Chapter 2

They just didn't get me.

If monsters were supposed to act like family, then yeah—I was gonna treat this place like home.

Who walks into their house all, "Hello, is anyone there? Please open the door"?

Nope. I knocked like I meant it.

Click.

The doorknob turned, and the door creaked open, cold air brushing my face.

Felt like walking into a perfectly air-conditioned room.

I looked down—and there she was. A little girl in a red dress.

Her face glowed an eerie green, lips blood-red, eyes hollow. She hugged a doll and flashed a perfect, too-white smile.

Pale like a porcelain doll.

And honestly?

Adorable.

I'd never seen such a cute little girl before. She looked just like a princess from a castle.

Then she reached out with an icy hand and grabbed me by the throat.

I pulled her into a hug instead, grinning. "You're SO cute! Like a tiny angel."

Then I caught a whiff of blood.

I checked her over fast. "Are you hurt? Did someone bad mess with you? Just say the word—I'll handle it. No, wait—first aid. Where's your kit?"

The Chat Feed lost its mind:

[What part of that thing screams CUTE?! It's a blood-drenched fae that butchered half the last party!]

[Doesn't matter. She's about to be the next snack.]

But I couldn't see any of that.

To me, she was still my sweet little angel.

I carried her into the bedroom, laid her gently on the bed, and started checking her for wounds.

"Little cute girls like you shouldn't be out here alone," I said. "But you've got me now. I've got sharp fangs—took down five grown wolves once. You're safe."

Somewhere in the middle of that, her grip on my throat slipped. I barely noticed.

Maybe I was imagining it, but her empty eyes looked a little less hollow.

She fidgeted with her dress, fingers twisting the red fabric. "You really think I'm cute?"

I didn't even hesitate. "Of course you're cute. Cutest girl I've ever seen. Having someone like you as family? Makes me happy."

She blushed, cheeks turning pink as she clutched her skirt.

"Thank you... Mommy."

I blinked.

So this is what it feels like to be called 'Mommy.'

Coming from someone this adorable? Kinda melted my heart.

Once she was calm and tucked in, that eerie voice returned:

[Initial players: 30. Current players: 20.]

Less than an hour in, and ten were already gone.

I grabbed my phone. The death logs were public—everyone could see how the others died.

A swordsman and a knight had gotten into it over the third-floor room.

The knight won, stepped inside—then bam. A dragon exploded out, jaws wide, flames flaring.

Chomp. Dude was gone. Not even a bone left behind.

The dragon yawned like it was bored, then slithered back into the pitch-black room like it was clocking out for the night.

It happened so fast, nobody even blinked.

Aside from the two mages who'd seen it before, everyone's fear rating shot up past 50.

One old guy hit 100 just stepping onto the tenth floor. Dropped dead from sheer terror.

The rest of the deaths were all over the place.

But none of it touched me.

To me, this place felt like paradise.

I'd always been the outcast—thanks to my busted perception. Wolves avoided me, called me a freak, even chucked rocks.

The real world? Just filth and rot.

For a second, I thought, 'Maybe staying here wouldn't be the worst thing.'

It was late. My eyes got heavy. I knocked out next to the little girl.

When I woke up, the air was colder.

No lights. Just a shadow moving across the room.

Couldn't see his face, but then he spoke—

And that voice? Low, smooth, stupid hot.