Ethan didn't sleep.
He closed his eyes.
That was different.
Actual sleep never happened.
Every time he drifted off, he saw Platform Three.
The ghost.
The shadow behind the cracks.
The warning.
Do not open the door until you're strong enough.
By sunrise, he gave up entirely.
---
"You look terrible."
Lily dropped into the chair opposite him.
A bowl of cereal in one hand.
A spoon in the other.
Ethan rubbed his eyes.
"Good morning to you too."
"I'm serious."
"I know."
She studied him for several seconds.
Then pointed.
"Dark circles."
"Thanks."
"You look like a zombie."
"Thanks."
"You probably need help."
"Thanks."
Lily grinned.
"You're welcome."
---
Normally Ethan would argue.
Today he was too tired.
Because floating in front of him was a blue screen.
---
[Mana Regeneration Complete]
Current Mana: 10/10
---
He quickly looked away.
The screen vanished.
At least that part was convenient.
Nobody else seemed able to see it.
---
School felt strange.
Not because anything unusual happened.
Because everything felt too normal.
Students complained about exams.
Teachers assigned homework.
People talked about sports.
Meanwhile Ethan spent half the day wondering if ghosts were real.
---
At lunch he sat alone near a classroom window.
A notebook lay open in front of him.
Instead of studying, he was making a list.
---
Ghosts exist.
System exists.
Platform Three exists.
Hidden Door exists.
Shadow creature exists.
---
The list looked insane.
If someone else found it, he'd probably be sent to therapy.
---
A notification appeared.
---
[New Host Advice]
Meditation improves mana control.
---
Ethan blinked.
"What?"
A few nearby students glanced at him.
He immediately pretended to cough.
---
The screen remained.
Patiently waiting.
---
Meditation?
That sounded disappointingly boring.
---
After school, curiosity won.
---
Ethan sat on his bed.
Crossed his legs.
Closed his eyes.
And attempted meditation.
Nothing happened.
Five minutes passed.
Still nothing.
---
Then suddenly—
A strange sensation spread through his body.
Warm.
Gentle.
Like sitting beneath sunlight.
---
His eyes opened.
The room looked the same.
Yet somehow different.
Sharper.
Clearer.
---
A new screen appeared.
---
[Mana Sense Unlocked]
---
"What does that even mean?"
---
The answer arrived immediately.
---
Focus.
---
Ethan stared.
The system was getting annoyingly direct.
---
Still...
He focused.
---
At first he saw nothing.
Then tiny lights appeared.
Faint blue particles drifting through the air.
Hundreds of them.
Maybe thousands.
Floating invisibly around the room.
---
His breath caught.
The particles were everywhere.
Passing through walls.
Passing through furniture.
Passing through him.
---
The moment his concentration broke, they vanished.
---
For several seconds Ethan sat motionless.
Trying to process what he'd seen.
---
The world hadn't changed.
He had.
Just slightly.
---
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
---
"Ethan."
Lily's voice.
"Come here."
---
"What?"
---
"You need to see this."
---
Something about her tone made him stand immediately.
---
He walked into the living room.
Lily pointed toward the television.
The local news was playing.
A reporter stood outside Riverside Station.
Police tape blocked part of the entrance.
Several officers were visible in the background.
---
Ethan froze.
---
"...what happened?"
---
The reporter continued speaking.
---
"Authorities have not released many details."
"However, sources confirm that a station employee failed to report for work this morning."
"Family members have been unable to contact him."
---
Ethan's stomach tightened.
---
Missing.
Another person was missing.
---
And once again...
The last confirmed location was Riverside Station.
---
The broadcast continued.
Most viewers probably forgot about it within minutes.
Just another news story.
Just another disappearance.
---
Ethan couldn't.
Because this time he knew something everyone else didn't.
---
The station wasn't normal.
Platform Three wasn't abandoned.
And whatever hid beneath it...
Was getting stronger.
---
That night, as Ethan prepared for bed, the pocket watch suddenly opened by itself.
---
Click.
---
The sound echoed through the room.
Ethan froze.
Slowly, he looked down.
---
The watch sat on his desk.
Open.
---
Inside, where the faded photograph had once been...
A map was now visible.
---
A map of Riverside Station.
---
And a single red mark pulsed near Platform Three.
---
Directly beneath the tracks.
---
Exactly where the hidden door was supposed to be.