[ Third person POV ]
Dante had spent the entire night buried in the book, flipping through page after page until the first light of dawn crept through the window. To his surprise, he'd actually learned a few new things about demons—details even he hadn't known before.
With a quiet hum of satisfaction, he shut the book and glanced out the window. Morning had arrived.
He slipped the book back into his duffel bag and zipped it shut. Rising from the chair, he stretched his arms overhead, then rolled his neck with a satisfying crack. One by one, he popped his knuckles and twisted his back until it let out a relieving snap.
"Much better," he muttered to himself, loosening up as he mentally prepared for the day ahead.
He slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and headed out of the room, making his way to the parking lot where his camouflaged motorcycle waited. As soon as he reached it, he deactivated the camouflage, revealing the sleek, customized machine beneath.
Climbing on, he started the engine. This time, he kept the speed normal—just another rider on the road—as he rode off toward the asylum where the Grave Encounters crew would be waiting.
Driving at a slower, more casual pace, it took Dante a bit longer to reach the asylum. By the time he arrived, the sky had turned a clear, brilliant blue, with the sun fully risen and casting sharp shadows across the landscape.
As he approached the property, he felt it—an overwhelming flood of supernatural presences. Anyone with even a hint of psychic sensitivity would have been crushed by the weight of it. Even for him, it was surprising... and thrilling. A wicked smirk tugged at his lips. This place is alive, he thought. Perfect.
He pulled into one of the parking spots and dismounted his motorcycle, scanning the area with sharp eyes. The thick air of spiritual energy made it clear: this wasn't going to be a simple job. He wasn't about to take any chances—especially not with his bike.
Dante activated every protective measure he'd embedded into it, layering spell after seal until the motorcycle practically hummed with magical energy. No ghost, demon, or idiot with a wrench was going to lay a single finger on his precious baby.
Dante scanned the area with practiced eyes, taking in every detail. It didn't take long to spot the crew. Four of them were spread out across the field—two tossing a football back and forth, relaxed and easy, like this was just another casual evening. Nearby, under a slightly tilted tree, the other two were deep in conversation. One was scribbling notes on a metal clipboard, a black notepad clipped to its surface, while the other steadied a camcorder, quietly capturing every moment.
Yup, definitely them, Dante thought, his grip tightening around the handle of his duffel bag. Without hesitation, he began walking toward the group, his expression calm but focused.
He let out a sharp whistle, loud enough to catch their attention.
"Hey! You're Lance Preston, right?" he called out, his tone casual but firm—just looking to confirm.
"Yeah? Wait—you're Dante, right?" Lance asked, his voice steady, confirming what he already suspected.
"Yeah, that's me," Dante said, his tone relaxed but professional. "I was brought in to make sure you and your team stay safe—whether someone gets hurt, runs into something unexpected, or ends up stuck somewhere they shouldn't be. Basically, I'm here to watch your backs while you do your filming."
"I even brought some equipment in case any problems come up," Dante added, nodding toward the large black duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
"Oh, so you're the guy Jerry mentioned? I was kinda expecting you to show up a bit earlier," Lance said, sounding mildly surprised but amused.
"Yeah, we never really got a clear time for when I was supposed to meet you all at the asylum," Dante said with a relaxed tone. "My friend went ahead and booked me a hotel nearby just in case—it's not too far from here. Anyway, it's good to finally meet you and your team." He extended his hand and gave Lance a firm handshake.
"The pleasure's all mine—thanks for coming out," Lance said with a professional smile as he shook Dante's hand and released it. "Jerry filled me in a bit about you and why you're here. Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of the team."
"This is Sasha—our occult specialist," Lance said, nodding toward her. "She handles all the supernatural research. If there's anything creepy hiding in the history of this place, she's the one who'll find it."
"Hey, Sasha. Name's Dante," he said, offering a friendly smile as he extended his hand for a handshake.
"Hey, Dante. Nice to meet you," Sasha said with an easy smile, shaking his hand firmly.
"And this here is T.C.—our main camera operator," Lance said, gesturing toward him. "He's the guy behind the lens, making sure we don't miss a thing."
T.C. stepped forward with an easy grin and shook Dante's hand. "Good to have you on board, man," he said.
"Nice to meet you too, T.C. Good to be here," Dante said with an easygoing tone, giving a nod toward the looming asylum. "Hopefully nothing too crazy goes down in there."
His voice was light, but behind his eyes was a quiet intensity. He already knew the truth—once they stepped inside, the spirits wouldn't let them go so easily. And if they thought they could trap him too... well, they'd regret it.
"And this here is our surveillance operator, Matt," Lance said, nodding toward the team's tech expert. "He's the guy who runs all our monitoring and tech setups."
Matt gave a casual nod, one hand tucked in his pocket, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Hey, man. Good to have you with us," he said.
"Sup, man. Nice to meet you too," Dante said with a nod.
"So, is there anyone else joining us? Or is this the full crew?" he asked, curious if there's anyone else coming.
"Actually, yeah—there is one more," Lance said. "He just stepped out, but he'll be back later tonight. Name's Houston. He's our psychic-medium—he's supposed to help us 'communicate' with the spirits in the asylum."
Lance didn't bother mentioning that Houston was really just an actor playing the role. It made for good TV, and that's what mattered.
"Oh, okay, got it. So, you guys planning to stick around here until nightfall?" Dante asked, casually glancing toward the asylum.
"Yeah, we're sticking around until nightfall," Lance replied with a grin. "Once it gets dark, we'll head inside and start filming—should be some solid scares. The plan's to stay in there all night. We've packed enough gear to keep everything rolling until morning."
"All right, sounds good. Have you got everything set up inside the building?" Dante asked, glancing toward the asylum with a calm, curious tone.
"Oh yeah, we've already set everything up in the lobby," Lance said, trying to sound confident. "Once night falls, we'll scatter some small cameras throughout the building—hopefully catch some good footage if anything shows up."
There was a hint of skepticism in his voice, like he wasn't entirely sold on the idea of real spirits in the asylum. But beneath that, you could sense a flicker of hope—maybe this time would be different.
"Alright, sounds good," Dante said, nodding. "I'll hang out by my bike until nightfall. Once it's time, I'll head in and join you guys in the building."
"That's fine. See you then," Lance said with a nod. His eyes drifted to Dante's large duffel bag, and he raised an eyebrow. "One more thing—what's in the bag? Thing's massive."
His tone was laid-back, but the curiosity behind it was obvious—classic Lance, always scanning for anything that might make things more interesting on camera.
"Like I said, just some equipment that might come in handy if trouble pops up—you know, the usual stuff. Just in case you don't accidentally get trapped in a room," Dante replied casually, carefully hiding the fact that his bag wasn't just filled with tools, but also a collection of weapons capable of protecting these amateurs.
"I was just asking, anyway. See you then," Lance said casually.
"Later then," Dante replied with a wave, walking back to his bike while holding his bag tightly. He planned to kill some time by playing on his phone and waiting for night to fall.
[ A few hours later ]
A few hours later, the sun had dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the field as the air grew cooler.
Dante looked up from his phone, noticing the sky had started to darken. He muttered under his breath, "Finally.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket just as he heard a car pull up nearby. Turning his head, he spotted a vehicle coming to a stop—had to be Houston, he figured.
"I'll say hi once he's inside," Dante thought, grabbing his duffel bag and slinging it over his shoulder before heading toward the asylum's entrance.
As he stepped inside, Dante saw everyone preoccupied with their own tasks—setting up equipment, checking readings, prepping for the night ahead.
He kept walking, eyes quietly scanning the surroundings. They might not notice it, but he could—there were spirits everywhere. And he knew this wasn't even all of them.
Suppressing a smirk, he thought to himself, This place is crawling with them… I'm so going to enjoy this.
Dante glanced around at everyone, each person busy with their own tasks. His eyes settled on Matt, who was checking over one of the cameras.
He walked over casually, slinging his bag a little higher on his shoulder.
"Hey Matt, need a hand with anything?" Dante asked, hoping to kill some time with something productive.
"Yeah, actually," Matt said, glancing up. "Could you set these cameras up around the building? It'll give us better coverage while I finish linking them to my laptop."
He quickly gathered the small cameras into a bundle and handed them to Dante, who took them without hesitation.
"Sure, no problem. I'll let you know when I'm done," Dante said, turning to head off—but before he could take a step, Matt called out to him
"Oh almost forgot to give you this," Matt said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a walkie-talkie. He handed it to Dante. "Now you can let me know once you're done setting up the cameras."
"Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll call you when I'm done," Dante said, slipping the walkie-talkie into the inside pocket of his coat. With that, he set off to place the cameras around the building.
He headed down the east hallway first, the old floor creaking softly under his boots. His steps were steady and quiet as he slipped into one of the old patient rooms, then made his way to a grimy bathroom where cracked sinks and rusted tubs lined the floor like forgotten relics. After that, he moved on to the window room long, dusty spaces where the outside world looked distant and strangely unreal. Finally, he descended into the sub-levels—the tunnels.
Each stop was methodical. Dante placed a camera carefully in every location, making sure each one had the best angle to capture anything... strange. He took his time, adjusting for lighting, shadows, blind spots. He knew what he was doing.
And he wasn't alone.
In every room, in every dark corner, eyes were on him—spirits, dozens of them. Some stood in the open, others lingered in shadows. They didn't move. They just stared.
He didn't flinch. Didn't react. That was the trick. If he did—if he acknowledged them too early—it could provoke them. Make them aggressive. And that wasn't part of the plan. Not yet.
No, first the group needed to understand exactly what they were dealing with. They needed to see them.
Then he'd act.
Dante exhaled slowly through his nose, eyes calm as he walked the last stretch of tunnel. Not yet, he thought. But soon.
He placed the final camera high up on a rusted beam where it had a clear view of the entire stretch of the tunnel. Satisfied with the angle, he gave it a quick check, then turned and started walking back.
The air was heavy down there—old, damp, and full of memories that didn't belong to the living. As he moved through the dim corridor, he could still feel their eyes on him. Ghosts wandered aimlessly in the corners of his vision. Their eyes were pitch black, hollow as if nothing lived behind them. Some laughed softly—broken, fragmented sounds like cracked records playing in an empty room. Others stood frozen, facing walls or hunched in corners, completely still.
But Dante didn't flinch. Not once.
He wasn't afraid. Not even a little. If they got aggressive? He could handle it. Weapons or no weapons, he had techniques that most people only read in books.
As he walked back toward the lobby, he pulled out his walkie-talkie, flipped it on, and pressed the button.
"Hey, Matt. Just finished placing the last camera in the tunnels. Heading back up now. Over."
He released the button and waited, still feeling the cold, lingering stares behind him
"Yeah, I see it. All cameras are live and linked. I'll meet you in the lobby. Over," Matt said through the walkie-talkie, his voice calm but focused.
After that, he headed back to the lobby. When After that, he made his way back to the lobby. When he arrived, it looked like the rest of the crew had already wrapped up their tasks. The lobby was dim, lit only by a few portable lights casting long shadows across the cracked walls and dusty floor. Off to the side, he spotted someone sitting alone—it had to be Houston. Without hesitation, he walked over to introduce himself.
"Hey, you must be Houston, right?" Dante asked, his tone calm and steady.
"Hello, nice to meet you. Yeah, that's me. And you are?" Houston replied calmly.
"Name's Dante. I was hired to protect you guys in case anything happens. I even brought some equipment," Dante said casually
"Appreciate that, Dante. We could definitely use the backup—and the gear," Houston replied, nodding. "This place isn't exactly welcoming."
"Well, it was good meeting you, Houston," Dante said with a nod. "I'm gonna go have a word with Matt." With that, he turned and headed in Matt's direction.
"Likewise, man," Houston said with a nod and a faint smile. "Stay sharp in there—places like this tend to stir up more than just dust.
With that, Dante headed over to Matt, who was seated at his laptop, eyes locked on the live feeds from the cameras they had just finished setting up.
"Hey, Matt. How are the cameras looking?" Dante asked, stopping beside him and glancing at the screen.
Matt didn't look up right away, his focus fixed on the multiple angles flickering across the monitor.
"Everything's up and running. Clean signals on all feeds—at least for now," he said, tapping a few keys to cycle through the views.
"That's good. I'll just hang out for a bit—let me know if you need anything," Dante said, giving Matt a nod before heading toward the stairs. He took a seat beside his duffel bag, settling in while keeping an eye on the crew.
[ Chapter End ]