Chapter Text
Vyncent's new apartment was definitely haunted.
The first thing he noticed was how drafty it was. A perpetually cold wind seemed to blow through the blank, white curtains. None of the lights were on, so the rooms were painted with shadow, darkness seeping through every corner. It didn't help that he would see a flicker of blue around the corners of his eyes either.
He shrugged. The rent was dirt cheap here, since everyone else thought it was too creepy. Ashe and Dakota had vehemently rejected moving into it because of the apparent ghost problem. Vyncent was sure that it would be no problem though. He could handle a few ghosts.
He set the boxes down, whistling. He was finally living somewhere on his own, in his junior year of college. His roomates in the past have… not been the best. The only good thing about college was Ashe and Dakota, his best (and only) friends. All the other social norms were hell to him.
It would be best if the "ghost" that haunted this place didn't try to talk to him. Especially not small talk. Trying to kill him would kinda suck, but Vyncent had been taking sword fighting lessons again. He had a practice sword by his bed. For reasons.
He started unpacking all of his boxes, pulling out clothing and all of his back up knives. As he cleaned, his phone ringed.
"Hello?"
"VYNCENT!!!!" Dakota's voice blasted through the speakers, making him wince. "What's up??"
"Just moving in. How's Ashe?"
"Pretty good," Ashe's raspy voice said, "We're just hanging out."
"ANY GHOSTS YET???" Dakota asked, still way too excited for Vyncent to handle. He smiles.
"Nah, not yet."
"Just let us know if you see one," Ashe said, "I can help with an exorcism."
"I'll keep that in mind." Vyncent chuckled. The phone hangs up, and he kept unpacking.
Later that night, Vyncent stayed up on his phone, reading about hauntings. He's not scared of ghosts, but this place did seem haunted. And if it was haunted, it would be nice to be prepared.
TOP 10 HAUNTINGS IN ROCKFALL THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND!!!
Best vacation spots to spot creepy crawlies and ghostly specters( good for families)
Local boy disappears after walk in the woods
How to spot a ghost: a walk-through guide
Fun ghost games to play at sleepovers!!
HOW TO SEE BLOODY MARY IN YOUR MIRROR
Vyncent sighed, scrolling past all the advertisements and games. He stopped at the news headline from a couple years ago, and clicked on that.
18 year old William Wisp disappears after parents report he went for a hike. The teenager was a part of the club called the "Unwitness- Protection Program", an organization of three teens known for causing chaos and ghost hunting. Wisp was known for going into abandoned places where he was not allowed, so he often disappeared from his home or from school. Some teachers even described him as a "delinquent". More information on his disappearance will be reported soon.
Below that was a school picture of a boy, near his age. Scruffy black hair covered most of his face, as he scowled in a dark hoodie. Just some grumpy teenager, it seems. And a disappearance.
Vycent yawned. Nope. Nothing helpful. He turned his phone off and went to bed.
During the night, Vyncent jolted awake as a crash sounded around his room. He rubs his eyes, sitting up and reaching for the lamp. The room was cold, despite the layers of blankets that covered the bed. He looked over, and saw his knife box knocked over.
Vyncent blinks. "Weird."
He turned over again, falling back asleep.
After a long day at college, Vyncent jammed the key into the door of his apartment. He twisted it, finding it stuck.
"Come on," he muttered, trying again and again to unlock the door. It wouldn't budge.
He threw his shoulder against the door, slamming against the wood. He slammed into it again, and the door suddenly swung open easily. Vyncent fell into the floor with a crash!
"Thanks," he grumbled against the floor, and for a second he swears he hears faint laugher. He looked up. The apartment was empty.
"Listen," Vyncent said, into the darkness of the apartment. He flicked on the light. "I don't know what you're doing, but it's kind of annoying."
The apartment doesn't answer.
"Are there even any ghosts here?"
Silence.
Vyncent three his bag onto the floor by the couch. He started to boil some water, and prepares some instant ramen.
It turns into a habit, over the next few days. Vyncent comes home, and sees some random furniture knocked on the floor. Or knives placed in a line across the living room. Maybe some unpacked photos scattered across the floor. Either some robber with too much free time was constantly breaking into his house, or Ashe and Dakota were right.
Vyncent absentmindedly talked to the "ghost", as he was cleaning up the pictures. "Y'know, if you really wanted to talk, you can just do it. I wouldn't have to be cleaning stuff up the whole time."
No one responded.
"I guess it's pretty funny, though," Vyncent finished gathering and organizing the photos, and puts them back in a stack on the table. "It's a bit less funny when your professor has been shouting all day, and you have to come home to a messy house."
Home. Home was a funny word for Vyncent Sol. He had moved from Fauna not long ago to become a lawyer on Prime. He took all of high school here, along with Ashe and Dakota. But his house, the apartments he lived in, and even Rockfall didn't always feel like home. He always missed his mother's rat stew and the quiet breathing of the beasts in the woods.
He'd only lived in the apartment for one week, and took classes at Rockfall college for two years. There'd always be an itch though, for something missing. An ache for something he can't put a name to. Most times Vyncent brushed past it and barrelled on with work.
But now, here in the silence, with the photos from his childhood, Vyncent allowed himself a moment. He had one moment to sink into the aching, and shut his eyes.
One night, Vyncent came home after a long, exhausting day. Ashe and Dakota had dragged him to some social event, where there was a long of alcohol, bright lights, and completely overwhelming sounds. He just managed to convince Dakota that he could stay without him, and slipped out the door of the club.
Nothing in the apartment was messy, for once. He blinked, a little shocked. Vyncent walked back into the little kitchen, pulling out hot water and instant noodles again, as he did most nights.
A new voice suddenly spoke. "You know, eating too much of that is unhealthy."
Vyncent jolted, dropping the cardboard bowl on the ground. He spun around, and sees a teenage boy floating besides him.
It was the boy in the picture, except he looked a bit different. His scruffy black hair was shot through with white streaks, and he wore the same hoodie except there was dirt and leaves stuck to it. His brown eyes were glowing a faint blue, lighting up the acne scars and scratches still eternally on his face. He smiled.
"It's you," Vyncent said, breathlessly. "You're- that boy. William Wisp. The one that died."
The ghost jumped back, shocked. "How do you know my name?"
"It took literally one search."
William thought for a moment. "Oh yeah. I've seen that article. Just wanted to write me off as some dumb kid. That is the first one, right?"
".. You're really a ghost?" Vyncent asked, reaching out for William's ghostly hand. His hand goes right through, although he feels a wave of cold wash over his hand.
"Yeah. It's been a few years, but I'm still stuck here." William sighed, slightly pushing around the mug on the counter. "Can't really do much. I just hang out here because it's empty."
"It's not empty anymore."
"Clearly. What's your name? I saw a package that said 'Virion' or something."
Vyncent shrugged. "I just go by Vyncent."
"Alright. Vyncent." William stared at him, the dark eyes sending a shiver down his back.
"So- are you just like my roommate now, or what?"
William shrugged. "Do you want me to leave?"
"I don't really mind."
"Cool. I'll stick around then."
"Okay."
Vyncent and William just stared at each other. Vyncent started making his noodles again, and William floated ominously besides him.
"So," Vyncent asked, "How did you die?"
William flinched back a little, suddenly on guard. He sighed. "Sorry. Still a little jumpy."
"It's fine."
"One day, when I was back in Deadwood," William tells, "I was hiking in the woods. I saw this little blue, like, ball of fire. A Will- o- wisp. So I followed it, slipped off a cliff, and-" He made a slamming motion with his hands, "- splat."
"Ah. Sheesh." Vyncent slurped his noodles.
"It's been a while though, so it's fine. I'm over it."
"Don't ghosts usually stay because of unfinished business?"
William shrugged again, flying up into the air. "I'm fine just chilling here." He looked away.
"Well. Okay. Nice to meet my roomate, finally."
William smiled slightly, and Vyncent could almost imagine he was alive.