I still continued to run through the dimly lit hallways, my head feeling heavy, my eyes getting watery making it even harder to see the path.I could hear the monster approaching, walking unevenly on the wooden floor.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me into a nearby room. I struggled, trying to break free, but another hand clamped over myr mouth, muffling my voice.

“Shhh, it’s alright. It’s me,” a familiar voice whispered.

I stopped struggling and looked up. Even though it was dark I could still see his green eyes dimly lit by the candles on the walls in the room. It was Ethan. Relief washed over me, I finally caught my breath. The heavy feeling I had from the strange aura from the hallway slowly faded away.

They didn't leave me, I wasn't alone. I could hear everyone else was also in the room, catching their breaths.The room was dark but dimly lit by the torches lined up against the wall, giving us some warmth from the cold. the ground was unevenly made of cobblestone.
"That's crazy-" Louis said. "Instead of ghosts, we got a monster to face," his voice echoed through the room.

Chloe kept on pacing the room looking quite angry," there is no way, he didn't tell me about this, that stupid little-"
She threw her bag across the room and straight where Louis was standing.

My eyes took a little while adjusting to the light so I closed my eyes, just listening, my breath echoing from the cobblestone wall. still a bit shaken up from the sight of the monster.

"Who told you what Chloe?" Ethan said. I quickly let go of my hand from his realizing I was still holding it.

Chloe's eyes widen, " I- Nothing- Um-"

Louis picked up the back sighing, and his eyes widen when he saw what was on the floor.
"uhh Guys..." Louis said utterly terrified." look behind you for a minute.."

And what I saw was the most disturbling thing I had ever seen today, not even the monster was as disturbing as this.
The room we were in which was the size of a school basketball field was rows of children laying on the ground, their bodies still and lifeless. Their lips were pale, almost white, and their eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling. The sight was deeply disturbing, sending chills down my spine and filling me with a sense of dread and fear, even more fear than I had already felt.

Tifanny was further away into the room,she was standing staring at a particular body, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

We walked to her I didn't even dare to look at the bodies as we passed through them. and once i got to Tiffany what I saw made my heart drop to the ground.

"Jade-" My voice was deep and hoarse. I couldn't beleive what I was seeing. I collapsed to my knees my eyes widen with fear, wishing that this wasn't real. Is this what's going to happen to us too? oh poor Jade...

Her lips were white and chapped, her blue eyes stared into the ceiling. her braided black hair resting on her shoulder.

"This isn't happening, no no no no-" louis said.

"She is still alive" Chloe said.

"what do you mean she is alive?!" I cried. I couldn't prevent my tears from flooding.

"She's right Freya, we still have a chance, she might look dead but," Tiffany wiped a tear, " We can get her soul back.."

" Soul? what do you mean? What are you two up to?" Ethan asked. he sounded calm yet I knew he was terrified as well.

Tifanny closed her eyes and took a deep breath,

"In shadows deep where whispers creep,
The bodies lie, but souls do weep.
Within an object, spirits bound,
In a house where secrets are found."

Walls that shift and rooms that change,
A haunted maze, eerie and strange.
To free the souls, a monster’s plea,
Heal its heart, set them free.

Beware the ghost, mischievous and sly,
Shapeshifting tricks to mystify.
Overcome its games, be brave and wise,
For the next clue, a journal lies.”

"That's the prophecy you were talking about?" I asked, wiping of my tears.

"woah woah woah" Ethan said, " what is going on?"

After a few minutes of processing what Tiffany said and what just happened. Chloe spoke, while pacing the room between the dead but not so dead bodies.

"well supposedly we are suppose to go through this house maze, find this- whatever the object is- that has trapped souls, heal the monster, that we just saw, Find a journal, and avoid a ghost that's planning to KILL us. Am I right Tiffany?"

Tifanny just stood there,looking as lifeless as the bodies around us. still looking at Jade.

Chloe looked even more angrier than before, yet I can still see that she was trying hard not to let her anger get over her.

" I was tricked, I was decieved, It's all making sense now..." She breathed heavily as if she couldn't quite catch her breath.

" what do you mean by that Chloe?" Louis asked " Nothing is making sense right now-"

" I met the ghost- I met him" Chloe said sounding more impatient than ever, pacing faster and faster through the room.

" But how? didn't we come together to this place? This old man was the only one we saw.. we could'nt even get inside the house.." Ethan said looking as confused as louis.

My mind was spinning, That was too much information at once. My mind was blank, all I could think about was Jade being right there infront of us yet, we couldn't do anything about it.

" The old man, WAS the ghost we saw," Chloe said. " He shapeshifted into an old man, Yet the ghost is young. He would do anything to kill us..To stop us from freeing the souls, from saving that... monster."

"what- How- Who is he anyway?" Louis said.

"I talked to the ghost, right after you left for home Ethan. He revealed himself to me. He showed me things. He told me many things. his name, his name is-" Chloe stopped herself.

"His name is?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"Aryan".