Grofo blinked, thrown off. He’d been sure they’d end up by the lake again- but now the plan had flipped. Roman beat him to the question:

  

  
• Why’d you pick that creepy place? It’s dark, broken, and totally


  

  The girl's eyes kept narrowing and widening, shifting restlessly- just like her whole self. She looked like someone led by forces from another world, not by her own will.

  

  
• She saw it in a vision, - Suzy said - And besides, I’ve thought a lot about it. This factory is the perfect shelter for an ancient soul. You can hide there, and at the same time keep watch over


  

  the valley- a place clearly beloved by the spirits that have guarded it for centuries. This is their home.

  

  
• The more you talk like that, the less I want to go, - Roman shivered and tugged on the rope around his wrist. - Maybe we should just call the central police station. They’ll send a bunch of cops, S?PO, intelligence units.


  
• And on top of that, the president and the Ghostbusters, - Grofo cut him off. - What are we supposed to say? That we’re tracking a disembodied jerk who likes cutting off hands and stealing cops? Who would believe that? The whole town thinks Valdis just twisted her ankle and can’t walk home. And our theory? Every adult will say it’s just dumb guys making stuff up.


  

  

  
• You think? - Roman frowned. - Then maybe we should call Grandma and


  

  

  
• And what, they’ll go investigate crimes for us? They’ve got nothing better to do? - Grofo fired back. - Think before you talk.


  

  Their bickering was cut off by a commanding gesture from Suzanne. She raised her hand toward the sky, and then pointed a fist toward the ghostly ruins of the factory now wrapped in a hazy mist.

  

  
• I can feel it- there’s something there that will show us the


  

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  And just like that, she turned into a kind of guiding star herself, dashing ahead toward the factory. The brothers rushed to catch up. None of them heard Roman mutter under his breath:

  

  
• Why are we even doing this? What are we, detectives now?


  

  Suzy didn’t know what awaited them. But the point wasn’t to obtain some grand all - knowing truth- that’s more for gods than mortals- but simply to understand that something was there. She wanted to reach out to the spirits and feel how they regarded her and her friends.

  A gentle, non - aggressive hunt for the hunter was about to begin. She didn’t get why the boys were so nervous. Spirits can’t harm the living- unless the living show weakness.

  They prey on the fearful. They destroy the uncertain.

  But her heart was steady. And if fear was eating away at the boys, then her confidence would be the dam that held back that rising flood.

  Time to run faster.

  She dashed like never before, her scarf fluttering loose, cheeks flushed, eyes watering. But she didn’t care. None of that would matter once they were inside the factory.

  Behind her, the boys wheezed, trying to keep up. Roman was muttering constantly, and maybe she would’ve heard him- if her ears weren’t already tuned to something else entirely.

  The factory doors were wide open, like a host had kindly prepared a warm welcome. Pausing on the threshold, Suzy wiped her shoes carefully and gave a slight bow to the spirits dwelling there. Not too low, though- she still had her pride.

  Grofo touched her shoulder.

  

  
• Let me go first, okay? I’ve got the knife, so it makes Suzy nodded.


  
• If thinking that helps you, then by all means- go


  

  The three of them flowed into the wide hall that used to be some kind of workshop. Dim light filtered through holes in the crumbling roof. All around were broken balusters, rusted machine parts, piles of bricks, and torn - up sacks that once held cement or something else industrial.

  

  
• .. this place is not exactly cheerful, - Grofo muttered, pulling out his phone and switching on the flashlight. - Yeah, it’s kind of bright in here, but you know we’re gonna end up in those twisty side corridors. Answers are never found in the main hall. That’s not how it works in books, right?


  

  Not that I’ve read a ton. But I’ve played enough games to know- you always have to go deeper to find the final boss. And when we find him, he’s toast!

  

  
• He’ll skin you alive and eat you for breakfast, - Roman - You don’t have HP bars or armor or a magic sword. All you’ve got is a kitchen knife.


  

  Before they could bicker more, Suzy interrupted them: