"The long night is coming."
Lucien's calm words made both Anne and Jamie fall silent.
The image those words painted was enough to send a chill through the room—dark corridors, screams in the night, and blood staining the shadows.
Anne rose from the sofa almost immediately.
"Lucien, I'll take you to the prop room right now. We need to deal with that glove."
Lucien nodded.
The house being used as the cast's resting area wasn't particularly large.
The prop room had been set up in the basement, a place no one on the crew liked spending time in.
As soon as Anne opened the basement door, a wave of icy air rushed out.
She shivered.
"That's strange… the basement shouldn't be this cold."
Muttering under her breath, she picked up a flashlight and stepped inside.
The narrow stairway was dimly lit, and the cold seemed to seep directly into her bones.
Instinctively, Anne moved closer to Lucien.
The moment she did, her eyes widened slightly.
The suffocating chill lessened.
A moment later, she edged even closer.
This time, the cold nearly vanished completely.
A small spark of surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes.
So it really was because she was near him.
As the thought formed, she moved closer still.
Lucien suddenly stopped.
"Miss Anne," he said dryly, "if you come any closer, I won't be able to walk."
Anne froze.
Only then did she realize she had nearly pressed herself against him.
A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry."
She hurriedly stepped back.
Unfortunately, the space was so narrow that "stepping back" only meant they were now walking shoulder to shoulder.
Still far closer than normal.
Lucien silently steadied himself and continued forward.
Soon, they reached the basement prop room.
Rows of costumes hung neatly on one side.
Old furniture, fake weapons, and various stage props were stacked in orderly rows.
Resting atop a wooden crate was a rusted glove fitted with long razor-like blades.
Even in the dim light, it gave off an ominous presence.
Anne pointed at it.
"That's the one."
Lucien stepped forward without hesitation.
He took out a talisman, pressed it firmly onto the glove, and immediately picked it up.
Anne blinked in confusion.
"That's it?"
"Why are you taking it with you?"
She leaned closer to look, curiosity written all over her face.
Lucien explained patiently.
"The talisman suppresses the spiritual anchor attached to Freddy."
"As long as it remains attached, it weakens his true form."
He carefully wrapped the glove.
"I'm taking it so no idiot accidentally removes the seal and gets themselves killed."
Anne nodded slowly.
"I see… you really think of everything."
Lucien gave a faint smile.
He had seen enough horror stories to know exactly how these things went.
Someone always touched the cursed object.
Someone always broke the seal.
Someone always died first.
Better not leave anything to chance.
Unfortunately, while they were downstairs, trouble had already begun upstairs.
After leaving the room earlier, Elizabeth had not gone home.
Instead, she moved through the set asking questions about Lucien.
Anne's condition had never been a secret.
Everyone on set knew about the sleepless nights, the screams, and the strange behavior.
So when Elizabeth began asking what Lucien had done that afternoon, the actors eagerly told her everything.
"He hit the director?"
Elizabeth's eyes lit up.
This was perfect.
Violence alone was enough to ruin Lucien's standing.
But when she heard about the yellow talismans placed on Anne's forehead, she nearly laughed out loud.
In her mind, it confirmed everything.
A fraud.
A conman.
A young outsider pretending to be some mystical expert.
Dream demons?
Curses?
Talisman papers?
Ridiculous.
At least if he had brought a Bible and holy water, it might have looked more convincing.
Instead, this was obviously a scam targeting Anne's desperation.
Elizabeth immediately began spreading her theory among the cast.
Her explanation was neat, rational, and easy to believe.
Slowly, the earlier unease among the crew turned into suspicion.
Soon, the news reached the bearded director.
Still furious about being kicked earlier, he immediately agreed to cooperate.
"But how are you so sure he'll try to sell something?" the director asked.
Elizabeth smiled confidently.
"Because greed is always the same."
She folded her arms.
"People like him don't stop at one victim."
"He'll use fear to spread the panic."
"First Anne."
"Then Rachel."
"Next he'll say the curse is spreading through the entire crew."
"After that, he'll sell protective charms to everyone."
Her eyes gleamed with certainty.
"The moment money enters the conversation, his lie will expose itself."
The director nodded repeatedly.
"You're right."
Elizabeth lifted her chin.
"Trust science, Director."
"The age of superstition is over."
Meanwhile, Lucien and Anne had already come back upstairs.
Anne spoke first.
"We should give the others talismans."
Jamie looked surprised.
Lucien glanced at her.
"You know they may not appreciate it."
Anne gave a small, tired smile.
"That doesn't matter."
Her expression grew serious.
"You said it yourself."
"Freddy grows stronger from fear."
"If the crew becomes his next target, that makes things worse for everyone."
Lucien studied her for a moment.
Even after everything she had suffered, Anne still wanted to protect the others.
That kind of kindness was rare.
Still, he spoke plainly.
"These talismans are not cheap."
"Five thousand dollars each."
Anne didn't even blink.
"If they refuse them, that's their choice."
"At least I'll know I tried."
A faint smile touched Lucien's lips.
"Alright."
He nodded.
"Then we do it your way."
But deep down, he already had a feeling.
The real danger tonight wouldn't just come from Freddy.
Sometimes, human ignorance was far more troublesome than ghosts.
And upstairs, Elizabeth was already preparing her little trap.