I returned with a broom and dustpan and began sweeping up the body parts with a grunt. Then I took a rag and meticu-
lously wiped every corner of the floor.
When I was done, I finished with a spritz of air freshener.
“Honestly, this little girl!” I muttered to myself. “No sense of bedroom hygiene at all!”
After all, a clean and fresh environment is essential for quality sleep.
[CHAT: …Did this woman used to be a professional cleaner? Why is she so calm?]
CHAT: When it comes to sleep, our streamer is dead serious.]
[CHAT: Everyone else is here to clear the game, she’s here doing housekeeping. You could use that floor as a mirror
now.]
Thanks to my daytime chores, I was fast asleep before 10 PM.
In the dead of night, a thick, coppery smell of blood seeped under the door.
Creeeak–the door swung open.
A little girl in a blood–soaked nightgown scuttled into the room on all fours, moving like a spider. In a flash, she was on
the bed, ready to pounce.
My snoring echoed through the room.
The little girl froze, then opened her mouth in a silent, jagged scream.
I remained still as a log, sleeping like the dead.
[CHAT: NOW, LITTLE GIRL! BITE HER! DO IT!]
[CHAT: I paid for the premium stream to see some action! I’ve got my popcorn ready!]
[CHAT: Is it just me or is the vibe off? I thought this was a horror game, why do I feel like I stumbled into an ASMR stre-
am?]
The little girl shredded the bedsheets with her claws and lunged, her fangs aimed at my leg.
I shot upright and, in a fluid motion, threw my thick cotton quilt over her.
Trapped and disoriented under the blanket, the little girl thrashed and shrieked. I lifted a corner of the quilt, exposing
only her head, and tucked the rest of her body snugly inside.
When she saw my face, she started screaming again.
I gently pinched her lips together with my fingers. “Hush now, little one. No more noise.”
The girl froze, her large, crimson eyes staring blankly for a moment.
I laid her down flat on the bed and patted her gently, as if soothing a child.
Chapter 1
06.20
“You poor thing,” I cooed. “Look at how bloodshot your eyes are. You’ve been staying up too late, haven’t you?”
At my words, a single, dark tear trickled from the corner of her eye. After a long moment, she slowly closed her eyes.
[CHAT: Is there a game master? Can someone check this? Is this even legal?]
[CHAT: Totally legal. That little girl has been haunting this place for decades and no one’s ever tucked her in. Sleepyhe- ad Eva just scored major points.]
[CHAT: Eva’s gonna coddle these ghosts back into the womb at this rate.]
As I continued my rhythmic patting, the little girl grew still and quiet, motionless as a porcelain doll. Up close, she was
almost cute.
The chat was still a waterfall of exclamation points.
When I woke up the next morning, the little girl was gone. All that remained were the faint, dark stains on the sheets from her bloody nightgown.
Downstairs, the other players stared at me, their faces a mask of disbelief as I walked in completely unharmed.
“You… you didn’t encounter the boss last night?” Jax stammered.
“Nope. Just met a little girl.”
“We slept together,” I added. “She was a good kid. Didn’t even kick the blankets off.”
A collective gasp went through the room.
[SYSTEM: Congratulations to the remaining players for surviving the first three days.]
[SYSTEM: From the third night onwards, the final boss will begin to roam randomly.]
After a meager breakfast, the system announcement echoed,
“Since this is about a family annihilation, I’m guessing the hidden boss is the killer,” one player theorized.
“For safety, we should all move to the third floor and set up a watch schedule. What do you guys think…”
“Excuse me,” I started,
Jax shot me a withering glare. “A C–rank trying to ally with us? Not a chance. Stay away from us.”
“Um, actually…”
“Only three people can clear this game. We’re already being merciful by not ganging up on you!”
I waited for Jax to finish his tirade, then pointed to a carton of warm milk next to him. “I was just going to ask… if you’re
not going to drink that, can I have it?”
