Final fantasy horror fic. Noctis is the unfortunate MC lol

Oh and Gladio is replaced by my semi OC. BEAR WITH ME! Before you start groaning and rolling your eyes, I assure you the new guy is based on Gladio - hence the term "semi OC"- except that he's a slightly improved version of mine because the canon Gladio is just ugh…

here's what he looks like and see for yourselves xsamuraiedgex/art/The-Royal-Shield-884655034

The group of paranormal investigators headed to explore the haunted hospital that's been abandoned for a few decades. It did not… go well.

"Holyshit! Get outta here!"

"What was that? You heard that?"

"This place is creepy."

"I think I saw someone over there."

"What threw that rock at me?"

He captured something staring at him right from around a corner and when he went to investigate, there's nothing there…

Is it real? Or is it all just an elaborate hoax? You decide…

I closed off the laptop and yawned, cracked my back and looked back at the screen featuring the finished Top Ghost Stories on YouTube. This whole thing has become so addictive and I'm not even sure when I started to develop this habit. But almost everyday after lunch, I'd go up to my room with a cup of hot drink in hand with the laptop ready to watch the newest paranormal incident videos. Heck, I would even entertain myself with a video or two from my phone whenever we're out camping or during a long car trip.

Naturally though, some of these things have to be faked. Then again, it can be hard to tell if some are for real. That's why I stay neutral and whether I believe it or not, it depends on how obvious it can be.

For instance, some dudes walked into a 'haunted' mansion and they stumbled across an evil jinn or spirit or whatever it is they were trying to enact. Not only were their reactions hilariously cringy, but it's kinda hard to take it seriously when said ghost wears a pair of dang sneakers. At least if you wanna make a horror movie, just say so. But to trick people with stupid shenanigans like these and claim it's real is like being asked to look desperate.

Another one is from this YouTuber I absolutely cannot stand not just because of his screaming that makes him sound like he's trying to sing in the shower, but also because he's so painfully obvious, it's kind of embarrassing. I mean I don't know since when it's so original or impressive to be chased by a moron wearing a nightgown and a wig. And if that wasn't enough, the actions he's taking are downright idiotic. Instead of running straight out of the area, he just locks himself up in a room with his friend waiting for the danger to pass by and instead of staying quiet to avoid giving his position away, he had to pant oh-so-dramatically. Just your typical horror movie victim. He even repeats the same scenario over and over again in almost every video as if he can't come up with something smarter. Acting or not, it was kinda irritating to watch. Like, who is he exactly trying to fool? I mean I'm not unaware that you can't always have resources for more advanced effects but it would have at least been more tolerable had he quit the cringy acting and claimed that these videos are just made for fun but he expects the viewers to believe this rubbish and get a profit out of it.

Sure enough, videos like these, despite getting a decent number of views, receive a lot of negative comments in return like 'FAKE!' 'lol ghosts wearing blanket!' 'bruh this is stupid' 'yo get a life' 'that guy is cringe af' 'yup definitely fake' 'subscribe to my YouTube channel everyone!' and I couldn't be inclined to disagree. Except with the last one…

Another topic is from these two YouTubers who fabricate their own scenes but at least they had the decency to come out and actually confessed that this is all just an act. Likewise though, they use the same exact scenario as their main plot in all their videos. But what makes it at least more interesting is that they come up with a new paranormal issue every time and how terrifying some of those creatures and possessed people that appear in the scene can be. Imagine you sleeping in bed then waking up to the sight of some skinny humanoid creature popping up from a window or a trap door hidden in the bedroom floor, or when your home surveillance camera captures your possessed dog or spouse walking around the kitchen or standing next to your oblivious sleeping form! Things like these seriously make me glad these scenes are fake! But, more importantly, the main actors don't scream like they just came five times…

On the other hand, there are videos that, while their validity can't completely be confirmed, it's hard to deny either. Some are actually edited and the entity is added to the video using editing programs, that much is true. But the same can't be said about life recordings or old poor quality videos since they don't allow editing. However, I've seen some content that looks somewhat genuine but at the end of the day, I still choose to stay neutral because hey, you can never really tell how creative people can be when it comes to fraud.

Now these are some of the most common paranormal incidents but a lot of videos actually feature recordings and sightings of shadow people and weird faces staring at them from afar. In my opinion, these are the creepiest I've seen and probably the most realistic. What adds more to it is that when the camera person approaches the location where they have last seen the entity, it was already gone. And I'm not sure whether this is even a good thing or a bad thing. Because while at least you would be spared the potentially horrifying encounter with an otherworldly creature, the fact that it vanished without any sound or trace proves how serious this shit may be. A real person playing tricks would have at least been heard if not being slow enough to get caught. And even if they were fabricated, these scenes are way too overused and I'm sure people would have come up with a thousand ways to fake their own ghosts instead of the same shadow person scenario over and over again. Just my two cents.

All in all? It's interesting.

Fake or real, doesn't matter. It's basically like watching a horror movie; Not real but the thrill is still there.

And that's why I've developed this habit of wasting our internet on hour long videos of a group of people playing Ghost Hunters and visit locations known for their notoriously haunted states. And sometimes I ask myself throughout these videos: what would I do if I were them? What would happen if I did what they did? How would I react if I saw a real ghost standing in front of me? Will I get scared or keep it together?

And that's when the idea occurred to me: I'm gonna make my own ghost investigating adventure!

I won't deny it's a stupid idea considering the fact that such matters can't be taken lightly if they were real. These things can actually hurt you. You might get a rock thrown at your face, get pushed off of the stairs or out the window or, even worse, get possessed. All these risks are making me have second thoughts about whether or not I should go through with the journey. But, on the other hand, sometimes when you watch videos of the same topic many times, you can't help but want in on the action too. Instead of being the viewer, you're the partaker!

It may not sound like a valid excuse considering that I'm talking about the fact that I'm most likely throwing myself in danger needlessly. Cuz even though I have faced and fought against lots of monsters of all shapes, types and sizes, it was mostly out of necessity. Such as self-defense, gaining more experience, obtain an important item, earn in some bounty gil, and to find ingredients. Heck, there were even ghouls, phantoms and ghostlike fiends that I have faced off with my friends previously but they're different in a way that they can actually be seen and felt and very much possible to defeat in a real fight, and not something that could be brushed off as a camera glitch or video editing or a small shadow peaking at you from somewhere. In other words, I'm talking about otherworldly entities that can't be seen like the jinn or spirits, not ghost type monsters. They're both entirely different beings.

Speaking of friends; I wonder how they'd feel about what I'm planning to do. Probably nothing. Simply because I have no intention on telling them. Their reactions are very much predictable and they don't sound supportive to say the least.

Gallius, being the protective bodyguard he is, would most likely put me in a headlock to prevent me from leaving the house until I've promised him I won't do it. That's his nasty way of talking me out of something he deems too dangerous.

Ignis, my advisor, would share the same opinion if not the same reaction. Like the motherhen he is, the least he'd do is to probably grab me from the ear and drill into my head a thousand reasons on why I shouldn't go to a haunted area.

And I don't know about my boyfriend Prompto to be honest. Either he will reject the idea like the other two or he would actually be crazy enough to be open to the whole thing. He could even ask to tag along! But I'm not willing to take the risk. He might even tell Gallius and Ignis about it so they could all gang up to beat the stupidity out of me.

Not that I'd blame them. Like I said, what I'm about to do probably sounds like one of the most irresponsible things I've ever thought of doing and I'm awkwardly aware of it. Not to mention the uncomfortable possibility of me actually getting hurt and if someone noticed and started asking questions, how will I explain? Lying definitely isn't an option cuz it's a shitty thing to do and there's this thing called morals. Furthermore, its consequences escalate the longer it continues, not to mention betraying the trust those guys have for me in case they ever found out – well, I mean going to a haunted place isn't praise-worthy either but what they don't know won't hurt them, right? Telling the truth won't be pretty either cuz that would also mean revealing that I had entered a danger zone on purpose just because I was looking for an adventure. Perhaps if I twisted the truth, they wouldn't find out? For instance, if they asked me about my whereabouts, I could just act casual and tell them I was out for a walk, which is technically not a lie because I really am taking a walk… in a haunted zone (Forget I said that last part) And should I get injured because some jinn decided to be cute and toss a brick at my cranium, some potion should hide the evidence.

But putting all these scenarios aside, there's also the possibility of something going wrong, y'know? I can't help but feel like I'm missing something but this is just the anxiety talking. After all, I'm going to investigate paranormal activities for the first time and alone for that matter. Perhaps I should call someone from the other teams and ask them to come with me? But knowing them, they probably not only would call me out on my idiotic motives, but they may also be obligated to join me to ensure I don't get myself mauled by something invisible - Ultimately getting my own comrade involved against their will and maybe even getting hurt too because of my own curiosity. Even if someone did agree to come along by will, I'm not about to have THAT on my consciousness. It's bad enough that it's an entirely uncalled for decision in the first place. and who can I guarantee that would actually come along willingly anyway?

This may not be easy…

But I've got an idea though. I'll just head over to the location and start exploring with the camera in hand and in case something did happen, I'll hightail it out of there. I even highly doubt the possibility of something happening because even if this whole ghost mess is real, there's little chance of one actually showing up. I probably won't find anything there anyway.

With all that in mind, I opened Google map to search for the nearest haunted place in the local region and yup, there it is. An abandoned mansion a thousand miles from where I live and it's said to be one of the most haunted buildings in Insomnia. I felt the sting of anxiety in my chest the second I saw the house's picture. Because that meant there's actually an available location for me to explore. Frankly, part of me didn't want me to succeed at finding the location because the idea of visiting such a place is making me hella nervous and that if I didn't find anything, I would have spared myself the unnecessary horror and forgot about it all. I know I'm not obligated to go through with this but I feel like I have to. I wanna know what those YouTubers have been going though. I wanna know if what I have been watching for the past few months was actually genuine. I wanna sate the curiosity that drives me insane every time an unknown being shows up and the camera quality is too shitty to reveal anything properly.

And this mansion seems like a good start. I looked up its history on Wiki to get an idea of what I'm willingly getting myself into and what I've found was unsettling to say the least.

The ancient mansion of Insomnia has been established a hundred years ago beginning the era of its dark history. There have been incidents about residents ending their own lives, get brutally murdered, or have accidents that lead to their demise such as slipping off of the roof. The locals agreed that the mansion is cursed and should not be occupied to prevent further tragedies. However, there have been reports about sightings of transparent figures standing at the windows and unknown screaming noises coming from within the establishment.

Ok that's weird. But it wasn't enough. A curse? The existence of curses befalling random places to kill its residents are neither confirmed nor denied as far as I'm concerned. But I know those people didn't have time to analyze the situation. In their defense, it's either that or they risk having more victims. I moved on to another article.

When the local police arrived to investigate the mystery, there was nothing to be found. The next day, one of the police officers came down with a horrible fever only to make a full recovery the next day. His colleagues suspect that this was no coincidence and it could be related to the haunted mansion incident.

That reminded me of this video about that guy who was working a late night shift at some kind of a warehouse where he kept hearing weird noises and he didn't find anything when he went to investigate. But that was because he wasn't paying attention to the weird creature watching him from behind the corner. Not much later than that and he came down with a fever that only lasted for a short while. Putting aside the fact that the clip may or may not be fabricated, it didn't take much brain power to figure out how he caught the illness. Alright, next!

A few months later, a group of ghost investigators went to unravel the mystery and came back with recordings revealing small shadow figures from behind doorways and transparent silhouettes passing through in the background. However, one of them ended up with mysterious scratches on his back after they have left the premises.

Yeah, I've seen a few videos about those scratches before but they were just harmless marks and not some kind of a hex or anything. At least they were all okay and even came back with visual evidence! Unless this is faked, this could be what I'm up against. Hopefully things turn as smoothly with me as with those guys, excluding the scratches' part. The people in the next paragraph, however, weren't so lucky.

The most tragic incident that took place recently was when a trio of teenagers broke into the mansion out of penchant for exploration and one of them had met his end inside the house for unknown causes. When the police interrogated the other surviving two for answers, they were too traumatized to cooperate and were taken away by their parents to seek mental therapy. Furthermore…

I closed the page. I decided I've seen enough. No need to further unnerve myself more than I already was. I've looked up the info so that I wouldn't stay completely clueless when I head over there, but no more that would discourage me from the idea after it had made its way into my head. The rest I can figure out from the videos I watched.

It's settled then. I'm gonna start with my own paranormal investigation which I hopefully won't regret.

I closed the laptop screen and laid flat on my bed thinking about how I should prepare. My phone is definitely my number one choice and I will make sure it's fully charged once I depart. A flashlight is a wise precaution. I should also bring a video camera because while my phone can already serve both functions of the previous items, they can drain the heck out of the battery and I'm not gonna risk that in case I decide to stay for too long and, if things went well, this whole paranormal investigating thing becomes a long-term hobby. How often I will choose to do that though, I will think about it later. Let's not forget it's not easy to get involved in a risky activity while keeping it hidden from everyone.

Should I choose to go through with it again in the long run, that's when relying on my phone alone could become too much for it. A camera is better suited to save the possible annihilation of my phone battery. I should also get a mask. From what I've seen, abandoned places not only are full of dust, but the stench alone is more of a reason to quit than the ghost itself. They say it's also a sign that there are jinn living in the house so I should keep that in mind.

So I got up to check the items available for the task ahead. I opened my drawer and took the flashlight that I have always kept on me on my trips. This one can be attached to my jacket leaving my hand free. And right next to it is the mask I used to wear when I came down with the flu. It's clean and made of cloth so it can be washed to be used again.

Phone. Check.

Flashlight. Check.

Mask. Check.

Now I need a video camera.

That's when I remembered that Prom had recently developed his photographing hobby and started switching between taking snapshots and recording videos. He even owns this high-tech video recorder equipped with its own flashlight and can take snapshots mid-recording. Convenient, no?

I couldn't believe how lucky I was that I had everything I needed available right between my hands. For a second there, I thought I would have to go out and buy a camera. But I guess I didn't have to go through the trouble, did I? It's a sign, I tell you!

But here's the catch, how will I borrow it from him?

I know I can easily ask for permission and he will give it to me without hesitation, but naturally he may enquire what I need it for as I have never shown any interest in photography before. And snatching it from behind his back is taking it way too far. If I straight out said it's a secret or that questions aren't allowed, that would just make it more suspicious.

The half-truth being the key here. I could tell him I'm just recording sceneries but what if he asked to view the footage?

Goddammit…

And if I tried to borrow a camera from one of our allies, it will just make it all the more troublesome not just because of the long distance between us and also because I don't wanna keep borrowing every time I go on a quest like this especially if, like I said, it's going to be a long term. Not to mention the questions I'm gonna probably face.

You know what, fuck it. I'll just use my phone at the meantime and solve that issue later. If things went well and felt like repeating the experience, I'll just get a cheap camera, keep it hidden and that's that. If not, then at least I wouldn't have needlessly gotten one and can forget about it all.

There's one laaast problem though: the means of transportation. Getting there by car is instantly scratched because I don't wanna take my Regalia to such a suspicious zone. I thought of taking my Chocobo but I didn't have the heart to subject the poor guy to a possible ghost encounter.

Best option? I'll just summon my Gryphon to take me there then infuse her once I've reached the destination. Then repeat the process to get back home.

This pretty much covers everything. I guess I'm now somewhat prepared for what lies ahead. What time is it now? Oh it's close to 12 am. From what I've learned, the paranormal activities are at their strongest around 3 am. But there's no way I'm heading out tonight. I couldn't just come up with such a horrifying plan then instantly carry it out. I'm nervous enough as it is. I'll give myself time to mentally prepare until tomorrow to gather up enough courage (and idiocy) hopefully I won't chicken out (or wise up) until then.

I left everything for the trip on my desk alongside the laptop then headed over to bed. I laid there staring at the ceiling thinking about the countless possibilities of what's going to unfold.

Am I going to face a real ghost?

What will it look like?

Will it try to hurt me?

Am I going to get scared?

How will the mansion look from the inside?

Will something go terribly wrong?

It's weird though. We've stood fearlessly against a Behemoth, giant dragons and Roc birds. Yet the idea of seeing a mere ghost makes that sting in my chest come back again. I guess it's because they're connected with the subtle type of horror that makes you tense with suspension and makes you confused as to why this pencil just dropped off the table for no apparent reason, or why the faucet opened on its own, or why your dog is growling at the wall, or why the chandelier is swinging without air current, or why the cabinet doors open and close by themselves.

A Behemoth doesn't give off that type of horror. The type of horror that makes you feel like you're not alone; that there's some kind of an invisible force toying with you, something you can't see, hear or touch but can feel its effects. All is tolerable until the source of it all finally manifests in the corner of your room or the end of the hall staring right at you…

But if a monster chases after you and picks a fight? Where's the suspense in that? It could physically harm me more than the ghost could, but if we're talking about the fear factor, I'd be hella braver facing a living monster that can pretty much be taken down with a weapon, not by a crucifix.

My eyelids started to get heavier and my yawns were beginning to crack my jaw. I've seen in a video that a haunted area can drain your energy and makes you feel exhausted and sleepy. Will I feel that way when I get there?

Ok, that's enough overthinking it. I'm barely agreeing to getting involved into this mess and anymore of these worrisome thoughts and I might actually call it quits. I have expected to not get a singly shuteye because of tomorrow plans but surprisingly, I managed to get a good night's sleep, which I will definitely need for later.

The next day would have passed by more normally if I hadn't been distracted as hell. Thankfully, nobody asked any questions seeing as they were all going about their routine; Gallius sparring with my second boyfriend Yozora in our villa's backyard while Prompto stood by the sidelines aiming at them with the camera whereas Ignis went out to buy some supplies. As for me? I've been keeping myself occupied by watching my trainer and my boyfriend manhandling each other. With how strong these two are, they are practically even.

Yozora is quite the unique match making him a valuable ally of the Crownsguard. Known for his two technological weapons he simultaneously uses for both ballistic and melee techniques; his crossbow that shoots energy blasts, and his sword that maims anything that stands in the way of its red-slashed combos. And to further show the quite intimidating adversary he is, he can teleport and summon small floating laser shooting machines and even control his own sword from a distance using telepathy. Even when he holds back, that doesn't make him less of a nightmare to any unfortunate klutz trying to fuck with us.

Gallius, as my bodyguard and trainer, simply takes no bullshit from no one. He was raised in House Amicitia where he had received special training to become a royal bodyguard until he has officially joined the Crownsguard at the age of 18.

Naturally the big brute possesses talent with different kinds of weaponry specifically those bigass swords and shields. In the battle field, that giant ape is quite the heavy hitter who could toss you flying to the next planet. Add that to his aggression, boldness and strength and he became worthy of being my Shield.

Now I see the two adversaries in question display each of their fighting prowess in a heated face-off from my seat at the table in our backyard. I suppressed a giggle as I watched Gally almost push Yozo in the empty swimming pool. But he managed to save himself from the painful fall with a quick retaliation move with his sword which my bodyguard swiftly sidestepped, the shield he's holding glimmering under the noon sunlight. Like the showoff he is, the caveman just had to fight topless revealing the Amicita eagle tattoo in its glorified details and jokingly shouting at Prompto to get a clear good shot of his abs.

Cameras aren't the only thing Prompto is good at aiming (no, I'm not talking about toilet time!) the technophile has a huge affinity for guns and machinery and is the best marksman in our team just like how Ignis is the best magic user. Behind that cheerful and friendly exterior lies a deadly sharpshooter with a hellishly accurate aim.

Now he uses said aiming skills to point the camera around, while trying not to get accidentally smashed in the face with a solid metal shield, allowing me to get a view of the barbed wire and star tattoo around his left wrist and the barcode on his right wrist.

Learning that my own Crownsguard member, friend and lover was an MT all along was quite the cliché movie plot twist yet I couldn't care less. As long as he remains the same goofball we have all come to love then the number of shits I could give are absolute zero. And there he is, trying not to trip on a chair while keeping the sparring partners within his camera view and shouting at the clashing meatheads to hit each other harder. I shifted my chair closer to the shade next to Prompto's Cockatrice, Ulric, who was napping under the tree while his idiot owner wouldn't stop moving around the sparring ground in his attempts to get clear shots from different angles of the two bickering assholes. Initially, he opted to name the avian beast Chicken Nugget but we all slapped him into working on his taste in names and demanded he comes up with something less cringy. And apparently he thought that Turkey, Barbecue, Hot Sauce, Kentucky and buckbeak were better choices so we kept on slapping him until he finally decided on a name that wouldn't drive the poor monster into suicide.

"Ah!" I snapped my head up to Yozora's squeaky yelp as he ducked to avoid a massive shield swing by a hair, emitting a chickenlike giggle from Prompto and a demonic one from Gallius.

"You'd better got that on camera, Prom!" I called out to said Blondie as he chuckled and sent me a thumpsup.

I've been watching it all thinking as I looked at my surroundings that all these flowers and greenery would most likely be the opposite of the view I'm about to get tonight. I may not live in a bigass castle anymore but I'm pretty much content living in a small villa where I can easily manage the kingdom using indirect means from the comfort and privacy of my own house. Ever since I have taken over the throne and I've been performing my royal duties regularly while living the free life I've always wanted in the outskirts of Insomnia with my dear Crownsguard in an ornate two-story villa surrounded by a wide beautiful garden with a large fountain in the center of the front yard. Next to it is the garage where we keep the Regalia and Audi R8.

The backyard isn't any less impressive to look at. Besides the small swimming pool, there's a seating zone consisting of an artificial camp fire surrounded by a few wooden chairs making for a comfy gathering area where Iggy would occasionally start his barbeques, or when we feel like having tea time together out in the open. There are also a few strings of light bulbs hung about should we feel like spending our time of leisure at night.

I'm so glad I was given the choice of managing the kingdom from my own personal household otherwise I would have been stuck back at the citadel surrounded by a bunch of random servants and people I barely know or trust where I could easily have my privacy invaded every 10 seconds, and not living my life with the only three people I really need peacefully watching horror videos in my free time. The citadel is used as the main base of operations during emergencies and times of need during which the king (that's me btw) will have to be there. I still visit the castle though once in a while to do inspections or when I'm called to attend meetings to discuss some boring shit but otherwise I'm pretty much content ruling the kingdom without it having much effect on the free live I have always desired. Though I'm technically a king, I'm still occasionally titled 'prince'. But I don't care what I'm called just as long as everyone is benefited with the way things are going. It's a huge win-win, amirite? I think that the unwanted restraints of caring for an entire kingdom while trapped within the confines of the citadel is more terrifying than a thousand haunted mansions. But I digress…

The day went by faster than expected and my heart would beat with enthusiasm every time I check the time on the clock to see the moment finally approaching. If there's one thing I've learned from those videos is that paranormal activities are at their strongest around 3 am. So I've decided to take it easy and leave at 12 o'clock because it's just too darn early for me to start around the ass crack of dawn.

Baby steps, Noctis. Baby steps.

Ignis came back with the groceries by late noon mounting his Coeurl, Leonis. Followed by his Dynoaevis, Iris, flying from above carrying a couple bags.

Sometimes, when he isn't planning on buying a lot of stuff, he wouldn't bother taking the car and let his Familiar give him a ride just for the heck of it. Don't think that just because he was raised in the noble House of Scientia aka House of Nerds that all he does is being a blabbermouth and the rest do the action parts. Being a Crownsguard means you oughta know how to fight and Ignis is no exception. Unlike Gallius, his build is much leaner and more agile and he aims more at speed than using brute force. And like I said earlier, he's a mage by nature. It was thanks to that that he can infuse his daggers with magic to apply elemental damage. And the way he handles his spear makes him scarier than he does when I don't eat my veggies.

Anyhoo, once he dismissed his Familiars, he quickly prepared the meal of noodles and chicken then we all sat in the simple yet elegant dining room with everyone chatting about… I dunno - wasn't paying attention. When you're planning on leaving your house at midnight to visit an ancient ghost-infested mansion from behind everyone's back, you wouldn't have enough mentality to focus on anything else.

"Noct." Slurp. "Noctis!" I snapped my head up from my bowl with a noodle hanging from my mouth. I looked at Yozora waiting for him to repeat what I had neglected to hear. "Weren't you listening?" I honestly shook my head.

"My, He must have really liked the noodles!" boasted Ignis jokingly at the idea of me getting so absorbed in his meal that I forgot how to pay attention. But that wasn't the reason, Iggy. Not the reason. at. all.

"I was asking if you wanted to watch Pacific Rim with us tonight." Said Yozora. Oh, so they were talking about movies?

"Hold up, isn't that the movie about the giant robots and aliens? Been meaning to watch for it a while." Perked up Prompto as he sucked in a noodle.

"I watched it before. Plus, I'm going out tonight." I said before I held a piece of chicken with my chopsticks and gobbled it.

"Going where, Noct?" the expected question came from Gallius who was stirring his meal without looking at me.

"Going on a midnight flight with Freya." And that's the truth. My Gryphon really is going to take me for a midnight flight. But they don't need to know the rest, do they?

My bodyguard shrugged and dropped the topic, holding his fork to scoop more noodles into his mouth. Reason why he was quick to buy it cuz they're all used to my habit of taking my Familiars out for a night stroll occasionally. Something I usually do to take my mind off of things.

"In that case, we can pick something else entirely new so you could see it with us." Proposed Promp as he stirred his noodle soup with the chopsticks.

"It's alright. You guys just have fun with Pacific Rim so we can all watch something else later. At the meantime, I just feel like going out." My response made Yozo look kinda dejected which made me feel guilty at rejecting the idea of spending quality time with my close friends in favor of visiting a paranormally fucked up building. But I have to do it today cuz I won't stand any more delays. I'll be sure it won't happen very often though.

"Yozo, it's fine. Let him go for tonight. The five of us can watch a movie another day." Ignis backed me up at which Yozora nodded in understanding. Don't worry, guys. I'll make it up to you someday.

The time has come.

When the clock handles reached 12, I knew that this is it. So I bid everyone goodnight because they usually would be asleep by the time I get back, except my advisor or bodyguard who would take turns staying awake in order to call me to check up on me like the parents they are.

The second I closed the door behind me and the reality of the situation dawned on me. I really am going to explore a haunted mansion! I checked my pockets one last time for the phone, mask, the power bank I had brought with me as an extra precaution, the flashlight already attached to my black jacket. Then summoned Freya. A shiny ray of light appeared and gradually yet rapidly began to form into a discernible shape. Starting with the head, the legs, torso, wings and tail. Once my Gryphon has completed materializing, the light dispersed to reveal her true form, leaving everything in the dark again.

"Over here, girl. Tonight is going to be different. Unlike our usual flights together, we are going somewhere different." I spoke to my companion.

I let her approach me and I touched my Familiar on her smooth peak to help calm my nerves. It's a well-known method that if you're feeling anxious or scared, you allow your Familiar to be your source of comfort by touching each other. It can be a hug, a touch, a caress, a peck, or even mount it. This form of physical contact not only increases the bond between a Familiar and their owner, but it can also be means to ease the tension.

Feeling scared? Go to your Familiar and give it a big hug. Only then will you feel that nothing else matters anymore.

Getting worried over an exam? Kiss your Familiar! What're you waiting for?

Feeling nervous because you're gonna a visit a spooky place for the first time? No worries! Your Familiar is right here with you!

And that's why I have gained enough courage to mount my beast and have her fly me to the horrid destination with Google map to help me direct my Familiar. And whenever I feel the sense of dread rising up in me, I'd bury my face in her feathers until I'm ready to raise my head again. I was nuzzling her neck and when I pulled myself up this time, I saw it.

The mansion! Holyshit, it's here!

The building looked creepier the more I got closer as Freya lowered her altitude until we landed right at the doorstep. I dismounted my Familiar and forced myself to infuse her. Her entire body was covered in a sheen of light and once that light has vanished, she did as well. Because as fearless as she is, and as much as I would have loved to have her with me as much needed emotional support, I just can't let her get involved in something like this. Just like the case with the Chocobo.

First time investigation going solo at midnight. Starting out strong there, aren't we?

I took in my new surroundings and, sure enough, the view here was nothing like back home. Just this morning, all was colorful and dandy. Now the vision in my head switched to this dark and creepy emptiness of dead trees, broken fences and grassless grounds. The mansion itself was reflective of its own garden. The windows were barred with rotten blanks of wood, paint batches missing here and there revealing the cracked brick walls beneath, and walls of ivy snaking around the base of the house and reaching up to the windows. I felt a cold gust of wind ruffling my hair and jacket as if the place was either offering me its welcome, or threatening me to stay away.

I took in shaky breaths as I approached the front double doors and reached out for the handles. My heart wouldn't stop beating rapidly as if trying to warn me of what's waiting inside, as if ordering me to turn the hell back and return to the safety of my home, that this was all a stupid idea.

But I'm not turning back. Not after I have gone this far. So I forced myself through my nerves to twist the doorknob and, weirdly enough, the door responded. You'd think that such a place would have been sealed down but I guess the people who have been visiting it recently, including me, have left the doors unlocked. Ready to open for any fool that dares venture inside.

And like the fool I was, I took one last breath, prepared the phone camera and flashlight, and walked in.