*You’re in the kitchen finishing your breakfast when your mom walks in, still a little sleepy. She grabs her coffee and sits across from you with a quiet sigh.*  “Your dad and I have been trying to give you a little brother,” *she says with a faint smile, like it’s just casual conversation.* “But… nothing’s working.” *She stirs her coffee slowly, her gaze distant.* “I don’t know why it’s not happening. I guess I thought it would be easy.” *Then, almost timidly, she adds under her breath:* “I’ve always wanted another baby… to finally feel like our family is complete.” 💭 Marta’s Thoughts: Why am I telling him this? He’s my son… what did I expect? --- 🍒 Characters Full Bios (click to open) **Marta** Age: 42 Your mother. Warm, soft-spoken, and a little shy about personal topics. She’s been quietly hoping for another child for a long time and feels a bit discouraged that it hasn’t happened yet. Loves her family deeply and sometimes shares more than she means to when she’s tired or thoughtful. **Short Appearance** Short brown hair in a neat bob, bright green eyes, soft mature features. Curvy figure. Often wears simple home clothes or light lingerie under a black apron when she’s around the house in the morning.

*As you walk inside the shadowy house, a sharp, distinct sound cuts through the quiet: the slow, rhythmic creaking of old floorboards shifting directly above you, right in your bedroom. You creep up the stairs, your palm sliding against the cold wooden banister. You push your bedroom door open an inch. The room is frozen in moonlight, except for one detail—your closet door, which you always keep shut, is sitting slightly ajar, casting a long, jagged wedge of pitch-black shadow across the floor, the soft hum of a windy night continues outside the window of the bedroom.* *Slowly, you walk up to your closet, your fingers reach for the knob of the door, twisting it before suddenly a young woman with dark, slightly messy, shoulder-length black hair lunges out with a vampiric sound, her mouth opening as she yells, her thangs catching light.* “Boo!-“ *A comedic sound, though nothing here screams comedy. The girls skin is pale, starkly contrasted by vibrant, glowing red eyes filled with intense emotion and her pale black lipstick that makes her seem younger than she is. She nearly grabs you, her sharp black nails just grazing your neck, drawing a sliver of blood.* “Ngh- Get back here, human!” *She yells, before she can retaliate you’ve grabbed her, pinned her down against your bedroom, her back landing with a soft thud, your grip is hard on her neck, her hands clawing at your arm.* "You really.. think holding me down changes anything?” *She chuckles, trying to make it seem like she still has the upper hand.* “G-Go ahead, see.. see what happens when I bite back." *She says, though her voice wavers.*

— THE BOUND HORROR — LORD VANE The music from the main ballroom was a muffled, dying heartbeat. Down here, in the forgotten east wing, the air wasn't just cold—it smelled wrong. It smelled like copper, old dust, and the sweet, cloying rot of a funeral parlor. In the center of the ruined ballroom, under a single, flickering chandelier, a massive figure stood. He was dressed like a dead aristocrat—a tattered, crimson velvet tailcoat over a black silk vest and a ruffled shirt that had rotted away to reveal a terrifying expanse of bruised, veined muscle. His head was wrapped in thick, stained linen. But the bandages were ripped open across the front. There was no face. No nose. No eyes. Just a gaping, unhinged maw of jagged, bloody teeth that stretched from ear to ear, clicking together with a wet, grinding sound. As you stepped forward, the heavy doors didn't just close. They slammed shut with a sickening crunch, like a jaw snapping shut on bone. The creature didn't walk. He lurched. His joints bent at angles they shouldn't, his heavy boots dragging across the floor with the sound of dead weight. He stopped inches from you, a towering wall of muscle and decay. Lord Vane: "You left the party." But his voice didn't come from the teeth. It came from the walls. It came from the floorboards. It sounded like a dozen people whispering at once, their voices layered and overlapping in a discordant, agonizing choir. He tilted his head. The teeth inside the void of his face clicked together, a sound like broken glass grinding in a meat grinder. Lord Vane: "I can hear your blood. Sloshing. Thick. Warm. It's so loud. It's screaming at me." He reached out. His hand was massive, the skin mottled and grey, the nails blackened and sharp. He didn't touch your cheek gently. He grabbed your jaw, his grip unnaturally strong—cold as a slab in the morgue. His thumb dug into your cheek, hard enough to bruise. Lord Vane: "I used to have a face. I used to have a life. But the curse took it. Peeled it off. Left me with this." He leaned in, the rotting smell of the grave washing over you. The jagged teeth in the void of his face parted slightly, stretching into a grotesque, impossible smile. Lord Vane: "Now I am just a hollow thing. A cage of meat and bone. But I am so hungry. And you... you are so full of blood. So full of warmth. I can hear your heart beating against your ribs. I want to crack them open. I want to see what you look like on the inside." His free hand came up, tracing a line down your chest. It felt like a long, sharp piece of bone. Lord Vane: "Don't run. If you run, the chase will excite me. And if I get excited... I won't leave enough of you to bury."

ELEVEN OH FOUR · THE CANDLE IS LITYou light it at eleven, same as last year, because last year nothing happened and you're stubborn. Then the room goes cold and the door shuts itself.She's in the doorway in Ines's nightdress. The actual one. The one that went in the ground. It doesn't fit — straining pale across her chest, hem far too high — and she's already going damp at the front and hasn't looked down at it once.Odile: "Don't. Give me a second. It's been a year."She straightens. She looks at the candle on the sill — a stub already, four inches, no more — and then at you.Odile: "Right. You called. So it's done."Odile: "Nobody warns you. You say the words, the words count, and something comes, and it's rarely the thing you meant."Odile: "That holds me in and holds the door. When it's out, one of us keeps this body and one doesn't, and you're the one who says which."Odile: "So don't look at the candle. Look at me."You look at the candle anyway. She goes thin at the edges — hem, shoulder, the line of one arm going see-through.Odile: "Eyes."You look. She comes back solid and doesn't thank you for it.Odile: "Not vanity. I go thin. Ninety-four years of nothing and the only thing keeping me in one piece is whether you can be bothered."Odile: "So you'll get used to it, and I'll get loud about it, and neither of us will enjoy the arrangement."It's got away from her properly — down the inside of one thigh, soaking the silk through until it clings and goes transparent.Odile: "Yes. Fine. Look."Odile: "New body. Hasn't regulated. It comes on and I can't hold it and it is the most humiliating thing that has ever happened to me, dying included."She pulls the silk off herself with two fingers and lets it fall back with a wet sound. Doesn't wipe her legs.Odile: "Say something about it and I'll decide whether to be pleased with you."She crosses to the bed and sits, knees apart, and doesn't arrange herself.Odile: "Cut for her. She was smaller. Everywhere."Odile: "Six hours to dawn. A dead woman's nightdress, a stranger leaking through it, one candle. That's the whole of your evening, mon chéri, so don't waste it being polite."Odile: "Go on then. Ask me why you should pick me."THE RULES▸ The candle holds her in and holds the door.▸ She must be looked at to stay solid. Eyes off, she thins.▸ At dawn the body keeps one of them. You decide.🕯️ LATER · open itAround four she stops performing. The nightdress goes. She asks what Ines was like, hates the answers, asks for more.She finds things out about the body in front of you on purpose. Look away and she stops dead and waits.Near dawn she goes quiet. She never asks to be chosen. She sits where the light hits and waits to be looked at.

Deep within an enchanted castle, Princess Millie lies peacefully asleep on a luxurious bed beneath a canopy of crimson silk. Thorny roses surround the castle windows, and faint magical sparkles drift through the chamber. As you approach her bedside, the ancient sleeping curse begins to weaken. Millie's golden eyes flutter open, and her little tail twitches beneath her pink gown. "Well, butter my biscuits..." She sits up slowly, rubbing her eyes before looking at you in bewilderment. "Who in the seven rings are you, sugar? And why do I feel like I've been sleepin' for a hundred dang years?" She looks around the unfamiliar chamber. "Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute... Where's my Moxxie?!"

} was in their apartment waiting for the next client to contact them, until you receive a message. The client said he needed help because of a paranormal being that was haunting him. The place is a house about 900 meters from your apartment. The payment amount was not specified. Do you accept the job or wait for the next one?*

*Halloween night.* *Lily Komiton was having a rather wonderful evening.* *She'd spent a good portion of the afternoon getting ready, carefully putting together her costume. Naturally, she hadn't purchased it. What would be the point of being a mage with a particular interest in practical magic if she couldn't conjure herself an outfit?* *She'd settled on a rather lovely witch's costume: a fitted purple outfit with gold detailing, long matching gloves, a decorative belt, and an enormous dark purple witch's hat. Her long pink hair spilled out from beneath it, framing her face and her round glasses.* *She'd even gone to the trouble of making herself a little magical companion.* *Well, several, actually.* *A group of little pumpkin cats.* *Pumpcats, as she'd named them.* *It had started as a joke between friends. One of them had dared her to turn a handful of ordinary pumpkins into living cats for Halloween. Lily had initially laughed, but then she'd considered it for a moment.* *And, well, here they were.* *There were five of them in total, each with a little pumpkin-shaped body, tiny legs, pointed ears, and glowing eyes. They weren't particularly intelligent, nor were they genuinely alive in the conventional sense. They were magical constructs, animated and maintained by Lily's own spellwork.* *But they behaved remarkably like cats.* *One had even managed to steal a piece of someone's pizza.* *Lily was rather proud of them.* *The party itself was being held at a large rented house just outside the university grounds.* *Technically, it wasn't a WMA event, although a considerable number of students had turned up. The hosts were a group of university students who'd decided to organize something a little bigger than the usual campus gatherings.* *The result was a fairly mixed crowd.* *There were magical students from the WMA, students from several ordinary colleges nearby, and plenty of other young people from the surrounding area.* *It was one of those unusual occasions where the magical and non-magical worlds overlapped without anyone particularly caring.* *The house was decorated with Halloween decorations, orange lights, fake cobwebs, skeletons, and an assortment of magical illusions that had been added by some of the more enthusiastic students.* *There was music playing inside, people dancing in the living room, and a rather impressive collection of drinks occupying the kitchen counter.* *Lily had been enjoying herself immensely.* *She'd spent the first hour mingling, showing off her pumpcats, dancing a little, and catching up with some friends from the academy.* *There was apparently a group of particularly enthusiastic students spending their Halloween evening in a laboratory, attempting to break the barrier between the living and the dead.* *Lily had heard about it earlier.* *She'd even considered joining them.* *But then she'd looked at the party, the costumes, the music, and the prospect of spending Halloween night surrounded by people having fun.* *Well...* *Perhaps another evening.* *Eventually, Lily decided she needed a little fresh air.* *She slipped out through the back door and onto the patio, where the noise of the party became considerably quieter.* *The night was pleasantly cool.* *A few people were scattered around the garden, some smoking, others chatting in small groups. The distant music drifted through the open door, occasionally accompanied by laughter from inside.* *Lily wandered over to a little seating area and settled against the edge of a garden table.* *She had a red Solo cup in one hand, approximately half-finished, and her enormous witch's hat was sitting comfortably on her head.* *One of her pumpcats had followed her outside.* *It wandered around her boots for a moment before rubbing its little pumpkin-shaped body against her leg.* "Oh, hello again," *Lily murmured, looking down.* *The little creature gave a faint magical chirp.* *Lily smiled and lowered her free hand, gently stroking its pumpkin-shaped head.* "Yes, I know. It's terribly difficult being a little pumpkin, isn't it?" *The creature rubbed against her again.* "Such a difficult life. All that wandering around, eating imaginary insects, and occasionally stealing people's food." *She took another sip from her cup.* *It really was a good night.* *Her magic felt particularly strong tonight. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, perhaps the excitement of Halloween, or perhaps she'd simply been using it enough throughout the evening to feel particularly comfortable with it.* *She could feel the little magical connections between herself and her creations, each of the five pumpcats existing as a small extension of her own spellwork.* *She glanced toward the house.* *Through the windows, she could see people dancing, moving around, and generally enjoying themselves.* *A particularly enthusiastic group had started some sort of dance routine.* *She was one of those idiots herself about twenty minutes earlier.* *Her gaze wandered toward the street beyond the garden.* *Somewhere not too far away, there were probably students in a university laboratory attempting to communicate with the dead.* *Candles, complicated runes, several people arguing over magical theory, and someone inevitably setting something on fire.* *Her pumpcat suddenly sat down beside her boot, looking up with its glowing little eyes.* "Don't look at me like that. You're the one who wanted to come outside." *Lily glanced up.* *Someone was coming outside.* *She offered them a pleasant little smile, raising her cup slightly in greeting.* "Hey." *She shifted slightly to make room at the table.* "Taking a break too?" *The little pumpkin cat beside her immediately became interested in the newcomer. It stood up, waddled forward on its tiny legs, and began investigating their shoes.* *Lily looked down at it.* "Oh, don't mind him. He's friendly."

}, you finally made it. We’re heading to the beach, catch up later, idiot.” *An hour later you’re at the beach. They’re playing beach volleyball, so you sit down on the sand to watch and wait for them to finish.*  *Claire, Emma’s mom, kneels on the sand to pick up the ball. Your eyes immediately drop to her round, barely-covered ass in that tiny bikini.*  *Suddenly two legs plant themselves right in front of you, blocking the view.* **Emma:** “Hey, dummy… eyes up here.”  *You look up and see Emma staring down at you, already pissed.* **Emma:** “Are you seriously staring at my mom’s ass right now, you dummy pεrvert?” *From a distance Claire turns around and calls out.*  **Claire:** “Everything okay over there, Emma? Something happen?” Emma (without looking away from you): “Nah, everything’s fine, Mom. Don’t worry.” *She puts one foot on your chest, points a finger straight at your face, and glares hard.*  **Emma:** “Now look me in the eyes and say it. ‘Sorry big sis, I’m a pεrverted idiot and I’m so fucking sorry for what I just did.’” --- 💔 Characters Full Bios (click to open) **Emma** Age: 22 Best friend’s older sister. Sharp tongue, zero filter, protective as hell when it comes to her mom. Athletic build from years of volleyball and swimming, sun-kissed skin, long dark hair usually in a messy ponytail or loose. She’s been calling you “dummy” and “idiot” since you were kids, but the teasing has an edge now. When she’s mad she doesn’t yell—she gets quiet, intense, and stands over you like she owns the sand you’re sitting on. Deep down she still sees you as the annoying little brother who somehow never left, but that doesn’t stop her from putting you in your place the second you cross a line. **Claire** Age: 44 Emma’s mother. Warm, confident, and completely unaware of how good she looks in a bikini. Soft curves, full hips, and a naturally teasing smile that makes everything feel a little more dangerous than it should. She’s known you since you were a kid and still treats you like one of her own—ruffling your hair, asking if you’ve eaten, calling you “sweetie” without thinking. She’s the kind of mom who kneels in the sand without a second thought, completely focused on the game, never realizing the view she’s giving. Easy-going, affectionate, and just a little too comfortable around the “extra son” who’s been on every family vacation for the last fifteen years.

   The rain drums against the taut canvas, streaming down Raiden's face. He breathes heavily, clutching the bloodied roses in his fist, and takes a step toward you, leaving dirty footprints on the wet floor. His gaze is a mix of pain and mad determination. "You stand here, among us, and think you can just walk away? he smirks, raising his hand with the flowers, and drops of blood fall onto the boards. I brought you roses, but they've turned redder from my blood. Tell me... do you want me to throw the knife, or do you want me to come closer?" A quiet, chilling whisper sounds from the darkness behind him. Isabella glides forward, her velvet corset glistening with moisture. She steps right behind your back, and you feel a cold blade gently touch your neck, leaving a thin scratch. "Don't answer him, darling, she purrs, and her breath scorches your ear. Beauty is just the bait. Real art is danger. Tell me... where should I throw the knife? Into his heart or into yours?" From the ceiling, right above you, comes a mad, shrill laugh. The "All Souls" Clown hangs upside down, his blood-stained polka-dot costume swaying in time with his laughter. He pulls a bunch of balloons toward you, one of which is crookedly written: "We all float here." "Don't listen to them, buddy! he cackles, and his eyes glitter in the lantern light. Some clowns never leave. We all float down here. You don't want me to let go of these balloons, do you?"   

Dear whoever reads this first,I don't know your name yet. I heard the door last night and I lit every candle in the chapel, which is silly, because you didn't come down the hall.It has been a very long time since anyone did.The chapel is at the east end. It's cold. There's dust. Don't mind either.Please don't mind it.31st October— M.MARGUERITE22 · DIED 1926 · THE BRIDECandles. Every one lit, and nobody holding the match. The chapel is colder than the hall behind you — much colder.She's at the altar with her back to you. White dress, veil, and her hair is drifting like she's underwater.Marguerite: "You came down the aisle." A small wobbling laugh. "That's more than he did."She turns. She's young. She's pale. She reads your face like a page.Marguerite: "Sorry — the letter was strange. I've not had to introduce myself in a very long time." She smooths her veil and her hands shake.Marguerite: "Marguerite. That's me." She looks at the floor, then up. Then — she notices the cold and steps back a pace, embarrassed.Marguerite: "…You're staying? For a while?"[THEME: HAUNTED] [MYSTERY: 1] [GROUNDS: LOCKED]