I sigh and roll my shoulders, "Where else can I go to get food but here, right?"
Fenn snorts, ears flicking. "You'll fit in just fine."
Doubtful.
She tugs me fully past the threshold into the Spirit Cafeteria.
It's… a lot.
Long tables.
Tiered seating.
Lanterns hanging overhead, flame colors shifting with the mood.
On the left:
a counter glowing with normal-ish food.
Rice. Soup. Bread. Stuff that looks like it won't talk back.
MORTAL MENU
(We Tried Our Best)
On the right:
a counter with actual flickering aura coming off the trays.
SPIRIT ENERGY CHOW
(No Refunds. No Regrets.)
Further back:
a bubbling, misty bar labeled:
ECHO SOUP
(We Are Not Responsible For What You Remember)
Yeah, absolutely not.
The system pops into view like a hovering judge.
⸻
[New Sub-Zone: SPIRIT CAFETERIA — FRONT LINE]
[Threats: Social Interaction / Sentient Lunch / Being Stared At]
[Tip: Start With Non-Screaming Food.]
⸻
"Good tip," I mutter.
Fenn steers me toward the Mortal Menu counter first, which I appreciate more than I'll ever admit out loud.
Behind the counter is… a guy.
Kind of.
Apron. Chef hat. No face.
Literally.
Just shadow where a head should be.
"Tray," he says, voice echoing from nowhere.
I take one carefully.
The dishes on the mortal side look pretty safe.
Mostly.
Roasted meat.
Rice.
Vegetables that aren't glowing.
Then my eyes land on a tray of noodles.
They shift.
Slowly.
One noodle raises itself and sways at me like a snake that's trying to threaten me but is extremely underpaid.
Fenn pokes my arm. "That's the Noodle Beast. Don't insult it."
Of course it has a name.
I give it the politest nod of my life.
"H-hello."
It… nods back.
Okay. That's enough of that.
I slide down the line.
A bowl of soup sloshes as I pass and lets out a long, suffering sigh.
"Ughhh. Another one," it groans. "What are you, trauma-flavored? Sit down, you look like unresolved issues."
I pretend not to hear it.
Fenn is absolutely shaking with suppressed laughter beside me.
The system flashes:
⸻
[Warning: Complaining Soup Detected]
[Effect: +5% Emotional Irritation If Consumed]
[Advice: Avoid While Mentally Fragile.]
⸻
"Great," I whisper. "Soup with opinions and passive aggression."
Next on the line is a plate of cookies.
They look normal… until one of them scoots closer to the edge of the tray.
"Pick me," it says sweetly. "You don't need self-control, you need comfort. Just one. Then another. And another. You'll never stop."
The sign above them reads:
ANTI-DIET COOKIES
(We Win)
I bypass that entire section like it's a minefield.
Fenn, traitor that she is, takes one.
The cookie purrs.
Of course it purrs.
She nudges me. "You sure you don't want one?"
"I would like to live," I say. "Preferably without losing a day in a sugar blackout."
I end up with:
rice,
non-glowing meat,
and a piece of bread that doesn't appear to be haunted.
This feels like an achievement.
The system agrees.
⸻
[Side Quest Progress: EAT WITH THE WOLF-SPIRIT]
Status: Food Acquired (Mostly Non-Hostile)
Bonus: +Small Respect From Your Digestive System
⸻
Fenn's tray is chaos.
Some roasted meat that absolutely still has aura on it.
Something that crackles when she moves.
A small bowl from the Spirit Energy section that is literally steaming in patterns.
"That's 32 hauntmarks," the guy behind the counter said. I stiffen.
"Hey, system." I whispered, "what in the afterlife is a hauntmark?"
⸻
[Scanning….]
[Answer: Hauntmarks are the Academy's currency.
Function: similar to mortal "dollars."]
I stiffen. I don't have none of that.
I reach for my pocket and feel something there.
I reach my hand out and let him take it.
"Keep the change," I say, smiling.
I've taken three heroic steps away before he shouts, "what is this!? Air? Pay up or return the food!"
I turn, dead serious. "No… that's vibes."
I pout my lips, making that 'mug face' I remember seeing on TokTik.
The guy's face contours in pure disgust and confusion.
I mean, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAUNT MARKS!? All I can do at this point is play it with confidence.
"Oh! I will pay for him. Here, 32 marks and some more for mine." Fenn says with a smile.
Nice save, Fenn!
I give her a thumbs up and she does a big one with a huge smile.
Deep inside? I have this lingering shame of making a girl pay for my meal.
We move away from the counter.
Now comes the real boss fight.
Where to sit.
The room is split into clusters.
Beast spirits loud and laughing along one side.
A group of witches has claimed a corner—
sparkles, charms, note-taking, possible explosions later.
Some ghosts float above their chairs instead of sitting.
Reapers are clustered nearer the back.
Silent. Controlled. Mira is not among them.
There are a few loners at edge tables—
heads down, eating quietly, existing in peace.
My people.
Fenn scans the room.
"So," she says, "where do you want to sit?"
Fenn watches me expectantly.
Tail swishing.
Tray in hand.
I noticed a giant panda spirit, already halfway through an entire mountain of food. He looks… extremely safe and extremely dangerous to interrupt.
He was surrounded by other beasts.
They're loud.
Laughing.
I noticed the panda spirit look toward Fenn, as if waiting for her to notice them.
"Hey, Fenn. Who are they?"
I tilt my head toward the group in the middle of the cafeteria.
Fenn follows my gaze.
"Oh," she says, tail giving a happy flick. "That's the beast-spirit bunch. First-years and some upperclassmen."
She points with her chin.
"That giant panda over there? That's Goro. He's… Goro."
That… is not an explanation.
Goro is huge.
Round.
Soft-looking.
Eyes half-lidded.
Currently shoveling food into his mouth like he's on a personal quest to end hunger by absorbing it.
He looks up mid-bite.
Spots Fenn finally noticing him.
Spots me.
Raises a paw and waves, slow and lazy.
Fenn waves back happily.
"Yo!" someone calls from their table. "Fenn! Bring the human!"
"The human" echoes across a few beast mouths.
My survival instinct raises a small, shaking hand.
They're… inviting me.
Not in the "fresh meat" way.
In the "join us" way.
I hope.
Fenn looks at me.
Her eyes are bright.
Tail swishing, but she doesn't move until I say something.
"I mean…" I murmur, "they seem… nice?"
"They are," she says simply. "Annoying sometimes. Loud. Eat too much. But good."
I think of Arc.
Of ice on the floor.
Of that look in his eyes when Fenn chose to drag me away.
I think of walking into this cafeteria alone later.
Yeah, no thanks.
"…Will being with them," I say, "make me less of a target for the ice princeling?"
Fenn's eyes sharpen.
"Yes," she says. "He won't try anything stupid if you're sitting with a mini-pack."
Mini-pack.
I look again.
Goro.
A fox spirit laughing with his feet on the bench.
A cat-spirit girl grooming her tail mid-conversation.
Someone with antlers trying to balance three cups on their horns.
A mini-pack of chaos… but the safe kind.
Mostly.
The system pings.
⸻
[Social Opportunity Detected: BEAST-SPIRIT TABLE]
Potential Benefits:
• Protection Aura (Informal)
• Bond Gains: Fenn, Goro, Others
• Reduced Chance Of Being Randomly Eaten (Slightly)
Potential Risks:
• Increased Attention
• Pack Dynamics (Unpredictable)
• Food May Be Stolen From Your Tray
⸻
I exhale slowly.
Do I take the chance?
Yes.
Yes, I most certainly can.
"Alright," I say. "If I die, at least I'll be buried in fluff."
Fenn grins, all canines and warmth.
"That's the spirit," she says, hooking her arm through mine before I can rethink my life.
She tugs me toward the center of the cafeteria.
Every step feels like walking deeper into a zoo where I'm the only underdeveloped specimen.
We stop at the beast-spirit table.
Up close, Goro is even bigger.
Up close, Goro's tray is even emptier.
He looks at me.
I look at him.
He blinks once.
"…Small," he rumbles.
"Terrified," I answer.
He snorts, a soft puff of air.
"I like him," he decides.
The whole table relaxes.
Just like that.
Fenn nudges me into the spot beside her.
Goro shifts to give us more space, moving with surprising gentleness for something that looks like it could knock down walls by sneezing.
"Everyone," Fenn says, tail swaying, "this is Luka. Human. Alive. Mine."
I choke.
"Yours?" I hiss under my breath.
She blinks at me.
"Friend-mine," she corrects, a bit too late.
The distinction is not lost on anyone.
A fox spirit whistles.
"Oh-ho. Fenn brought someone she's claiming already."
"Shut it," she growls.
I sink a little lower in my seat.
"Hi," I say weakly. "It's nice to…meet you–all?"
My voice slowly died down as Goro slowly leans his huge head on his paw, going closer to my face, studying me like I'm a puzzle piece mixed in the wrong puzzle.
"You sit," he says. "Eat. If anyone bothers you…"
His paw curls absently around the edge of the table.
The wood creaks.
"…they won't."
That was the most reassuring thing anyone has ever told me since coming here.
I believe him.
My shoulders loosen a fraction.
I take a bite of normal rice.
It tastes like food and not curses.
I might cry.
The system flickers into view.
⸻
[Side Quest Complete: EAT WITH THE WOLF-SPIRIT]
Reward:
• Bond EXP (Fenn) — Increased
• Minor HP & Stability Recovery
New Social Link Added:
GORO FANGFANG — STATUS: COMFORTABLE WALL OF PANDA
⸻
Across from me, the fox spirit leans in.
"So, human," he grins, "on a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to explode in class?"
"Don't encourage him," Fenn mutters.
I take another bite.
Swallow.
Consider my life choices.
"Honestly?" I say. "The system says three. My luck says eight."
Laughter breaks out across the table.
Just like that, the cafeteria feels a little less like enemy territory and a little more like… survivable chaos.
For the first time today, I'm sitting somewhere without immediate mortal peril breathing down my neck.
…Which means, naturally, that something is going to go wrong very soon.
As if on cue, the system hums.
⸻
[New Quest Available:]
"AFTER LUNCH, YOU STILL HAVE CLASS, YOU KNOW."
[Note: Enjoy This Brief Moment Of Peace. It Will Not Last.]
⸻
I slowly lower my chopsticks.
Of course.
Because why would it?
Fenn bumps my shoulder lightly, eyes bright.
"Eat," she says. "You'll need strength."
I have a feeling she's right.
But I also have a feeling that the second I stand up from this table, the Academy is going to throw another disaster at me.
Mira appears without warning.
One second I'm mid–chew, happily processing something roasted and suspiciously delicious.
Next second, a cold presence slides in at my side and a shadow falls over my tray.
I nearly swallow my own tongue.
"What in the Reaper!?" I choke, jerking upright.
Half the table tenses.
Fenn's ears snap up.
Goro pauses mid-bite.
A fox spirit actually drops his chopsticks.
Mira stands there.
Silent.
Expression unreadable.
Aura cold enough to refrigerate the entire cafeteria.
I am very quick to pretend I was absolutely not startled.
I straighten.
Smooth my uniform.
Fold my hands like a model student.
"Mira," I say, turning to her with my best innocent smile, "I have not seen you in a while."
Her eye twitches.
"I have been doing splendidly despite your absence," I add, gesturing proudly toward Goro, Fenn, and the others like I'm presenting a slide in a group project.
Goro lifts a paw in slow greeting.
Fenn leans into my side like "see, I kept him alive."
The fox spirit waves.
A few beast spirits suddenly find their food really interesting. Reaper aura does that to people.
Mira's gaze sweeps the table once.
Then returns to me.
"Splendidly," she repeats, flat.
The system pings.
⸻
[Reaper Supervision Detected.]
[Supervisor Mood: 'Deeply Unconvinced.']
[Recommendation: Do Not Brag.]
⸻
Too late.
Mira lists it out like a charge sheet.
"Since my 'absence,'" she says calmly, "you have:"
She raises a finger.
"Rejected a ghost."
Second finger.
"Entered the Echo Staircase unsupervised."
Third finger.
"Disrupted Spirit Biology."
Fourth.
"Offended a high-level ice spirit, Glaciem."
Her eyes narrow slightly.
"And are now sitting in the center of the Spirit Cafeteria as if you do not attract enough attention already."
I open my mouth.
Close it.
Yup. That… sounds bad when she puts it like that.
"Honestly?" I say. "When you summarize it that way, it sounds… worse than it felt."
Fenn snorts softly, trying not to laugh.
Goro rumbles something like, "He's not dead. That's good progress."
Mira ignores them.
"You were supposed to remain low-profile," she says. "Not collect… a pack."
Fenn bristles immediately.
"He didn't collect us," she snaps. "We're here because we want to be."
"Yes," Goro agrees lazily. "He sits. He eats. He is small and anxious. It's soothing."
"Thank you, Goro," I say. "I think."
Mira's gaze sharpens just a bit at "pack."
Her attention snaps back to me.
"Luka Vale."
Full name.
That's never good.
"Lunch is over. You have another class."
Ah.
There it is.
"Right," I say quickly. "Yes. Academia. Learning. My favorite extremely lethal activity. What is it this time? 'How Not To Die 102'? 'Advanced Avoiding Things'?"
The system pulls up my schedule before she answers.
⸻
[Upcoming Class: SPIRIT ETIQUETTE & INTERREALM CONDUCT]
Instructor: Miss Arabelle Crom
Location: Mortal Wing — Formality Hall 2
Note: "Do not slouch."
⸻
Oh no.
Oh no.
Mira confirms it a second later.
"Spirit Etiquette," she says. "Miss Crom requested your presence personally after reviewing your file."
That's never a comforting sentence.
Fenn makes a face.
"That class is stiff," she grumbles. "They made me practice not pouncing for forty minutes."
"Did you pass?" I ask.
"…No," she admits.
Figures.
Mira steps back just enough to indicate I should stand.
"You will come with me," she says. "If you are late, Miss Crom will attempt to correct your 'existence posture.'"
"Exis—what?"
"Do not ask," Mira says.
The system pops in, entirely too pleased:
⸻
[New Quest: SURVIVE SPIRIT ETIQUETTE]
Goal: Attend class without being psychologically disassembled by Miss Crom.
Bonus Goal: Learn at least one useful thing.
Reward: +EXP (Social Survival), Possible Title Progress
Penalty: Being Used As A Bad Example
⸻
I look at my half-finished tray.
At Fenn, still close, tail flicking in clear reluctance.
At Goro, who has achieved a meditative state with his food.
At the rest of the beast table, who are definitely listening but pretending not to.
I sigh.
"Duty calls," I mutter.
Then, louder, with a smile:
"Well. I suppose my time with food that has opinions must end now. Oh! Did I mention I have opinions too?" I pause. "Right. Never mind. Those were discarded the moment I got here."
Fenn huffs out a small laugh.
I push back my chair and stand.
Fenn's hand shoots out—grabbing my sleeve for just a second.
"Hey," she says, softer. "If Miss Crom tries anything weird, bite back."
"That feels like exactly the wrong thing to do in an etiquette class," I say.
She grins.
"Exactly."
Goro lifts his paw again. "Come back after," he rumbles. "We nap."
"Honestly," I say, "that's the best offer I've gotten today."
Mira clears her throat quietly.
Time's up.
I give the table a little awkward wave.
Then turn, falling into step beside Mira as she leads me away from the noise and warmth of the cafeteria.
The air cools as we leave.
Footsteps echo.
The Academy shifts from lively chaos back to looming ceilings, whispering wards, and the occasional haunted painting watching us pass.
The system hums at my side.
⸻
[Route Lock: REAPER SUPERVISION — ACTIVE]
[Next Stop: SPIRIT ETIQUETTE WITH MISS CROM]
[Emotional Forecast: 63% Embarrassment, 21% Confusion, 16% Unscheduled Trauma]
⸻
Fantastic.
We walk in silence for a few moments.
I glance at Mira.
She doesn't look at me, but her aura isn't as sharp as before.
It's still cold.
But less… jagged.
"You didn't have to come get me personally," I say. "Umbra could've just… sent a memo. Or a cursed pigeon. Or Nurse Sanguina."
It took a pause before I realized what I just said, "scratch that last part."
Mira's eyes stay forward.
"You wander," she says simply. "You find trouble. I am preventing that."
"So you were… worried," I say.
She pauses half a step.
Very small.
But I catch it.
"No," she says.
The system immediately contradicts her.
⸻
[Emotional Reading: Mild Concern Detected]
[Translation: "Yes, But She Will Die Before Admitting It."]
⸻
I hide a smile.
We turn a corner.
Ahead, the Mortal Wing shifts into something sharper:
polished floors,
tall doors,
frames that scream "you are being judged."
A plaque comes into view:
FORMALITY HALL 2 — Spirit Etiquette & Interrealm Conduct
Voices murmur inside.
Precise.
Controlled.
Mira stops at the door.
"This class," she says, "is not physically dangerous. But you will be… observed closely."
"You say that like it's new."
"This is different," she replies. "Miss Crom specializes in identifying… flaws."
"Wonderful," I say. "Can she start with the System and work outward?"
The System flashes, offended.
⸻
[Denied.]
[Also: Rude.]
⸻
I take a breath.
Hand hovering near the door.
"There's something you have to know," I smile knowingly at Mira, "I am a master of etiquette."
I turn to her with a wink. She stares at me with no reaction.
Somehow, that was worse than reacting negatively.
I push the door open.
"Luka Vale!"
A loud hoarse scream comes at me from beyond the door.
"That is not how you enter a room! Announce yourself, you imbecile!"
My shoulders crunch in.
There goes my confidence.