As they travel closer to their destination, Shiva reduces the temperature of the AC as he prepares everyone for their entrance to Grand Ecstasy's next stop.

  And that moment comes when they finally reach the location.

  BAGUIO CITY

  The van opens and Grand Ecstasy is instantly greeted by the famous cold that makes the city a famous summer destination.

  "Grrrrrrr.... Why its suddenly gets so cold?" Shirna shivers as he hugs himself. He's still not getting used to cold temperature in any form.

  "Is w-winter coming in your country Mateo?" Claustrine asked as her and Sophia are hugging each other.

  "C-claustrine... Too tight." Sophia softly complains. Claustrine loosens her grip and apologize.

  Beltrand meanwhile endures the cold with ease.

  "Come on guys. It's nothing compared to Layer 7 and Northern Lands. You'll just over-reacting."

  Mateo watch the scene and chuckle.

  "No, winter is not coming Trinne. Philippines doesn't have winter season and Baguio is just happened to be situated in a higher elevation that's why its cold."

  "That explains it." Claustrine's only answer.

  "You guys have jackets or sweaters with you?" Shiva asked. The otherworlders shakes their head.

  "I knew this is going to happen. Let's go to the supermarket first " Mateo's proposal.

  .

  .

  .

  BURNHAM PARK, BAGUIO CITY.

  Grand Ecstasy is just sitting on the bench, observing the people enjoying their day having picnics, riding bikes or rowing boats in the pristine lake.

  Unlike before, they're now wearing approriate clothing for the climate which consists of thick sweaters, Shirna meanwhile also wearing a bonet.

  "This place seems not the type that have mystical power to it Mateo. I mean look at these amount of people." Claustrine commented as he span her gaze on the crowd.

  "Yeah. In fact I can say that this city is bustling and very happy. Far from a place where you can find monsters." Sophia watch as two happy kids run in front of her.

  "Worry not. I think this time our question is going to get answered. But we need to wait for night time first before going there."

  "Wait... Don't tell me we going to visit that place?" Shiva is surprised. Grand Ecstasy looks at him with curiosity.

  "Yes. Our next stop is that hotel. So we should spend and enjoy our time here first."

  "If that's the case, any ideas?" Claustrine asked.

  Mateo thinks for a moment while also looking at their surroundings. Then one thing caught his attention.

  On one of the tourist doing picnics is two girls, beside them are transparent casing full of colorful chalks.

  "Wait Shiva? Is today... Sunday?"

  "Yup."

  Mateo stands up and walk.

  "Let's go to Session road."

  ~~~~~~°~~~~~~

  SESSION ROAD, BAGUIO CITY

  "Woah..." Sophia is amazed as she looks on the crowd of people of all ages. The sidewalks are full of them but what caught her attention the most are the ones in the road itself. Some are observers while others are clearly sketching on the pavement using chalks, making it their canvass.

  Grand Ecstasy also sees variety of street performers in costumes. Entertaining the crowd with all their best.

  "What is this place?" Claustrine is amazed.

  "This is the Artist Lane. Where creatives can express their talents for everyone."

  "But. Isn't this just... Vandalism?"

  Mateo laughs on Beltrand's question.

  "No no. The government basically allowed them to do these as a way to garner tourism. Besides, they can just wash them off after the event."

  "I see... Very kind of them to support artistic ventures on this way."

  Shirna visits one of the art. It's a landscape view of a colorful flowerfield created by a kind looking woman. The woman sees Shirna and smile.

  "Do you like it young miss?" The artist asked.

  Shirna nods his head happily which make the artist happier.

  "Well then guys, we should appreciate their works right?" Mateo's optimistic proposal.

  "Yes." Everyone agrees.

  Thus Grand Ecstasy spend their time watching the myriad of artworks and street performers. They also take picture with the artists' permission and giving tips for those asking.

  The otherworlders are mesmerized by the amount and mixture of artforms. From realism to art styles that clearly alien for them. But despite that, they show respect and appreciation for each piece.

  "Uhhmmm... Mateo." Sophia is poking him.

  "What's wrong Sophia?"

  "Is those two... Gods?"

  Mateo look on what Sophia is pointing. He's amused to see what seems like a cosplayer couple. The tall male is wearing the costume of the Refined Earth God of a very famous Gacha game. The female meanwhile wears the purple attire and katana of the Goddess of Lightning from the same gacha game. Mateo chuckle.

  "Uhhmmm... Yes and No?" Mateo's unsure yet fun answer which just make Sophia tilt her head out of confusion.

  Behind them is Shiva posing alongside Goku, both doing Kamehameha while Beltrand takes pictures of the two.

  .

  .

  .

  "Phew... These people are so creative." Claustrine smile as she remembers the art she likes the most.

  "Yeah. This is truly another world even in art. I'm amazed." Sophia agrees.

  "Wait... Where's Mateo?" Shiva is confused as they didn't see Mateo and they didn't notice his sudden dissapearance.

  Only for him to reappear from the crowd, now holding packages of colorful chalks.

  "Who wants to be artistic today?" Mateo's excited proposal.

  Sophia and Shirna are ecstatic after knowing what Mateo is planning.

  "Me me! I want to draw!" -Sophia.

  "Me too!" -Shirna.

  "We're not really the creative types Mateo." Beltrand's critique.

  "Doesn't matter. The important thing is we can express ourselves and leave our mark." Mateo smiles.

  Beltrand sigh the smiles back.

  "Well then, let's do it." -Beltrand.

  Grand Ecstasy find a spot between two amazing artworks made by female teenagers. Mateo asked them if they can use the spot which the two who seems to be friends politely agrees.

  After an hour. Mateo puts 2,000 PHP bill for each container of the two teenagers. Grand Ecstasy exits the Artist Lane with satisfaction, leaving behind their very own piece of art.

  Mateo draws the emblem of Grand Ecstasy itself. An intricate cardinal direction cross, each point leading to N,E,W,S letters.

  "So that's what it means huh? Neat." Claustrine asked as she looks on their own emblem. Now that she have now few knowledge of English alphabet.

  Beltrand draws are very crude sketch of Nattunian Knights Order insignia which recieve a laugh from his friends.

  "I told you I'm not a creative type!" -Beltrand.

  Sophia recreates the Icon of the Church of Vivvily. The icon consist of 8 small yellow overlapping ring encased into a larger yellow ring. In the middle of the small circles is an black asterisk, connecting all the circles together and behind all of the small circles is a large black ring.

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Shirna makes a cartoonish drawing of a devourer. The strongest predator of the jungles where his people lives.

  Shiva just make a simple Univeral S.

  And Claustrine draws a bouquet of flowers. The flowers are Claustrine and Faraflina which only exist in Yhigressia.

  After their visit in Artist Lane. Grand Ecstasy spends more of their day time exploring the City.

  First by warming themselves with Bulalo.

  "What is this yellow thing?" Shirna asked.

  "That's corn Shirna."

  Shirna looks at the corn meticulously. The appearance looks bizzare for him.

  "How to eat this korn Mateo?"

  Mateo smiles and gives a demonstration. Shirna follow suit and he was amazed. The sweetness of the corn and the savoury of the soup are mixing on his mouth, making a very pleasant tasting experience.

  "Do you like it?"

  Shirna smiles.

  "Yes."

  Grand Ecstasy also visits some historic and religious sites. Some recreational areas and a strawberry farm where they enjoy fresh strawberries.

  Or as they taught.

  "Why it taste so different to the strawberry flavor that we know?" Claustrine is genuinely confused as Strawberry flavor is one of her favorites.

  "Don't ask me Trinne. I'm also confused as you." Mateo's only answer.

  "Hey it's not like it taste abhorrent right? Besides, I can still smell that Strawberry smell that you know and love." Beltrand's reasoning.

  "But I just expecting something. I'm quiet dissapointed." Sophia frowns as like Claustrine, she also develop a fondness for Strawberry flavor.

  As the others speaks their unhappiness. Shirna is munching strawberries with gusto.

  Grand Ecstsy enjoys the daytime until the sun goes down. They decide to have a dinner first before visiting the last tourist spot, which is the one they really wish to visit in the first place.

  ~~~~~~°~~~~~~

  "Grrr... Is even colder than before... If this is going this cold at night, I should wear thicker clothing." Shirna hugs himself tighter as he shivers.

  "Sorry. I should pribably warned you." Mateo politely apologize as even him feels the breeze.

  "But I think it's not just the weather that makes the surroundings cold." Sophia focused her gazed on the decrepyt building in front of them.

  "Yeah Sophia. I kinda agree with you, this building is so eerie that it gives me chills." Beltrand also staring on the same building.

  "This home have a sinister vibe into it." -Claustrine.

  Grand Ecstasy and a lady holding a DLSR Camera far behind them is staring on a building worn down by time. The white walls are stained by myriad of scums, dirt and moss that brings even darker feeling to it.

  The windows are either black due to corrosion, broken or no glass at all and besides the red light on the entrace. The hotel is pitch dark from the inside. The building in question is...

  THE OLD DIPLOMAT HOTEL

  The famous or rather infamous tourist spot in Baguio city. Popular due to its history and alleged paranormal activity that it become an attraction for tourist and paranormal hobbyist alike.

  "Should we go inside or should we pray first? Wait? On which god we should pray to begin with?" Beltrand's proposal turned confusion.

  "Is praying to my Goddess ok?" Sophia's answer.

  "I think she have no jurasdiction on this world to begin with." Claustrine disagrees.

  "Should I get the rosary from the van?" Shiva's proposal.

  "I think we're going to be fine... Let's g-"

  "Uhhmmm... H-hello."

  Grand Ecstasy flinches after hearing an unfamiliar voice behind them. They slowly turn their heads and see the shy lady behind them which they didn't noticed earlier.

  The Lady is wearing a thick red checkered sweater, a fit denim pants, white sports shoes, glasses and black bonnet. She holds her DLSR camera tightly as she looks on Grand Ecstasy.

  "D-don't scare us like that please." Sophia's soft complain.

  "S-sorry... It's just I am w-wondering if you're going to enter the hotel?" The lady asked. Mateo smiles.

  "Yes. Want to join us?" Mateo's invitation.

  "Can I?" The lady seems like the proposal.

  "Of course. The more the merrier."

  The Lady gives a very sweet smile.

  "Thank you very much sir!"

  .

  .

  .

  The group is now traversing the dark hallway of the 1st floor. Their only illumination are the radiance of the full moon and their flashlights.

  "So uhhmmm..."

  "My name is Eunice sir. How about you guys, what's your name and what you doing here?"

  Grand Ecstasy shortly introduced themselves and Mateo says their false reason on visiting the haunted spot.

  "We're just tourist looking for thrill. How about you Eunice?"

  "Well... I'm a Paranormal Blogger and Diplomat Hotel is my new topic for this month.

  "But why you're alone?" -Shiva.

  "Actually, I have 2 friends and we already visited here during daytime. But the monent I propose coming back here at night, they quickly refuse."

  "Ironic for them being paranormal investigators."

  Eunice chuckle on Mateo's words.

  "In their defense, they're just really my friend that decides to join me here. They're just tourist unrelated to my hobby."

  "Fair enough."

  Claustrine busied herself observing the aged appearance of the diplomat hotel. She can see that it renovated at some point but she also see signs of further history. Her curiosity is piqued.

  "Mateo."

  "Yes Trinne."

  "It seems this building is rich with history."

  Mateo's expression turns solemn.

  "Yes. This building seen a lot of things."

  "Can you give us a short summary?"

  Mateo's stares look distant.

  "This old building becomes a Hotel, a garrison, a torture/execution grounds, rape establishment and a last stand fortress until those Imperial Japanese soldiers killed themselves instead of surrending to the Americans. All of that just happened in a short span of time during World War 2."

  "World War 2? Is Earth only have two wars?" Claustrine asked.

  "I wish that's the case to be honest. Sadly, it isn't."

  "Those Jafanis soldiers seems like a honorable bunch." Beltrand commended.

  "That might be the case if those Japanese soldiers are not the cause of the tortures, rapes and deaths here in the first place."

  The silence is defeaning as the otherworlders finally understand why the old hotel have such eerie sad vibe into it.

  Eunice meanwhile is looking with confusion to the people in front of her. She can't understand why the foreigners seems like they doesn't have any knowledge of the history as their questions are should be a common knowledge. Even in the entrance earlier, the way the foreigners talk is so bizzare.

  It's true that the second world war is 80+ years old at this point but still, such lack of knowledge is quiet odd.

  "No wonder this building feels like full of anguish." Sophia's sorrowful words.

  "With that history. It seems that we're looking for a specific thing here now. What is it Mateo?" Claustrine asked.

  "We're looking for ghosts."

  "Ghost?" Claustrine tilted her head.

  Mateo almost explains what ghost is but he remembers that they have an outsider among their groups. Mateo looks behind and see Eunice's confused expression then focus his gazed in front again.

  "We should not talk so casually. Our guest is starting to become suspicious on who we are." Mateo speaks in full Nattunian.

  "Ah... I didn't notice. Sorry." Claustrine apologize in Nattunian.

  Eunice is filled by curiosity as she views the group of people she's following starts talking in a foreign language. But she don't mind it but instead distract hersalf by taking pictures of things that caught her attention.

  "Within your blogging works. Do you have a paranormal encounter Eunice?" Shiva starts to talk with her. As like Eunice, he also don't understand when his brother and his friends talks in Nattunian.

  "So far, none. Well I taken few creepy pictures but all of them are just obvious case of pareidolia."

  "Despite that, you still believe in the paranormal?"

  Eunice gives a gentle smile.

  "Yes. This is my only escape for my hectic work. And there's something magical about exploring that there's more this mundane world can offer."

  "No disrespect but. Isn't that quiet an odd hobby?" Shiva is amused which make Eunice chuckle.

  "Worry not. I understand. And yes, my hobby is seems very bizzare right?

  As the two talk. Grand Ecstasy are also discussing in Nattunian.

  "Yhigressia also have a concept of spirits right?" -Mateo.

  "Yes. Spirits are representation of a person or animals' soul in form of pure Mana." Claustrine answers skillfully.

  "A rare phenomena. On my time as a cleric, I only see a spirit once." Sophia added.

  "Quiet different from spirits in Earth. Anyways, ghosts are similar to spirits with some key difference."

  "Like?" -Beltrand.

  "Ghosts can harm the living."

  Mateo's friends' eyes widen when they heared what Mateo just said.

  "Oi oi Brother. Are you sure this is safe?" Beltrand is starting to have doubts.

  "As if our life is not full of danger. Remember that we already playing with death since we become adventurers." Mateo speaks calmly.

  "Besides, we already expected such treatment. Geez, I never expected you to be the first one to have doubts." Claustrine questions his resolve.

  "We literally traversing unknown territories here. I'm justfied to have doubts." Beltrand counters.

  "How these ghosts can even harm us Mateo?" Sophia curiously asked.

  "I'm not sure exactly. We can only know once-"

  Everyone instantly feel a sudden drop of temperature. The hairs on their skin stand up as they feel unexplained fear.

  Then it got followed by sounds of echoing footsteps and screams of men. The steps are angry and erratic, equally suited to the angry shouting of the men they can't see.

  But Mateo is shocked when he realized that the men is speaking Japanese. The auto-translate which they relied for months now for some reason doesn't work.

  "Huh?! What's happening?!" Beltrand is questioning the sudden event.

  "No way..." A mixture of awe and fear engulfs Eunice as she never experienced such strong paranormal activity in her hobby before. Nothing can prepare her for such event.

  Using her DLSR Camera, Eunice proceeds to film the surroundings, trying to capture the mysterious voices.

  The sounds lasted for 5 minutes, and the group was quiet for most of the entire duration, Everyone is silent, can't really explain the event that just transpired.

  "WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED?" Claustrine is in complete disbelief.

  "Those men sounds like they're in some sort of war." -Beltrand.

  "Yes. It's clear that the ones that did those sounds are the ghost of Japanese Soldiers who died here eight decades ago."

  "Eight decades ago?! How?! That's not a spirit at all!" Sophia can't believe it.

  "That's what makes ghosts so dangerous. It's like a lingering vengeance or negative emotions personafied." Mateo answers with complete seriousness as like others, thing is first time for him.

  The only difference is the implications now that such mystical events are happening on Earth instead of the magical world of Yhigressia.

  Eunice meanwhile is checking the footage she takes on her DLSR Camera. Chills run through her skin as the voices of dead Japanese soldiers got recorded crisp and clear.

  "My God." Eunice whispered.

  "I guess that answers our question." Mateo's words as he recollects the event on his mind.

  "Yeah. That's clearly a supernatural event." -Claustrine soft spoken words.

  Mateo faces his friends.

  "Should we continue the exploration?" Mateo asked. Experiencing such paranormal activity might make his friends doubtful.

  The otherworlders look at each other with seriousness and then to Mateo. All of them make a slow nod.

  .

  .

  .

  The group decides to explore the second floor of the hotel. They're now on the grand staircase that who lead them there. Before they climb up, Eunice takes a picture first of the empty staircase.

  CLICK!

  Flash of light engulfs the stair for milliseconds.

  "Is that a... Camera right?" Claustrine asked.

  "Yes. But unlike the ones in our phone. That Camera is for professional use. If can capture more detailed and in higher quality photos."

  "KYAAAAAA!!!"

  Grand Ecstasy are startled on Eunice's sudden scream. They quickly rushes on her who's eyes fixated on her camera. Her expression is in dread.

  "What is wrong Eunice?!" Sophia is worried.

  "T-t-they're here..." Eunice's shaken words as she gives the Camera to show them what she just captured.

  "Fuck!" Beltrand spouted.

  Grand Ecstasy is engulfed by fear as they look on the screen of the DLSR Camera.

  On the screen is picture of the Grand Staircase. But on that frozen moment, it's not empty as they can vividly see a lady in old nun costume standing in the middle of the steps and facing them. But what makes everyone feel intense terror is...

  The nun doesn't have a head.

  Grand Ectasy looks on the staircase and see that its empty.

  "S-s-sightings s-should be not this v-vivid at all!" Eunice stutters.

  "Now it's clear. If seems that we're disturbing the peace of this abanddoned building." Mateo speaks.

  "They don't like us here?" Sophia asked as she calms down Eunice.

  "I guess so. If you think about it, we are tresspassers on this situation."

  "Kinda agree." -Beltrand.

  "So what now? Should we leave? We already answered our question right?" Shiva's proposal.

  "We should continue. Our expedition would not end here if we didn't see these ghost on our very own eyes." Claustrine's conviction. Mateo smile as he knows the Claustrine would say such thing.

  "I knew it. She wants more." Beltrand sigh.

  "Well then. Lets continue but..."

  Mateo walks in front of Eunice.

  "Eunice, you can choose to leave if you're too scared to continue." Mateo's offer to Eunice. But she looks serious and shakes her head slowly.

  "No... I never experience such strong paranormal sightings before. I can't just leave myself out on such opportunity."

  Eunice pulls the courage inside of her.

  "Please let me join you." Eunice speaks with conviction.

  Mateo smiles and respect Eunice's bravery.

  "Very well then. Everyone lets go to the second floor, this ghost hunting continues."