* * *
Step, step, creak.
The sound of three pairs of footsteps echoed through the damp, chilly stairwell.
After descending two floors, another locked wooden door came into view.
This time, Ateol used a different key to unlock it.
Thud.
The sound was so heavy it felt as if the floor might crack beneath it.
The door to the abandoned ward swung open, releasing a wave of rotting wood and mildew.
As I raised my sleeve to cover my nose and mouth, Ateol stepped even closer to me.
Not that it helped with the smell—it just blocked my view. I nudged his forearm aside with the back of my hand, and he raised an eyebrow before stepping aside.
The hallway split into two directions.
I took the lantern Ateol was holding and handed it to Caleus, then conjured a floating sphere of dim light just above Ateol’s head.
“Do you think the Tower Master is here?”
“I’m following Ateol.”
“…Understood.”
Caleus let out an odd smile (it resembled Ateol’s) before walking off, lantern in hand, his footsteps echoing down one of the corridors.
He was being oddly compliant.
That nagged at me, but for now, the priority was to eliminate whatever ghostly monster—please, let it just be a monster—was lurking here and get out as soon as possible.
Ateol took the lead, opening doors one by one.
Outside the windows, darkness stretched endlessly.
The only source of light was the glow I had conjured above him.
I could illuminate the entire place, but that might agitate whatever creature was in here—please, let it just be a monster.
We passed several small patient rooms before reaching a larger ward that seemed to house multiple patients.
Judging by the number of beds, it was probably a ten-person room.
The hospital beds, stripped of sheets, sat abandoned, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
Why are hospitals always the perfect setting for horror stories?
Aren’t they the subject of ghost stories in every culture?
Then again, maybe any place with a high concentration of people ends up that way.
If you think about it, people dying in a hospital is inevitable.
And yet, just because the circumstances of their deaths were unusual, the place becomes a breeding ground for terrifying rumors.
It’s absurd.
Not that I cared about Caleus, but for the sake of those who rely on this national hospital, we needed to take care of this quickly.
Lost in meaningless musings and meaningful resolve, I stuck close to Ateol as we walked.
Our footsteps.
The wind whistling through the windows.
The creak, creak of old wooden beams twisting under pressure…
…Wait. Was that really just the wood?
‘…’
Creaaak… tap. Creeeak…
“Ateol, that sound…”
Just as I was about to speak, something whipped past my vision.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
My whole body tensed, locked in place.
Swish, creak.
A tattered piece of clothing fluttered in the air.
Moving swiftly from left to right, then back again, was a translucent figure—a person with disheveled hair, their tongue lolling out of their mouth.
“Ah…!”
I almost screamed, but a hand clamped over my mouth.
Ateol’s.
The moment panic clouded my mind, the floating light flickered out, plunging us into darkness.
The only illumination now came from the moonlight filtering through the window—but tonight, the moon was in its waning phase, shrouded in shadows.
In the pitch-black void, my fear intensified
Creak.
That sound again.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me.
Without thinking, I looked up.
Ateol had removed his hand from my mouth and was holding me.
Even in the dark, his striking features were visible—his half-swept hair, the way his deep-set eyes gleamed darker in the dim light, the sharp bridge of his nose, his defined jawline, and the way he gazed down at me.
My heart thumped.
Loud enough that he might hear it.
Is this… the suspension bridge effect?
If I did have any feelings for him, my affection level must have skyrocketed just now.
Come to think of it, I’d been focusing so much on raising Ateol’s favorability that I never stopped to consider my own feelings.
Maybe if I became aware of them, my special affinity score would increase even more.
When someone shows interest, it’s human nature to be drawn to them.
Still looking up at him, I hesitated—then leaned further into his embrace. His scent, his warmth, completely surrounded me.
‘…’
Ateol stared at me silently before slowly wrapping an arm around my waist and bending forward.
My body tilted along with him, and suddenly, our faces were mere inches apart.
Even in the dark, I could see his expression clearly.
His eyes shimmered with an unfamiliar light—was glinting the right word?
His lips parted slightly.
My heart was pounding wildly.
Everything else around us faded away.
For the first time, we kissed while both of our hearts were racing.
Our breaths mingled, foreign yet intoxicating.
Ateol’s heartbeat matched mine—thump, thump, thump.
The sensation of our lips and tongues intertwining, hot and slick, felt as if we were melting into each other.
For a moment, I nearly forgot where we were—until Ateol suddenly tensed.
I glanced up, about to ask why.
And then—my entire body broke out in chills.
“Holy—!”
Something cold brushed against the back of my neck.
I yelped and instinctively shoved Ateol away, stumbling backward.
My foot twisted, but before I could fall, he caught me again.
Ateol’s gaze was locked on something in the distance.
I followed his line of sight—
Oh hell no.
A translucent figure, dressed in a patient’s gown, was darting around like a bouncing ball at an inhuman speed.
“Think you can cut it down with sword energy?”
“I’ll be faster.”
There was no time to think—I acted on instinct.
A concentrated burst of magic engulfed the ghostly form.
Like sugar dissolving in water, it vanished in an instant.
A metallic clink echoed, but I ignored it.
“Was that… an actual ghost?”
Ateol’s voice held an amused lilt.
“No, it was a monster.”
“If you say so.”
If you say so my ass.
It disappeared with magic—it had to be a monster.
No one could convince me otherwise.
With the creature gone, the atmosphere felt slightly brighter.
Ghost-type monsters really are terrifying.
Ateol, now holding his sword, scanned the area.
Everything seemed clear.
I exhaled in relief and turned to him.
“Let’s just say you were the one who got rid of it.”
Ateol tilted his head.
“Why?”
“It’ll boost your reputation. You still need more recognition.”
“Well, I won’t complain. But are you sure? It was your achievement.”
“Achievement? Hardly. Besides, what would I even do with more recognition?”
“Fair point.”
Ateol shrugged—then slyly wrapped his arms around me again.
“Now, shall we continue where we left off…?”
Step.
A sudden footstep.
I nearly screamed as I jumped aside.
My head whipped toward the sound.
A faint reddish glow flickered in the distance, drawing closer.
What now?!
Tensing up, I braced myself—only to see Caleus emerging from the corridor.
“It seems the paths are connected. Are you both unharmed? I heard quite a commotion.”
* * *
