UNTIL DEATH UNDOES US

Scene Location: Shiding village, Taiwan.

The mist clung low to the ground like a restless spirit, coiling between the cobblestone paths of Shiding, a hidden mountain village in Taiwan known for its ghost stories—and now, for something far worse.

A black off-road jeep hummed up the winding forest trail and came to a halt near the edge of the village.

Marcos Rullo, tall, broad-shouldered, and sharp-eyed like a hawk, stepped out first, adjusting his high-tech Ecto-goggles. Sam Grhurl, plump but spry with an overloaded backpack that hummed and beeped with ghostbusting tech, followed right behind him. And then came Rex, their loyal warhound, wearing his phantom vest and multi-purpose collar. Once a Special Unit Military dog,now a ghostbuster.

"This place smells like old fear," Sam muttered, glancing around.

"Focus," Marcos said. He checked his PKE watch. "Activity levels are off the charts. Our client wants this entire zone ghost-free by dawn."

They moved in formation. Marcos pulled out a Wraith Trap capsule and clipped it to his belt. Sam's spectral torch lit a path through the haze, revealing strange shadows flitting along the rooftops.

Then they saw them.

Spirits. Hundreds. Thousands. Pouring from alleyways, wells, broken walls, and even trees.

Child-like ghosts with hollow eyes giggled and vanished in the wind. Elderly specters floated headless, their mouths still murmuring final prayers. Dismembered warriors with smoky limbs clawed through soil. Screaming monks made of fire and ash dashed across the sky. Ghosts of farmers, butchers, mothers, and animals—Shiding was a graveyard of its own past, and they were all awake.

"Engage!" Marcos shouted.

The battle began.

Marcos hurled an Ecto-grenade—BOOM! A shockwave of blue light vaporized a dozen spirits.

He swung his phantom lasso into the air, snaring a shrieking banshee mid-flight and pulling it into a trap capsule. Sam activated his vacuum ghost absorber, the backpack roaring to life as it sucked a swarm of shadow-birds into its chamber.

Rex leapt forward, howling. His sonar collar blinked green, releasing sonic pulses that sent lesser ghosts exploding into sparks. He pounced on a tiger-shaped spirit, biting into its neck with his spectral jaws, dispelling it into glowing dust.

They fought like warriors of two worlds.

Sam flicked on his sonar generator, creating ripples of frequency that pushed back the encroaching fog. "Keep the left flank clear!"

Marcos nodded, diving into cover and launching a second trap capsule. "We're making progress—"

Then the ground shook.

A deep, thunderous growl echoed from the mountain.

From the ridge above, a cloaked figure emerged. The ghost BOSS.

He was once a man—now a towering wraith with an ancient face contorted in rage. His robe flowed like ink, his feet never touching the ground. One glare caused the cliffside to tremble—and collapse. Rocks slid in a deadly wave, trapping Rex beneath the rubble.

"Rex!" Marcos shouted.

He and Sam dashed to the collapsed area, but before they could act, the ghost boss raised his hands. The air shimmered. Illusions flooded their minds.

Their gear vanished. Their bodies stiffened.

"What the—? My gadgets—" Sam gasped.

Marcos looked down. Sticky green goo slithered up their legs, pinning them to the earth.

"We walked right into a trap," Marcos growled.

The ghost boss floated down like a vulture, circling them. Then—

TWANG!

A silver-blue arrow streaked through the mist, striking the ghost mid-air. The shaft exploded into a zapping net of blue energy, trapping the spirit in mid-transformation.

From the shadows stepped a woman in a long knee–length green robe and tight black pants. Her eyes were sharp, her posture regal. Kayo Shiranui.

The ghost dispersed into smoke, slipping through the blue net.

Kayo drew a second arrow and fired. It burst midair into red spiritual dust, peppering the smoke like fire. The ghost howled, thrashing in pain as the dust clung to it like burning embers. It began vibrating, growing larger—then splitting into smaller, faster clones.

"You have to disrupt its berserk transformation now before it goes ultra frenzy mode!" Marcos shouted.

"Use anything that produces high-frequency sound!" Sam yelled.

Kayo's brow furrowed. She turned briefly to them. "I've heard of you. What are you doing here?"

"Watch out!" a villager shouted.

One of the ghost clones dove at her. Kayo crossed her arms like Wonder Woman—ZAP!—a pulse of blue energy shot out, disintegrating the clone into nothingness.

Then, a bark echoed from above.

Rex stood on a rooftop, panting, covered in dust but alive. His collar blinked rapidly.

"Rex! Activate scream mode!" Marcos commanded.

Rex snarled. His collar pulsed green. He inhaled deeply—and unleashed a long, wolf-like howl.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

A low-frequency wave rippled through the air. The ghost boss trembled, shrinking rapidly until he was the size of a kitten.

"Lock him now!" Sam yelled.

Kayo reached into her pocket and threw a dice-shaped talisman into the air. Mid-flight, it exploded into the shape of a glowing red spiritual dragon. The dragon roared, sucked in the screaming ghost, and folded back into dice form.

Kayo held out her hand. The dice floated back to her palm.

"They did it! They did it!" villagers shouted, banging drums and cheering in celebration.

"Care helping us out here, big girl?" Marcos called, still glued.

Kayo approached. "Greedy Americans. Why did you steal my mission?"

"Steal? This was our—"

" It was my quest. Alone!" she snapped.

Just then, Rex jumped down, landing with a powerful thud. Sam farted from shock.

"Ewwww," Kayo waved air from her face, walking away.

Marcos wrinkled his nose. "What did you eat, man?"

"Nothing! Even Rex isn't complaining!" Sam said.

They turned to Rex. He blinked, then hunched—and sneezed.

FWOOOM! A small jet of fire burst from his nostrils.

The green goo evaporated instantly, freeing Marcos and Sam.

Everyone stood still, shocked.

"Rex! How did you do that?!" Marcos knelt beside him.

Kayo stared. "Your dog has powers? That's... absurd."

"Maybe he's sick," Sam said, rummaging through his backpack.

" What did you feed him?"

Then, the village Chief Elder approached, leaning on a cane. "Your reward will be sent to your accounts. Thank you for your service."

Kayo frowned. Her name hadn't been on the mission list. She hadn't been invited. And now, she had shown up late.

She turned silently and walked to her motorcycle.

"Wait," Marcos called, jogging after her. She strapped on her helmet.

"Go away," she muttered.

"At least tell me your name. I could use your help again."

She paused. Took off her helmet. Her hair glistened in the moonlight.

"Kayo. Kayo Shiranui."

"I'm Marcos. That's Sam, and our sidekick, Rex."

Kayo smiled faintly. "Nice to meet you. I have to go."

"Hold up," Marcos said, touching her hand gently. "We'll split the pay with you. Half. For the inconvenience."

She blinked. "You didn't even ask your partner."

"He'd say yes."

Just then, Marcos' phone rang. Caller ID: Regina Walter. He answered the call without even moving aside.

"Hey Cousin? What's up?"

"Mark ,where are you?"

" I'm in Shiding, Taiwan. Just ghostbusted a few here. Everything alright?"

" Not at all.I need your help. Urgently. At the hospital. We have... a killer ghost situation."

Marcos stood straighter. "I'm on my way."

He looked at Kayo. "Ever faced a killer ghost before?"

"No. But my late parents told me all about them."

"Join us. If not for the pay, then for the ride."

She smirked. "How could I say no?"

Meanwhile....

Sam sat surrounded by villagers, Rex at his side.

"Somebody help! He wasn't like this before!"

Rex sneezed again—FWOOF!—a thin flame flared from his nose.

"Tell me this is a temporary ghostbusting side effect," Sam begged.

An old man with a walking stick stepped forward. "It's not a temporary side effect... It's a permanent gift."

Sam turned to Rex, stunned.

To Be Continued....

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦... 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨...