The dormitory was quieter than Aaron had expected—eerily so. The walls were a faded cream color, cracked in places, as though the building had aged a century in a single breath. The room he shared with Eli was small but decently kept: two beds, a creaky wooden wardrobe, a shared desk, and a dim ceiling light that flickered now and then like it was struggling to survive the weight of the atmosphere.
Aaron had collapsed onto the bed the moment they entered, exhaustion wrapping around him like a heavy blanket. After working in a nightmare restaurant, feeding things that shouldn't exist, every inch of his body ached. Even his bones felt tired. Eli had been just as drained—after devouring his late-night snack, he'd snored within minutes.
Aaron lay still in the dark, his breathing slowly evening out. But even as his body rested, his mind refused to settle. Flashes of the grotesque ghost diners, the smell of rot, the rubbery meat that twitched on the plates—it all swirled in his head.
Somewhere in the haze between sleep and consciousness, he heard something.
Rustle.
It was faint, barely noticeable.
Then, unmistakably, he felt something touch his leg.
Cold. Slimy. Inhuman.
His heart leapt into his throat.
The hand crept upward, its movements slow but deliberate—like it was tasting his fear through his skin. It slithered up his shin toward his thigh. The sheets shifted slightly under the pressure, though nothing was visibly there.
Aaron's eyes flew open.
The dormitory was dark, lit only by the weak moonlight filtering through the cracked window.
He sat up with a jolt, causing the old bedframe to creak loudly.
Eli stirred beside him, grumbling half-asleep, his hair sticking out at odd angles. "Are you sleepwalking, damn it?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Aaron didn't respond. He was scanning the room, heart racing. His gaze swept toward the slightly ajar dormitory door—it was open.
A rule came back to him instantly, burned into his memory from the orientation message:
"All players must keep their dormitory doors locked and closed during nighttime hours. Failure to do so will result in unwelcome visitors."
Aaron swallowed hard, reaching into his pendant. With a shimmer of light, the tiny humanoid figure—his Rule Breaker System—appeared for a moment, confirming his fear. The door being open was a breach of dormitory regulations.
Eli sat up now, too, blinking toward the door. "I swear I shut that..."
Aaron didn't wait. "Eye of Analysis," he whispered.
His irises glowed faintly gold for a split second, and the room transformed in his vision. In the corner near the door, barely visible in normal light, crouched a pale figure with long, distorted limbs. Its spine was arched at an impossible angle, head tilted sideways, mouth gaping as though it had been caught in the act of crawling forward.
Aaron's vision filled with a faint panel of text:
---
Ghost: Unregistered Dormitory Lurker
Strength: 15
Speed: 25
Weakness: Light & Movement Interruption
Behavior: Attacks sleeping players if doors are left open past midnight. Prefers slow, torturous methods.
---
Aaron clenched his jaw. He couldn't let Eli see it, not like this. With one hand, he reached for the desk lamp beside him and yanked it on, flooding the room with a soft yellow glow.
The crouching ghost hissed, retreating backward into the hallway with unnatural, spider-like movements. Then, as if it had never existed, it vanished—melted into the shadows.
Eli froze, jaw hanging open. "What the hell was that?"
Aaron got up and slammed the door shut, locking the bolt twice.
"You left the door open," he said, not with blame, but firm enough to make Eli pale. "That thing almost got us."
"I... I didn't mean to," Eli whispered, his hands trembling. "I just went out to throw away the snack wrapper and forgot to pull it shut. I didn't think—"
"It's fine," Aaron interrupted, voice steadier than he felt. "You're safe now."
There was a pause. Then a system ping echoed in both of their minds.
[Warning: Player Eli violated Dormitory Rule 3—Unsecured Entry after curfew.]
[Punishment Avoided: Protected by Destiny's Shield.]
[Eye of Analysis Used: +1 Experience Point.]
Aaron exhaled. So that's how it worked.
The cheat skill Destiny's Shield had once again interceded in his favor, sparing them the gruesome penalty of a ghost attack.
Eli collapsed back into his bed, covering his face with his hands. "I thought I was gonna die just now..."
Aaron sat down on the edge of his bed, the mattress creaking beneath him. "You probably would have, if I hadn't—" He paused. No point in rubbing it in.
"Look, just... don't do it again," he said, voice gentler now. "This place doesn't forgive carelessness."
Eli nodded. "Got it."
They sat in silence for a while, each digesting what just happened. Outside, the wind howled faintly through the cracked window, and a low groan echoed down the hallway—likely another ghost roaming the dorms.
Eventually, Eli broke the silence with a dry chuckle. "I can't believe we're celebrating vending machine food and narrow escapes from death."
Aaron smirked, the tension finally easing a little. "Welcome to Soulfire Kitchen."
---
They finally lay back down, but neither of them really slept again.
Aaron stared at the ceiling, reviewing everything in his mind.
But Aaron had something the others didn't: R.B.S. A system forged by his vanished parents, a beacon of light in this nightmare world. And with it, he planned to survive.
Whatever came tomorrow, he would be ready.