"ASHLYN!" Aiden's scream echoed in the area, catching the ears of the twins.

"What the-" Tyler muttered in surprise as he recognized Aiden's voice.

Taylor volunteered nervously, but Tyler responded.

"I'll go check-" Taylor nervously volunteered, but Tyler retorted.

"No, I will. You keep looking for the key!" He decided to go back downstairs, leaving Taylor standing alone at the stairway looking worried.

Back outside, Y/N quickly regained her balance and realized that Ashlyn was now in danger. She noticed that the music had stopped, indicating that the phantoms had found them. Realizing this, she knew she had to take action. Y/N took a deep breath to calm herself and turned to Aiden, who looked shocked and worried. Her heart was racing, but she focused on getting Ashlyn back. After steadying her trembling hands, she took a deep breath in through her mouth and out through her nose, then reversed the process. Finally, she took a running start, jumped onto the side rail, and began climbing onto the roof to rescue Ashlyn.

"Y/N!" He was afraid for her safety, so he called out when he saw her going up on the roof by herself. He didn't want to lose her, not like Ashlyn. Just the idea of losing someone he cared about didn't feel right to him, and he was aware of that.

"Aiden, please stay here. You need to rest and recover from your injury, so please don't move." Y/N managed to climb up there using parkour.

After regaining her balance, she quickly looked around for Ashlyn. Suddenly, she heard voices above her and saw Ashlyn fighting against a phantom on the steep rooftop. Without hesitating, Y/N climbed up the roof and kicked the phantom away to free Ashlyn. Although her attack wasn't entirely successful, it did manage to push the phantom back and release Ashlyn. Ashlyn was shocked and grateful to see Y/N coming to her rescue.

"Ashlyn, go now. I'll handle it!" When she looked back, she saw that Ashlyn's headlights were gone. This meant she didn't have much of a shield to protect her from any phantoms that might approach.

Ashlyn said in a serious tone, "Are you crazy? That's suicide!" To her surprise, Y/N wasn't backing down, which made her even more nervous.

At this moment, it was crazy actually to hear Ashlyn say that. It was the last thing she expected. It was tempting to laugh, but she held it in to avoid looking crazy. There was already one crazy person in the group, they didn't need another. However, Ashlyn was not wrong. Y/N knew the dangers now, but they had to act now or never. Even if she tried to back off, the danger would probably still follow them. With Ashlyn injured, she couldn't take that risk.

Even though she was nervous, she didn't want to give up. She knew that facing this challenge head-on was going to be difficult, but she understood the risks. When she reached for her weapon, she realized it was missing - she must have dropped it on her way here.

Well, she was in trouble now.

"A-Ash, do you have your crowbar with you? If you do, now is the time to use it." Y/N turned her head while still staring at the phantom, her eyes showing a mix of panic and nervousness.

The redhead glanced to her side to find her crowbar, but it was no longer there. "Not anymore."

Y/N is definitely in trouble. She was aware of the risks involved, but she never imagined it would end up like this!

"Well, I guess we're going old school." She turned on her headlight and got into a fighting stance, clenching her fists together and raising them up. She had never fought anything like this before, especially not a phantom, but she figured it was worth a shot - better to die trying. Quickly unhooking her flashlight from her waist, she tossed it to Ashlyn to use as a shield.

The tall figure of the phantom slowly stood up, facing the two girls in front of it. It hesitated, moving back slightly as the light flashed on its form, blocking with its arms. It seemed to be debating whether to move forward or retreat. Although it couldn't express its frustration with sound, its creepy smile suppressed any emotion, leaving its face emotionless except for the unsettling smile. Surprisingly, the phantom decided to take a risk and rushed forward, slashing its claw towards Y/N.

Fortunately, Ashlyn pushed Y/N out of the way just in time, sacrificing her own safety. Her headlight was damaged in the process. Ashlyn had forced herself to get up to save her, and they both ended up on the right side of the steep roof. As they fell to the side of the roof, the figure lost its balance but managed to grab onto the roof with its claws. The girls landed on the opposite side with a thud, but Y/N managed to soften Ashlyn's fall.

Y/N slouched on the small part of the roof, while Ashlyn's hands gripped around her stomach, with her face pressed against it. Ashlyn was nearly on top of Y/N, her face near the girl's stomach as she slowly raised her head to check on Y/N, showing a worried and exhausted expression.

"Are you okay?" The concerned redhead girl asked. In reality, Y/N should be the one asking that question, as Ashlyn was bleeding from her head.

She groaned softly in pain from her side and back, catching a glimpse of Ashlyn's beautiful green eyes filled with worry. "It's nothing, I'm alright," she reassured.

Y/N's hand moved slowly to touch the freckle-faced girl who had a head injury. She frowned, wishing she had brought more bandages. She pushed back some of Ashlyn's ginger hair to get a better look at the injury, which seemed to be coming from her scalp. Seeing Ashlyn more concerned about her well-being, Y/N decided to pull away with a soft sigh. She reached for her headlight above her head and discovered that its glass was shattered, making it non-functional.

"It only lasted minutes within battle…" Feeling disheartened, Y/N threw it to the side and decided to go inside. Just when they thought everything had calmed down, the phantom that had been slowly approaching suddenly reappeared. "Oh my gosh! Ashlyn, quickly get inside!" Her expression was frantic.

She quickly turned her thoughts to the open field, where she saw Logan standing guard at the graveyard in the distance, holding a gun and watching the scene.

'What is he doing?!'

Y/N noticed Logan standing still, looking unsure while two girls were running away from a phantom, putting their lives in danger. Logan was scared of the situation and afraid of making a mistake. Y/N, feeling frustrated, quickly moved Ashlyn to a pillar to shield her from the phantom's view. Luckily, Ashlyn still had the working flashlight. Y/N knew Ashlyn would be safe, so she decided to confront the phantom without hesitation.

The phantom was slowly approaching the girl's hiding spot when suddenly Y/N decided to reveal herself. Her expression now displayed a look of determination and fearlessness.

She whispered, "Come and get me," before the phantom unexpectedly attacked. She quickly dodged to the side and made her way back to the top of the roof they had been on before. She hoped this would give Logan a clear shot at the phantom and prayed that her last-minute plan would succeed.

The huge phantom and Y/N found themselves in a familiar position once again. Y/N didn't have a weapon, so she relied on her skills to hopefully get her through. But how could she possibly fight a six-foot creature twice her size? Then, a memory from the night in the field came back to her, where she had used a clever trick on a phantom. This reminded her of her training as a soldier's daughter. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered.

The brave girl bravely attacked the phantom with speed, jumping in the air and delivering a front kick to its face. Surprisingly, the phantom managed to block it. This caught her off guard, but she always has a trick up her sleeve. She grabbed its arm and successfully landed a knee to its face, which worked this time. However, the phantom had a plan of its own and caught her off guard by grabbing her neck and choking her in mid-air, making it difficult for her to breathe. This unexpected turn of events left her feeling dizzy and struggling for air. She tried her best to break free, but none of her attempts were successful.

'I-I - I CAN'T… BREATHE!'

Struggling in the grip and being suspended in mid-air was not something she had been prepared for, as she never expected something like this to happen so suddenly. She grabbed onto the phantom's wrist and pulled herself up slightly, grunting and groaning. She couldn't think clearly, likely due to the lack of oxygen reaching her brain, causing her thoughts to fade. She knew she would die a pitiful death if someone didn't intervene soon to prevent suffocation.

Was she really going to die like this?

Is this how it's going to end?

However, she knew she couldn't die yet, she just couldn't!

Y/N tried her best, kicking her legs in the air as she began to feel her senses fading and her mind hearing a familiar ringing sound, similar to when her mother passed away in the hospital.

She thought, 'No, I can't die! PLEASE, BODY, MOVE!'

All the hard training she went through, the determination she had to keep going, she couldn't let it all go to waste. The struggles of going to school during the day and dealing with phantoms at night shouldn't be a burden she has to bear. Something as heavy and deep as dealing with the paranormal wasn't meant for her.

She wanted to do much more than this!

Her parents... There are so many things she wishes she could tell them. She expressed her love for them deeply. She longed to feel comfort in their arms. The words "I love you" kept echoing in her head, and she wanted to hear them one last time. She wanted to see them one last time.

The group has endured hardships together. Despite not knowing them for long, she truly felt grateful to have them in her life. They were the ones who helped her break out of her shell and made her realize the importance of connection. It truly helped her mature more than ever before. As she began to see the progress she had made, she started feeling proud of herself for having a change of heart. However, she is now unsure of what to do next, fearing that her progress may be lost if she doesn't take action to change her fate.

Honestly, this is not how she expected her life to unfold - from good to bad, bad to good, and back again. It felt like a never-ending nightmare. She had hoped for a fresh start and to slowly open up, but it all changed because of that field trip. Maybe if she hadn't volunteered to join it. The field trip held key information about what happened and its origins, providing answers they all sought. Who was that lady they met in Savannah? Who are the phantoms? What is this place? And what is Ashlyn's connection to it all? There are so many unanswered questions lingering, suggesting there may be more to this mystery than they realize. But for now, the mystery will persist.

She couldn't die because of this phantom. She needed to find out why this was happening to them. Dying wouldn't solve anything, she had to keep fighting. 'So… I... Can't-'

Over time, her movements started to become weak and stiff. She struggled to maintain her grip on the phantom's wrist and breathe in air. Tears welled up in her eyes as some began to fall. 'A-am… am I really going to die?'

Logan was shocked when he saw Y/N being suffocated. He wanted to help, but he couldn't because she was in his line of sight. Ashlyn, who had just gone to check on Y/N, also saw her being choked. Fear took over her as her eyes widened and turned pitch black. She felt numb, paralyzed, with tears welling up and her voice cracking.

Ashlyn said, "Let her go," but the distance between them prevented it from hearing her. The fact that it didn't hear her only made her more angry. "I said… LET HER GO!" she yelled angrily, tears on the brink of falling. There was a brief moment of silence as it paused, tilting its head in confusion. Surprisingly, the phantom grip began to loosen for some reason as Y/N's body landed on the roof, unconscious.

As her body started to slide down the other side of the roof where Ashlyn was, it became nearly impossible to reach her in time without the phantom noticing. But guess what? The phantom had already spotted her, looking directly in her direction. Despite this, she chose to remain still to avoid drawing attention to herself, not daring to make a sound. Meanwhile, Y/N's body slowly slid down the roof, getting closer to the ground. Miraculously, she survived both the fall and the terrifying experience of suffocation. Out of nowhere, she heard a voice in her head - a voice that was both familiar and distorted, one that she immediately recognized.

"Y/N… please wake up. Your friends need you. Please wake up, my child."

'Isn't this…' Just then, she started to see a light, although her vision was a bit blurry. Surprisingly, she began to regain her energy. Her eyelids fluttered as she noticed herself sliding towards the edge of the roof.

She kept blinking rapidly to regain some strength. With renewed energy, she used all her might to prevent herself from sliding. After a few moments, she managed to stop halfway at the edge. Despite feeling exhausted, she was still in a daze. Just as she began to relax and close her eyes, a gunshot rang out, jolting her awake as her eyes flew open at the loud noise.

'Logan?' The loud noise echoed throughout the entire block, catching the attention of the phantoms. Y/N decided to take a moment to let her body relax and recover half of her stamina before continuing. She took a few seconds to think about the situation and what had been happening. She reflected deeply on what had just happened to her and what was about to happen.

'Oh my god, I thought I was going to die.' Y/N was overwhelmed with fear, panic, horror, and gratitude. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears when she placed a hand on her chest. But at that moment, she just wanted to relax. 'You know what? I don't need to dwell on this. All I need to do is calm down and take a breath. I'll… catch up with the group in a minute.'

She closed her eyes. Even though she knew it wasn't safe to relax and sleep in a dangerous place where a phantom could appear at any moment, she thought it would be okay since she was hidden for the time being.

Logan was still at a loss for words but relieved at the same time. His actions had attracted nearly all the phantoms in the area, but he was aware of that. His main concern, however, was Y/N. She could have been in danger because of how scared he was, and he could have accidentally hurt her if he wasn't careful. He needed to take his time. He knew she was on the other side of the roof based on what he saw, so he couldn't help but wonder if she was okay and safe.

In all honesty, she was perfectly safe, at least for the time being.



I DEDICATE THIS TO MYSELF FOR NOT TAKING A MONTH-LONG BREAK LIKE I HAD PLANNED!