- I SHOULD'VE STAYED AT HOME.
( dua lipa, break my heart)

Standing before them was a shorter boy, not much taller from their height. He has bright, large green eyes, with brown hair. Two weird things are floating by his side, one green and one yellow. They're circular, alternating around his body.

"Say something!" One of the five people smacks their friend on the arm, earning a deliberate 'ouch'. "This is awkward! I didn't come here for nothing!"

Bells rang in the air. Simultaneously, they all looked down to see the unnatural cat curling itself around Thorn's right leg. He says nothing, as if he didn't hear them before, and turns around to head back inside.

A boy from their group reaches out, "Wait!"

His hand went right through Thorn's wrist. He gasps, taking a step back to process the shock. Thorn pauses in his step and looks at them over his shoulder with a side look. "Coming in? I don't have time all day."

The group of five looks at each other questioningly. But in the end, the decision was made and they each filed into the large, abandoned classroom. It looked like their own, with empty cubic holes stacked at the end of the room, and a blackboard up front.

"So," Thorn was seated on what should've been the teacher's desk as he chews on his bubble gum. His orbs were fixated on all of them, at once. "What are your wishes?"

"My name's Solar," The same boy extends his hand.

Thorn merely looked at it, with a mixed, unreadable expression. "Huh?" He raises his head and looks down at the newcomer mockingly, "No need to introduce yourself. That's not going to grant you free wishes."

"I.." Solar scratches the back of his head in confusion and drops his other hand, "I'm just trying to be polite."

"Oh." Thorn's eyes turns into slits, but he shakes his head and smiles mischieviously, "Okay. What about the rest of you?" He gestures at them.

"I'm Y-Ying!" A black-haired girl squeaks, holding her books close to her chest.

"My name's Yaya. Nice to meet you."

She slaps a boy's head from the back, which got to stop the bickering that Thorn failed to notice. "That hurts you little..!" He cowers in fear after seeing Yaya's death glare and coughs, "I'm Fang."

"Weakling. I'm Gopal!" A loud laugh erupts from the bigger boy, "The number one chef and also, the one who dragged everyone in here!"

"Did not!" Fang yells.

"Did too! See him, Thorn? He's a wimp!"

The said apparition puts his chin in both hands as he examines Fang up and down, "Maybe."

Fang's face turns red from anger, but he couldn't say anything in response to it. Gopal bellows harder, holding his stomach with animated tears falling out of his eyes. "He agreed with me! Hahah!"

Solar facepalms himself. He was the one who brought them here. None of them are actually related to each other, let alone in the same class. Except Fang and Gopal, apparently. He heard the wishes they wanted and formed a group to do so.

He's the oldest of the bunch, being in Year 1 of senior highschool. Gopal and Fang are in different classes, but they're in the final year of junior highschool. Yaya and Ying are in the second year, just below the two boys mentioned.

"Who's going first?" Thorn asks, breaking the tension. He kept on chewing on his gum, "If nobody's coming up front on the count of five, I'll be forced to choose from one of you."

"Me." Solar raises his hand with a sigh, seeing that everyone was silently urging him on with a stink eye. "My wish is to revive my dead brother."

"Huh?!" Collective gasps went around the room.

Fang shrieks, "You have a dead brother?!" To which Yaya responds with another slap to his arm for the impoliteness.

Thorn spits his gum away into a nearby can and rises up from his seat, "I grant wishes of the living, Solar." He takes a daring step forward, forcing the latter to take a step back. "But that doesn't mean that I can bend the laws of the world."

"What do you mean?" Solar asks, furrowing his eyebrows. The rumour clearly says that he would grant whatever wish. "I thought tha-"

"Don't let those get into your pretty little head. The border of life and death has been established ever since this world was made. You," Thorn points at Solar's chest, "Are asking for an impossible wish. Try something else."

Silence falls over them. So the rumour wasn't entirely true. The green-eyed spirit frowns, "And why would you revive the dead, kid?"

"Because he's my brother." Solar responds, his hands turning into fists so hard his knuckles turned white. "Because he's the only family I ever had."

"This just got real depressing." Fang whispers.

Something in Thorn's eyes changed, and he places a hand on his hip. "Well, it can't be helped then."

Solar stutters, "S-So.. you can do it?"

"No." He turns around, sitting back on the table and unwraps a lollipop in his hand. "I'm saying that your wish is simply worthless. What belongs to the dead belongs to them. I," He places a hand on his chest, "Only grant worldly wishes."

"Which means..?"

"I don't mess with the dead, kid. If you're up for the challenge, I'll grant it for you." Thorn swirls the stick around in his mouth, "But it never ends well, let me tell you that."

He adds happily, "Oh, and it comes with a deadly price, of course! No refunds or complains."

The other four looked back and forth at the exchange between them. "That doesn't matter," Solar answers, his head down. His voice cracks, "If that's what it takes to revive my brother once again, then I'll gladly take the risk."

"Y-You're crazy!" Ying quips, shivering, "Don't do it Solar! W-We barely know each other.. but.."

Gopal rushes towards the boy and drags him by the arm, "Nope. Noppity nope!" He was sweating from fear, "I shouldn't have come here! We're going. You're insane! What are you saying? You can't revive people! He isn't God!"

"I mean, just look at him!" Gopal harshly whispers.

They stopped by the door, each looking back at the ghost. Thorn didn't seem to care. He was busy playing with his pet on the floor. They turn around, back to their point.

"He's got a point." Fang nods at Gopal, "I think that you should just wish for something else. What if he takes your life in exchange?"

"Be careful of what you wish for." Yaya's eyes softens. "I know it's hard. I've been through that to-"

"You don't understand. None of you will." The boy interjects, "You don't know how it feels to lose your only friend. My brother," A tear runs down his cheek, "H-He's more than a friend.."

"Alright, time's up!" Two claps echo through the room. Solar pushes through the four, who could only watch him in despair. "What's your decision?"

"Bring back my brother." Solar raises his head, his hair shading over his eyes. "I don't care what you need in exchange. I just want my brother here with me."

Thorn's lips curved upwards widely.

"Your wish is granted, young boy."