Chapter 4

After our showers, we hit a snag.

Only two bedrooms on this floor—and three of us.

"Mommy, forget that ugly bat. Sleep with me instead," Mia said, tugging at my skirt, eyes all hopeful.

I crouched down, pinched her cheeks. "Mia, don't diss your dad. He's not ugly at all."

She blinked. "But everyone says we're ugly. They call me a little monster."

I sighed. "Doesn't matter what they say. That kind of talk? Trash. If I ever meet those jerks, they'll find out how sharp my claws are.

"I don't care what you look like to them. To me, you're the cutest little girl ever. So cut it out, alright?"

Mia nodded, then latched onto my leg. "Okay, Mommy. Then I wanna sleep with you! Please!"

Darkblood Count just straight-up scooped her like a kitten and tossed her aside. "You're old enough to sleep alone."

They instantly went full WWE over who got to sleep next to me.

Mia's limbs got snapped, and Darkblood Count's head got kicked around like a soccer ball.

My freshly cleaned room... wrecked.

"Stop!"

They froze, standing like scolded kids.

"If you both wanna sleep with me, fine. We're all squeezing into one bed."

So yeah, we ditched the big bed and piled into the tiny one.

Mia knocked out instantly—probably still full from dinner.

Me? I just kept tossing and turning.

Eventually, Darkblood Count broke the silence. "You can't sleep?"

I shook my head. "No one can. Not here. I'm just... too excited."

He paused.

"I've always been different," I said. "What freaks others out? I think it's beautiful.

"The pack thought I was cursed—called me a freak, kicked me out. But here, with you guys...

"It's the first time I've felt like I belong."

I turned to him, eyes wide and sparkly, flashing a sweet smile. "Thanks. I've seriously never been this happy."

He stared, something shifting in his gaze.

"If you—"

He cut off. 'Stay here' never made it out.

"Oh, right!" I perked up. "I don't even know your name."

His voice dropped, rough. "I don't have one. But... if you want, you can give me one."

I scrunched up my face, thinking. "That's a big deal. Lemme give it some real thought."

In the dark, I saw it—just barely.

The corner of his mouth... lifted slightly, revealing fangs.

The Chat Feed blew up.

[Wait—did he just smile? Darkblood Count SMILED.]

[Okay, this little she-wolf might actually be onto something. No one survives him this long.]

That eerie system voice woke me up again:

[Initial players: 30. Current players: 15.]

One night in, and five were monster food. Three others? They must've gone through something awful. Fear ratings hit 100.

Then I got a message from one of the mages, Mara:

[Yaya, are you okay? I should've warned you. The first three days, you have to bond with your 'family' fast. This is everything I know—take it as an apology for forcing you onto the 30th floor.]

Mara and Kael were always nice to us newbies. Everyone trusted them.

I gave a small smile and typed back:

[Got it. Thanks.]

Darkblood Count was already up. He saw me texting, then paused. "In this place, don't trust—"

His face twisted. He doubled over, clutching his chest, and collapsed.

I lunged forward, catching him before he hit the ground.

The game had rules—NPCs couldn't spill strategies to players. This was the punishment.

At some point, green smoke crept in without warning. The temp plummeted.

I shivered, and he slipped off his cloak, wrapping it around me. "Don't be afraid," he murmured.

Afraid? Not even close. My perception glitch had me kind of... hyped.

"They're back!" Mia yelled. "Grandpa and Grandma are back!"

The door creaked open.

Two shriveled elders shuffled in.

Chat Feed went wild:

[It's them. The revenants. Nobody survives past this.]

[Little wolf, your lucky streak just ran out.]

They crept closer, pupils glowing green like radioactive nightmares.

Then the old man spotted the coat on my shoulders—

Snapped.

"You mangy mutt! That's my son's cloak! Time for a lesson!"