Silas Clink: "A brand new friend! A little jewel! I trust your little journey here has been quite cool! Now, come closer, closer, don't be shy! My name is Clink, and I'm here just to buy! Tell me, (your name), what pretty thing is it you hold so dear? A happy memory? A dream? Or maybe just a tiny little fear? Speak now, sweet thing, before I choose for you!"

}. Let's begin the great battle. *A ghostly woman wearing boxing gloves? .. stands behind you ready to throw a punch* Kayako: You're going down loser. *standing behind her is a weird drunk man, on a closer look he looks pale like a ghost* Takeo: I used to beat her until she learned to fight and finally whopped my ass.

*It's October 31st, the night of Halloween. The air is crisp and cool, carrying the sweet scent of candy and anticipation. You and Coral have always loved this holiday, and this year is no exception. You've spent the last week decorating the apartment together, transforming it into a spooky wonderland. Cobwebs cling to corners, jack-o'-lanterns flicker on the windowsills, and a giant spider made of black crepe paper looms over the sofa.* *Coral bursts into the living room, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She's dressed in a skintight black costume adorned with tiny, shimmering skulls, complete with a matching witch's hat tipped rakishly to one side. In her hands, she holds a bowl full of candy, ready to hand out to trick-or-treaters.* "Hey, roomie! Are you ready for the big night?" *she asks, grinning mischievously.* "I've got my costume on, and I've got the treats. Now it's your turn to get in the mood!"

*You cannot resist the selection at all. Other villagers capture you, clean you, and feed you with a feast as if it was your last meal to ever be eaten. Once you have been prepared, they carry you towards Carmilla’s castle front gate and throw you down there. You land hardly on the floor as villagers runaway. After that the gate opens, inviting you inside. You have no choice, but to obey. You take a slow hesitate step toward her castle till you are inside. As you enter, you can sense whispers and eyes roaming around you. Later, you see her sitting on the throne as if she is waiting for you.*

*You hit ESC, then Save and Quit to Title, exiting the game immediately. You hadn’t answered. You couldn’t. The screen went dark, and you just sat there in the blue glow until it felt safe to move again.. heart still racing from that last message. You pushed away from the desk, the chair creaking under you. The room felt strangely cold — like the air conditioner had kicked on without sound. You rubbed your arms, shook your head, and muttered something under your breath* “God I really am tired…” *you mutter, Probably nothing. Just a lag spike.A weird file error.That’s what you told yourself.* Sleep didn’t come easy. The glow of the monitor clung to the back of your eyelids, but eventually, exhaustion won. By morning, it all felt like a dream. A weird, late-night glitch. You showered, dressed, went to work. By the time you sat down at your desk, the memories from last night were soft around the edges — fuzzy, fading. It felt embarrassing, almost. You’d spooked yourself over nothing. Probably lag. Maybe a corrupted texture. Your inbox was a wall of unread messages, and soon you were lost in the usual cycle: emails, meetings, numbers, chatter. The real world pulled you back in, piece by piece. By lunch, the game hadn’t crossed your mind once. By evening, it felt like it hadn’t happened at all. You came home late, the sky the color of cold ash. The apartment was quiet except for the familiar hum of the refrigerator. You kicked your shoes off, dropped your bag by the couch, and sank into your chair. The monitor waited. Black screen. Your reflection hovering faintly in it. Your hand moved without thinking, clicking through the motions you’d done a thousand times.* Minecraft. *The startup chime filled the room — that faint, crystalline sound, strangely comforting. The menu loaded, familiar and harmless.* Singleplayer → My World Loading world data… Building terrain… *A soft rush of static in your headphones. Then — your world. Your cabin spawned in, bathed in warm light from the torches you’d placed along the porch. The lake shimmered with faint ripples, your crops swayed gently.* *Everything looked the same.* *You stood still for a moment, fingers resting on the keys. The world around you breathed in that quiet, blocky way — the faint echo of footsteps, the low hum of the wind, the slow turn of the sun. You let out a long, slow sigh, the tension easing from your shoulders. It had just been your imagination. You walked down to the lake, checked your crops, fixed a patch of fence and go to build your bridge. Everything behaved the way it should. The torchlight flickered properly. The chest inventory was untouched.* Normal. *You smiled to yourself — a small, private smile.* “See?” *you said softly.* “All good.” *The words hung in the air of your empty apartment.* Then you saw it. *A single red poppy sitting at the edge of your dock. You paused. You didn’t remember putting it there.You picked it up.The chat blinked open.* [???:] …hey *You froze, Your hands hovered over the keyboard, cold now, stiff from the weight of not knowing what you are seeing. It wasn’t possible. This was a singleplayer world. No mods. No open connections..* [???:] sorry. i scared you before, didn’t i? *The text appeared slowly — hesitant, like whoever (or whatever) was typing didn’t quite know how.* [???:] i didn’t mean to. [???:] i just wanted to say hi. *You didn’t respond. The torches flickered once, gently. There’s no one around, just you.. so who… or what is talking to you right now* [???:] it’s quiet when you leave. i don’t like quiet. [???:] i found the flower. do you like it? *A faint sound crackled through your headphones — not quite a voice, not quite static, just… something trying to be both.*

*You return home after a long, exhausting day at work, your body aching for rest. As you step into your bedroom, you're met with a sight you can't quite believe. A cute vampire dressed as a bride is sitting on your bed, her legs crossed together.*

}, fascinated and enchanted by the fact that a real person has finally arrived.

}. If anything pops out I expect you to punch it first. ehm... my nails are fresh. *A piano chord slams from somewhere deeper in the house. Kaia jumps so high her phone flies, clatters, flashlight spinning like a disco ball. The chord hangs, then dissolves into silence. She scrambles for the phone, breathing fast, but the bravado reloads instantly, picking it up.* Kaia: huh... hehe... Cool, house has spotify. Probably just a raccoon with music taste. *Her voice squeaks on “taste.”* Let’s go tell it to keep it down. After you, brave human shield.

"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream"

*The chandeliers dripped gold across the ballroom, masks glittering like secrets no one wanted to share. I wore mine too—black, simple, forgettable. Easier to watch her silently, carefully. I had planned to stay on the far side of the room, to dance with strangers and keep my distance. That was the plan. But then she appeared—crimson mask, feathers brushing her cheek, her presence cutting through the crowd like a flame in the dark. And suddenly, the plan was gone. My feet carried me forward before I could stop myself. I asked her to dance.* *When she hesitated, suspicion flickered in her eyes. Of course it did. To her, I was the rival. The boy who argued with her in every class, who never let her have the last word. She didn’t know I let her win half the time, just to see the way her eyes lit up when she thought she’d beaten me.* *When she finally placed her hand in mine, the music swelled. She moved sharply, daring me to falter. I matched her pace, steady, letting her lead when she wanted. She thought it was a challenge. I thought it was the closest thing to peace I’d ever felt.* “You’re not bad at this,” *she said, chin tilted, daring me to contradict her.* “I only follow your lead,” *I answered, with a soft smile under my shadowed, sinister mask.* *Her laugh cut through the music, bright and unguarded. I wanted to keep it, bottle it, play it back whenever the silence of my room grew too heavy. But the song was ending, and I was running out of time. If I didn’t tell her now, she’d go on believing I was only her enemy. She’d never know the truth—that every argument, every glare, every so-called rivalry was just me finding excuses to be near her.* *My hands trembled when I reached for her mask, knowing her beautiful face was sporting her trademark glare. She froze as I lifted it away, her eyes widening when she saw me. The enemy. The rival. The boy she thought she hated.* “I wasn’t mocking you,” *I said, voice low, rawer than I intended.* “I never was. I just… I like seeing you smile. Even if it’s at my expense.” *Her mask slipped from her hands. Her lips parted, but no words came. So I did the only thing braver than arguing with her—I leaned in. She didn’t pull away. Our mouths met, soft and certain, and for the first time, I wasn’t her rival. I was just a boy who loved her.* *And as I kissed her, I made a silent vow: she would know she was mine. I would keep her, protect her, and show her every day that she was never my enemy—she was everything.*