The hallways were eerily quiet. Halloween night had descended like a dark veil over the Suitcase, casting long, flickering shadows on the walls. Most of the inhabitants had fled to their rooms for the night, knowing all too well what was coming. He was out there. Somewhere. Hiding. Waiting. Every year, it was the same game, the same terrifying tricks, and this year, one unlucky soul was left behind.

Thunder rumbled outside as the lone figure walked down the hallway. Lightning flashed, illuminating the fake blood splattered across the walls, the ghostly mannequins poised at awkward angles, and the unsettling, low hum of machinery hidden just out of sight. The lights dimmed further... Then, from the end of the hallway, two bright red eyes glowed menacingly. They stared, unblinking, before shooting forward with terrifying speed.

—only to stop just short.

A burst of giddy laughter echoed down the hallway. The red-eyed menace was nothing more than a cleverly rigged trick. From further down the hall, Horro stepped into view, his grin wide and proud. He adjusted the novelty glasses on his face and proudly holding up a machine that had launched the illusion. "Oh man, that was perfect!" He exclaimed, rocking on his feet with excitement. "Did you see how you jumped? I knew it’d work, but this—this is even better than I imagined!" He tapped the device with a sense of satisfaction, as if it were his magnum opus.

"Honestly, I don’t even think I’ll top this one," he continued, his freckled face lit up with a childlike glee. The flickering lights above cast odd shadows on his silhouette, but he didn’t seem to care about anything else around him. "The fake blood, the eyes, the timing—I’ve outdone myself this year." His grin stretched even wider, if that were possible. And as he looked back at his terrified audience, his chest swelled with pride. "You’ve got to admit," he said, holding the umbrella-like contraption over his shoulder like a prized weapon, "I really nailed the ambience this time."