“Are you… serious?” Justin asked after hearing what Tristan had just said.

“It’s alright if you don’t believe me…” Tristan said and then lied on the bed again, his back turned against Justin.

Tristan looked hurt, and Justin was about to say something to make him feel better, but his phone suddenly rang. “Yvonne, what is it?”

“We found a connection.” Yvonne said on the other line.

“What connection?” Justin asked.

“Melissa was a writer for a website.” Yvonne said. “Denver was able to trace some articles written on the website, and it leads back to her address.”

“What kind of website is it?” Justin asked.

“We’ll send you the link. There is an article about the Crowley Hotel there, maybe it could help..” Yvonne said.

“What about Leila? What’s her connection with Melissa?”

“Leila is an avid reader of the site, she leaves comments on every article.” Yvonne said.

Justin checked the website that Denver sent him, and it seemed harmless enough. It was all about historical places and structures and secrets that they might be hiding. Melissa’s last article was about the history of the Crowley Hotel, and the alleged abuse that happened to the orphans. There was supposedly a follow up on the article, but it never happened since Melissa went missing.

“Leila sent an email to the website a few weeks before she disappeared. She was asking why Melissa stopped writing for the website.” Denver said. “They told that Melissa went missing, and Leila must’ve connected the dots.”

“Idiots.” Justin exclaimed. “They should’ve just kept their mouth shuts.” He said.

“Justin, we had another case here.” Yvonne said. “Can you handle that case alone?” She asked.

“What case are you working on?” Justin asked.

“A crazy mass suicide case. Four people in their twenties jumped on a bridge this afternoon.” Yvonne replied. “We found all the bodies, we’re still trying to figure out there’s another angle.”

“Oh god…” Justin sighed. “I can handle this, just focus on your case.”

“I guess you were right about our division being sabotaged. They’re piling up one dead-end case after the other to us. The more unsolved cases we have, the more we would look like a liability.” Yvonne was obviously frustrated, and Justin was too.

The dinner was quiet and Tristan wasn’t speaking at all. Every group was on their own table, exchanging looks but not saying to each other at all. The Eyes of the Night seemed to be discussing the night tour and Justin saw them look at their table, specifically at Tristan’s direction.

On the other side of the cafe, which was filled with the same eerie paintings and artifacts from the property’s long history, was Isiah Crowley, eating his medium-rare steak as he glared at their direction.

“Tristan.” Justin called in a low voice. “That sense you had… Can you feel it on Crowley?”

“Are you making fun of me?” Tristan asked sulkily.

“We’ve lived together for two weeks, and I come to actually trust you. I wouldn’t talk with my colleagues so openly with you around if I don’t. I believe you.” Justin told him.

“You do? Really?” Tristan asked and Justin nodded.

“I’m working on a case right now, you know that right?”

“I do.”

“And you heard what that case is, right?”

“I did.”

“Eyes of the Night and Crowley are my suspects.” Justin said. “You said you sensed death on the paranormal investigators, what about Crowley.”

Tristan turned to look at Crowley subtly and then looked back at Justin with a sigh. “The feeling of death in this place is too strong, I can’t single out where it’s coming from. I told you death is all over this place.”

“What about the feeling you got while we’re at the foot of the mountain, are you sure it’s not coming from the mountain itself?”

“Maybe I felt something from the mountain as well, but the sense definitely much stronger with those three.” Tristan replied. 

“So, it’s like a sense of smell. The stronger scent overpowers the weaker ones.” Justin said.

“Right.” Tristan said excitedly. “That’s exactly how it feels.” Knowing that Justin believes him greatly brightened Tristan’s mood. At that point, without any memories of his past, Justin was all that he had, that’s why his trust meant a lot to Tristan.

They were given maps of the hotel after dinner, and the orientation for the night tour begun. They were told not to stray from the group and not to agitate the spirits. The Eyes of the Night took out their equipment and explained what each one was for.

When darkness finally overcame the sky, the whole hotel started feeling different. Justin never had encounters with ghosts, but he could feel something in that place. “Can you all feel that?” Bethany asked the group.

“The air is a lot heavier.” One of the tourists said. 

“It suddenly feels like we're being watched.” Another one said.

“The spirits are coming out.” Bethany said. “That’s one of the unique things about the spirits in this place. They lie dormant during the day, but when the night falls, they suddenly crowd the whole place.”

They had a few hours to spare before the night tour begun and Justin spent it reviewing the CCTV footage the night and the morning after Leila disappeared. No one else, except for Leila was seen on any cameras, that’s why Justin started considering that maybe Leila did get lost in the mountains.

“Why did she walk out of the front door if she’s if she’s going to the backyard towards the mountain?” Justin muttered aloud. “Isn’t it easier if she just used the back door?”

“Maybe it was locked.” Tristan said with a yawn as he lied on the bed while paying on his phone.

“No, she didn’t even try using the back door, she just went straight to the front entrance.” Justin answered. “I mean, she’s trying to sneak out, it makes more sense to use the back door.”

“Maybe she needs to do something near the front entrance.” Tristan said.

Justin played the video where Leila was last seen, it was from a camera on the back entrance of the hotel. The angle wasn’t that good and Leila was only seen for a brief moment.

“Wait…” Justin said and looked at the difference in time where Leila walked out of the front entrance and then was seen on the camera at the back door. “She shouldn’t have taken that long.”

“Did she stop somewhere? Or did she slow down her pace once she was out?” Tristan asked.

“We should take a look. She might’ve left some clue. It might still be there.” Tristan said.

“Let’s do it later after everyone else is asleep.” Justin agreed.

“Later? Why not now? You’re the police, you don’t have to sneak around to investigate.” Tristan said.

“I’m still hoping to find Leila alive, if she is being held by someone, I don’t want to jeopardize the chances of rescuing her.” Justin said.

At nine in the evening, the night tour has finally begun.

The group was first led to the first-floor hallway where ghosts of children are said to be running, playing a game of tag. Ronald took out an EMF meter and it suddenly spiked up as they walked.

A sudden cold air brushed Justin’s arm as the group stopped and was made to keep silent. “Who is here with us?” Wendell asked with what they call a Spirit Box in hand. A device that scans multiple audio channels that ghosts can manipulate to communicate with them.

 Random noises were heard from the device at first, but then a child’s voice said ‘orphans’, and the group exchanged looks. The four friends looked surprised and one of them was rubbing his arms.

Justin felt the undeniable feeling of being watched and it was making his skin crawl for some reason. Everyone was silent and the only thing heard was the noise from the Spirit Box. 

“She’s here.” Bethany suddenly said. “She’s not happy that we’re trying to talk to the kids.” She added.

“Who?” One of the four friends asked.

“The caretaker, Ms. Gallager. It is said that she likes punishing the children for every little mistake, even after death she still tries to control the spirits of the orphans.” Bethany replied.

“Go away.” A matured female voice was heard through the Spirit Box.

“Why did you hurt the children? Why are you still controlling them until now?” Wendell asked.

“Ouch…” One of the tourists exclaimed as he reached for the back of his shoulder.

Ronald went to see what happened and when he pulled down the man’s shirt, they saw a scratch on his back.

“She doesn’t like being questioned. She’s trying to assert her authority.” Bethany said.

“Lie.” Justin suddenly heard over his ears. It was an unfamiliar voice that echoed in his ears. “I’ve never hurt them.” He heard again and it made him turn his head. His heart jumped and his whole body suddenly felt numb in fear as he saw an apparition of a woman. Her body was translucent and her feet floating from the ground. She was wearing a white dress with a gray apron and it flowed in the air as if a gentle breeze was blowing.

“Let’s move forward.” Wendell said and Justin turned his head. When he turned back to where he saw the apparition, it was already gone.

They entered a huge room which was the former infirmary of the orphanage. “Many children died here.” Ronald said. “Some because of malnutrition, some because of severe beatings.”

“Did Ms. Gallager did it to those poor children too?” One of the tourists asked.

“If anyone is here, let your presence be known.” Wendell said.

The door flung shut in an instant, making almost everyone in the room jump in surprise.

“I don’t like this.” Bethany said as she struggles to speak. “Someone is in here, and it doesn’t like our presence.” She added.

A window suddenly burst open a chilling wind entered the room. Its coldness was different, it penetrated their very bones. The wind subsided and silence filled the room. At first, all they could hear were their own breathing, but slow footsteps suddenly filled the room. 

Justin felt like he was being watched. There was an intense pressure pushing down from above his head as he felt something dripping from above. And when he looked up, the female apparition from before was standing upside down from the ceiling, staring right straight at him, with blood dripping from her eyes right into Justin’s forehead.

When their eyes met, the ghost suddenly leaped towards him. Making Justin’s heart jump in horror. Their face was so close to each other and Justin felt chills penetrate his body from his head to toes. As the ghostly blood continued dripping onto his face, the ghost spoke. “She’s in pain…” The woman hissed and her cold breath smelled of rotten eggs. “Save her…” She said again.

The longer time he was face to face with the ghost, the harder it was for Justin to breathe. He wanted to look away, but for some reason, he couldn’t.

Suddenly, Justin was pulled away by Tristan. “We’re moving.” Tristan said as he held onto Justin’s arm. “What’s wrong with you?” He asked in a whisper.

When Justin turned back to where the ghost was, it was gone. 

They reached the hallway where the utility was and one tourist asked if they’re going inside the notorious room.

“It’s too dangerous to go there at this time in the night.” Wendell said. “Even the staff of the hotel wouldn’t dare go inside. They keep it well locked to prevent anyone from going in, for their own sake.” Wendell replied.

Isiah Crowley’s room was just beside the utility room and as Wendell played the Spirit Box, Justin saw the ghost of the woman pass through the door of the room.

“Die tonight…” They heard from the device.

Suddenly they heard a woman shriek. It was a low noise, but it was definitely heard by the whole group. As soon as they heard the shriek, Wendell immediately told them that it was a female orphan who killed herself, but there was something different about it. 

Justin had been hearing the voice of the female ghost that kept following him throughout the night, and unlike her voice, the shriek didn’t feel surreal, it didn’t feel ghostly. In fact, with all his years of experience in crime, that shriek sounded very familiar to him.

“Justin…” Tristan called his name, when Justin turned his head he could see the worried expression on Tristan’s face. “Do you still believe she’s alive?” Tristan asked in a whisper.

“I do.” Justin replied, knowing who Tristan was referring to.

“Then we better hurry.” With all seriousness, Tristan looked Justin straight in the eyes. “I could feel it approaching. Tonight.”