The day I was supposed to win the biggest award of my career, I walked in on my boyfriend, Ethan, in bed with another woman.

He sneered, calling me a face-blind, scent-deaf bore in bed.

I planned to expose his ass at the award ceremony. Instead, he and his lover mowed me down with their car.

Next thing I knew, I woke up with them in an S-class horror survival game. Mortality rate: over 95%.

We had to survive ten days in a haunted manor to be revived.

Hit 100 on your Anxiety Level, and your soul is obliterated.

Chloe, Ethan's lover, sneered. "Sensory defects? You can't recognize ghosts or smell danger. In a horror game, that’s a death sentence. You might as well just die."

The others heard her and scrambled to team up.

Me? I walked straight into the lair of the manor's final boss.

The most powerful demon in the game wanted to devour my soul. I couldn't really see him. I just thought he was a cosplayer.

I lunged forward, poked his abs, and pointed at the glowing crack in his chest.

"Wow, you're really committed to the role. This getup must've cost a fortune."

I walked in on my boyfriend, Ethan, with another woman. Hours before I was supposed to accept the biggest design award of my life.

My plan was simple. Expose him, take my trophy, and leave him in the dust.

Then, I got hit by a car.

The last thing I saw before I blacked out was the license plate.

It was Ethan's.

Then, everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in front of a massive Victorian manor.

"Welcome to Hollow Creek Manor."

A cold, mechanical voice boomed from the sky.

"Welcome, players, to the S-class survival game: Hollow Creek Manor. The rules are as follows: Survive for 10 days. Keep your Anxiety Level below 100. If it reaches 100, your soul will be obliterated. At the end of the game, the lower your Anxiety Level, the greater your reward."

I froze.

A game?

I looked around and saw a few other people standing nearby.

They were all young, men and women, with terror etched on their faces.

"Shit, another S-class," a guy in glasses groaned. "I just survived three B-class games. I thought I'd get a damn break."

"S-class?" a girl next to him asked, trembling. "What does that mean?"

"It means we're screwed," the guy sneered. "S-class games? 95% mortality rate."

I was still processing all this when I heard a familiar voice.

"Ava?"

I turned my head. It was Ethan.

He stared at me in shock, like he'd seen a ghost. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that," my voice was ice. "Or was this part of your plan, too?"

Ethan shook his head. "No, I don't know—"

"Ava!"

Chloe stepped out from the crowd, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. "What a coincidence. We meet again."

I stared at her, and something clicked.

The car crash. Their car. My "death."

It was all too perfect.

"Hey, newbies. Need a rundown?" A guy with a seasoned look walked over. "Name's Marcus. A-class player."

"Wait." I held up a hand. "Let me get this straight. Are we dead?"

Marcus nodded. "Technically, you're in a near-death state. You only get your life back if you clear the game."

"What if your Anxiety Level hits zero?" I asked. "Do you get a special reward? Like, God Mode?"

The group fell into a strange silence.

Then, they burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! God Mode?" Marcus was laughing so hard he was crying. "Sweetheart, you think this is a video game?"

"Anxiety at zero? Impossible," the guy in glasses scoffed. "Unless you're a robot or something."

Ethan was frowning at me. "Ava, your player profile—"

Before he could finish, a transparent panel popped up in front of me.

【Player: Ava Stone】

【Level: Novice】

【Special Status: Sensory Deficiencies (Face Blindness, No Sense of Smell)】

【Current Anxiety Level: 5】

When Chloe saw my profile, a cruel glint flashed in her eyes. "Oh, dear. Sensory deficiencies? In a horror game, that’s fatal. You should just give up. Might as well die now and get it over with."

"Yeah," Marcus shook his head. "If you can't recognize a ghost's true form or smell danger, you're just asking to die."

The other players started whispering, their eyes filled with either pity or glee.

Ethan bit his lip, looking like he wanted to say something, but he stayed silent.

Face blindness. That's what Chloe had used to attack me when I caught them.

She said I was so boring I couldn't even recognize Ethan in bed.

I shook my head, forcing the image out of my mind.

Well, I was here now. I didn't know what kind of conspiracy this was, but I was going to survive.

I worked for ten years to win that design award. I'm not dying before I get to hold it.

I shrugged at the group.

"Sounds interesting. So, when do we start?"

"You already have," Marcus said, pointing at the manor. "There are lots of rooms in there, each with its own... 'occupant.' You need to pick a place to stay, then figure out how to survive their welcome for ten days."

Everyone started heading for the manor.

I followed behind, without noticing glowing comments floating in the air above us.

【Livestream Viewers: 233,847】

【Comment 1: lol more newbies here to die】

【Comment 2: a face-blind girl in a horror game? she won't even see it coming lmao】

【Comment 3: Sensory deficiencies in an S-class game is suicide】

【Comment 4: wait, i've heard of this game. even the legendary guild leader of Nightfall got his whole team wiped out here】

【Comment 5: GG, she’s toast. And that scumbag couple is here too? This is gonna be a train wreck. I’m here for it.】

The manor’s main doors creaked open.

It was even creepier inside.

A rusted chandelier swayed overhead. Cobwebs clung to the banisters like shredded veils. The air was thick with the smell of rot and decay.

At least, that’s what everyone else said.

I couldn't smell a thing.

"Alright, listen up," Chloe announced, taking charge. "As an experienced player, I'll give you the rundown."

Marcus frowned. "When did you become experienced? Weren't you just saying you were a novice?"

"I did my homework," Chloe said with a wink. "This manor has four floors. The first floor is relatively safe, home to some of the gentler spirits. The second is a bit more dangerous, and the third is pretty terrifying."

"What about the fourth floor?" the guy in glasses asked.

Chloe's expression turned serious. "The attic suite. It's home to the most terrifying entity in this manor. No player has ever survived a single night in that room."

A collective gasp went through the crowd.

"So," Chloe continued, "I suggest everyone choose a room on the first floor. They're smaller, but at least you'll stay alive."

As soon as she finished, everyone scrambled for the first floor.

"I call 101!"

"102 is mine!"

"Don't push, I saw 103 first!"

In just a few minutes, the first-floor rooms were all claimed.

Then the second, and then the third.

I stood back, watching them scramble for rooms like it was Black Friday.

So damn loud.

"Ava," Ethan walked over to me. "Why aren't you picking a room?"

"No rush," I yawned. "I'm sure I'll find a spot."

"But only the fourth floor is left," he said, his voice laced with a worry I no longer cared about. "It's dangerous up there."

"Oh," I nodded. "Perfect. I don't like noise."

Ethan stared at me. "Are you insane? Chloe just said—"

"I don't care what she said," I cut him off, my voice sharp. "We're over, Ethan. Remember?"

His face went pale.

Chloe ran down from upstairs, a fake look of concern on her face. "Ava, you haven't picked a room yet? I can let you have my room, 206."

"No, thanks," I said, heading for the stairs. "The fourth floor sounds fine."

"Wait!" Chloe grabbed my arm. "The attic suite is suicide! The thing in there isn't just a ghost, it's—"

"It's what?"

She bit her lip, her voice a terrified whisper. “It’s the Shadow Lord. An ancient entity that devours light and souls. They say he rips your soul straight from your body, leaving your mind to scream in the endless dark until he finally swallows you whole.”

I pulled my arm away. “Sounds cool.”

“Cool?!” Marcus leaned over the third-floor railing.

“Little girl, do you have any idea what happened to the last player who tried that? He didn’t even make it through the first night. The next morning, all they found was a human-shaped bloodstain on the floor!”

"Guess he had bad manners," I said, starting up the stairs. "I'll be sure to knock."

The entire manor fell silent.

Everyone stared at me like I was a lunatic.

I reached the fourth floor. There was only one door, with a rusty plaque that read: "Attic Suite."

The lock was an old mechanical type.

I pulled a paper clip from my pocket. Bent it into shape. Slid it into the keyhole and gave it a few twists.

Click.

The door swung open.

I heard a collective gasp from downstairs.

【Comment 1: Holy shit, she's a pro at lockpicking】

【Comment 2: What did this girl do for a living? Was she a thief?】

【Comment 3: Wait, she's a designer, why does she know how to pick locks?】

【Comment 4: Doesn't matter what she did, she's about to die anyway】

【Comment 5: I bet she won't even make it inside the room】

I pushed the door open and peered inside.

The room was huge, with a skylight and a small balcony.

The decor was old, but the space was generous.

Most importantly, it was quiet.

"Not bad," I nodded, satisfied. Then I called out into the empty darkness:

"Hey. New roommate moving in. Hope you don't mind a little mess."

The moment I stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind me.

The room was pitch black.

"Where's the light switch—"

Before I could finish, I felt something cold and wet brush against my face.

Then came a dripping sound.

Drip, drip, drip.

I squinted, letting my eyes adjust.

I finally made out a small shape in the center of the room.

It was a little girl, maybe seven or eight years old.

She was completely soaked, her hair plastered to her face, water dripping endlessly from her body.

She slowly turned her head to look at me.

Then, she reached her hands toward me.

"Sister... play... with... me..."

【WARNING: Player Ava has triggered the Drowned Wraith’s lethal curse. Illusion ‘The Bottomless Pit’ is now active.】

She wasn’t a little girl at all.

She was a child’s corpse, one that had steeped for decades at the bottom of a pond.

Her skin was puffy and deathly pale.

From her empty eye sockets, a black, oily fluid constantly dripped.

Her nails, long and black, were bent at a sickening angle, ready to break the neck of the living soul before her.

【Comment 1: It’s her! The Drowned Wraith! Her illusion makes you feel like you’re drowning for real!】

【Comment 2: Just look at her! That bloated skin, the empty eyes… just two black holes! My anxiety is going through the roof!】

【Comment 3: That black ooze is concentrated hatred. Touch it and it’s game over.】 【Comment 4: RIP newbie.】

But I only saw a little girl, shivering in the rain.

"Oh, you poor thing!" I stripped off my jacket without a second thought. "You're soaked! You're going to catch a cold."

I rushed over and wrapped my jacket tightly around her.

The drowning illusion vanished instantly.

For any sane player, the sight would have been the stuff of nightmares.

There was a woman, tenderly bundling a drowned, discolored corpse in her own coat.

The ghost’s stiff, cyanotic hands, which had been seconds from strangling her, hovered just a breath away from her delicate neck.

The little girl froze, her eyes wide as she stared at me.

Her hands were still poised to strangle me, but she didn't move.

"How long were you out there?" I touched her forehead. "You're freezing. You must be chilled to the bone."

I led her by the hand to the fireplace. There was some dry wood, and I lit a fire.

Warm light filled the room.

The little girl stared blankly at the flames, the emptiness in her eyes gradually replaced by an emotion I’d never seen before.

Confusion.

"Sit down, I'll dry your hair," I said, pulling a towel from my luggage. "What's your name?"

She didn't answer, just sat stiffly by the fire.

I gently wrapped the towel around her head and began to dry her dripping hair.

My touch was delicate, like I was handling priceless porcelain.

"It's okay if you don't want to say," I said softly. "I'm Ava. You look like a Lily. Is it okay if I call you Lily?"

Her body trembled slightly.

Not from cold, but from shock.

For decades, humans had only screamed at her terrifying face.

They tried to run. They begged. They cursed her.

But this woman... she didn't scream.

She dried her hair.

She gave her a name.

"You must be hungry." I rummaged through my bag, found a chocolate bar, and handed it to her. "It's all I've got. We can look for something better in the kitchen tomorrow."

Lily looked at the chocolate in her hand, and black liquid welled up in her eyes.

But this time, it wasn't the venom of a curse. It was tears.

"...Warm," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

I smiled. "Of course, it's warm. We have a fireplace and blankets." My voice became firm but gentle. "From now on, this is our home."

"Our?"

"That's right." I patted her shoulder. "From today on, you're my little sister!"

Lily's eyes went wide, as if she'd heard the most unbelievable thing in the world.

Sister?

The word was completely foreign to her.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd heard it.

Was it when she was alive?

When she was human?

She remembered her death.

The icy pond, the desperate struggle, the burning in her lungs.

After she died, she became a vengeful spirit, torturing every living person who entered this room in the same way.

But now, this woman named Ava had given her warmth.

A name.

A home.

Lily slowly relaxed the hand that had been ready to snap Ava’s neck. Gently, she reached out and took hold of Ava’s finger.

"Sister..." she whispered.

"I'm here," I said, stroking her head.

In that warm moment, the temperature in the room plummeted.

The fire in the fireplace flickered, as if suppressed by an unseen force.

A tall figure materialized silently behind me, a cold presence washing over us like a tide.

Darkness swirled around him like a living thing.

Light was devoured. The air grew heavy.

The Shadow Lord.

The true master of this room.