"Uh..." Gray took a slow step toward the kid.
The quietness in this part of the yard didn’t feel the same as the warmth and cheerfulness he had seen earlier. It wasn’t peaceful, but instead, felt empty.
Aside from that, compared to the well-maintained and clean exterior and interior, this part of the building looked like it had been forgotten. The side of the building had dark stains along the wall, and even the air felt heavier here.
Gray looked around again. It was really just him and the boy sitting under that old tree.
Gray cleared his throat softly. "Hey," he said again.
But the boy didn’t glance at him. He didn’t move, or even raise his head. He just stayed there on his own spot, curled up. He was hugging his knees, staring down at the same small patch of dirt.
"Hey... kid?" Gray tried again.
But there was still nothing.
A small chill went down Gray’s spine.
He blinked and straightened up a little. "Come on... don’t do this to me," he muttered under his breath, now hesitating.
He checked the area again. The place looked old enough that if someone said it was haunted, Gray wouldn’t be surprised at all. His imagination started messing with him. The kid’s stillness didn’t help either.
"Hello?" He raised his voice a bit, but nothing.
The boy didn’t look deaf either. He just looked... gone. Like he wasn’t really there. Like—
Gray swallowed.
"Am I... seeing ghosts now?" he whispered to himself.
It sounded stupid, but this? This was exactly how ghost encounters started in those cheap horror shows. There would always be a lone kid, sitting in a quiet corner.
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Okay," he muttered. "Nope. I’m not dealing with that. Not today." He took a step back. Then another.
He was about to turn around when suddenly...
[Ding!]
A familiar sound chimed in his head.
[Urgent Mission!]
"Oh, come on." Gray froze.
A new line flickered across his vision.
[Mission: Talk to the boy and get to know him.]
[Progress: 0%]
[Reward: $20,000 bonus.]
He stared at the screen.
"Are you serious?" Gray whispered in the air, almost offended.
For a moment, Gray just stood there in silence. Then slowly, his hands travelled to the back of his neck, scratching it.
"Twenty thousand, huh," he muttered. "Really throwing money at my fear today."
He peeked at the boy again. Still sitting. Still silent. Still unmoving.
But if there was a mission tied to him, then that meant he was real. Or at least not dead. Gray took a deep breath.
"Okay. Fine," he muttered. "If it’s twenty thousand, I guess that’s enough proof you’re not a ghost."
He walked back toward the kid carefully and slowly. It was not because the boy looked dangerous, but because Gray felt like he was approaching a stray cat that might either bolt or bite him.
He stopped a few steps away.
"Hey, hello, kid," he said softly. "I’m... Gray."
But that introduction didn’t even gain a reaction from the kid.
Gray crouched down to get closer to his height. His knees cracked slightly from the sudden movement, but he ignored that.
"Kid," he tried. "I’m talking to you. Can you hear me?"
Finally, the boy’s fingers twitched a little.
"Okay. So you’re not ignoring me on purpose," he muttered quietly. "That’s good."
’It means you’re not a ghost.’ He thought, relieved at it.
He tried again, more patient this time.
"It’s alright. I won’t do anything weird. I just wanted to talk."
A few seconds passed of him just smiling at the boy, before the boy slowly lifted his head.
One thing that Gray noticed immediately was that the boy’s eyes looked tired. He stared at Gray like he couldn’t decide whether to trust him or hide from him.
Gray waited patiently, still showing an optimistic smile to show that he wasn’t here to harm the little child.
"...Hi?" the boy whispered.
Gray let out a silent breath.
"There we go," he said, voice softening. "Can I sit here?"
The boy hesitated, looking at the empty space beside him. After a moment, he gave a small nod.
Gray sat down on the dusty concrete. His hand brushed against a dry leaf, and he flicked it away with a small sigh.
"Kis, what’s your name?" Gray asked.
The boy hugged his knees tighter. "I-I’m Eli."
"Eli," Gray repeated. "You have such a nice name."
The boy didn’t reply. He just rested his chin on his knees and stared at the ground again. The silence stretched, but this time it wasn’t as eerie. It just felt really awkward.
"So... why are you here alone?" Gray leaned forward slightly and asked the kid.
Eli swallowed.
"They told me to stay here," he murmured.
Gray frowned. "Who?"
"The staff," the boy said quietly. "They said visitors were coming. They said I... shouldn’t be outside."
Gray felt his chest tighten a little.
"Why?" he asked softly.
Eli shrugged a little. It was small. Tired. Like he didn’t even have enough energy to shrug properly.
"They said I’m not cheerful enough."
Gray stared.
"...What?"
"They said visitors like it better when the kids smile and say hello and look happy," Eli whispered. "And I don’t look like that. So they told me to stay here until they’re done showing people around."
Gray slowly inhaled. That answer of his sent a slight feeling of pity in his heart. He didn’t know how to react to that. For a moment, he stayed silent. His eyes glanced around the yard, then he looked back at Eli, who was rubbing his fingers together nervously.
"How long were you supposed to stay here?" he asked.
"They said I should stay here until they come get me," Eli said matter-of-factly, like it was a normal thing in the world. "They said it would get a few hours."
Gray shut his eyes briefly.
"Do you... like this place?" he asked.
Eli didn’t answer right away. When he did, his voice was so low that Gray almost missed it.
"Not really..."