***

The bride floated around the room like a lost soul, her tears dripping on the floor, staining her white, torn dress. When she was alive, Tao could imagine that she might have been pretty and vivacious, a perfectly happy bride to be. He looked at her slender fingers, and noticed that there was no wedding ring present. The lost soul was still waiting for her groom, still hoping that he’d come back for her.

He was still scared, there was no doubt about that, but there was true, profound sadness about this ghostly bride, anyone could sense it. He had a heart. It was shaking in his chest now, but it was still there, and he felt sorry for her.

The bride sighed and lamented, looking out the window as if she was watching a future that was never meant to be. The candles on the chandelier flickered, placed neatly on the windowsill. It was beacon in the darkness, as if she had purposely placed it there for her groom to be able to find his way back to her.

Of course Tao had no way of knowing what happened to the groom, why he would leave the bride and never bothered to come back to her. Then again, this was the house of a demented doctor. Lay had read from the book that he did human experimentations…maybe the groom was a victim to that and she was locked in here.

“Tao, let’s sneak out of here before she notices anything,” Kris then suggested, but he shook his head.

“I don’t think she’s dangerous, gege,” he said, fully aware how crazy he sounded right now. Kris even cocked up his eyebrow, quickly examining his little brother’s head for any injuries.

“Are you insane? What are you even saying? Tao, she’s a ghost!” Kris emphasized.

“I know, gege, I know! It’s just… look at her,” Tao gestured at the bride, her tattered gown flowing behind her, her face gazing out sorrowfully. “Does she look dangerous to you?”

“She’s a ghost! You want to find out how dangerous she can be?” Kris asked, in utter disbelief that the biggest coward in their pack was serious about not believing that a ghost of a dead bride could potentially kill them.

“Kris-ge, she didn’t even notice that we were here. Look at her, she’s not even paying any attention to us.”

“That could be a ruse. She could be fooling us right this second!”

“Why would a ghost do that?”

“Why would anything do anything in this house, Tao? Come on, we don’t have time for this, we have to go,” Kris stated, losing his patience.

“What if she can help us? She’s looking for her groom so she must know how we feel about wanting to find Jae-noona, don’t you think?” Tao still persisted as Kris sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Or she could get jealous that two guys are looking for one girl while her groom left her here, probably to die in this haunted house of hell and then attack us,” Kris retaliated to which Tao scoffed.

“We won’t know unless we try, do we, gege?” Tao stated boldly as he turned towards the bride despite Kris’s protests.

“E-excuse me, Miss?” he tried quietly, scraping his throat. Tao paused as the bride blinked and turned her head, watching Tao without really looking at him. He swallowed, wondering too late whether he should have thought twice about this.

“Hello,” he then tried, Kris standing behind him for support, just in case the bride would turn into a monster and attack.

“Um…my name, my name is Tao,” he stammered, “this is Kris, we-we’re lost in this house and we were wondering if maybe you could help us with something,” he bit his lip and exchanged a look with Kris when the bride blinked and barely responded.

Help… she repeated, grabbing the chandelier. Yes, help…

Tao looked at Kris again as the taller teen cleared his throat. “We’re looking for a friend of ours. A girl. Maybe you’ve seen her? Do you know where she went?” he tried.

The gypsy… the ghost bride spoke, a slight spark of clarity in her milky eyes. You seek a beloved?

Tao nodded immediately, but Kris was still careful. He didn’t want to trigger anything nasty with this ghost.

“We really want to find her, Miss. We’re worried about her,” Tao stated, standing completely still when the bride approached him, her ice cold hand reaching out to briefly touch his chest.

Your heart beats for your beloved. You want to find her safe and sound…

“Yes, Miss. I’m afraid we don’t have much time either,” Tao explained. “Please, can you help us?”

“Who is this gypsy you just mentioned?” Kris added, stepping back when the bride touched his chest too.

He will not like this, the bride muttered, tears streaming freely from her face as her eyes seemed even brighter now, as if her painful memories from long ago came flooding back to her. He will not like this. His heart does not beat. He is cruel. Mad.

“You’re talking about the doctor? The owner of this house?” Tao asked, seeing now that she was no threat.

The doctor who cannot heal… If he has taken your beloved she is in grave danger indeed.

“You think this doctor took Jae-noona? But how is that even possible, isn’t he dead? I mean, that is to say, um…” Tao awkwardly stumbled with his words, as the bride calmly stared back at him.

The gypsy will know where to find your beloved.

“The gypsy. Where can we find this gypsy?” Tao asked as politely as he could. The bride pointed at the door that had been locked all this time and it swung open with ease.

“Thank you, Miss,” Tao said as Kris clumsily nodded.

“Yes, thank you,” he repeated, patting Tao on the arm to get him to move.

Wait, before you leave, wait, the bride suddenly spoke, the flames on the chandelier flickering weakly. Free me, she pleaded, please.

Kris scratched the back of his head as Tao gnawed on his lip. “We would like to, but how can we free you?”

The ghostly bride sighed as she stared at the painting that hung over the bed, looking dismal and empty without her figure gracing it. She shuddered as grieving voices lamented in the air.

I wish to search for my beloved as well. He is not in this world. Not anymore. I wish to follow where he left. Please, free me.

The house rumbled at that moment, shaking so much that Tao and Kris strained to keep their balance while even the bride looked afraid.

Free me, please, the bride urged, looking at the painting.

“Tao, maybe we should just leave,” Kris started, the house still trembling lightly.

Please, the bride begged as Tao grabbed the painting that hung from the bed.

“Gege, help me with this. Hold it up,” he instructed as Kris did as he asked, though he was anxious.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked as Tao nodded.

“She helped us, so we should help her,” he decided, deftly spinning on one foot while using the other to kick the painting in half.

The moment the painting was broken and torn, the ghostly bride dropped her chandelier and a bright glowing light surrounded her. Her gown restored to its former beauty, as did the bride herself. The tears cleared away and she could smile again.

Thank you, she said, gazing out the window. You must hurry, he is angry. She pressed, pointing at the door and keeping it wide open for them as a loud roar sounded throughout the house. Tao had heard that terrible voice before and as they left the bride’s room and saw that she had disappeared as well, he tugged at Kris’s arm.

“Kris-ge, I have to ask you for a favor,” he started, feeling braver now and far more determined than he had been moments ago.

“Right now? Tao, we can’t waste anymore time,” Kris said. “It was cool what you did in there for that ghost and that we know where to go look for Jae, but–“

“That yelling man we just heard,” Tao interrupted him, “I think I know who that was. If I’m right, then I’m worried for Lu-ge and Lay-ge. The bride told us to find the gypsy who knows something about Jae-noona. I can go find that gypsy on my own, so I need you to go back to the office of that doctor to get Lu-ge and Lay-ge. You can fly, you can take them away from that place. You’re a lot faster than I am.”

Kris stared at Tao to check whether he was being serious or not and when he noticed how tall he stood, without shaking or trembling he sighed.

“You’d be all alone in a haunted house, Taozi. This is literally your worst nightmare, and you’re asking me to leave you alone?”

“I know it sounds crazy, and maybe I did lose my mind just a bit, but, I can’t abandon Lu-ge and Lay-ge. Get them to safety, please? I promise I’ll do my utmost best to find Jae-noona, no matter how scared I get I’ll find her, I swear!” Tao looked Kris in the eyes to show him how sincere he was.

Kris looked hesitant before he smirked and placed his hand on Tao’s shoulder. “Araso, I got it. You want to play the hero so Jae will swoon over you, I understand,” he chuckled. “Just be careful, Taozi. I’ll rescue Lay and Lulu, but don’t make me come after you to have to save you, got it? Find Jae-noona and get to safety. If the stuff you told me about the doctor, and that ghost bride wasn’t lying about it either, then he’s dangerous. Be on your guard at all times, got it?”

“Yes, dad,” Tao mocked, but he smiled at his brother and gave him a hug, despite that Kris stood like an awkward tree not knowing what to do.

“Okay, okay, enough. Go, be careful,” he said again.

“You too, gege. I’ll see you afterwards,” Tao stated as they went their separate ways.

“See you later, Taozi,” Kris nodded and left. Tao took a deep breath and looked at the end of the hallway towards a green, pulsating light.

“All right, you can do this, Tao. A gypsy isn’t scary and you’re closer to find Jae-noona,” he spoke, gathering his courage as he continued his journey with newfound hope.

Hold on, noona. I’m coming.

>>> CONTINUE HERE <<<