The rain poured heavily outside as Suneo paced around his living room, gripping his phone tightly. Every shadow seemed larger, every sound louder in the eerie stillness of the mansion. His family had left earlier that morning, and the emptiness felt oppressive.
He froze as a loud thump echoed from the basement. His eyes darted to the darkened hallway where the basement door loomed.
"Nope! I'm not doing this alone," Suneo muttered, dialing Doraemon.
"Doraemon, Nobita, you guys need to come over right now!" he pleaded, his voice shaking. "I think my house is haunted!"
"Haunted?" Nobita repeated on the other end, already clutching Doraemon's arm. "Why don't you just leave?"
"I can't leave my house!" Suneo snapped. "Just hurry up and bring everyone else. We're going to investigate!"
"Investigate?" Doraemon asked with a sigh. "This isn't another one of your pranks, is it?"
"I swear it's not!" Suneo insisted.
Curiosity—and a touch of fear—drew Nobita, Doraemon, Shizuka, Gian, and Daiki to Suneo's mansion. When they arrived, the storm outside had intensified, lightning flashing ominously as thunder roared.
Suneo greeted them at the door, pale and jittery.
"Thanks for coming," he said quickly. "I think the ghost is in the basement."
"Basement?" Nobita gulped. "Why can't the ghost haunt someplace normal like... I don't know, the kitchen?"
Daiki grinned, holding up his flashlight. "This is going to be awesome. I've never seen a ghost up close before!"
"You might not be so excited when you do," Shizuka murmured, glancing nervously at the darkened hallway.
Before venturing into the basement, the group settled into Suneo's dining room. Suneo had laid out snacks, though no one seemed in the mood to eat. The mansion's grand windows rattled in the wind, and the flickering lights added to the unsettling atmosphere.
"So, what exactly did you see?" Doraemon asked, sitting cross-legged with his Specter Detector in hand.
Suneo shivered. "It was last night. I was going to the kitchen for some water when I saw a shadow move near the basement door. At first, I thought it was just the wind, but then I heard footsteps. They weren't mine!"
Gian snorted. "Maybe it was just your reflection, scaredy-cat. Chiruchiru."
"It wasn't my reflection!" Suneo snapped. "I know what I saw! This morning, my housekeeper said she felt something cold brush past her in the hallway."
"That's creepy," Shizuka admitted.
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Daiki said with a grin. "Let's head to the basement!"
"Yeah, right," Nobita muttered. "Can't we just, I don't know, call a professional ghost hunter?"
Doraemon stood up, adjusting his Specter Detector. "We don't need a professional. With this gadget, we'll know if there's any ghost activity for sure."
Suneo led the group to the basement door, his hand trembling as he turned the knob.
The stairs creaked loudly as the group made their way into the basement. The air grew colder with each step, and the faint scent of mildew lingered in the dimly lit space.
Nobita clung to Doraemon, his flashlight shaking in his hand. "Why is it always the basement? Why not the rooftop or a nice, sunny park?"
"Because ghosts like creepy places," Daiki teased, making Nobita jump.
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Doraemon: Nobita and the True Warrior: The Very Beginning
FanfictionSummary: The Very Beginning
