Chapter 4

That night, in front of every guest and every livestream camera, I barked like a dog.

Charlotte sat on the sofa without looking at me again.

By the time the party finally ended, it was nearly midnight. Guests filtered out in small groups, still laughing as they passed me.

"So that's the Bennetts' eldest son? He does a pretty convincing dog."

"No kidding. Wearing a dog collar and a butler's uniform... if I didn't know better, I'd think he actually was one."

I'd been kneeling for so long that my legs had gone numb. Using the wall for support, I struggled to my feet and limped toward the guest room.

The moment I stepped inside, I heard a click behind me. The door was locked from the outside.

Almost at the same time, the air conditioner roared to life overhead. Freezing air poured from the vents as the temperature plummeted.

There wasn't a blanket anywhere in the room, and the bedsheet was as thin as paper. I had no idea how low they'd set the thermostat, but the cold cut through me like knives, sinking straight into my bones.

Curled up in the corner of the bed, I hugged the battered little lion against my chest. My teeth began to chatter.

One hour passed.

Then another.

My fingertips turned purple. I could no longer feel my lips. My body shook uncontrollably as my consciousness slowly slipped away.

The System's voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

System: [Departure Countdown: 00:28:00]

System: [Host's body temperature continues to fall. Vital signs are approaching zero.]

Almost there.

I closed my eyes and stopped fighting. It didn't matter anymore.

I was leaving anyway. What difference did a little sooner or a little later make?

Just as consciousness was about to leave me completely, another notification appeared.

System: [If the Host survives until dawn and completes the departure process, the Retribution System will activate.]

My eyes flew open.

System: [At that time, everyone who has harmed the Host will suffer every ounce of the Host's pain, multiplied a thousandfold.]

The freezing air kept pouring down. I stared at the ceiling, barely able to move my eyes.

"Everyone?"

System: [Yes. Everyone.]

I bit through my tongue. The taste of blood filled my mouth.

Warm.

Not enough.

I pressed my wrist against the sharp metal edge of the bed frame and rubbed it back and forth until the skin split open and blood seeped from the wound. I caught it with my other hand and smeared it across my arms, my stomach, and my legs.

It was warm. That tiny bit of warmth kept me alive, one minute at a time.

Several times, I blacked out completely. Each time, the pain dragged me back.

Blood still flowed from my tongue. The flesh on my wrist had been worn open.

I had no idea how I survived the night. I only remembered seeing the first ray of sunrise slip through the gap in the curtains.

System: [Congratulations, Host. Mission complete. The Retribution System has been activated.]

System: [Departure Countdown: 5, 4, 3...]

My body slowly grew warm. Then, it became impossibly light.

I felt myself rise from the bed, drifting through the ceiling and above the roof.

I looked down. Someone lay curled up on the guest room bed. His body was covered in blood, and his lips were blackened from the cold. Clutched tightly in his arms was a battered little lion.

It was me.

No, it was my corpse.

Just then, Charlotte's voice drifted up from downstairs.

"My chest's been hurting since I woke up this morning. I don't know why." She hesitated, sounding strangely uneasy. "Maybe I went too far with him last night, but the test's over now. It's all behind us. I came today because I want to discuss our wedding date."

Vivian spoke next, "Me too. My heart's been racing since this morning. It feels like something's missing. Today's the perfect day to take him to the family chapel and officially enter his name into the Bennett family register."

Claire sighed. "He went through a lot last night. I need to make it up to him today."

Natalie turned to the butler, Walter Collins. "Go bring him downstairs. The test is over."

Walter climbed the stairs and opened the guest room door. "Graham, the young ladies would like you to..."

His voice stopped abruptly.

A heartbeat later, a scream ripped through the entire estate.

"Help! Somebody help!"