Chapter 26
‘I can’t see a thing.’
Isabelle stumbled backward, peering through the thick fog that obscured her vision. Soon, she bumped into a wall, and a faint unease shadowed her gray eyes as there was nowhere left to retreat.
When had it started? When she entered Denver’s house, she hadn’t felt the chilling sense of oppression that now crept up her feet like climbing vines.
Surely, somewhere in this house, a ghost existed. And not just any ghost—a hideous, grotesque one.
Facing a ghost wasn’t particularly difficult, but this situation was different. If she were ambushed while her vision was completely blocked, there would be no way to defend herself.
The vague fear of not knowing when she might die was far more terrifying than facing a ghost.
At least, to Isabelle.
Ssshhh—
Suddenly, the fog thickened. The damp chill that brushed against her skin felt unusually piercing.
When nothing is visible, even the slightest change becomes incredibly noticeable. The dense stench of mold and iron-tinged blood disoriented her. Isabelle leaned against the wall, swaying.
Even with her strong stomach, she retched repeatedly. At that moment, an arm suddenly shot out from the darkness.
“What are you doing? Snap out of it!”
Adolf shouted, steadying Isabelle’s swaying body. In an instant, she regained her composure, took a deep breath, and looked up at the person holding her waist firmly.
Amid the nauseating stench, a subtle scent of musk penetrated. Though Adolf’s face was hidden in the darkness, Isabelle felt as if she could see his disapproving expression. A faint laugh escaped her. The anxiety that had wrapped around her chest like a vice vanished in an instant.
“Hey.”
“…!”
She felt the firm strength supporting her trembling waist. Surprised, she instinctively pushed away the arm holding her.
“Th-thank you. I guess I was just startled because I didn’t expect this situation.”
“Don’t let it happen twice. If you become a hindrance, I’ll leave you behind. Remember that.”
“…I’ll remember.”
Though his words were blunt as always, Isabelle answered obediently. Honestly, Adolf wasn’t wrong.
‘I’m the one who’s supposed to protect him, yet I got help in such an absurd way.’
Even calming her heart, which was still racing from the earlier shock, she noticed her pulse beating differently this time.
Isabelle, taking a step away from Adolf to steady her erratic heartbeat, realized something was strange and spoke.
“But… where did Mr. Huitman go? Mr. Huitman? Can you hear me?”
Adolf replied in a detached tone.
“It’s useless. I can’t sense him nearby. Looks like he went somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else… where could he possibly have gone…”
Flustered, Isabelle stepped closer to Adolf but fell silent. The fog that had filled her vision was gradually clearing.
Moments later, her eyes widened. They should have been outside Denver’s bedroom, yet now they were standing in the middle of it.
Adolf, too, looked equally shocked. He surveyed the room cautiously, eyes narrowed, unable to believe the situation.
Whoosh—
At that moment, the kerosene lamp flared to life, casting a streak of light across the dark bedroom.
‘This is the ghost’s doing.’
From the sudden fog to the lamp igniting as if on cue, it was clear the ghost was at work. The troubling part, however, was that this ghost seemed capable of moving people at will.
From the moment they entered the bedroom, it had felt off. This ghost was unlike any they had faced before.
‘A terrifying one… maybe a heavily corrupted evil spirit.’
The bedroom, now fully visible, was horrifying. Chickens with severed necks littered the floor, and blood was splattered all over the room.
Isabelle finally understood why Huitman had said there were more than one. At the same time, she realized the ghost was trying to communicate something to her.
The fresh blood of the dawn-crowing chickens was one of the things the ghost hated most. By scattering it violently, the ghost was issuing a warning.
Stop digging behind its back.
If you intervene further, your life will be at risk.
The thought made Isabelle’s head ache.
What was the connection between Hybert and that evil spirit? And if all of this is related to Dr. Morus, what is his true purpose, and why is he orchestrating such horrific events?
Her mind became cluttered, yet there was no time to dwell on it.
Casually, Isabelle turned her head and noticed a half-open wardrobe. It seemed like an ordinary, old wardrobe, but strangely, her gaze kept drifting toward it. Water had pooled heavily at its base.
As she approached, the floor groaned eerily.
‘Only around this area is wet.’
Taking a deep breath, Isabelle cautiously opened the wardrobe door. No sooner had it swung open than a large body lurched forward.
Thump!
Isabelle’s face froze in shock as she saw the man collapsed on the floor.
“Mr. Denver!”
She crouched to examine his face. The situation was worse than she imagined. His eyes were rolled back, unable to focus, and foam had formed at his mouth.
Seeing Denver’s critical state, Isabelle moved to retrieve her spiritual sight. Through the collar, she faintly noticed a mark.
Frowning, she pushed aside his damp collar. Two lines, seemingly etched with long, thin nails, and two dots on the right were colored red.
Studying the mark closely, Isabelle muttered.
“…A repeat sign?”
Footsteps approached urgently from behind. Adolf suddenly pushed Isabelle aside, frowning as he looked at the mark on Denver’s neck. Sensing something was off, Isabelle stood and asked.
“Your Majesty… do you know about this mark?”
After what felt like an eternity, Adolf finally spoke in a heavy voice.
“This is a curse mark.”
