Chapter 4: The Shadows That Follow

The sun had long since disappeared behind the mountains, leaving the mansion shrouded in a chilling darkness. The flickering lights, now weaker and more erratic, cast long shadows that twisted and danced across the walls, creating an eerie atmosphere. The temperature had dropped too, the cold seeping into their bones even though they huddled together in the large parlor room, still pretending like everything was normal.

TSOTI's mind buzzed with thoughts—mainly about how they'd managed to get stuck in a haunted mansion with no way out. The sense of unease was growing stronger by the minute. Even Violet, normally upbeat and ready for anything, had fallen silent. She kept glancing over her shoulder as though she could feel the eyes of the mansion on them.

Leefy, the ever-quiet one, sat on the old velvet couch, staring at the fireplace where only faint embers remained. Their long, black hair spilled around their face like a dark curtain. They'd been unusually distant tonight, even for them, and TSOTI couldn't help but feel a little concerned. Leefy was always the one to keep their cool in situations like this, but tonight... tonight was different.

Shade was pacing back and forth, her boots thudding softly against the floor. She was usually calm, collected—but not now. Her sharp eyes darted around the room, constantly assessing every noise, every creak of the floorboards. But there was no denying it. The air was thick with something that made her skin prickle. Something wrong.

Emmy, on the other hand, seemed more relaxed than she'd been in hours. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the fireplace, chatting animatedly with Tango. Her voice, that light, carefree tone that had once been so endearing, now felt hollow—like she wasn't entirely aware of the gravity of their situation. Tango had become almost a permanent fixture, lingering near her, occasionally laughing at her jokes or responding with cryptic comments that only seemed to make her smile more.

TSOTI had tried to approach her, tried to get through to her. But no matter what he said, it was like she couldn't hear him.

"You're getting lost in it, Emmy," TSOTI had warned earlier. "This—this isn't normal. Tango's not who you think he is. You're obsessed with him, and that's not healthy."

But she had just laughed, a sweet, almost vacant laugh. "Oh, come on, TSOTI. Tango's not like other ghosts. He gets me, you know? He's different."

Now, hours later, nothing had changed. She was still fixated on the ghost, laughing along with his whispered comments, as though there was no danger, no threat, no reason to leave.

"Creamie, I don't think she's listening," Shade muttered, her eyes narrowed as she glanced at Emmy and Tango. "She's... really gone in deep with this one."

Violet, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, turned to look at Shade. "Yeah, no kidding. She hasn't even noticed we're not all laughing anymore." She paused, glancing at TSOTI, then at Leefy, whose hands were tightly gripped in their lap. "What do we do?"

TSOTI was about to answer when a soft creak echoed through the room—faint at first, but then it grew louder, almost like footsteps. Something cold crawled down his spine. The entire atmosphere seemed to shift in an instant. Everyone fell silent.

Leefy stood abruptly, their face pale. "There's something wrong," they said, their voice barely above a whisper. "We shouldn't be here."

A shiver ran down TSOTI's spine. Leefy never spoke like that—never sounded so... vulnerable.

"I thought we agreed not to go into the basement," Emmy said, her voice still light. She looked up from Tango with a dismissive shrug, but there was something off about her gaze—almost too bright, too unblinking.

Tango's voice slithered through the room, as soft as a breeze but sharp with an undertone of something darker. "Why would you be afraid of the basement, Emmy?" Tango asked, his tone almost coaxing. "There's nothing to fear there. Only freedom."

TSOTI felt a pit form in his stomach. "Freedom?" he repeated, his voice low and filled with warning. "No one's going down to the basement, especially not with you." He looked at Violet, who seemed just as unsettled, then at Leefy, who was now scanning the walls with an intensity he hadn't seen before.

"She's not herself," Leefy said, stepping toward Emmy, their voice strained. "Tango's feeding her something... he's feeding on her. And the more you give him, the more he'll take."

"Leefy—" TSOTI started, but they held up a hand, silencing him.

"I knew it," Leefy continued, their eyes flashing with something akin to fear. "He's not just a ghost. He's not like the others. He's—he's drawing you in, Emmy. You're letting him control you."

Emmy turned to face them, her expression blank for a moment before she blinked and gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of her head. "You're wrong, Leefy," she said, her voice eerily calm. "Tango doesn't want to hurt me. He's... he's just lonely. I understand him." Her eyes flashed with something unsettling—a manic gleam that hadn't been there before.

A sudden loud bang came from the far end of the room, making everyone jump. The lights flickered violently, casting the room into momentary darkness. When they came back on, Tango was standing at the center of the room, his ghostly form shimmering and almost tangible in the dim light. His eyes glowed with an unnatural intensity as he looked directly at Emmy.

"Do you understand, Emmy?" Tango's voice was distorted, low and chilling. "You are mine. And soon, everyone else will be too."

TSOTI took a step back, his heart pounding in his chest. This wasn't just a joke anymore. Tango was no longer the harmless, quirky ghost who had seemed almost playful at first. He was something darker. Something far more dangerous.

"You need to stop this," TSOTI said, his voice shaking but determined. He reached for Emmy, pulling her gently away from the spot where Tango stood, his cold eyes boring into them. "Emmy, snap out of it. Tango isn't real. He's just using you."

But as he touched her arm, something cold and unseen wrapped around his wrist—tightening. A cold, ghostly hand, pulling him toward the heart of the darkness in the room.

"No!" TSOTI shouted, trying to break free.

Violet, Shade, and Leefy rushed forward in unison, grabbing him and yanking him away from the pull of the phantom force. But Emmy—she didn't even flinch. She was still staring at Tango with a look of strange devotion, her smile twisted, too wide, as though she'd already made her choice.

"Emmy, please," Leefy said, their voice softer than TSOTI had ever heard it. "This isn't you. We're your friends. You have to remember—we need you."

For a moment, there was silence. A pause that felt like eternity.

Then, without warning, Tango's voice echoed through the room like a dark storm. "She's mine now," he said with a sickly sweet laugh. "And no one will leave here alive."

The room seemed to close in on them, the air thick with dread, and for the first time, TSOTI wasn't sure if they'd make it out of the mansion alive.