It was past midnight at Aisle 3, and the store had settled into its usual eerie quiet—the hum of the refrigerators the only background noise besides the occasional drip of condensation from the freezers. The fluorescent lights flickered faintly, giving the aisles an almost cinematic atmosphere, perfect for what Nyx had planned.
"Gather around, everyone," Nyx announced, balancing a tablet in one hand and a stack of snacks in the other. Her eyes were wide, gleaming with the sort of mischief only she could conjure. "Tonight… we watch a classic."
Bella, sitting cross-legged behind the counter with her now semi-possessed tablet from the FNAF incident, groaned. "Nyx… I don't even want to know what this is. I still haven't recovered from last time."
Nyx rolled her eyes. "Relax. It's just a movie. A very intense, very strange movie. Everyone should see it at least once!"
Vario peeked over a stack of soda cans, his expression skeptical. "Intense? Strange? Nyx, last time your 'movie night' ended with Bella almost fainting, Gallo almost breaking a shelf, and Hadid muttering about filing HR complaints."
Hadid Varro, quietly stacking canned beans nearby, merely arched an eyebrow. "And yet somehow, I feel like participating would be… educational."
Gallo, already holding a protein shake in one hand and a dumbbell in the other, grunted. "Education or chaos, it's all the same to me. Let's see this movie."
Bella's sigh echoed through the aisles. "Fine. But I swear… if my soul leaves me again, I'm blaming all of you."
Nyx clapped her hands. "Perfect. Let's set up!"
Soon, the team had rearranged the break area into an impromptu theater. Boxes of snacks acted as chairs, the tablet perched precariously on a stack of magazines as the screen, and Nyx wielded the remote like a director commanding a horror production.
"Ready?" she asked, eyes darting between everyone.
"Nope," Bella muttered.
Vario gave a small nod. "As ready as I'll ever be."
The opening scene flickered onto the screen. The lights of the store dimmed automatically, and the first horrifying glimpses of the film appeared.
Immediately, reactions began.
Bella's eyes widened in sheer horror. She gripped the edge of the counter like it was a lifeline. "Oh no. Oh no. NO. WHY DID I AGREE TO THIS?"
Vario's reaction was subtler, a raised eyebrow and faint grimace. "I… can't unsee this."
Nyx, of course, was ecstatic. She leaned forward, narrating dramatically. "Observe the human condition in its… most extreme form."
Gallo, unbothered, muttered, "In my world, this would be considered a warm-up exercise."
Hadid Varro, meanwhile, kept a cool, analytical expression. "I… see the methodology. Disturbing, yes. But the discipline required is… fascinating."
As the scenes grew more grotesque, Bella's pale face became the highlight of the night. Every squirm, every gasp, every faint groan was recorded in Nyx's tablet.
"Bella, this is content gold!" Nyx whispered gleefully.
"I'm going to haunt you in your sleep!" Bella hissed back, voice trembling.
Vario tried to offer comfort, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's just a movie, Bella. Just a movie."
"I don't care! This is… it's… it's a nightmare!" Bella shrieked.
Meanwhile, Gallo began pacing. "I don't understand the horror. Where is the combat? Where are the monsters?"
Nyx laughed. "The horror is human. It's psychological!"
"Psychological?" Gallo repeated, completely unamused. "I have fought demons, dragons, and undead armies. I will survive this… but barely."
Hadid Varro sipped from a soda can. "Remarkable. Truly… an exploration of boundaries."
Hours seemed to pass as the team endured the movie. Bella had fainted once, revived by Garruk's gentle shaking. Vario had leaned over multiple times, trying not to laugh at Nyx's commentary. Gallo continued pacing like it was a strategy session, and Hadid quietly took notes, probably to analyze later.
Finally, when the end credits rolled, a silence fell over the group.
Bella slumped into the counter, pale and trembling. "I… I think I lost something in there. My soul… it's gone. I feel empty."
Vario muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "We survived… barely. Next time, maybe we pick a comedy."
Nyx, still recording, whispered with a grin: "This… this is going straight to the highlight reel. Heroes on Aisle 3: The Human Centipede Incident. The fans will love this."
Gallo simply shook his head. "I'm never letting Bella pick the movie again."
Hadid Varro allowed a faint smirk. "I will admit… it was… educational."
Bella glared at everyone, voice shaking. "Educational?! I feel traumatized, cursed, and possibly haunted. How is this educational?"
Nyx waved a hand dismissively. "Details, Bella, details. Focus on the content."
The group dispersed afterward, some nursing drinks, some pacing, and some silently rewatching parts of the movie on their phones in disbelief. The night had been a success for Nyx's content, a disaster for Bella's sanity, and an unforgettable experience for everyone else.
As the first light of dawn crept through the windows, Bella muttered to herself: "Next time… we are not watching horror movies. Ever. No exceptions. I don't care if it's educational or historic or funny. Never again."
Vario leaned against a shelf, smirking. "Noted."
Gallo nodded. "Agreed."
Hadid Varro chuckled quietly, Nyx already planning her next cinematic experiment.
Aisle 3 had survived another night of chaos. Barely.