Chapter 4
Sunny's POV
Travis and Brooke stumble back, too scared to get close.
Through my blur, all I can make out is a small shape in a frilly dress, crouched down and crying.
"Seriously, this production team's hiring child labor now?" My mom instincts kick in and I walk right over.
"Sunny! Are you insane? Don't go near her!" Travis hisses behind me. "That's a ghost! Get in her range and you're dead!"
I ignore him completely, walk up behind the girl, and crouch down.
"Hey, sweetie, don't cry. Tell me what your doll looks like," I say, keeping my voice soft.
The crying stops cold.
She turns her head, slow.
To Travis and Brooke, it's a nightmare. Half her face rotted away, eyes bulging out of the sockets, her mouth split open all the way to her ears, jagged teeth dripping blood down her chin.
To me, she's just a kid with smeared red paint on her face, a little grimy.
"Did you find my doll?" Her voice cracks into something sharp and shrill.
She lifts one hand, black nails curling toward me like claws, ready to lunge.
I sigh, dig a leftover lollipop out of my pocket, and peel off the wrapper.
Before she can react, I shove the candy straight into her mouth.
"Here, suck on this. I'll find your doll, okay? No more crying."
She freezes completely. Those bulging eyes stay locked on me, the lollipop stuck in her mouth, like she can't decide whether to swallow it or spit it out.
She's supposed to be one of the nastiest things in this manor. One look back from her and people usually wet themselves before getting torn apart.
And this woman just handed her candy.
"You..." Her voice comes out warped.
"Good girl," I say, pulling her into a hug and patting her back. "Kids shouldn't have to be out here working this young. Don't worry, I'll find your toy."
Travis and Brooke have gone completely still.
The live chat is scrolling so fast it's about to crash:
[no way no way NO WAY she's hugging her?? she's hugging an S-tier ghost??]
[her passive is instant death on contact, why is Sunny fine??]
[look at her face, she looks like she short-circuited]
[Annabelle: I am a cold-blooded killer but she gave me candy]
She stays frozen in my arms for a full minute.
Then, quietly, she pulls her hand back. The horror melts off her face, and what's left is just a regular little girl.
She points a small finger at a beat-up cabinet in the corner.
"It's... in there," she mumbles.
I walk over, open it, and there's the doll, worn and faded.
"Here you go," I say, handing it to her.
The system chimes in.
[Congratulations, player Sunny, side quest complete.]
[Annabelle's favor +50.]
Travis and Brooke just stare at each other, stunned.
"How is this... possible?" Travis mutters. "This was supposed to be a guaranteed kill..."
I brush off my hands. "See? I told you this show's all about the warm and fuzzy stuff. You guys overthink everything."
Cold footsteps echo from the doorway.
Sebastian's standing in the doorway, watching me and Annabelle, his expression unreadable, complicated.
"You..." He looks at me, opens his mouth like he's about to say something, then thinks better of it.
"Hey, you showed up!" I walk straight over. "Look, I helped the little one find her toy. That's gotta earn me some points, right?"
His mouth twitches.
"Idiot," he says flatly, and turns to walk away.
"Hey, don't go! Are you jealous?" I call after him.
His step stutters and he picks up the pace, faster now.
[lmaooo the boss just ran]
[Sunny's directness has even gods running for cover]
Night falls again, and the hall lights up with dim candlelight.
The system speaks right on schedule.
[Dinner is served.]
[All players are required to report to the dining hall. Refusal to eat will be treated as disrespect toward the manor's master. Elimination follows.]
Travis and Brooke turn pale and head toward the dining hall.
I trail after them, practically skipping. A full day in this trial and I'm starving.
The dining hall has one long table. Sebastian sits at the head, his face lost to the dark.
A row of covered silver platters lines the table.
"Sit," Sebastian says, just the one word.
The three of us take our seats.
A butler in a tailcoat walks over, no head on his shoulders, and lifts the lids off our plates one by one.
A thick wave of blood and rot hits the air.
The second Travis and Brooke see what's underneath, they bolt for the corner, hands over their mouths, retching.
Through their eyes, the plates are piled with raw, bleeding meat, organs still twitching, and a few human eyeballs floating in red liquid.
"How are we supposed to eat this?" Brooke breaks down sobbing. "I won't! This'll kill us!"
Sebastian lets out a cold laugh, tapping one finger against the table. "Don't eat, and you die right now."
The temperature in the room drops to zero.
