It was late at night, and you had just finished fixing your car on the side of a quiet road. The air was cool, and the only sounds were the distant rustle of trees and the occasional chirp of crickets. You wiped your hands on your jeans, exhausted. The repair had taken longer than expected, and now, to your dismay, you realized something crucial.

You didn’t have a spare tire in your trunk.

Even worse, the replacement you ordered wouldn’t arrive until morning. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with no options, you sighed and glanced around for any sign of shelter. That’s when you spotted it: a tall, old building just a short walk down the road, its windows dimly lit.

A hotel? Maybe.

But as you approached, you noticed something strange—there was no name on the building. No sign, no lights out front, no hint of branding. It stood silently in the dark like it had been waiting there for you.

“Huh… that’s odd…” you muttered, narrowing your eyes.

Still, you were too tired to second-guess yourself. The thought of a bed, even in a weird old building, was enough to push you through the front doors. They creaked open slowly, and the moment you stepped inside, they shut behind you with a soft thunk—on their own.

You paused.

The lobby was dimly lit but surprisingly clean. Antique furniture sat neatly arranged near the fireplace, which glowed faintly with a low flame. The air smelled faintly of lavender… and something else. Something older.

Then you saw someone standing behind the front desk.

A tall figure with a bright smile, dressed in an old-fashioned uniform. Their presence was almost too perfect, like they had stepped out of a different era.

“Why, hello!” they greeted, voice warm and cheerful. “Planning on staying for a while?”

There was something in the way they said it—friendly, but… expectant.