“How much for a sausage and egg sandwich?”

  “Depends on the toppings—prices are listed right there.”

  “Can I get it without the sausage?”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Can I get it without the egg too?”

  “...”

  The man flipping pancakes behind the stall froze, staring at him blankly.

  No sausage, no egg—on a sausage and egg sandwich?

  But adhering to the customer-is-king rule, he forced a smile and replied, “Yeah, that’s fine.”

  “Can I get it without the sandwich part?”

  “??”

  The vendor blinked again, then sized John up from head to toe.

  A rival messing with my business?

  He took a deep breath, plastering on an even wider grin. “Yep!”

  “Can I get it for free?”

  “GET OUTTA HERE!!” The man roared, reaching under the counter as if to grab a gun.

  “...”

  John’s mouth twitched. He quickly waved his hands in surrender. “Wait, wait—I meant… can you cut me a little slack on the price?”

  “Small business, no haggling.”

  “I’m buying a lot—basically wholesale. You gotta give me a discount, man.”

  Wholesale… on sausage and egg sandwiches?

  The vendor was dumbfounded. Who talks like this?

  In the end, worn down by John’s relentless badgering—and since he was his first customer of the day—the man caved and knocked a few cents off the total.

  “Who buys sandwiches wholesale? Unbelievable…”

  Watching John’s retreating back, the vendor shook his head, still reeling from the bizarre encounter first thing in the morning.

  Still, ten sandwiches sold in one go—could’ve been worse.

  “Ahhh…”

  John scarfed down the ten sandwiches in record time, barely feeling a hint of fullness afterward.

  “Still not enough…”

  He patted his stomach, then sighed as he checked his wallet—even emptier now. Reluctantly, he gave up the idea of more food.

  Soon, he arrived at the gates of Blackwater Town High School.

  The morning sun spilled over the campus, and students laughed and chatted as they streamed in—everything looked as peaceful and ordinary as ever.

  But only John knew the truth.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  The world was changing… in ways no one could imagine.

  “No more food for the body—time for some food for the mind.”

  He strode into the school, muttering to himself. “Maybe cramming some books will make me forget how hungry I am.”

  “Uh-oh, look who’s pretending to be a scholar now that he’s stepped onto campus.”

  A hand clapped down on his shoulder. John turned to see a bespectacled boy grinning at him—his best friend, William.

  “Pretending? Please. This is the real me coming through!”

  John nudged him with his elbow. “Since when do you show up to school this early, Will? Trying to steal my spot as top of the class, huh?”

  “Dude. Your spot is dead last.”

  William rolled his eyes. “Trust me—no one’s fighting over that title.”

  “Excuse me? You’re permanently stuck at second-to-last! You’re my biggest threat in this whole class!”

  “...”

  Laughing and bickering, the two walked into Senior Class 1, Grade 3.

  Inside, most students were already seated at their desks, poring over textbooks during morning reading—looking every bit the diligent scholars.

  Sure, they were the dynamic duo of “last place” and “second-to-last place,” but this was the school’s honors class. They were solid students by grade standards—definitely college material.

  William pulled out his textbook, then leaned over and whispered, “Hey, John—can I ask you something?”

  “Shoot.”

  John raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his friend’s serious tone.

  “I’ve been having these dreams lately…”

  “Dreams? That’s normal. I have ’em too.”

  John paused, suddenly thinking of his own bizarre experience the night before.

  “The thing is… it’s the same dream every night. For a whole week. And it’s a nightmare.”

  Unease flickered in William’s eyes—raw, unmasked fear.

  A nightmare once or twice was one thing. But the same nightmare, night after night? That was not normal.

  John studied his face—sure enough, his eyes were bloodshot, evidence of sleepless nights.

  “Aren’t you the one who studied dream interpretation with Old Luke at the bridge?” William pressed. “C’mon, help a brother out.”

  “First, tell me what happens in it.”

  “There’s nothing… nothing except a coffin.”

  William’s face turned pale as he spoke.

  “A coffin?”

  “Yeah! Every time, I’m in this run-down old cottage in the middle of nowhere. No furniture, no windows—just that coffin. A black coffin, carved all over with these… these demonic faces.”

  His voice trembled as he went on. “And I can’t leave the cottage. I’m stuck there all night, just… watching it.”

  “Did you try opening the lid?”

  “I can’t! I can’t move, I can’t scream—I’m totally helpless!”

  William took a shaky breath, his hands balled into fists. “Do you think… do you think it means I’m gonna die soon?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  John shook his head. “It’s just a dream. Maybe you saw a coffin somewhere during the day and forgot about it?”

  “I didn’t! I swear!”

  William’s voice rose, desperate. “I’ve never even seen a real coffin in my entire life!”

  “Do you think… a ghost is haunting me?”

  “Ghosts? C’mon, we should believe in sci—”

  John’s words died in his throat. He thought of the blood-red face on his chest, the black dog’s blood, the pill that had turned his body into a supercharged machine…

  William was dreaming about the supernatural. John was living it.

  “Uh… right.”

  He cleared his throat, changing gears mid-sentence. “After school today, I’ll swing by Old Luke’s and ask him about it.”

  “And don’t freak out too much. Coffins aren’t always bad luck—they can symbolize promotion and fortune, y’know? Maybe it means you’re gonna ace the college entrance exam.”

  “…You think?”

  William rubbed his chin, looking slightly reassured. It was true—despite the nightmares, nothing bad had happened to him lately.

  “Alright, enough with the spooky stuff. Class is starting.”

  Just then, their homeroom teacher—a middle-aged woman with wire-rimmed glasses—walked in.

  She glanced around at the sea of studious faces and nodded approvingly. “Alright, everyone. Before first period, I have a few things to say.”

  “School just started, so some of you might still be in vacation mode. But I want you all to focus—no more slacking off.”

  “College entrance exams are less than a year away. This is the test that will shape your future. I want you to give it your all—not for the school, not for me… but for yourselves.”

  “After class, I want each of you to write down the university you’re aiming for. I’ll post the list on the blackboard, so you can all keep each other motivated.”

  She paused, her gaze sweeping over the class. “Get into a good college, and your future is wide open. Don’t waste this chance.”

  Nods rippled through the classroom—every student’s eyes shining with determination.

  Years of hard work had led to this moment. No one wanted to mess it up now.

  “John? Could you step outside for a minute?”

  The teacher’s voice cut through the murmurs. Her eyes were fixed on John, sitting in the back row. She turned and exited the classroom, waiting in the hallway.

  “Me?”

  John blinked in surprise, then shrugged and stood up.

  Ghosts? No big deal. Homeroom teachers? Pfft. Nothing to be scared of.