The Haunted Game Designer

"Happy Birthday!"

The warm light of the living room cast a soft glow on the pale yellow tablecloth as Dad and Mom entered the house carrying a cake.

They never brought their bad moods from work home. Their faces beamed with smiles, showing no signs of exhaustion despite a long day of work.

Lifting the curtain from the kitchen, Gao Ming walked out with freshly prepared dishes in hand. He didn't speak to his parents, quietly sitting on one side of the dining table.

"This kid..." Dad shook his head helplessly, removing his raincoat and rubber shoes, then placing Mom's slippers at her feet.

Dad looked dapper in his neatly pressed suit—tall and handsome—while Mom, dressed in a white blouse and jeans, exuded both gentleness and competence. She praised Gao Ming's cooking skills before tossing her dirty clothes into the bathroom.

The sound of running water echoed. After washing her hands, a few dark red stains remained on the sink.

"It's your birthday today. No matter how busy we are, we'll always come home to celebrate with you."

Gao Ming acted as if he hadn't heard them, keeping his head down and listening closely to the news broadcast on the television.

"The Rainy Night Killer strikes again! The third murder case has occurred in the city's old district!"

"Police have identified a suspect! Citizens are advised to remain calm, lock doors and windows, and avoid going out at night!"

The storm pounded against the windowpanes, the howling wind outside starkly contrasting the steaming dishes inside the house.

"Why do you always watch these news reports?" Dad asked, picking up the remote with a worried expression. "Some media outlets thrive on fear and tragedy to gain attention."

Gao Ming didn't respond. His gaze subtly shifted, scanning the warm little home.

All the walls were soundproofed and coated with noise-absorbing materials—unless there was a violent struggle, the neighbors would never know what was happening inside.

A brand-new frost-free refrigerator stood in the living room. This type of fridge cooled by blowing air inside, making it easier to store meat without spoilage or odor.

The kitchen was stocked with vacuum-seal bags, just the right size to fit fist-sized chunks of meat—easy to carry. Below the counter was a packet of heat agents, which, when mixed with water, could accelerate the decomposition of meat. So... some meat for the fridge, some meat to be taken out and buried separately?

Behind the bathroom door lay a plastic waterproof membrane, enough to cover the entire floor. Clearly, the 'meat' processed here was not ordinary meat.

Just looking at the clean and tidy floor, unpleasant images surfaced in Gao Ming's mind.

The house's decor was warm and cozy, yet his hands trembled slightly.

"Come, have some cake. Your father and I braved the rain to get it." Mom, having finished washing her hands, unwrapped the cake carefully and inserted eighteen candles on top.

"Eighteen..." Gao Ming was twenty-six this year—the number of candles was wrong.

"Make a wish?" Dad lit the candles as Mom turned off the lights.

Darkness enveloped the living room. The flickering flames illuminated Dad and Mom's faces as they stared at Gao Ming—both wearing identical smiles.

Truly identical. Even the curve at the corners of their mouths was perfectly mirrored.

Gao Ming could feel his parents drawing closer. Their bodies seemed to be distorting in the shadows beyond the candlelight's reach.

"I wish Dad and Mom could stay with me forever." This was the first time Gao Ming had spoken since they returned home. He truly loved his parents, and they loved him too—no matter how busy they were, they came home to see him every night.

When the lights flicked back on, cold sweat soaked through Gao Ming's back. He carefully removed each candle, wiped them clean, and placed them into a metal box already filled with many other candles.

"Wishes won't come true if you say them out loud. Next time, just keep it in your heart." Dad, seemingly famished, devoured his food while Mom affectionately picked up chopsticks and served Gao Ming some dishes.

Gao Ming didn't touch his own cooking. He placed a piece of cake in front of him, silently counting his heartbeats, rubbing the calluses on his fingertips.

"Breaking news! The Rainy Night Killer may have fled into residential areas! Once again, residents of the old district are urged to lock their doors and windows and never open the door for strangers!"

"According to police reports, the Rainy Night Killer is between 20 and 30 years old, standing between 1.75 and 1.85 meters tall..."

Fifteen minutes passed as Gao Ming observed his parents. Finally, he scooped a small bite of cream with a spoon and put it in his mouth.

The rich sweetness melted on his tongue—like swallowing an entire fairy tale.

Thud!

Mom, about to serve soup, suddenly collapsed to the floor. Her arms flailed weakly, eyelids struggling to stay open.

Seeing his wife fall, Dad tried to help her—but his body felt leaden, his steps sluggish.

"The dosage was a bit high... Even though this isn't my first time, I still get nervous."

Gao Ming's trembling hands grew steady. His expression twisted slightly as he looked at his parents lying on the floor.

"I still can't understand... Is it me who's gone mad, or is it this world?"

He opened the wardrobe, pulling out leather restraints used for psychiatric patients, expertly tying up Dad and Mom.

The news about the Rainy Night Killer continued in the background. The storm raged on, but none of it seemed to concern Gao Ming.

He dragged his unconscious parents to the bedroom door.

Gao Ming loved his parents, and his parents loved him too—no matter how busy they were, they came home to see him every night. But...

With effort, he pushed open the bedroom door. Chains clattered, revealing a sea of familiar yet unfamiliar faces staring at him with eerie smiles.

The bedroom was packed with Dad and Mom.

Their bodies intertwined, grotesquely fused together.

Their expressions were far from anything human.

Every night, Dad and Mom came home—but none of them were really his Dad and Mom. Even if he tied them up, new ones would return the next night.

"Are they human? Monsters? Or monsters disguised as humans?"

Their mouths slowly opened, bloodshot eyes fixated on Gao Ming. Like fish stranded on shore, they wriggled desperately, rasping from their throats—

Stay here with us!

Stay here!!!

Lighting a cigarette, Gao Ming leaned against the door frame, silently observing everything.

He had been trapped in this room for three days, and the cause of it all might trace back to three days ago.

On the night of the Ghost Festival, he resigned from his job as a psychological counselor at Hengshan Prison, preparing to pursue full-time game design and creation.

At exactly 11 PM, he took the last bus from Hanjiang City back to Hanhai City. At the time, he was designing a small game to enhance family bonds and improve the quality of familial affection. To support himself, he even embedded an advertisement for the landlord's cake shop.

The game's content was simple—encouraging parents to spend more time with their children, chat with them every night, and never neglect their feelings. Care is a responsibility, and companionship is love.

As the passengers gradually got off, around 1 AM, the bus mysteriously stopped in a tunnel. Gao Ming removed his headphones to check, only to find that he was the only one left on the bus— even the driver was gone.

He carried his luggage and got off, hearing voices ahead. He quietly followed the sound.

The following memories were fragmented. Gao Ming couldn't recall how he got home, only that he had seen something extremely terrifying.

Overwhelmed with fear, he locked himself at home. Yet, at 3 AM, knocking sounds woke him. When he opened the door, his parents stood outside with a cake.

Gao Ming invited them in and went to fetch slippers—only to receive a call from his mother at that exact moment.

His mother told him that Hanhai would have heavy rain for the next few days and reminded him to take care of himself.

A chill climbed up Gao Ming's spine. He turned around to see his parents standing behind him, heads hanging low, side by side.

Birthday cakes, companionship, parents...

The scenes from his game had become reality, with a few "minor" distortions.

He had tried to escape, but outside the security door was pure darkness, as if connected to another, abnormal world.

Left with no choice, Gao Ming decided to clear the game he had designed.

How difficult could a game about enhancing family bonds be? Just survive until eighteen while hiding from his monstrous parents? Just endure their visits every night? Just live in a house turned into a slaughterhouse?

Recalling the past three days, Gao Ming's eyelids twitched. One thing was certain—he never wanted to eat cake again.

Snuffing out the cigarette, Gao Ming pushed the last two "parents" into the bedroom. All the parents' faces began to twist, seemingly unwilling to let him leave.

"Every time Dad and Mom come home, the number of candles on the cake increases. Eighteen candles mark adulthood. When all eighteen candles appear, I will clear the game."

"If you were truly my parents, you wouldn't want me to stay here—you'd want me to take you away with me."

When Gao Ming had locked his parents in the bedroom before, they had never reacted so violently. This only confirmed that he was close to clearing the game.

Shutting the bedroom door, Gao Ming felt the temperature rise. The news broadcast on TV became clearer, and the rain outside felt more real.

"Three whole days... I can finally leave this cursed place."

He hurried to the security door and peered through the peephole. The hallway was no longer pitch black, with flickering yellow lights hinting that he was leaving this place.

"My memory of that tunnel is still hazy. The reason my game became reality must be tied to that tunnel."

Gao Ming had to find out the truth—he was an avid fan of suspense. His mind held more corpses than the city cemetery. If everything became real, the entire city would be in danger.

The dim hallway lights pushed back the darkness. As Gao Ming reached for the door, urgent footsteps echoed outside.

His heart pounded as he watched the stairwell through the peephole, veins bulging along his arm.

"I should have cleared the game by now!"

Holding his breath, he fixed his gaze on the corner.

Moments later, a man in a raincoat—around twenty years old and 1.8 meters tall—appeared. His face was grim as he scanned the surrounding doors.

Gao Ming narrowed his eyes. The raincoat man's figure matched the police's surveillance footage perfectly. Relief washed over him.

"Scared me... It's just the Rainy Night Killer. I thought my parents had come back."

Glancing back at the bedroom, Gao Ming knew there should be a reward for clearing the game—though he didn't dare claim it. He wrapped bandages around his leg, feigning injury, grabbed a garbage bag, and opened the door.

Fresh, damp air flooded in as Gao Ming took a deep breath.

The raincoat man was about to leave until he heard the door open. Rainwater dripped from his hood as he masked the excitement in his eyes and turned back to the door.

"The rain is so heavy outside. You're soaked. Come in and warm up."

Before the raincoat man could speak, Gao Ming invited him in and hobbled towards the steaming dishes on the table.

Seeing Gao Ming's defenseless posture, the raincoat man stepped inside. His eyes scanned Gao Ming's "injured" leg and the half-eaten cake. The cozy atmosphere only fueled his destructive desires, curling his lips into a cruel smile.

This might be the last peaceful, ordinary, and warm night you ever have.

(End of Chapter)

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