless grace he always had, shaking out his silver hair like he was in some kind of shampoo commercial. The messy yet controlled strands fell perfectly into his signature Dream Flow style — smooth on top, a little wild at the ends. It was no wonder all my female friends had the biggest crushes on him. They never shut up about how cool he looked — especially those ocean-green eyes of his that always seemed to see right through you. Too bad for them, though. He didn't care about girls. Their loss, I guess.

He didn't say anything, just stood there for a moment, eyes fixed on the house ahead of us. I turned to look too, feeling a little uneasy. The place wasn't much — small and compact — but it definitely had character. Gothic-style, just like the report said, with sharp angles, dark bricks, and narrow windows that almost seemed like they were glaring at us. It was nestled way out here, far from the city, practically smothered by the forest on three sides. Only the front faced the main road, like the house itself was trying to keep an eye on anyone approaching.

It felt... isolated. Creepy. The kind of place where you half-expected to see shadows moving even when nothing was there. I forced myself to shrug it off. We just had to check it out, do the job, and get out. No big deal, right?

Ace gave me a glance, probably sensing my nerves. He didn't comment, though — just gave a nod toward the house. "Let's go," he said, his tone calm and unbothered. Typical Ace. I took a deep breath, steeling myself, and followed him up the creaky steps to the door.

He started stepping towards the house, we reached to the entrance gate of the land. I already felt heavy negative energy. "The negative energy here is too much." I spoke, he looked at me, "Do you feel it too?" He asked me in his normal, calm and composed voice. He has been in negative energy many times, so he is usually this calm. "Are you telling me this level of negative energy is normal?" I asked. He nods, I tugged onto the edge of his jacket and followed him in.

Are we really going to Exorcist the ghost? "Don't worry. We ain't doing that. Usually in place like this all we have to do is sit and watch for few seconds. Most of the time it's humans who are lurking around trying to scare people away so that they can have the property there is only 0.1 % chance that the one haunting is ghost." He spoke as he walked towards the door confidently. For the first time I am tagging along. So, this all is new for me.

If it isn't haunted by ghost then why the heck is negative energy's level so high? My thoughts wandered along. I was going to ask few more questions but we were already infront of front door. So, I restrain myself from asking. He knocked at the door. The door was opened, there was a man standing he was almost the same height as Cap but slightly short. He seems to be in his late 30s. "This is Mr David. Our Client." He spoke, he smiled at me. I bow to show the respect. "He is my younger brother, Phoenix. Hope you don't mind him tagging along, Sir?" My brother asked, "No problem. I hope you work along." Mr David said, his voice reflected he wasn't that much interested, he just wanted the work to be done.

We walked in, the negative energy level at the home was even higher. I felt my brother's eyes scanning the surrounding, as if he was trying to find something. His eyes fixed at one door, he points at it. "What's in that room?" He asked, as he looks at Mr David. "It's a door to living room." He said, He signaled me to follow him there and asked Mr David to stop here and wait. I followed him.

With a hesitant hand, he gripped the cold, brass knob, slowly twisting it as the door creaked open, revealing the darkness beyond. His eyes wandered around looking for some traces. The negative energy here was too high. It was almost unbearable. "You said-" "Seems like here is real one."

The door creaked open, and Ace stepped in without hesitation, his boots thudding against the dusty wooden floor. I swallowed hard, following close behind, gripping my bag like it was the only solid thing in this place. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of old wood and something damp and rotten.

The living room was massive — high, arched ceilings lost in shadow, with dark, faded wallpaper peeling away like dead skin. Candles flickered in iron sconces on the walls, casting long, crooked shadows over grim paintings and ancient furniture draped in dust-streaked sheets. A massive fireplace loomed at the far end, its mantle crawling with cobwebs and gargoyle carvings glaring down at us.

Ace moved like he belonged here, calm and steady, his Jacket swaying with each step. He barely glanced around, like he'd seen it all before — probably had. Meanwhile, my heart was pounding so hard it made my ears ring. I wasn't sure if it was the cold or my nerves making me shiver.

That's when I saw her.

A woman — no, a ghost — drifted across the room, her translucent gown trailing behind her like mist. She didn't walk; she just... floated. Pale, hollow eyes stared right through me, and I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. My mouth went dry as I fought the urge to bolt.

"Cap," I whispered, barely finding my voice. "Did you see that?"

He glanced over his shoulder at me, one eyebrow raised, like I'd just asked if the sky was blue. "Yeah. Harmless," he said, brushing some dust off a nearby chair. "She's just curious."

Curious? My legs felt like jelly. I couldn't tear my eyes from the spot where she'd been, half-expecting her to lunge at me or scream or something. I'd read about this stuff, trained for it — but reading about ghosts and seeing one staring right into your soul were two very different things.

Ace just gave me a smirk, like he knew exactly what I was thinking. "First time's always the hardest," he said, his tone annoyingly relaxed. "Breathe, Nixy."

Easier said than done. I sucked in a shaky breath, forcing myself to loosen my grip on my bag. If Ace wasn't worried, I probably didn't need to be... but damn if my heart didn't feel like it was trying to punch its way out of my chest.

I wasn't sure if I was ready for this shaman life after all.

Ace moved deeper into the room, brushing dust off a table and muttering something about how the place hadn't changed since his last visit. I forced myself to follow, sticking close, trying to ignore the prickling sensation crawling up my spine.

Then it hit me — a sudden, bone-deep cold that made my breath hitch. I froze, and before I could even call out to Ace, pain spiked through my chest, sharp and unforgiving. It felt like icy fingers were clawing their way inside me, squeezing the air from my lungs.

"A-Ace—" I choked out, clutching at my chest as my knees buckled. My vision blurred, and that same ghostly woman appeared right in front of me, her face twisted into something hateful and desperate. She wasn't just looking at me now — she was in me, forcing herself through every inch of my body like I was nothing but an empty shell.

My thoughts scattered. I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. My own hands didn't feel like mine anymore, and that horrible cold kept digging deeper, like knives scraping against bone.

Suddenly, strong hands grabbed my shoulders, yanking me upright. "Phoenix! Look at me!" Ace's voice cut through the fog, sharp and demanding. I forced my gaze up, barely seeing his face through the blur and the pain.

He didn't hesitate — one hand pressed flat against my chest, and I felt the sharp edge of paper slip between my shirt and skin. A talisman. It burned hot instantly, like a brand, and I let out a strangled gasp as warmth exploded through me, driving the cold back like sunlight cutting through fog.

Ace was muttering under his breath, low and firm, his eyes locked onto mine. I could feel the ghost fighting, clawing to stay, but the talisman's heat pushed her out, little by little, until suddenly I was gasping for air, collapsing against Ace's shoulder.

He didn't move, just kept his hand on the talisman until the heat faded and the room felt normal again — or as normal as a haunted Gothic mansion could feel. I slumped against him, my legs still trembling like they'd forgotten how to hold me up.

"You good?" Ace asked, his tone casual but his grip steady.

I managed a shaky nod, still trying to catch my breath. "W-what was that?"

"Possession," he said like it was no big deal. "Some spirits get desperate when they see someone new. You're not grounded enough yet. That's why you're an easy target."

I shuddered at the thought, still feeling the ghost's icy touch crawling under my skin. Ace gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Hey," he said, softer this time. "You didn't let her take over. That's good. But next time, don't just freeze up. Use your own talisman before they get too close."

I looked down at the paper charm, now just a singed scrap clinging to my shirt. I nodded, swallowing back the lingering fear. "Got it."

Ace ruffled my hair roughly, a rare, almost affectionate gesture. "You did okay for your first real run. Just... try not to die on me, alright?"

I forced a weak smile, trying to play off how shaken I really was. "No promises."

He just snorted and gave me a shove toward the next room. My heart was still racing, but I followed, gripping the next talisman a little tighter. One thing was for sure — being a shaman wasn't going to be anything like the stories.