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Icicle mansion

  The rhythmic hum of the train filled the air as Sam and Eislyn sat by the window, watching the distant stars streak by. The soft glow of the cabin lights cast shadows across their faces as they traveled deeper into the Northern Galaxy.

  Eislyn leaned back in her seat, arms crossed. “So, remind me again—why exactly are we heading here?”

  Sam glanced at her, his expression calm but firm. “Like I said, V told me this is where we can find answers about Dead Code.”

  Eislyn nodded but furrowed her brows. “I get that… but I thought we were going to ask Mugen back at the academy for help.”

  Sam sighed. “Yeah, I considered that. But I asked Rock about Mugen, and apparently, he doesn’t show his face much when he’s busy. There’s no telling how long it’d take to get a hold of him.”

  Eislyn hummed in thought. “That does sound like Mugen. He’s probably buried in work.”

  A pause lingered between them before Eislyn’s eyes lit up slightly. “Wait… doesn’t Tushar live in the Northern Planets?”

  Sam smirked. “Yeah. I actually told him we were coming to visit and explained what happened. He sent me a text saying Adwin and Lexine are over there too.”

  Eislyn’s lips curled into a small smile. “Cool. It’ll be nice to see them again.”

  The train continued its course through the vast expanse of space, the destination ahead filled with mysteries yet to unfold.

  As Sam and Eislyn stepped off the train onto the icy streets of the Northern Planets, a crisp chill brushed against their skin. The towering buildings, sculpted from what appeared to be crystalline ice, shimmered under the planet’s pale blue sky, casting ethereal reflections across the ground.

  Before they could take in more of the breathtaking scenery, a familiar voice rang out.

  “Hello, my friends!”

  Sam and Eislyn turned their heads toward the voice, only to be met with the sight of Tushar, standing confidently amidst a swarm of adoring women.

  “It’s great to see you again,” he said with a smirk, brushing a hand through his silver-streaked hair.

  Sam and Eislyn exchanged a glance, their thoughts in sync.

  “He didn’t waste any time, huh…”

  Sam cleared his throat. “Where are the others?”

  Tushar reluctantly peeled himself away from the group of women, sighing dramatically. “Back at my place. Let’s get going before they start drinking without us.”

  Before he could take a step, the girls clung to him, their voices pleading.

  “Please don’t leave us, Tushar!”

  Tushar turned to them with a dazzling smile. “I’ll be back soon, my beauties. Until then, dream of me.”

  He gently placed a kiss on the forehead of one particularly eager girl. The moment his lips brushed against her skin, she let out a dreamy sigh and immediately collapsed to her knees, unconscious.

  Sam stared in disbelief. “Who is this guy…?” he thought, watching as Tushar confidently strode forward, completely unbothered.

  Eislyn just sighed, shaking her head. “Let’s just get going before his fan club starts growing.”

  As they arrived at Tushar’s house, the large, elegant structure loomed before them. Its design matched the rest of the city—crafted from shimmering ice-like material, but with an unmistakable warmth emanating from within.

  Before they could approach the front door, Tushar turned to Sam with a sheepish expression.

  “Sam, jump through my window… because of my parents.”

  Sam sighed. “Yeah, I got you.”

  With a quick push off the ground, Sam leaped effortlessly up to the second-floor window. He knocked twice, and within moments, the window slid open to reveal Adwin, his expression unreadable as always.

  “Come inside,” Adwin said, stepping back.

  Sam climbed through the window, landing gracefully inside the dimly lit room.

  “It’s great to see you again,” Sam said with a grin.

  “Yeah, yeah, you too,” a voice chimed in from the side.

  Sam turned to see Lexine, lounging on the couch, completely absorbed in a game on her portable laptop. The glow of the screen illuminated her focused expression as her fingers moved with precision over the controls.

  Sam smirked. “Still gaming, huh? It’s good to see you too, Lexine.”

  Lexine didn’t look up but gave a small nod. “Mhm. Just don’t talk too loud. I’m in the middle of something.”

  Just then, the door creaked open, and Tushar and Eislyn entered the room.

  A moment of silence settled between the group before Tushar clapped his hands together.

  “Alright, now that we’re all here, let’s catch up properly.”

  They all gathered around, settling into seats or leaning against the walls. Conversations flowed easily, old memories resurfaced, and the tension of past battles seemed to melt away—if only for a little while.

  Adwin leaned forward, his arms crossed as he studied Sam. “So, you called us here because you need help with something?”

  Sam nodded, glancing at Eislyn before speaking. “Yeah. Tushar probably already told you what happened to us back at her home. Someone said there's a place here where we can find answers.”

  Adwin raised an eyebrow. “And where exactly is this place?”

  “A mansion on top of a hill.” Sam’s voice was firm, but Tushar immediately stiffened, his body visibly trembling.

  Tushar pointed out the window without hesitation. “You mean... that one?” His voice was lower now, as if saying it too loudly would summon something from within.

  Sam followed his gaze, spotting the silhouette of a towering mansion in the distance. The house loomed over the hill like a forgotten monolith, its jagged rooftops and shattered windows barely visible under the dim glow of the moon. A cold unease settled over him.

  “Yeah… it’s definitely eerie.”

  Tushar stepped back. “I’m staying here.”

  Lexine smirked, looking up from her portable laptop. “Are you actually scared?”

  Tushar didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”

  Adwin scoffed. “What’s so bad about that place?”

  Tushar shot him a sharp look. “People who go there don’t come back the same… if they come back at all. My dad’s friend went there once, and when he returned…” He swallowed hard. “His head was on a spike.”

  A heavy silence fell over the group.

  “And you’re saying we should wait until morning?” Eislyn asked.

  Tushar nodded quickly. “Absolutely. Going there at night is a death sentence.”

  Adwin cracked his knuckles. “Sounds like a challenge.”

  Sam grinned. “We’re going now.”

  Lexine shut her laptop and stretched. “Let’s do this.”

  Tushar groaned loudly as he rubbed his face. “Why am I friends with you people?”

  Moments later, the five of them stood at the edge of the darkened path leading toward the mansion. The air was colder, the wind whispering through the trees like unseen voices. As they took their first steps forward, the mansion seemed to grow taller, as if stretching toward them, waiting for their arrival.

  As the five of them stepped inside, they were met with a surprising sight. Despite the mansion being abandoned, the interior was eerily pristine. The grand hall stretched before them, illuminated by the soft glow of an unseen light source. Dust lingered in the air, but the furniture and decor looked as if someone had been maintaining them.

  At the far end of the hall, two doors stood side by side.

  One door was ornate and inviting, painted a warm ivory with golden handles, almost as if it belonged in a palace. The other door, however, was twisted and gnarled, its wood dark and splintered, an ominous aura radiating from it. Shadows clung to its frame unnaturally, shifting as if they were alive.

  Sam’s eyes locked onto the dark door, an eager grin forming on his face. “I’ll take the scary one.”

  Before he could move, Adwin casually raised a hand. “Nope. Sorry, Sam. You’ve had your share of fun lately. I think I’ll go instead... and I’m taking Eislyn with me.”

  “Wait, what?” Eislyn’s entire body tensed as she slowly turned to face the menacing door. A deep, unnatural creaking sound echoed from the wood, like a long, drawn-out breath. She felt an immediate sense of dread crawling up her spine. “Please, Sam, don’t make me go in there!” she pleaded.

  Sam crossed his arms. “It might be good for you. Y’know, facing your fears.”

  Eislyn’s expression twisted into a glare. “I despise you.”

  Before she could bolt, Adwin grabbed her by the legs and began dragging her toward the door. Eislyn kicked and clawed at the ground, her fingers scraping against the ice-covered floor, leaving deep grooves. “No! Please! I don’t want to go in there!” she wailed, trying to grip onto anything she could.

  Lexine crouched beside her, watching her struggle with a bemused smirk. “You’ll be fine,” she said sweetly.

  Eislyn clung desperately to the door hinges, her knuckles turning white. “I refuse! I REFUSE!”

  Lexine chuckled before gently prying each of her fingers off the door, one by one. Eislyn’s face was a portrait of betrayal as she was dragged, kicking and screaming, into the room.

  The moment she crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind her with an eerie finality.

  A tense silence filled the air.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Sam and Tushar exchanged looks.

  “That was cold,” they both thought.Eislyn pounded on the door with frantic desperation. “Open the door! Open it now!” she screamed, slamming her fists against the unyielding wood.

  No response.

  Her breath came in sharp, panicked gasps as she pressed her forehead against the cold surface. She was trapped.

  Adwin, standing a few feet ahead in the dimly lit hallway, sighed. “Eislyn, come on. We have to keep moving.”

  She hesitated before reluctantly turning away from the door. The hallway was eerily silent, the only sound coming from their own breathing and the soft creaks of the old wooden floor beneath them. Shadows clung to the corners of the walls, shifting ever so slightly, as if watching.

  After a few moments of walking, they stepped into a living room, its only source of light coming from a dying fireplace. The flames flickered weakly, casting elongated, dancing shadows across the dusty furniture and aged wallpaper.

  Then Eislyn turned her head—

  —and her stomach dropped.

  Mounted on a spike, her own head stared back at her.

  A sickly, pale version of herself, lifeless eyes wide open, mouth agape as if frozen mid-scream.

  Her vision blurred, her knees nearly giving out beneath her. “This is worse than fighting Dead Code,” she thought, struggling to keep herself from passing out.

  Adwin, meanwhile, remained eerily calm. He glanced at a nearby spike and found his own severed head displayed just the same. Unbothered, he simply sighed, as if he had seen worse.

  But his eyes narrowed when he noticed another head—this one wasn’t human.

  Twisted features, hollowed-out sockets where eyes should be, its mouth unnaturally stretched into a grotesque grin. It was something else entirely.

  “What the hell is this thing?” Adwin muttered, stepping closer to examine it.

  Before Eislyn could respond, their attention was drawn to an old audio player sitting on a table beside the fireplace. A small holographic button flickered dimly.

  Without hesitation, Adwin pressed it.

  A crackling voice emerged from the speakers, distorted by time.

  “My name is Josh Thomas Howard… Hunting has been a hobby of mine for quite some time. But later… it became an obsession.”

  Eislyn swallowed hard. The room felt colder.

  “The creature you see before you is one I’ve been trying to hunt for years. It is not man… nor animal… it is something unholy.”

  Adwin listened intently, his eyes fixed on the strange head before them.

  “I spent hours—no, years—trying to protect my family from this thing.”

  A long silence followed. Then the voice returned, weaker.

  “I thought that if I killed it… I would be freed from this awful feeling…”

  A ragged breath.

  “…I was wrong.”

  Then—silence.

  The audio cut out.

  Eislyn felt her body trembling, a deep unease settling into her bones.

  Adwin, however, simply clicked his tongue. “Well, that’s ominous.”

  As they continued through the eerie mansion, the air grew heavier, thick with an unnatural stillness. Every creak of the floorboards beneath their feet sent shivers down Eislyn’s spine.

  After minutes of cautious wandering, they stumbled upon a small room tucked away in the corridor. The door was slightly ajar, revealing nothing but pitch-black darkness beyond.

  Adwin pushed the door open fully. The air inside was stale.

  He reached for the light switch on the wall, and with a flick—a dim, flickering bulb buzzed to life.

  The room was filled with old hunting equipment, faded photographs, and scattered papers. The scent of dust and aged wood filled the air, giving the space an abandoned yet preserved feel.

  Eislyn hesitated before stepping inside. Something felt wrong here.

  Adwin, unfazed, scanned the room until his eyes landed on an old audio recorder sitting on a wooden desk. The device was slightly rusted, but the play button still glowed faintly. Without a second thought, he pressed it.

  The tape crackled before a familiar voice filled the room.

  “Tuesday, Nok, 4th… Although I had shot the creature multiple times in its vitals and severed its head to keep as a prize on my wall… my troubles were just beginning.”

  Eislyn’s heartbeat quickened.

  “I took my eyes off the body for what felt like only a minute… and when I looked back… the body was gone.”

  The air in the room grew noticeably colder.

  “The creature was not dead. And it will be back… to reclaim what I’ve taken from it.”

  A heavy silence followed.

  Then, the final warning came, spoken in a voice that carried the weight of dread:

  “If anyone is listening to this… do not let the head out of your sight. You have been warned.”

  The tape clicked off.

  Eislyn’s stomach twisted with unease. A sudden, horrifying thought hit her—the severed head.

  It had been on the spike in the other room.

  Without hesitation, she bolted out the door, her boots slamming against the wooden floor. As she skidded into the living room, her breath hitched.

  The head was gone.

  A chill ran up her spine, her entire body freezing in place. No. No, no, no.

  Her breath came in quick, panicked bursts as she spun around. It was just here.

  Then, in a frantic fit of terror, she threw herself at the main door, pounding her fists against it.

  “LET ME OUT!” she screamed, slamming her palms against the cold wood.

  Silence.

  The door didn’t budge.

  Behind her, the shadows seemed to stir.

  Adwin ran to her. “Are you ok eislyn,”

  “We're going to die!” She yelled. Adwin slap her face two times. “Get yourself together eislyn! You have abllites that of atomic level you will be fine!” Adwin said.

  “…yeah your right,” eislyn said.

  Then the fire pit turns off. And Eislyn screams loudly. “Shut up!” Adwin yells. But they felt something in front of them. They dimmed lightly to reveal the monster heart folaoting in between them.

  Eislyn soul was about to leave her. The monster mouth open big about to eat adwin head off but he dodged it and grabbed eislyn and both went down the grange shoot. As they fell down. “Ow,” eislyn said

  As they got up and found another audio recorder and played it

  “Things have gotten far worse than I could ever have imagined.My paranoia had driven me to the point where I was no longer the protector my wife and theoretical children needed. Jumping at every shadow, every noise. I ended up shooting the love of my life, mistaking her for the creature.It's ironic, isn't it? In my attempts to protect her, I ended up becoming the monster myself. Now I wait down in my cellar. Now I wait down in my cellar, no longer having anything to protect but my own soul. If nothing else...I will slay the beast that took everything from me,” Josh said.

  They turned their heads and found a dead body holding a gun. “Get the gun,” adwin said.

  “Why we have our flux emrgy,” she said.

  “No when the head appear, I try using my ink but wouldn't hurt him,” adwin said.

  Eislyn cautiously approached the dead body, eyes locked on the old, rusted rifle still gripped in its decaying hands.

  “Please don’t come alive, please don’t come alive, please don’t come alive,” she whispered under her breath, reaching for the gun.

  “Okay, I won’t,” the corpse suddenly rasped.

  Eislyn screamed.

  She yanked the gun away faster than she ever thought possible and bolted back to Adwin, her face drained of all color.

  Adwin raised an eyebrow. “…Did it actually move?”

  Eislyn shoved the rifle into his hands. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Ignoring her trauma, Adwin inspected the weapon. The gun was ancient but functional. He checked the chamber.

  “Two bullets.”

  Eislyn swallowed hard. “Let’s make them count.”

  Then, a sound echoed through the room.

  A deep, wet, inhuman growl.

  They both turned to the metal drain in the floor, where a series of thick, rusted pipes twisted downward into darkness.

  Something was moving inside.

  Something big.

  “Get behind me.” Adwin ordered.

  Eislyn didn’t argue.

  Then—it burst out.

  The headless body of the monster from before came sprinting toward them on all fours, twitching unnaturally.

  The head appeared next.

  It materialized out of nowhere—floating above the body, its wide, grotesque mouth twisted into a grin.

  “Adwin!” Eislyn shrieked.

  “I got this.” Adwin said, aiming the rifle with steady hands.

  BANG.

  The first shot tore through the body. The creature jerked violently, its limbs flailing before collapsing onto the ground.

  The head screamed.

  BANG.

  The second bullet obliterated it. The monster convulsed, let out a guttural wail, then fell completely still.

  Silence.

  Eislyn released a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. “That was easier than I expected—”

  Then, the audio recorder on the table crackled to life.

  “Which is what I would be saying… if I didn’t already know…”

  The voice of Josh Thomas Howard continued, sending a cold chill down their spines.

  “That creature… was actually a dead Theon’s body.”

  Adwin froze. “…What?!”

  The tape kept playing.

  “And anyone who brings harm to it… will be dragged down… into the cold, spiraling pits of Helheim… where my soul resides.”

  "Wait a second—if this guy recorded everything perfectly, even his own death, then how the hell did he record from Helheim if he was already dead?" Eislyn asked, her voice shaking.

  Adwin's eyes widened. "That's a damn good—"

  Before he could finish, dozens of shadowy hands erupted from the floor, their fingers long and jagged, reaching for them. A freezing, unnatural force wrapped around their ankles, dragging them toward a swirling abyss beneath their feet.

  "Oh, hell no—" Adwin growled, trying to fight back, but his strength was failing.

  Eislyn screamed as she clawed at the floor, her nails scraping against the old wooden panels. "No, no, no! Let me go! I don’t wanna die like this!"

  Just as the hands began pulling them fully into the void, a sudden, booming voice echoed through the room—

  "HONEY!!!"

  The ghostly hands immediately stopped, trembling as if startled.

  Out of the darkness, a spirit of a man materialized, his form flickering like a dying candle. His face was rugged, his expression stern but weary. He crossed his arms, looking unimpressed.

  "What in the world do you think you're doing, dear?" he said in a scolding tone.

  A second spirit appeared beside him—a woman, radiating a softer, calming glow. She placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

  "I could ask you the same thing, Josh!" she snapped. "Are you seriously trying to drag these kids into Helheim?"

  Eislyn and Adwin were too stunned to speak. They only snapped out of their shock when they heard footsteps behind them.

  Turning their heads, they saw Sam, Lexine, and Tushar standing there, completely unharmed.

  Eislyn's mouth hung open. "Y-You guys are okay!?"

  Sam blinked, confused. "Uh… yeah? Why wouldn’t we be?"

  Adwin narrowed his eyes. "Wait a damn minute. You didn’t fight a monster?"

  Sam, Lexine, and Tushar exchanged glances, remembering their own experience.

  30 Minutes Ago

  Sam, Tushar, and Lexine sat at a beautifully antique wooden table, sipping from delicate porcelain teacups. Across from them sat a kind-looking ghostly woman, gently stirring her own tea as the candlelight flickered warmly.

  "Sorry for intruding, ma’am," Sam said politely, taking a careful sip.

  The ghostly woman smiled warmly. "Oh, not at all, dear! This house gets so lonely. It’s wonderful to have guests!"

  Tushar leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, not gonna lie, this tea is amazing."

  Lexine tapped her cup. "Definitely. Best I’ve had in a while."

  The woman chuckled. "Oh, you flatter me!"

  She suddenly tilted her head, her ghostly glow flickering slightly. "By the way, I saw you had two other friends… where did they go?"

  Tushar pointed lazily toward the opposite door. "Oh, they went through that one."

  The ghost woman's warm expression faltered just a little. "Oh… dear. That sucks."

  Sam raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

  The woman sighed dramatically. "Oh, it's just that my husband was always so obsessed with making his dramatic little audio recordings. If they went through his door, they’re probably stuck listening to hours of creepy, cursed nonsense."

  She laughed.

  The three of them laughed with her.

  Present Time

  Eislyn and Adwin stared at them, completely dumbfounded.

  Eislyn clenched her fists, shaking with rage. "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME—WHILE WE WERE GETTING DRAGGED INTO HELL BY A NIGHTMARE MONSTER, YOU THREE WERE DRINKING TEA!?"

  Sam shrugged. "Hey, you faced your fears and its Adqin fault for picking the door"

  Adwin threw his hands up. "This is bullshit!"

  Before the argument could escalate, the ghost couple continued their conversation.

  Josh, the ghostly husband, scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh… honey, I wasn’t really going to hurt them."

  His wife glared at him. "Oh really? THEN WHY WERE YOU DRAGGING THEM INTO HELHEIM?!"

  Josh sighed. "Look, force of habit, okay?"

  She crossed her arms. "Josh. We talked about this."

  Josh groaned, rubbing his temples. "Alright, alright. No more dragging people into the underworld. I get it."

  The woman nodded, satisfied. "Good."

  Eislyn collapsed to her knees. "I hate everything."

  Sam crossed his arms, eyeing the ghostly man with curiosity. "Who are you, anyway?"

  The spirit straightened his back, his translucent form glowing faintly in the dimly lit room. "I am Josh Thomas Howard, the Theon of Spirits."

  Sam’s eyes widened slightly. "Huh. That’s actually kinda cool."

  Josh’s wife beamed at her husband, placing a hand over her heart. "I know, right?"

  Josh coughed, shifting back to a serious tone. "Anyway, what exactly are you all doing here?"

  Sam glanced at the others before answering. "We were told that this place might have information on a being called Dead Code."

  The moment those words left his mouth, Josh and his wife stiffened.

  His wife's glowing form flickered slightly as she muttered, "That name... I haven't heard it in a long time."

  Josh let out a low whistle. "Well, now. That is interesting." He stroked his chin, then nodded to Sam. "Alright, since you all were polite to my wife—and didn’t go around wrecking my house—I’ll help you out. Follow me."

  With that, he floated toward the back of the room, leading them down a long, narrow corridor. The walls were lined with floating shelves, each holding ghostly files and records that seemed untouched by time. The room was eerily silent, aside from the soft hum of flickering lanterns hanging in the air.

  Josh drifted between the shelves, running his fingers along the glowing records. "Let's see... where is it... where is it..."

  Lexine leaned over to Sam. "Are we just gonna ignore the fact that this place has actual ghost files?"

  Sam shrugged. "At this point, I’m just rolling with it."

  Josh suddenly grinned. "Ah! Found it!"

  A single file glowed brighter than the rest, levitating from the shelf. It floated gently into Sam’s hands, the energy radiating from it making his fingers tingle.

  Josh folded his arms. "Well? Go on. Open it."

  Sam took a deep breath, exchanging glances with the others. Then, carefully, he opened the file.

  As Sam opened the file, a surge of energy pulsed through the room. A spirit hologram flickered into existence—a haunting, distorted figure surrounded by shifting fragments of reality.

  "Ah!" Eislyn yelped, instinctively ducking behind Tushar.

  Tushar sighed. "Relax. It's not real."

  Eislyn peeked out cautiously, clearing her throat. "I knew that."

  Adwin folded his arms, studying the flickering image. "So this is what you and Eislyn fought?"

  Sam nodded. "Yeah. That’s her."

  The holographic figure glitched in and out of existence, her form twisting between shapes, as if reality itself struggled to contain her.

  Lexine leaned forward, her eyes analyzing every movement. "Her body isn’t stable. It’s constantly shifting between realities... almost like she’s not supposed to exist in one place for too long."

  Then, suddenly, the image began to stabilize. The chaotic, glitching form morphed into something more human.

  The figure before them was no longer the monstrous entity they had faced—she was a young woman, with sharp yet kind features, her long silver hair falling over her shoulders.

  A name appeared beneath the projection:

  Nia.

  Silence filled the room.

  Tushar’s voice was quiet, almost disbelieving. "She was an Arc… just like Raiden, Sasha, and your sister, Nyssa."

  Sam’s grip on the file tightened. "That means Sasha might know who she was."

  He turned to the others, his eyes filled with determination.

  "Let’s contact Sasha. If anyone can tell us about Nia, it’s her."

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