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It began like any normal shopping trip.

The fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead as Mia stepped through the sliding doors of the IKEA store, holding a crumpled shopping list and her phone with 5% battery. She barely noticed the unusually cheerful employee who welcomed her with a plastic smile and a robotic, “Welcome to IKEA. Have a pleasant stay.”

Mia didn’t expect to stay long — just a lamp for her room, maybe some snacks from the food court. But when she turned down an aisle of flat-packed furniture, then another, and another… the store seemed to stretch on forever. The familiar layout twisted into something strange. The walls shifted when she wasn’t looking.

Then the announcement echoed across the store: “Attention, customers: the store is now closed. Please exit the building.”

But there were no exits.

And when the lights dimmed… they came out.

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