Kaori had never believed in ghosts. As a pragmatic twelve-year-old who helped her father keep the books for his small tofu shop, she dealt in numbers, logic, and the smell of simmering soybeans. So when her friends dared her to spend an hour inside the crumbling Western-style mansion at the end of Willow Lane, she accepted without a flinch.

Kaori tried to run, but her feet felt heavy, as if rooted to the spot. The figure began to move towards her, its presence suffocating. In a desperate bid to escape, Kaori grabbed her recorder and shouted, "I don't want to be here! Let me out!"

Kaori tuned the dial. A static hiss filled the room, and then, cutting through the decades of silence, a voice emerged. It wasn't a ghostly wail. It was jazz. A scratchy, distant recording of a saxophone solo, playing on a loop.

Rules of Survival: Players are often warned not to trust certain spirits and to "avoid the eyes of the dead" to prevent being grabbed or harmed by the house's entities. Characters and Dynamics

Kaori knew then that she had only scratched the surface of the mystery surrounding Ravenswood Manor. And she had a feeling that she would be back, drawn by the dark allure of the paranormal.

That night, armed with only a flashlight and her late father’s old scarf, Kaori climbs the rusted gate and steps onto the overgrown path. The front door, according to legend, opens by itself for those who are truly lost. For Kaori, it creaks open before she even touches the handle.

5. Safety & Ethical Notes

• Prioritize occupant safety: if CO detectors register elevated levels, evacuate and contact emergency services.
• Obtain informed consent for recordings and interviews; respect privacy.
• Avoid confrontational proceedings with occupants; present findings neutrally.