Aaron and Eli followed the hallway behind the main dining hall, guided by faint glowing arrows etched into the floor—eerily helpful, as if the restaurant itself wanted them to find rest... or something worse.
The passage twisted and turned, leading them deeper into the structure, until the air shifted from the rotting food and musty upholstery of the dining rooms to something cooler—cleaner, even sterile. The walls here were smooth, pale grey with ornate black borders carved with ghostly symbols that moved if stared at too long.
Eventually, the hallway opened into what resembled a hotel corridor, lined with numbered doors. Overhead, a flickering sign read:
[DORMITORY – FLOOR 1]
Each door bore a nameplate that had their names neatly engraved, glowing faintly with a silver-blue hue. But oddly, one door was labeled with two names:
AARON & ELI
"Seriously? We have to share?" Eli groaned.
Aaron gave a tired smile. "At least you're not rooming with Jace."
"That guy gives off serial killer energy. No offense," Eli replied, pushing open their shared door.
Inside, the dormitory room was surprisingly normal—too normal, almost unsettlingly so. Two single beds sat on opposite sides of the room, with a shared desk in the middle, a large mirror on the far wall, and a door leading to a small, dim bathroom. The air smelled faintly of old paper and something metallic.
The lighting was soft and amber-colored, casting shadows that twitched unnaturally if stared at too long.
Aaron glanced at the mirror.
Their reflections moved… just a second too slow.
Eli noticed too. "Nope. I'm never looking in that thing again."
On the desk, a small card sat propped up, written in neat ink:
> Welcome to your dormitory.
You may rest, eat, and recover here. The room is protected by contract.
No ghost may enter without invitation. Do not open the door at midnight.
Do not look under the bed after lights-out.
Do not trust the voice in the mirror.
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "More rules."
"Of course there are," Eli muttered, tossing his coat onto the bed and collapsing with a groan. "I thought ghost shifts were bad in real life. This is a new level."
"You think the others are okay?" Eli asked
"No," Aaron said quietly. "But they're alive."
For now.
"You think we'll die in our sleep?" he asked, half-joking.
Aaron didn't smile. "Only if we open the door. Or look under the bed. Or listen to the mirror."
They both lay in silence.
Just as Aaron was about to drift off into an uneasy sleep, a knock echoed softly against their dormitory door—three quick taps, followed by a familiar voice.
"There's a vending machine around the corner. Let's go," Sophie called out.
Eli sat up instantly. "Food?"
Aaron got up with a sigh and opened the door. Sophie stood there, arms crossed but visibly more relaxed than before. She even looked... excited?
"I'm starving," she muttered. "You coming or not?"
They followed her down the corridor. The walls still oozed that uncanny sterile calm, but there was a quiet buzz in the air now, as if the building itself had gone to sleep with one eye open. Around a shadowy corner marked "Refreshment Wing," they spotted it.
A vending machine—but not just any machine. This one stood almost two meters tall, made of black steel that glistened like oil in the low light. Its glass front shimmered like a pool of ink, and instead of glowing buttons, it had a smooth obsidian touch panel. Inside, suspended in mid-air like floating products, were individually packaged snacks that pulsed with a strange, blue energy.
[Spectral Vending Unit – Ghost Currency Only]
Rows and rows of oddly normal-looking snacks greeted them:
Beef Jerky – 30 GC
Instant Noodles (Mystery Flavor) – 60 GC
Butter Popcorn (Haunted Salted) – 40 GC
Ghost Cola – 25 GC
Dark Chocolate Bar (99% Bitter Bite) – 50 GC
Mystic Trail Mix – 80 GC
Cupcake (Expiration Unknown) – 45 GC
Cheese Crackers (Ethereal Edition) – 35 GC
Eli's eyes went wide. "Beef jerky? Noodles? Popcorn? They actually have these things?!"
He practically drooled against the machine as he browsed.
"I haven't seen real food in hours—no offense to soup-in-a-shadow," Eli said, referring to the mysterious meal they'd just finished.
Aaron studied the items, then tapped the panel and bought a Dark Chocolate Bar for 50 Ghost Currency. It materialized on the tray below with a puff of cold mist and a soft chime. He opened it—smelled just like a real bitter chocolate bar. He took a bite. Rich, intense, a little smoky.
Satisfying.
Eli picked out the Mystic Trail Mix for 80 Ghost Currency, tearing the package open with excitement. Inside were glistening nuts and strange greenish-blue dried fruit that shimmered faintly. "Is this glowing?" he muttered, then popped a piece into his mouth. "Whoa. Salty, sweet, and a little... minty?"
Sophie bought a Cupcake for 45 GC. The icing was a pale lavender swirl with black sprinkles. "I know better than to trust food that looks this cute," she muttered, but she ate it anyway—carefully savoring each bite.
Jace appeared silently beside them, eyes scanning the selection. "Ghost Cola," he said flatly, and bought one for 25 GC. He cracked it open. The hiss it made sounded too close to a whisper. He didn't comment as he drank it.
Leah showed up last. Her eyes were hollow, her skin pale, clearly still shaken by Mark's death. But she bought a small package of Cheese Crackers for 35 GC, nibbling them slowly like she was eating just to stay grounded in reality.
The vending machine glowed faintly brighter with every transaction, almost as if it was feeding off their choices. Or their relief.
"This is the most normal thing we've had all day," Eli said, munching contentedly.
Aaron leaned back against the cold corridor wall, chewing slowly on his chocolate bar.
"Yeah," he said softly. "Which probably means tomorrow's going to be worse."