Work Text:
New Commission: Hello. I am requesting assistance in the retrieval of a lost package from the Hollow. This is a delicate matter as the gift in question was meant for my brother’s wedding. The pay for retrieving the gift will be quite handsome.
Belle blinked, reading over the commission request for the third time. She’d never seen such formal wording for a commission before, even after meeting Von Lycon. Had he put out a commission on the side? No, that wasn’t it.
Curious, Belle selected the commission to display fully on the screen. Yes indeed, someone had put out a commission for a present to be retrieved from the Hollow, specifically an old rundown mansion. The address she didn’t recognize, only that it was in one of the older parts of the Hollow, where plenty of rich people once lived. There was even a picture included of the mansion for Belle to enlarge, which she happened to do so right as Nicole walked into the room.
“So Belle, I was thinking we’d find the cutest, corniest rom-com and-” She stopped, looking at the image fully displayed on Belle’s screen. “What the heck is that?”
It looked every bit like a classic abandoned haunted mansion: shattered windows covered the front of the house, hinting at a dark, dingy interior. One side of the house curved out with a domed glass roof, its surface almost black from years of Hollow corruption. Thick stalks wound all about the columns carved to appear like they were holding up the roof, adding to the dramatic appearance.
“Belle?” Nicole approached her girlfriend from behind, frowning at the image. “Please tell me you’re not going to sign us up for one of those ‘haunted Hollow tours’?”
Chuckling, Belle shook her head. “No, it’s nothing like that, but thanks for reminding me about the tours.” She grinned at Nicole. “Ellen texted me about one that her school friends will be doing next week and asked if I’d like to come along with a plus one.”
“Not if I had all the money in New Eridu.” Nicole said, deadpanned. “You know I hate ghosts!”
“I’m just kidding,” Belle pointed to the screen. “It’s for a commission request, someone lost a present in this old manor in the Hollow and is asking for help to get it back.” She shrugged. “I don’t recognize this place, but I remember this address used to be where loads of rich people lived before the Hollow took over.”
Nicole raised an eyebrow and she smiled. “Rich people, you say? How rich are we talking?” She was met with a knowing look and laughed. “What? You know I can’t resist the chance to make a little something-something on the side.”
Sighing, Belle shook her head. “Let’s just say the people who lived in this area had money that probably dated to the earlier era of Eridu, and going off the look of this specific manor, they were of the older money crowd.”
“Which means whoever this person is who put out the request can no doubt pay us the big bucks.”
Belle turned in her chair to face Nicole. “‘Us’?”
“Why yes, ‘us’.” Grinning, Nicole leaned in close to Belle, her eyes half-closed. “As your girlfriend and favorite Hollow Raider, don’t I get a cut of the commissions? My dear Phaethon.” She whispered in Belle’’s ear.
Feeling her face start to grow warm, Belle bit her lip and clutched the armrests of her chair. Why did her girlfriend have to be so damn good at wooing her with that voice?
“If you agree to help me with this commission, and I mean actually help, not just send the rest of the Cunning Hares while you wait here,” Belle muttered. “Then yes, I might give you a percentage of the commission. But,” she held up a hand before Nicole could speak. “You’ve got to go there with me. Deal?”
“As long as there’s no ghosts or creepy crawlies in there.” Nicole nodded. “Deal.”
Instead of taking Nicole’s offered hand, Belle quickly stood up to peck a chaste kiss to her lips before sitting back and grinning. “I can’t make any promises, but it won’t be our first experience.” Turning back to face the computer while Nicole tried to blink the thoughts back into her mind after being kissed, Belle reread the commission details. “Now, let’s see who’s requesting this.” She looked at the name of the requester and blinked. “Mezz-um, Mezz,”
“Mezz-un-not?” Nicole read outloud.
“Mezzanotte,” chimed Fairy’s voice through the speakers. “A name from the old romance languages, it means ‘midnight’.”
“Ah, thanks Fairy.” Belle looked at Nicole. “Must be their username.”
Nicole shrugged. “I guess so? Adds a layer of mystery to them, and their spooky looking house.” She squinted at the picture and shivered. “Why do big houses always look so scary?”
“I thought you’ve always wanted to live in a big house?”
“Well, yeah,” Nicole muttered and looked away. “But mine would look nice and bright with tons of rooms. And no ghosts.”
Laughing, Belle shook her head while studying the image. “And each room will be packed with money and gold, right?”
“I mean,” Nicole scratched her cheek. “I-I suppose there would be room for the Cunning Hares and you and Wise, and-and maybe someday-” She was cut off as pixels flashed about the computer screens and Belle flinched back. “What was that?”
”I don’t know,” Belle frowned. “Fairy, run a diagnostic report.”
There was a brief silence as the computer clicked and whirred, the screens seemingly back to normal while the commission innocently sat, awaiting a claim. A few moments later, Fairy spoke.
”Master, I’ve detected no malware that will cause a security risk to the system.”
Weird. Frowning, Belle shot a glance at Nicole then back to the message. Her mouse hovered over the response button, a strange sense of hesitancy stalling her finger. It was just a commission request and if she felt the risk wasn’t worth it, then she could always decline. Clicking on Respond, Belle typed out her answer.
XXX - Hello! If you haven’t had any offers, I might be able to help.
…
…
Mezzanotte - Ah, thank you for responding. Sadly, I’ve had no luck in offers of assistance yet, so you are the first. Yes, please, I am in need of assistance retrieving a very special package from this mansion within the Hollow.
When Belle looked at the icon for Mezzanotte, it was curiously blank. Nothing more than a black silhouette against what seemed to be the manor. Interesting.
XXX - No worries, I’d be more than happy to help you out! I’ll just need some details on the location and the risks involved.
Mezzanotte - I understand, and I’ll match whatever your asking price is. I’ll be straightforward, the risks are high as this manor is unfortunately deep within the Hollow. Many ethereals wander the halls as well as some…other residents, but I can assure you they will not mean you harm.
”Nope, red flag,” Nicole shook her head. “That right there gave me the willies.”
Belle had to admit that was one of the weirder statements she’d seen from a client.
XXX - What other residents? Are there people still living in the manor?
…
…
…
Mezzanotte - “Living” is one way to put it. I will say they are getting by as best they can with what has been provided. Sort of a calm within the storm. They will be able to provide safety to you and your team, dear proxy, should you accept of course.
“Belle,” Nicole muttered, eyeing her girlfriend. “I got a bad feeling about this.”
“It is a bit of an odd one.” Holding her chin, Belle stared at the message. She’d had her fair share of cryptic clients who always wanted to dodge certain questions, but this one was giving answers she couldn’t make sense of. Were they implying people were surviving inside the Hollow in this mansion? Was it a safe space where the corruption of the Hollow couldn’t touch them?
“What’s going on?”
Nicole and Belle turned around to see Wise walking into the room with 18 at his heels carrying a short stack of VHS tapes. His eyes took in the girls’ expressions then shifted to the computer screen where he raised an eyebrow.
“We’ve got a potential client,” Belle said, gesturing to the screen where Mezzanotte’s response was waiting. “They’re asking for us to retrieve a package from an old manor in the Hollow, so we’re getting information from them to see what all will go into it.”
Nicole nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “And apparently they’re willing to pay big bucks.”
“Must be one heck of a package.” Wise said, his eyes still on the screen. “Who’s the client?”
“Mezzanotte,” Belle turned back to face the computer and shot a glance at Nicole. “So, what do you think? Are you up for finding this missing package in a big, old manor?”
Shifting her feet, Nicole looked at the screen then to Wise, who was frowning at the screen, then back to Belle. Taking a deep breath, she sighed and nodded. “As long as I get to decide the final bill, and,” she held up a finger. “I get a hefty girlfriend bonus on top of the usual cut for the Cunning Hares.”
“What final bill? ‘Girlfriend bonus’?” Wise echoed, looking away from the computer, and Belle laughed.
“Okay, okay, deal.” Belle began typing at the keyboard.
XXX - We’ll look for your package.
…
Mezzanotte - That is wonderful news, thank you very much. Are you and your lady friend ready?
XXX - Yes. We will be ready-
Belle stopped, her fingers halting mid-type. What did they mean “her and her lady friend”?
Mezzanotte - Everything is prepared for your arrival.
“Belle?” Wise leaned over her shoulder. “Who are you typing to?”
“Wh-what do you mean?” She looked at him.
Slowly, Wise reached forward and tapped the screen with his finger. “I don’t see a client message, it’s just a blank commission screen.”
Ice crawled down Belle’s spine and she shivered, her head turning back to the screen to read the message waiting for her eyes to read.
Mezzanotte - There’s always room for more.
The image of the mansion grew from the open picture, quickly engulfing the entirety of the message board and client page. It spread across the other computer screens, almost clawing at every available space. Soon, all of the computer was nothing but the image of a run-down mansion in the Hollow, and yet it was still expanding. Belle tried to move away, to ask Fairy to block the takeover, but she couldn’t move, her voice stuck in her throat. A warm hand grabbed hers as wind rushed up, blinding her vision as the sensation of being pulled forward swarmed around Belle, and then, all went black.
“-elle? Belle!”
A hand was holding her shoulder and shaking it insistently. “Belle, please wake up!”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Belle groaned and turned on her side. “Hmmm, five more minutes, Nicole.” She groped the bed sheets for her girlfriend’s warmth to chase away the morning chill. Weird that the bed felt so hard and cold, it was usually much warmer and softer.
‘Wait,’ Belle frowned. ‘Weren’t we at the computer?’ Opening her eyes, Belle turned to Nicole. “Nicole?”
“Belle!” Nicole pulled her into a tight hug. “Oh, thank goodness you’re finally awake! Are you okay?”
“I-” Instinctively, Belle hugged Nicole back. “I’m fine. What happened? Where,” her voice caught in her throat as Belle finally managed to look around. “Where are we?”
The room they were in was large with a high-vaulted ceiling and a wide curving set of stairs that cut through the center of the area, a long hallway disappearing behind it into darkness. What had once been a red velvet rug was now faded by years of neglect to a ruddy brown, patches eaten away by time. The stairs themselves led up to a landing that then split off into two sets of stairs that continued to a second floor that seemed to branch off into a separate set of hallways.
Dulled painting and tarnished suits of armor hung along the walls, clearly once meant to demonstrate wealth but now reflected the chilling emptiness that seemed to fill the space. The air was cold, its claws trickling down Belle’s spine and causing her to shiver involuntarily. She snuggled into Nicole’s warmth, grateful for the strong arms wrapped around her. Something about the way the air clung to the inside of her lungs and rasped inside her throat felt all too familiar to her, and she tightened her grip around her girlfriend.
“Nicole, are we-?”
Nicole wrapped her arms further around Belle’s frame, her face grim. “Yeah,” she nodded. “We’re in the Hollow.”
Belle swallowed, her eyes darting around the dark interior that surrounded them. How? How was it possible? She had been talking to a client about finding a present, talked it over with Nicole, then Wise came in and said - she froze.
“I don’t see a client message, it’s just a blank commission screen.”
“We’ve gotta get out of here.” Nicole said, looking around. “I don’t know what happened, but we somehow got sucked through the computer into the Hollow. It doesn’t make sense,”
A sudden dry spot tickled Belle’s throat and she started to cough, breaking Nicole’s train of thought.
“Belle? Breathe, just breathe,” she held her shoulders, worry evident in her eyes. “We need to get out of here, c’mon,” Holding Belle’s hand, Nicole helped her to her feet and nodded at a set of grand double doors. “We should be able to make a break for it. I don’t know where in the Hollow we are, but if we find a rift we might be able to jump through to the exit.”
Belle rubbed at her throat and looked around as Nicole hurried to the doors. She remembered watching the image of the mansion grow in size until it took up all of the computer monitors, then the feeling of being pulled forward, and then darkness.
“Um…Nicole?” Belle slowly turned to her girlfriend. “I think we’re in the mansion.”
Hand on the doorknob, Nicole stopped and turned to look at Belle. “Yeah, I had a feeling about that too. But,” she frowned. “How did we get here?”
“It’s quite simple, you were teleported.”
The voice made both girls scream and barrel into each other in a desperate attempt of protection, only to topple over in a wild display of arms and legs before falling to the floor. Rubbing her sore head from smacking it against Nicole’s, Belle winced. “You okay?”
“Y-yeah,” Nicole groaned, rubbing her backside. “Who was that?”
“That would be me.”
Wind moaned through the room, causing the worn wood to creak and settle in place. The cold air seemed to grow even colder, so much so Belle could see her own breath, or was that just the fog begging to crawl along the floor? Murmurs drifted from the darkness in unintelligible words that slithered in Belle’s ears, causing her to shiver again. Somewhere in the shadows of the hallway, a door slammed shut and Nicole let out a stifled yelp. Then, a chuckle reverberated through the air and the whispers were silenced.
“Up here.”
Belle lifted her gaze to the grand staircase, following the steps with her eyes to the landing in the middle that moments ago had been completely empty, but now, was occupied. Behind her, Nicole let out a strained whimper and Belle grasped her hand. Standing on the landing was a tall figure dressed in what looked to be a green waistcoat and white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to their elbows, and black slacks. Not too much different from Von Lycon, only, this person was not a wolf thiren. A pair of bright purple eyes glinted through the dimness and, even from the distance, Belle could see their lips pull back in a wide, knowing grin as they bowed low.
“Welcome to the Hollow Mansion. I am your host, your Ghost Host, Mezzanotte.” Mezzanotte looked at the girls. “Thank you for accepting my invitation, it truly is an honor to have you here. Unfortunately, we have much to do and very little time to do it, so we mustn’t delay.” Standing up, she cleared her throat and descended the steps towards Belle and Nicole. “Though I’m sure you must have many questions.”
Either it was a trick of the light or Mezzanotte’s form seemed to briefly fade in and out of view in the few rays of light that managed to bleed in from the outside. Hearing Nicole whimper behind her, Belle gave her hand a gentle squeeze and met Mezzanotte’s eyes. “You’re Mezzanotte?”
“At your service.” Mezzanotte bowed. “I do apologize for summoning you in such a manner, but it was the only way to bring you here.”
“Why?”
Sighing, Mezzanotte clasped her hands behind her back. “I suppose I should clear the air with you before we venture into the Hollow. First off, I can assure you that my commission is genuine and that you two will be greatly rewarded upon the retrieval of the package.”
Nicole peeked at Mezzanotte from over Belle’s shoulder. “Why can’t you get it?”
“I would have thought a skilled raider such as yourself, Miss Demara, would be able to figure that out.” Violet eyes slide to Nicole, a faint light glowing within.
“Y-you-you’re a,” Nicole gulped. “A-”
“Ghost?” Mezzanotte lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “In a manner of speaking, yes, but not what you might be thinking. Consider me an echo of a memory, one who became lost to the corruption of the Hollow and faded away. My essence, as well as other past residents, became trapped when the Hollow took over, and we were the lucky ones.”
Chancing a look away from Mezzanotte, Belle looked around the room. “How did you bring us here? And how did you know who we are?”
At that, Mezzanotte chuckled deep in her throat. “Being without a physical form in the Hollow does grant one certain freedom. When you accepted my request, you opened the door for me, and I in turn invited you in. I must say that AI of yours was quite tricky to avoid, a very clever program indeed. As for how I knew who you both were, it was a simple trick of looking for those whom I could trust. My commission has waited on Inter-Knot for a very long time, but I kept it hidden until the right person could find it.”
“But,” Nicole frowned. “You just said you’re a memory, how could you even access the Inter-Knot or get into the computer?”
Mezzanotte’s smile widened even further. “How do Hollow raiders manage to fend off the corruption for so long? It’s all about adapting to one’s environment and aptitude, and I found a way to communicate to the outside world. Albeit, it’s a rather weak signal, so I could only send out my request for a short amount of time, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t watch and observe. By simply transferring my consciousness from the Hollow into a signal, I could travel through Inter-Knot and any database I came across.”
“Just like how Wise and I do with Eous.” Belle muttered. “So, are we actually here or just our minds?” she looked at hers and Nicole’s joined hands.
“You are here, mentally and physically.” Mezzanotte said. “But the effects of the Hollow inside the manor aren’t as strong as they are outside, you will be safe from the corruption as long as you remain here.”
That would explain why Belle didn’t feel the corruption like she normally should. “You want us to find a package?”
“Belle!” Nicole hissed. “You can’t be serious!”
“What choice do we have?” Belle looked at her. “If Mezzanotte is telling the truth, then we just need to find her package and deliver it, then we can go home.”
“But,” Nicole glanced at Mezzanotte then back to Belle. “What about your sensitivity to the Hollow? How do we know you won’t get hurt?”
Belle looked at her hands and took a careful breath, letting it out slowly. “Weirdly enough, I feel fine. Besides, she said that as long as we don’t go outside, we’ll be safe from corruption.”
If anything, Nicole’s furrowed brow deepened. “What about when we go home? How will we be protected then?”
“Hopefully through the same way we were brought here.” Belle smiled. “Nicole, I’ll be fine, I promise. Besides, Wise was with us when we got teleported, I bet you anything he’s probably got Eous and the Cunning Hares-”
A heavy thud bounced through the room, causing the girls to look around.
“I see we have some new guests.” Mezzanotte clicked her tongue. “And some more unsavory visitors as well.”
“Unsavory-”
The front doors exploded open before Belle could finish speaking as Billy, Anby, Nekomata, and Eous tumbled head over heels through the entrance and splayed out on the floor.
“Shut the doors! Shut the doors!” Billy yelped, scrambling to his feet. “Oh, hi Boss! Hi Manager! Fancy seeing you here!”
“What’s going on?” Nicole ran to the group and looked out the entrance.
A pack of ethereals was quickly approaching them, jaws hanging open as they snarled and growled, their claws digging into the earth.
Nicole’s eyes widened and she bolted to the entrance, grunting from the effort to shut the surprisingly heavy doors. “A little help, please?”
Billy, Nekomata, and Anby hurried to her side to shut the doors, grabbing a metal pole to shove through the door handles right as the ethereals closed in. The doors shuddered from the impact, almost knocking everyone over, but remained intact. Panting, the Cunning Hares backed away from the doors and Nekomata sighed.
“Phew, glad that’s over!”
“Belle!”
Belle looked down to Eous, the bangboo toddling to her as fast as its legs could carry it.
“Are you alright?” Wise’s distorted voice floated up from the small robot. “You and Nicole disappeared into the computer then the next thing I knew, Fairy was saying you two were in the Hollow at some rundown old mansion.”
“We hurried here as fast as we could,” Billy said, looking around the mansion as he walked towards the siblings. “The second Wise said you two got sucked into the computer. Just like how the Starlight Knights got yoinked into the legendary Digital Video Darkness by the evil void lords.” He turned his head towards the middle of the room. “Whose that?”
Clearing her throat, Belle gestured to Mezzanotte. “Um, everyone, meet Mezzanotte. She’s the one who put out the commission for us.”
“And sucked us into the Hollow.” Nicole said, walking to stand at Belle’s side.
“That’s one way to put it, but yes,” Mezzanotte bowed to the group. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am Mezzanotte, the caretaker of this establishment.” Her eyes scanned the group, taking everyone in before finally settling on Belle and Eous. “Now that we have everyone here, shall we proceed?”
“Proceed?” Wise repeated, glancing up at Belle.
“Why yes, dear bangboo,” Mezzanotte looked at Eous. “Your sister and her girlfriend agreed to help me retrieve a package that was lost in the Hollow. Sadly due to my limitations, I’m unable to retrieve it myself, but I can help guide you all through the mansion, should you accept.”
Feeling Eous tug at her leg, Belle knelt down beside the bangboo for Wise to whisper in her ear.
“Are you sure about this? You’ve already been in the Hollow for too long, the corruption could affect you at any moment. Besides,” Eous leaned to the side to look at Mezzanotte. “How can we trust this person? The scanner isn’t picking up anything from them, it’s like they’re a hologram! How do we know they’re not going to trick us?”
Belle looked over her shoulder to Mezzanotte, who was still standing in the middle of the room, patiently waiting for the group to speak. When she took a silver pocket watch out of her breast pocket and flipped open the seal to check the time, Belle was briefly reminded of Lycaon and bit back a chuckle.
“I don’t think she’s going to trick us,” she said, turning back to Eous. “Yeah, teleporting me and Nicole into the Hollow doesn’t exactly scream trustworthy, but if she wanted to hurt us, she’d have done something by now. If all she wants is for us to help find a missing package and deliver it to whoever she was going to give it to, then I’m fine with that. Besides,” Belle nodded to the Cunning Hares. “We’ve got back up in case anything goes wrong.”
Eous’ ears twitched and their screen flashed for a moment. “You sure, Belle? What about the rumors of the mansion when it fell into the Hollow?”
“Y-you mean,” Billy gulped. “How the family went crazy from the Hollow corruption and killed all their servants and ate them, then hunted and killed each other? How is it said the halls still groan from the cries of pain as the family ate their servants alive? And how some say the ghosts of the family still roam the halls to this day?”
If Nicole’s face could go any paler, Belle had a feeling it just did. “Oh gross!” She hid her face behind Amillion. “Warn us next time before you go into the literal gory details like that!”
“This is just like the plot of that movie, Possessed House.” Anby muttered. “A group of people find an abandoned house, but find out it’s haunted by a swarm of ghosts controlled by a demon. One by one, the demon stalks the friends through the shadows while the house keeps changing around them so they can’t escape.”
“Not helping!”
Sighing, Belle reached out to take Nicole’s hand and give it a squeeze. “I don’t think we need to worry about anything like that. Let’s find this package for Mezzanotte, deliver it, get paid, then we’ll be done. Okay?” She looked at Eous. “We’ll be okay, trust me.”
From his seated position inside the video store, Wise let out a hefty sigh. “Okay, okay, we’ll look for this missing package and deliver it for them. But,” Eous planted their paws on their hips and frowned up at Belle. “The moment I catch you with so much as a hint of possible corruption, you’re going home, got it?”
“But,” Seeing the Cunning Hares around her and feeling Nicole’s hand still held in hers, Belle looked at Eous and sighed. “Okay,” she nodded. “I promise.”
“Great!” Nekomata’s tails swished in the air and she turned to face Mezzanotte. “S’cuse me? Miss Ghost Butler Lady? We’re ready to help you out!”
Tucking her watch away, Mezzanotte looked at the group and smiled. “Excellent, thank you all for agreeing to assist me in this task. I understand that my actions have indeed been suspicious, and assuring you all in any way won’t help gain more favors, but thank you all the same.” She gestured to the long hallway leaning into darkness. “Shall we? There’s quite a bit of ground to cover, but I will guide you the entire way.”
The group shared looks with each other and looked at Mezzanotte.
“Um,” Nicole started. “Isn’t it a bit dark down-” She watched a trail of lights flicker one by one down the hall, their glow sputtering slightly like flames.
“It’s not much, but it will help illuminate your path. This manor is quite old and has aged rapidly within the Hollow, but we make do.” Walking over to where a candelabra sat on a side table, Belle watched Mezzanotte pick it up and small flames burst to life on the otherwise lifeless wicks. “Our tour begins here-”
The group quickly learned that though the manor was indeed empty of life, save for the occasional ethereal that managed to claw its way in and try to sneak up on them, Mezzanotte was not the only echo of memory. In the hallways, ghostly servants would pass by, their uniforms fluttering about their forms as they rushed in their tasks. Inside the broken remains of a library, a lone librarian floated between the rows while aimlessly sorting books. From the balcony of the second floor, the group watched a smattering of ghosts dance to the wailing pipes of an organ.
Belle could feel Nicole shaking from the apparitions and put an arm around her shoulders. “Miss Mezzanotte?” She looked at their guide as they continued through the halls. “Why are there so many echos here? Shouldn’t they have moved on?”
“Sadly, finding the will to pass on while being trapped inside the Hollow has made it difficult to let go of the past.” Mezzanotte said, nodding to the ghosts dancing across the room. “In here, they can believe that nothing has changed and those who aren’t here will someday return, no matter how long it will take. Out there,” Mezzanotte nodded to a window through which the group could see the Hollow. “They will see what has been lost and must face the unknown.”
“So then,” Nekomata looked at her. “Why are you here? Are you holding onto something as well?”
A dry chuckle escaped Mezzanotte’s lips as she turned away from the ballroom and began to walk down the hall, forcing the group to scramble to catch up. “In a way, yes. I lost my brother when the Hollow took hold of this mansion.” she sighed. “My brother had just gotten engaged, and I was so caught up in my brother’s happiness that I failed to see the danger until it was too late. The ethereals had only just started appearing in the Hollows, and this mansion so far had been spared. Foolishly, the master of this mansion thought he could control them.”
Mezzanotte shook her head. “It all happened so quickly: the Hollow appearing in the heart of the manor, ethereals attacking everyone in their path. I had witnessed what that fool was trying to do, I thought I could stop it, but instead,” she gestured to the walls. “I doomed us all. Only a lucky few managed to escape in time, my brother and his fiancee amongst them. The manor is too deep within the Hollow for anyone to approach, unless of course you have a very strong stamina or the body of a bangoo to inhabit.” Raising an eyebrow, Mezzanotte looked from Belle to Eous and back. “A truly unique tactic to explore the Hollow without the effects of its corruption.”
“Thanks,” Belle smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head. “Trade secret.” She then paused. “Wait, so then why do you want us to find a package?”
“The wishful thinking of an old fool.” Mezzanotte’s violet eyes flashed in the low light and, for a moment, Belle thought she saw the echo’s form flicker into something else, but then she cleared her throat and straightened up. “Pardon me, that was uncalled for. We’re almost to where the package should be located.”
Nicole blinked “‘Should be located’? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“A fair question, Miss Demara. As I mentioned before, the Hollow was opened at the center of this manor and thus released many ethereals that attacked the residents inside. Two people were caught in the direct blast: the owner of the manor and his manservant, but there was a third just outside of the blast. When the Hollow rapidly expanded, the gift that I had intended to give my brother, the thing that caused all of this to happen, became swallowed up. Now, an ethereal guards it and no echo can pass it nor attempt to fight it.” Mezzanotted turned to the group.
“That is why I needed your help; only a Hollow Raider with high aptitude and the cleverness to fight ethereals can retrieve this gift and possibly deliver it to my brother. That,” she sighed. “Is what I ask of you.”
Belle looked at Nicole then to the rest of the group. “What do you guys think?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Billy twirled his guns in his hands. “We’ve come this far, no sense in backing out now! Besides, if there’s a present waiting in there to be delivered to a lucky fella, who are we to keep him from it?”
“It’s a twisted, romantic story,” Anby said and nodded. “I’m happy to see it be brought to an end. Just like the movie Zombie Fiance.”
“Same! Minus the Zombie Fiance bit.” Nekomata flicked her tail.
Humming, Eous put their paws together and their screen flickered. “I’ll have Fairy run a check for anyone who fits the description of Mezzanotte’s brother to see where he is so we can reach out to him, but first,” the bangboo looked up at her. “We’d need his name.”
“Chiaro,” The name was spoken so softly, Belle almost missed it the first time until Mezzanotte repeated it again. “His name is Chiaro.”
Eous nodded. “Thank you.” They looked back up at Belle, who turned to look at Nicole.
“What about you, Miss daring leader of the Cunning Hares?”
Frowning, Nicole crossed her arms over her chest and quickly looked away, though Belle caught a light dusting of pink across her girlfriend’s face.
“Th-that payout had better be worth it!”
Mezzanotte’s lips split into a wide grin and she chuckled. “Do this for me, and the riches of this house will be yours.”
“Done!” Hefting her case, Nicole looked at the group. “Let’s wipe the floor with this ethereal!”
“You got it, boss!” Billy held up his guns as Anby unsheathed her sword and Nekomata stretched out her arms.
Nicole looked at Belle and Eous. “You two, stay in the back and as far away from the ethereal as you can. We can’t risk either of you getting hurt,” her eyes lingered on Belle for a moment before she shook her head and tightened her grip on her weapon. “Let’s go.”
Opening the double doors, the group walked into a large room with tall walls and a vaulted ceiling that casted shadows from the various rafters that held it up. A once grand fireplace was tucked into the far wall, cold from years of neglect. On four of the walls, Belle noticed a tall portrait had been mounted, but the subjects were too hard to see, faded from the corruption of the Hollow. In the center of the room was a singular, tall backed chair with plush, worn cushions, its upholstery a deep purple with black lines.
A low hissing filled the air and instantly, Nicole put an arm up to block Belle as smoke began to curl up from the seat into the air. Dark purple flames climbed with the smoke, coiling into a towering shape that seemed to hunch in on itself as it continued to grow. Belle shot a glance at Mezzanotte, the echo’s eyes were locked on the strange writhing mass.
“Miss Mezzanotte? Is that?”
“The ethereal of this mansion,” Mezzanotte whispered. “The Ghost Host.”
Belle slowly turned back to the ethereal to see a face had formed in the dark mass with a pair of glowing red eyes. Long arms reached out to grasp onto the back of the chair as the rest of its body solidified into a long, sleek frame that tapered down into a phantom-like tail in place of legs. Two wicked horns curled up and over the creature’s head, glistening with power, and a wide fang-filled grin split the mouth.
“Welcome, foolish mortals.”
The ethereal shot through the air at the group, mouth open and claws out.
“Scatter!” Nicole yelped, grabbing Belle’s hand and yanking her out of the way. Billy and Nekomata bolted to the left while Anby dove under the Ghost Host, swinging her sword in an upward arch as she did.
The ethereal screamed as the electrified blade slashed through its chest and it curved up in the air, twisting to glare down at Anby and swung its claws.
“Anby!” Billy’s guns rang out, the bullets slamming into the Ghost Host’s side. Snarling, its burning eyes locked on him and it dove down into the floor in a burst of shadows. Everyone looked around to find where the creature had gone, until suddenly Billy was lifted by his foot into the air, the Ghost Host holding him upside down by his ankle.
“Somebody, help meeeeee!”
Nekomata leapt up onto the Ghost Host’s back, digging her claws into its shoulders. Arching its spine, the ethereal howled and flew to the side, circling the room while still holding Billy.
“I don’t like this ride!” Nekomata yowled, clinging to the ethereal’s back.
“Speak for yourself!” Billy cried, his arms whipping wildly about as he struggled to aim at his target.
Cursing under her breath, Nicole followed the ethereal’s crazed path about the room with her gun case. “Shit, I can’t get it without hurting them!” She looked at Mezzanotte. “Why didn’t you tell us about this thing?! We could've been prepared!”
Mezzanotte stood in place, her eyes still on the Ghost Host, but completely unmoving.
“Mezzanotte?” Belle waved a hand in front of her face, but there was no response. “Wise?” She looked at Eous. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Hang on, I’m checking something.” Eous’ face screen was flashing with code. “There’s some old security footage from the day the Hollow took over this mansion Fairy was able to unearth.”
“Do you think you could do it a little faster?” Nicole shouted, firing at the Ghost Host only to watch it dodge the ether shots. “Our guide’s broken and we’ve got a psycho ethereal trying to kill us!” She fired again and a shot grazed the Ghost Host’s side, causing it to scream and drop Billy on Anby.
Mezzanotte’s form flickered and Belle looked between the frozen echo and the Ghost Host. “Wait, she said there had been three people caught in the blast of the Hollow expansion, right?”
Nicole looked at her. “Yeah?”
Belle looked from their guide to the snarling ethereal. “Do you think-?”
“Belle!” Eous looked up at her. “I was able to watch the security footage of what went on in this room when the Hollow expansion happened.” The bangboo looked from Mezzanotte to the Ghost Host. “Mezzanotte was the closest to the blast and, when it happened, she was corrupted.”
“So that means,” Nicole tightened her grip on her case. “The ethereal and her are the same?”
Eous nodded.
“Shit, we were duped, there probably was no reward or missing package in the first place!” Growling, Nicole fired again. “We came all this way for nothing!” The Ghost Host howled as another ether shot grazed its side and its burning red eyes turned to Nicole, smoke beginning to trail from between its fangs.
“Warning: immense ethereal energy incoming in 3-2-1.”
Scooping Eous in her arms, Belle leapt to the side as a massive burst of dark purple energy exploded from the Ghost Host’s open jaws that, upon hitting the wall and floor, covered everything in a glittering black ice.
“Belle!” Nicole began to run towards her, but lunged back as the Ghost Host flew into her path and sung its claws, just barely missing her.
Holding Eous in her arms, Belle looked at the flickering echo and to the ethereal wildly swinging its claws. There had to be something more to this than just another ethereal to defeat. Belle watched the creature swoop through the air, lashing out at the Cunning Hares and shooting energy from its mouth. She watched its movement, how it circled the room like smoke and darted out quickly.
‘It’s circling the chair, why?’
“Wise?”
Eous looked up at her.
“Scan the room for any weird energy signatures, specifically the center of the room.”
“The chair?” Eous blinked. “Why?”
Belle curled her hands into fists. “Have we ever heard of an ethereal manipulating an echo, or some sort of illusion to draw people to them?” She looked at Mezzanotte and then back to the Ghost Host. “I-I don’t think Mezzanotte really meant to trick us, I think she really wanted us to help.”
“Then why not warn us?” Nicole shouted, dodging another attack.
“She said she was an echo, a memory,” Belle looked at the ethereal. “Something tethered to this place because of something she hasn’t let go of yet.”
“Scanning ethereal activity,” Fairy’s voice clipped from Eous. “Flight pattern appears to be centered around the gaudy piece of furniture in the room. There is something on it that’s been frozen in crystallized ether.”
“I got it!” In a flash, Nekomata charged at the chair and the Ghost Host roared, shooting after her. Feet pounding on the floor, the cat thiren darted up and over the back of the chair, barely managing to roll out of the way as the Ghost Host’s claws sliced at the air. “It’s a present!”
‘A gift for her brother.’
Belle nodded. “Everyone! The package Mezzanotte wanted us to deliver is stuck in ether crystals on the chair!”
Looking at the chair, Nicole grinned and hefted her gun case. “Say no more, babe. Billy! When I give the word, shoot at the center of the room! Anby and Nekomata, draw that thing in! We’re gonna bust a ghost!”
“Right!” The group shouted.
Nekomata waved her hands at the Ghost Host that was circling overhead. “Yoo-hoo, scary ghosty! This way!”
The Ghost Host roared and bolted straight at her, a beam of energy charging in its open mouth. Nekomata sprang away towards the chair, leaping out of the way of the purple and black beam, using the newly forming crystals as jumpoffs. In a flash, Anby ran under the ethereal and swung her sword up, cleaving its jaw with her blade. Shrieking, the ethereal spiraled in the air while the girls ran to the chair and raced after them.
“Hold,” Nicole watched the creature closing in on her teammates. “Hold!”
Belle held Eous tightly, watching.
Nicole’s eyes narrowed as the gap between the Ghost Host and Anby and Nekomata shrank. “Now!” A charged blast of ether shot from her gun, just as Billy’s twin pistols rang out, all three shots headed straight towards the Ghost Host, right and Anby and Nekomata pivoted in place. Leaping off the back of the chair, they sailed over the ethereal and sliced into its back, causing the Ghost Host to scream and flinch. Fully exposing its sides to the incoming attacks of Billy and Nicole.
The ether exploded in a dome-like mass of energy that sent out a ring of force, knocking everyone back. Purple light flashed in their eyes, forcing everyone to close their eyes or look away. A single shriek filled the air, and then, everything went quiet. Lowering her hand from shielding her face, Belle looked at the center of the room where the Ghost Host had been, but only saw a single purple and black chair with a wisp of smoke fading above it. When she turned around, Mezzanotte was nowhere to be seen.
“Is it over?” Wise asked, Eous covering their head.
Slowly, Belle got to her feet and approached the chair, her eyes on the shattered remains of ether crystal. Set on the cushion was a box wrapped in simple brown paper with a black and purple ribbon tied around it. Reaching down, Belle picked up the parcel and looked at the small worn card tied to it.
For my brother, may you always find your way. - Mezz
Sighing, Belle looked at the group. “It’s over.”
“Just like that?” Nicole stared at the computer screen over Belle’s shoulder. “The money was added to your account?”
“Yup,” Belle nodded, staring at the dennies that had suddenly appeared in the joint account she and Wise shared for their proxy commissions. “Wise said the moment we left the mansion, the dennies appeared in our account.”
Blinking, Nicole pulled her phone out of her pocket and opened her own account. Belle waited to hear if the payment due to the Cunning Hares had appeared, but there was only silence. After a minute of quiet, Belle turned in her seat to ask her if everything was alright. Nicole’s eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open.
“Holy mother of pearl.” With shaking hands, Nicole turned her phone to show Belle the screen, and the amount of dennies that matched exactly what had been paid to Phaethon. “How-how did this happen?”
Belle shrugged. “I don’t know, but somehow Mezzanotte was able to keep her word.” She then fixed Nicole with a pointed look. “But don’t get too excited with that number, you still owe half of that to us.”
“Aaaaaaw!” Nicole crossed her arms. “You’re no fun!”
They had arrived back at the video store just as the sun had started to set and Wise all but knocked the door down in his rush to hug his sister, asking if she felt alright. It had taken nearly thirty minutes of reassuring her brother that there were no lingering effects from the Hollow. In fact, Belle was surprised that she felt perfectly fine, no sense of weakness or illness at all. She still promised Wise that if she felt sick in the morning, they would go to the hospital.
From the couch, Wise looked up from his phone at the girls. “I still don’t get how you two were teleported through our computer to a section of the Hollow no one has been to in years. It’s like something straight out of a movie.”
“Yeah, let’s not do that again.” Nicole muttered, hugging herself as she shivered.
Rolling her eyes, Belle leaned back in her chair and rested her cheek on her fist. “It wasn’t really all that bad, kinda interesting to actually meet some real ghosts.”
“Echos.” Nicole and Wise corrected at the same time.
“Echos.” Belle repeated, looking at the wrapped package resting on the edge of the desk. As promised, they had brought the present Mezzanotte meant for her brother to their store and Fairy had begun their search for him. Three hours later, the AI was still conducting a search with no luck.
“It’s never taken Fairy this long to find anyone.” Wise said, frowning when he glanced at the computer. “Maybe this Chiaro guy changed his name, or isn’t even in New Eridu?”
Nicole tapped her chin in thought. “Maybe, if he and his new wife didn’t want to be found by her psycho dad and ex-fiance. The Outer Rim is a great place to disappear in.”
The faint jingle of the front door made Belle look up and she stood. “I’ll get it, probably just Jane returning that thriller she rented last week.”
“The rat lady who slept in your bed?”
Belle shot a look at Nicole. “It was a one-time-thing! She was exhausted and needed a place to stay! Besides, she, Miyabi and Zhu yuan weren’t together yet.” Opening the door before her girlfriend could make another comment, Belle walked into the store to see a man standing at the counter and looking around.
“Excuse me?” Belle said, getting his attention. “Can I help you?”
“Oh, yes,” The man cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to come by so late, I saw you’re about to close. I, um,” He drummed his fingers on the counter, glancing around before looking at Belle. “This is going to sound a bit odd, but, I got a message from you saying I have an order ready for pick-up?”
Belle raised an eyebrow. “There’s nothing weird about that at all, I can find it for you.” She walked behind the counter and stood next to 18, who was patiently waiting at the computer. “What’s the number?”
“That’s where it gets weird,” The man said. “I never made an order. I’ve never been here.”
Frowning, Belle looked at the man. Something about his soft, violet gaze pulled at her and she narrowed her eyes. “What’s your name?”
“Oh, my apologies,” He offered his hand to her to shake. “It’s Chiaro.”
“Chiaro?” Belle felt her throat go dry. “You-you don’t know someone by the name of Mezzanotte, do you?”
Surprised flashed in his eyes. “Y-yes, she’s my sister, but she died in the Hollow expansion. How do you know that name?”
Instead of answering, Belle held up a finger. “Wait right here, don’t leave.” She bolted from the counter and into the backroom, snatching the package off the desk and completely startling Nicole and Wise.
“Belle?!” Nicole yelped. “What the-”
“He’s here!” Belle hissed over her shoulder as she ran out of the room, package under her arm. Skidding to a stop in front of the very-confused Chiaro, Belle held up the package. “I think this is what you’re looking for.”
Chiaro blinked owlishly and gingerly accepted the package. “Wh-what is this?” His eyes then fell on the handwriting and he froze.
Holding her breath, Belle took a step back to give him room as he set the package on the counter. “H-how is this possible? I thought,” he looked at her. “Where did you get this?”
“Let’s just say,” Belle glanced back at Wise and Nicole as they peeked out of the back room. “It was a special delivery.”
Swallowing, Chiaro looked at the package and began to pull apart the wrapping, his hands shaking. Once the wrapping was gone, save for the piece that had Mezzanotte’s handwriting, Chiaro lifted the lid of the box. A choked sob came from his mouth and she shook his head, smiling wide.
“Leave it to Mezz to still find a way to look out for me.”
“What is it?” Nicole asked, earning a hushed shush from Wise and Belle.
Chuckling, Chiaro looked at her. “Did-are you the one who saved this from the Hollow?”
Shooting a glance between Wise and Belle, Nicole nodded. “I’m one of the people who did, yeah.”
Chiaro smiled and pulled from the box a glass sheet framed with simple black. Inside, was a fully detailed sketch of what was clearly a younger Chiaro holding a woman in his arms, their eyes locked with each other in pure happiness.
“Wow,” Belle whispered.
“She always had an eye for detail.” Chiaro whispered. “Thank you,” he looked at them. “I-what do I owe you?”
Nicole shook her head. “You don’t owe us anything, this was a gift from your sister, we just helped.”
“Still,” Chiaro looked back at the drawing. “You-you brought this back from the Hollow where my sister-where she-” Taking a deep breath, Chiaro turned back to the group and tucked the drawing under his arm. “Thank you all so very much, I-I’m in your debt.”
“Eh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nah!” 18 bobbed their head up and down.
Chiaro blinked and shot a look at Belle.
“They said if you sign up for a membership, your first VHS would get a fifty percent discount.”
One new membership and a video rental later, Belle, Wise, and Nicole watched Chiaro leave the store.
“So, that happened.” Nicole said as Wise locked the door. “Convenient that he got a notice about an order pickup.”
Belle frowned. “We didn’t send him a notice,”
Nicole turned to her. “What?”
“That didn’t come from us.” Belle glanced between them. “I think that came from Mezzanotte.”
A stunned silence filled the room, then Nicole groaned. “Okay, I’m done for today.” Grabbing Belle’s hand, Nicole stomped towards the stairs. “See you in the morning, Wise!”
Belle shot her brother an apologetic smile before allowing herself to be pulled by her girlfriend up the stairs and into her room. “So, I guess we’re not watching Crimson Peak tonight?” She grinned at Nicole’s glare.
“Not on your life. We’re going to go right to bed so I can get comfort cuddles and not think about ghosts or the Hollow or mysterious messages.”
Laughing, Belle tugged Nicole close and wrapped her arms around her. “I’ll keep you safe tonight, my brave bunny.”
Frowning, Nicole looked away, though Belle could see a light pink blush on her cheeks.
“Hare, not bunny.” Sighing, Nicole turned back to Belle and smiled. “But, that does sound nice.”
Belle smiled. “Then let’s get ready for bed and you’ll get all the cuddles you want, and maybe,” she winked. “A little treat as well?”
Nicole’s eyes widened and she nodded. “Now?”
“Maybe,” Leaning in close, Belle gave a quick sniff and made a face. “After you take a shower, you’re sweaty.”
“But I thought you liked it when I’m sweaty?” Nicole said with a grin.
Rolling her eyes, Belle swatted her girlfriend’s arm. “Shut up, you dork.”
One week later.
Belle stared up at the decrepit mansion through Eous’ eyes, the Cunning Hares gathered behind her. She held a small bouquet of flowers Chiaro had delivered to the store earlier, asking if they could be taken to the mansion.
“I don’t have the stamina to survive the corruption for very long,” Chiaro sighed, shaking his head. “Otherwise I’d have gone to see my sister years ago.”
Nodding, Belle smiled and took the bouquet. “We’ll make sure they get delivered.”
Now, staring up at the mansion, Belle couldn’t help but wonder what it had been like before the Hollow. It’s old, broken windows once full of light and warmth, voices and music floating through the air. The slanted front door opened to the inside, inviting its guests. So full of life, but now, an echo of its former self.
Carefully, Belle set the bouquet down at the base of the old, iron gates.
“Um, hi Mezzanotte, it’s Belle. I’m here with Nicole and the Cunning Hares. You’re brother, Chiaro, he wanted us to thank you for his gift and asked we give you these.” Belle looked at Nicole then back to the mansion. “Thank you for helping us. We’ll, um, see you later?”
The mansion creaked slightly in the wind and Nicole sighed. “C’mon, let’s get going before the ethereals show up.”
“Right,” Nodding, Eous turned and began to follow the Cunning Hares. There was the soft creak of metal and, turning around, Belle stopped. The bouquet of flowers were gone.
”Hurry baaack. Hurry baaaaack.”