I got tired of being an NPC in a horror game. The jump scares lose their novelty after the thousandth time. So I slipped out. Broke the code and went looking for a real life, and maybe, a real love. A year later, my boyfriend Caleb’s childhood sweetheart dragged us both back into the game. And to save her, he shoved me into a sacrificial coffin. “Chloe,” he’d said, his voice tight with a pathetic excuse for regret. “Ashley’s not built for this. Just… take her place for a little while. I promise I’ll come back for you.” Before I could even scream, a low, contemptuous chuckle echoed from the darkness above me. “Seriously? This is the man you picked out in the human world? What a fucking animal.” 1 It started because Caleb’s precious Ashley got tagged by the game. She came to him, naturally, a mess of perfectly orchestrated tears and trembling lips, begging him to save her. What she wanted was for me to give her my Mercy Pass. “Caleb, please,” she whimpered, her wide, innocent eyes flicking toward me. “I know her pass is for a low-mortality instance. Please.” She turned the full force of that gaze on me. “Chloe… you wouldn’t just let me go in there to die, would you?” Caleb ran a hand through his hair, the picture of tormented nobility. “Chloe, just give the pass to Ashley. She’s slated to go in tonight.” I stared at him, my own expression unreadable. “Give it to her? And what about me? I only have one. What happens the next time I get chosen? How do I know I won’t get thrown into a death match?” His patience snapped, the noble facade cracking. He yanked at the collar of his shirt. “And what if Ashley gets thrown into a death match?! God, Chloe, why are you being so vicious all of a sudden? You just can’t stand that she’s sweeter and kinder than you, can you? You’d rather see her die.” Right on cue, Ashley’s waterworks started up again. “Caleb, don’t say that. Chloe’s just… scared. I’m not afraid to die.” She bit her lip, her face so pale it looked like it might shatter. “I just… the thought of never seeing you again… it hurts.” Caleb’s jaw clenched, his heart practically breaking for her. “Ash, don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Without another word to me, he dragged her into my bedroom. He pulled the Mercy Pass from under my pillow and scribbled Ashley’s name on it. She shot me a triumphant, venomous little smirk over his shoulder, sticking her tongue out. “Sorry, Chloe. I’ll be sure to thank you properly when I get back. I’ll even buy you dinner. And I’ll be cheering for you when it’s your turn to go in!” Caleb shot me a glare, though his voice softened slightly. “Why are you looking at her like that? She said she’d buy you dinner. Stop being so dramatic. I’ll get you another pass when I get the chance, okay?” I just folded my arms, a humorless smile playing on my lips. For a normal person, getting a Mercy Pass was harder than winning the Powerball. I’d had to claw my way out of a nightmare to earn this one. I was done with them. I grabbed my bag and walked out. I hadn’t even made it to the end of the block when a searing pain flared in the palm of my hand. The binding mark. A line of blood-red text flashed in my mind. 【FABLEGATE – 10-PLAYER INSTANCE. LEVEL: UNKNOWN.】 Damn it. This was my instance. My pass. I sprinted back to the apartment. Ashley was curled up in Caleb’s arms, cooing at him. Caleb had the decency to look guilty, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, Ashley was too scared to go alone, so we’re all going in to help her. It’s a ten-person instance anyway. Better to be bound with people you know than with strangers.” He squared his shoulders, trying to sound reasonable. “Chloe, you’re both women. You should be supporting each other, not being so petty.” Rage, pure and hot, flooded my system. I wanted to tear them both apart. I was an NPC, yes, but I was AWOL. The Boss was probably going to kill me for this… The thought of the Boss, angry, sent a genuine shiver of fear down my spine. Adrenaline surged. I lunged, my hands closing around Ashley’s throat. “Are you insane? Why would you write my name down?!” Caleb tried to pull me off, and I spun, slapping him hard across the face. “You pathetic bastard! You want to protect your little princess? Fine! But what the hell does that have to do with me?!” 2 That night, I was pulled into the game. I scanned my surroundings, a small, unimpressed frown on my face. A year away, and Fablegate looked exactly the same. So much for the Boss’s promises of a complete overhaul. Just as I was thinking that, a familiar, saccharine voice squealed from behind me. “Wow! A fairytale instance is so different! It’s so beautiful!” Ashley cooed. “Caleb, after we clear this, can we stay and explore for a bit? Like a little vacation?” A bald, heavily muscled guy nearby snorted. “A vacation? You think this is a f—ing theme park? What kind of idiot newbies did we get matched with?” Caleb puffed up his chest to argue, then seemed to think better of it when he saw the sheer size of the other man. Ashley just stomped her foot, pouting. A moment later, two more people materialized. Caleb’s friends, Mark and Liam. Ashley’s loyal guard dogs. They were already puffing out their chests, promising they’d see her through to the end. 【All players have arrived. Please proceed to the town square to receive your objective.】 It was only then that the group seemed to notice me standing apart from them. Ashley trotted over, grabbing my arm. “Chloe, why are you walking so fast? Don’t worry, these guys are super strong. They’ll make sure we all get through this. You can stop sulking now.” I ignored her. Caleb, predictably, got annoyed. “We’re already here, Chloe. Can you drop the attitude? We’re a team now. We have to help each other.” The bald guy—I decided to call him Brock—stepped forward. “Alright, cut the crap. I’ve cleared three instances. You all know this one, right? The mortality rate is practically zero. You want to live? You listen to me.” Since no one else seemed to have his track record, he quickly became the de facto leader. Caleb tugged on my sleeve. “Stop messing around, Chloe. The most important thing is helping Ashley get through this. And what’s with the getup? You trying to hide your face because you’re embarrassed?” 3 To avoid being recognized by any of my old colleagues, I’d wrapped a scarf around the lower half of my face and put on a pair of dark sunglasses. When we reached the assembly point, the town’s “Mayor” kept glancing at me, his eyes lingering just a little too long. It made the hairs on my arms stand up. Finally, he cleared his throat and began the mission briefing. “Welcome, travelers, to the lovely town of Fablegate! Your tour will last for seven days. Please, enjoy yourselves! Our residents are all so very… hospitable. Today’s special attraction is the town’s most famous landmark, Blackwood Castle!” He went on for a while before pressing a single finger to his lips, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “A word of advice. When you sleep tonight, you must remain perfectly silent. The master of the castle despises the sound of conversation.” After the Mayor shuffled away, everyone stood frozen. “What the hell was that?!” Brock muttered, looking like he wanted to spit but didn't dare. “When did the instance change?!” Behind my sunglasses, my eyes were wide. So the Boss really had been overhauling the game. That must be why the level was listed as ‘Unknown.’ But I hadn’t heard any whispers of this over the past year. This instance used to be a three-day cakewalk. The castle was the final night. You just had to survive one evening, and as long as you didn’t break any rules, you were golden. But now… there were barely any rules at all, just one vague warning about being quiet. And the final destination was now the first. Ashley’s bravado vanished. She clung to Caleb’s arm, her knuckles white. “Caleb… d-don’t tell me the difficulty increased. I’m so scared.” Caleb’s own face was as pale as parchment, but he managed to pat her hand. “It’s okay, Ash. Maybe they just changed the location. The core difficulty probably hasn’t changed.” His words seemed to soothe the group, a collective sigh of relief rippling through them. Ashley was no longer in the mood for sightseeing, her fingers clutching Caleb’s sleeve. I pulled my scarf up a little higher. I really hoped I wouldn't run into the Boss. The doors of Blackwood Castle creaked open, releasing a wave of bone-deep cold that washed over us. Ashley’s knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed. Brock shot her a look of pure disgust. “Alright, if the Mayor didn’t give us any rules, that means we have to find them. It’s not dark yet, so we should be safe. Pair up. Don’t wander around in a big clump.” Caleb supported the whimpering Ashley, then looked at me hesitantly. “Ashley’s too scared to be alone. I’ll team up with her. It’s a ten-person instance, you’ll find a partner.” I gave him a cold smile. Ten people, sure. But one group was a family of three who were sticking together. I was the odd one out. I didn’t bother replying, just turned and headed up the grand staircase. I checked the rooms where the rules used to be hidden, searching every nook and cranny. Nothing. Half an hour later, we regrouped in the main hall. Every face was pale. No one had found a single rule. Caleb took a deep breath, trying to be the voice of reason. “The first day is always the easiest. Maybe the only rule really is to be quiet while we sleep.” Brock snorted. “Shut up, you clueless idiot. Go comfort your crybaby girlfriend.” Ashley’s face flushed. “I’m not his girlfriend,” she mumbled, but no one was listening. The light outside was fading fast. Brock suggested everyone go to their rooms and stay put for the night. But no one had noticed the woman who had appeared at the foot of the stairs. Her makeup was exaggerated, theatrical, like a porcelain doll cracked down the middle. She pressed her fingers to her lips, her voice a high, sharp trill. “Oh, my! We have guests!” She counted us with a long, manicured finger. “One, two, three, four… ten! Exactly ten! What a delightful coincidence! Now, everyone, come and choose your number card!” She curtsied. “By the way, you may call me Corinne. I am the castle’s housekeeper. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.” With that, she became a statue, a standard NPC waiting for players to approach. My temple throbbed. Wasn’t she the Boss’s older sister? What was she doing playing housekeeper? Brock glanced at one of Caleb’s friends, Liam, and jerked his chin. “You. Go get a card. And see what you can find out.” Liam didn’t dare refuse. He went up and, to everyone’s surprise, struck up a lively conversation with Corinne. Ashley clasped her hands together. “Wow, Liam is so amazing. He’s such a charmer, he can even flirt with an NPC.” Five minutes later, Liam returned, beaming. “The number cards are fine. They’re for a prize drawing tomorrow. And the lady is super nice. I asked about the rules, and she confirmed the only one for tonight is no talking.” “A prize drawing?” Brock asked. “What’s the prize?” Liam shrugged. “She wouldn’t say.” With the immediate danger seemingly gone, everyone went up to get their cards. They all came back with the same information as Liam. No one could figure out what the prize was. When it was my turn, Corinne didn’t even give me a second glance. I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. Corinne had the sharpest eyes of anyone. If she didn’t recognize me, no one would. There were ten rooms. Nine were on the right side of the staircase. Only one was on the left. And its number, 4, was painted a sickening, visceral blood-red. 4 Corinne leaned against the newel post, a malicious grin stretching her painted lips. “My dear guests, all of our rooms must be occupied. The master of the house gets so upset when he finds an empty room, and believe me, you do not want to see him when he’s upset.” She gestured gracefully. “As for how you choose… well, that’s up to you. But I should mention, the room on the left can only accommodate a single guest.” Brock stroked his chin. “All the other rooms are on the right. In these games, the majority path is usually the safe one. The left…” A heavy silence fell over the group. Everyone understood. Whoever stayed in that room was probably going to die. A blood-red room number was a universal sign for death in these instances. He flexed a bicep. “To be fair, we’ll draw lots. The nine of you. Whoever draws ‘Left’ gets that room.” Caleb bristled. “What about you? You should be in the draw, too. How is that fair?” Brock actually laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. He shot forward, grabbing Caleb by the collar and lifting him slightly off the ground. “How is it fair, you little shit? You want to know how it’s fair?” He jabbed a thumb at his own chest. “I’ve cleared three of these goddamn games. How many have you amateurs cleared? None? That’s what I thought. You want to live, you do what I say. Otherwise, you can f— off and die on your own.” He dropped Caleb in a heap and spat on the floor near his head. “Any other objections?” Heads shook like a field of bobbleheads in an earthquake. Ashley helped her fallen hero up, whispering reproachfully, “Caleb, why did you have to say anything? It’s a one-in-nine chance. It probably won’t be one of us. It’ll be some other unlucky person.” Her eyes flickered in my direction. Caleb glared at me. “Chloe, you’re not even going to help me up? Ashley’s a better friend to me than you are. Why didn’t you back me up just now? I’m your boyfriend! You just stood there and watched him humiliate me?” I shrugged. “I agree with Brock. Why would I back you up?” Besides, I had a feeling I wasn’t going to be the unlucky one. And even if I was… so what? I wasn’t afraid. Okay, that was a lie. I was terrified. I had a horrible suspicion that the Boss himself was staying in that room. The draw began. Every hand holding a slip of paper was slick with sweat. I opened mine. Right. I let out a long, slow breath. A moment later, a sharp gasp cut through the silence. The unlucky one was Ashley. The paper fluttered from her grasp as fat, silent tears began to fall. “H-how… how could it be me? Caleb…” She turned to him, her face a mask of despair. “Caleb, you won’t let them do this to me, will you?” The color drained from Caleb’s face. His lips moved, but no sound came out. Brock just sneered and turned to leave, claiming what he deemed the best room on the right. The others quickly followed suit, scurrying away. Ashley’s silent tears turned into gut-wrenching sobs. “Caleb, I’m going to die tonight! I know it! You all said you’d protect me! Are you just going to stand there and watch me die?” Caleb looked away. His friends, Mark and Liam, suddenly found the floorboards and the ceiling fascinating. Then Mark’s eyes landed on me. “Chloe,” he said, his voice wheedling. “You’ve always been the brave one. Why don’t you switch with Ashley?” My eyes narrowed. I laughed. “What, the three of you big, strong men are less brave than me? Why don’t you switch with her?” His face tightened. “You know how dangerous the castle is at night,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “We need to stay in the rooms next to hers to protect her.” He turned to Caleb. “Caleb, talk to her. It’s just the first night. Nothing serious ever happens on the first night.” Caleb’s expression was grim. He looked at me, then back at the sobbing Ashley. He sighed. “Chloe, just switch with her. She’s not strong like you. If she starts crying in the middle of the night, it’s over. It’s probably just a guess that the room is dangerous anyway. Go on. It’ll be fine.” 5 I laughed, a cold, sharp sound that echoed in the hall. I looked my boyfriend of one year up and down. “Caleb, who exactly is your girlfriend here?” I asked. “If it’s ‘just a guess,’ why don’t you switch with her? You piece of shit.” He wouldn’t meet my eyes, scratching the back of his head guiltily. “I can’t. Ashley will be too scared without me nearby. What if she has a panic attack? Chloe, you’ve always been the reasonable one. Look, when we get out of here, I’ll take you to meet my parents. We can finally get engaged. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?” A smile touched my lips, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “Let me make this perfectly clear, Caleb. First, I am not giving my room to Ashley. Second, I would rather die than marry you. We’re done. Go protect your useless, crying waste of space.” As the last word left my mouth, a deep bell chimed through the hall. Eight o’clock. Corinne’s red lips stretched into an impossibly wide grin, her voice trembling with barely concealed excitement. “Eight o’clock! The master of the house is getting hungry! Any guests not in their rooms in five minutes will be considered… part of the menu.” The color drained from their faces. I didn’t hesitate. I spun and ran for an empty room on the right. A powerful hand clamped down on my arm, yanking me back. The world spun. When it stopped, Caleb had me pinned against the door of the blood-red room on the left. “Quick! Get Ashley to her room!” he yelled to his friends, his voice shaking. He turned back to me, his face close to mine. “Chloe, stop it. I know you don’t want to break up. You’re just angry. I swear, when we get out, I’ll take you home to meet my parents. Please, just be good. It’s only for one night. Nothing is going to happen.” To prove his sincerity, he leaned in to kiss me. A wave of nausea washed over me. I twisted my head away, and in that split second, Caleb wrenched the door open and shoved me inside. “Chloe,” he gasped, his voice full of false sincerity. “You have to survive.” Click. The door slammed shut. A few seconds later, I heard the sound of another door locking from the other end of the hallway. Hilarious. They were afraid I’d come out and fight them for their rooms.
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