Chapter 15: Designing the Next Summon

Hours passed.

The two of them ended up sitting on the black marble floor of the lobby, surrounded by glowing screens, open books, and discarded teacups.

Selene had removed her boots and tucked her legs beneath her. Her hair had partially escaped its ribbon, framing her face in dark curls.

Gene tried not to notice.

He failed repeatedly.

They had been brainstorming ideas for Gene’s second summon.

He wanted to have a summon that provided support.

Someone who could build, heal, and enhance his growing collection of horrors.

Selene twirled an enchanted pen between her slender fingers.

“So… You need a creator.”

Gene nodded.

“How about a mad scientist.”

“Or maybe a necromancer.”

Gene looked up.

Selene met his gaze.

A slow smile spread across both of their faces.

“Why choose?” they said together.

They laughed.

The chemistry between them felt effortless.

Comfortable.

Dangerously easy.

Selene opened a fresh drafting slate.

“Let’s build them.”

Together they wrote.

Selene designed a brilliant but eccentric scientist completely obsessed with conquering death through machinery and forbidden magics.

Gene designed a powerful necromancer whose mastery of souls and flesh complemented her partner’s inventions.

They wrote for them to be bound by love, ambition, and a shared desire to create life from death.

Gene added:

• Exceptional intelligence

• Cooperative spellcasting

• Corpse reconstruction

• Medical expertise

• Absolute loyalty

Selene added:

• Emotional synchronization

• Combined ultimate abilities

• Enhanced performance when together

Gene read the final description and grinned.

“They’re basically Gomez and Morticia meets Frankenstein.”

Selene laughed as she stood up and stretched.

“One day you’ll realize nobody here gets any of your references.”

“Come on! How can nobody know of the Adams? This place has a lot to learn.”

They arrived at the Chronicle Terminal in the summoning chamber.

Gene placed his hands on the terminal and began to write.

The words flowed into the Forge.

After finishing, he took a step back and joined the slightly giddy Selene.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then alarms blared.

Silver and violet light erupted all around them.

Two silhouettes formed on the summoning platform simultaneously.

Gene stared through the lights and the increasing fog.

“Did we break it?”

Selene’s eyes widened.

“I don’t think so, but we did attempt a summon unlike anything I’ve seen attempted.”

The system announced:

⸻

UNIQUE EVENT

Dual Summon Achieved

⸻

Two figures stepped forward in unison.

The man was tall and gaunt, with wild silver hair, round spectacles, and a long black laboratory coat reinforced in many places with brass mechanisms. 

Mechanical instruments and arcane tools hung suspended around his belt.

A woman, elegantly striking, with midnight-black hair, extremely pale skin, and deep violet eyes stood by his side.

She wore a fitted gown of black silk embroidered with glowing runes, and held a silver staff tipped with a crystal skull.

The two turned to each other first.

They clasped hands.

Then bowed to Gene.

The man’s smile was warm but manic.

“Professor Victor Graves, at your service!”

The woman inclined her head gracefully.

“You can call me Lady Morrigan Graves.”

“Thank you for bringing us into being.”

Their voices blended with almost practiced harmony.

Gene stared.

Selene whispered, “They’re so perfect.”

A status window appeared.

⸻

Dual Summon Complete

Victor Graves — Rare Support Summon

Morrigan Graves — Rare Support Summon

Combined Rank: Epic

Bond Trait: Eternal Partnership

Special Ability: Flesh and Steel Resurrection

⸻

Gene gasped in disbelief.

“Combined rank Epic?”

Selene bounced on her toes and patted Gene’s shoulder.

“We did it!”

Victor adjusted his glasses as he studied the hotel.

“My dear, we have been inherited by a rather charming establishment.”

Morrigan smiled, taking his arm.

“I do believe it has excellent potential.”

Gene immediately liked them.

Victor looked at the Caretaker and clapped his hands.

“Oh! Magnificent specimen!”

Morrigan’s eyes gleamed.

“Can we improve him.”

The Caretaker stared silently.

For the first time, Gene thought he sensed unease from his summon.

That, somehow, was deeply satisfying.

⸻

The dual summon bonus granted a small but significant reward.

Gene spent the points assigning the couple to the hotel’s basement.

Their floor was transformed into a sprawling underground complex of surgical theaters, alchemical labs, and various humming electrical apparatus.

Lightning crackled in glass tubes.

Arcane circles glowed on the floor.

Rows of preserved monster parts floated in crystal tanks.

Victor looked around with childlike wonder.

“I think I might cry.”

Morrigan squeezed his hand.

“Darling, try not to drip on the equipment.”

Gene checked his balance.

⸻

Current Points: 0

⸻

He groaned.

“Well seems like I am officially broke.”

Selene smiled sympathetically.

“Congratulations. You’re a real summoner now.”

Gene laughed.

“And here I thought dying was the hard part.”

⸻

A Room of His Own

The night had grown late.

Selene yawned delicately, covering her mouth.

Gene tried not to find that impossibly charming.

He failed.

He escorted her to the front gate.

She paused to stand beneath the wrought-iron archway.

The twilight sky cast silver light across her features.

“Today was actually fun,” she said softly.

Gene smiled.

“The best day I’ve had. If you ignore the whole being murdered.”

Selene laughed.

For a moment they simply looked at one another.

Selene blushed red.

She then stepped forward and kissed his cheek.

Warm.

Brief.

Electric.

“Goodnight, Gene.”

Before he could formulate a coherent response, she turned around and tripped slightly.

She stumbled but managed to regain her footing as she stepped through the transportation portal.

Gene stood there, touching his cheek.

He started smiling like an idiot.

The Caretaker silently appeared beside him.

Gene glanced up at the giant.

“Not a word.”

The Caretaker remained silent.

Gene narrowed his eyes.

“Smartass.”

⸻

Gene had created a private suite for himself on the top residential floor.

He boarded the elevator to see it for the first time since building the hotel.

The room included:

• A luxurious reclining chair

• Fireplace

• fully stocked writing desk

• Private library

• Attached kitchen

• Oversized jacuzzi style bathtub

Warm lighting and thick carpets made the suite feel luxurious rather than ominous.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Gene had a nice place to rest.

The apartment he lived in before made the suite feel like heaven.

He sank into the desk chair and let out a satisfied sigh.

Thinking of the day’s events, he discovered that he felt fairly exhausted. 

He wondered what tomorrow would bring.

He closed his eyes and began to let his mind relax as he drifted to sleep.

The system chimed.

He opened his eyes to discover that a black book appeared on his desk.

Its cover was bound in worn leather.

Silver letters shimmered across the front.

After pausing for a second, he reached out to grab the book

The Nightmare Architect’s Manual

Gene took a deep breath as he wondered if he should wait until the morning to open it.

He shook his head thinking that he would be stupid not to. 

Page after page displayed blurry blueprints for future summons.

Only the titles of each summon were legible.

The Shape Stalker.

The Dream Demon.

The Puppet Master.

The Sineaters.

The Living Doll.

Each entry showed a  lock symbol , accompanied by requirements and progression paths required to open each one.

Gene’s breath caught.

This was no ordinary reward.

It was a roadmap.

A secret catalogue of horrors he could one day bring to life.

The final page contained a message.

Welcome, Gene Gingerline.

Remember that your imagination is your greatest weapon.

Bring the truth of nightmares to this world.

Gene closed the book and placed it gently on the desk.

A sly grin spread across his face as he laid back to rest.

Down below , the Nightmare Grand Hotel pulsed with life.

The Caretaker patrolled the halls.

NPCs wondered busily in the corridors.

Victor and Morrigan started to animate impossible experiments in the basement.

And somewhere beyond the walls of his private world, a tournament awaited.

Gene snuffed out the light in his room.

He thought of his hidden advantage.

Only he knew the true power of nightmares.

“Yeah,” he murmured into the quiet room.

“Let’s scare the hell out of this world.”