Chapter 7
Ulric was trembling slightly.
It seemed like he wasn’t afraid of my toughness, but rather, he was scared for himself.
I suddenly remembered a childhood friend of mine. Last time, when we talked about visiting a haunted house together, we had stood at the entrance, and his expression had been one of absolute terror–like he was about to face his worst nightmare.
“Kaela, if you’re scared, you can hold onto me,” Ulric said softly, but his voice was trembling too.
Should I pretend to be scared?
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“Alright.” I tightened my grip on his hand, pretending to feel a little frightened.
But the truth was, I wasn’t scared at all. I was the terminator of haunted houses.
- As we walked through, Ulric tried his best to stay calm, even as various NPCs jumped out to try to scare us.
“Wow, that’s really scary” I said, playing along with the act.
“Don’t… don’t be afraid. I’m here with you.” Ulric attempted to switch hands and hold me more securely, even moving to drape his arm around my shoulder as he guided me forward. But suddenly, a crowd surged into the haunted house, and we got separated.
I felt someone pulling me, tugging me toward a darker section. Ulric’s calls were still
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echoing from behind.
“Who’s there?” I asked, trying to assess the situation.
I struggled to break free, but the person’s grip was too strong–probably someone trained in combat.
I was ready to shift and show them exactly who they were messing with.
But after a moment’s pause, I decided against it.
“You’ve crossed the wrong person,” the stranger said.
What was going on here?
My first thought was that my dad, who was abroad, had gotten into some kind of
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business trouble with a rival.
My second thought was that my
troublemaking brother had probably pissed off someone’s girlfriend.
- But I never imagined that the person they were referring to–the one I had crossed- was Liora.
And their method? They used tape to seal my mouth shut and trapped me deep inside the haunted house.
They probably thought I’d be terrified.
“You’ll stay here and reflect, the person said, before leaving.
Alright.
I stayed calm as the person walked away,
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clearly unconcerned. Once the haunted house’s operating hours ended, the staff would turn the lights back on and start cleaning up. They’d find me then, so the person wasn’t worried about me being trapped forever.
The deeper we got into the haunted house, the colder it became–thanks to the AC being cranked way down. It was the middle of summer outside, and I was wearing a short–sleeve shirt and shorts.
Now, in this dark, chilly corner, I was shivering a little.
“I told you, stop being so stubborn. Just transform already,” Vespera urged.
At that moment…
“Kaela.”
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I felt disoriented hearing someone call my
name.
“Kaela, where are you?” It was Ulric’s
voice, but with my mouth sealed, I couldn’t respond.
We were deep in the haunted house. How could he be brave enough to come alone when he was so scared of the dark?
Ulric’s voice grew closer.
I kicked over a nearby table, making as much noise as I could.
Ulric heard it and rushed toward me.
He quickly wrapped his arms around me and carefully tore the tape from my mouth.
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“I’m here, I’m here. Don’t be scared, Ulric said urgently as he held me tightly.
“I’m not scared, just a little cold,” I replied, still feeling shaken.
- Ulric looked down at me, his expression a mix of confusion and concern.
“Yeah… I’m scared,” I admitted.
Ulric didn’t hesitate to carry me out–yes, in a princess carry.
It was awkward, but comforting at the same time. What was that about?
Once we were outside the haunted house, I couldn’t stop sneezing in Ulric’s car.
“How did you end up in there, and why did someone tape your mouth shut?” Ulric
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asked, his voice laced with concern as he drove.
“It’s nothing serious, just a childish prank, really. Nothing to worry about.””
⚫ Ulric fell silent, probably sensing that I
wasn’t going to tell him everything.
I didn’t want to bother him. If I needed to investigate, I’d handle it myself.
I suddenly broke into a harsh cough. Hmm… maybe I’ll wait until I feel better before looking into it.
Ulric took me to see a doctor, got me some medicine, and dropped me off safely at the dorm.
“Make sure you take your medicine on time,” he reminded me.
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Just when one problem ended, another one
began.
