Tzuyu steps out of the blue compact car, her pair of dark crimson eyes sparkled with specks of gold against yellow streetlight as she scans the massive white mansion with rusty gate, chipped paints and mold grown all over the walls.

She scratches her unitchy head while planting an iphone on her ear, a line already connected.

"Hyun, are you sure you shared the right location?"

"Excuse me, did you just doubt my great navigation skill?"

"No," She quickly answered to the offended voice, "But the house doesn't seem like a great place for humans to live in."

"You're saying it's great for something un-human to stay instead?"

Tzuyu gives a long hum, "You could say that."

"Then it's the right place, alright!" She winced, pulling the phone away at Dahyun's almost-shrieking voice. "Aigoo, the traffic is not moving at all and Chae is already spewing hundreds of-"

"ing moron, get your ing huge ty off the road!"

"-cussing words beside me, as you've heard. I hope she's not dragging me to hell for this foul act." 

Tzuyu laughs at her friend's exasperated state, her mind imagining Dahyun's endless prayers to the lord's above to pardon Chaeyoung's unfiltered mouth. 

"So, I'm alone tonight?"

"Aren't you always, Tzu? How many years has it been - hundreds? Since BC?" Chaeyoung's voice appeared with a chuckle, the implication sounds savage to her immortal self as she frowns.

"Ouch, that cuts deep." 

"You gotta get laid soon, partner."

"Hey! Stop putting weird ideas to our pure-hearted Tzuyu!"

"Pure? She's ing ancient, god damn it! Aging like fine wine-"

"B-Blasphemy! You just committed blasphemy - dear lord please forgive -"

Everything else was chaos between the midgets, prompting Tzuyu to end the call that seems useless as of now. 

She sighs, dreading the outcome of handling a bizarre case tonight. It was the first out of many requests that had the trio company of "Ghost Be Ghosted Service" at a loss because they have never dealt with a devil before, moreover with an accidentally summoned one.

 

"Who, in their right mind, would amateurly perform a house-cleansing ritual with the help of google?"

Chaeyoung asked with extra punctuation in every word to emphasize her disbelief with the client's irresponsible act after the latter narrated the whole situation with no sense of seriousness.

"Uh, me?"

The tall and the minions let out a long sigh at the laidback woman grinning innocently (or more like proud with her chin held up), not the least affected with the deep frowns plain to see on their faces. This client is dubbed to be the infamous young solo artist who is well-known by the general public. Unfortunately, this information doesn't apply to the three eccentric paranormal investigators.

"So, Miss Yoo... Beep Beep?"

"That’s me!” The artist flipped her blonde locks, “But you can call me Jeongyeon, please – and without the miss!"

"Yes, uhh... Jeongyeon." Dahyun takes the client's written form, her eyebrows meeting midline as she began to summarize the incident while pacing left and right. "If I understand correctly, you inherited your grandfather's mansion that had never seen light for more than three decades, and you decided to perform some cheap ritual–"

"It wasn't cheap, I paid fifty bucks for it!"

"Right, some "fifty bucks" ritual you found from a hoax website–"

"Google! I googled them!"

"Indeed." Dahyun refrained from rolling her eyes; she faked a smile instead. "So you followed google's "recommended" instructions to cleanse the house from evil spirits and paranormal dwellings, but a devil was summoned by chance."

Jeongyeon nodded, her blindingly bright yellow bangs fluttering along. "But it’s a pity I didn’t get to meet the devil - my autograph might make me famous in hell."

"Trust me, it's better that way." 

Tzuyu lifted her shoulders in agreement to Chaeyoung’s remark while Dahyun excused herself for a second, quickly pulling their heads together in a huddle.

"Anyone agree she's kind of a nut case?" The tallest commented, earning a disapproved look from Dahyun.

"She's just terrified, let's spare the poor soul from anymore contempt." She gently chided, her tense eyes quickly relaxing to a smile. “So, let's call for a vote. Should we proceed or abort-”

The smallest with mushroom hair interfered before Tzuyu could, “I say we proceed!”

“Are you sure, Chaeng? We’ve never handled a devil before, it’s going to be dangerous.”

“All the more reason to accept it! This is youtube-worthy content, and our client is the infamous Yoo Beep Beep! We could get an exclusive interview with her and - praise your almighty lord Dahyun, the views are gonna skyrocket into millions! Ka-ching Ka-ching, bro!”

“Yah! Are you even listening to me?” Dahyun smacks the small hands marked with indellible arts doing money gesture, “We’re not only risking our safety - our lives are at stake too!”

Indeed, Chaeyoung wasn't even listening (her eyes already glittered with the dollar sign) as she pointed to the tallest of them all with a smirk. “Bro, why fret when we have an immortal on our side?”

“Oh. Oh! You mean…”

Tzuyu flinched backwards when two pairs of eyes fell on her, all gleaming and twinkling with excitement and greed; some classic attributes of a human’s weakness. 

“Tzuyu, what do you say? Should we proceed?”

“Bro, she’s an overgrown mosquito, half of the company’s profits went to her red packets anyway. No money, no juice - am I right, partner?”

The tall woman sighs, Chaeyoung and her persuasion had never felt so threatening to her ears. But she’s right on that; there’s no way Tzuyu would survive if it wasn’t for Chaeyoung’s illegal transaction with the blood bank, the cost equivalent to a kidney transplant. Her reserved fix for the red packets is already depleting to last for a month, and there's no way she will donate her extraordinary kidney for a mere mortal.

She's desperate, yes, but not irresponsible.

“I’m all aboard.” Tzuyu relented, lips slightly raised.

Chaeyoung jumped in glee while Dahyun shot her the angel-like grateful look. They approached the client almost in the brink of passing out from waiting too long, holding out a contract already signed with their company’s name, their faces etched with teeth-baring smiles.

“Your deposit will be 50% of the original payment, thank you!” 

 

And that’s how Tzuyu ends up in this abandoned mansion, all by herself. Her eyes peer to the three-storey mansion again, the dilapidated state filled with dark aura and creepy ambience sends indescribable tingle to her heightened senses. It feels raw, sinister, and Tzuyu loves it, her adrenaline slowly pumping with the thrills of the unknown.

If it was Dahyun or Chaeyoung, they would've hauled along every single piece of equipment available on their back for the ghost hunting, each carrying a massive spotlight that are bigger than their heads combined. As compared to Tzuyu who will idly lead them with her supersensory abilities, only bringing a pocket knife for self-defence.

But this particular one is not a child's play. A devil is known to be cunning, deceitful, an ungodly creature from hell; no man's creation could bring it out of hiding, other than their own deepest, sinful desires. Tzuyu has never seen a devil upfront from her years of living, moreover handling one on loose. But that doesn't mean she's scared to meet one, oh she's more than thrilled to meet the supreme creature and test its power, hence why she's more than pleased to keep her human friends by the sideline.

Then again, maybe having Chaeyoung with her would be useful in a way. Her whole existence alone is the epitome of a devil; that could entice the creature.

Tzuyu straps a gopro on her chest so the team can monitor the live feed directly from their van, as well as a promise to Chaeyoung for her youtube channel. She brings along a walkie talkie, in case they've arrived when she's inside. Then, she opens a small briefcase with a label taped on the cover; the Devil's Trap. She finds a silver, concave circlet stowed in an enclosed foam board. A weird tingle sizzled her fingers when she attached the ornament around her wrist.

Tzuyu inhales deeply, once, twice… keeping her sanity in check before stepping inside the house.

The front door creaks loudly, revealing a contradicting condition to the outside view. She tried flicking the light switches, but to no avail. It's pitch dark inside, but Tzuyu's glowing crimson irises made the whole area as clear as the day. Everything looks pristine and proper, as if they had been cleaned beforehand. Jeongyeon did mention she managed to hire a home-cleaning service before everything went haywire. They were so threatened by the devil’s appearance, no one in their right mind dared to step foot inside again.

Well, except for Tzuyu of course, since she’s not really human in a way.

She can't sense any abnormal presence from the living room, but something is definitely roaming over the place. Tzuyu traces the remnants of dark energy vibrating along the plastered walls, her feet treading lightly to the dining area. There's some weird crackling noises near the stove trying to scare her, only for the fire to turn on out of nowhere. She steps closer, not the least affected by the jumpscare gimmick.

At the same time, her phone rings; she puts it on loudspeaker.

"Yoda, what's the situation? We saw the stove acting up from the live feed."

"Nothing much," A relieved sigh greets her from the other line as she observes the room for more anomalies before snapping a picture of the light up stove. The fire burning a strange hue of bluish purple instead of the normal orange red. "It's probably a welcome gift."

"Ohhh, scary…" Chaeyoung sneered at the cheap trick, causing the corner of Tzuyu's lips to curl up.

"Well, devils are associated with fire, since they were banished to hell according to the Bible."

Tzuyu silently takes in the information while scanning the perimeters for any changes in temperature, particularly heat signature that will indicate the devil's presence, just as Dahyun mentioned. A packet of salt caught her eyes and she mindlessly took it, chucking it in her pant's side pocket before resuming with the thorough inspection.

"So they're like trying to show off or something?"

"Yes, or more precisely, it wants Tzuyu's attention." Her ears perk up at that, an uncertain feeling bubbling up her chest. "Be careful, Tzu. The devil is trying to test you, make sure not to anger it so much."

"I'll try."

"We're gonna reach there in a few, stay safe till then."

She turns off the gas, making sure everything is safe before leaving the room. There's nothing much to see on the ground floor so she proceeded up the marble bifurcated staircase, her nose picking up the smell of rotten flesh followed by faint crying upstairs. She follows the sound, leading her to another long hallway on the right wing of the first floor. There’s a lot of doors on each side with disturbing noises coming from every room, making it difficult to discern the source of the crying voice. 

At the same time, something in the air tickles her olfactory senses. It was indistinct when she stepped into the mansion, mistaking it as the smell of detergent and recently washed fabric. The scent emerges again, a whiff between citrusy and cherry, or is it spices and burnt firewood; she can’t tell. But it was sharp enough to pique Tzuyu’s interest, making her wet her lips out of habit.

However, her attention was disrupted with a loud crashing sound from the last door of the hallway.

Tzuyu's impeccable speed had brought her inside the room within a second, only to be surprised when her gaze met frightened pair of wide, quivering caramel eyes.

"Are you alright-"

"Don't hurt me!" The girl cowers on the floor, surrounded by broken ceramic with remnants of a china vase. "Please, don't hurt me…"

Tzuyu takes careful steps closer, trying not to startle the girl because the shards scattered over the floor are sharp with pointed edges; one wrong move might end up with the poor girl injured, or worse, bleeding. She reaches out a hand, palm facing up.

"Hey, it’s okay.” Her voice gentle, trying to pacify the girl putting up her guard. God knows what happened to her, all alone in this mansion with the devil on loose. “I’m not here to harm you.” 

The frightened brown eyes appear again, but this time with a glint of confusion, her eyebrows creasing together. 

“Y-You can see me?”

She cursed inwardly; how did she forget about that. The whole place is pitch dark and for Tzuyu to easily navigate through the mansion without a flashlight seems abnormal for an ordinary human. She quickly comes up with an excuse that sounds believable to a human’s logic. 

“I followed the sound of your cries, that’s how I found you here.”

It seems like her excuse is not logical enough because the girl’s frown only deepens. 

“But it wasn’t me...”

“What?” It’s Tzuyu’s turn to frown. “What do you mean?”

Just in cue, the crying sound appears again, this time accompanied with heavy footsteps from the hallway. The small thuds against the tiled floor makes the girl wince, her whole body visibly trembling in fear. Tzuyu quickly pulls her to stand, cautiously guiding her through the shards of ceramics. 

“What’s your name?”

“S-Sana.”

"My name’s Tzuyu.” She cups Sana’s face to look up while lowering herself to the girl’s level. “Listen, I need you to stay close to me. Can you do that, Sana?” 

There was a hesitant pause, the glimmer of confusion still apparent in those pretty translucent brown orbs for Tzuyu to see, but Sana relents with a nod. 

“Yeah… Yeah, I can do that.”

“Good.” Tzuyu shoots her an assured smile, before pulling the still baffled girl closer to her, their hands connected. “Don’t ever leave my side, okay Sana?”

The grip on Tzuyu’s hand tightened instead, and that’s a good enough response. She just needs to get Sana to safety before things go south and who else has a better definition of saving their asses first other than her two human friends.

Tzuyu attempted to call them a few times, but none of it got through. She looks at the phone screen, only to see the blinking icon of an empty battery over black background. Weird, the last time Dahyun called, it still had half the battery remaining. She opts for the walkie-talkie instead, but only static noise can be heard from the receiver.

Things don't look good, and the weeping sound just seems to get closer and louder. Tzuyu can sense the sinister aura and deep sadness from the creature, the smell of grievances and death engulfing the air inside the room, then she gasps. 

It’s a banshee, the harbinger of death that away life energy through it’s shrilling wail. 

Tzuyu is shocked beyond words; a banshee shouldn’t appear here of all places. Just by its appearance alone alerted Tzuyu of the lurking danger that awaits her and Sana. She might be immune to the creature’s ruthless onslaught, but not Sana; the girl is still unstable and that just makes her a worthy target for the peckish banshee. She inspects the room for any way of escape, but finds a place to hide instead. 

“HuuuUUuu… isk isk...”

Tzuyu peeks through the slits of the wardrobe door as the banshee passes by the room, all the while trying to ignore the loud thumping of Sana’s heart booming in her eardrums. It didn’t help that the enclosed space is barely fit for the two of them, hence the compromising position they’re in; Sana’s head is buried between the crevices of her neck, while her arms wrapped over slender waist.

There is that scent again, sweet and enticing, a mixture of dried flower and winter with a brewing blizzard. It doesn't make sense, but it sends weird sensation to her chest, knocking on the closed door deep in the abyss of her heart where her inner demon lies.

Tzuyu's crimson eyes enlarge in trepidation; she can feel the canine teeth pushing through her gums, elongating the sharp fangs she kept hidden from plain sight. The pulse beneath her skin starts to race, her self-control slowly losing when she inhales a whiff of rust and… blood .

No, it can't be...

That's when she realized the small cut above Sana's shoulder blade. The dried scab must have scraped off earlier when they tried to mesh together inside the wardrobe, now the fresh red blood had seeped through her shirt. She shouldn't be this affected with the sight of mere blood, but somehow the scent makes her demon go awry.

Crap, this is bad.

Sana had probably noticed Tzuyu's trembling body as she looked up at her, eyes filled with worry.

"What's wrong?"

Rather than pulling away, Tzuyu draws Sana closer, tucking the latter’s head back to its previous position to hide the protruding fangs and glowing crimson eyes from being seen and further terrify the girl.

"Hey-"

"Don't," She hissed, eyes squeezed shut. "Just - don’t say anything."

Tzuyu in air through chattering teeth, jaws clenching tight to fight the urges trying to crawl its way out. It’s burning every inch of sanity inside her, as if a glowing coal is poked through her skin, igniting the beast with an insatiable thirst for fresh, warm blood. 

She can’t fight it; the will to survive is too strong.

However, a gentle hand suddenly rubs her back, soothing the burning skin with circles of coaxing touch. It wasn’t dried flowers and cold blizzards anymore, but blooming daffodils basking in the sunshine of winter; the numbing coldness warmed by the honeycomb ray of sun. And Tzuyu’s demon settles down, hushed by the new sensation brought by the stranger in her hold.

Her eyes snapped open. It’s not red anymore, her sharp fangs slowly receding back inside. She inhales, savouring the calming fragrance of recently plucked flowers; the metallic smell of blood forgotten. 

Soft giggle brushes her ear, and that’s when Tzuyu’s senses fully return, only to realize she had unknowingly nestled her face on the crook of Sana’s neck, hugging the warm body impossibly closer against her own. She abruptly pulls away, meeting Sana’s shy smile and flushed face.

“Sorry, I am a little ticklish.”

Tzuyu feels her face heating up as well, stuttering for an apology. However, her attention was diverted to the loud growling outside the wardrobe. Her eyes widened from the pair of hollow eyes staring back through the narrow slits, followed by a deafening shriek.

“AaaAAAaaahhHHH!!!"

Tzuyu quickly covers Sana’s ears before kicking the wardrobe’s door, the banshee hurled across the room. She takes the chance to escape, tugging Sana’s hand towards the staircase. But the banshee is already hot on their tail, wailing with a frustrated cry that shook the hallway. 

They can't escape the creature, prmpting Tzuyu to push Sana inside a room, “Stay there!” 

She spins around, facing the entity with hideous face and hollowed eyes hidden behind long curly hair, it drapes across the floor. She stretched out her left palm, chanting a mantra towards the incoming banshee. Gust of wind gathers in front of her palm and with a shout, she propels it towards the shrieking creature, making it vanish into thin air. 

It was a short fight, but it left Tzuyu panting for breaths, which was a first out of the many battles she had in the past. The whole mansion looks strange to her, as if something is missing. No, something definitely has changed.

“Hey! Are you okay?”

Tzuyu turns around towards Sana, giving a nod. “I’m good, but we need to get you out of here. It’s not safe for you.”

“But what about you?”

It was merely a pout, but Tzuyu was so taken aback by it, she almost choked on her own spit. She averts her gaze from Sana’s worried face, shoes scuffling against the slippery floor of marble tile.

“Uhh, I’m actually here with my friends. We work as a team so it’s going to be fine.” Sana doesn’t seem convinced, but she nods anyway, only to flinch in surprise when Tzuyu grabs her hand. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

“Actually, about that-”

“Yes?” Tzuyu casts a brief glance to the girl slightly shorter than her as she leads them to the staircase.

“I don’t think I can leave.”

“Eh? What are you - WHOA!“ 

Her foot that was about to walk down the first step suddenly disappeared, causing Tzuyu to leap backwards in surprise. She checks her foot, now looking the same as usual. She gives Sana a weird look, the girl mirroring her, before approaching the staircase again and holds out her hand this time. 

The same thing happens again; her hand has disappeared behind an invisible wall and when she pulls back, it reappears again like normal. She knows this ploy, having experienced once when they faced a witch with the ability to warp space.

“W-What’s going on?”

“It’s a fourth dimensional wall.” She takes Sana’s hand and guides it inside the invisible wall, the girl gaping from her missing arm. “It basically distorts the space inside with another realm, separating whatever within the wall from reality.”

“So that means…?”

“We’re trapped.” Tzuyu answered, her face visibly grim. “If only I could contact Dahyun, at least I know what we’re dealing with.”

“Dahyun? Is that your friend?”

“Yeah, she has more knowledge about the paranormals more than I do. Apparently, it’s a requirement to be a clergy at the Vatican... - wait, what are you doing?”

Tzuyu eyed Sana curiously when she touched her wrist, sliding her fingers softly along the creases on Tzuyu’s palm before lacing their fingers together.

“I just thought you needed a hand to hold!”

She blinks in confusion from Sana’s blinding smile, her innocent looks rendered Tzuyu baffled but the flitting touch sends flutters to her chest instead; a first time from her centuries of living.

“What does that –”

“Tzuyu? Am I hearing this right – is that your voice, Tzu?!”

“Yah, you’re drunk but you didn’t even invite me for a shot? And the bible said alcohol is man’s worst enemy - I can fully relate to that!”

“Shut up, Chaeng! I thought I heard her voice earlier–”

Tzuyu grabs her head, her eyebrows furrowing together in a mix of concentration and confusion as she listens to the familiar voices bickering in her head. 

“Dahyun…? Is that you?”

“Tzuyu! You can hear me too, right?”

Her face lit up from hearing Dahyun’s reply, a sense of relief washing over her. “Yeah! Your voice is loud and clear, Hyun.”

“What happened? We just arrived but the live feed suddenly disconnected - we tried to reach you many times!"

"There's a dimensional wall by the staircase, I think that's what cuts me off from the real world, and probably how this telepathic connection happens."

"Hmm, that's… weird. So this means you're trapped inside?"

"Maybe. I still haven't traced the devil yet but we met a banshee."

"Wait, you met a banshee?"

"She met a ing what?!" Tzuyu winced from Chaeyoung's outburst, hoping she can at least control the volume or choose to tune out Chaeyoung from the telepathic connection. "Bro, please tell me you have everything recorded!"

"Yah, a banshee appeared in an uncommon place and that's the first thing you're worried about?”

"My point, exactly! But Dahyun's right. How did a western ghost manifest over here anyway?"

"That's what the fourth dimensional wall does. Just as it can trap mass inside its wall, it can also teleport other matter from outside by bending and distorting space, making particles travel at the speed of light."

"Bro, that's a lot of complicated terms to take in but what in the ing ery - that’s a load of mess!"

"For the love of – language, Chaeng! Please!"

Tzuyu quickly shot a question before the two end up in another quarrel, "Do you think the devil is responsible for this?"

"Well, it might be. They do have the ability to control fire at will, and since heat and light are correlated with one another, it might be easy for the devil to manipulate the elements at will, which resulted in the distorted space of the fourth dimensional wall."

"In other words, I need to defeat the devil first to get us both out of this maze?"

"Yes, as simple as - wait wait wait, hold up. What did you mean by "us both"? There's someone else inside with you?!"

"Sort of, I found her in the mansion." Tzuyu turns to Sana, only to find the girl slightly panting, colors draining from her face. "She doesn't look good, Hyun. I think this wall might have leached off her energy."

"That doesn't sound good. You need to track the devil fast, Tzu. That's the only way you can escape the place."

"Right. Let's hope everything goes well."

“Don’t worry, bro! I’m already tampering with the quantum-cancelling proto device to break this dimensional , whatever it is. My photon gun will be the last thing that devil will witness before we send its hot back to hell.”

Tzuyu cracks up at that, “Tell Chaeyoung I’ll be counting on her for that.”

"We're counting on you too, Tzuyu! Fighting!"

The voices in her head went mute and Tzuyu sighs in relief, it was too loud for her liking, only to feel Sana's head lolling over her shoulder. There's sweat forming on her forehead and her pale skin is cold to the touch.

"Sana? Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess it was too much after a long time…" She chuckles lightly, her face contorted in exhaustion. "I'll be fine, just need to rest for a bit. You can go search for the devil first."

Tzuyu would have agreed with the suggestion since time is running out, but somehow, she decided against it; a voice in her chest rumbles in protest.

"No, I'll wait for you."

"Trust me, I'll only be a burden. You still have a mission to complete, right?

"You're never a burden, Sana." They were simply spoken words, something Tzuyu said on a whim (she never intended to) but it helds sincerity in them from the way Tzuyu stares into Sana's eyes, trying to convey to the girl that she really meant every word. "Give me your hands."

"Why?"

"I'm going to perform magic."

"So you're a magician now?"

Aren’t you one too, was at the tip of her tongue, because Sana did it to her first, putting a spell on her inner demon to control thyself. Even Tzuyu had difficulty conquering the violent beast in her, but the rush of cold, sweet blossoms had made it easy; this stranger beside her made things easy. 

But Tzuyu wouldn’t express her thoughts to random strangers, centuries of living taught her that. Instead, she lets a smile take shape from the mirth in Sana’s voice. 

She takes Sana’s extended hand with a mindful touch and as soon as Tzuyu closes her eyes, their hands radiate a blinding glow. A gasp escapes Sana’s lips, but she soon relaxes, the warmth emanating from the glow brings tranquil to her distress, slowly recovering her fatigue with an overwhelming flow of energy.

“You’re good?”

“Yeah,” She timidly nods as the light encasing their hands fades away, the dull caramel eyes now shining with life. “Thank you.”

Tzuyu purposely makes herself occupied as if she's checking the surroundings, eyes wandering at the cobwebs on the wall. She didn’t want Sana to see the red hues on her cheeks, just like what she sees from the girl. Clearing , she stands up on her feet, only to feel a spike of energy from above.

“I can feel it - it's upstairs.” Her eyes stray to the top floor, picking up a distant sound of laughter with ominous intent. She turns to Sana, offering a hand. “Come on, we need to catch the devil.”

But Tzuyu’s hand stays mid-air, the girl wearing a hesitant look.

“Um, I really think I should stay behind. My presence would only hold you down and it’s dangerous too so it’s not the best to have me with you when you’re facing the devil later since-”

“Sana.”

The girl stops her rambling, eyelashes fluttering in confusion when Tzuyu kneels down before her with a gentle smile. “Y-Yes?”

“We’re already stuck together in this dimensional space, so let’s stick together until then.”

“But-”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” 

Tzuyu grabs Sana’s dainty hand into hers, holding it in a protective cocoon to show that it’s going to be fine, that they’re going get through this together, no matter what. The tall woman gets up, tugging Sana to do the same, still not letting go. Sana looks up at the determined Tzuyu, a chortle bubbling up of the saviour standing mighty before her. 

Sana leaps up on her feet too, their heights only a tad difference when out of nowhere, a pair of arms wrap around her waist. 

It wasn’t Tzuyu’s protective hands, but of red nails and burnt skin with elongated crooked fingers, and Sana panics. 

“Tzuyu!”

The girl tried to claw on Tzuyu’s sleeve, she's still caught off-guard, but Sana only managed to snatch the silver amulet tied around Tzuyu’s wrist before the ghastly hands pulled the girl inside the wall, disappearing into a warp hole.

“No - Sana!”

The warp hole faded as quick as it appeared, leaving Tzuyu floored. She saw Sana’s face before the girl was pulled inside, desperately trying to reach out for Tzuyu's rigid hand. But she only stood frozen, shocked. She just promised Sana she would protect the girl…

And that’s what she’s going to do; they’re going to leave this place, together.

She quickly snaps out of the trance and bolts up the stairs, stopping herself before a wooden double door that reaches the ceiling. She flings the door open, only to be welcomed with the sight of a woman in a white working shirt and blue skirt tied on a chair against a grand piano in the middle of the room.

She approaches the unconscious woman with careful steps, checking her vitals to confirm her condition. She’s still alive, but her skin has no colour and the pupils are fully dilated and trembling intensely. She's not Sana, but no human deserves to be here in the first place. Just as Tzuyu was about to untie the rope, a force throw her across the room.

She groans in pain, the strength that threw her was nothing human. She is recovering from the impact when the room suddenly fills with a blood-curdling laughter. Tzuyu’s eyes went wide when she saw a dark shadowy figure floating above the unconscious woman, filled with sinister intent and malice.

Then she puts two and two together; unconscious with dilated pupils and pale skin… of course, that’s how the devil got its power; it's possessing the woman.

“Here to be a hero?”

“Nahh, I'm here to kick your .” Tzuyu cracks her neck after dusting off her pants, only to have a chair thrown her way at an incredible speed. 

Well, tough luck, she has super speed too.

“That's a cute trick.”

A faint chuckle sounded from behind her, the shadow towering the woman was nowhere in sight. "Cute is an understatement."

“I would tell you to it, but I feel the context is different.”

Tzuyu simply replied, not the least affected with the distorted voice. Chaeyoung’s sarcasm must have rubbed off on her, in a good way. Instead, her calm composure had intrigued the mystic being as the devil sauntered dangerously close to her back.

"You're... different." The whisper brushes against her right earlobe, but it didn't pose the same effect as the spine-chilling sensation on a human. “Just like that other girl with you.”

Tzuyu grits her teeth, fully knowing who the creature is implying, eyes wandering all over the dark room for the whereabouts of the voice. “Where is she?”

“Oh, she’s fine.” The voice annoyingly travels left and right, deliberately toying with Tzuyu’s emotion now that it managed to tick her off. “Let’s worry about yourself first, shall we?” 

Suddenly, the whole room booms with loud music blasted from the wall-mounted speakers. Tzuyu didn’t flinch, her ears already trained to discern the fleeting voice of the devil while her crimson irises glowed red. Her vision now exceeds any normal human being, making it easier for her to see the devil in it’s form.

Tzuyu can't use her power frequently, the space is sapping off her strength somehow, but there's lives at stake here and she had to do something to thwart the devil from the life out of the girl.

Now that her senses are heightened ten fold, she can easily sense the devil popping on her right, her hand quickly seizing the creature before crashing it on the wall with her super speed. Tzuyu tightens her grip, crushing the devil’s neck as it claws against her wrist, whimpering to be released. 

“Y-You can’t kill me!”

Tzuyu quirks an eyebrow, unfazed. “Why not?”

“T-They will d-die too!”

Her grip loosened as Sana’s frightful face appeared in her mind. There’s that feeling again, thumping on her chest, desperate to be released from within. Caught unguard, the devil slips itself from Tzuyu’s strong clutch and kicks her on the gut, sending the girl ramming through multiple walls.

“Tzuyu!”

She was struggling to get up amidst the rubbles of plasters and broken cements, but her head shot up at the voice, the familiar scent of winter and daffodils waking her senses into a state of alert. 

“Sana?” 

In a blink of an eye, she is suddenly beside Sana, all tied up on a chair, just like the possessed woman she found. Tzuyu snaps the rope binding Sana with just a pull of her hands, freeing the girl instantly. 

“Are you hurt? Damn it, I’m so sorry I didn’t-”

“Hey, I’m fine, really! I’m not hurt at all!” 

Tzuyu swallowed the remaining words when Sana’s caramel eyes greet her, and almost instantly the turmoil in her dissipates; just like the sunshine Sana is, melting the cold blizzard in her heart. 

“When the devil tried to touch me, it screamed in pain. I think it’s the amulet, it protects me.” Sana opens her fist, revealing the silver circlet she snatched from Tzuyu’s wrist.

“The Devil’s Trap.” 

Tzuyu’s mind flashes back to a few days prior, recalling Dahyun’s briefing about the devil before they set off to the haunted mansion.

 

“The devil may be brute and cunning, but same as all living beings, it has its own Kryptonite too.” Dahyun slid a steel suitcase over the long table, opening it to reveal the concave-shaped amulet. “This is a Devil’s Trap, an enchanted ornament used by the Proto-Semetic people to ward off evil spirits. The inscriptions on the surface can confuse and trap any spirits with malicious intent, except for a devil. However, it does serve its purpose as a protection for those who wear it.”

“So it works like a charm?”

“As the pun intended, yes.” The clergy-prodigy slapped away Chaeyoung's prying fingers from touching the sacred amulet.

“How can this trap serve its purpose then?”

Dahyun snaps her fingers from Tzuyu’s query, “As I said, it serves as a protection to the bearer, the devil included. The inscriptions are actually an incantation carved using the essence of holy water, which is the devil’s most feared nightmare. An attempt to touch the wearer will result in a scorching and scalding reaction to the devil – a "gentle" reminder of hell’s fire.”

“Pftt, that’s lame.” Chaeyoung intervened as she pulled out a gun from its holster. “Can’t we just blast it off with my photon gun?”

“It’s not as easy as that, we’re dealing with a supreme being here.” Dahyun disagreed, but her face suddenly lit up as if she'd found a new solution. “Unless, we can make the devil vulnerable.”

“So you're saying I can blast it off with this baby?”

“It’s plausible, but we need to trap the devil with a powerful sigil that may incapacitate its power and make it weaker!”

Tzuyu and Chaeyoung exchanged confused looks when their friend suddenly disappeared into the mini library of their office. 

“And by sigil, you mean…?” Tzuyu asked as Dahyun emerged from the room, a thick magic book slammed on the table. 

“The pentagram.”

 

A sense of relief washes over Tzuyu when she heeds Dahyun's advice to always keep the talisman close. It had spared Sana’s life, giving protection to her just like it ought to. 

“You should hold on to it.”

Sana arches her eyebrows in confusion when Tzuyu takes the charm and ties it around her wrist. “But what about you?”

“You don’t have to worry about me, I can manage myself. But in case the devil tries to hurt you again, this amulet can be your protection.” 

Tzuyu smiles in satisfaction when the charm is clasped securely on Sana’s wrist, but her smile falters when she meets Sana’s glimmering eyes. The pools of glittering brown specks speak of a million silent words, and Tzuyu understands only one; she wants to unravel all of it.

“You really did protect me, you know?”

And Tzuyu intends to do it again, as many times as she would, until they can escape this place and return the devil back to it’s deserving home called hell. 

"Aww, this is heartwarming!"

Speak of the devil . Tzuyu quickly shields Sana with her body, pushing the girl behind the safety of her back as she turns around to face the devil. But it wasn't the vile creature that stood before them.

It's the poor woman, now under possession of the devil as she stares back with glowing red eyes, a pair of curved horns with sharp ridges protruding from her head.

"Did I disturb your reunion?" 

She asked with a crooked smile and demonic voice but Tzuyu is having none of it. She needs to work fast before the woman would lose her consciousness and sanity, forever.

"Sana, I need you to listen to me." Tzuyu shouted over her shoulder to the perplexed girl, "I'm going to grab that woman and subdue her on that chair, and when I give you the signal, I need you to hold her down until I said so."

"W-What? That's – I don't know if I can!"

"You can!" Tzuyu grabs Sana's hand, exposing the silver circlet strapped on her wrist. "This amulet will protect you…" before lightly squeezing Sana's hand. "And I will protect you!"

Sana bites her lip in contemplation, before nodding back. Tzuyu smiles at that, giving another squeeze to their joined hands before rushing off towards the possessed woman gradually transforming into the devil’s form.

Tzuyu calculated her moves carefully, wanting to lessen the injury she will afflict to the woman. With great agility, she avoids the claw-like nails sweeping wildly for her face before sending a punch on its gut. The woman recovered right away, growling in anger from the hit. Apparently the devil's power had bestowed the woman with enormous strength as she picked up a mahogany table with one hand, chucking it in Tzuyu's direction. She jumps out of the way, rolling against debris of the broken wall as the woman lets out a demonic laugh.

"Hahaha! This body isn't as frail as it seems, I love it!"

Tzuyu pushes herself up from the floor, only to feel coarse grain spilling out of her pants' side pocket. 

This is...

She hardens her gaze, glaring back at the woman with so much intensity, the crimson orbs start to glow. "I won't let you take her away!"

The woman lets out a tutting sound with her tongue, "She's already a lost cause, deary. This body is mine!"

"No wonder you’re condemned to hell - you’re too full of yourself."

The woman smirks, showing sharp, pointed teeth that don't seem human anymore. "Well, what are you going to do about it? You can't defeat me!"

"No, I can't..." Tzuyu stands up, her hand balling into a fist. "But this will!"

"What are you - ARGHHH!!!"

Tzuyu throws a handful of salt towards the woman's face, causing a shrieking roar to resonate inside the dilapidated room. The possessed woman whimpers in pain, the skin on her face scalding angry red. Tzuyu takes the chance to tackle the woman's unguarded leg, making her fall on her knees before hauling her towards the chair in a flash.

She quickly binds the woman with ropes before shouting for Sana's attention. 

"Sana, now!"

Sana immediately holds the woman's shoulder, earning another deafening cry that shakes the whole place with a foreboding fear. The skin is burning up with visible steam, exposing the burnt dermis and blackened flesh belonging to the devil. Sana turns to Tzuyu, watching in apprehension as the tall girl begins to mutter some incantations, only to poke the base of her wrist with an elongated fang. 

Tzuyu heard Sana's loud gasp clearly, probably taken aback by her real form, but that's the least of her worries. With the speed of light, Tzuyu starts to draw the pentagram sigil on the floor using the blood dripping from her hand, making sure to trap the struggling woman in the middle of the blood-drawn ring. 

"Sana, you can let her go now! Stay back!"

As soon as Sana steps out of the circle, she chants the spells Dahyun told her to memorize. Muttering the last word of the incantation, she plants her palm on the red line of the circle, the sigil starting to glow with a bright light.

And the devil roars in pain.

"What did you do, ape?!"

"Sending you back to hell, of course - but just for the record, I’m no ape." Tzuyu flashes a grin, baring her sharp canines for the devil to see. “I’m an oversized mosquito, as quoted by Chaeyoung.”

And she adds another hand on the circle, adding more energy to the pentagram as the devil wails in agony, begging to be released.

Tzuyu clenched her teeth, her hands began to tremble from the arduous spell. She needs to maintain the sigil's energy until the woman is released from the devil's wrath but it's already taking a toll on her body, her legs almost giving way to the devil's resistance. However, she can sense another surge of energy in the vicinity, void of malice and evil that belongs to the vile creature.

Tzuyu's nose picks up the mellow scent again, and her head whips to Sana perched beside her.

The girl had her eyes closed with a layer of warm light enveloping her body, channeling a path of energy through extended hands as it flowed on the ground like streams of glittering river towards the sigil, supporting Tzuyu with an overwhelming surge of power. Sana looks tranquil within the light, almost in peace, a contrast to her distraught state when they first met.

"NOOOOO!!! STOP THIS! I CAN'T BE DEFEATED!"

The voice distorted in between a growl and a shrilling shout, and that's when Tzuyu knew she's almost there. She can see the devil's true form looming over the woman's head, struggling to keep itself within its new host while trying to escape the sigil's enchantment. The dark energy keeping the space intact is slowly losing its powers as the dimensional wall begins to break into contorted shapes, revealing the real world outside.

Then, a familiar yell reaches Tzuyu's sensitive hearing, the cussing giving away her presence.

"WHERE'S THE MOTHERING DEVIL EAGER TO TASTE MY ING PHOTON BLASTER ?!"

Tzuyu laughs at her friend's antics because for once, she's really glad to hear the swearings spouting from Chaeyoung's unfiltered mouth just when Tzuyu needed her the most. 

"Tzuyu! How are you holding up?"

Her lips curve into a grin from Dahyun's concerned voice, the clergy appearing by Tzuyu's side with a huge backpack and a cross ready. "With you guys here? I can taste the victory already."

"Well, there's only one way to find out. Chaeng, would you do the honour?"

Chaeyoung grins like a cheshire cat, already aiming the muzzle of her photon gun on the devil. "It’s a ing pleasure!"

And the ray blasted off against the devil, its power already depleted as the demonic shadow detached fully from the woman who went limp on the chair. The creature writhes in pain as the ray burns through charcoaled skin, searing its inside with excruciating degrees of heat. 

“Ha! Try this off, you ing leech!”

But all is for naught, if the devil is not returned to where it belongs - unless they can open the hell’s gate. And that’s when Dahyun should step in - exactly at this moment - if only she wasn’t struggling neck deep inside the huge backpack searching for that one ritual book with colorful bookmarks within the pages.

“Hyun...? We need you now!” Tzuyu warns the clergy, already reaching her limit to keep the sigil’s energy intact.

“Just a minute - I can’t find the book!”

“Bro, are you ing with me? I know you’re addicted to books, but you’re not in a ing commited relationship with them to bring the whole library here!” 

“These books are our lifeline, Chaeng and your vulgar mouth is not helping with my patience!”

“Dahyun, hurry! We can’t hold on to it much longer!”

“Oh, what the - I’ll just do it!” The prodigy lets out an exasperated sigh, kicking off the scattered books as she points the handheld silver cross towards the devil.

 

I adjure thee, most evil spirit, by Almighty God. 

And by His power, I condemn you back to hell!

 

The warp hole appears again, but rather than distorted space, the walls are burning with black fire and blazing embers, ready to swallow the devil back to hell. The creature let out one last shrilling howl before its whole figure was consumed by the gate, the hole diminishing into a small black dot and vanishing into thin air.

“We did it.”

Tzuyu breathes out, her chest heaving heavily as she stares at the blood-drawn circle slowly dimming out of energy. Her hands that were full of blisters and gashes are now healing little by little as her strength recovers again. 

Dahyun rushes to the woman still unconscious on the chair, lying her down on the floor while making sure her vitals are stable.

“She barely made it.” She exhales in relief from the feeble pulse, “But she needs immediate medical care. Chaeng, help me carry her!”

Bearing the most muscle of the two, Chaeyoung flexes her biceps first - Dahyun rolling her eyes from the proud smug - before hoisting the woman over shoulder. “Damn, your girl is heavy, Tzu. How did you find her anyway?” 

“She was already under the devil’s spell when we found her.” Her eyes begin to search the place for another companion with brown hair, only to feel a hand on her shoulder.

Tzuyu turns around with a smile, but it wavers as quickly; it’s just Dahyun using her as support to keep herself balanced while donning the massive backpack.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s another girl with me.”

“What?” Dahyun shot her a concerned look, “Are you sure? I didn't see anyone else when we got here.”

“You don’t…?” Tzuyu’s forehead creases, her eyes frantically scanning the wreckage surrounding them. “But she was right beside me! She was-”

She halted, her nose picking up the faint scent she’s already familiar with. And she sees her, lying between the rubbles near the staircase. It’s Sana! She dashes over to the uncoscious girl, almost knocking off Chaeyoung and escaping a cuss thrown her way as she slid to a stop beside the still Sana. 

“Sana? Hey, can you hear me? Open your eyes, please!”

Dahyun catches up with her, all breathless from the weight on her back as she hunches beside the kneeling girl.

“Tzu, what’s wrong? What’s up with - Oh lord!”

Chaeyoung arrived soon after, casually towering over Sana while motioning to the lower parts of her body. “Why are her legs missing?”

True to Chaeyoung’s words, Tzuyu can only see Sana’s body from waist up, the rest missing… or rather, invisible to human’s eyes. Because Tzuyu can see the outline, transparent, but it’s there; she can feel the girl’s leg with her hand. 

The three friends exchanged looks, wearing the same puzzled expression with one apparent question in their mind - Chaeyoung beat them to it.

 

 

“What in the ing hell is she?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

///// Next Chapter Sneak Peek /////

 

"But how did she suddenly become… visible?"

"That," Dahyun pops a carrot slice inside before pointing the chopsticks towards her, "was your doing."

 

 

“Try it.”

“Will it work?”

“Well, you’re already drooling.” Sana quickly wipes , earning a small chuckle from the taller. “It wouldn't hurt to try. If anything, I’m here for you.”

 

 

Maybe Sana is the curse, hence the reason why she’s locked up in this mansion. 

You can leave.

Sana almost snorted at the voice, thinking it was just her sick imagination trying to coax herself out of guilt and despair. 

Trust me. She can help you.

 

 

"Stay away..."

"No, I won't - I want you to do it."

"What...?"

"Drink my blood."

 

---

A/N: thank you to @dududusoseji-san (horneddevil) for inviting me to write a satzu halloween series with her (do hunt authornim for one as well :)) )
enjoy, and take care! <3