A Tragedy (Please Subscribe~)

Creak—

As he pushed open the rusty gate tangled with wild roses, a teeth-grating sound echoed through the empty, abandoned estate. Sifa raised his arm, trying to cast the lantern's light as far as possible. Even so, he could only make out ground overrun by weeds and wildflowers, a collapsed fountain, and the long-neglected main building.

These things loomed faintly in the darkness. With no moonlight, the scenes within the estate were vague and indistinct, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Every so often, small animals such as field mice scurried through the grass, producing faint rustling sounds that made the brush sway and set one's heart trembling.

"Miss Isabella and the others really had a lot of nerve, coming to a place like this to play hide-and-seek." The Seer looked around timidly. Those strangely shaped shadows kept making him want to turn around and run.

Sifa patted the katana Ghost Scream hanging at his waist. A dark golden glimmer flashed within its pristine white scabbard, and an invisible force spread outward, passing over Caven and the weed-choked ground around them.

In an instant, Caven felt warmth. He felt courage rise in his heart, and his fear faded away.

This was the effect of Solar Halo.

"Actually, there's another question that concerns me more."

Sifa strode toward the main building. "If there are undead in Kalina Manor, why has it been allowed to remain until now? Wouldn't the Church intervene?"

He did not expect the Seer, an Intisian, to provide an answer. Before long, he came up with one himself. "My guess is that either the undead in the manor had been sleeping all along and never disturbed the nearby residents. Then Miss Isabella and the others accidentally wandered in, waking them up and causing them to become active."

"Or it was