Where did everything go wrong? Abigail thought to herself, staring into the depths of her coffee cup.

  I thought that after finishing my degree, I'd be successful. I'd have a bunch of friends, maybe even a boyfriend, and life would be great.

  Instead, she'd let laziness and procrastination derail everything. She was always late, her assignments were either half-finished or forgotten, and eventually, her boss had enough. She'd lost her job. Now she was stuck—no career, no direction, and no friends left to lean on.

  "Great," she muttered bitterly, taking a sip of her coffee.

  She sat alone on a park bench, the cup of black coffee in her hands as bitter as her mood. Around her, the world carried on obliviously. The weather was perfect, the sun warm on her face, and the park was alive with the sound of laughter and chatter. Couples strolled by hand in hand, kids played on the grass, and dogs chased frisbees with boundless energy.

  But Abigail couldn't feel any of it. Not the sunshine, not the happiness in the air. It was like she was trapped in her own personal raincloud.

  "Man... this sucks," she muttered, leaning back on the bench and looking up at the blue sky.

  Minutes passed in silence, her thoughts swirling. Then, her phone buzzed. With a flicker of interest, she grabbed it and checked the screen.

  [Notification: The long-awaited Sword and Beauty Part II RPG Fantasy Game (18+) is finally out! Order now and get an exclusive art book and a sexy figure of everyone's favorite character, Prince Noctwil!]

  Abigail's eyes widened. An overjoyed smile spread across her face, so wide it almost hurt. She didn't even notice that her breathing had picked up.

  Ever since losing her job, video games had been her escape, her solace. At first, it was just casual gaming—fun distractions to pass the time. But that got old quickly. Then, she'd stumbled into the world of Adult RPGs, and everything changed.

  And no game had hooked her as much as Sword and Beauty. It wasn't just the "spicy" scenes (though those definitely didn't hurt); it was the amazing plot, the challenging gameplay, and the stunning worldbuilding. Every character was a work of art—handsome, gorgeous, with personalities that felt alive. And now, Part II was finally here.

  "Oh my god," she whispered, her eyes glued to the notification. "He's so charming… and so sexy."

  She stared at the preview image of Prince Noctwil, shirtless and smirking, his muscular chest practically sparkling. Completely absorbed, she didn't notice the people around her shooting her strange looks.

  A mother with two kids gave her an awkward glance and shuffled away, muttering something about "setting a bad example." A few teens sitting nearby snickered, while one elderly man outright moved to another bench.

  But Abigail didn't care. Maybe she didn't even notice. She was too busy drooling over her screen, lost in thoughts of Noctwil and whatever steamy content the game had waiting for her.

  Suddenly, she stood up with a determined grin, her mind made up.

  "I Need this!"

  she declared to no one in particular, her eyes burning with an intense resolve.

  "And nothing, nothing is going to stop me from getting it!"

  With that, Abigail marched off, her earlier bitterness completely forgotten. Her next great adventure had arrived… and it started at the nearest gaming store.

  ...

  The moment Abigail left the park, she made a beeline for the nearest game shop. It took her ten minutes of brisk walking, her excitement growing with every step before she spotted the familiar storefront.

  To her relief, the place was empty. She had mentally prepared herself to throw elbows or use her "Almighty Fist" to fend off any rival customers, but thankfully, she didn't have to resort to violence. Not that anyone would challenge her, given the intense, almost maniacal glint in her eyes.

  Pushing the door open, the faint chime of the bell announced her arrival. Abigail wasted no time and strode straight to the counter, where a young man wearing a cap sat lazily behind the register, a newspaper spread out in front of him.

  "Hey, Casper!"

  Abigail called out, her tone sharp with urgency. "Do you happen to have the new Sword and Beauty game?"

  Casper, looking about as lively as a sloth, glanced up from his newspaper. With a shrug, he reached under the counter and pulled out a huge sparkled box.

  "Limited edition, right? Here you go, Miss Berrycloth," he said, handing it over with zero fanfare.

  Abigail's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She snatched the box from him and cradled it like it was the Holy Grail.

  "Oh my god, look at this! Do you see this?!"

  she practically shouted, holding it up for Casper to see. Her gaze fixated on the cover art, which prominently featured Prince Noctwil in all his handsome, shirtless glory.

  "Fucking hell, it's Prince Noctwil! The hottest character in the entire game!"

  She didn't even notice her breathing had gotten heavier, her excitement bordering on something... unsettling.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Casper, unfazed by her antics, leaned back in his chair with a bored expression. He'd seen this side of Abigail far too many times to be surprised.

  "What's so great about this game, anyway?" he asked. "I heard it only has, like, 400 players worldwide. Isn't it kind of... dead?"

  Abigail scoffed, hugging the game box protectively.

  "Dead?! No way! This game is a hidden gem, Casper. The story, the worldbuilding, the characters—it's all perfection! People just don't understand quality when they see it."

  "Uh-huh," Casper replied, his tone dripping with indifference. "Well, either way, I heard some rumors about the studio behind it. They're shutting down."

  Abigail froze. "What?!" she shouted, nearly dropping the precious box. She quickly tightened her grip, glancing at him. "What do you mean shutting down? I thought they were doing great!"

  Casper scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, apparently, it's not about their projects or sales or anything like that."

  Still clutching the box like her life depended on it, Abigail leaned in closer.

  "Then what is it?"

  He hesitated for a moment before muttering, "According to the rumors... every single employees, designers, directors, the CEO of the studio and even the author of sword and Beauty.

  they're all dead. Murdered."

  What?!

  The words hit Abigail like a ton of bricks. Her mouth fell open as her brain struggled to process what she'd just heard.

  "T-that's insane! Who killed them?!"

  Casper shrugged again. "Nobody knows. They couldn't find any evidence, and the security cameras didn't catch a thing. It's like the killer was a ghost or something."

  For a moment, an eerie silence settled over the shop, broken only by the faint rustling of Casper's newspaper. Abigail's mind raced, torn between disbelief and the gnawing dread creeping into her chest.

  Casper cleared his throat awkwardly.

  "A-anyway," he stammered, breaking the tension, "since this is the limited edition, it's gonna cost you $129.99."

  Snapping back to reality, Abigail quickly pulled out her wallet and fumbled with her bank card. With a few hurried taps, the payment was complete.

  "Thanks, and enjoy the game," Casper said, already returning to his newspaper like nothing had happened.

  Abigail nodded silently, clutching the box tightly as she left the store. The strange news lingered in the back of her mind, but she tried to shake it off. Right now, all that mattered was the treasure in her hands. Whatever the future held for the game—or the mysterious deaths surrounding it—she would deal with it later.

  For now, it was time to play.

  ...

  "I'm home!" Abigail called out as she pushed open the door, expecting—well, nothing, really. And sure enough, no one answered. Silence greeted her instead of warmth, and her enthusiasm dimmed just a little.

  She sighed, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

  "Of course… Who would even bother welcoming a failure like me?" she muttered under her breath.

  It had been six years since she left her family. Six years of always being compared to her perfect younger sister—the golden child. Smarter, more beautiful, more talented. Meanwhile, Abigail was just... ordinary. No outstanding achievements, no remarkable skills. Just another forgettable background character in someone else's story.

  Not like they ever expected much from me anyway, she thought bitterly.

  She shook her head, snapping herself out of it.

  "No! I'm not gonna think about that. Today is a good day! I got the new Sword and Beauty game, and I'm gonna enjoy it as much as I want!"

  With that proud declaration, she marched straight to her room, shutting the door behind her. Her gaming setup gleamed before her, almost as if it was calling her name. She wasted no time turning on her computer before excitedly reaching for the exclusive game box.

  With the utmost care, she peeled back the packaging and pulled out its contents.

  "Ooooh! An artbook! I always wondered what Noctwil was supposed to look like before his official appearance!" she gushed, flipping through the pages.

  Then, something else caught her eye.

  "Huh? Oh! A DVD of the Sword and Beauty soundtrack! That's nice… Too bad I don't have a car to use it in."

  Her hands reached for another item.

  "Ooooh~ What's this? A smaller box?" She pried it open, and the moment she laid eyes on the contents, she gasped. "Oh my god! A necklace! And it's so beautiful!"

  She held it up, admiring the intricate design. A pendant shaped like white wings, with a black sword in the center. Embedded in the middle was a small, diamond-like gemstone—one that shimmered with a mesmerizing lava-orange glow.

  Without hesitation, she fastened it around her neck. "This is officially my new favorite thing," she muttered happily, running her fingers over it.

  But she wasn't done unboxing. There was still one final treasure waiting for her.

  And the moment she pulled it out, her breath hitched.

  The holy grail of limited edition merch—a 12-inch figure of Prince Noctwil himself.

  He was as breathtaking as she imagined. Long silver hair with black highlights, faint golden eyes that held a mysterious allure, thin yet sharp lips, fair and flawless skin, and a perfectly sculpted muscular body. His open shirt barely did anything to hide his sheer beauty.

  Abigail… was drooling.

  She had to physically shake herself out of it.

  "C-calm down, girl. Stay dignified."

  With the utmost reverence, she carefully placed the figure onto her display shelf, right where it belonged—amongst her many other Noctwil-themed stickers and posters.

  She stepped back, nodding proudly at her shrine.

  "Perfect."

  Now, the moment she had been waiting for.

  She turned back to her computer, fingers practically trembling with anticipation as she placed the game disc into the drive.

  after few minutes, the screen glew brighter. showing title of the game.

  Sword and Beauty Part II was about to begin!

  ...

  Three weeks later…

  Typ! Tap! Tap! Click! Tap! Tap!

  Abigail's fingers danced across the keyboard, her eyes glued to the screen. She was completely engrossed in Sword and Beauty Part II, lost in its world.

  But… she looked like hell.

  Dark circles clung under her eyes like permanent shadows. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her clothes—she winced—reeked. She hadn't showered since the day she bought the game. And food? When was the last time she ate?

  Damn… I'm hungry, she thought, still clicking away.

  Another hour passed. Then finally—

  "The End!."

  A heavy silence filled the room. Abigail leaned back in her chair, staring at the words on the screen.

  "Well… that was tragic,"

  she muttered. Then, after a beat, she shrugged while lazily wiping her eyes.

  "Eh, that's fine. I was aiming for the bad ending, after all."

  She yawned and stretched, feeling her bones crack from sheer exhaustion.

  "God, I actually finished it, huh?" she mumbled. "I got all the endings—bad, good, hidden, and true. And every single one of them? Peak fiction!"

  She wanted to celebrate. She really did. But she was too damn tired.

  Then, something horrifying hit her.

  She sniffed her shirt.

  Immediately, she recoiled.

  "Oh!… God." She gagged. "I need a shower. Immediately."

  Dragging herself up from her chair, she stumbled toward the door. But with every step, the exhaustion weighed on her more and more.

  "Should I… sleep first?" she muttered. "Maybe after a warm shower, I'll—"

  Her movements slowed.

  Her vision blurred.

  And before she could process it, her body gave out.

  Thud!

  She collapsed onto the cold, hard floor.

  Huh? She blinked sluggishly. Her limbs refused to move.

  Damn… I really should've taken a break…

  She lay there for a moment. The world around her felt distant, her breathing shallow. A strange, creeping numbness spread through her body.

  She barely managed to whisper her final words.

  "…I feel… cold…"

  And then, a minute later—

  She died.