Night fell quietly over Chenghui Plateau. Inky darkness spread across the line where sea met sky, and the purple rim of the distant Lemnian Hollow deepened the air of mystery.
On the resort beach, the evening breeze carried the salty tang of the sea. Waves lapped gently at the sand, their spray glittering in the moonlight.
After the lively, unconventional performance that afternoon, the group settled in for a relaxing night by the sea.
The music festival had not officially begun, but after Cecilia spoke with the person in charge, a bonfire was lit on the beach.
Orange flames danced, lending the night a touch of warmth and bustle.
By the shore, Aria kept Griseo company while she painted.
Although Nangong had pestered her into installing a waterproof system, Aria still did not much like playing in the water.
So she volunteered to stay with Griseo. Besides, the LED lights covering her body were perfect for illumination.
And so the scene unfolded:
In the distance, night hung heavy, with only the Hollow's purple glow flickering where sea met sky.
On the beach, the bonfire blazed, its dancing flames bathing the surroundings in warm orange light.
At the edge of its glow, Griseo sat quietly before her easel while Aria stood beside her, lighting her work with a soft LED glow.
With Griseo's abilities, she did not need the light, even to paint at night.
But she wanted Aria to feel involved, so she said nothing and painted quietly.
Elsewhere,
Nangong and Sunna had changed into swimsuits and were walking across the sand in sandals. At Yuzuha's invitation, they were joining a seaside holiday tradition: a test of courage.
"Aaaah!"
Several shrill screams suddenly rang out.
"Nangong, Sunna, sounds like something's happening over there too! ( •̀ ω •́ )y"
Yuzuha covered her mouth with a laugh, mischief flashing in her eyes.
The screams had left Sunna visibly tense. She clutched Nangong's arm and said shakily, "Nangong, why don't we go back? It's scary."
As a mischievous young lady, Nangong loved teasing Sunna.
She knew exactly what Yuzuha was up to, so she played along. "I didn't know you were such a scaredy-cat, Sunna!"
Ahead of them, Yuzuha caught on at once.
She leaned close to Sunna on purpose and lowered her voice. "I heard this beach used to be a burial ground at sea. Maybe the ghosts are out for a stroll."
"D-don't say any more!"
At Yuzuha's devilish whisper, tears welled in Sunna's eyes.
Nangong patted Sunna like a comforting mother. "There, there, Sunna. Believe in science. Ghosts aren't real."
"Come on, let's take a look. The best way to conquer fear is to face it!"
"Ah! Please don't!"
Sunna grew even more frightened as Nangong pulled her toward the darkness.
When Yuzuha led Nangong and Sunna to a stone wall, all three stopped short.
Morning glories and ivy had once grown here, but at this time of year the wall should have been bare.
Now a painting hung on it. It showed a young girl trimming a garden with scissors.
Her face was blurred, as though the veil of her hat had turned it into a mosaic, yet they could tell she was smiling.
"Nangong, Yuzuha, why does the smile in that painting feel so creepy?"
The longer Sunna stared at the portrait, the more unnerving the girl became.
Nangong studied the strange girl and offered her opinion. "She looks a little like an Ethereal."
"Hmm. The style reminds me of someone, but she isn't in Weifei Land right now."
The painting reminded Yuzuha of a fellow club member, the Night Demon Messenger, who always sent strange pictures when they chatted.
But the Night Demon Messenger did not seem to live in New Eridu.
"Yuzuha, what are you doing?"
Footsteps sounded behind the three of them. It was Mato Komano and Theresa, the resort manager.
"Mato, Theresa, have you seen this painting before?" Yuzuha turned to ask.
Mato frowned. "No. Aren't you the only one who'd hang something this scary here to frighten people?"
"But I don't remember it at all."
Yuzuha thought it over. She could not argue with Mato; she really did pull pranks.
But tonight, she had planned to scare Sunna with Cauldron!
And they had not even reached the spot yet.
"Then it's probably someone else's prank. I'll take the painting down."
Mato stepped forward to remove it, but something bizarre happened: his fingertips passed straight through.
Mato stared in alarm. "Wait. Am I still asleep?"
"No, Mato, I saw that too... Why can't you touch it? That defies physics!"
Yuzuha reached out as well. Her hand passed straight through.
"Was the boiled black bass we ate at lunch poisonous? Are we all hallucinating?"
Nangong also tried touching the painting, but her hand passed through it just like Yuzuha's.
Then Theresa, the resort manager, said shakily, "Could those rumors about the resort being haunted be true?"
"Speaking of which, where's Sunna?"
Yuzuha looked around. The person they had meant to prank had gone quiet.
They searched the area and found Sunna huddled in a corner not far from the painting. She had clearly shut down.
"Huh?"
Nangong sighed and walked over, poking Sunna's cheek. "Sunna, Astra Yao is here. She wants you to perform with her!"
"R-really? Where's Astra Yao?!"
At Nangong's whisper, Sunna instantly snapped back to normal. Her adoration for her idol swept her fear away.
Yuzuha raised an eyebrow, a wicked smile curling her lips. "My, Nangong and Sunna are awfully close! Are you two girlfrie—friends?"
"We're gir—" Sunna started to answer, but her gaze strayed back to the painting. Her voice caught, and she screamed.
"The painting... it's alive! A monster!" Before she had even finished speaking, she spun around and ran, vanishing into the night in the blink of an eye.
"But I hadn't even started scaring her!"
Yuzuha scratched her head, looking innocent.
But when Yuzuha and the others looked back at the eerie painting, it was gone. In its place floated a young girl.
Her French-style Lolita dress billowed around her. Like Edward Scissorhands, she had blades for hands, their edges gleaming coldly.
Yuzuha's smile froze. Mato instinctively stepped half a pace forward to shield the others, though his body had gone rigid too.
"Back away... slowly..."
But it was too late. The girl in the air slowly raised her head.
Moonlight fell across her face. Her eyes were hollow, without pupils. Then her blades trembled, ringing softly with a metallic clang.
"Run!"
No one knew who shouted first. The next instant, figures were sprinting away, and the beach erupted into chaos.
"Griseo... don't you think that was a bit mean?"
In the darkness, Aria dropped her projected disguise and floated lightly down from the top of the stone wall with Griseo in her arms.
She watched the figures fleeing in the distance. Despite what she had said, she could not hide the laughter in her voice.
Griseo did not answer. She simply reached out and gently touched the floating girl.
The figure shivered, then dissolved into countless motes of light that streamed back into Griseo.
The so-called "monster" was actually one of Griseo's paintings. Her special ability had brought it to life and created the frightening scene.
Griseo lowered her hand. "But you're smiling, Aria."
"..."
Aria fell silent for a moment. Then she stopped trying to hide it, and her laughter rang out into the night.
"Hahaha! I never thought I'd see the day Nangong got scared too!"
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