Phased out

The tension in Ethan's shoulders slowly faded as he sat at the dining table, a warm plate of food in front of him. For the first time since entering this hellish game, he felt something strange, something almost… normal.

Samuel sat beside him, already digging into his plate, muttering something about how he hadn't realized how starving he was.

Across the table, the rest of the group was buzzing with energy—talking, laughing, teasing each other. It was the kind of scene that felt completely out of place in a world like this. And yet, in this moment, it felt right.

Milo leaned back in his chair, twirling an apple in his hand as he smirked. "Alright, serious question for everyone—if you could bring one thing from the real world into this place, what would it be?"

Harper rolled her eyes. "That's easy. My phone."

"Pfft," Milo scoffed, waving his apple around. "Boring. I meant something useful."

"It is useful," Harper shot back. "I'd record everything. Proof that this insane place exists. Plus, I could Google 'how to not die in an alternate dimension.'"

Milo placed a hand on his chest. "Oh wow, groundbreaking survival tactic. I can't believe we didn't think of Google before."

The table chuckled as Harper threw a piece of bread at him, which he dodged with a dramatic head tilt.

"If I could bring anything," Tobias started, adjusting his glasses, "I'd bring a fully stocked library. That way, we could—"

"Boooooring," Milo interrupted.

Tobias frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Bro, a library? You know what I'd bring? A lifetime supply of chocolate milk. Tell me that wouldn't slap."

Tobias stared at him, completely unimpressed. "Chocolate milk? That's your great survival tool?"

"Hell yeah," Milo grinned. "I'd be hydrated and happy."

"You do realize that milk spoils, right?" Tobias deadpanned.

Milo shook his head. "Not if it's in, like, one of those infinite supply things. You know, magic milk."

Zara, who had been sipping on water, choked from laughter. "Magic. Milk?"

"Yeah, like, it never runs out, never expires." Milo shrugged. "Look, I don't wanna live in a world where I can't have chocolate milk."

Tobias rubbed his temples. "I have lost brain cells just from this conversation."

Alice giggled, leaning into Ethan. "You know, I think Milo just broke Tobias."

Ethan smirked. "Milo breaks all of us. It's just a matter of time."

Alice didn't move from Ethan's side.

While the others were engaged in playful arguments and dumb debates, Alice sat quietly beside him, close enough that their arms nearly touched.

She didn't talk much, but she didn't need to.

Every now and then, she'd glance at him, as if making sure he was okay. She'd steal small bites of food from his plate when she thought he wasn't looking. And when he caught her, she'd just smile innocently, like she hadn't just stolen his fries.

Ethan didn't mind.

But someone else did.

Across the table, Riley watched.

He wasn't glaring. He wasn't pouting. But there was a subtle shift in his expression—his jaw tightening slightly, his smile dimming whenever his eyes landed on Alice sitting so comfortably next to Ethan.

But he said nothing.

Instead, he forced himself to focus on the others, laughing along with their ridiculous antics, but his mind kept drifting back to Alice.

Derek, who had been enjoying his food in peace, suddenly groaned.

"Bro, can we talk about the fact that Owen won't eat anything fun?"

Owen, the designated resource manager, looked up from his plate, unimpressed. "I'm just being responsible."

Lena, sitting across from him, smiled. "But we literally have unlimited food here. Live a little."

Owen sighed. "Fine." He reached for a chocolate bar on the table.

The entire table cheered.

"HE DID IT!" Milo threw his hands up dramatically. "Owen has finally chosen chaos!"

Owen took a bite, chewing carefully. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Alright. Not bad."

Derek shook his head. "Damn, man. You eat like you're paying taxes on every bite."

The table burst into laughter again.

As the laughter continued, Ethan and Samuel finally let themselves enjoy their meal.

The weight of what they had seen—the impossible tower stretching beyond the sky, the way it had been hidden from them until now—still lingered in the back of their minds.

But for now…

They let themselves breathe.

For now, they let the laughter drown out the questions.

For now, they let themselves enjoy the rare peace.

Because deep down, they both knew—

It wouldn't last forever.

The dining hall was still buzzing with laughter and playful arguments, but somehow, the conversation took an unexpected turn.

Milo, ever the instigator, leaned forward with a mischievous smirk.

"Alright, I gotta ask—does anyone else feel like Lena is just 'Alice Lite'? Like, Alice 2.0, but with fewer premium features?"

The table erupted into laughter.

Alice, who had been casually sipping her drink, nearly choked.

Lena, sitting across from her, narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

Milo grinned. "I mean, think about it. Both of you are blonde, both are weirdly pretty, but Alice has that 'main character energy,' y'know?"

Alice wiped her mouth, smirking. "Oh, so I'm the deluxe version? Good to know."

Lena scoffed. "More like the overpriced one."

Derek, enjoying the chaos, leaned in. "Yeah, but some people like the budget-friendly option."

The table howled.

"Okay, rude." Alice placed a hand over her chest in mock offense.

Lena shrugged, a smug look on her face. "Hey, some guys like blondes, but they don't wanna deal with all the emotional attachment."

Samuel, still chewing his food, chuckled. "You mean Ethan."

The entire table went silent for two seconds before bursting into laughter again.

Ethan, who had been peacefully eating his meal, froze mid-bite.

Slowly, he turned his head. "Excuse me?"

Milo slammed the table, laughing. "BRO, SHE CALLED YOU WHIPPED WITHOUT EVEN SAYING IT!"

Alice smirked at Ethan, resting her chin on her palm. "Well… he is stuck with me."

Ethan sighed dramatically. "I hate this conversation."

Riley, who had been sitting quietly, finally cleared his throat.

"For the record, I think Lena's still a solid choice."

A few people oooh'd at that, while Lena gave a victorious smirk.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then why are you always staring at me?"

Riley nearly choked on air. "I—That's—What?"

Milo grinned, leaning back. "Ladies and gentlemen, we got him."

As Riley buried his face in his hands, the table exploded into uncontrollable laughter.

Meanwhile, Ethan just shook his head.

This group was absolutely ridiculous.

But for some reason…

It was kind of nice.

The conversation at the table had spiraled into full-on chaos, with Milo leading the charge in turning Alice and Lena into rival blonde contenders.

Lena, still holding her "Alice Lite" title over her head, smirked confidently. "Honestly, I don't even mind being the alternative option."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Alternative? That makes it sound like I'm some kind of expensive luxury car and you're the economy rental."

The table erupted into laughter.

Lena, undeterred, flipped her hair dramatically. "Please. Some people prefer a car that won't break down emotionally every five miles."

"Ohhhhhh!" Derek laughed, nearly spitting out his drink.

Alice tapped her chin. "That's cute, Lena. Really. But tell me—who exactly picked you over me?"

Lena opened her mouth—then hesitated.

The silence was brutal.

Milo slammed the table. "YO, SHE GOT YOU GOOD!"

Even Tobias cracked a rare smirk. "Statistically speaking, Alice does have a point."

Lena scoffed, crossing her arms. "Riley did."

All heads immediately swiveled toward Riley.

Riley, mid-drink, immediately choked. "W-WHAT?!"

Alice smirked, tilting her head. "Oh? So now you are admitting you like blondes, huh?"

Riley looked around the table, panicking. "I—That's not—You guys are twisting this! I never—!"

Milo grinned. "Bro, you walked right into that one."

Lena, now extra smug, leaned back. "See? Someone appreciates me."

Alice just shrugged, her voice light and teasing. "Yeah, but only because he knows I'm already taken."

Ethan, who had been quietly eating his food, completely detached from the insanity, suddenly froze mid-bite.

He turned his head very, very slowly toward Alice.

"...Excuse me?"

Milo immediately lost his mind. "NAH, SHE REALLY JUST SAID THAT CASUALLY?!"

Derek burst out laughing, clutching his chest. "Bro, that's wild!"

Riley looked utterly defeated. "I hate this conversation."

Samuel, who had been quietly observing, finally leaned in and muttered, "So when's the wedding?"

Ethan dropped his fork. "I hate all of you."

Alice, meanwhile, just sat there with a smug, innocent smile, sipping her drink like she hadn't just declared Ethan hers in front of the entire table.

Milo wiped a fake tear. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first power couple."

The entire table howled in laughter, while Ethan just sat there, head in his hands, accepting his fate.

But despite all the chaos…

For the first time in a while, it felt like things were okay.

Like this moment mattered.

Like they could actually laugh, even in a world built to break them.

And maybe, just maybe…

That was enough for now.

The dining hall was still recovering from the absolute wreckage of laughter that had just taken place. Ethan had buried his face in his hands, Riley looked like he had just lost a battle he didn't even sign up for, and Alice?

Alice just sat there, smiling like an innocent angel who had just dropped a nuke and walked away.

And then, Samuel sighed. Loudly.

He turned to Milo, his expression one of pure, exhausted disappointment.

"Milo."

Milo blinked. "Yeah?"

Samuel gestured vaguely at the disaster that had unfolded. "You started this. You set a tiny spark… and turned it into a wildfire."

Milo grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, I know. And it was beautiful."

Ethan groaned. "Bro, why are you like this?"

Milo shrugged. "Chaos is fun, Ethan. I'm just here to make the suffering enjoyable."

Tobias, who had been sipping his water, shook his head. "You're an agent of destruction."

"And yet, somehow, you all love me for it," Milo replied, winking.

Samuel sighed again, rubbing his temples. "One day, your mouth is gonna get you killed."

Milo smirked. "Yeah, but not today."

Alice giggled, looking at Samuel. "Admit it, though. It was funny."

Samuel gave her an unamused look. "Yeah, sure. But now Riley's gonna have an identity crisis, Ethan's suffering, and you've basically declared him your husband."

Alice tilted her head innocently. "Did I?"

Samuel squinted. "Don't play dumb. You knew exactly what you were doing."

Alice sipped her drink. "Did I, though?"

Ethan groaned, grabbing a piece of bread and tossing it at her. "Stop playing mind games, woman."

Alice caught it effortlessly. "Why? It's fun."

Riley, who had been in silence for far too long, finally sighed and muttered, "I need therapy."

Milo burst into laughter. "Bro, we ALL need therapy."

The table exploded again.

Samuel just sat there, shaking his head.

"This is why we can't have nice things."

The hotel dining hall had finally started calming down after the absolute chaos that had unfolded. Plates were nearly empty, cups half-full, and even Milo had stopped talking long enough to eat.

Ethan pushed his plate aside and leaned back in his chair, letting out a small sigh. For the first time in forever, he actually felt full.

Samuel stretched his arms, glancing at the massive windows lining the walls. Outside, the city was bathed in an otherworldly glow, the neon lights reflecting off the pavement, stretching into infinity.

Then, he spoke.

"I wonder what time it is…" he mused, looking at the deep, dark sky. "Feels late."

Nathan, who had been in the middle of laughing with Derek and Owen, suddenly turned serious.

He stood up, crossing his arms, and looked around the table.

"Alright, since I'm the one who found this place, y'all should thank me."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Milo wiped his mouth dramatically. "Oh, thank you, Lord Nathan, provider of shelter, giver of beds, bringer of food."

Harper smirked. "Yeah, yeah. We get it, Nathan. You want a medal or something?"

Nathan grinned. "No, just a little appreciation."

Derek scoffed. "Bro, you found a building. You didn't build it with your bare hands."

Lena chimed in with a smirk. "For real, you're acting like you discovered fire or something."

Nathan held up a finger. "Okay, but did YOU find it? No. I did. Therefore, I'm still the MVP."

Tobias, adjusting his glasses, muttered, "MVP of what, exactly?"

Milo grinned. "Of being full of himself, obviously."

The table burst into laughter again, and Nathan threw up his hands.

"You know what? Never mind. Y'all are ungrateful."

Alice giggled. "Oh, come on. We appreciate you, Nathan."

Nathan sighed dramatically. "See? Alice gets it."

Ethan, who had been quietly sipping his drink, finally chimed in.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for finding the hotel, Nathan." He smirked. "Not that I needed one, but sure."

Samuel laughed, shaking his head. "Here we go."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Alright, Mr. Rooftop Philosopher, you're welcome too."

The room settled into soft chuckles, but then Nathan straightened up, his expression shifting slightly.

His voice was more serious now.

"Alright. Jokes aside, I have an idea."

Everyone looked at him.

"We've all been cooped up in here, eating and arguing," he said, glancing toward the windows. "But the main event? The real prize?"

He grinned.

"The view from the top."

Silence.

Then, Derek leaned forward. "You mean the rooftop?"

Nathan nodded.

"I went up there earlier. Trust me, the view is insane. This city? At night? It's like nothing you've ever seen before."

Alice's eyes lit up slightly. "That sounds… kind of amazing."

Samuel smirked. "We did just eat like kings. Might as well enjoy the sights too."

Milo clapped his hands together. "Alright, squad. Field trip to the roof. Let's go."

The energy shifted again.

For once, everyone was excited about something.

And as the group started gathering their things and preparing to head up, Ethan sat there for a moment—just watching.

Watching how, for just a little while, they were acting like normal people.

And maybe, for tonight… that was enough.