Unreal

Victor walked out of the room believing that the events in the dreamland would never come true. He opens the door with the first plan of meeting Daniela, the owner of the boarding house. He thought Daniela would be at his guard post as usual, in the lobby, first floor.

When Victor just came out of the room and was about to close the door again, he was surprised to see a woman who looked a lot like Ox in his dream. The woman had just come from the kitchen and was about to enter her own room. Room number 30.

The difference between the woman in the dream and the woman in front of him at this time is dressed more modestly so as not to invite sexual arousal. This woman also did not wear red lipstick like in his dreams.

Victor stopped at the door and stiffened.

"Hi," the woman greeted first and then walked over.

"You must be the new resident that Dan told me about," the woman said and mentioned Daniela briefly.

"Why stand here with such an expression? Did you see a ghost?" the woman looked back.

"You saw a ghost?"

Victor shook his head. It dawned on him that the Ox he had seen before was just a dream. Hence, his form became absurd resembling a fox.

This woman in front of me must be just a human being, Victor whispered to himself to reassure himself.

Victor felt stupid. Indirectly, he thought he had insulted the woman in front of him.

"Sorry, I was surprised that there were other residents on the second floor. During this time I almost never met anyone. Introduce my name Victor," Victor said.

"Oh, no wonder your expression is so. You must have thought I was a ghost, right?" the woman said and laughed.

"You're funny," he joked. "My name is Ox. It's nice to get to know you Victor."

Victor tried to hide his surprise. Not only is the face the same, but the name is the same. To prevent his fears from returning, Victor convinces himself that his dream will never come true. Impossible any phantom in this world, Victor said, reprimanding himself.

"Where are you going?" Ox asked. Her round eyes were shining. She is shorter than Victor, so she has to look up when talking to Victor. This height difference made Victor realize that Ox in his dream had the same height as him. So Victor became ashamed of himself, convinced that his stupidity had almost mastered him.

"I want to see Daniela," Victor said. He has become more relaxed now that he is sure that nothing bad will happen.

"Oh, Daniela is in the kitchen. I just met her. Then I went to my room to get coffee. I keep coffee in my room for fear that if I keep it on the shelf in the kitchen, someone else will finish it before I enjoy it," Ox said, then laughed in embarrassment.

"You want it also? Let me bring a lot of it," added Ox.

Victor did not refuse.

Ox walked into her room to get her coffee, while Victor went straight into the kitchen. Victor was relieved that Ox was speaking honestly. Daniela was eating bread in the kitchen. It seems to be a jam bread made by herself.

"Hi, Victor. I'm here because the bread burner on the first floor is controlled by Wildo. I don't want to argue with him. You don't mind if I'm here, right?" Daniela said, her annoyance on her face.

Of course not. Daniela is the owner of the boarding house, she can be anywhere.

"Wildo? Who is Wildo?" asked Victor as he sat down on a chair made of iron. The chair was quite heavy.

"He's a guy who likes to wear a mask when he leaves the room. You have crossed paths with him, have you never been acquaintances?"

Victor remembered the man. He had already crossed paths with the cold man who hid his face behind a mask.

"Yes. I remember him."

"Are you afraid of him?"

"A little bit."

Daniela nodded. "I understand, because he wears a skull mask, right? He's another crazy man who is renting a room in my house," Daniela exhaled as if disappointed.

"Why did he do that?"

"Don't know. I didn't ask," Daniela said. "Want bread?"

"Thank you," Victor said to refuse.

Daniela handed him a plate full of bread. There are six pieces.

Victor hesitated to pick it up.

"Just take it. When it runs out, I will burn it again," Daniela said, then pointed to her white bread that was near the bread burner. The stock is still half.

"Thank you," Victor said and then accepted. He took one piece and didn't apply jam.

"Don't like peanut jam?"

Victor shook his head.

"How about bitter coffee? Do you likes it?" Ox appeared among them.

Daniela raised her finger, "I like it," she said.

"I know," Ox said. "I'm questioning Victor," she said, then being gentle with Victor.

"Oh, I have no problem with bitter coffee," Victor replied.

"Okay, I'll make it for three people," Ox said.

The sound of the coffee grinder stopped the conversation between them. The smell of ground coffee seemed to wake Victor up from a nightmare. He looked at the window. In that kitchen there are two windows on the right side.

"That aurora... do you know what it is?" asked Victor a few seconds after the coffee grinder stopped making a sound.

Daniela and Ox looked at the object seen by Victor.

"We were all put off work because of its appearance. Is it true that if we go out of the house we can be caught by Phantom and our souls eaten?"

Ox and Daniela looked at each other. Then laughter broke out between them.

"Where did you hear that from?" Daniela patted the table.

"You're really a funny guy!" added Ox. She stopped pouring hot water on the coffee.

"So it's just superstition?"

"Of course it's superstition! You must have been worked on by your friend!" said Daniela.

Victor also cursed inwardly and cursed Luis who had said so, which scared him.

"Then about the lost internet signal, why? Is it really affected by that Aurora?"

"Oh, that's true," Daniela said. While Daniela explains, Ox continues her plan to make coffee for Victor and Daniela.

"NASA explained that the appearance of emerald green auroras is likely to disrupt the internet network, electronic functions, including electricity. But, so far the power and electronic networks have not been disrupted. The internet network has gone down so maybe later the electricity will also go out. In addition, the aurora can interfere with vision. The aurora is like a very thick fog because it's dangerous to go out, especially self-drive. If recklessness can result in accidents, therefore all offices around the world are closed as long as there is this phenomenon. People were ordered to stay at home. You don't read the news?"

After hearing that logical explanation, Victor's worries were relieved. Somehow the explanation caused a relief after he was worried because of Luis's words.

"No. I never read the news," Victor admitted honestly.

"It doesn't matter. The important thing is that now you stay indoors. Do not open the windows because cold air can enter your room. You will catch a cold later. The cold wind also includes the adverse effects of the aurora," Ox added as she placed two cups of coffee in front of Victor and Daniela.

"That's right. That's another bad thing that adds up to the strong reason why everyone is better off at home, offices are closed," Daniela added.

"We are in the Phantom world!"

Suddenly, the sound of someone made Ox and Victor turn their heads towards the entrance of the kitchen. Only Daniela needs to look straight ahead, because she is sitting facing the door.

It can be seen that a man with long curly hair, a thin face, a thin whole body with sharp eyes staring at them. The man wears a green turtleneck sweater.

"Noh!" said Ox and Daniela almost at the same time to that guy.

"What do you mean?" Victor asked intermittently in a low tone.

"Be careful, we don't know if the person we see in front of us is really human or not," Noh said with his eyes deeply indented. He also has circular panda eyes.

Noh is a bit scary for Victor.

"Noh, you're making it up again!" exclaimed Ox.

Noh stood sculpting. His hands were parallel on the right and left sides of his body. He stood in a prepared manner like a flag ceremony leader.

Daniela sighed.

"Noh, come here. You have to eat. You are so thin and like a sick person. Did your mind also start to have delusions?" Daniela spoke sharply.

"I didn't mean it. I'm telling the truth. I just activated the prototype of entering the world of Phantom. I did it. My research will work," Noh muttered even more.

"What is he talking about?" Victor was confused and afraid of Noh.

Ox breathed out concern for Noh's appearance and the fear that appeared once in Victor's expression because of Noh's appearance.

"Don't be afraid. Noh is a college student. Infatuated with the supernatural world. He believes that there is one of the residents of White Castle who is a demon, a Phantom. In fact, he once said that White Castle is the residence of demons, full oh Phantom. He believes, here he can find the entrance gate to the world of demons," Ox whispered to Victor.

Victor became concerned for Noh. "Up to that thin?"

Ox nodded.

Daniela stood up and brought Noh a few slices of bread.

"Here, eat it," Daniela said softly. Victor and Ox watched their interaction. Daniela looked like a mother coaxing her son to eat.

However, unexpectedly, Noh refused Daniela's gift harshly. He shook the bread until it fell to the floor.

"You are a Phantom! I won't eat Phantom bread!"

Daniela took a deep breath. It seemed that he was turning on his patience mode. Ox walked quickly to Daniela and held her shoulders from behind.

"Dan… please be patient," said Ox.

"Noh. You've been in the room for months and designing prototypes, you went to the kitchen looking for food, right? So get some bread and eat it," Ox said, persuading Noh to act normal.

Victor watched the peculiarities of their interaction silently. Noh suddenly looked at him and walked quickly towards him as if he was about to strangle him.

The next occurrence was deja vu. Mario appears out of nowhere and pushes Noh away until it bounces and bumps into Daniela and Ox. They fell in piles. Mario dragged Victor back to the room again.

"Get up!" shouted Mario to Victor as he shook Victor's body.