I was a ghost-hunting streamer, famously a total scaredy-cat. My genuine, over-the-top reactions to being terrified were what hooked my audience. To challenge the most haunted abandoned hospital in the city, I shelled out big bucks to hire a retired special forces soldier as my bodyguard. But the guy who showed up was lean and pale, with a dark, brooding gaze that made him look more like a ghost than any ghost I’d ever seen. During the livestream, he suddenly grabbed my wrist, flashed an eerie grin at the camera, and said, “Look, everyone, she’s trembling with fear. How cute.” The comments section exploded instantly: [Is this bodyguard the Ghost King?!] [Streamer, run!] My agent sent an encrypted DM, her voice practically trembling: “It’s over! He’s an undercover agent from a rival platform! He’s ‘The Reaper,’ that streamer with ten million followers! He’s here to ruin you!” Staring at his face, identical to the college senior I’d secretly crushed on for three years, my heart turned to ice.
I was an outdoor ghost-hunting streamer, known in the industry as ‘Chloe the Daring.’ My haters, though, affectionately called me ‘Screaming Chloe.’ As the names suggested, my livestream style was all about authenticity. Other ghost-hunting streamers went looking for ghosts; with me, the ghosts usually found me. Other streamers’ comment sections were filled with ‘Jump Scare Warning,’ while mine usually read ‘Protect Our Chloe!’ I couldn’t help it. I was just naturally sensitive to the supernatural, with a special constitution. Growing up, I’d encountered more bizarre things than I could count. Add to that my pathetic courage – one fright, and my screams could shatter glass. I was a literal screaming machine on legs. Over time, thanks to this ‘authentic, no-holds-barred’ cowardice, I actually carved out a niche in the highly competitive streamer world, gaining a loyal following of my adoring ‘troll-fans’ who loved watching me get scared senseless. To give back to my fans and hit next month’s KPIs, I decided to go big or go home – livestreaming an exploration of the city’s most infamous haunted location, the abandoned Blackwood Asylum. Rumor had it, many people had died there, and the place was suffused with dark energy. Anyone who went in either lost their minds or became catatonic, and even stray dogs steered clear. It was truly the ultimate local horror legend. As soon as the news broke, my livestream exploded. [OMG! Chloe, are you serious?! That place is no joke!] [My grandma said something evil is sealed in that hospital’s basement; it’s been cursed since it was built!] [Can’t wait! Already got my recorder ready to make Chloe’s screams my new alarm!] [Protect our Chloe! Let’s crowdfund for some adult diapers for the streamer!] Looking at the screen full of comments, I remained calm on the surface, but internally, I was freaking out. Of course, I knew the place was creepy! But I’d already hyped it up; I had to go whether I liked it or not. For the sake of my life and my KPIs, I gritted my teeth and shelled out a huge sum to hire a retired special forces soldier from a company claiming to be the industry’s best security firm. His profile stated he was six foot three, a master of combat, with an iron will. He’d once fought a bear bare-handed and was nicknamed ‘The Enforcer.’ Looking at the photo of the muscular guy with bulging muscles and piercing eyes, I nodded in satisfaction. With ‘The Enforcer’ by my side, forget ghosts, I wouldn’t even be scared if a T-Rex showed up! On the day of the livestream, I deliberately arrived half an hour early to wait for my ‘Enforcer’ at the hospital entrance. When the appointed time arrived, a discreet black SUV pulled up in front of me. The car door opened, and I rubbed my hands together excitedly, ready to greet the embodiment of my security. Then, I froze. The person who stepped out was a man. He was tall, but ‘muscular’ was definitely not a word I’d use to describe him. Dressed all in black, his frame was lean, and his skin was a cold white that looked like it hadn’t seen sunlight in years. He had slightly long black hair that partially obscured one eye, while the other, visible eye was incredibly dark, like a bottomless pool of cold water, carrying an unwavering gloom when he looked at someone.
This… this was my ‘Enforcer’? He looked more like a Vampire Count who’d just emerged from a gothic castle, honestly. I stood frozen, stammering, “You… hello, are you Mr. Vance from the security company?” He lifted an eyelid and glanced at me, his gaze so chilling it sent a shiver down my spine. From his throat, he emitted a faint ‘hmm,’ which counted as an answer. I looked at him, then at the photo of the muscle hunk on my phone, plunging into deep self-doubt. “Um… Mr. Vance, is there… a slight discrepancy between your photo and your actual appearance?” I carefully phrased my words. “You look rather… refined. Not quite like the bare-handed bear fighter described in the profile.” At my words, the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch, but the curve was so slight it was almost invisible. “Oh, it was Photoshopped,” he said, concise and to the point. Me: (Speechless) No, seriously, dude. You didn’t just Photoshop a picture; you Photoshopped a whole different person! You look like you’re barely strong enough to open a jar, and they Photoshopped you into a bear fighter? This is fraud! I immediately pulled out my phone, ready to call the security company to complain and demand a refund. “Wait,” he said suddenly, his voice cold and clear, like ice cubes clinking in a glass. He took a step closer. I’m five foot ten, and I still had to tilt my head back slightly to look at him. The huge height difference created an invisible sense of oppression, and the chilly aura around him grew even stronger. “Your livestream is going to be late,” he reminded me. I checked my phone; it was a string of non-stop calls of doom from Brenda, my devil agent. I jolted. There was no time to worry about refunds. If I didn’t start streaming soon, this month’s bonus would be gone! “Fine,” I conceded, but still nervously looked him up and down. “Mr. Vance, are you sure you can handle this? There are real ghosts in there.” He didn’t answer, just stared at me with those pitch-black eyes, making my skin crawl. I felt like I hadn’t just hired a bodyguard; I’d hired an extra ghost for myself. Biting the bullet, I turned on my livestream equipment. The moment the camera light flashed on, I instantly switched from a scaredy-cat to my confident ‘Chloe the Daring’ mode. “Hello, hello! My amazing fam, I’m here! Thanks to my top supporter for the rocket! Today, we’re challenging the legendary Blackwood Asylum!” I forced a professional smile at the camera, then turned it to the man beside me. “For everyone’s safety… no, for *my* safety, I specially hired an elite bodyguard, Mr. Vance!” The comments section instantly scrolled to life. [!!! This bodyguard is so hot!] [He’s hot, but why does he look so frail? Chloe, are you sure he can fight ghosts?] [I feel like he’s scarier than a ghost… those eyes, *shivers*…] [Hey, don’t talk trash, that’s called the cool, aloof type! Obsessed, obsessed!] I cleared my throat, forcefully trying to salvage my reputation. “My fam, don’t judge a book by its cover. Mr. Vance is a man of few words, but fierce – that’s how all the true masters are, understand?” Damon Vance, my ‘unfortunate’ bodyguard, remained expressionless throughout, like a statue devoid of emotion. We walked, one in front of the other, through the asylum’s main entrance. A stale, musty smell, mixed with the sharp scent of disinfectant, hit us, instantly making me uncomfortable. The hallway was dimly lit, with large patches of paint peeling off the walls, revealing dark red brick underneath, like dried bloodstains. I swallowed hard, feeling goosebumps crawl all over my back. “My fam, we’ve now entered the main building, and as you can see, the environment here is… remarkably ‘preserved,’” I said, my palms sweating as I gripped my powerful flashlight tighter.
I subtly shuffled back a step, wanting to be closer to my ‘Enforcer’ for some sense of security. Turns out, he was even quieter than me. He walked so silently that several times when I turned around, I nearly jumped out of my skin. “Mr. Vance,” I whispered, lowering my voice. “Could you please make some noise when you walk? Scaring people like that can literally kill them!” He tilted his head, his pitch-black eyes looking exceptionally creepy in the dim light. “Ghosts think the same thing,” he murmured. Me: (Speechless) The comments section had already lost its mind laughing. [Hahahaha! The bodyguard guy totally knows how to mess with the streamer!] [I ship this pair so hard! One screams, one tells ghost stories!] [Chloe: I hired you to protect me, not to scare me!] I took a deep breath, telling myself to be professional and not let a weird bodyguard affect my emotions. We reached the door of a patient room, marked ‘Intensive Care Unit.’ The door was ajar, and faint, almost imperceptible crying drifted out. My legs instantly turned to jelly. “My fam, did you hear that? There’s a sound!” I said, feigning calmness, while frantically hinting at Damon with my eyes. —Dude! Go! It’s your time to shine! Damon received my signal, nodded, and then… walked around behind me, positioning himself *behind* me. Me: (Confused) “What are you doing?” I was dumbfounded. Without changing his expression, he said, “Protecting you.” “How are you going to protect me from *behind* me?!” “If a ghost comes from behind, I’ll spot it first.” I nearly laughed in exasperation. What kind of twisted logic was that?! Just then, a loud *clatter* suddenly came from the patient room, like something had been thrown to the floor. “AHHH—!” I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My scream echoed through the entire hallway, and I instantly jumped, clinging to Damon like an octopus. The comments section flooded again. [HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!] [An iconic scene is born! Streamer’s new accessory!] [Why does the bodyguard guy look so calm, like he’s even enjoying it?] I clung tightly to Damon’s neck, burying my face in his shoulder, trembling like a leaf. Damon’s body was cold; I could feel the chill even through his thin clothing. But he was incredibly steady; with a whole person clinging to him, he didn’t even sway. He freed one hand and gently patted my back, a gesture that was surprisingly comforting. Then, he leaned close to my ear, his voice low enough for only us to hear: “Chloe, if you don’t get down, I’m going to throw you in there.” Wait… what did he call me? Chloe? I snapped my head up, staring at him in horror. My real name was known by almost no one except my family and my agent! To protect my privacy, I’d always used my stage name, ‘Chloe the Daring.’ How did he know my name? My heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition suddenly arose. Before I could think it through, he’d already grabbed my wrist, forcibly peeling me off him. His strength was astounding; my wrist throbbed where he squeezed it. “Don’t be scared,” he said, looking at me. The corner of his mouth curved into a noticeable smile for the first time, but it made my blood run cold. “I’ll go in with you to take a look.” With that, he pulled me toward the patient room where the strange sound had come from. I struggled desperately, but his pincer-like grip made me utterly unable to move. “No! I’m not going! Let go of me! Help!” I screamed my lungs out.
He, however, suddenly turned his head toward the drone camera still livestreaming behind me, and flashed an eerie smile. “Look, everyone,” his voice, clear through the microphone, echoed across the entire livestream, “she’s trembling with fear. How cute.” The livestream exploded instantly. [OMG! This bodyguard is the Ghost King?!] [So possessive! What kind of forced romance plot is this?! I’m totally shipping it!] [Streamer, run! I feel like he’s going to sacrifice you to a demon!] Just then, my phone vibrated wildly. It was an encrypted DM from Brenda, my agent. I opened it, and there was only one line, but every word slammed into my skull like a hammer. Brenda’s voice was trembling: “It’s over! Chloe! Run! He’s an undercover agent from a rival platform! He’s ‘The Reaper,’ that streamer with ten million followers! He’s here to ruin you!” The Reaper?! My mind buzzed, as if a bomb had just exploded inside it. The Reaper, real name unknown, was the ace horror streamer from the rival platform, known for being calm, hardcore, and never, ever screaming. They said he could catch snakes bare-handed, eat bugs raw, and sleeping in a graveyard was like going home for him. He was widely recognized as the ultimate competitor in the industry, and my sworn enemy. But him… how could he possibly… I snapped my head up, looking at his face again. Lean and pale, gloomy eyes, a high nose bridge, thin lips pressed together… That face… It was identical to the face of the student council president I’d secretly crushed on for three years in college – Damon Vance, the senior who always wore a white shirt and smiled gently in the sunlight… Identical! Back then, I was just a nobody, too timid to even confess my feelings to him. After graduation, he vanished without a trace. I thought he’d gone abroad for further studies and become some kind of social elite. How did he end up as a rival streamer, here to sabotage my career?! My heart froze solid. It was over. Not only was my career doomed today, but my first love was going down with it. I was completely stiff, my mind blank, letting ‘The Reaper’—no, Damon—drag me into that eerie patient room. The room was a mess, a lonely iron bed sat in the center, its sheets covered in dark brown stains. The source of the loud noise had been a metal basin, fallen to the floor. “See? Nothing.” Damon released my wrist, his tone as flat as if he were commenting on the weather. I looked at the red marks on my wrist from his grip, then at his utterly expressionless face, a mix of sorrow and indignation churning inside me. He ruined my livestream, messed with my feelings, and now he wanted to torment me?! Overwhelmed by grief, I forgot all about my livestream persona, pointing a finger at his nose as I began my accusations: “Damon Vance! You liar! You’re no bodyguard, you’re The Reaper! What do you want by sneaking in here? Do you want to make a fool of me? Do you want me to be humiliated in front of millions of people?!” Damon raised an eyebrow at my words, seemingly surprised that I knew his identity. Not only did he not deny it, but he calmly admitted: “Yes.” That single ‘yes’ plunged into my already battered heart like an ice blade. I was trembling with rage: “You… you’re shameless! Why are you doing this to me? I have no past grievances with you, so why use such low-blow tactics?” “No past grievances?” He chuckled lightly, stepping closer to me. “Chloe, your memory is truly terrible.” I backed away repeatedly as he advanced, until my back hit the cold wall, with nowhere left to retreat. “Have you forgotten sophomore year, at the freshman welcoming party, who swapped my speech that I’d prepared for half a month with a presentation on ‘The Secret Lives of Earthworms?’” Me: (Speechless)
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