In this universe, Ghouls are not monsters in the traditional fantasy sense. They're the manifestations of human suffering, the byproduct of emotional neglect, repressed traumas, societal pressures, and unspoken grief. When emotional distress festers in a person or a space long enough, it takes on a life of its own, becoming a Ghoul.
They feed on negativity and thrive in environments soaked in unresolved pain: the overworked office full of employees rushing to meet their deadlines, the unhappy home where the children go unheard, the school where no one feels safe from ridicule and prejudice. Ghouls become stronger the longer their underlying suffering goes ignored. They don't just haunt the spaces they exist in - they worsen the emotional rot that created them, causing a vicious cycle of despair.
Each Ghoul is shaped by its origin point, often in grotesque and symbolic ways. A Ghoul born from overworking may appear as a jittering, overclocked creature that can't stop moving. One formed in a household where no one speaks their thoughts and feelings may appear as a voiceless, faceless thing that writhes around, trying to be seen.
Most people in this universe will encounter at least one Ghoul in their lives. They're disturbingly common - treated more like nuisances than emergencies. The Bureau of Emotional Sanitation doesn't get involved until Ghouls interfere with productivity or public safety. When that happens, it dispatches Magical Fighters - anyone willing to sign up and endure the training - to locate, contain, and cleanse these infestations before they disrupt profits or daily life.
To the public, it's just another part of the system. Unseen, unglamorous, and unpleasant.
To the Magical Fighters doing the work, it's often something far more personal.