Acorn & Samuel - Première partie

You are Glandu, a wizard living in the kingdom of Larion. You have a staff and a spellbook. You finish your long journey and finally arrive at the ruin you've been looking for. You have come here searching for a mystical spellbook of great power called the book of essence. You look around and see all the magical items that were here centuries ago. You begin to make you way over to them.
Suddenly you hear a voice coming from behind one of the large stone slabs.

> You say "Who is here?"
You ask the question, and you hear a low voice reply in a language you do understand. The words are faint and hard to make out, but fortunately you know this language.

> You search the origin of the voice.
You walk over to the large stone slab and search behind it.
You find nothing and can hear the voice clearly now. You speak the words and you see a weak ghostly figure in a white robe.

> You say "Hi there! What are you doing here?"
The ghost looks at you with a strange expression. You notice he is holding a black cube.
He begins to speak in his language again, but you answer in yours.

> You say "What is that black cube you are holding?"
The ghost seems calm and replies in kind. You both stop and stare at each other.
He seems to understand what you are saying, and he is completely lost for words.

> You say "Are you lost? Maybe I can get you out of here."
He nods slowly. You notice he is rubbing one shoulder, as if he is in pain. He seems to be considering what you have said.

> You say "Do you want me to cast a cure spell on your shoulder?"
The ghost smiles and nods slowly. He signals with his hands to let you know that you can take your time.
You walk over and squint at the slab to get a better look.

> You cast a minor cure spell on the ghost's shoulder.
You feel the spell being cast, but seem to feel nothing. The ghost looks completely healthy. Perhaps this was just a test?
You decide to give it one more try, the ghost seems nice enough.

> You say "Did the spell work? I didn't feel anything..."
The ghost seems confused, and shrugs. He signals with his hands to indicate that you can try again if you want. You are about to say something, but he is already finished and disappears into thin air.

> You say "No, wait, come back!"
You do not know whether this ghost will ever come back.

> You hope that you will see him again.
You hope that the ghost will come back.

> You wondering if the black cube disappeared with the ghost.
You search the stone, but find nothing. You notice that some of the other items have moved slightly.
You think about trying to move them back to their original places.

> You move them to their original places.
You think you've found the right positions. You are almost sure of it.
You approach the slab and check to see if the items are in the exact place they were, but...
Something feels... Different about the place.
You look back at the items on the slab and inspect them more closely. You notice that one of the items is not in its original place.

> You try to remember where the original place of this item is.
You look back at the slab and quickly inspect the place of each of the items on it. You notice that one is wearing an item that was not there before.

> You switch this item with the other one.
You examine the first slab again and notice that the pear is missing, and now wears the item from the second slab. You switch the items around and examine them carefully.

> You are very confused about this situation.
You are about to switch back the items to their original places, but then you notice the ghost. You turn around and examine it carefully. It is not there anymore.

> You say "I don't understand anything about this..."
Before your eyes, the ghost returns!
It seems to be very happy to see you. You are about to ask what is going on, but...
The ghost disappears again.

> You are sure the ghost will stay if you pass that puzzle.
You try to communicate with it, but the ghost disappears before you can even get a sentence out.

> You look sad, but try to think how to pass the puzzle.
You look at the ghost and extend your hand in a friendly way. You do not know why you are doing this, but something within you seems to be forcing you to do this.
Glandu successfully put all the items at their place. The ghost thanks you and says that now he can finally move on.
You are sure this must be another test.
Nodding your head, you think for a while. Suddenly, you have an idea.

> You say "Maybe we can go on an adventure together! What do you think?"
The ghost is very surprised by your proposal. He seems to like the idea.
Glandu was about to refuse your request, but then he changes his mind and gives you an outstretched hand.

> You take the ghost's hand.
The ghost pulls you into the air and as everything goes black for a moment, you hear a voice coming from all directions:
"Congratulations, player. You have passed the first test."

> You say "Oh... That's great! Is there a second test?"
There is no answer. You are not sure if you have heard the voice at all. The ghost seems to have disappeared as well. After some time, you open your eyes and find yourself outside the room.

> You look around you to see where you are.
You are in a small room. The walls are blood-red and there are some writings on them. A strange smell assaults your nostrils and you know that you are not in any building on this planet.

> You call for the ghost.
There is no one around. You cannot see the ghost anywhere. You are sure that he must be here, somewhere.
Suddenly, a portal opens up in front of you and the smell of blood becomes stronger.

> You hide behind something.
You wait for a second and then run behind something.
You notice a figure approaching you.

> You look at the figure with puppy eyes, wondering what it want.
The figure disappears.
Sadness washes over you. Looks like this is the end of the road, at last.

> You are wondering why everyone disappears, then approach the portal.
You enter the portal.
You appear once again in front of the ghost. He is looking very surprised to see you there.

> You say "I'm as surprised as you... I saw a mysterious figure, did you see it too?"
The ghost grabs your shoulders and looks at you seriously.
"No, player. I haven't seen anything like that."
"Well, there's nothing to be ashamed of..." You interrupt him.

> You say "Don't worry that's okay! Maybe it was my imagination!"
The ghost nods and you are about to leave when he asks you:
"Do you know how to get out of here, player?"
"I think so. It should be easy to get out, right?"

> You look at the portal to see if it's still open.
You notice that it still is, and probably will stay like that for a long time.
"If you ask me, I think that the ghost was just showing me some tests to go through."
"Tests?"

> You say "But what was the tests for? I know I have a task, but these tests are a bit frightening..."
The ghost frowns:
"I don't know... It all started when you entered that portal, player. Since then, lots of things have happened."
"Really? Like what?

> You say "But wait... That portal I just entered? Or another one? I don't remember what happened before the first test.."
"You don't remember? Let me remind you, player... You were standing in front of that portal, and the ghost was showing you some tuts about how to get out of here.

> You say "I don't even remember my name... What was my name again?"
"Oh, yes! You are named 'Ghost Player'. A good name, indeed."
"Why is 'Ghost' my name?

> You say "Wait... Maybe the ghost is actually me in the future, and he's trying to help me, since he already knows what will happen?"
The ghost looks worried.
"I hope not, because that would be pretty creepy."
"But then... What about the other one? The one that has been following me since I arrived here?

> You say "I'm a bit confused... Let's get out of here!"
The ghost grabs your shoulders again and looks at you seriously.

> You say "Oh... well... maybe I must pass the test before we go, right?"
"I hope so, player."
At this point, you realise that you have no other choice than to go back to the beginning again.
"Let's get back there!"
You and the ghost go back in the first room of the tests, and you have a close look at the portal. The ghost grabs your shoulders once again.
"Remember what happens if you don't pass the test." He says mysteriously.

> You say "Wait... What will happen if I don't pass the test? I'm a bit afraid now..."
"I won't tell you what will happen, but I can tell you that some people are afraid of things that don't actually exist.

> You say "Yes, like, some people are afraid by unicorns! ... Wait, unicorns don't exist, right?"
"I'm not saying they do or don't, but I'm saying that some people are afraid of things that aren't real. Don't listen to what they say, because they're usually jealous of your abilities."

> You wondering what that's all about. You look at the portal.
You enter the portal and a bright light appears. You can feel your mind being stretched by this force.
"Remember what this place feel like." The ghost says to you, and then the portal closes.

> You remember about something soft. You open your eyes.
You are now in a room. A big, flat, icy room. You look around and see a lot of large, furry, beast like creatures looking at you.

> You wave at the creatures to say hi.
You wave your hand at them, but they don't react at all. They just keep staring at you.

> You say to the ghost that these creatures are rude.
"Oh, those are 'Wendigos'. They look like beasts, but they have human intelligence. They're very territorial, so don't think you'll be able to sneak past them."

> You say "Oh, that's why they look at me like that... They don't want me to come closer! That's fine, I won't steal your territories, I promise!"
The ghost laughed.
"I doubt they care about that. They just don't want strangers coming into their lands. Anyhow, let's get to the next room."

> You examine the ice in the room, wondering if you can do something with it.
As you look at the ice, a small part of it melts. You concentrate a bit and the ice starts to turn into mud.
"Hey, check this out!"
The ghost points at the wall.

> You look at the wall.
You see symbols and markings on the wall, which makes you feel very confused.
"What the heck is this...?"
The ghost laughs at your confusion.

> You say "Do you know what it is?"
The ghost shrugs.
"I think it's some sort of language. I'm not familiar with it at all, but look at the markings. They really remind me of something..."

> You look closely at the markings, so close your nose touches the wall.
You read the markings again, but nothing happens. You shake your head, confused.
"I don't know what this says, really... It's like a code, or something."
"Looks like it."

> You touch the markings.
You can feel something happening as your hand touches the markings.
"Hey, do you feel that?"
The ghost frowns and concentrates.

> You say "Maybe I can use a spell here. Since it's an ice room, will a fire spell be okay?"
"Yeah, whatever."
You concentrate, using the same technique you did for the fire spell. You visualize the spell you want and concentrate.

> You cast the fire spell on the wall.
You cast the Fire Bolt spell at the wall. It hits, and a small spark appears on the wall.
You imagine something different happening, and concentrate once again. The spark turns into a small flame.

> You say "Look, something is happening! Now what?"
The ghost frowns.
"Well, we need to go on."

> You pushes the small flame into the markings.
A small fire appears in your hand as you hold it close to the wall. The fire grows slowly but steadily, and the markings on the wall begin to react.
"Hey, cool!"

> You continue to cast fire.
The fire keeps growing. You imagine it burning the wall, and concentrate. The wall begins to burn, and you can see smoke coming out of it.

> You say "I hope the wendigos won't get mad about this wall..."
The fire keeps on burning, and you know it won't be long before the room is filled with smoke.

> You say "They definitively will be mad with all these smoke..."
The fire spreads to the roof of the small room, and you know the whole room must be burning soon.
Suddenly, a strange feeling hits your mind. It's like... Pain. Agony.

> You cast a protection spell to protect you and the ghost of the fire.
You concentrate, and a small barrier appears around yourself and the ghost.
The feeling persists, and you know something is trying to enter your barrier.
You concentrate on keeping the barrier up, and the feeling disappears.

> You say "What was that? That was painful!"
The ghost frowns.
"Yeah, it was hurtful."
"We need to get out of here while we can! Come on!"
You run down the corridors, but know it's a futile endeavor.

> You cast a fire spell on another wall, hoping it would burn and lead outside.
You visualize the fire, and concentrate. You feel the spell leaving your mind, and the small flame appears and rapidly grows.
You keep running, and you can feel the heat from the flames on your back.

> You send the spell on the wall to destroy it, and jump outside.
The spell hits the wall, and heat causes it to explode.
You jump out of the window next to the one you are in, and your magical boots and cloak make you land safely.

> You say "Oh well, exploding the wall was stupid... Are you okay?"
The ghost nods.
"Yeah, I'm fine now. I can't believe I forgot my psionic protection for a second there."
"It's okay, we're fine. We'll keep moving."
You and the ghost continue your journey, and you see a big city further away.
"We can finally rest in a bed after this!" You think as you walk.

> You say "Wait... Will this be okay if we go in this city? Won't people be afraid by you?"
"They won't if you behave. The cloak I'm wearing right now is actually part of my full armor set. People can't really see me right now.

> You say "Oh okay, that's cool! Now I've been thinking... I didn't ask you your name?"
"I haven't given it to anyone, why do you need it?"
"So I can say Hello to you properly when we meet someone."

> You say "And we're friend now, no? Friends share a lot a things!"
The ghost smiles.
"Of course we are! You're the one who saved my life, and now you're sharing your food with me! Come on, share the rest of your food with me too!"

> You share your food with the ghost.
"Thank you so much! I'm so hungry, and it's a good thing I ran into you, you're like a genie or something giving people three wishes!

> You say "Haha, I just like to make friends!"
The ghost smiles.
"Of course!"
You now have enough food to last you until you reach the city. Now, all you have to do is walk there.
You and the ghost arrive in the city. It's the night, so there are no buyers or merchants walking around in the streets. Instead, you find that the whole city is empty. Still, you know the general direction of the woods, so you head off in that direction.

> You say "We need to find a place to stay for the night..."
"Let's find a safe place to rest. The cloak doesn't work at night."
You and the ghost walk until daybreak, when you find a little stone cottage in the middle of the woods.

> You knock on the door of the cottage.
You knock on the door, but no one comes to answer. You knock again, and then turn to look at the ghosts.
"Should we try to open the door?"
The ghost nods.

> You try to open the door.
You try to open the door, but find it to be locked. You knock on the door again.
The ghost floats close to the door and begins to concentrate.

> You say "Do you think it's safe to open it? If there's people in there and we enter without permission, they may get mad..."
"We need to know if there are people in there, so we have the option to leave if there are. Not to mention, we wouldn't want to just barge in on people, that would be rude."

> You yell to ask if there's someone in the cottage.
You yell to ask if there's someone in the house, but you get no response. You try the door again, and find that it has been unlocked. You both step inside.

> You say "Hello? Is anybody in here?"
No one responds. The room is dark, and there are no windows in the walls. You and the ghost look around.
"It's very dark in here... Do you think someone turned off the light?

> You search for something to turn the light on.
You search the room, and find a match in an old, dusty lamp. The ghost lights the lamp, and you gasp in amazement. The room is quite different from how you last remember it.

> You remember that cottage. You build it with some friends a long time ago. But you don't remember who were these friends.
"I remember this house... It was my first story... I wrote it when I was six."
"What did you write?"
You quickly turn to your stories, but find they have all been erased.

> You say "That's why I didn't remember the friends, they were fictionnal... But why is this place real now?"
"Because it's the present!" The ghost points to the ceiling. "See the pictures of the moon up there? They were created using pictures I took in real life! I'm a photographer."

> You say "Wait, photography exists in this world? I'm confused."
"Yes, yes it does. It's just not very advanced."
"Hmm, how do you take pictures if there's no flash or such things?

> You say "I really need to learn more about this world..."
"There's a lot of things you don't know about yet."
"I'm sure there are, but I should at least try to learn what I can. What are the names of the other countries?

> You say "I know the country of Inisa and... that's all... In which country are we know?"
"We're in Stokerton."
"What's that?"
"It's a city in the country of Inea."
"What, that's the name of the country we're in!

> You say "Wait, you said we're in a city... But we're in the middle of a wood and there's only this cottage. What happened to the city?"
"It's a very old city; it's probably been swallowed by the trees."
"I don't understand... How did we get here, then?

> You say "I know I have a quest, but... Everything is just so confusing."
"I can explain it all if you want, but it's best that you hear it from me directly.

> You say "I'll be glad if you explain everything to me!"
"Great! Then let's sit down and you can ask me all the questions you want, but let's do it outside first. I don't want to waste a drop of this delicious tea!"

> You go outsite with the ghost.
You sit down with the ghost in front of a tree.
"Now, start from the beginning." He says.
So you explain the whole story of what's happened to you up until now.

> You say "And know, I'm here and don't know a lot a things. What happened to you?"
"I died a long time ago. Killed by a werewolf pack."
"Oh... I...

> You say "I'm sorry, that's horrible. If you won't speak about that, I respect that."
"Thank you. But it's okay now. I killed the werewolf that killed me and my revenge is complete."
This makes you happy.

> You say "What kind of person were you before you died?"
"I was a professional thief."
This makes you happy too.

> You say "Did you travel a lot when you was still alive?"
"Yes, I was a professional thief and I traveled all around the lands. I loved that life."
"What made you change your life style?

> You say "Oh wait I'm stupide, you died... Sorry for beeing so dumb..."
"No, it's alright. I'll tell you the story of how I died if you want."
"Yes, please do! I would love to here it."
"Well, I used to work for a rich merchant. One day the merchant asked me to help him steal some items from a travelling merchant. I agreed and did it. The merchant found out what I had done and tried to kill me, but I escaped and ran from the city fearing for my life.

> You say "What a mean merchant... Even if you wanted to steal from him, killing is not a solution!"
"I know... But it was the way of life there at the time. On my way out of the city I got killed by a werewolf."
"Oh... That's horrible...!

> You say "Oh, that's when it happened... Maybe the werewolf was the merchant?"
"No, the merchant still lived and the werewolf was a random beast."
The ghost of the man laughs at your suggestion.
"I see you've been eating." He says.

> You say "Yes, I'm a bit hungry! Do you want some?"
"I already had some meat before I came here."
The ghost takes a pouch of coins out of his pocket and gives it to you.

> You say "Oh thank you! I was wondering... Your a ghost, but you can eat and touch things. How do you do?"
"I can touch things just like you can eat... But actually all my time in this world has been spent traveling and stealing food. That's why I came to steal some from your tribe.

> You say "Wait, my tribe? You know where I come from?"
"Of course. I'm a ghost, not an idiot. I may not have had a long life, but I'm still not stupid."
"Oh... But how do you know where I come from?"

> You say "I'm sorry, I didn't want to sound rude... I actually don't remember where I do come from."
"You're not being rude, you're just asking a question. We ghosts have the ability to remember some things from our lives before we died. I can't remember everything, but I remember my past life pretty well."

> You say "So you went to my tribe to steal food when you were still alive. Was it a mission for the rich merchant you worked for?"
The ghost nods.

> You say "I'm wondering why he wanted you to steal food. If he was that rich, why can't he just buy it?"
"Some people just have to have everything their own way. He wanted me to do it because he didn't want to dirty his hands."
"I see..."
The ghost takes a deep breath and continues...
"Anyway, now that I have fed well, it's time for me to return to my resting place."
"Resting place?"
The ghost points to the holes in the ground.

> You say "That don't look very comfortable... We can head back in the cottage, there must be beds in there!"
"Beds? Now that you have suggested it, I don't mind the idea of staying in there."
Staying in the hunter's Cabin seems like a good idea.
You and the ghost stayed in a bed in the cottage. The morning came and you heard a cough outside. The ghost got up as if he knew someone was there the whole time.
He waved at you and you waved back, but neither of you said anything.

> You say "Did you sleep well?"
"I did. Thank you for the bed."
"You're welcome. Glad I could help."
"Well, I guess I should get going..."

> You say "What is that cough I heard? Is this someone you know?"
The ghost stops and thinks for a moment.
"Yes, this is the Hunter I told you about yesterday."
"Who's that?" You ask, confused.
"Oh, him?"

> You say "The Hunter? Is that the name of the rich merchant you worked for?"
The ghost laughs and shakes his head.
"No, that was just the nickname the villagers gave him. It actually meant something different in my language, but I don't remember what."
"What do you mean?"
"The man was named Marco. He was Italian."
"Oh... OK then.

> You say "So he is here? What should we do? Is it safe to say hi to him?"
"I'd say it's about 90% sure that he's there. He spends most of his time in the bar. I think he only sleeps there sometimes."
"Do you know what he looks like?"

> You say "For some reason, I feel like he wears a mustache and is a plumber!"
The ghost laughs.
"Ha ha! No, he's older than me, has a beard, probably around his 40's and is bald."
"Oh."
Well, that's something at least.

> You say "But you didn't answer my other question, is it safe to say hi to him?"
"Oh yes, it's perfectly fine to say hi. Although..."
The ghost gets a bit nervous.

> You say "What's wrong?"
"Well, he is known to be a little... err... unusual."
"How so?"
"He speaks fluent Latin."
"Latin? Now that's interesting."

> You say "I learned a bit Latin when I was younger! Maybe I can understand him!"
"I wouldn't get your hopes up."
You finish packing up your stuff and wait for the ghost to finish. The ghost seems to take forever.

> You say "You don't seem to want to meet Marco... Maybe we can find a way out without meeting him, if it's better for you!"
"No, it's OK. Marco isn't dangerous. It's just... well I'll show you when we meet him."
With that, the ghost turns and vanishes into the forest.

> You run after the ghost to keep up with him.
You begin running after the ghost, but you're not really sure where he's going.

> You still running after him, but trip and fell badly on the ground.
You trip and fall over as you run after the ghost. You feel like something's broken inside your leg, but you don't dare to stop.

> You try to run, but each steps you take makes you feel pain. You cry a little.
You cry a little as you try to move your leg, but it just won't work. It's broken you know it! You cry a little more and lay down on the ground.

> You call for the ghost, asking him to wait for you.
You try to call out to the ghost, but your voice is barely above a whisper. It hurts your throat to talk, but you have to talk to him. Maybe he can help you again!

> You say "Wait for me! I broke my leg and it hurts a lot..."
The ghost stands above you.
"Don't worry about that. I'm here to help."
The ghost sits down beside you. Does he want you to hold his hand?

> You hold the hand of the ghost.
The ghost grabs your hand.
"Don't worry, you'll get better soon."
You close your eyes and rest. Your leg feels a lot better now.

> You say "Thank you very much! Sorry if I scared you."
"No, it's OK. It's nice to have someone talk to from time to time."
"Do you have a name?"
"It's Samuel... Everyone calls me Sam or Sammi though."

> You say "Samuel is a very cool name! And Sammi is very cute too!"
"Thanks! You're pretty cute yourself."
"Well you don't want me to hold your hand then?"
"Sorry, I'm not allowed to hold hands with guys I just met."
"Oh..."

> You say "Don't worry, that's okay! Where were you going before I fell off?"
"I was going to go look for your friend. I need to speak with him too."
"My friend?

> You say "Another mystery you know about me! Let's go then!"
You get up and start walking towards the exit of the forest.
"You should put more weight on your leg."
"You're not supposed to put weight on it.
You and Samuel the ghost exit the forest. You see a very big tree, with a city build on it, hovering about 200 feet above the ground.
"That's weird..."
"What's weird?"
"The city... I think it's using magic."
"Ah, yes it is."

> You head toward the tree, looking afraid.
You start heading towards the hovering tree, looking very afraid.
"Why are you afraid?"
"I don't know... I just feel really nervous about that thing."

> You say "Do you think my friend you want to see lives in that city?"
"I think so..."
"Then we should go there, don't you think?"
You look at the tree and its city again.
"I guess..."
"Samuel, what's the matter?"

> You say "If you don't want to go in there, that's okay. Maybe we don't need to see my friend after all..."
Samuel's figure makes blurry for a second as he disappears into the air. You look around, scared that you'll never see him again.
"Samuel!"
His figure materializes in front of you.

> You say "What's happening? It seems this place is very bad!"
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry?"
"If I had a choice in the matter, I wouldn't have brought you here."
"You brought me here by yourself!? What do you mean?"
"I was called here by the ghost of this city. I had no choice."
"But why didn't you tell me!? I could have taken you to a different place!"
"

> You say "Wait... So you're not the only ghost here?"
"There are many ghosts here."
"Do you know why this place was made?"
"To be used, I believe."
"What happens here? Do the ghosts just hang around, or do they have more agency?"
"We have an agenda, but this place confines us. We can't go very far from here."
"Why were you called here?

> You say "Did the other ghosts want you to bring me here?"
"I imagine so. It is what they would have wanted."
Suddenly, you get pulled into the air, and you can't do anything. You look down to see Samuel there. He's floating above the city.

> You looked at Samuel with confusion.
"Why would you want to do that?"
"To prevent you from getting hurt."
"But I'm not going to get hurt!"
He stares at you, and doesn't respond.

> You say "Are the other ghosts evil? What do they want to do to me?"
"If I had to guess, they're planning something bad. Probably something involving you and this forest."
"But I don't want anything to do with this place, or the ghosts in it!

> You say "The other ghosts of course. You, you're still my friend! I hope..."
"I'm sorry."
"What did you say?"
"I hope you don't get hurt."
You frown.
"Samuel, I'm not going to get hurt!"
"I know."

> You say "I'm not sure what they want you to do, but you don't have to!"
"I know, but I can't deny my duty. The others won't let me."
"Can't or won't. Which is it?"
Samuel stands in silence.

> You say "Come on Sammi! Remember when I save your life! Well... your afterlife! I can help you here too!"
You stare at him, hoping to see him smile. But he doesn't.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
Samuel pauses.

> You say "I can find a way to help you! Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do, but that's not the issue."
"Well what then?

> You say "If you're tied up to this place, I can find a spell to free you!"
"It's not that. The others wouldn't like it."
"Why not?

> You say "If the spell works on you, it may work on them as well! Maybe all of them want to be free?"
"I don't think they do."
"Why not?"
"We're all trapped here. I don't think they'd want to be free. This is our home now."
"Home... "

> You say "Then, what do they want from me?"
"To annoy you until the day you die."
"I can handle annoying ghosts, just tell me what they want!"
"I can't, sorry."
You sigh.

> You say "Then bring me to them, maybe I can try to find how to arrange everything with them!"
"They want to torment you until you die. When that happens, they'll go back to whatever state of existence allowed them to come here in the first place."
"Can't you do something?

> You take Samuel's hands while doing puppy eyes.
"Please...!"
Samuel shakes his head.
"I wish I could, but I just can't."
"Aw..."
You let go of his hands.

> You say "Well, if they want to torment me until I die, when I'll die, I go torment them! What would they say then?"
"They'd be worried about their own existence."
"So?

> You say "Are they afraid that their purpose are only tormenting alive people?"
"Yes."
"What if I run out of people to torment?"
"Then they'd probably be even more worried."
"Well that sucks. What can I do about it then?

> You say "I know I may sound annoying wanting to help everyone..."
"Annoying?! But why you? Look, if you really want to help, I guess you could try to stop people from coming here. I don't think you should encourage people to come here or something."

> You say "I'm not sure that would help the ghosts from this city..."
"You wouldn't be encouraging people to come here, you'd just be warning people not to."
"Hmm, still not sure if that would help or not...

> You say "Look at you, you're a ghost and you're not tormenting me!"
"I'm not here to torment you."
"Good..."
"But I am here to help you in any way that I can. This is a friendly place, despite what the hell is going on right now."

> You say "That doesn't seem so frienly when you were speaking about it earlier..."
"Well, it still is. Just ask my brother."
"Who's your brother?"
"Lucas."
That name sounds familiar. It sounds really familiar.

> You say "Is Lucas a ghost too?"
"No."
"Oh."
Samuel looks up at the sky as it finally starts to clear up.
"I had to see you."
"Hm?

> You say "Why?"
"The reason why I'm stuck on this Earth. Hell of course."
"You want to leave this place?

> You say "Is that what all the ghosts from the city want too?"
"I'd say most of them are trying to find a way out."
There it is again. That name. Lucas. Sam just mentioned it as if you had already known who he was talking about.

> You say "Hey. Your brother, Lucas... His name remind me something."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Just that I remember a boy with his name. A long time ago..."
"Go on."
You explain your old family friend Mr. Lucas.
"He is my brother."
Samuel's eyes widen. He looks in awe of you.
"Beautiful..."
"What?"
"Nothing... It's just, your voice is beautiful. It's the most beautiful voice I've ever heard."
You blush at the compliments. Samuel goes back to his serious face.
"Beautiful doesn't do it justice though. Your soul is beautiful."
"

> You say "Thanks I guess? I hope that doesn't mean you want to steal my soul or something like that, haha!"
"I wouldn't dream of it. Your soul is precious."
"I thought the whole point of this is to stop people from coming to the City. Seems like I'm encouraging people now. Not good."
"You're not encouraging people to come to the City, you're just giving those who are already here something else to keep them company.

> You say "Maybe... Come on, should we go find Lucas?"
"We? I thought you wanted to be alone, to think things through.

> You say "Not really, I still don't remember everything about myself..."
Samuel nods.
"Then come with me."
He leads you through the main hallways of the City and into a hallway that you've never been down before.

> You look at the houses, wondering which one is Luca's.
The City is massive. You see the tower of one of the houses, and decide to just try knocking on it's door.
You raise your arm, and knock loudly on the door.

> You say "Is that okay if I knock at this door... ?"
"Of course. We're all friends here."
You raise your arm and knock on the door.
"H-hello?"
Suddenly, a voice comes from inside.
"Who's there?

> You say "It's... I don't remember my name, but I'm with Samuel!"
"From the village?"
The door slowly opens, and you see a very tall man with light brown hair in a ponytail.

> You say "Oooh... You're very tall!"
The man laughs.
"Yeah, I have to admit, that was pretty funny when you first saw me."
He laughs again, before raising his eyebrow.
"Can I help you?

> You say "We are looking for someone named Lucas, do you know where he lives?"
"I'm Lucas. Who are you?"
You remember that Lucas is shorter than the other villagers. He probably would only be able to see your feet.
So you raise your arm, and point at him.

> You say "I think I know you, but I don't remember exactly..."
Lucas nods his head.
"Ah, yeah, I do remember you now. Samuel was talking about you the other day, I guess I really have been distracted by this new development."
"New development?"

> You turn to Samuel and smile to him, happy to know he told other people about you.
Samuel looks away nervously.
"Erm, it's nothing bad I swear. But there have been a lot of changes around here recently. It's really weird, but really fun."

> You ask to Lucas why he is living in a town of ghosts when he is not a ghost himself.
"I'm not a ghost, if that's what you were thinking."
"Well, I wasn't actually."
"Well then what were you thinking?"

> You say "I don't know, I thought that only ghosts lived here, so I was confused..."
Lucas bursts out laughing again.
"I see... That's a pretty funny joke considering it's true."
You don't understand, so you just look at him with a confused face.
"Look, I'll make it as easy as I can, I'm a VAMPIRE."
Your eyes widen, then burst open in shock. Tears well up in your eyes.
"No..."

> You hide behind Samuel.
"So... You're a vampire?

> You say "How did this happen?"
Lucas smiles a bit, clearly enjoying your fear.
"Life happens I guess. But don't worry, I will make sure you don't become a casualty of the undead world."

> You say "Samuel, say something!"
"Huh?" Samuel responds, before turning to you. "What did you say?"
"I said, How did this happen? Samuel, he's a vampire!"
"So?

> You say "Why didn't you tell me that?"
Samuel looks at you in annoyance.

> You say "Oh... Sorry."
"It's fine."
Samuel pauses for a moment, before speaking again.
"It's actually my fault for not telling anyone. I've just been too scared to tell anyone.

> You say "Don't worry, everything okay as long as Lucas don't bite me!"
Samuel laughs, and looks at Lucas.
"So you haven't bitten anyone then?"
"I sure haven't." Lucas replies, before turning to you.

> You say "Well... If there's only ghosts here, it's difficult to bite someone..."
Samuel simply shakes his head, before turning to speak to you again.
"The two of us have been living here for a few months now. We thought it would be fun to have a proper home, rather than just loitering around the forest.

> You say "That's great!"
Samuel sighs.

> You say "What's wrong?"
Samuel stares at you with a serious look on his face.
"We're lost."
You stay silent for a moment, before speaking.
"I-I don't believe it.

> You say "We're in a city, how can we be lost?"
Samuel turns to you.
"We're lost in a city. Don't you know where any of this is?"
You pause for a moment, before replying.

> You say "But... We're at Lucas' house. We're not lost..."
Samuel shakes his head.
"No, we're lost while walking to Lucas' house. We must be lost in the city."
You think for a moment, before replying.

> You say "Lucas was just here a minute ago!"
Samuel shrugs his shoulders.
"Who knows where that guy goes. We're not even sure if he lives here."
You sigh, and sit down on the grass.

> You say "So everything that just happened was just a illusion?"
Samuel nods his head once.

> You say "Maybe I can try something, since I'm a wizard!"
Samuel raises an eyebrow, and looks at you suspiciously.
"What do you mean?

> You say "No, I won't burn the city if it's what you're thinking... I can create a map so we won't be lost!"
Samuel sighs, shaking his head.
"I think you better stop pretending you're a wizard, because it's just not working."
You nod in agreement.

> You smile, then try to create a map... but a leaf appears in you hand.
"What the..."
"A leaf?" Samuel asks in confusion.
"Uh... It's a good start." You reply, quickly forming the leaf into some sort of map.

> You say "Here I go! So now, you trust me when I say I'm a wizard?"
"Yeah, of course."
You stare at the map in your hand, concentrating. Then, you raise your hand up, drawing an invisible straight line from your head to the centre of the city.

> You say "We're here! See?"
"Uh huh."
You spread your hands apart, showing the far distance between you and the city centre.
"Then, there's this road. See it?"
"Yeah."

> You say "We must follow it, then we will be in the city centre!"
Samuel is silent for a moment.
"We need to hurry up, then! Come on, let's go!"
You stare at the map in your hand.
You and Samuel the ghost goes in the city centre. They're a lost of ghosts looking at a big screen. They notice you, and point at you.
"That's him! The wizard!"
"No way!"
"He's the one who killed the Wolves!"

> You ask Samuel what they are talking about.
"What are the ghosts talking about?"
"Wolves." Samuel says simply. "We had a war with the Wolves a long time ago. Before I died, that was."
You look at Samuel in confusion.

> You say "Were the werewolves that killed you part of the Wolves?"
Samuel sighs, shaking his head.
"They were our allies. It... Kind of complicated."
You shrug, and proceed to follow Samuel towards the centre of the city.

> You say "I have the time, you can explain me everything."
Samuel shakes his head.
"It's too complicated to explain now. We'll have plenty of time to talk in the future, OK? OK."
You nod your head in agreement.

> You say "So, why the other ghosts are talking about me killing the Wolves?"
"I don't know either." Samuel says with a shrug.
"But it's good to know I'm not alone in not wanting to talk about it."
You nod your head in agreement.

> You you're a bit afraid by all these ghosts looking at you. Are they mad or happy?
"I think they're happy..." You say, staring at the ghosts with awe.
Samuel laughs.

> You say "They're not... ?"
"Mad? No, I don't think so."
"Well, that's something at least!"
Samuel laughs again at your remark. He then looks at the big map in front of him.

> You say "What do we do know?"
"Not much, yet. But I think it might be wise to gather more information, and then plan our strategy."
You nod your head in agreement.

> You ask the other ghosts about Lucas.
"Lucas wasn't one of the dead... Oh no."
"What happened to him?"
"He was murdered by a vampire."
You frown at the girl's remark.

> You say "I had an illusion about Lucas beeing a vampire... That was scary!"
You hear the girl whisper "Told you that illusion wasn't going to last long." Though you can't see her, you know she's probably smirking.

> You look at Samuel, wondering if he heard what the girl said too.
Samuel has a confused look on his face, as if he can't remember something.
"I don't know..." He whispers to you.

> You say "What don't you know?"
"I don't remember..."
"What don't you remember?"
"The girl... I think her name was Catia."
Your stomach drops as your voice trails off.

> You say "Catia... That name remind me something."
"What?"
"Catia was the name of a vampire I met once, long time ago."
Samuel's eyes widen at your remark. Then, he lets out a sinister smile.

> You say "Hey, don't smile at me like that!"
Samuel laughs.
"I'm not smiling at you master. I swear!" He says, in a playful way.
You let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. Glad to hear it."

> You say "Maybe we should leave this city..."
Samuel frowns.
"I doubt if we'd find anything better than this place to hunt. I'm sure I can think of some ghosts who still remain here, and we can satisfy our..."

> You say "Wait what, hunt?"
"Yes, why do you think we came?"
"Well, besides the obvious..."
"What?"
That remark earned you a dirty look. Okay, maybe not a dirty look.

> You say "We came because the ghosts wanted to see me..."
"Yes, because you're the new Messiah Vampyriactus or whatever they call you. Not to mention I'm sure the power of your mind can help us find some things.

> You say "What kind of things?"
"Can't say, yet, but I'll think of something, now stop asking so many questions!"
You let out a sigh. You didn't really want to argue about this.
"Fine, Samuel."
Samuel lets out a sigh of relief, and continues explaining the city.
While you're listening to Samuel, you end up walking around the city, taking in the sights. The city is indeed very beautiful. The streets are clean, the buildings nice and the people are obviously happier than what you usually see.
The park you end up in is indeed lovely. You don't see any ghosts, but you do see a man playing with two dogs on a small field. The man looks up at you, nodding at you.

> You say "Samuel, this man is not a ghost!"
Samuel looks at you for a split second, before turning back to the man.
"So what do you think?"
You shrug your shoulders.
"It's alright, I suppose."

> You say "Look at the dogs, they're cute!"
"Yep."
"I like dogs." You say, looking at them properly.
"You... haven't eaten one have you?" Samuel says with a morbid laugh.
"Have I?!?"

> You give Samuel a confused look.
"Samuel..." You groan.
"Fine, I'll tell you about the time I ate a dog, you little monster."

> You say "Why would you eat a poor dog?!"
Samuel tells you how when he was a kid, he and his friends were out hunting, and got lost in the woods. They ran out of food the next day, and were too scared to go home. They ended up having to spend the night in the forest, and were scared to die. In the night, they were visited by a ghost. The ghost warned them that if they killed and ate him, they'd become like him, able to traverse into and out of the forest anytime they wanted.

> You say "Eating a ghost? That's funny..."
"Why?"
"Well, ghosts aren't actually edible you know."
"They are if you cook them right!"
"Really? How do you cook a ghost?"

> You say "Since you're a ghost, maybe I can cook you too, haha!"
"You wouldn't be able to cook me the same way I cooked that deer... Anyway, the ghost told them that in order to get his powers lifted, they had to eat him. So they did. The ghost explained to them that now they could leave the forest, and that he would always be with them so they didn't make any wrong turns while leaving."
"Is it true?"
"

> You say "Your story seems fake..."
"Fine, I cooked him once, and he was just like regular deer meat."

> You say "Wait, so ghosts taste like deer meat?"
"If you cook them right..."
Samuel grins.
"But you're not a ghost, I guess it doesn't work on you, haha!"
"Fair enough."
You laughed a bit with Samuel the ghost, before going in front of a lake. You stare at your reflection, watching as the reflection laughs back.
You think about how your reflection is a twisted version of yourself. The real you is kind and good, but the reflection is malicious and cruel.

> You touch the water to see your reflection reaction.
You take your hands out of the lake and feel the water, but don't feel any change in temperature.
"So, Samuel..."
"Yes?"
"Are you planning on killing me?

> You say "You know, beeing a ghost and bringing me in a ghosts city..."
"I would never kill you!"
"Oh really?

> You say "I hope so! That will be... well, not nice!"
Samuel bursts out laughing, before touching your shoulder.
"Alright, I'm going to break your heart, alright?"
"What?"

> You say "Not litteraly, I hope"
"If I actually killed you, that would break my heart. I can't kill what I've come to care for, it just wouldn't be right."
"That's... sweet."

> You say "But what did you want to do then?"
Samuel suddenly gets closer to your face, making you step back.
"I could stay here with you. Watch over you. Help you get better. I love you enough to do that."

> You say "In this city?"
"No, in this life."
"But, wouldn't that be... wrong? I mean..."
"I know what you mean. But, it could work. We could work. If... we tried."

> You say "Well... you're a ghost..."
"I know."
"So..."
Samuel puts his hand on your shoulder.
"Come with me."

> You say "Where?"
"Anywhere. Anywhen. Just follow me."
You look at the reflection on the lake one last time. It seems to have changed in your eyes, and now it looks sinister. The real you has always been a bit afraid of your reflection, so maybe that's why you're so scared now.

> You take a step back of the water.
"Samuel, why don't you just tell me where this place is?"
Samuel frowns, but then nods.
"Fair enough. Come on then..."

> You follow Samuel.
"Don't follow me, I'm not going to be able to guide you well if you're following me."
You nod, then look around. A sign says that the road continues a few miles down. If you continue walking down this road, does it lead to the nearest city? You don't really know.
You can also head down the rotten path, which seems to be filled with bones and entrails.

> You say "Okay Samuel, where are you guiding me?"
"I'm not really guiding you anywhere, I suppose. I'm just going to be watching you get lost out here."
"But you're a ghost! Aren't you able to just..."
Samuel shakes his head.
"I don't particularly want to. I only did so to see if you would try to follow me."

> You say "I mean, you ask me to follow so, so I did!"
"That's not exactly how I worded it!"
"Yes, it was in your eye manner."
Samuel sighs, then continues.
"Look, here's some food. It'll probably keep you up for the night, as you will need your rest for the journey tomorrow."
He throws you a half- Eat it.

> You say "No thanks, I won't eat this..."
"Oh come on! I'm not going to force you to do anything, if you really don't want to."
"I don't."
Samuel shrugs.
"Alright then."

You and Samuel goes out of the city. After a while of walking, you find what seems to be a castle on a hill, overlooking a large valley.
"Hey, isn't that...?"
"Yes, it is. Do you want to go inside?"
"I... guess? I've never even been to a castle before."
Samuel smiles at you.
"Alright then, come on!

> You go in the castle.
You and Samuel enter the castle. It seems pretty fancy for a medieval castle, although you suppose it makes sense, as the owner of this castle seems to be more into magic than actual warfare.

> You say "Do you know who lives here?"
"No idea. Here, let me show you the best room."

> You follow Samuel.
Samuel takes you to a room at the top of a spiral staircase. It seems very luxurious, with a large bed, paintings on the walls and a small desk with chair.

> You say "That's a big bed in here!"
"It is?"
"... Well, I guess it's OK."
You sit on the desk, and fall off.
"Ow!"
"I'm sure you could try sitting on the chair..."

> You say "Yeah, that's would be better..."
Samuel laughs.
"Alright, let me try."
Samuel sits on the desk, and-- while it seems like he should fall off, he doesn't.

> You say "Oh come on! I'm so clumsy..."
Both of you laugh.
"Well, that's the first bit of honesty I can say about you."
Samuel gets off the desk, and stretches.

> You say "What are we doing in this bedroom?"
"This is the king's bedroom."
"Is he coming back?"
"Err, no. But he's not sleeping here obviously, so we need to."
Samuel laughs.

> You say "Us two in this big bed?"
"Yeah."
You blush. Samuel smirks.
"Well, come on then, let's get you out of those clothes."

> You say "Nooo, don't think about it!"
Samuel nods, before grabbing your hand.
"Come on."
He takes you to a bathroom, with a large bathtub.
"We're doing this...?"
"It'll be fun!"

> You say "Taking a warm bath with a lot of bubbles?"
"Or a cold shower?"
You grumble, and step inside the bathtub. It's a pretty big one, and you find yourself submerged in water with a fair few bubbles.

> You say "Warm bath is better!"
Samuel nods, and gets in the bathtub. The two of you sit there and relax in the water for quite some time.
"Samuel?"
"Yeah?

> You say "Can you get dirty as a ghost?"
Samuel laughs.
"Yeah, sure. But I try not to, as I find it's easier to stay that way."
"How can you get dirty as a ghost? I thought ghosts don't move and are invisible."
"Well, if they don't move, then they can get covered in dust and dirt and not notice. They can also interact with things and get covered in fingerprints and go dirties. I try to stay mostly clean as I find it easier to stay that way."
"Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense."
Samuel smiles at you.
"What's so funny?"
"You're just so naive. How can you think I don't get dirty?

> You say "I don't know, for some reason that was making sense to me..."
Samuel laughs once again.
"Well, don't think about it too much more."
The two of you lay in the water for a while, just enjoying the silence.

> You go out of the bathtub after a while, all clean!
You step out of the bathtub, and find a nice, dry towel awaiting you. After rubbing yourself off, you step out.
"You ready?"
Samuel smiles at you.

> You say "Ready for what?"
"Anything!"
Samuel pulls you into a big hug.

> You say "Oh, that hug was unexpected..."
You blush as Samuel giggles.
"Well, you are so ready! Let's go."
Samuel takes your hand once again, and begins to drag you around the castle.

> You say "Where are we going?"
"Anywhere! Just follow me."
The two of you walk along corridors and up and down stairs. Eventually, Samuel stops in a room across the way from you. There's a big, fancy looking door.

> You say "Which room is it?"
"The king's."
Samuel opens the door. The room is pretty large and fancy, with lots of bright colours.

> You say "That pretty in here!"
Samuel grins.
"You're welcome! Now, come on, we still have a lot to do!"

> You say "What kind of things?"
"I'm going to scare everyone!"
Samuel laughs evilly as he begins to walk out the castle.
"Let's go!"
You follow him once again.
The two of you go from room to room, opening doors, laughing and giggling. It's definitely been a while since you've last done this...

> You say "What should we do now?"
"Anything! I said scare people, not break windows and stab old ladies in the face!"
You shrug and continue to follow Samuel, as he drags you from room to room.
Eventually, he stops in front of a large door.
"This is it!"
He knocks on the door loudly.
A voice comes from inside.
"Who's there?"
"Your death!"

> You say "Oh no Samuel, don't say that..."
Samuel giggles as the door is quickly opened.
You find yourself staring up at an old man with a long white beard, holding a sharp machete.

> You say "That looks a big dangerous..."
"Silence!"
The old man barks as he looks at you both. He sniffs the air, before his eyes widen.
"You! Gloriano, where are you?"
"Here."
Gloriano steps out of the shadows.
"You see these two?"
You turn to see two more men, one on either side of Samuel. They both have long, thin noses and sallow complexions, with black hair slicked back.

> You ask Samuel who they are.
"That's Antonio and Paolo, the head of the loan sharks in town."
Antonio and Paolo snicker as you turn back to look at Giorgio. His eyes are filled with malice.

> You hide behind Samuel.
"Now, you're rats. You want to pay back the loan I gave you?"

> You say "Which loan?"
"The ten thousand bucks I lent you last year."
Giorgio frowns.
"Oh, that loan. Well, it's due back today."

> You say to Samuel that they don't seem to speak to you and suggest leaving.
Samuel shrugs.
"They won't kill us if we pay back the money, will they?"
Giorgio raises his machete.

> You cast a spell on the machete, making it disappear.
Samuel turns to you.
"What are you doing?"
He doesn't seem to notice that you're casting a spell on the machete.
You fling your arms wide as you cast the spell. The floor beneath Giorgio's feet begins to crumble as he falls, screaming, towards you. Samuel rushes forward and grabs his machete.

> You say "Wait, that wasn't what I wanted to do..."
Samuel quickly walks forward, swinging the machete.
Giorgio collapses on the floor as Samuel slices his throat. Blood drips down into his chest as he quickly bleeds to death.

> You cast a time spell on Antonio and Paolo to stop them.
You blast Antonio and Paolo with a bolt of time energy. They didn't see it coming. They quickly begin to slow down, eventually coming to a complete standstill.

> You say "Samuel, let's leave this place!"
Samuel nods, running forward to stop Antonio and Paolo from continuing to move.
"Come on," he says. "Let's go!"
You and Samuel leave the castle, running as fast as you can. Time passes, and within a few hours, you reach the city gates.
"I think we lost them," says Samuel. "We can leave."

> You say "I told you not to say that kind of thing!"
"What, you scared I'd actually kill them?" Samuel says.
"You shouldn't have said anything in the first place!"
You walk outside, looking around.

> You say "And you actually killed the big one..."
"What big one?" asks Samuel.
You don't answer, instead looking across the road to a small, neglected garden.

> You go in the garden.
You walk into the garden, stepping over the broken bits of statue and wall that had been thrown against the hedge maze.
"I thought we left this place," says Samuel.

> You don't answer to Samuel, and touch the statue.
As your fingers brush the statue's cold surface, you feel something magical within it.
A small motor begins to hum, and the statue slowly comes to life.
"Cool!" you say.
The statue slowly comes out of its slumber, its eyes open in a surprised expression. You jump back in shock as it begins to walk towards you.
"That was terrifying,"

> You say "Hi there?"
The statue sticks out a hand, crudely shaped into a claw.
"Don't be scared," it says.
You stare in horror as the statue slowly walks closer to you.
"Hello,"

> You take a step back.
As you step back, the statue takes a step forward.
"This is a rather neglected garden," it says.
You take another step back as it takes a second step.

> You say "It is... What are you, exactly?"
"Do you like my colours?" it asks, staring at you with its one working eye.
You take a step back as it takes a third step.
"I was once part of a much larger garden,"

> You say "What happened to that garden?"
"It fell into decay. People don't care about such things anymore. I had to be moved here to fend off the people who would ruin me."

> You say "That's mean..."
"I understand. It was once beautiful. I shall be missed."
The statue looks at you sadly, with a heavy sigh.
"Thank you for your feelings. It's been a pleasure,"

> You say "You're welcome, I guess?"
"I have to say, you're rather interesting,"
"I like gardens,"
"You're very kind,"
It takes a while for it to move again, but eventually it does.

> You say "Samuel, I think the statue is nice!"
"So do you like the garden?"
"Yeah! It's really cool!"
Samuel smiles, before shaking his head.
"I don't understand it. It's just so... strange."

> You say "Why?"
"Because the way it makes you feel. I don't understand it."
"I guess. Is the garden complete? Are there any secret places?"
"There used to be a secret path..."

> You ask the statue is the secret path still exists.
"It was destroyed a long time ago. To preserve the garden's safety, people used to keep the path hidden with traps and such."
"Oh...

> You say "What could we do then?"
"Come with me,"
It leads you into another part of the garden, just past a large statue with a hooded figure holding a book underneath it.
"How can I help you, my good man?"

> You say "We following the statue, who are you?"
"I'm the caretaker. And you are?"
"Do you know why it's here?"
"The king has kept it here since I first started working here. Do you want to meet him?

> You say "Not really... But if you're the caretaker, the garden is not very take care of."
"I understand. Do you have any questions about the garden?"
"What is your name?"
"It's in the book, look."
The caretaker takes out a tiny notebook and flips through it.

> You look in the notebook.
The notebook contains only two pages, both with the same sentence printed on them.
"The garden is not complete without a scarecrow."

> You say "So... Do we need to bring a scarecrow here?"
"There are no scarecrows. You're not following the statue's instructions, are you?"
"I don't think scarecrows are allowed here...

> You say "The statue didn't gave me any instructions..."
"Ah. Well, you must have skipped a section in the book."
You quickly look through the book, but only find a page with a list of instructions.

> You read the instructions.
"Step into the garden,"
"Don't talk to strangers,"
"Only look at the flowers,"
"Don't touch anything else,"
"Good luck."
The caretaker sighs.

> You say "Well, second instruction have been broken, since I spoke to you."
"Well, you're the only stranger I've seen around here," the caretaker says.
"Yeah, but that was because you told me not to talk to strangers, so I ignored your instructions,"

> You say "Don't forget Samuel, I'm not alone!"
"I won't, but he's not a stranger," the caretaker says, pointing at the statue.

> You say "Samuel is not the statue, he's my friend ghost."
"Ah, I see," the caretaker says. "So you must talk to him."
"Yeah, I guess so," you say.
"Well then, follow me."

> You look at Samuel, wondering if you must follow the caretaker or not.
Samuel is looking at you.
"You sure you're OK with this?" you whisper to Samuel, who shrugs in response.
You look at the statue's closed eyes, and your heart beats faster.

> You say "I don't like this Samuel, stay with me please."
"Never run away from a fight, right?"
"Right," you say.
"Then let's go," Samuel says, raising his hand.
You look at the statue again, and take a deep breath.
You and Samuel follow the caretaker.
You walk slowly through the garden, as you search for where you should step next.
Suddenly, a flower starts talking to you.
"Why are you walking so slow?" it asks instantly.

> You say "We walking slow so the statue can keep up with us."
"I'm not walking slow!" the flower says.

> You say "Not you, the statue!"
"Oh, you're that scarecrow. Well, I can't help it if you're walking slow."
"Scarecrow?

> You say "I'm not a scarecrow, I'm a wizard!"
"Oh, OK. Well, nice to meet you, Wizard. Or should I call you Scarecrow? Because that's what you are."

> You say "Come on Samuel, say something!"
"Nice to meet you, too," Samuel responds. "I don't remember my name being on the list of strangers to talk to.

> You say "Seems like the flower doesn't know how to read a list!"
"I just don't like being told what to do!" the flower says.

> You say "Yeah yeah, fine."
After some more time, you and Samuel have moved past most of the garden.
"We're here," the caretaker says. "Samuel, get behind the scarecrow."
What?

> You say "I hope you're not talking about me or I'll be mad!"
"I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about the scarecrow!"
Once again, you and Samuel hide behind the scarecrow.
The caretaker takes out a tape deck and puts on a tape.
"This will start in a few seconds. Just wait until it starts playing. When it does, start moving and stumble around. If you're lucky, you should get some of the berries."
"Let's go, let's go," Samuel says nervously.
The tape starts playing, and you and Samuel begin to stumble around.
Almost immediately, you begin to feel sick. Not because of the berries, but because of what you're hearing.
After about a minute of stumbling, you feel something wet hit your ear.

> You turn to see what it is.
You turn, and see a small stream of blood coming out of your ear.
"I don't feel so good," you say.
"Follow me," the caretaker says in a deep voice. "I'll go find a first aid kit."
You follow the caretaker through the garden until you come to a house.
"You stay here," the caretaker says. "I'll be right back."

> You little did the caretaker know, you're a wizard. So you cast a cure spell on yourself.
You begin to concentrate on the inside of your ear. Soon, you can feel it healing and reconnecting.
After a few minutes, the caretaker returns with a roll of bandages.
"Here," he says. "It'll heal faster if you just wrap it up. I'd go to the hospital, but there's an epidemic going on there. People are going missing from the emergency rooms too."

> You say "That coronavirus, it's even here it seems."
"That's strange," the caretaker says.

> You say "I don't even want to understand what's going on here..."
The caretaker walks off, and you begin to walk back to the garden.
You have a difficult time concentrating on your ears. Everything feels fuzzy, like you're looking at everything through a snow globe.

> You touch Samuel's arm.
Your hand hits his arm.
"Samuel?" you say.
You begin to stumble again. Your ears are still ringing.
He turns, and stares at you.
"What... what happened?"

> You say "I don't feel so good..."
"Come on," Samuel says, grabbing your arm and pulling you up.
You quickly begin to feel better as you walk around the garden.
"We have to get out of here..." Samuel says.

> You say "How?"

"The tunnels," Samuel says. "Let's go."
You and Samuel quickly rush into the first tunnel you find. Once in there, you begin to walk normally.

> You say "I feel better!"
"Good," Samuel says. "Let's keep going."
You and Samuel keep walking through the tunnels until you come to a split.
"This is the way out,"

> You say "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Samuel says. "This is the way out."
You don't want to risk going down the wrong tunnel, so you go down the middle one.
As you walk, you suddenly begin to feel sick again. You press on though, and in a few minutes the sickness passes.
You keep going, hoping that it's not the last time you feel sick.

> You say "Samuel, the next time someone ask us to follow them, we don't, okay?"
"Hm..." Samuel says. "That's a good idea. Okay."
As you keep walking, you come to a fork in the tunnels. One tunnel goes up, and the other goes down.

> You say "Where do you think we should go?"
"I don't know," you say.
"Let's go down the tunnel," you say. "It might be better if we're underground."
"Yeah, I guess it is," Samuel says.