Chapter 15: The Poltergeist Ambush
The haunted castle loomed before them, its towering walls shrouded in mist and shadow. Jace and Juniper stood at the entrance, staring up at the eerie structure. The windows were dark, reflecting no light from the overcast sky above. This was where their latest mission had led them: a forgotten castle infested with malevolent spirits, one of which held the key to another aura orb.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" Juniper asked, glancing at Jace.
Jace floated slightly off the ground, his ghostly form flickering in and out of the dim light. His expression was tense, his eyes scanning the surroundings with caution.
"We go in, find the poltergeists, and get out without getting impaled by flying furniture."
Juniper raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, is that all? Piece of cake."
He smirked, though the tension remained in his eyes.
"Trust me, it’s not going to be that simple. Poltergeists are nasty. They can move things, make them fly at you like missiles. They’re sneaky too, love to hide in plain sight and strike when you’re not looking."
Juniper let out a breath, steeling herself.
"Great. So... basically, keep my head down and don’t get crushed?"
"Pretty much." Jace nodded. "And stay close to me. If things get too crazy, I’ll phase you out of the way."
She rolled her eyes but smiled. "A ghost for a bodyguard. How lucky am I?"
Jace’s expression softened for a moment as he looked at her. "You’ve got no idea."
With a shared look, they stepped into the castle. The creaking of the heavy wooden doors sent a shiver down Juniper’s spine as they entered the main hall. The inside was just as foreboding as the outside: dust-covered chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, cobwebs clung to the corners, and broken furniture was strewn about the room, as though the castle had been abandoned for centuries.
Juniper felt the chill in the air grow heavier, and instinctively, she moved closer to Jace. "I can already tell this is going to be bad."
Jace’s eyes narrowed, scanning the room. "Stay alert. They’re here. I can feel them."
As they ventured deeper into the castle, the atmosphere shifted. The air seemed to thrum with energy, an invisible force building around them. Then, without warning, a chair lifted off the ground, spinning wildly in the air before hurtling toward them.
"Incoming!" Jace shouted, using his telekinesis to stop the chair mid-air and fling it to the side.
Juniper ducked, her heart racing. "That’s what you meant by flying furniture, huh?"
"Yeah, and it’s only going to get worse," Jace replied, his voice tense. He raised a hand, sensing another object moving. "Get ready."
Suddenly, the entire room came to life. Tables, chairs, and even sharp silverware lifted from their places, spinning and crashing toward them from all directions. Jace focused his telekinesis, creating a protective barrier around them as the objects bounced off the invisible shield.
"Is it just me, or is this place throwing a temper tantrum?" Juniper muttered, staying close to Jace.
"You’re not wrong," Jace grunted, deflecting a particularly sharp knife that zoomed past Juniper’s head. "Poltergeists feed off chaos. The more chaotic things get, the stronger they become."
"Well, we need to find the leader of this little gang and put a stop to it," Juniper said, glancing around for any sign of the main poltergeist.
As they made their way through the room, dodging flying objects and deflecting sharp projectiles, the sound of cackling laughter echoed through the halls. The temperature dropped even further, and Juniper could see her breath in the cold air.
"They’re close," Jace whispered, his eyes narrowing. "Stay sharp."
A sudden movement caught Juniper’s eye, and she pointed toward a staircase at the far end of the room. "Up there!"
Jace turned just in time to see a large armoire lift off the ground, its doors creaking open as it hovered ominously in the air. Without warning, it shot toward them with alarming speed.
"Look out!" Jace yelled, grabbing Juniper and phasing them both through the floor just as the armoire smashed into the wall where they had been standing.
Juniper stumbled as they reappeared in the room below, her heart pounding. "That was too close."
Jace floated beside her, his expression serious. "It’s not over. The poltergeists won’t stop until they’ve completely destroyed everything in this place—including us."
Juniper straightened, determination filling her. "Then let’s stop them before they get the chance."
They made their way back up the stairs, carefully avoiding the remaining flying debris. As they reached the top, the cackling laughter grew louder, more sinister. At the end of the corridor stood a group of shadowy figures, their translucent forms flickering in and out of visibility. These were the poltergeists—mischievous and malevolent spirits bent on causing chaos.
One of the poltergeists, larger than the rest, floated forward, its face twisted into a mocking grin. "You think you can stop us, little ghost boy?" it sneered, its voice echoing through the hall. "We’ve been haunting this castle for centuries. You’re nothing compared to us."
Jace narrowed his eyes, floating protectively in front of Juniper. "We’re not here to fight. We just need the aura orb. Let us finish our mission, and we’ll leave you in peace."
The poltergeist leader cackled, spinning in the air. "Peace? There’s no peace in death! There’s only chaos!"
At that moment, a heavy chandelier above Juniper’s head began to shake violently. Jace’s eyes widened as he saw the danger. "Juniper, move!"
But it was too late. The chandelier came crashing down, and in a split second, Jace made a desperate move. He phased through Juniper’s body just as the heavy object descended, intercepting the impact with his own ghostly form. The chandelier passed through him, crashing to the ground with a deafening sound.
Juniper stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock. "Jace!"
Jace floated back, slightly disoriented but unharmed. He gave her a lopsided grin. "Guess I’m good for something after all."
Juniper’s heart pounded as she stared at him, a mixture of relief and fear flooding her. "You... you saved me."
"Of course I did," Jace said, floating closer to her. "I’m not about to let some chandelier take you out."
Before she could respond, the poltergeists roared in anger. "Enough of this!" the leader shouted, sending a wave of energy through the room. More objects lifted off the ground, hurtling toward them with deadly speed.
Jace focused his powers, creating a barrier to protect them from the onslaught. "Juniper, we need to finish this now."
"How?" she shouted over the chaos.
"The leader!" Jace pointed toward the main poltergeist. "Take it out, and the rest will follow!"
Juniper nodded, her eyes narrowing in determination. She spotted a large mirror on the wall, one of the few objects that hadn’t been thrown at them yet. "I’ve got an idea. Can you give me a clear shot at that mirror?"
Jace glanced at the mirror, then at her, realization dawning on his face. "You’re thinking of reflecting their own energy back at them?"
"Exactly."
Jace grinned. "I like the way you think."
He focused his telekinesis, pushing back the wave of flying objects to give Juniper a clear path. She dashed forward, grabbing the mirror off the wall and positioning it just as the poltergeist leader sent another surge of energy toward them.
The energy hit the mirror and bounced back, striking the poltergeists with their own chaotic power. The leader screamed in rage as its form began to disintegrate, the other poltergeists following suit. One by one, they vanished, their presence erased from the castle.
As the last of the poltergeists disappeared, the air in the castle grew still, the oppressive atmosphere lifting. Juniper lowered the mirror, breathing heavily. "That... was intense."
Jace floated over to her, his expression relieved. "You did it. We took them down."
Juniper smiled, but her legs were shaky from the adrenaline. "We make a pretty good team, don’t we?"
Jace chuckled, floating down until he was hovering just in front of her. "Yeah, we do."
Suddenly, a soft glow filled the room, and another aura orb materialized in the center of the space. Jace reached out, taking the orb in his hand.
"One more down," he said softly, his voice filled with determination. "We’re getting closer."
Juniper looked at him, her heart swelling with both pride and affection. "You’re getting closer to coming back."
Jace smiled, his ghostly hand reaching out to brush against her cheek, even though he couldn’t truly touch her.
"And when I do, I’m keeping all my promises."
As they stood there, the once-haunted castle now quiet and peaceful, they knew the journey was far from over.