When they arrived home, Alex, Lucina, and Alice immediately told Samantha that they would be having guests again that evening. Samantha didn’t mind — she had already grown friendly with everyone and treated guests calmly.

While Alex prepared the ingredients for the barbecue, Alice, Samantha, and Lucina carried out tables, chairs, and everything needed to the backyard. They had to get everything ready before the guests arrived.

Meanwhile, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch were peeking from the second floor, looking like offended children who hadn’t been invited to the party. Alex only rolled his eyes — he knew perfectly well that this trio would show up at the gathering anyway, and most likely steal some meat whether they were invited or not.

When he was up to his elbows in marinade, someone knocked on the door. Alex didn’t even have to guess who would come first. Wiping his hands, he opened the door and saw Edward and Bella. Bella was holding a tray of sandwiches. Alex smiled and let them in; they headed straight to the backyard where the girls were.

A little later, the rest of the Cullens arrived. The door opened without Alex’s help — Emmett simply kicked it open, holding bags full of food containers clearly prepared by Esme so her “children” wouldn’t show up empty-handed.

Dean and Sam were the last to arrive, carrying bags full of drinks and snacks.

Once Alex finished everything, he also went out to the backyard, carrying a large bowl of marinated meat. As he expected, the first portion was immediately stolen by GIR, MIMI, and Stitch — laughing like children as they ran off with the tray in an unknown direction.

At first, Sam and Dean felt a bit out of place — they were about to hang out with “teenagers.” However, they quickly discovered that the only actual teenager present was Bella. Meanwhile, the oldest one was Jane, whose age had passed a thousand years. When Dean heard that, the look on his face was worth an entire season of the show.

Very quickly, Alex, Emmett, and Dean formed a strange but lively trio, tossing silly jokes back and forth and laughing at them just as loudly. Lucina, Rosalie, and Sam only shook their heads, watching the three like mischievous boys.

Sam also found common ground with everyone easily. He was especially impressed that Rosalie owned a rare Alan Wake book signed by the author — and even by Alex Casey.

Meanwhile, Alex, Dean, and Emmett stood by the grill with beers in hand while Emmett talked about his impressions of Bright Falls. When he mentioned having to run away from a completely naked Taken Nightingale, Dean laughed like he was watching the greatest show of his life — though he still sympathized, admitting he would’ve done the same.

Alex occasionally added details he didn’t have time to tell the previous evening.

When Emmett compared his encounter with Scratch to the time he’d been mauled by a bear in his human life, Dean didn’t understand at first — until Alex explained. Then Dean looked at Emmett with a mixture of respect and mild horror.

But Emmett’s smile faded when Alex started sharing his first “embarrassing moments” after turning. Emmett grumbled while Alex and Dean laughed.

In retaliation, Emmett recalled a couple of stories about Alex, and Dean decided not to fall behind and shared how he once lost years of his life playing cards with a witcher, immediately aged, and mistook heartburn for a heart attack. Alex and Emmett stared at him wide-eyed — and then burst out laughing.

“And that’s not all. My brother Sam is afraid of clowns,” Dean added with a smug grin, taking a sip.

“He’s not the only one. Alex hates them too,” Emmett chimed in.

Dean raised a brow and looked at Alex as if he had found a crack in an impenetrable fortress. Alex silently flipped the meat, but the twitch in his eye made it clear — the blow landed perfectly.

Sam, who had been talking with Rosalie and Lucina, heard his name and was about to smack his brother, but then he heard that Alex shared his fear of clowns. He stared at Alex in surprise and then at Lucina — she simply smiled and nodded. The secret was out.

Dean and Emmett immediately started teasing both of them. Alex silently handed the tongs to Emmett and went into the house. Emmett and Dean exchanged a look — had they gone too far? Emmett even suggested that Alex might be going to get a stick.

But instead of a stick, Alex returned a minute later with a thick folder, which he placed on the table. There was only one word on it: Derry.

Lucina, Alice, and Samantha recognized the name immediately and tensed.

“What’s the town of Derry? I’ve never heard of it,” Sam asked.

“A small town in Maine. A clown-monster lives there,” Alex said calmly as he lit a cigarette.

“Like a ghost clown that scares the locals?” Dean asked, opening the folder.

“Oh, no. Worse. Much worse. It’s not a ghost — it’s a creature that embodies your worst nightmares. The town of Derry is completely under its influence. Every twenty-seven years, during its awakening cycle, between twenty and fifty children disappear.” Alex flipped a page, revealing dozens of missing posters.

“That many? Why hasn’t anyone stopped it yet?” Bella turned pale.

“Because no one understands what it is. Even the FBC won’t interfere — they only collect data. The town itself belongs to that clown. Anyone who leaves Derry forgets everything that happened there. That’s why there are no news reports or investigations — only rumors and these posters.” Alex pointed to the folder and the map.

Before Alex hacked into the FBC database, his knowledge of Derry had been extremely limited — only what he remembered from the book and the movie. But in this world, Derry and Pennywise turned out to be more than real. Thanks to FBC access, Alex was able to gather far more information about the town: legends, reports, testimonies, archives — exactly what he was now sharing with everyone at the table.

Alex explained that when the clown awakens from its long slumber, Derry experiences a spike in violence and brutality. It’s easy to notice from the statistics of deaths and disappearances. He also mentioned that while Pennywise is asleep, no one remembers the murders or missing children — everything is wiped from memory the moment the entity returns to its slumber.

“And when is the next awakening cycle?” Sam asked, frowning as he flipped through the documents.

“Very soon. Very soon. Isn’t that just a wonderful coincidence?” Alex said, flicking ash from his cigarette with a small smile.

“Well, when it wakes up — we’ll go and kill it,” Dean smirked. “Not our first time dealing with monsters worse than this. We’ll take care of it.”

“Hahaha. Then it’s settled. But for now, let’s eat,” Alex replied.

Only Alex, Lucina, Alice, and Samantha knew the true nature of Pennywise — the others didn’t need to. Alex already planned to deal with the clown when it woke up, so he had no intention of discussing the details.

Over the delicious food, the conversation about the terrifying creature faded away quickly. Sam and Dean blended into the group with ease — both were sociable and quick to connect with people. Dean even managed to brag about a few monster-hunting stories that stuck with him.

Gradually, the atmosphere became relaxed. After a couple of beers each, Alex, Dean, and Emmett were already ready to go on a night hunt — “for a warm-up.” The reason was Alex mentioning a monster nightclub he had seen on his way to a date. That alone was enough for the trio to start planning a trip to Los Angeles.

Naturally, they were quickly sat down before they could get too far with their plan. And it was obvious — if Alex, Emmett, and Dean were left unsupervised together, they would cause chaos, land in jail, or stumble into something even worse.

Rosalie and Lucina only exchanged a look — before, they had to deal with one adventurer, and now they had three. Sam was thinking the same thing: he used to watch over only Dean, but now his brother had gained two equally reckless “buddies,” and that worried him.

When the hunt was forbidden, the trio of grown men immediately turned into sulking children. Alice watched with great pleasure as Alex pouted alongside Emmett and Dean. Wrapping her arms around Alex’s head, she started calming him down.

“Um… listen,” Bella said quietly, drawing everyone’s attention.

“What is it, Bella?” Alice asked, continuing to stroke Alex’s hair.

“It looks like… those Ghostfacers are planning a livestream from a haunted house… the one we talked about earlier,” Bella said, showing her phone.

“Let them,” Dean muttered lazily. “They didn’t have enough brains to break into a cursed house, right?”

“Don’t tell me those idiots went to Collingwood Hospital,” Alex said, feeling the evening was about to fall apart.

Everyone looked at Bella. She turned her phone toward them, and on the screen was a notification for the stream: ‘We’re spending the night in the cursed Collingwood Hospital!’

Alex’s expression darkened, his eyelid twitched — he saw Chris and Ashley on the thumbnail along with the main Ghostfacers group. Samantha paled, and then rage flashed across her face — she wanted to strangle Chris with her own hands.

Dean and Sam didn’t understand the reaction, but Alice quickly explained what kind of hospital it was and what had happened there.

After hearing the story, the brothers’ faces also grew grim: the ridiculous group of online hunters had once again wandered somewhere they absolutely shouldn’t.

“When do they start the stream?” Alex asked, tapping his finger on the table.

“In four hours, at midnight,” Bella answered, showing him the time.

“Perfect. That means we have about four hours to get there,” Alex said, rising from the table. “Just fantastic news.”

Ignoring the others, Alex stood up and headed into the house. Samantha immediately followed him — she wanted to know what he was planning.

Once upstairs in his room, Alex pulled four shotguns from his inventory and used magic to create an entire box of salt rounds. He understood perfectly: simply showing up and dragging the idiots out of the cursed hospital wouldn’t work — if he didn’t have to use magic and force, then he would at least need to handle things the usual way.

Samantha had been irritated the whole time and was openly furious at Chris. Alex smiled, packed the gear into a bag, and hugged her to calm her down.

“Don’t worry, I’ll pull that idiot out. And Ashley too. But you won’t mind if I shoot him, right?” he asked, gently stroking her back.

“You may. But only in the leg. Let him spend a bit more time in the hospital,” Samantha grumbled, hugging him tighter and resting her chin on his shoulder.

Alex chuckled softly and gave her a quick kiss. Then they went downstairs and headed back outside.

Everyone watched Alex with interest — and when he returned with a bag full of shotguns sticking out, it became obvious: he was planning to personally drag the Ghostfacers out of the cursed place. Judging by the amount of salt, ammo, and gear in the bag, he was preparing for a full-scale assault on Collingwood.

“Emmett, you coming to the cursed hospital?” Alex asked, setting the bag on the table.

“You even need to ask? I’ve never dealt with ghosts. So I’m in,” Emmett grinned and stood up.

“We’re going too,” Sam said, rising as well. “We’ve been to places like that more than once. And judging by what we heard… you’re definitely going to need help.”

“That’s an understatement,” Dean muttered. “Once again we’re hauling idiots out of a death trap. This time I swear I’m kicking their asses. Last time it didn’t help either…”

Alex smiled and nodded. They decided to take Dean’s Impala—no point in splitting up. He tossed the bag of weapons into the trunk, and he and Emmett climbed into the back seat.

When the Impala’s engine roared to life, Alex clipped his phone to the dashboard and set the route. The hospital was at least a four‑hour drive away. Knowing they were short on time, Dean pushed the pedal to the floor, and the car shot forward, leaving a streak on the asphalt.

Alex rolled down the window and lit a cigarette—he needed to take the edge off the irritation gnawing at him from the thought that Chris had gotten himself into trouble. If it were just the Ghostfacers, he probably wouldn’t have even moved… but Chris and Ashley were there.

“What else do we need to know about this hospital, besides it being full of ghosts and missing people?” Sam asked, turning toward Alex.

“Collingwood is just a regular hospital on its own,” Alex said, blowing smoke out the window. “The problem is—it has an alternate version.”

“Alternate? Like a second hospital?” Dean asked, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.

“More like… parallel. Cursed places have peak activity times. If you enter the hospital at that exact moment, it drags you into an alternate dimension created from a mix of pain, death, fear. If you end up there—consider yourself a permanent prisoner. A kind of labyrinth with no exit.” Alex’s tone grew thoughtful as he exhaled a plume of smoke outside.

“But there is an exit,” Sam said. “Usually we killed whoever created the place. Though sometimes even that didn’t help. Then we had to find our own way out.”

“And how do you find the one controlling an entire labyrinth?” Emmett asked. “In Bright Falls, the scale was way smaller. And even then we kept going in circles… though Alex found the right doors and clues pretty fast.”

“Oh, come on,” Dean scoffed. “We’ll be fine. All we need to do is grab those idiots and drag them out. No problem.”

“Dean… when have we ever been lucky in situations like this?” Sam asked, crossing his arms. “It’s usually the opposite.”

“Sammy, same as always: find them, kill it, go home,” Dean said, grinning again. “Besides, we’ve got another smart guy riding with us.” He nodded at Alex. “He’ll definitely help.”

Emmett nodded rapidly, fully agreeing with Dean’s statement that if something went wrong, Alex would fix it. Alex himself was momentarily speechless—everyone had suddenly dumped the responsibility onto him. But he had no objections.

The Impala sped down the road, and midnight was creeping closer. Alex understood perfectly: if they were late, he’d have to open the passage to the alternate Collingwood hospital himself—and do it in a way that wouldn’t make Sam and Dean ask unnecessary questions.

The town where the hospital was located greeted them with empty streets. Considering its size and the abundance of grim legends surrounding it, that wasn’t surprising. Sam gave Dean directions, and soon the Impala rolled to a stop near a locked iron fence surrounding all of Collingwood.

When the engine went quiet, Alex, Emmett, Dean, and Sam stepped out and looked around. The first thing Alex noticed was the sign on the gate: “Property Under FBC Security.” He nudged Emmett lightly with his elbow and illuminated the sign with his flashlight. Emmett just grunted, taking everything in with his usual skepticism.

“So how do we get inside?” Dean asked, studying the grounds beyond the fence. “Not really in the mood to climb over.”

“We’ll find a way in. Just let me grab the bag,” Alex said, opening the trunk.

Emmett approached with a smirk—clearly expecting his weapon. Alex handed him a shotgun and a pack of salt rounds. Emmett immediately stuffed the shells into his pockets and began loading the shotgun. Then Alex handed shotguns to Dean and Sam.

“Thanks, but I’ve got my own,” Dean said, pulling out a short double‑barreled shotgun.

“You might as well have brought a rubber mallet. Take a real weapon and stop acting like a child,” Alex sighed, practically shoving the Benelli into his hands.

“Alright, alright… Who am I to refuse?” Dean muttered, obediently loading the salt rounds.

“What model is this? Comfortable little bastard,” Emmett said, spinning the shotgun in his hands.

“Benelli M4. Popular thing. Sam, where are you?” Alex called out.

“Guys! I found a way in!” Sam’s voice echoed from the darkness.

Alex grabbed the bag and followed the voice. Dean and Emmett followed close behind. They found Sam by the fence: he was pulling back the metal mesh where a neat cut had been made. Alex handed him a shotgun and salt shells.

Crawling through the opening, they quickly headed for the entrance. Alex checked the time again—only a few minutes left until midnight.

“We need to hurry, or we’re not gonna make it,” he said, picking up the pace.

Collingwood Hospital didn’t look any different from most facilities built in that era. Reaching the entrance, the group stopped: the doors were locked with a heavy chain and padlock.

Alex pressed his ear to the door. Through the metal and wood, he picked up faint voices. Sam, Dean, and Emmett tensed as well—the sound was quiet, but unmistakably human.

“Damn… Locked. Now what?” Dean asked, tugging at the chain.

“Dean, move,” Emmett said, gripping a heavy iron bar.

Dean stepped aside, and Emmett slid the bar between the chain and the lock. One sharp jerk—and the padlock snapped off with a clang.

Alex exhaled in annoyance and simply kicked the doors open.

Those on the other side jolted like a SWAT team had just stormed the building—the doors flew open with such force that the echo rolled down the corridor.

Flashlights from Alex, Emmett, Sam, and Dean cut through the darkness, making it hard to see their faces. The Ghostfacers were just about to start their broadcast—the final stage—when the kicked‑in doors ruined their plans in an instant.

They all immediately assumed it was the police coming to arrest them for trespassing.

Alex scanned the room quickly and found Chris and Ashley. The moment he saw them, he barely held back a teeth‑grinding growl of irritation.

“Hands up, this is the police! Everyone move it, out, now!” Dean barked, pointing his flashlight at the center of the room.

“Hold on a minute… It’s you two idiots again!” the bearded man with glasses exclaimed, pointing angrily at Dean. “You ruined our show last time too! We haven’t even paid off the damage from when you deleted the entire episode!”

“And you burned half my equipment!” the heavy guy in glasses added. “That stuff costs money, you know!”

“Are you completely brain‑dead?” Dean took a step forward. “I said grab your friends and get out. Before I put a round in someone.”

While Dean argued with the Ghostfacers, Alex didn’t take his cold stare off Chris. Chris pretended to examine the walls, the ceiling, the floor—anything except Alex.

At that moment, the entrance doors slammed shut on their own with a metallic clang. Sam grabbed the handle. Useless—the door felt fused to the frame. They hadn’t made it in time.

Dean’s grip on his shotgun tightened, his irritation rising. Alex shot Chris a look that clearly said: we’re going to talk later.

Approaching the door, Alex pulled on it lightly—and felt a powerful resistance. Making sure no one was watching, he activated his magical sight.

The world warped, the walls shuddered, the light shifted to a sickly pale hue.

He saw the space changing rapidly— the hospital turning into a maze, hundreds of ghosts sliding through the corridors like shadows moving through murky water.

The alternate Collingwood Hospital had already closed around them.

“Missed the window,” Emmett muttered, clicking his tongue.

“Missed it? What do you mean?” Ashley asked, noticing the grim faces of Alex, Emmett, and the Winchesters. A bad feeling was already crawling up her spine.

“It means, Ashley,” Alex turned, drilling the Ghostfacers with a heavy glare, “that we’re trapped. No exit. Congratulations… you all screwed up.”

“What are you even talking about?” the skinny guy—Harry Spangler—cut in. “And who do you think you are to—”

He didn’t finish. Alex looked at him in such a way that Harry instantly dropped his hand and backed away. For a moment, he sincerely thought he was about to get shot.

With a dark expression, Alex strode to the table cluttered with streaming equipment and dropped his bag onto it.

“Listen up, idiots…” he began, sweeping the Ghostfacers with a heavy, unforgiving stare.

“Now you listen to us, kid,” the bearded man with glasses interrupted. “We’ve been doing this for years. We know how to deal with ghosts. We don’t need advice from some punk.”

Alex shifted his cold gaze to the second guy—Ed Zeddmore—and reached for his shotgun.

Sam and Dean exchanged a silent glance, unsure whether Alex was going to pull the trigger or restrain himself.

But Chris moved faster. He yanked Ed back with a sharp pull, fully aware that Alex was seconds away from snapping. One more wrong word, and someone would be catching buckshot in the knee.

Maggie Zeddmore, Ed’s adoptive sister, grabbed his sleeve too and dragged him further away.

She had already spoken with Chris and Ashley, had heard what they went through… and about the man who saved them. Recognizing Alex from their descriptions wasn’t hard. Unlike Ed, Maggie understood perfectly well that now was not the time to argue.

Emmett just smirked, leaning against a column with his arms crossed. Sam and Dean shook their heads — why was it always these idiots… — and switched on their EMF meters. The devices immediately let out a sharp, alarming whine. The needles jumped straight into the red zone.

“You,” Alex said, pointing at Maggie. “What do you know about this hospital?”

“U-uh…” The girl swallowed. “There was a doctor here… he did experiments on patients. Then there was a riot, they killed him, and the body was never found.”

She spoke fast — way too fast — like someone afraid that the wrong answer might get her shot.

“That’s it? Nothing else to add?” Alex raised a brow. “Anyone got anything to say before I decide whether to leave you here or not?”

“After the riot, the hospital was shut down,” Ashley added timidly. “There were rumors about ghosts… But you won’t leave us here, Alex, right?”

“No, I won’t,” he replied evenly. “But listen carefully, you group of idiots.”

He pulled a stack of photos from his bag and tossed them onto the table.

“Hundreds of people went missing in this hospital. And that’s only the ones who were officially recorded. Chris, Ashley — I’m definitely not leaving you two. But we’ll talk later.”

Chris swallowed hard when their eyes met. Ashley let out a quiet breath of relief.

Harry and Ed, however, took one look at the photos and immediately started shouting for Spruce — their cameraman — to film everything, declaring it “a real scoop.”

Alex rolled his eyes and exhaled sharply through his nose.

He spread all the necessary supplies on the table and walked over to Emmett, Sam, and Dean.

“So, what’s the plan?” Sam asked, glancing toward the Ghostfacers. “We’re stuck. And we still don’t know how to get out.”

“First — we fortify this place,” Alex said, pulling out a notebook. “I found something useful. Look.”

The pages contained symbols and brief instructions.

“We need to draw this and this. Kind of like when you guys lay down salt, only… more complicated.”

“And what the hell is this supposed to be?” Dean asked, shining his flashlight over the page. “Looks like a mix between a spell and a chemistry recipe.”

“It’s a reinforced ghost ward,” Alex explained. “Salt, metal shavings, water, and herbs. A proper anti-spirit mixture. And the inscriptions strengthen it. In theory — it should work in a place like this.”

He pulled out several bottles filled with the mixture.

“Not bad. You came prepared,” Dean grunted. “Alright, where do we put these?”

Alex pointed to four directions:

“Two hallways, the staircase, and the area near the door. And hurry. This is only the beginning… soon it’s going to get much worse.”

Emmett, Sam, and Dean nodded and headed off. As they spoke, the camera standing nearby continued recording them.

Alex approached a corridor entrance, crouched down, and dipped his finger into the anti-ghost mixture. He began painting protective symbols along the wall and floor.

Seeing Alex and the hunters occupied, the Ghostfacers naturally couldn’t resist trying to stick their noses where they didn’t belong. But the moment they opened their mouths, Dean immediately told them to go to hell.

Sam and Emmett followed his example without hesitation — absolutely unwilling to talk to these idiots.

Chris preferred to stay back — he was sure that if he got too close to Alex, he’d get punched. Ashley, though not expecting a hit, also didn’t rush to irritate him.

“What are those symbols?” Maggie asked, pointing her camera directly at Alex.

“Don’t shine it in my face. Lower it a bit so I can see,” Alex said calmly, continuing to draw the symbols.

“Oh, sorry… So what are those symbols for? Isn’t salt usually enough against ghosts?” Maggie asked again, lowering the lens.

“If it were a normal ghost, it would work. But the problem is, we’re no longer in a hospital,” Alex replied, turning his head slightly.

“Alex, what do you mean ‘we’re no longer in a hospital’?” Ashley asked sharply, stepping closer.

“Ashley, you’re not afraid I’ll shoot you now, are you?” Alex asked, lifting his eyes to her.

“You wouldn’t… right?” she muttered uncertainly.

“Sometimes I think I should’ve left you on the mountain. Since you’re all such idiots,” Alex sighed. “And to answer your question: in short — we’ve been pulled into the world of ghosts. If we don’t find a way out, it’s going to end very badly for us.”

“You’re joking… right?” Maggie’s voice trembled, her hands shaking.

“Yeah, joking. Or not. You’ll find out soon enough,” Alex said, finishing the drawing. “For now, tell your friends: don’t even think about stepping over these symbols. I’m not going to save idiots who insist on dying.”

Alex stood up and, ignoring the girls, walked past Ashley and Maggie to check on Emmett, Sam, and Dean.

Once he was gone, Ashley and Maggie quickly gathered Ed, Harry, Chris, and Spruce into a circle to explain the situation. Ed and Harry immediately switched to their “cool guy mode,” but Chris and Ashley quickly knocked them down a peg: if they didn’t listen to Alex, they were likely to die — and he wouldn’t help them.

Ed and Harry wanted to argue, but the look Alex threw at them from the other end of the hall made it clear — he was ready to shoot if they stepped out of line. To emphasize the point, he calmly drew his pistol and cocked it — the click echoed through the corridor.

Turning away from this group of idiots, Alex pulled out his phone and started a timer. He remembered well how ghosts here liked to distort time, so he decided to be safe. Once he confirmed the stopwatch was accurate, he pocketed the phone and reactivated his magical vision to check how much the hospital had shifted while he was marking the protective symbols.

The view was unsettling: corridors shifted, changed shape, and connected in absurd places — as if the walls were trying to fold into a massive, living labyrinth.

“What do we do next? How do we find a way out?” Dean asked, approaching Alex.

“For now — wait. We’re not finding the exit just yet,” Alex replied, turning off his magical vision and looking at Dean.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked, coming closer.

Alex sighed, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and said,

“Alright. Watch.”

Under the eyes of Sam, Dean, and Emmett, Alex approached the entrance door they had used to get into the hospital. He tugged lightly at the handle — and on the other side came a dull click of the lock. The sound immediately caught everyone else’s attention.

Alex gestured for Emmett, and without asking questions, he came over and stood beside him. Both pressed their shoulders against the door and exchanged quick nods, signaling that they were ready.

A simultaneous push — and the door screeched off its hinges, while the iron chain holding it snapped and fell to the floor.

But instead of the exit, they were met by another corridor, stretching into thick, impenetrable darkness.

Spruce continued filming non-stop, while Ed and Harry once again played the stars of the show, mumbling continuously into the camera lens. Sam and Dean stepped closer, shining their flashlights into the dark passage.

“Now I get what you meant when you said the hospital turns into a labyrinth… And, as you might expect, this is only the beginning,” Sam said grimly.

“Exactly,” Alex replied, tossing a glow stick into the darkness. “To get out, I need to understand the cycle of the corridor changes. We need one single door — the one that actually leads out.”

“You’ve been in places like this before?” Dean asked, crouching down to get a better view of the corridor.

“Not exactly like this, but yes. It was in another country. The rules in these places are the same… Hey, idiots! Are your cameras still working?” Alex called out, turning to the Ghostfacers.

“Y-yeah, they’re working. Why do you ask?” Spruce replied, glancing at the feed from the cameras they had placed around the hospital.

Alex just nodded and, along with Sam, Dean, and Emmett, walked to the table with the equipment. He pushed Spruce aside and sat down. Spruce didn’t even flinch — Alex intimidated him far more than any ghost ever could.

Alex began switching between the cameras one by one — and to his own surprise, he was glad these idiots had put up so many.

Tapping his finger on the table, he methodically scanned the images.

“What are you looking for?” Sam asked, watching the screen closely.

“The red door. It can appear anywhere — in the middle of a corridor, in a room, or just replace any ordinary door,” Alex said, pointing at the monitor.

“And how long are we staring at this?” Dean asked, sitting on the edge of the table.

“No idea. I’ll tell you when it shows up,” Alex answered lazily.

While switching between the cameras, his mind was already working in another direction. He was thinking about what to do with this hospital as a whole. One option was… radical. Alex considered expanding the Red City — and therefore wondered whether he should ask Zhang Ya to absorb the hospital entirely. The key was to do it unnoticed.

While Alex and Sam monitored the cameras, Dean and Emmett dealt with the Ghostfacers, sharply scolding them for yet another idiotic stunt. Alex and Sam didn’t even need to turn around — Dean’s voice alone made it clear he wasn’t stopping. He reminded them how their stupidity had led to a friend dying and becoming a ghost last time.

But everything went silent instantly when footsteps echoed from above.

Everyone lifted their heads at once, listening. Someone was walking slowly overhead, deliberately, as if parading along the ceiling.

Almost immediately, a strange sound came from one of the side corridors — a mixture of many voices, indistinct, distorted, as if played backward.

Dean raised his shotgun and went to check the source.

Reaching the corner, he saw only an empty corridor — and doors that had been firmly shut before were now wide open.

It was becoming clear: things were only going to get worse from here.

To be continued…

(I’ve been thinking and thinking. And, as always, Alex’s luck isn’t working as it should, and when Dean and Sam are side by side, there’s no luck at all. In this situation, minus plus minus doesn’t equal plus. Here, minus is more like a constant, infinitesimal force.)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep