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Fiona closed her eyes, her brow furrowed as she focused all her energy on reaching out to the lost souls. Bella watched in awe as one by one, the spirits began to emerge—ethereal, yet unmistakably grateful.

“Leave this place, Clarissa Harrington!” Fiona commanded, her voice powerful and unwavering.

“Never!” she spat, struggling against the combined efforts of Jake, Max, and Karl.

“Then you leave us no choice,” Layla declared, raising her arms as the north wind swirled around her. “Be gone!”

Their final surge of power was enough and Clarissa’s cries of rage filled the night as the mansion seemed to exhale a collective sigh of relief. Exhausted but victorious, the group shared a somber glance, knowing that their mission was far from over.

“Whatever comes our way,” Karl whispered to Bella as they exited the haunted mansion, “we’ll face it head-on.”

“Agreed,” she replied, her grip on his hand tightening. “I feel like we’re missing something about Clarissa though. There’s more we need to learn to be able to completely defeat her.”

Chapter Two

Karl Anderson’s steelyblue eyes scanned the cozy interior of the local Tex-Mex restaurant taking in the eclectic mix of antique decor and modern art lining the walls. The fragrant aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air, and a soft jazz tune played gently in the background. Bella Tomlin, ever graceful, glided to his side, her black hair framing her radiant face. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement as she brimmed with anticipation for their ghost-hunting adventure.

“Ah, there they are!” she declared, spotting the group huddled around a large wooden table near the back of the restaurant. The would-be ghostbusters, Fiona, Max, Layla, and Jake, were engaged in animated conversation, their laughter carrying across the room.

“Hey guys,” Karl greeted, pulling out a chair for Bella before taking a seat himself. “Sorry we’re late.”

“Better late than never,” Fiona replied cheerily, eyes shining with kindness. She patted her protruding stomach, the telltale sign of her unborn twin daughters. “These little rascals have been making me extra hungry lately.”

“Speaking of hunger, how about we order our dinner?” suggested Max, his strong jawline set firmly as he looked around at the others.

“Sounds perfect,” agreed Bella, her eyes quickly scanning the menu. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been there a bunch, but there could be something new lingering.

“Count me in,” chimed Layla.

Jake rubbed his hands together eagerly, his muscular build evident even beneath his casual attire. “Let’s do this,” he said, grinning at his wife Layla.

Karl couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie growing between them. Despite their individual struggles and unique supernatural abilities, they had come together in pursuit of a common goal: to solve the mystery surrounding Clarissa and Rebecca.

The Tex-Mex restaurant was everything Max had promised—vibrant, lively, and full of mouthwatering scents that made everyone’s stomachs rumble with anticipation.

“Look at this place,” Karl mused, his usual stoic demeanor replaced by a more relaxed expression. “You can’t help but feel alive here.”