The kitchen was in the deepest part of the first floor.

Moonlight streamed through the grimy windows, casting mottled shadows on the floor.

The air was thick with the faint smell of blood and rust.

But to me, it just smelled like any other old kitchen.

Which is to say, it smelled like nothing at all.

I opened the fridge. It was empty.

"Looks like we'll have to go shopping in town tomorrow," I said, closing the door. "What do you usually eat?"

Kael was silent for a moment. "I don't require food."

"Then what do you run on?"

"Negative emotions," his voice was quiet. "Fear. Despair. Anger."

I nodded. "Oh. So you're an emotion recycler. Basically, a supernatural social worker."

【Comment 1: A social worker??? Sweetie, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about what 'devouring soul echoes' means?】

【Comment 2: Can't she see it? As Kael talks, the lingering resentment from players who died in fear is getting sucked into his body like black smoke!】

【Comment 3: That's not recycling! That's feeding! He's literally eating all the despair trapped in this manor!】

【Comment 4: Oh god, just watching him 'feed' is making my Anxiety Level spike again...】

"...What?"

"You clean up people's negative emotions," I said, rummaging through the cabinets. "That's meaningful work. But your clients must be tough to deal with, right?"

Kael was stunned.

It was the first time in hundreds of years anyone had described his "feeding" that way.

"Speaking of difficult clients," I found a pack of crackers and tore it open. "I once had one who wanted me to design a poster on the theme 'An Elegant Death.' I did twenty-seven revisions. In the end, he said what he actually wanted was 'The Elegance of Death.'"

I took a bite of a cracker. "Is there even a difference?"

"Yes," Kael actually answered seriously. "An elegant death is the process. The elegance of death is the result."

"Right?!" I clapped my hands excitedly. "That's what I said! Too bad that client was an idiot."

Kael looked at me, a complex emotion in his eyes.

"What about you?" I asked. "What did you do when you were alive?"

He was silent for a long time before he spoke. "I was a composer," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

"Really?" my eyes lit up. "What kind? Classical? Pop? Rock?"

"Classical. Mainly piano."

"You must have been very talented," I said sincerely. "Music is the purest art form."

The shadows around Kael trembled slightly.

It had been a long time since anyone had praised him like that.

"Unfortunately," he gave a bitter laugh. "My talent is what killed me."

"How so?"

"My best friend," his voice was filled with hatred. "He was jealous of my talent, so he poisoned my drink. He stole my compositions and published them under his own name."

I stopped chewing. "That's horrible."

"The worst part is, he succeeded," Kael continued. "Using my music, he became a famous composer. And I became a vengeful spirit."

I put down the cracker and looked at him seriously. "Do you still remember the music?"

"Of course. I remember every single note."

"That's great!" I said excitedly. "I can design your album covers!"

Kael froze. "What?"

"Album covers," I said, pulling out my phone. "I mostly do graphic design, but I've done a few album projects. Give me the sheet music, and I'll design the covers based on the style of the music."

"But I'm dead."

"So?" I shrugged. "Is there some rule against ghosts dropping albums? Sounds like discrimination to me."

Kael stared at me as if seeing me for the first time.

"Besides," I continued, "this way your friend can't steal it. Because the design copyright will be mine."

The crack on his chest suddenly glowed brighter.

Just then, Lily peeked her head around the door. "Sister, what are you talking about?"

"We're planning Kael's music career," I waved her over. "Come on, have some crackers."

Lily ran over happily and climbed onto a chair next to me.

"Kael used to be a musician," I told her. "A really good one."

"Really?" Lily's eyes sparkled. "Can you play a song for me?"

Kael looked at her, then at me. "There's no piano here."

"That's okay," Lily held out her small hand. "I can make one out of water."

A drop of water appeared in her palm.

It shifted and stretched in the air, eventually forming an exquisite miniature piano.

"Wow!" I clapped. "Lily, you're amazing!"

Lily smiled shyly. "I can make other things, too."

She then created a little water rabbit, which hopped around on the table.

Then a bird, a fish, a cat.

The whole kitchen filled with her laughter.

Kael watched the scene quietly, the ice in his eyes slowly melting away.

Hours later, we were back in the attic.

Lily had washed up and was wearing the pajamas I found for her—one of my T-shirts, which looked like a nightgown on her.

"Sister," she asked shyly, "can I sleep with you?"

"Of course," I patted the bed. "It's big enough for all three of us."

"Three?"

"Yep, Kael too," I said, looking at the man in the shadows. "You can't just stand there all night, can you?"

Kael froze. "I don't require rest."

"Don't be silly," I said, pulling back the covers. "Even dead people need to sleep. That's common sense."

Lily giggled.

In the end, the three of us really did squeeze into one bed.

I was in the middle, with Lily on my left and Kael on my right.

The little girl fell asleep quickly, her breathing even and peaceful.

"Thank you," Kael's voice came from the darkness.

"For what?"

"For reminding me what it felt like to be alive."

I turned on my side. I couldn't see his face, but I could feel him looking at me.

"Don't sound so sad," I whispered. "You're still alive. You're just living in a different way."

Lily turned over in her sleep, her small hand clutching my shirt.

She mumbled in my arms. "Everyone else called me 'Water Wraith.' You're the first person to ever call me Lily."

The next morning, I was woken by a scream from downstairs.

"No! Please! I don't want to die!"

The scream cut off abruptly.

【Game Alert: Player Marcus has been eliminated.】

【Current Survivors: 4】

Lily hugged my arm tightly. "Another one died."

"Sounds like it was a rough night," I said, stroking her head. "I'm just glad you two are okay."

Kael emerged from the shadows. "The manor's other occupants are becoming active."

I picked up my phone and saw the player group chat was blowing up.

【Chloe】: Everyone be careful! Marcus died horribly last night!

【Tom (Glasses Guy)】: Shit, I didn't sleep a wink.

【Sarah (Female Player)】: What are we going to do? Seven days left...

【Chloe】: I think we need to stick together.

【Chloe】: But there's someone I don't trust.

【Tom】: Who?

【Chloe】: Ava. She's teamed up with the most dangerous ghost on the fourth floor.

【Sarah】: What?!

【Chloe】: I saw it with my own eyes. She was laughing and talking with the Shadow Lord.

【Chloe】: Maybe she's not even a player. Maybe she's an insider, part of the game.

【Tom】: Damn! No wonder she's not scared at all.

【Sarah】: So what do we do?

【Chloe】: We isolate her. We can't let her ruin our plans.

I rolled my eyes and was about to type a reply when my phone buzzed again.

It was a private message from Chloe.

【Chloe】: Ava, don't mind what I said in the group chat~ I only said that to protect you.

【Chloe】: Actually, I've always been grateful to you.

【Chloe】: After all, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have Ethan's love.

【Chloe】: And he just can't get enough of me. Last night was... divine. You know what I mean ;)

As I was reading her disgusting messages, I felt the temperature beside me drop.

Kael was standing behind me, the shadows around him roiling violently.

"Who?" his voice was full of killing intent. "Who is texting you?"

"Just spam," I said, turning off my phone. "It's nothing important."

But Kael clearly didn't believe me. Black light flared in his eyes. "Is it a man?"

"What?"

"The person texting you," his shadows grew more agitated. "What were you talking about? Why do you look upset?"

I was stunned.

Was he... jealous?

"Kael, you need to calm down—"

"Tell me," he snarled, the shadows around him erupting like a tidal wave. "Is it him? That human, Ethan?!"

Just as his shadows were about to envelop me, he suddenly bent over in agony, letting out a muffled grunt.

The crack on his chest flashed violently, like it was about to explode.

【Game Rule Violation: Specters may not proactively reveal key information to players who have not shown malice.】

His form became unstable, flickering between solid and transparent.

"Kael!" I rushed over, and Lily and I supported him from both sides.

"What's wrong?" I placed my hand over the crack on his chest. It was burning hot, as if it would melt my palm.

Lily was frantic, her little hands summoning a stream of clear water, gently wrapping it around Kael's body to cool him down.

"Cool down..." she whispered. "Don't be so hot..."

Under our care, Kael's pain gradually subsided.

He looked at me, an unreadable mix of emotions in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice hoarse. "I shouldn't have doubted you."

"It's okay," I continued to soothe the wound. "Just ask me next time. Don't let your imagination run wild."

"It was her, wasn't it?" he asked quietly. "That woman, Chloe."

I nodded.

Killing intent flared in Kael's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by pain as the game rule restricted him again.

"I want to protect you," he said, anguished. "But I can't."

"You already have," I looked at him seriously. "You gave me a home. You gave me a family. That's the best protection there is."

Lily nodded in agreement. "Yes. We're a family."

In that warm moment, heavy footsteps echoed from downstairs.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Each step was accompanied by a sizzling, burning sound. The smell of something scorched filled the air.

Lily gripped my sleeve nervously, whispering, "...'Pops' is back from his patrol. He hates all living things."

The footsteps grew closer.

The stairs groaned and creaked, as if they might collapse at any moment.

"He's very dangerous," Lily hid behind me. "No one has ever survived an encounter with him."

Kael stood up, his shadows gathering. "The fire from Pops's rage can burn through anything."

CRACK!

The door to the attic was kicked open with brutal force.

A new voice roared from below, sizzling like hot iron plunged into water. "LIVING... FLESH!" The sound was followed by a splintering crash. "I SMELL THE STENCH OF THE LIVING!"