As I handed over the keycards, I added with an encouraging smile, “Good luck! You’ve got this! I believe in you!”

Some of the players, who were trembling moments ago, froze for a second at my words. Then, they glanced down at their keycards, straightened up, and marched inside with the determined look of someone heading to their doom.

Under my direction, the chaotic crowd at the hotel entrance quickly turned into an orderly line.

The boss seemed impressed. He came over and handed me a silver necklace with a delicate wing-shaped charm.

“When your shift is over, press the wing down. It’ll lock into place, and you can return to the real world. Lift the wing up, and you’ll be back on the job. It automatically tracks your hours, so no skipping shifts or you’ll be in trouble.”

I turned the necklace over in my hands. It was actually kind of cute.

Unable to resist, I asked, “Can I still stay in touch with the outside world while I’m working?”

After all, I didn’t know a single soul here. Without someone to chat with or a way to pass the time, it’d be unbearably boring.

He took my phone and fiddled with it, attaching some kind of blood-red lightning icon to the screen.

Suddenly, my previously disconnected phone lit up and it was connected to my home Wi-Fi.

“Players can’t usually contact the outside world, but you’re one of us now. So, you don’t have to risk your life to clear the game instance, and you’ve got some perks, like this little backdoor access.”

This job was amazing.

I was ready to stay in this role until I grew old and gray.

After the boss left, I settled into my usual routine of sneaking in some downtime.

The front desk job was usually pretty dull. After the morning rush, only a handful of people trickled in throughout the day.

The hotel had surveillance cameras in the hallways, but unfortunately, the boss-controlled rooms were off-limits to monitoring. I couldn’t see what was happening inside, but the occasional bloodcurdling screams from the back told me plenty.

Every now and then, a player would stumble out of a room, drenched in blood and visibly shaken. Just as they’d start to feel a shred of relief, crimson tentacles would shoot out from another room and drag them right back in.

While all this chaos unfolded, I got a message from my mom.

“Zoe, it’s been almost three months since you graduated. Have you found a job yet?”

I was in a great mood and ready to share the good news, but then her next message came, “If you don’t find work soon, you can go sleep on the streets. I’m done taking care of you!”

My excitement took a nosedive.

I replied, “Mom, I found a job. I’m working as a hotel receptionist.”

Her response came quickly: “Really? No way. You just happened to find a job the second I asked? Are you making this up? With your degree, what decent company would hire you? A receptionist? That sounds like a scam.”

Her words felt like a punch to the gut.

Feeling frustrated, I snapped back, “Believe it or not, someone did hire me. Even if you think your daughter’s nothing more than a bottom feeder, I’m a bottom feeder who knows how to make her own way!”

That last part must’ve hit a nerve because her next message came in hotter and angrier.

She sent me over a dozen one-minute voice messages back-to-back.

Not wanting to argue, I flipped my phone face down on the desk.

My mom had always been good to me, but she had this unshakable belief that I couldn’t do anything right. Every word felt like a jab as if I were still a helpless child who couldn’t survive without her.

I barely had time to stew in those feelings before the resonant toll of a bell snapped me out of it.

It was 5 p.m. The game instance had ended for the day.

Which meant it was time for room inspections.

By the time players staggered out of the hotel, very few were still in one piece. Blood and severed limbs littered the floor in their wake.

To my disbelief, someone even exclaimed, “I made it out alive! Oh my God, I’m so lucky!”

With my heart pounding, I carefully navigated around the carnage and made my way to the elevator, riding it up to the second floor.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Anyone there? Front desk here for room inspections,” I called out.

Silence.

Guessing that the game boss had already left the room, I used my keycard to unlock the door.

But the moment it swung open, a little girl’s body suddenly toppled toward me.

Her nose was crooked, her mouth twisted, her tongue hanging unnaturally long. Her face was smeared with blood.

I stood frozen.

After a long, awkward minute, she finally spoke.

“Am I not scary? Why didn’t you scream?”

I sighed, pulled out a pack of wet wipes, and gently cleaned her face. Her actual features gradually emerged, looking far less horrifying than before.

"Those female ghosts in horror movies don’t usually have canine teeth like yours. You’re actually kind of cute," I said as I untied the rope around her and helped her down, brushing the dust off her clothes.

Her expression darkened at my words.

"Cute? No way. I won’t allow you to call me that."

I thought, “Well, it’s my mouth—I’ll say whatever I want.”

Before I could respond, she turned around, and my breath caught in my throat.

On her back was... another head.

At least, that was what I thought at first.

The face on it was smiling at me.

But when I took a closer look, I realized it wasn’t a head at all. It was a massive lump, nearly half the size of her real head, with eyes and a nose drawn on it. She had even styled a small tuft of hair, tying it up and letting it fall around the “face.”

That was why I’d mistaken it for another head at first glance.

Her smug voice came from behind me.

“Well? Are you scared now? Bet you won’t say anything like that again!”

“Hey, what are you—” she started as I pulled a bow out of my pocket and clipped it onto the little tuft of hair on the lump.

She froze for a moment before walking over to the mirror, tilting her head back to look at the lump on her back.

"Now it’s not just cute," I said with a grin. "It’s even prettier."

Her face flushed red in an instant.

“R-Really? Everyone says my lump is ugly, that I’m a monster, and no matter how many times I try to cut it off, it won’t go away.”

I looked closer and noticed the lump was covered in scars, some deep, some shallow, with dried blood crusted over.

“Of course not. If you can’t get rid of it, then why not change how you see it? Think of it as a gift from above—something that makes you special and different from everyone else.”

She stared at me for a moment before suddenly throwing herself at my legs, clinging to me without saying a word.

I realized then just how small she was—barely tall enough to reach my thighs.

What I didn’t know at the time was that elsewhere, invisible to me, the live chat was exploding.

“Whoa, I’ve never seen such a shy game boss before.”

“Why isn’t she using her lump to attack? Didn’t the last front desk clerk die because of that thing?”

“Honestly, I don’t even understand how this new receptionist managed to call that lump ‘cute.’ Maybe that’s why she’s still alive?”

…

I smiled down at her. “Alright, time for me to check your room.”

She nodded obediently and trailed closely behind me.

Room inspections were usually simple. The main tasks were checking for damage and running the robotic vacuum to clean the floors.

But what I saw this time… was complete devastation.

The room was a complete wreck. Tables and chairs were shattered, windows smashed, and even the support beams had crumbled!

I glanced back at her, stunned. Was this game boss really that destructive?

Noticing my look, she tilted her head innocently.

“What’s wrong, Miss?”

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “Nothing. Just… could you help me clean this up a little? We’ve got more players coming tomorrow.”

She nodded enthusiastically, grabbed a tiny broom, and quickly handed it to me. Then, without hesitation, she walked over to the collapsed support beam, which was easily several times her size, lifted it with one hand, and casually tossed it out the window.

As I watched it all unfold, I could only mutter, “You know, throwing things out of windows is technically illegal…”

…

With her help, we finished tidying up in no time. The once chaotic room now looked spotless and refreshed.

I nodded in satisfaction. “I’m off to check the next room, Ruby.”

Since she hadn’t told me her name, I decided to call her Ruby, and thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind.

She waved cheerfully. “Bye, Miss! Come back soon, okay?”

I headed to the next door and knocked.

This time, the game boss was an elderly woman who greeted me with a warm smile. “Ah, young lady, you must be the new front desk clerk the boss told me about. You’re really lovely.”

“You’re lovely too, ma’am,” I replied sweetly.

As I stepped inside, I found the room neat and cozy, bathed in soft, warm light. Even the litter box on the floor was freshly cleaned and filled with new litter, exuding a light, pleasant scent.

It looked like this inspection would be an easy one.

The elderly woman with white hair said, "Oh, my dear, you’ve arrived. Let me pour you some tea."

She shuffled toward the coffee table with unsteady steps. Worried she might fall, I reached out to steady her.

Suddenly, a shadow darted out, landing at her feet.

I froze, staring at it.

It was impossible to describe exactly what it was. Its entire body was blood-red, with no discernible shape. Its eyes locked onto me, its mouth opening wide as it let out a sharp, menacing screech.

The old woman crouched down and scooped it up. Strangely, the creature seemed almost liquid, stretching out as she picked it up before curling into a ball in her arms.

“Mew Mew, look at you scaring this young lady.”

Only then did I realize that it was a cat.

“Ma’am, may I pet it?” I asked, curious.

Mew Mew let out a sharp, angry meow, its expression still ferocious, but somehow, I understood its message: “Foolish human, leave this room immediately!”

The old woman patted its head and laughed. “Of course you can.”

I cautiously extended my hand and stroked it.

The sensation was strange. The cat had no fur, and its skin felt oddly smooth, though it wasn’t a hairless breed either.

I braced myself, thinking it might bite me, but instead, it stiffened in my hand and let me continue.

Meanwhile, unseen commentary erupted:

“Boss Mew, just scratch her to pieces already!”

“Does this front desk clerk have some kind of magic? Why isn’t she dead yet?”

…

The elderly woman chuckled warmly. “You know, you’re the first person besides me who’s ever managed to pet Mew Mew. Don’t let its fierce look fool you. It’s actually very gentle.”

I couldn’t help myself and gave Mew Mew a light pat on the head. “Good kitty.”

Mew Mew let out another angry meow, its tone still full of hostility.

“Despicable human! How dare you! Where’s my dignity as the great ruler?!”

At the old woman’s enthusiastic invitation, I picked up a cat teaser toy and played with Mew Mew for a while.

That was when I realized… Mew Mew was a bit of a dimwit.

It ignored the toy completely, choosing instead to claw at its shadow on the wall. Its tiny body bumped around clumsily, which only made it look even cuter.

With the second room inspection done, I headed to the third.

Knock, knock, knock.

From inside, a rough, raspy voice called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s the front desk. I’m here to inspect the room.”

The door opened just a crack before slamming shut again with a loud bang.

“Seen enough? Good. Now scram.”

“I haven’t seen anything yet,” I said flatly.

After a pause, the door creaked open again.

An elderly woman with a black scarf tied around her head stared at me grimly.

As I stepped inside, I froze.

A wave of heat hit me, and the room felt like a giant furnace. From the ceiling, countless dried flower petals floated down like snow.

In the center of the room stood a black-and-white photograph of the elderly woman herself.

“Should I clean up all these flowers?” I asked.

She responded coldly, “No. These are offerings my son gave me.”

I had already started piecing things together before coming in here, but now her words confirmed my suspicions.

These game bosses weren’t just game characters. They were likely the spirits of people who passed away in real life, now finding a place in this haunted game instance.

“Do you miss your son? I can help you pass along a message to him if you’d like.”

Her body stiffened at my words. “You… really would do that?”

“Of course,” I said with a reassuring smile. “I get off work in about an hour and can return to the real world. Just give me his address or anything you want me to tell him.”

Her eyes lit up with a mix of disbelief, hope, and emotion. She hurried over to the table and grabbed a pen, but froze for a moment, looking unsure.

With an encouraging look from me, she slowly began writing.

When she finished, she carefully folded the letter, her trembling hands passing it to me.

I tucked it gently into my bag and said, “Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll take care of it.”