After trekking through the barren parking lot of the abandoned hospital, the ragtag group of college students (plus one ghost girl) finally reached the entrance of the hospital itself...!
The old double doors—once thrown wide open to welcome countless patients—now barely clung to their hinges, one sagging inward while the other hung stiff and unmoving, as if refusing to ever open again.
Leading the group was, of course, Sophia. She turned around and took a good look at everyone behind her.
"Everyone... are you ready?" she asked, wearing a smile full of forced confidence.
"Okay~!" The couple chimed in unison, bright and carefree, with little to no fear evident in their eyes.
On the other hand—
"Aaalright guys, check this out...! We've officially arrived at the entrance of the actual spooooky hospital—this is totally sick! Are you all prepared—?"
The VideoTuber guy had been rambling to his camera, recording every moment with exaggerated excitement...
"Ugh... Sure, I guess," Noah muttered with a strained sigh, trying to appear relaxed but failing to hide the tension knotting in his shoulders.
Evangeline floated beside him as usual, but her eyes narrowed sharply... preparing herself for whatever lurked behind those aged doors.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Sophia nodded with a determined glint, then turned back to the entrance.
She slowly stepped forward... placed her hands on the doors... and pushed them open—!
They were greeted by pitch-black darkness swallowing the entire lobby whole...!
"..."
In silence, everyone stared into the void...
For a brief moment... all of them wondered if entering this place was a mistake they should've never dared to make.
But—
"C-come on, Sophia... you can do this...!" Sophia whispered to herself—steeling her resolve as the leader of this investigation...!
Promptly, she reached into the backpack she'd been carrying... and pulled out—
A flashlight!
She flicked it on and pointed the beam toward the void—!
The faint light cut through the darkness—! Revealing a desolate lobby frozen in time...!
A receptionist counter stood empty and dust-coated, its once-shiny surface now chipped and dull...
A few toppled chairs lay scattered, along with paperwork long dampened and curled with age.
Faded posters still clung weakly to the walls, along with many strands of spiderwebs that stretched across corners and clung to the cracked, gray walls that had once been bright white.
"This place... this once prestigious medical facility used to welcome hundreds of patients every single day," Sophia explained with a hushed voice, looking back at the others with a somber gaze, "...it was one of the best hospitals in Havenbrook—until it suddenly closed down without warning."
She then reached into her backpack again and retrieved more items from inside... and tossed something to each of them—!
"Here! Flashlights for everyone!"
Everyone was thrown their own flashlight!
The three "potential members" fumbled for a moment, trying to adjust their flashlights—especially the content creator guy, who still attempted to film despite being visibly shaken by the atmosphere.
On the other hand, Noah received his without a hitch, already lighting it up before carefully shining its beam toward the many corners of the lobby... trying to find something...
But—
"...Hey, mortal," Evangeline called out, breaking his focus, "where's mine 'flash light'? Why do I not receive one as well?"
Noah stared at her with a deadpan, looking at her as if she'd grown a second head... before a small sigh escaped his mouth.
"...Do you even need one in the first place?"
"Not in particular. I can perfectly perceive the void darkness," she declared proudly, tapping her chest with a smug grin, "...but I would like to have one. You mortals nowadays have quite the amusing innovation, I dare say."
"Sigh... I'll give you mine later, alright?" he replied with a resigned smile, before turning his focus back toward the void, "just focus on finding 'it'..."
"Understood..."
"Alright!" Sophia suddenly announced, snapping everyone's attention toward her. "As per our investigation S.O.P—!"
She lifted a finger with a confident nod.
"Do not go alone—stay in pairs! Don't wander too far! And keep your flashlights pointed forward—!"
She gestured firmly toward the dark hall ahead.
"Our goal tonight is simple: we look for anything—anything—! That might explain why this hospital shut down—! Especially regarding the missing director and chief physician! Understand?!"
Everyone nodded, albeit with varying levels of confidence.
Seeing their readiness, Sophia turned back toward the void and declared softly, "Let's go...!"
Then... they stepped into the darkness, swallowed whole by the silent hospital.
< | X | >
Due to how large the hospital was, they eventually split into two groups to cover more ground.
Thus Noah (with Evangeline) and Sophia headed toward the east wing of the ruined hospital, while the two couples and the content-creator guy wandered off toward the west corridor.
And right now, they were inside an office-like room...
"Hmm... this room seems rather fancy, huh?" Noah muttered curiously, brushing his fingers across a dusty shelf.
"It appears so—and it might've belonged to one of the higher-ups...!" Sophia answered with a spark of enthusiasm in her eyes.
"Quite the mess for someone so 'important,' though," Evangeline added dryly as she phased through the many broken furniture inside of the office... though only Noah could see and hear her.
However, this 'fancy' office was indeed a mess.
Papers scattered across the floor, toppled cabinets and broken furniture, and countless spiderwebs draped over every corner, nook, and forgotten crevice...
"...Hey, Junior?"
"...Yeah? What's up?"
Noah looked back to see Sophia crouching beside a fallen cabinet, rifling through old documents...
"...Why did you decide to come in?" she asked quietly... her tone somewhat unsure, wavering just a little.
"...What do you mean?"
"W-well, I... I was thinking, you know. If you actually wanted to join this club excursion willingly... or..."
"..."
"...if you're just here to entertain me. As if you're... pitying me and all..."
"...Sophia..."
Noah was... stunned. His mouth tightened with uncertainty because even though he couldn't see her face clearly, he could sense her soft, fragile doubt—something that brought contemplation upon him...
"...I would be lying if I said I didn't do it out of pity," he finally answered with awkward honesty.
His answer, though, brought a faint, bitter smile to her lips. "As I thought..."
"However..."
"...?"
His sudden shift in tone pulled her attention... and she looked up to meet his earnest expression.
"That doesn't mean I wasn't interested in this paranormal stuff," he continued, voice steadying a little, "in fact: I would like to know more."
"R-really...? You do...?!" Sophia brightened immediately, her voice lifting with relief. "Then—"
"—AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Suddenly, a woman's scream tore through the whole abandoned facility!