"Wait, Sophia." Liam frowned at his partner, his brows furrowed. "Are you telling me that the F-grade supernatural we just detected is walking around in human form? Like… blending in with the crowd?"
Sophia's sharp eyes stayed locked on the bustling street. Her voice was calm but thoughtful. "That is what it looked like. But no, that should be impossible. Supernaturals are barely sentient. They don't blend into society. They follow instincts, lash out, and cause havoc. They don't… stroll around like pedestrians."
Liam glanced at the device in his hand. The needle that had spiked moments ago now rested still, its soft glow fading. He smacked the side of it in frustration. "So what the hell was that signal, then? This piece of junk doesn't just spike for no reason."
"Maybe it was cloaked. Maybe it slipped past. Or maybe we were tricked," Sophia said, her voice low. "But we cannot ignore it. It was here. And if it is a supernatural in disguise, then it is dangerous. We need to search every inch of this district."
"Right," Liam muttered, still skeptical. "An F-grade is supposed to be easy pickings. If it's really hiding like that, then I'll eat my badge."
Sophia gave him a sidelong glance. "Don't joke too soon. Easy prey often has sharp teeth."
---
Meanwhile, Nash walked through the streets inside Hina's flawless body, trying to look as casual as possible while his mind worked overtime.
"Money," he muttered under his breath, her voice coming out as a haunting chorus of whispers. "How the hell do I make money in this world? Stealing wallets isn't exactly a long-term plan."
He passed by a market stall selling fried dumplings and had to tear his eyes away before hunger distracted him again. "I don't even know where people buy those rune thingies… what were they called again? Rune artifacts? Rune stones, weapons? Whatever. Without one, I can't capture a supernatural even if it dances in front of me."
He sighed loudly, the sound echoing oddly from Hina's throat. Several passing men turned their heads, eyes widening at her tall frame, long legs, and unnatural beauty. A few even slowed down to ask questions.
"Hey, miss, are you new around here? You lost?" one man called out.
"Yo, do you have socials? You look like a model," another added with a grin.
Nash forced an awkward smile, waved a hand, and kept walking. "Nope, nope, no socials for you, buddy," he muttered under his breath. "Being in this body is way too weird. Every guy stares like I'm walking porn. Definitely making a male puppet next time. No question."
Still, he gathered some useful info. Every time he asked random strangers about haunted places or rumored supernatural sightings, they eagerly answered, charmed by Hina's otherworldly beauty even though her voice sounded unnatural. People pointed him toward the outskirts of the city, speaking of an old abandoned mansion that locals whispered was cursed.
"Hunted house, huh," Nash said, correcting himself clumsily. "Haunted. Damn. Guess it's the best lead I've got."
He checked pocket wallet. Twenty units, most of the other cash are left to the original body of nash. "Guess I'll save this. You don't need food, so that works out for me."
With that, Nash set off toward the city's edge.
---
By evening, the crowds thinned. The busy roads gave way to quieter lanes with cracked sidewalks and fewer houses. Eventually, Nash found himself walking along a long road with almost no buildings besides the occasional rundown shack.
The world felt quieter here. The air cooler. Even inside Hina's perfect body, Nash felt a faint tension coil in his chest.
"Outskirts, check. Creepy vibes, check. Now where's my haunted mansion?"
In the distance, he saw it. A massive, decaying building surrounded by rusted gates and walls choked with ivy. Windows were shattered, the roof sagged in places, and the entire place gave off an aura of abandonment and dread.
"Oh hell yes," Nash muttered. "If there's a ghost in this world, it's living in there."
With a grin, he broke into a run. Hina's body moved like lightning. Her legs carried her faster than any athlete he had ever seen. The world blurred past as she sprinted down the empty road, hair flowing behind her.
"Holy crap!" Nash laughed. "This is insane. I feel like I could race a damn car like this."
Hina reached the gate and, without hesitation, leaped. Her body soared high into the air and landed effortlessly atop the crumbling wall.
"Okay, I'm never getting used to this," Nash muttered. "Feels too good. Like I'm playing a video game with cheat codes."
He hopped down into the mansion grounds, brushing dust off Hina's pants. The courtyard was littered with broken statues, weeds, and rusting metal scraps. The doors of the mansion loomed ahead, their wood splintered and blackened with rot.
Nash pushed them open. The hinges screamed. Darkness swallowed the hallway beyond, only faint streaks of light slipping in through broken windows.
"Creepy haunted house? Check." He rubbed Hina's arms and shivered, though he knew she couldn't feel cold. "Let's see if this place has any roommates."
He stepped inside, the echo of Hina's footsteps bouncing off cracked walls. Furniture lay overturned, sheets covered in mold draped over them. A torn painting of some forgotten noble family stared down from the wall, their eyes gouged out.
"Yeah, this is classic horror movie material. Definitely something lurking here," Nash muttered, forcing a smirk. "If I die twice in just days, I'm going to be pissed."
---
Far behind, the sound of an engine hummed. On the road leading to the haunted house, a van sped along. Inside, four young people laughed and shouted, their phones pointed at themselves as they live-streamed.
"Yo, guys! We're on our way to the haunted mansion!" a young man in the passenger seat shouted into the camera. His dyed blond hair glowed in the afternoon sun. "They say this place is one of the scariest in the city!"
A girl with cat-ear headphones leaned closer to the phone, grinning. "Most people say it's just an old ruin. But who knows, maybe we'll find a real supernatural! Smash that like button if you want us to go inside!"
The comments on their stream scrolled rapidly. Messages of laughter, dares, and mocking jokes filled the screen.
In the back seat, another boy leaned over and whispered, "You really think there's something there? Or are we just chasing clicks again?"
The blond grinned wider. "Does it matter? People love haunted house streams. Even if it's empty, we'll make it entertaining."
The car swerved slightly as the driver laughed. "Alright, crew. Haunted mansion adventure, coming right up!"
The camera caught the looming silhouette of the decrepit mansion in the distance as they approached.
Unbeknownst to them, inside those walls, Nash was already exploring.