A flock of grand, marble stairs led up to a glass doored lot which spilled golden chandelier lights onto the pavement outstretched in front.
The signboard said, "The GrandView Hotel".
Helio scoffed, folding his arms. "I mean... I understand that you told to beaware of 'anything' happening... But a hotel as the target dungoen is weird... Isn't it? Unless this is some wierd joke or it is really haunted. It doesn't even look haunted."
Aefia didn't reply, she simply walked up to the door and stepped in. Nada followed after, almost in the same manner.
He stood there on silence, then let out a deep humiliated sigh. Why is it always me in the awkward position where I 'am' the Squad Leader.
He jogged up the stairs to catch up with them, by then, Aefia was already at the information desk.
"You will need to be very cautious from here on," Nada warned when he came to stand beside her. "You do remember those absurd rules, don't you? And unless I or Aefia or Sasha says something, you can't act on your own."
He nodded in response, "and what about the others? How are they...?"
"If you are smart enough, a simple logic will come to your mind. Whenever you play a game, there are going to be different versions maybe, and in ones, you might even be exploring different genres... And if you are met with a haunted, it would mostly be hotel or factory. In this Victorian setting, the closest you can think of... Is a hotel." She explained.
A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "So... Is this thing haunted?"
"You could say partially. Apparently, dungoens are different fantasy worlds clashing by accident. This causes passages to form and we call them a 'wormhole' or a 'fizzure'. And for different worlds, different types of dungoens emerge. Like in this one, its a hidden operating hotel which has some 'paranormal' activity going on. This activity has messed with this worlds core... And unless the core is destroyed, this world can't go back to how it was... And will get destroyed because of that 'activity'."
Helio turned his head slightly to Nada. "And how does the core cause the dungoen entrance to appear in another world?"
"Because the core has a barrier cast around it that allows a safe passage to a safe world to appear just so that before the world collapsed, the people or—truthfully—thr NPCs can save themselves. And this is also as an oppurtunity for powerful people or magic users from the other world to come in and solve the paranormal 'activity'. In return for helping to get rid of it, the dungoen grants you a rare artifact—or in rare cases, artifacts—at the end of the battle. It is like a thank you and a compensation."
"Riiight... But then where are this world's heroes then?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "Why a bunch of outsiders dealing with this?"
"It is solely because some world don'thave that kind of fantasy. Much like Earth. We call those worlds, 'reality' or a 'weak realm'. Unlike in Nikoan which has magic and elements... Worlds like the one we are currently in, are not also so stable. Anything can wipe out humans and destroy this. Even a small asteroid can deform the planets shape."
Nada turned her head slightly at him. "You did ask what is a 'paperback dungeon' when Fia was speaking about it."
"Yeah..."
"You know how on webtoons and webnovels we see dungoens were a portal appears and we just have to defeat the boss and leave with rare artifacts and maybe a system to support us. But we also have dungoens in paperback books too. And those dungoens are different compared to the normal ones that everyone else in our generation might know."
"Oh..."
"And the thing about the 'second dungoen being first'... Just so you know, we are in a novel. She was just saying... The plot had changed quiet a lot the past few weeks." She said with just enough caution to make sure he wasn't shocked or anything. But he looked just fine knowing it.
"I had expected that much. Though I don't know which world or what universe we are living in." He answered, letting out a sigh.
"It is understandable. Since apparently, only me, Sasha and Fia knows the story."
"Wait—three of you?!" His eyes widened. "Isn't it normally just one of us? But considering fifteen humans of us transmigrated..."
"It is simply because all this was written in a book series with only three books in total including sequel. I have the protagonist point-of-view, Sasha has a minor antagonist point and Aefia has the main story." Nada looked straight ahead, watching as an NPC pointed Aefia towards a particular door, and her eyes followed.
"Is that..." He opened his mouth to say, but nothing else came out. Is that what Sasha and Fifteen discussing that day when I caught them by the dorms?
He diverted his thoughts after that, looking down at the floor. "So who is the protagonist?" He asked under his breath.
"...Me." Nada replied, her voice dropping an octave.
"And that minor antagonist?"
She looked away from Aefia's back, staring guiltily. "It think it would be better if you didn't know," she said. Besides, she and he are enemies at each-others throats. Who knows what he will do to Aefia after he knows that it is Fia who is described that way in the novel.
In that split second, a few lines crossed her mind. And she immediately shut her eyes, trying to force the memory away.
"So then... What about me?" He finally asked after a long moment of silence.
"What about you?"
"Was I... in the novel?" He looked at her direction.
Nada hesitated. "You were... just two lines. One as a Squad Leader, the other as a healer. Though you are a completely different person from what the novel said you were. Though you weren't in the main story or the antagonist point-of-view. So apparently... No."
He sighed. "That... relieves me."
"You both alright?" Aefia asked, walking up to them while holding three identity cards. "What are with those grim faces?"
Nada took a step forward. "What did you get us, Fia?"
She looked down at her hands. "Just cards for the auction house. You know what we are."
"But how do we get to the auction house? This is a hotel." Helio stepped in, looking down at his own. It was written... 'worker'. He winced a bit, dramatically. My ego... Has been hurt.
"This is a hotel. But it has underground levels which lead to an opera-theatre like stage with audiences around. I heard that the other participants have arrived." She whispered.
Helio's eyes narrowed. "Why is it only you whom I don't get? How do they know about the other participants?" He looked up over her shoulder towards the person in-charge—who was already gone.
Aefia looked towards Nada first, who nodded. Her eyes then tracked past Helio as she began to walk towards a secret passage.
"In case you don't know... That NPC was the paranormal 'activity'. They are the auctioneer." She replied over her shoulder as she pushed a small section of the wall.
The entire brick structure moved, lifting upwards to reveal a dark hallway that led to a dim light source at the end of it.
As soon as they stepped in, the wall went back to place and slammed shut, debris flying a bit at the sudden movement.
Well... this is a 'paranormal activity'. Helio thought to himself while looking around.
Walking forward, they entered a different much quieter setting. Red carpet covered the whole floor that muffled the sounds of their steps. Stairs were grand and led up to many double-doored rooms in the dim light. There were no other rooms or tables at the ground floor they were at.
There was also no one in sight—except for a few servants wearing black and white tailcoats walking around with trays maybe.
"Wow..." Nada gasped, looking around. "It is way better then I had read in the novel!"
Helio shoved his hand into his pockets, turning his head nervously to take in the area. "I don't know... It looks kind of... empty? And that is scary."
Aefia turned her head over her shoulder. "Do you have kenophobia?" She raised an eyebrow.
Helio folded his arms, looking away nervously. "What it I do?!"
She laughed. "Oh that is embarrasing then! Glad you even brought it out—ow!" She rubbed the back of her head where Nada had slapped her.
Helio held a fist in front of his mouth, wheezing back a laugh.
Aefia glared at him, but still smirked. "Alright alright... I have made a mistake. However, we can't deny that he is a helpless little scaredy cat who might just ask us to carry him to a safe place."
He immediately froze, "what... did you say?"
"Hm? I don't know." She shurgged back, dodging another strike from Nada. "Maybe that you are still a baby who gets furious when not provided a bottle for comfort. Do you want me to search for a teddy maybe?"
"Aefia!"
Helio pulled his hands out of his pockets, a vein budging at his forehead. "And what about you? You are like a worm in a forest who finds some interesting lights and say, 'that is the sun'... You are way worse then me."
"Pfft! Don't make me laugh! At least I am smarter than you who keeps asking questions after questions even if it is a crime!" Aefia shot back.
Helio gasped in surprise, "shut up! You are trying to get me murdered!" Then, he paused for a while, a smug look taking over his face. "But really... If it weren't for that novel... you would be dumb. You would be an idiot!"
Aefia turned silent for a long, uncomfortable time. Her hands clenching into fists at either sides.
"There... Is a limit you know..."
Helio scoffed. "Yeah yeah... Of course there are limits for idiots like you!"
Nada sighed, slamming her palm onto her forehead. "And here we go..."
Aefia lunged forward, her hands reaching out to grab his throat. "You pest! I am an idiot you say?! And how smart are you?!"
Mid-way, Nada caught her from behind. "I am so done. Helio, take back what you said."
"Let me go, Nada! This Sunny Pest has crossed a line! He said I am an idiot!" She squirmed in her cousin's arms. "And ugh! That blonde hair of his is blinding me!"
Helio moved his hand over to his hair, holding it while looking at her with a disbelieving look. "What?! What did my hair ever do to you?! Why are you bring up about hairs?!"
"Because I want to! And you are the one who started it! You can't even take a joke!" Aefia shot back.
"And you?! We are in a dungoen and you are here picking a fight with me!" He shouted back, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
Aefia immediately stopped. Slowly, she pulled away from Nada's arms and stepped away.
"Sorry about that," she bowed her head a bit.
Helio looked at her, baffled. "That... Easy?! That easy to calm her down?! What is she?!"
"She values work over her enemies," Nada sighed. She straightened her wrinkled clothes with her hands, then at Aefia's back.
She was already climbing up the stairs to the second floor.
"I am starting to think Sasha's hit to her head has damaged something... Seriously!" Helio said after a long time to Nada.
She laughed in reponse. "Funny that. But truly... Fia has a weird temper normally."
"I don't need explanations to prove that."
"And she is usually a very calm kid."
"Ye—what?!" He looked at Nada, furrowing his brows in confusion.
She let out a breath. "Aefia... Has a very harsh story to tell. Her background and her temper comes from the constant threaths she face on a daily basis and from deep frustration.
"From her childhood to now, I haven't seen a day that she hasn't had a tantrum. Things have been progressively getting worse as she age."
"And does that include getting distracted mid-work?" Helio asked with a tilt of his head.
"Oh that," she said. "That is the only thing I haven't been able to tell myself. She has been feeling a little pale and unhealthy the past couple or more months. I don't even know anymore... I think it is all that pent up emotions. But it doesn't make you look so sick."
Helio felt a tremble go down his arms. "Well it is not like no one has pent-up emotions inside of them. We all once in a while do."
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First draft: 09.11.2025
Rewritten: 30.09.2026