The cool night air carried the faint scent of autumn leaves and smoke as Team RWBY sat around a fire pit just outside their dorm building. It was Halloween night, and the festivities had ended hours ago, but the energy from the party lingered. Candy-filled bags sat at their feet, occasional wrappers crackling as Ruby nervously munched on a chocolate bar.

Yang leaned back, her golden hair glinting in the flickering firelight, a sly grin spread across her face. "Alright, ladies," she began, her voice low and dramatic. "Gather round. I've got a story that'll chill you to your core."

Ruby peeked out from under her cape, her hood pulled tight around her head. "D-Does it have to be scary?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Yang smirked. "Of course, it does! It's Halloween, Rubes. You can't have Halloween without a good scary story."

Weiss crossed her arms, her pristine white outfit still immaculate despite the night's activities. "Please. It's probably just another one of your ridiculous made-up tales."

Blake, sitting next to Yang, tilted her head with interest. Her amber eyes glinted in the firelight. "I don't know, Weiss. Sometimes myths and legends have a grain of truth in them."

Yang's grin widened. "Exactly! And this one? Oh, this one's true." She leaned forward, the firelight casting eerie shadows across her face.

"There's a dorm room here at Beacon," Yang began, her voice lowering to a whisper, "that's been sealed off for years. No one's allowed inside. The faculty pretends it doesn't exist. But anyone who's lived here long enough knows the truth—it's haunted."

Ruby squeaked, clutching her hood tighter. "H-Haunted? Why?"

Yang's eyes gleamed as she continued. "They say years ago, a student disappeared in that room. Her name was Amelia Rosewood. Top of her class, brilliant fighter, and loved by everyone. But one day, she just… vanished. No one could figure out what happened. No signs of a fight, no clues, nothing. The only thing left in the room was a shattered mirror and a single red feather on the floor."

"A red feather?" Blake asked, clearly intrigued.

"Yup," Yang nodded. "People thought it might've been a clue, but it didn't make sense. Some say it was from a bird Grimm that got her. Others say it was part of an experiment gone wrong." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping lower. "But here's where it gets really creepy. Anyone who's tried to stay in that room since? They all say the same thing. Strange whispers at night, objects moving on their own, and—"

"Stop!" Ruby yelped, jumping to her feet and clutching Weiss's arm.

Weiss looked down at her sister with an amused smirk. "Ruby, it's just a story. Calm down."

"It's not just a story!" Yang said, feigning indignation. "There's more. They say if you stay in that room too long, you'll start seeing her. Amelia. She appears in mirrors, staring at you. Always behind you. And if you turn around—"

"NOPE!" Ruby shrieked, burying her face into Weiss's shoulder.

Yang burst out laughing, while Weiss rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small, smug smile creeping onto her face. "Ruby, it's nonsense," Weiss said, patting Ruby's head.

"But what if it's not?" Blake asked, her voice calm but curious.

Yang's grin turned mischievous. "Exactly. And do you want to know where this haunted dorm room is?"

Blake leaned forward. "Where?"

Yang's eyes gleamed as she leaned back, tossing a piece of candy into her mouth. "Easy. It's in our dorm building."

Ruby froze, her eyes wide with terror as she slowly peeked out from under her hood. "W-WHAT?! Our building?!"

Yang nodded, clearly enjoying Ruby's reaction. "Yup. In the west wing, second floor, last door on the left. Room 213. Sealed off and abandoned, just waiting for the brave—or stupid—to check it out."

Ruby immediately shook her head. "Nope! Nope! Nope! Not happening! We're not going in there!"

Weiss sighed. "Ruby's right. We're not going to waste our time chasing ghost stories."

Blake tilted her head. "But what if it's true? Wouldn't it be worth investigating?"

Yang leaned toward Blake, her grin widening. "See? Blake gets it. It's Halloween! How can we not check it out?"

Ruby pointed accusingly at Yang. "Because I don't want to get dragged into a horror movie, that's why!"

Yang laughed. "Oh, come on, Rubes. Don't you want to prove you're as brave as your big sister?"

Ruby pouted, still clinging to Weiss. "I am brave! I just don't want to get haunted!"

Weiss stood, brushing off her dress. "This is ridiculous. There's no such thing as ghosts, and I won't waste my evening indulging Yang's fantasies."

Blake smirked. "But if it's not real, then you have nothing to lose by going, right?"

Weiss hesitated, then narrowed her eyes at Blake. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"A little," Blake admitted.

Yang jumped to her feet, grabbing her flashlight. "Alright! Who's in? Let's find out if Amelia's still waiting for someone to find her."

Ruby whimpered. "Can't we just eat candy and forget this ever happened?"

Yang slung an arm around Ruby, pulling her toward the dorm building. "Come on, Ruby. You'll thank me when we survive and get to brag about it."

Weiss sighed and followed, muttering under her breath, "This is absurd."

Blake stood last, a small smile on her face as she grabbed her bag of candy and followed the group. "This should be interesting."

As they approached the dorm building, the fire behind them flickered out, leaving the night darker and eerier than before.

The team cautiously stepped into the sealed-off dorm room, their flashlights cutting through the dense, dusty air. It didn't take long for them to realize that something was… off. The room stretched far beyond the size of any dorm they'd ever seen, with corridors winding into impossible darkness.

"This… doesn't make sense," Weiss muttered, glancing down one of the seemingly endless hallways.

"Yeah, it's a bit… bigger on the inside," Yang said, her usual bravado tinged with unease. "You know what we should do? Split up. Cover more ground."

Ruby immediately spun around, glaring at her sister. "Are you crazy?! Have you ever seen a horror movie? That's, like, the first thing you don't do!"

Yang smirked but shrugged. "Fair point. But how else are we supposed to figure this place out?"

Weiss sighed, pulling Ruby close to her side. "If you're so worried, Ruby, just stay with me. I'll protect you."

Ruby blinked at Weiss, wide-eyed, then nodded hesitantly. "O-Okay. But if anything jumps out, I'm hiding behind you."

Yang clapped her hands. "Great. Ruby and Weiss, stick together. I'll take Blake." She turned to Blake with a confident grin. "Ready to brave the unknown, partner?"

Blake simply nodded, her amber eyes fixed on the unnaturally long corridors. "Let's just get this over with."

As they split into pairs, Ruby clung tightly to Weiss's arm, her flashlight trembling slightly in her hand. Weiss, on the other hand, kept her posture straight and her expression calm.

"You know," Weiss said, her tone flat, "this isn't scary. It's just… poorly maintained. Dusty. Dim. That's all."

Ruby glanced up at her, raising an eyebrow. "Oh really? Because last week, you screamed so loud during that horror movie, I thought the neighbors were gonna call the cops."

Flashback

Weiss screamed at the top of her lungs, practically launching herself over the back of the couch. In the movie, a sudden, loud BANG erupted from the TV as a shadowy figure appeared behind the protagonist. "GET IT AWAY FROM ME! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!"

Ruby scrambled for the remote, her own face pale but far more concerned about calming Weiss down. "Weiss! It's just a movie! Calm down!"

Weiss clung to the back of the couch, her wide eyes locked on the screen. "THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY LESS TERRIFYING!"

Present Day

Weiss stiffened slightly but kept her chin high. "That was completely different. Horror movies rely on cheap tricks. This is just… an old room."

Ruby smirked but decided not to push further. "Right. Totally different."

As they turned a corner, Ruby's flashlight caught a glimmer of something in the cracked mirror hanging on the wall. She gasped. "W-Weiss, did you see that?!"

Weiss frowned and shone her flashlight at the mirror. Her own reflection stared back at her, perfectly still. "There's nothing there, Ruby. You're just scaring yourself."

But then the mirror flickered. A faint, shadowy figure moved behind Weiss's reflection, so quick it could've been a trick of the light. Weiss's heart skipped a beat, but she straightened her shoulders. "It's… probably just the dust."

Ruby screamed and clung tighter to Weiss. "IT WAS NOT DUST!"

Meanwhile, Yang and Blake moved cautiously through another corridor. The air seemed to grow colder the further they walked, and Blake's ears twitched at every faint sound.

"You know," Yang said, her voice noticeably quieter than usual, "I'm not saying I believe in ghosts, but… this place is creepy."

Blake nodded. "There's something… wrong here. It feels—"

She froze as a faint whisper echoed around them, soft and distant but unmistakable. "…Help me…"

Yang stiffened, forcing a laugh. "That's… that's probably just the wind, right?"

Blake tilted her head, listening intently. The whisper came again, louder. "…Help me…"

Yang's bravado cracked. "Okay, yeah. That's not the wind."

Suddenly, a chair slid across the floor on its own, stopping inches from Blake. Both girls jumped back, and Yang let out a high-pitched scream.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Blake's voice was steady, though her hands trembled slightly. "We need to leave."

Yang nodded quickly. "Yeah. Good idea. Great idea."

The pairs regrouped in the main hall, their expressions pale and tense. Before anyone could speak, a loud BANG echoed through the room, followed by a distant, chilling laugh.

"NOPE!" Ruby yelled, bolting toward the door, dragging Weiss with her. "I'M OUT!"

Yang and Blake were right behind them, sprinting as the sound of footsteps echoed behind them, faster and closer than seemed possible. The hallway stretched endlessly as they ran, their flashlights bobbing wildly.

When they finally reached the door, Ruby grabbed the handle, her heart pounding. As she yanked it open, the team froze in their tracks.

Standing just outside the door was a ghostly girl, her pale form shimmering faintly in the dim light. Her hollow eyes glinted with an otherworldly glow, and a gentle smile played across her translucent face. Slowly, she raised a hand and waved.

"Bye," she whispered softly.

Yang's eyes widened, her face going pale as she stumbled backward. "Oh Gods. It's real. It's actually real."

Before anyone could respond, Yang's knees buckled, and she comically collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

The ghost giggled once more, then disappeared into the darkness. The remaining three stared at the now-empty doorway, their hearts racing.

Ruby finally broke the silence. "I TOLD YOU THIS WAS A BAD IDEA!"

Back in their dorm room, the atmosphere was tense but tinged with relief. The door was locked, the lights were on, and every flashlight they owned sat on the table, fully powered and ready. Blake sat beside Yang, who was sprawled across her bed, still unconscious. Blake gently dabbed a cool cloth on Yang's forehead as the blonde murmured incoherently.

"Ghosts… real… waving… never eating candy again…" Yang mumbled, her face pale and glistening with sweat.

Blake glanced at Ruby and Weiss, her ears twitching. "I think she'll be fine. She's just… processing."

Ruby paced back and forth, her red cape swishing behind her, her arms flailing as she spoke. "I mean, she passed out! Yang never passes out! She's supposed to be the brave one! What do we do if the ghost comes back? What if it follows us?!"

Weiss, sitting stiffly on her bed with her arms crossed, sighed loudly. "Ruby, ghosts don't follow people. That's not how it works."

Ruby turned to her, wide-eyed. "Oh, so you're an expert on ghosts now? You know, since you just met one!"

Weiss narrowed her eyes but said nothing. She kept her gaze fixed firmly on the far wall, as if ignoring Ruby's words would make the entire ordeal vanish from her memory.

Ruby walked over and sat beside Weiss, gently wrapping her arms around her friend in a comforting hug. "It's okay, Weiss. We're safe now."

Weiss scoffed but didn't pull away from the hug. Her stiff posture softened slightly, though she still refused to look at Ruby. "I told you, I'm not scared."

Ruby smiled knowingly, resting her chin on Weiss's shoulder. "Weiss… do you believe in ghosts now?"

Weiss's jaw tightened, her pale cheeks flushing faintly. She let the silence stretch for a moment before muttering under her breath, "Shut up."

Ruby giggled softly and squeezed her friend tighter. "I'll take that as a yes."

Weiss groaned, leaning her head back against the wall, her arms still crossed. "You're insufferable."

Blake, still tending to Yang, glanced at them with a small smile. "If it helps, at least we know for sure now. Beacon's haunted."

Yang stirred, her voice groggy as she muttered, "Told you it was real… I'm never going back in there…"

The room fell silent for a moment before Ruby whispered, "We are never going near that room again."

Weiss finally allowed herself to relax slightly, leaning into Ruby's hug. "For once, Ruby, we agree."