I "Take this, you freak!" Gyau roared, uncapping the vial and hurling the shimmering blue liquid directly at the spirit's face.
The trio held their breath, expecting a scream of agony or a burst of holy light. Instead, the spirit simply opened her mouth and caught the liquid, swallowing it in one gulp. She licked her pale lips as if she had just tasted a fine wine.
Gyau's jaw dropped. his hand shaking as he stared at the empty vial. "It... it didn't work? It's useless?!"
He looked at Rio and Kawsoki, his face pale with pure terror. Without another word, Gyau turned on his heels and bolted toward the front exit with a speed that would put an Olympic sprinter to shame.
"HEY! GYAU! DON'T LEAVE US!" Rio and Kawsoki screamed in unison, their voices cracking as they scrambled to follow their 'leader.'
They lunged for the exit, but the spirit didn't move. She merely flicked her wrist with a mocking sneer.
"Stupid brats," she hissed.
A shimmering, translucent barrier erupted in front of the door. Gyau slammed into it face-first, rebounding off the invisible wall like a ball.
"Damn it! Fuck!" Gyau cursed, rubbing his bruised nose. "The door is sealed!"
"Look! Over there! The window in the right corner!" Kawsoki pointed frantically.
They sprinted toward the window, desperation fueling their legs. They were about to leap through the glass when a chilling laugh echoed from above. They looked up to see the spirit floating effortlessly near the ceiling, looking down at them like insects.
"You fools really think you can escape?" As they turned to run again, the spirit suddenly dove down like a hawk. Before anyone could react, she turned into a blur of white mist and slammed directly into Rio's chest.
Rio gasped, his body stiffening as he collapsed to his knees. His skin turned a sickly pale, and his breath came out in frozen puffs.
"Rio! Are you okay?!" Gyau yelled, rushing to his side.
"N-no..." Rio's voice was strained, a terrifying dual-tone echoing in his throat. "G-Gyau... help me! She's... she's talking too much inside my head! She's trying to take over!"
Inside Rio's mind, the spirit's voice was a deafening roar. "Such a fine vessel. Give your body to me, boy!"
Rio's eyes snapped open, glowing with a faint, unnatural light. "What the hell?! I won't let some crazy ghost lady take my body!"
Just as they were struggling, another shadow emerged from the darkness of the hallway. A grotesque, low-level monster—a distorted creature of malice—crawled toward them, sensing their weakness.
"Oh, come on! Not another one!" Gyau cried out. "We're doomed! Rio's possessed and now this?!"
Suddenly, Rio's movements became fluid and sharp. His eyes turned a deeper shade of crimson. He lunged forward, not away from the monster, but toward it. With a power that wasn't his own, he delivered a devastating kick that sent the creature flying across the room.
Then, a voice that wasn't Rio's—but was coming from his mouth—screamed at the shadows.
"Mouchi! You stupid trash!" the spirit inside Rio roared at the monster. "Didn't I tell you not to come to my side of the house? Are you trying to defy me?!"
Kawsoki and Gyau stood frozen, watching their friend talk to a monster in a woman's voice. This night had officially gone from a ghost hunt to a nightmare.