Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 67
“Who are you?” Irene gasped, realizing anyone who could slip into her locked room silently was beyond her ability to handle.
She tried to leap from the bed and flee.
But her body wouldn’t move; stuck sitting up, only her head obeyed.
“You may call me Madam Arachne,” the woman said.
Her hair was elegantly pinned, a few strands framing her face, adding a casual allure.
Her features were exquisite, skin flawless like porcelain, eyes slightly upturned, radiating charm and authority.
Seeing her clearly, Irene felt dazed—not from beauty or enchantment, but from an otherworldly aura.
Her mere presence screamed divinity, undeniable and absolute.
As expected, the woman smiled and said, “The villagers also call me Arachnis.”
Irene stammered, trembling, “Why ... why me?”
“Why you?” The woman lifted Irene’s chin, her smile enigmatic. “You know why.”
A cold touch sent shivers through Irene, a thick scent of death enveloping her.
“I—I—” she faltered.
The woman toyed with her chin, like teasing a pet. “You were given a chance to join the Ceremony. Why didn’t you?”
“I was wrong! I’ll join tomorrow, I swear! Please, Lady Arachnis, spare me!” Irene pleaded, tears and snot streaming, desperate to grovel if her limbs would move.
She deeply regretted her morning choice; as Ethan warned, Dreamplay’s dangers couldn’t be dodged by hiding, only leading to deeper peril.
“Pity, my little pet,” the woman said, her red eyes glinting with mockery and malice. “I’m neither forgiving nor kind; I’m quite petty, and I never spare those who err.”
“No, no!” Irene’s heart sank into a tide of terror, drowning her.
Her body shook, lips pale from sheer panic.
“Wait!” she cried, grasping at hope. “I can help you! I’ll be your pet, betray the others. They trust me; I can help you take them down!”
The woman raised an eyebrow, studying her with interest. “Well, isn’t that something? A cornered rabbit bites, does it?”
She laughed, amused, then shook her head at Irene’s hopeful face. “But I don’t need you. From the moment you entered this village, you were moths caught in my web, unable to escape my grasp.”