“Don’t wake the dead.”

“Well, that’s an ominous sign to be greeted with, don’t you think?”

“Sure is, Mike. Whose bright idea was it to visit an abandoned mining cave? Oh, wait, I remember—it was you!”

“Cheer up, Roger. You can’t seriously believe in ghosts.”

“Ghosts? No. Undead zombies? Maybe. It’s not out of the equation.”

“I swear to God, Roger, if you don’t stop, I’ll slap you so hard you’ll start singing O Sole Mio like you’re Luciano Pavarotti. Now get moving.”

After a bit more back-and-forth over who should enter the cave first, Roger finally gave in. Grumbling, he stepped forward, moving slowly into the cavern.

The first 20 meters offered nothing of interest. The cave was surprisingly well-built, evenly lit by the sunlight streaming in from the entrance. For all its reputation, it seemed… boring.

The pair walked the length of the cave a few times, searching for any sign of a passage leading underground, but there was nothing.

“Well, this is anticlimactic,” Mike said, hands on his hips. “Not going to lie, I expected a little more. Not just… an empty cave.”

“This is our cue to head back to the hotel. Actually, scratch that. Let’s find a different hotel. The people running the ‘Hollow-whatever’ were giving me the creeps.”

“Jesus, Roger. You’re really on edge today. What happened to you? We should’ve taken an extra day to rest before this hike. And it’s called ‘The Hollow Vein.’ Get it? Because there’s nothing left to mine here. I think it’s clever.”

“Clever, my ass. They’re probably draining people’s blood and drinking it for dinner with the rest of the zombies. Aah…”

Mike facepalmed. “How did I end up with you as a friend?” he muttered, but his attention was quickly drawn to something glinting in the sunlight.

“Hey, hey! Stop whining and look over there. Something shiny—it might be a clue.”

“Oh, great,” Roger groaned. “A light source to guide you to the path? Let me grab my flashlight and point it straight at the hotel. Jesus, Mike, I’m stressed! Let’s rest, eat some decent food, and try again tomorrow. What do you say?”

“I’ll consider your proposal in just a minute,” Mike replied, already walking toward the shiny object. It was about 7 or 8 meters away from the entrance, and as he moved, he scanned the ceiling for hidden messages or clues. Why was it there? Was it placed strategically?

“What if it’s a trap?” Mike muttered to himself. “What if I fall into some hidden door and end up underground? Roger would have a heart attack.”

He crept forward, careful with each step, until he finally reached the source of the glint. When he realized what it was, he sighed, running a hand down his face.

“For fuck’s sake,” he muttered. “Roger, your nonsense is messing with my head. I was imagining all kinds of ridiculous scenarios.”

“Well?” Roger called out. “What is it?”

“It’s a pocket mirror. The kind ladies keep in their purses to check their makeup.”

Roger tilted his head, his confusion quickly giving way to uncontrollable laughter. He doubled over, nearly falling to the ground.

“So now you’re starting to believe in ghost stories? Maybe there’s a hidden lever around here that’ll lead us straight to the town’s necromancer! Oh… oh…”

Roger laughed so hard he finally collapsed onto the ground.

“He really needs more sleep,” Mike muttered, tossing the mirror over his shoulder without looking. He helped Roger to his feet.

“Let’s go grab a beer, my friend. Call it a win for today. We got some fresh air, walked a few hours, and survived. After traveling 16 hours yesterday, I think we both need food and rest before we continue.”

“Now you’re speaking my language, Mikey. I’ll lead the way.”

“Sure you will… If the mine is this boring, can’t wait to hear the stories about that hotel.”

The two began their trek back to town, leaving the “scary” mine behind. Roger didn’t even argue about the hotel this time—he just wanted to collapse somewhere.

But neither of them noticed the mirror’s impact. As it hit the ground, a secret door quietly creaked open within the mine. No one was there to see what lay beyond. Shortly after that the faint sound of grinding stone echoed through the silence—then all was still.