Whatever Jania was seeing. It was not reassuring… at all.
She woke up a few minutes ago, groggy and uncomfortable. Sleeping on her arm or being slumped against her bag hadn’t done her any favors. Her neck was stiff, her body ached, and a dull headache throbbed persistently. She scrunched her eyes, trying to focus. A hologram window hovered, its light cutting through the haze of her foggy mind. It popped up the moment she got up.
Notice
The Arrival Hall has been adjusted to accommodate the test additions. The new guests may now fully explore the welcoming itinerary, carefully designed to prepare them for what's ahead.
Welcoming itinerary? What would Jania even expect? She had no helpful information about the Arrival Hall.
The hologram flickered without warning, morphing into a new dispy containing her information, though some elements had changed.
Three panels alongside the small ghost were now shown to Jania. The left and right panels were narrower holograms, styled like stained gss windows that heavily reminded Jania of the ones in a church. The design featured a skull filled with sand and wilted flowers that almost covered the entire background.
However, what kept Jania’s attention was the center hologram, which remained in its tombstone shape.
Jania Amis
Arrival Hall 101 | Guest 7765
DAY 1 - DAY ??
Level: 1
Experience Points (0/1,000 EXP)
Age: 20
Pnet: Verd
[CORE STATS]
PERCEPTION
WILLPOWER
RESILIENCE
15
15
13
ENDURANCE
DEXTERITY
STRENGTH
8
10
9
?DESIGNATED TASKS
Core stats? Level one? Experience points? All of this was truly starting to sound like an RPG. She understood the general purpose of most of the stats, but she wasn’t certain how some of them would transte into real-life situations.
What did a stat-like perception mean? And resilience? Her endurance was quite low too. Just eight. Then again, what was the max stat?
The hologram somehow turned into an actual… status window.
“Can you tell me how my stats affect me?” Jania asked, testing out if the ghost would answer a common question.
The ghost was bobbing up and down beside the right panel. It raised its bnk sign, and words started to appear.
Please explore on your own, dear guest.
Another variation of the default answer. So, Jania could only assume. She cocked her head to the side, her eyelids lowering a little bit as she reflected. Hypothesis after hypothesis. She was itching to test some of them, but when she gnced at her stats again, she would probably not handle the aftermath. Well, if she survived.
Jania sighed and asked, “If I do the given tasks, I can increase my stats, right?” She looked over at the pulsing arrow at the bottom of the window.
Indeed. Complete your tasks. You may level up and enhance your stats.
Then, Jania’s schedule today was already pnned. She touched the text ‘Designated Tasks’ and her status window flickered, words changing into a series of tasks.
DESIGNATED TASKS
Esteemed Guest,
The tasks below have been curated to assist you in acclimating to your new surroundings and fulfilling your role within the Arrival Hall. Your participation is both appreciated and essential.
? Light up the Luminarium– Relight the 15 candles of the Luminarium.? Restore the Estate’s Elegance – Straighten and realign portraits within the Prologue Gallery.? Daily Sign-In – Return to the Threshold Parlor and inscribe your name into the Manor's Guest Ledger.
Please note: Tasks may vary based on the estate’s needs and your progress. Completion of these tasks is highly encouraged to strengthen your standing and readiness for what lies ahead.
Raising her left eyebrow, Jania read it again. She expected to have a long, challenging list of tasks, but it was a short list of tasks that were quite…mundane. Or tame even. However, navigating this horrific pce was already a hurdle, so Jania could take as many small blessings as she could get.
“Is this mandatory?” Jania asked the ghost.
No.
“No punishments or penalties?”
No.
Being an option didn’t deter Jania as she still had to do these to level up. She could also find some clues while at it. Well, let’s do this, Jania thought. It was relieving to know there wouldn’t be any negative impacts when she failed to complete one task.
For now, she needs to crify some points. The third task caught her attention. Daily sign-in.
“The threshold parlor is where I first woke up, right?” Jania assumed, based on the word return, because… where else should she return? All the pces she had stayed for a bit were alcoves and corners. Those weren’t close to being parlors.
Yes.
“Where is the Luminarium?”
Keep walking down this corridor, dear guest. The Luminarium awaits ahead.
Jania nodded at the response. “Does the Luminarium already have… an item to light the candles?” She furrowed her eyebrows as she thought of the next possible scenario. “Or do I have to find one myself?” With countless locked doors and mysterious creatures lurking, she didn’t want to search for a lighter or something.
You may find what you need in the Luminarium.
Good. At least, she only needed to find it in one area and not the whole pce.
“How about the Prologue Gallery? Where is that?”
Keep walking down this corridor, dear guest. The Prologue Gallery awaits ahead.
Jania’s left eye flickered in a wince at the simir response. “The Prologue Gallery and Luminarium are in the same direction?” she asked to make sure.
Yes.
“Are they close to each other?”
Yes.
“I just need to arrange all the portraits in the Prologue Gallery?” It was a questionable task. What was the purpose of it? Jania would probably ponder it more ter.
Yes.
Jania leaned back on the wall and tracked the dust particles as they slowly swirled in the air. She needed to decide. The Luminarium was ahead, but so was the Prologue Gallery. Two tasks, two destinations. If she had more time, she could go back to the Threshold Parlor after completing the two tasks, check the guest ledger, and figure out something useful.
What to do? She thought to herself. What would the others do? By others, she meant her friends. They would probably be in the same situation as her right now. Jania rubbed her fingers together, predicting her friends’ movements. Hazel would be brave, maybe too brave. She’d dive into the tasks without hesitation, reckless as ever. And Mae. Was she kidnapped to this pce? Jania wasn’t sure, but if she was, she’d be doing whatever suited her best. She wasn’t the type to follow instructions to a T. Richard… He probably wouldn’t do a single task. If Jania had to guess, he was holed up somewhere safe, waiting for things to blow over. Or at least, trying to. But after a day or two? He’d have no choice.
None of them had a choice. Not really.
She exhaled slowly and looked at the hologram and the floating ghost, which had a bnk stare. No care at all. No single thing would change her situation right now. Jania closed her eyes, bracing herself to tackle the Luminarium and the Prologue Gallery first. Then, continue moving and exploring. The more she mapped out this pce, the better her chances of surviving, and maybe finding a way out, would be.
She could do this. One task at a time. And if lucky, maybe she’d find the others along the way.
Jania straightened her back, willed away the hologram, and slung her shoulder bag over one side. She took out her sketchbook and pen, settling it on the floor where the moonlight was strongest, using its dim glow as her light source. Flipping to the page of her incomplete map of the Arrival Hall, she—
Completion of Mapping Achieved.The following sections have been successfully recorded:
Threshold Parlor → +10 EXP
Salle de Répit → +10 EXP
Midnight Hall → +10 EXP
Total Experience Gained: 30 EXP
"I get experience…for mapping?" Jania stared at the glowing window, thoughts spinning. That was… unexpected, but not unwelcome. If she could earn experience by exploring and mapping out this pce, then she had another reason to be thorough.
But, she did not exactly know which pce was which.
Jania refocused on the map she was working on and saw words she hadn’t written.
The bels were there, etched neatly onto the paper in an ink that wasn’t her own. Threshold Parlor. Salle de Répit. Midnight Hall. The names pulsed faintly.
Jania swallowed.
It was cool but creepy. This implied that the system could directly interact with her or her belongings. That it could alter things without her noticing.
She ran a finger over the ink, expecting the words not to smudge beneath her touch. They didn’t.
Just like the tattoo on her wrist.
Then, she looked back at the glowing notification, but before she could interact with it, it faded, dissolving like mist. Auto-dismissed.
"Alright," she muttered under her breath. She gnced down at her sketchbook, still open where she had left off, the inked map now showing the traces of her progress. Her fingers ran over the sketch again, trying to mentally pinpoint the st areas she’d explored yesterday.
With quick and decisive lines, she was done. No notification hologram popped out. No experience points, which probably meant this area’s yout was still not complete.
Jania carefully pced her things back inside her bag and made sure they were securely stowed. Looking at the contents of her bag, she decided to open a box, which was one of the boxes she bought before she got swept away into this nightmare, and took one macaron to munch on. For a moment, she closed her eyes, savoring the contrast between the crisp exterior and creamy filling. It tasted like home, like normalcy. But the comfort was fleeting.
Jania closed the box with a soft snap. She stood up, brushed off the specks of dust from her clothes, and moved over to the door. Approaching the door, Jania reached for the pnk blocking the doorway and gripped it firmly. She lifted the pnk away, setting it gently against the wall beside her. She took a step back and fished her phone out to check the time—5:36 AM.
Well, it’s the awakening hour, Jania thought. Should she be less afraid that it wasn’t 3 AM? What difference would it even make?
Then, she eyed the door. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, letting the air clear her mind and grounding herself. Don’t be afraid, Jania. Just believe everything is going to be okay, she pcated herself. Whatever y on the other side, she couldn’t let it stop her now.
Breathe the ground.
Jania took one final breath, holding it before releasing it with a steady, confident exhale. She stepped forward and carefully opened the door a little bit. Enough for her to peek through the small gap. When the hall was devoid of strange creatures, she opened the door wider and took a tentative step forward, easing the door shut behind her, the thud echoing faintly in the corridor.
A gnce around confirmed it. She was alone.
Jania began to walk forward with her fshlight on and let the light shine on the various markings that were the same patterns and symbols she had seen all over the previous paths. Alongside the walls, a series of empty frames hung haphazardly, some askew, leaving only the brittle wood to gather dust.
Further along the path, Jania halted at the sight before her: a forked path, splitting the corridor into two distinct directions: straight ahead and left. Both halls look the same. Jania darted her gaze between the two paths and squinted to look beyond her light’s range. Little light from the gaps in boarded windows can only allow you to see a little. Everything else was hazy bck and midnight blue.
Silhouettes of hall furniture could be made out. Then, a small shadow moved. This made Jania extend her hand out more so that her light could reach that area straight before her, but she could not see anything much. It not only armed Jania but also confused her because it was a shadow moving on top of a table, which Jania assumed to be.
Although it might be because she was staring in the dark for too long, this was already a reason for her to take a step toward the left path. She hoped this way would lead her to escape. If not, a clue to what this pce was. Or maybe the Prologue Gallery awaited down that direction.
While walking, she passed and encountered the same things, like everything in the Arrival Hall was copy-pasted. The only difference was the paths, the combination of furniture, yout, and number of doors. The markings seemed to be consistent and redundant.
A door from the left wall made her stop.
Out of all the doors she saw in the Arrival Hall, this one was distinct. It did have the same appearance, but this one had a familiar symbol embedded in the door. Big enough for Jania to notice it immediately.
The symbol on it was the same one Jania saw when she was in a sanctum. The symbol that was on the pilrs! She looked around to check if other doors had the same mark. Bnk.
Jania turned back to look at this special door and reached for the handle. Her fingers brushed against the cold metal, feeling the faint vibrations that pulsed through the door. She paused, scanning her surroundings one more time to make sure she wasn’t being watched. Slowly, she grasped the handle and turned it, applying gentle pressure.
The door didn’t open. She tried again, this time with more force, but still, it remained firmly shut.
As expected, it wouldn’t be that easy, especially since Jania thought the haven’s symbols back then were always glowing and only faded out when the timer ran out.
Nevertheless, she pced her hand on the door, feeling the cool surface, then pushed against it once more and scrutinized its frame and everything else to gauge if there were any hidden mechanisms she might be missing. Nothing. With no other options, she turned away from the door and began to walk further down the hallway. Should she have asked the ghost? They would give her a default answer again, but she would try ter when she was no longer out in the open. Staying in the halls too long was risky.
Step after step, she cautiously absorbed every detail, committing them to memory for ter. The endless stretch of the halls unsettled her. It made her feel that, sometimes, she was stuck in a loop. She made a sharp turn to the right and still did not feel a sense of relief, even if she could already see the end of the path, where doors awaited.
This was the first time she saw a double door in the Arrival Hall.
When she was in front of it, Jania checked the keyhole. Same as the ones she saw before. However, she still held the doorknob to see if it could be opened.
Before she could do so, a sudden breeze coated her body like frost. She stopped all her actions. She could feel her heartbeat rising to her ears.
Thump.
