Ghostly Betrayal

Ramelan House had always been a mystery, its walls holding secrets older than any of them could imagine. But now, after the Soul Auctioneer's failed attempt to steal Tia's powers, there was something else. Something deeper lurking within the house.

Tia had felt it before — an unease she couldn't quite shake.The house was changing, and she could feel it in her bones.

That night, Tia couldn't sleep.The moonlight streamed through the grand windows, casting long shadows across the walls. The soft creak of the house echoed in the silence, but it wasn't the usual comforting hum of Ramelan House.It felt… wrong.

Tia rolled out of bed, a chill creeping up her spine.She felt the need to check something — something in the heart of the house.The place where the magic was strongest.

She stepped out of her room and into the hallway. The walls seemed to lean in closer, the silence pressing against her. She walked slowly, listening for the faintest sound, until she reached the library — the sacred place.

The library's doors were slightly ajar, the dim glow of the lantern inside casting long shadows. Tia hesitated, her instincts telling her that something was off. But she couldn't stop now.

She pushed the door open.

Inside, the air was thick with magic.Books floated eerily around the room, spinning slowly. The shelves seemed to stretch higher, the bookshelves bending unnaturally, almost as if the house itself were trying to reach out to her.

And then she saw it.

At the center of the room stood a mirror, its surface dark and swirling, like the reflection was alive. Tia had seen this mirror before, but never like this.It wasn't the peaceful, dusty relic from earlier.It had… changed.

Tia approached the mirror slowly, her reflection twisted and warping. She raised her hand to touch the glass, but before she could, a figure stepped out from the shadows.

"Heart Keeper." The voice was soft, almost seductive.Tia froze.It was Lady Eugenia.

But this wasn't the ghostly presence Tia had come to know. No, this was something different. The figure before her was darker, her eyes glowing with an unnatural violet light. Her form flickered, like a glitch in reality.

Tia took a step back, confusion taking over."Lady Eugenia?" She asked cautiously.

The ghostly figure smiled, but it was a cold, calculating smile."You know, I never thought I'd have to do this. But you do have something I want, Heart Keeper."

Tia's breath caught. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you see, dear?" Lady Eugenia took a step forward, her movements too smooth, too unreal."The house chose you because it needed a vessel. A host to awaken its true power. You're nothing but a pawn in a much bigger game."

Tia's eyes narrowed."Are you saying… this whole time, you've been using me?"

Lady Eugenia's laugh was chilling."Oh, I wouldn't say using exactly. Let's just say I've been guiding you. But I never expected the house to become so attached to you. It's quite… inconvenient."She stepped closer, her figure flickering in and out of existence."Now, I need to take what's mine. The house will be mine again. And you will be nothing more than a memory."

Tia's heart raced.Lady Eugenia's betrayal stung more than she'd expected. But there was something else in her words that Tia couldn't ignore. The house had chosen her. What did that really mean?

Before Tia could react, the air around her shifted.The walls of the library began to bend inwards, and the ground beneath her feet felt as though it were shifting. The house itself seemed to be fighting against Lady Eugenia.

"No…" Tia whispered, stepping backward.

Lady Eugenia's smile widened."Ah, yes, the house. The last defense you have. But it's already too late, dear. I've already unlocked the true heart of this place."

With another wave of her hand, the mirror in the center of the room cracked open. But instead of revealing the reflection of the room, it became a portal, swirling with an eerie, dark light.

The room seemed to grow colder, and the shadows themselves seemed to creep toward Tia.Lady Eugenia stepped closer to the portal."Now, we begin."

Tia's eyes flared with sudden understanding."No."

In an instant, she reached out her hand, channeling every ounce of magic she could muster into the walls of the library.

"Ramelan House, I command you to protect me!"

The house responded.

With a deafening roar, the walls of the library shifted, the shelves bending and snapping into place. Books shot into the air, colliding with the mirror and shattering it into a thousand shards of light. The portal flickered, fading as the house fought back.

Lady Eugenia screamed in frustration, her figure wavering as the house itself seemed to come alive."No! You have no idea what you've just done! You can't control this power! It's too much for you to handle!" she hissed.

Tia didn't have time to answer.The house was shaking, its foundations groaning under the weight of the struggle. The shadows in the room seemed to retreat, but something darker was taking shape.

Suddenly, the very walls of the room cracked open, and from within the cracks, something emerged.

It was like an entity of pure shadow, formed from the deepest corners of the house — a creature born from the lost souls that had once inhabited the house, now awakened by Tia's power.

Tia stepped back, the shadow creature looming over her.It was a beast, a living manifestation of the house's memories — twisted and corrupted by Lady Eugenia's manipulations.

"Lady Eugenia, you've awakened something far worse than you can imagine." Tia's voice was steady, but inside, her heart was hammering."This isn't your house anymore."

With a sudden roar, the shadow creature lunged toward Lady Eugenia, its claws swiping through the air.

Lady Eugenia screamed, her ghostly form disintegrating as the creature swallowed her whole.

The room fell silent.And Tia was left standing amidst the wreckage, her heart still pounding, the house now eerily quiet around her.

Tia collapsed to her knees, exhausted, her mind racing.She had won, but at what cost?The house was safe — for now. But she could feel it: the deeper she went into this world of magic and spirits, the more she was becoming part of a bigger story. One that no one — not even the Heart Keeper — was prepared for.