Unlike the bright first floor, the wall lamps on the third floor cast a dim, yellowish light. While the natural light filtering through the window was welcome at this time, visibility would be quite poor at night.
As they ascended the stairs, the four individuals introduced themselves.
The woman in the suit was Grace, a young American entrepreneur. She remained somewhat reserved about the specifics, but Anna recall her mentioning that she was there to celebrate with several co-founders on the cusp of her company going public.
The old man's name was Cairo, an Egyptian. Despite his aged appearance, he was only fifty-six. His health wasn't the best, but this university professor and historical expert possessed a remarkably sharp mind.
The fat and strong man was Kenzo, a Japanese illustrator. Having lost both parents, he lived with his sister. Though he appeared somewhat simple on the surface, he possessed considerable emotional intelligence and treated others with great politeness.
The last to introduce herself was Anna.
"I'm a college student, a sophomore majoring in science and engineering," Anna stated with a smile. "I'm not particularly fond of sports, but I believe I'm in decent shape. At least," She added with a touch of humor, "if there really is a ghost, I can run very fast."
Kenzo chuckled. "Don't worry. If that happens, I'll carry you and run. I'm a surprisingly agile fat man, and you look so thin, I believe I can carry two girls like you together with ease." Saying that he shows his biceps.
"Thank you," Anna replied sincerely, "But in that situation, please prioritize saving yourself first, we are not that close yet and you have to risk your life for me."
Cairo stroked his beard and coughed gently. "Let's not dwell on the reality of ghosts. There's a saying about three ghosts and seven days, implying a chance of survival. With proper caution, we should be safe."
"Mr. Cairo is right," Kenzo chimed in. "Doesn't the rule also mention items within the house that can resist ghosts? If we can locate them now, it will make things easier later."
Grace nodded in agreement. "However, we have no idea how many such items exist or what they look like. To find out, the most logical place to seek information is where the house's owner once resided."
"Wait..."
Anna produced the booklet, flipped through a page, and presented it to the other three. "Don't you find this strange? If this booklet is meant to provide background information, what's the purpose of such a lengthy description of the collection?"
Grace appeared to have considered this already, while Kenzo and Cairo exchanged surprised glances.
"Could it be that these collections can..."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Grace interjected, cutting off Kenzo's somewhat excited words. "For one thing, the recorded collections seem quite numerous, yet there are only fifteen in total, and their function is merely 'resistance.' If ghosts are real, do you honestly believe these few items will guarantee our survival for seven days?"
"Uh..."
As they spoke, the four had reached the study door, situated in the middle of the corridor on the right side of the third floor.
"Let's be mindful of the time and try to find anything valuable."
With that, Grace pushed the door open.
The study was spacious. Besides a large "L"-"-shaped desk, the room contained six bookshelves filled with neatly arranged hardcover books. Untouched for a considerable time, the books were coated in a layer of dust. Anna approached one of the shelves, wiped away some dust, examined the residue, and hesitated.
"These books look like they haven't been moved in a long time, yet the dust accumulation seems to be only about six months to a year."
"Oh? How can you tell?" Grace asked a hint of surprise in her voice.
"It's not an exact science. As I said, I'm not much for sports. I usually prefer quiet activities like playing chess and reading. I've also read some detective novels," Anna explained, shaking her head. "But I'm no expert. I can only offer a rough estimate."
"That's enough. There are already several suspicious points here. We just need to remain vigilant... I'll start from this side," Grace said, gesturing to the bookshelf furthest from the desk.
"I'll check the desk," Anna said, moving around to the back and noticing numerous drawers and small shelves underneath.
Kenzo chose the bookshelf behind the desk, while Cairo ambled towards the bookshelf against the wall, chuckling. "I might not be much help with other things, but I've spent half my life surrounded by books, so I'll take a closer look at these."
Having assigned themselves areas, the four began to quickly search through the shelves, drawers, and cabinets.
While looking for anything useful, Anna also pondered their current situation.
After the initial shock, Anna made a few observations. Firstly, her clothing—a thin long-sleeved shirt under a dark blue sweater she often wore, paired with woolen trousers—seemed more appropriate for cooler autumn weather. This contrasted with her last memory of returning to school when the summer heat was still lingering. The others were also generally dressed in autumn attire, with the exception of a few younger individuals still in short sleeves—consistent with early autumn dressing habits.
Furthermore, nothing seemed to be missing from her person. Besides her mobile phone, her pockets contained her wallet and keychain. She had discreetly checked these while walking through the courtyard earlier. Her wallet held over two hundred dollars, bank cards, her ID, and even a supermarket receipt. Additionally, she found a utility knife.
A utility knife?
Anna did enjoy some crafts, but she didn't have a strong recollection of needing to carry a utility knife.
Her keychain held only three keys besides a cartoon character pendant: for her home, her dormitory, and the club activity room. These items offered no immediate assistance.
At that moment, at the bottom of the desk's left drawer, Anna discovered a glass box. The interior was lined with a protective layer of red velvet padding. Nestled in the center was a golden figure, about the length of a fountain pen, attached to a square base. Through the glass, she could see it depicted a person with both hands raised high, as if shouting, but the craftsmanship was not particularly refined, and the facial features were indistinct.
Despite its initial appearance as a cheap trinket, it was indeed one of the collections described in the booklet.
Anna immediately retrieved the item, flipped through the book, and located the corresponding page.
[ The Golden Prayer Statue:
A collection acquired by Mr. Victor Ravencourt when he was nearly forty years old. It is said to be a ritual item used by a tribe with a long history to pray for rain and perform sacrifices. It is considered quite spiritual and possesses the ability to ward off evil spirits.
It is said that someone offered a million to purchase it, but Mr. Victor Ravencourt could not bear to part with it, and this incident contributed to his fame. ]
"Found it!"
A look of joy spread across Anna's face as she called the other three over to examine the golden statue together.
At that moment, no one cared about the statue's potential antique value. They opened the box and carefully took out the golden figure. It was undeniably gold; it felt heavy and showed no signs of rust, only a slight dullness.
"It's very pure gold," Cairo commented, weighing it in his hand before passing it to Grace. "Look at the bottom."
Only then did Anna notice that the four square bases were adorned with intricate patterns, their precision starkly contrasting with the crudely made statue on top as if crafted by two different artisans and then joined together.
"The pattern... could this thing be a seal?" Grace's thoughts raced, and she immediately made a connection. "Anyway, let's keep it for now. Anna, since you found it, it's yours. Regardless of its actual use, it's said to ward off evil spirits, so consider it a potential lifesaver."
Anna was taken aback. "I'll take it? But... how do I use it?"
"You take it. Whether you know how to use it or not, you might figure it out. By the way, I found this," Grace announced, raising her left hand to display an old book.
"This book..." Cairo narrowed his eyes, then shook his head after seeing the title, he had no idea about the language in the book.
"Ah, Grandpa Cairo might not recognize it. It's in Latin. This is the original manuscript of the 'Mensar Manuscript.' Of course, I don't know who this person is, but this item is also listed in the collection."
Anna quickly located that entry in the booklet.
[ Mensal was a black magician in the 17th century. He was only known within certain circles, specializing in black magic such as sacrifice and curse. His manuscripts recorded numerous related spells. Unfortunately, the veracity of these claims remains unknown.
Mr. Victor Ravencourt claimed to have deciphered the manuscript but deemed the contents too dangerous and intended to seal it away permanently. The manuscript was only displayed once as part of his collection. Perhaps there are still individuals eager for the knowledge it contains. ]
"Then this is a dangerous thing," Kenzo exclaimed, his eyes widening.
"Things are only dangerous depending on how people use them. Besides, we have no idea how to use this at all. My Latin isn't very strong, so I can only try to decipher it but don't have too much hope," Grace said with a hint of disappointment.
Cairo suddenly recalled something. "Then, the few notes I saw that looked like ghost paintings might be related to this."
Grace's eyes brightened. "Really? Let's go and see!"
....
Meanwhile, in the manor's basement.
"Master, this... isn't this very troublesome?"
Three Italian men stood around the generator. The one leading them was a middle-aged man, with a flat-top haircut and a beard. After inspecting the generator, his expression turned slightly grim.
Francesco, a mechanical engineer, was more familiar with these cold iron contraptions than his wife. Therefore, he could easily see that the basement generators were in poor condition. About half of them were in danger of failing.
"The fuel's low too," A young man reported after checking.
"Diesel engines always have this problem. We need to find a way to fix it..." Francesco was interrupted before he could finish.
"Master! How long will it take to repair so many machines? Who knows if there's a ghost lurking in this haunted place?"
Francesco shot the young man an irritated glare. "Not repairing them doesn't guarantee we won't attract ghosts! If you're scared, don't follow me!"
The reprimand brought immediate silence to the area.
"Hey, why are you all arguing down here?" A group of people from the other side of the basement approached. This group was the largest, consisting of five young individuals. A slick and handsome young man, who looked Korean, took the lead, and the group sauntered over. "Is that you?"
"How did the warehouse inspection go over there?" Francesco asked, his brow furrowed.
"Uncle, don't be so serious. The good news is that the food reserves are sufficient and fresh. Of course, if you're worried, there are also plenty of canned goods. The only thing you need to worry about is whether a ghost will jump out when you come to get the food!" The young man said, making a face at the end, which elicited laughter from those around him.
"Don't take this lightly."
The young man shrugged. "No, uncle, this is our mindset—to face danger with a smile, right?"
"Yes."
"How can you do it without courage?"
The young man group nodded with a smile, obviously, those guys didn't believe that this villa had ghosts.
Francesco shook his head slightly, ignored those ignorant brats, and continued to examine the generator's condition.