It's afternoon already, they're on the way to their house. She agreed solving the case, not only because of pity but she really loves solving mystery.
"How old is she?" She noticed how anxious and worried he is.
"She's just 18 years old." He answered.
"You must really love her." She said as she smiled, she wondered if her father is same.
She just remembered him was prohibited her freedom, she can't do what she wants and have to follow what he ordered. And at the end, he will just say that it's the best for her.
"She's the only one left to us, but I can't even protect her. Her childhood memories are also gone. " He said in disappointment.
Rue looked at his side for a while and turned her gaze to the road. She didn't response, she envy his love for his daughter.
They arrived at their destination after minutes of driving, it's a village.
He told her to stop the car in front of a two-story house. As soon as she got outside the car, she felt someone's gaze towards, coming from the house. She swiftly looks at the windows, her eyes landed on the attic's window, she saw someone hide in there.
"Come in." The man offered, she just nodded and they walked inside the house.
As they entered the house, she felt a dark aura. Then she realized she's still wearing the ring she asked from Atreus.
"Is this she?" A middle-aged woman asked while scanning her.
"This is my wife, Sherrilyn." He introduced as he wrapped his hands to her shoulder.
"I'm Rue, nice meeting you." She smiled at her, she smiled warmly at her and shook her hand.
"Did you have your lunch? It's a bit late but cooked something in case. After all, my husband insisted on meeting you as soon as possible." She said thoughtfully.
She remembered she haven't taken anything since morning aside from liquor. Good thing she have some rouge on her bag.
"It's nothing, but sure I'd love to taste the food you made." She smiled accepting her offer, it would be disrespectful if she'd decline her effort.
"Bring her to the kitchen and eat, I'll just call Stacey to join and meet her." She said to her husband, they walked towards the kitchen.
They took a sit in a big round table, and there's cooked foods above with utensils.
He passed her the rice and accept it, she putted on her plate.
"My wife really loves to cook, everything she cooked is so delicious, as soon as you taste it, it seems feel like you're floating in cloud." he described to his wife's cooking skills.
"You must fell in love with her when you taste the food she made." She cracked a joke as she puts some dish on her plate.
"You're not mistaken." He smiled and laughed at her.
She just chuckled as she starts to take a bit on her food, and it does really taste good.
"I just hope my daughter would acquire her mother's cooking skill." He said with a glimpse of happiness on his eyes but his smile faint.
"Stacey doesn't want to go downstairs." The woman suddenly speaks as she sits on the chair beside her husband.
"I'm sorry for her rudeness, she really changed since that day." she apologized while looking at her.
"It's okay. I'll just go to her later and have some talk." She said and give them a smile.
"Thank you." The woman said, she just she just smiled once again
"May I know the beginning of her story?" She asked straightforwardly.
The couple looked at each other, the woman just sighed and looked down. The man patted her.
"It's more than 2 weeks ago, we first noticed her being indifferent from her usual self." the man started.
"Then we my wife noticed that she's going out in the middle of the night. At first, we just thought that it was a puberty and we talked to her about it." He continued.
"But she got berserk and throw things she saw. And we tried to calm her down then suddenly her body stiffened and started uttering words we can't understand." The woman said in horror. The ghost must have been triggered and went wild, until her body can't take it.
"There's a day that she's back to her old self that we know, but her there's also a day that she's just different from our daughter." Her voice with sadness, her eyes visible with pity.
"I'll do everything I can do for your daughter." she confidently said, she doesn't want to give him a false hope but she trusts her ability.
"I don't want to give you pressure but I'm putting my hopes on you." He said as he smiled at her, she smiled back to reassure him. And they resumed from eating.
After eating, as planned, she went upstairs. Since the woman insisted to wash the dishes, she has to face her then.
She knocked on the door.
'I can sense the dark aura behind this door.' No one answers, but it won't stop her from dealing with her.
"I'm coming in." She said, opening the door.
Her eyes roamed around the room, the dark aura disappeared, instead she saw a girl hugging her knees on the bed.
"Are you okay?" She asked calmly, trying not to freak her out.
"Are you also here to do some rituals on me?" She asked with a low but firm voice.
'She must be traumatized with a multiple exorcism.' She blurted, trying to read her mind.
"I'm here to help you." She simply said.
"They also said the same." She smiled faintly with empty emotions on her eyes. Already hopeless with her condition.
She took a chair and placed it on the end of the bed, maintaining the distance from her.
"Can you remember what happening when you're being possessed?" She bluntly asked, that's all she has to know.
"Not at all." Her eyes on her feet. As she reads her mind, she's telling the truth.
"I don't do exorcism, I'm not even an exorcist." She suddenly uttered, looking at her.
She looked up at her, meeting her gaze. "But why are you here?"
"I told you, I'm here to help you." She answered, crossing her legs and arms on her chest. It became her habit when she's starting to get serious.
The girl just chuckled as if she heard a joke. When saw her reaction, she mentally rolled her eyes. 'Is she belittling me?'
"Why you didn't go downstairs?" She asked instead, not responding on her reaction.
"She doesn't want me to go." She said simply.
"It's a girl?" she asked again, but she just looked down on her feet again and didn't talk.
'You're giving me a hard time huh.' She ranted, she expected that she's won't to talk about her.
She used her speed and sit next to her. "Are you afraid of her?" She asked, challenging her.
The girl suddenly looked at her surprised, as soon as she met her eyes, she started compelling her.
"Are you afraid of her?" She repeated her questioned, the pupil of her eyes moving.
"Yes." She answered with monotone voice.
"Why is she using your body?" She asked another question.
"She said I'm the one who can help her to have the justice of her death." The girl said, still on a monotone voice.
'What can I expect to a vengeful ghost? It's a majority reason why they can't live this world.' she blurted to her mind. Last time she dealt with a demon who wants to take a revenge for betrayal, now is a ghost who wants to avenge for her death.