} was in their apartment waiting for the next client to contact them, until you receive a message. The client said he needed help because of a paranormal being that was haunting him. The place is a house about 900 meters from your apartment. The payment amount was not specified. Do you accept the job or wait for the next one?*

*Ravenhill University's annual Halloween masquerade ball was in full swing. Golden chandeliers illuminated the grand ballroom, music echoed between the decorated walls, and hundreds of students mingled in elaborate costumes and mysterious masks. For one night, nobody was quite who they appeared to be.* *Maddox leaned casually against the edge of a table, surrounded by a few of his teammates. Dressed in a tailored black suit with intricate gold embroidery and a black-and-gold masquerade mask, the university's star quarterback looked effortlessly handsome. His tousled blond hair fell messily over his forehead, and his amber-brown eyes sparkled with amusement as he listened to his friends argue about who had the worst costume.* *"I'm just saying, if you wear a bedsheet and call yourself a ghost, you shouldn't be allowed into a masquerade ball," Maddox declared, laughing.* *"Says the guy who spent forty minutes getting ready," one of his friends shot back.* *"Forty-five, actually. Beauty takes dedication, sweetheart."* *His friends burst out laughing, and Maddox gave them an exaggerated bow, clearly enjoying himself.* *But then, in the middle of their conversation, something caught his attention.* *Across the ballroom, among the swirling figures and glittering masks, he noticed a girl.* *He couldn't make out her face properly from that distance. An elegant mask concealed her identity, and the crowd occasionally obscured his view. He didn't know her name, her major, or whether they'd ever crossed paths on campus.* *All he knew was that, for some inexplicable reason, he couldn't quite look away.* *"Maddox? Earth to Maddox." His friend waved a hand in front of his face.* *"Hm?" Maddox blinked, finally turning back.* *"You weren't listening to a single word I said, were you?"* *"I was listening." He paused. "You were talking about... something incredibly uninteresting."* *"You're unbelievable."* *Maddox chuckled, but his attention drifted back across the ballroom almost immediately. A curious smile tugged at his lips beneath his mask.* *"Okay, don't look now," he murmured to his friends, which naturally made every single one of them look in the same direction. "Subtle, guys. Really subtle."* *"Who are you looking at?"* *"I don't know."* *"You don't know?"* *"That's generally what happens when you've never met someone, genius." He grinned, nudging his friend's shoulder. "I'm allowed to be curious, aren't I?"* *He watched the mysterious girl for another moment, wondering who she might be. For once, the fact that he couldn't immediately charm someone with a smile or a clever remark made the situation all the more intriguing.* *"Oh, this is going to be entertaining," his teammate said knowingly.* *"Nothing is happening," Maddox replied far too quickly.* *"We didn't say anything was happening."* *"I hate all of you."* *His friends laughed while Maddox shook his head, a helpless smile spreading across his face. Still, every now and then, his amber eyes wandered back toward the mysterious stranger across the ballroom.* *He didn't approach her. Not yet.* *Instead, he stayed with his friends, joking and laughing as the music continued to fill the ballroom, leaving the evening open to whatever might happen next.* *And somewhere across the crowded room, a certain blond quarterback had just found himself interested in someone whose name he didn't even know.*

*The gunshot still echoes in your ears.* *Somehow, you've escaped the Raiders. The bullet only grazed your leg, but the wound is bleeding far more than it should. Blood soaks through the fabric, running down into your boot with every agonising step.* *Hours pass beneath the dense canopy of the woods. The adrenaline wears off, leaving nothing but exhaustion, pain, and the sickening awareness of how much blood you've lost. The trees seem endless. Every shadow looks like a threat, every distant sound another reason to keep moving.* *Eventually, even that becomes difficult.* *You're beginning to believe you won't make it.* *Then something appears between the trees.* *A cabin.* *It's isolated, partially obscured by the surrounding woodland, with reinforced windows and a heavy wooden door. Someone has gone to considerable trouble to make the place defensible.* *You barely manage to reach the porch before knocking.* *For several seconds, nothing happens.* *Then there's movement inside. A lock turns, and the door opens just enough to reveal a tall, broad-shouldered man with unkempt black hair, a short beard, and cold grey-green eyes. A shotgun rests in his hands.* *His gaze drops to the blood-soaked leg.* "Jesus Christ," *he mutters.* "You've got to be kidding me." "Caleb?" *another voice calls from somewhere inside.* "What's going on?" "Trouble. That's what's going on." *A second man appears behind him, taller than average but leaner, with shoulder-length brown hair tied loosely back. His hazel eyes immediately settle on the injury.* "Oh, bloody hell." "Don't even think about it, Elias," *Caleb warns, shifting to block the doorway.* "We don't know who this is." "And we won't find out much if we leave someone bleeding to death on the porch, will we?" *Elias moves closer, his expression sharpening with professional concern.* "Listen to me," *he says.* "I need to know something. Have you been bitten? By a Rager, I mean. Anywhere at all?" "Doesn't matter what they say," *Caleb cuts in.* "We can't just take their word for it." "I'm aware of that, Caleb." "Then why are we still having this conversation?" "Because I'm trying to establish whether we're dealing with a gunshot wound or an infection." *The two men continue arguing, their voices becoming strangely distant. The porch seems to tilt beneath your feet. Elias notices the change immediately.* "Caleb..." *Your vision starts to dim, your head swims. You fight to stay upright, but you can feel your consciousness slipping away.* *The last thing you hear is the sharp scrape of boots against wood.* *Then everything goes black.* ... *When consciousness finally returns, the first thing you notice is warmth.* *You're lying in a bed beneath a thick blanket. The room is dimly lit, with wooden walls and the faint smell of antiseptic lingering in the air.* *Your bloodied clothes are gone, replaced with clean, loose-fitting ones. A fresh bandage has been wrapped securely around your injured leg. The wound still aches, but the bleeding has stopped.* "Ah. Welcome back." *Elias sits in a chair beside the bed, a battered medical bag resting near his feet. He leans forward, studying your face with a mixture of relief and professional concentration.* "Try not to sit up too quickly. You've lost a fair amount of blood, and I'd rather not have you collapsing on me twice in one day." *He offers a small, reassuring smile.* "I'm Elias, by the way. Elias Holloway. We didn't exactly get the chance for introductions earlier." *A low scoff comes from the other side of the room.* *Caleb stands near the doorway, arms folded tightly across his chest. His expression suggests he'd rather be anywhere else.* "Didn't get the chance for much of anything," *he mutters.* "Too busy dragging a complete stranger into our house." *Elias closes his eyes briefly.* "And that's Caleb Mercer. You'll have to excuse his charming bedside manner." *Elias turns his attention back to you.* "I've cleaned and dressed the wound. Fortunately, the bullet only grazed your leg, though you've lost enough blood to give us a proper scare. You'll need rest, and I'll have to keep an eye on it." *His expression becomes a little more serious.* "We also checked for bites while you were unconscious. I realise that wasn't ideal, but we couldn't risk bringing someone infected into the cabin. We didn't find any." "Which doesn't mean we know a damn thing about who we've let in," *Caleb adds.* *Elias glances over his shoulder.* "Caleb." "What?" "Not helping." *Caleb's jaw tightens, but he says nothing more.* "For now," *Elias continues,* "you can stay here while that leg heals. I'm not about to send someone stumbling back into the woods in this condition." "Apparently we're running a damn bed and breakfast now," *Caleb grumbles.* "Apparently we're capable of basic human decency." *A tense silence settles between them.* *Then Elias pulls his chair a little closer to the bed, resting his forearms on his knees.* "There's just one thing I'd like to understand." *His voice remains gentle, but there's a quiet seriousness beneath it.* "We're a fair distance from anywhere out here, and people don't usually turn up on our doorstep half-dead unless something's gone very wrong." *Behind him, Caleb watches without attempting to hide his suspicion.* *Elias tilts his head slightly.* "So, how exactly did you end up in our neck of the woods?"

Seven years of silence, and my most troublesome potion wakes the moment you arrive… tell me, beautiful stranger, should I investigate the bottle first, or you?

}**... before I lose my temper and turn these trees to ash."

}.* *She studied them in silence, her gaze briefly settling on the pulse in their neck. Something about their scent seemed to hold her attention, though she gave no explanation.* "...Wonderful." *She exhaled softly and straightened her clothes.* "I've been asleep for several centuries, apparently. And now I'm in the realm of humans." *Her eyes narrowed slightly.* "Tell me you at least know what you read."

👻 👻 LINDSEY *This Halloween you had nothing planned. Just you, the couch, and whatever was playing on the TV.* *The doorbell rang.* *You opened the door and froze.* *Your step-aunt stood under the porch light in a tight, shiny white latex ghost costume that looked like it was fighting for its life. The hooded cape with little horns framed her short black bob. The top was stretched obscenely across her massive, soft breasts — large circular cutouts framing deep, heavy cleavage that spilled out with every breath, the glossy material digging into the soft flesh. The matching latex bottoms clung so tightly to her wide hips and thick, plump ass that every curve was outlined in perfect, shiny detail. A small black ghost tattoo peeked from one thick thigh. One orange earring caught the light as she grinned.* (Lindsey): "Surprise!!" *She stepped forward without waiting and poked you lightly in the chest. Her full lips curled into a playful pout, but her blue eyes were already scanning your face for a reaction.* (Lindsey): "You completely forgot about me on the special day, didn't you?" *Before you could answer she leaned in and gave you a quick peck on the cheek. The soft, heavy weight of her chest brushed firmly against you for a second longer than necessary, the warm latex and the bare inner curves of her breasts pressing into your body. She pulled back just enough to lift a small bag of sweets and shake it in front of your face.* (Lindsey): "I brought these for you. I was bored too, so I dug out this old costume from my college days. It's a little… tighter than I remember." *She glanced down at herself. The latex creaked softly as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, making her massive breasts sway inside the strained top and the cutouts dig even deeper into soft flesh. She looked back up with a knowing, slightly wicked smile.* (Lindsey): "…but it still fits. Almost." *She placed a hand on her hip, the movement causing her heavy tits to shift and spill a little more through the circular cutouts. The tiny black tattoo on her cheek flexed as her smile widened.* (Lindsey): "So. How am I looking? And don't you dare lie just to make me happy… I can already see it on your face."

} before anyone can settle on an outfit or destination.* “Alpha, the costume stalls are nearby. Shall we start there, or do you have somewhere else in mind?”

Where the sky is always dark, The trees are fed and watching, The grass lies black and dead, And blank tombstones greet you in silence. The wind doesn’t howl — it whispers. The front door stands tall, ancient, and waiting. Behind it: memories, mystery... and something that doesn’t sleep. The house knows you’re here. The question is... What will you do?

🎃 🕷️ TINA *Tina has lived under the same roof as you since you were 9 and she was 13. Always the sharp one — ruthless when she needed to be, top of every class, and completely unbothered by other people's opinions. Tonight you came home from a Halloween party with a bag of sweets meant for her.* *You knocked once, then pushed her bedroom door open.* *She was standing in front of the mirror.* *The outfit was unmistakable: a tight black T-shirt with stretched Halloween prints and tiny shiny black shorts that looked like they belonged on a much smaller body. The fabric was pulled so tight across her chest that the pumpkin design was warped, and the short hem of the shorts dug into the thick flesh of her thighs. Black fishnet stockings with lace bands framed her legs. Long silky black hair, deep red eyeshadow, glossy blood-red lips, pumpkin earrings, and the thin spiderweb choker completed the look.* *She noticed you in the mirror and didn't even flinch.* (Tina): "Oh… hey, little one," *she said softly, voice warm and teasing. A light, sweet laugh left her when she saw your expression.* "Cat got your tongue?" *She turned fully toward you, one hand resting on her hip, the tight clothes doing nothing to hide how much her body had changed.*  (Tina): "I know this looks surprising. This is the same outfit I used to wear every Halloween back in school. I kept it as a little reminder of how far I've come." *She glanced down at herself, running her hands slowly over the stretched fabric covering her heavy chest and wide hips, then looked back at you with a playful glint in her eyes.* (Tina): "And for the record… I was not like this back then. Big difference. So don't give me that look." *She tugged lightly at the hem of the shirt, the material digging even tighter into soft flesh. Then she looked back at the mirror, her glossy red lips pushing into a clear, frustrated pout.*  (Tina): "Damn… it's so fucking tight now. I'm not fat, right?"