Three days had passed since Shadow Hill Mansion disappeared.

The town of Blackwood was finally peaceful.

No more strange noises.

No more haunted rooms.

No more people running through the streets screaming about ghosts.

Well…

Almost peaceful.

Because one strange thing remained.

Max Miller’s detective office.

It was still a complete mess.

Papers covered the floor.

Half-eaten sandwiches were everywhere.

Old mystery files were stacked like mountains.

And in the middle of the chaos…

Max was sleeping.

Again.

Luna walked inside.

She looked around.

“How can someone solve mysteries while creating a bigger mystery in his own office?”

Max opened one eye.

“I call it creative organization.”

Benny entered behind her.

He looked at the mess.

“I call it a disaster.”

Max sat up.

“Where is Sir Giggles?”

Everyone became quiet.

That was the problem.

After the destruction of Shadow Hill Mansion…

Sir Giggles had disappeared.

The Laughing Beast was gone too.

Nobody knew where they went.

Max looked worried.

“He would never leave without saying goodbye.”

Luna nodded.

“Something happened.”

Benny looked nervous.

“Please don’t say another monster.”

Everyone looked at him.

“What?”

“You always say another monster.”

Max stood up.

“Because every time I say there is no monster…”

He pointed dramatically.

“There is a monster.”

Suddenly…

The window broke.

CRASH!

Everyone jumped.

A small black envelope flew inside.

It landed on the table.

Max slowly picked it up.

On the front was written:

FOR THE DETECTIVE WHO NEVER GIVES UP.

Benny whispered:

“That is definitely suspicious.”

Max nodded.

“Yes.”

“Are you going to open it?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

“Because suspicious things are my job.”

Benny stared.

“Your job is basically opening dangerous things.”

Max smiled.

“Exactly.”

---

Inside the envelope was a message.

COME TO THE OLD CLOCK TOWER AT MIDNIGHT.

BRING THE GHOST.

OR LOSE HIM FOREVER.

Everyone became serious.

Luna looked at Max.

“They kidnapped Sir Giggles.”

Max closed his hand.

“Then we bring him back.”

Benny swallowed.

“And if there is another monster?”

Max looked at him.

“We fight.”

Benny became surprised.

“Really?”

Max nodded.

“Yes.”

Benny smiled.

“That was brave.”

Max looked away.

“Actually, I was hoping the monster would be friendly this time.”

Benny sighed.

“Never mind.”

---

At midnight…

The old clock tower stood above Blackwood.

Nobody entered it anymore.

People said strange things happened inside.

Clocks moved backward.

Voices whispered from empty rooms.

And sometimes…

The clock itself laughed.

Max, Luna, Benny, and the karate chicken entered.

The door closed behind them.

BOOM!

Benny jumped.

“I hate doors that close dramatically.”

Max nodded.

“Very suspicious.”

Luna looked upward.

“We are not alone.”

A voice echoed.

“Correct.”

A figure appeared.

A tall shadow wearing a black coat.

Max stepped forward.

“Who are you?”

The figure smiled.

“My name is Lord Echo.”

Sir Giggles suddenly appeared inside a glass cage.

“Max!”

Everyone rushed forward.

But a magical wall stopped them.

Luna looked angry.

“Release him.”

Lord Echo laughed.

“You humans always think you can order monsters.”

Max looked at him.

“Actually, we have been doing pretty well.”

Lord Echo looked confused.

“What?”

“We defeated a giant monster.”

He pointed at Benny.

“We survived because of a chicken.”

The chicken proudly nodded.

“And we convinced a dangerous creature to become good.”

Max smiled.

“So honestly, your timing is terrible.”

Lord Echo became silent.

Then…

He laughed.

“You are exactly as annoying as I expected.”

Max smiled.

“Thank you.”

“That was not a compliment.”

“I accepted it anyway.”

---

Lord Echo walked toward Sir Giggles.

“You were the final piece.”

Sir Giggles looked angry.

“I am not helping you.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

Max frowned.

“What do you want from him?”

Lord Echo smiled.

“The first ghost.”

Everyone froze.

Luna looked at Sir Giggles.

“What does he mean?”

Sir Giggles looked down.

Max noticed.

“You know something.”

The ghost stayed silent.

“Sir Giggles.”

The ghost sighed.

“I was not created by Dr. Crow.”

Everyone became surprised.

“What?”

Sir Giggles looked at them.

“Dr. Crow found me.”

Luna stepped closer.

“Then who created you?”

The ghost looked at Lord Echo.

“He did.”

Silence.

Lord Echo smiled.

“Finally.”

Benny looked confused.

“Wait.”

He pointed between them.

“So the evil guy created the funny ghost?”

Sir Giggles nodded.

“Yes.”

Benny looked disappointed.

“That explains why the universe is weird.”

---

Lord Echo laughed.

“Years ago, I created the first spirit energy.”

“I wanted to control every ghost in the world.”

“But Sir Giggles escaped.”

Max looked at Sir Giggles.

“You escaped?”

The ghost smiled.

“Because I learned something.”

“What?”

“Being powerful means nothing if you cannot choose your own path.”

Lord Echo became angry.

“You were supposed to become my weapon.”

Sir Giggles looked at him.

“I became something better.”

“What?”

The ghost smiled.

“A friend.”

Everyone became quiet.

Even Max.

Because for once…

The ghost had said something serious.

---

Lord Echo raised his hand.

Dark energy filled the tower.

The clocks began spinning.

The walls changed.

Suddenly hundreds of ghost shadows appeared.

Benny looked around.

“How many ghosts are there?”

Lord Echo smiled.

“Thousands.”

Benny looked terrified.

“Can the chicken fight thousands?”

The chicken cracked its tiny wings.

Everyone stared.

Max whispered:

“I think it believes it can.”

---

The battle began.

Ghosts flew everywhere.

Luna used old magical symbols from Dr. Crow’s notes.

Benny threw objects randomly.

Somehow…

Most of them worked.

The chicken attacked ghosts like a tiny superhero.

Max reached Sir Giggles’ cage.

“How do we open this?”

The ghost looked at the lock.

“Only true friendship can break it.”

Max stared.

“That sounds impossible.”

“No.”

Sir Giggles smiled.

“It means you have to say what you truly feel.”

Max looked uncomfortable.

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“I have to talk about emotions?”

“Yes.”

Max sighed.

“I would rather fight another monster.”

---

Lord Echo approached.

“You cannot save him.”

Max looked at Sir Giggles.

Then at Lord Echo.

“You are wrong.”

Lord Echo laughed.

“Why?”

Max smiled.

“Because this ghost saved us.”

“He protected us.”

“He believed in us.”

“And honestly…”

He looked embarrassed.

“He is the best ghost friend anyone could ask for.”

The cage started glowing.

Lord Echo stepped backward.

“No.”

Max continued.

“And even though he laughs too much…”

Sir Giggles smiled.

“Hey.”

Max ignored him.

“He is part of our team.”

The cage shattered.

BOOM!

Sir Giggles was free.

---

Lord Echo became furious.

“You think friendship makes you stronger?”

Max nodded.

“Yes.”

“That is ridiculous.”

Max smiled.

“Maybe.”

He looked around.

“But ridiculous things have worked very well for us.”

The Laughing Beast appeared.

The Silence appeared from the shadows.

Everyone gasped.

“You came.”

Sir Giggles smiled.

“We are a team.”

Lord Echo looked shocked.

“You cannot defeat me.”

The Silence stepped forward.

The Laughing Beast smiled.

Then the karate chicken jumped forward.

Lord Echo looked confused.

“The chicken too?”

Benny nodded.

“The chicken especially.”

---

The final battle shook the clock tower.

Ghost energy exploded.

Monsters fought beside humans.

The chicken delivered the final kick.

And Lord Echo…

Lost.

His dark power disappeared.

He fell to the ground.

“How?”

Max walked closer.

“Because you forgot something.”

“What?”

Max smiled.

“You created ghosts.”

He looked at Sir Giggles.

“But you never understood them.”

---

The next morning…

Blackwood celebrated.

The clock tower was repaired.

The ghosts were peaceful.

The monsters became protectors of the town.

And Max Miller became famous.

Although…

Nobody believed his stories.

They said:

“A ghost detective team?”

“A talking chicken?”

“A friendly monster?”

Impossible.

Max didn’t care.

He opened a new sign outside his office.

It said:

MAX MILLER INVESTIGATIONS

Mysteries Solved. Ghosts Helped. Snacks Protected.

Benny looked at the sign.

“You forgot one thing.”

“What?”

“You are still lazy.”

Max smiled.

“That is not a mystery.”

Suddenly…

A strange noise came from outside.

Everyone froze.

A small ghost appeared.

“Help!”

Max stood up.

“Another mystery?”

The ghost nodded.

“My haunted house has a problem.”

Benny sighed.

“Here we go again.”

The chicken jumped onto his shoulder.

The Laughing Beast smiled.

Sir Giggles laughed.

HAHAHAHA!

Max grabbed his detective coat.

“Another adventure begins.”

And as they walked toward the unknown…

A new mystery waited.

A new horror.

A new laugh.

Because in Blackwood…

The ghosts were never truly gone.