It started with the humming.
Late at night, when the house should have been settling into its usual chorus of creaks and groans, there was a new sound.
A low, vibrating hum — like a heartbeat.
Tia sat bolt upright in bed, heart pounding.
Mr. Floofers growled softly from the foot of the bed, his fur poofing up into a terrified cloud.
The sound wasn't coming from outside.
It was coming from inside the walls.
Downstairs, Ba'zaroth was already up, hunched in the kitchen, dunking flaming marshmallows into a mug of molten chocolate.
He looked up sharply when Tia stumbled in, still in her bat-printed pajamas.
"You hear it too?" he rumbled.
Tia nodded.
Lady Eugenia floated past, clutching a candle that burned an eerie green.
Even Deadbeat looked serious for once, clutching a ghost-scythe like a nervous toddler holding a teddy bear.
They gathered in the living room.
The house hummed louder now, almost musical.
Like it was trying to say something.
Ellis wandered in, still half-asleep.
"Are we doing a seance or what?"
"No seance," Tia said.
She pressed her hand flat against the wall.
It vibrated under her palm — warm and steady.
Mr. Floofers pawed at a section of the floorboards.There was a faint glimmer between the cracks.
Deadbeat dropped into a crouch.
"Hold up," he said, voice hushed."There's... a symbol under here."
Lady Eugenia gasped.
"I know that mark. It's ancient. Older than this house.Older than THIS DIMENSION."
Everyone stared at her.
Lady Eugenia shrugged primly.
"I read things."
Ba'zaroth squinted at the glowing lines.
He reached out and traced them with a clawed fingertip.
The second he touched it—
WHOOSH.
The living room shifted.
The walls rippled like water.The floorboards groaned and rearranged themselves.Pictures blinked off the walls and reappeared upside down.
Mr. Floofers yowled and disappeared into a ghost portal.
(He was fine.)
Tia staggered back as the front wall peeled open like a blooming flower, revealing a hidden staircase spiraling downward.
They all gaped.
"That wasn't here yesterday, right?" Deadbeat asked.
"Nope," said Tia.
"Should we... go down there?" Ellis said.
Everyone stared at each other.
Then Lady Eugenia clapped her hands.
"Field trip!"
They descended carefully.
The air grew heavier, thick with ancient magic and the smell of dusty memories.
The staircase spiraled down into a huge underground chamber lined with mirrors — but when they looked into them, they didn't see their reflections.
They saw versions of themselves they could have been.
Tia saw herself dressed in shining armor, leading an army of laughing ghosts.
Ba'zaroth saw himself crowned in flames, smiling for the first time in centuries.
Lady Eugenia saw herself, not trapped in a house — but floating free across endless stars.
Deadbeat saw himself DJ-ing a sold-out crowd of both living and dead fans.
Mr. Floofers... saw a room full of endless treats.
(He immediately tried to run into the mirror.)
At the center of the chamber sat a single, ancient pedestal.
On it was a book.
A very, very old book.
Bound in what looked suspiciously like stardust and spider silk.
Tia approached slowly, every hair on her arms standing on end.
The book's title shimmered into view:
"The Heart Keeper's Legacy."
Ba'zaroth swore under his breath.
Deadbeat dropped his ghost-scythe with a clatter.
Lady Eugenia whispered:
"It's real.The legends were true."
Tia opened the book.
A surge of golden light burst from the pages, swirling around them.
The house above shuddered, walls thrumming like a massive drum.
The mirrors cracked — not breaking — but shedding illusions, like snakes molting their skins.
The chamber whispered in a thousand voices:
"She is here.""The Heart Keeper has returned.""The House is awakening."
Tia stumbled back, heart hammering.
"What does it MEAN?" she gasped.
Ba'zaroth stepped forward, his voice grave.
"It means... Ramelan House was never just haunted.It's ALIVE.And you, Tia...You're its protector."
Silence.
Except for Mr. Floofers, who coughed up a ghost donut.
Tia shook her head, dazed.
"This has to be a mistake.I'm not... chosen. I'm just... me."
Lady Eugenia floated closer, her gaze kind.
"You cared for us when nobody else would," she said."You didn't run away.You didn't sell us out."
Ellis nodded.
"You gave us a home."
Ba'zaroth clapped a massive hand on her shoulder, nearly knocking her over.
"You're stuck with us now, Heart Keeper."
Deadbeat grinned.
"Congrats. No refunds."
The mirrors flashed once, twice, and then solidified into a protective ring around the chamber.
Tia closed the book.
Above them, Ramelan House sang — truly sang — for the first time in centuries.
Not with horror.
Not with fear.
But with pride.
Back upstairs, the world seemed sharper, brighter.
The runes on the walls pulsed with friendly light.
The creaky floors bounced underfoot like excited puppies.
The cursed mailbox burped out a glittery rainbow.
(Then immediately tried to bite Ellis again, but it was fine.)
Tia stood in the middle of the living room, looking around at her chaos family.
She took a deep breath.
"Okay," she said, steady.
"If this house chose me...Then I choose it back."
In the distance, thunder rumbled.
Dark clouds gathered over the horizon.
And somewhere far away, Brandon stared at his blood-red phone, sensing the shift.
He smiled — a wicked, hungry smile.
"They've awakened it," he whispered.
"Good."