What happens in the Departed Realm, Stays in the Departed Realm

My Friend Finds a Sandwich, I Find Existential Dread

The door closed behind them with a soft hiss, sealing out the misty quiet of the forest path.

Kai's first instinct was to check for traps. The place didn't look threatening—it looked like a luxury estate designed by a historian. The space ahead was an elegant blend of classic architecture and modern practicality. The entry hall stretched wide, ceiling arching overhead with clean lines and soft lighting embedded into the trim. Marble met steel in the floor beneath their feet.

Cole stepped inside first and looked around. "Okay, this is way nicer than I expected."

Kai followed, slower. "Not spooky at all. I hate how much that's making me more suspicious."

"Because it's not," Madeline replied. "Not everything in the afterlife is gothic and tragic."

"It could be tragic," James added, "but why would we try to be?"

Kai's gaze swept across the space. Wide staircases branched off left and right. A translucent display panel glowed to life on the far wall as they entered.

"Okay, but this is definitely more... mission control than haunted estate," Kai muttered.

Kiara nodded. "It's meant to be lived in. And worked in."

Cole glanced toward a side corridor, where what looked like a coffee station quietly blinked to life as they passed.

"Please tell me this place has snacks," he muttered.

Kai rolled his eyes. "He's been complaining about being hungry since we got here."

Cole shot him a look. "Valid question!"

Kiara nodded. "This realm doesn't follow mortal rules. Hunger's not required, but sensations like taste and comfort? They're still available."

James added, "The snacks are technically optional. But also emotionally necessary."

Cole looked around again. "Then I'm about to get very emotional if I don't find a sandwich soon."

Kiara gestured down the hall. "Why don't you both take a moment to look around? You both look responsible enough not to run into anything dangerous."

Kai gave her a flat look. "That sounds like a trap."

Madeline smiled innocently. "Only if you go looking for one."

Cole was already a few steps down the hall, peeking around the corner. "I see light. And something that smells like bread. That's all the permission I need."

Madeline turned to Kiara. "Should we give them the quick tour? Or let them wander?"

Kiara looked toward the long corridor, where Cole's voice was already echoing faintly from somewhere farther in. "Let them wander. We'll meet back in the common room."

James was already moving in the opposite direction. "I'll go check if the others made it back yet. If they're still out, we've probably got an hour before things get...louder."

"Don't cause trouble," Kiara called after him.

"No promises!" he shouted back.

Madeline watched him disappear up a stairwell before turning back to Kai. "You don't have to trust the place right away. But you can trust that no one here wants to hurt you."

"You sure this place is secure?" Kai asked

Kiara answered without hesitation. "We wouldn't have brought you here if it wasn't."

Cole reappeared with a half-eaten sandwich in hand. "I found a kitchen, and someone left the toaster out. It was fate."

Madeline raised a brow. "You realize we have designated areas for food consumption?"