I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 2: Get out of my house

Four children struggled up the steep mountain path, their breath heavy from the climb.

Then, one of them suddenly groaned in frustration.

“Ugh, this sucks! Did we really have to climb a mountain in the middle of the night?”

Kim Eun-jung, one of the two girls in the group with weaker stamina, was the one to complain. She had joined the Mystery Exploration Club expecting something easy and fun—something that didn’t involve physical exertion.

She only really joined because her friend, Shin Ha-rim, was already a member. She had assumed their activities would involve searching for ghost stories online, not actually hiking up a mountain at night.

Hearing her, Ha-rim shrank back slightly.

It was true that more than half of the club had voted to come here, but she was the one who suggested it.

It was supposed to be their summer project—an investigation for their club report. As the club president, she had only wanted to fulfill her responsibilities... but now she felt guilty.

Just then, Lee Kyung-min, ever the logical one, adjusted his glasses, making them glint under the dim light.

“What else were we supposed to do? There aren’t any haunted places near our school. This one’s famous! If we say we actually visited it, people will take us seriously. We could win awards and prizes!”

Beside him, the tallest of the group, Yoo Soo-ho, chimed in enthusiastically.

“Yeah, yeah! Plus, if we don’t submit a good report, the club might get shut down.”

Ha-rim clenched her fists.

She had good club members. They weren’t just doing this for fun—they actually cared. They were the ones who had encouraged her to push forward with this plan, even when she’d had second thoughts.

Eun-jung sighed in defeat.

Now that she had no choice, she begrudgingly continued climbing.

And at the top of the mountain, just as the rumors had said, stood an enormous Western-style mansion.

It was so massive that even their flashlights couldn’t fully illuminate it.

Soo-ho let out an impressed whistle.

“Whoa... I never thought I’d see a mansion like this in Korea.”

Kyung-min, ever the know-it-all, explained,

“They used to build Western-style estates when foreign culture first spread here. But putting one on top of a mountain? Guess rich people really are eccentric.”

Ha-rim, relieved to finally be here, patted her sore legs in satisfaction.

They made it!

But beside her, Eun-jung’s expression remained uneasy.

“Eun-jung, what’s wrong?” Ha-rim asked.

“...It just feels off.”

“Well, that’s what haunted places are supposed to feel like.”

“...I guess.”

Maybe she just wasn’t feeling well. Either way, Ha-rim decided they should hurry up, take their evidence photos, and leave quickly.

The club was important, but her friend came first.

And, as always, there probably wouldn’t be any actual ghosts. Maybe a stray animal at best.

With that thought, Soo-ho took the lead and stepped into the mansion first.

Inside, the air was thick with dust, the wooden floors groaning under their weight.

Soo-ho glanced around.

“Looks cleaner than I expected.”

Kyung-min, who had sharper eyes, scoffed.

“What are you talking about? This place is a mess. What even fell down here? A chandelier?”

Soo-ho grinned.

“...You know, I feel like someone had to say that line.”

Their flashlights barely lit up the massive hall, but as they walked, their shoes crunched against broken glass.

Shattered pieces of an enormous chandelier lay scattered across the floor.

Kyung-min was too focused on navigating the mess to notice the dark red stains smeared across the floor.

Eun-jung shivered.

“This place is really creepy. Way worse than any haunted place we’ve been to before.”

Ha-rim, as the leader, decided to do her job. She took out her phone and switched to camera mode.

They needed pictures for their report.

“Alright, I’m taking a photo.”

Click.

The sound echoed through the still mansion.

Kyung-min pulled out his notebook to start jotting down observations.

Soo-ho took the lead again, carefully moving aside sharp glass pieces to clear a safe path.

Eun-jung stuck close to Ha-rim, making sure no one wandered off alone.

Then Kyung-min spotted something.

At the base of the grand staircase, draped in an old cloth, stood a massive mirror.

A Western-style, antique mirror.

His curiosity got the best of him.

Gently, he reached out and pulled the cloth away.

At first, he thought he was looking at a painting.

A portrait of a young girl.

Her features were so delicate, so doll-like, that it felt surreal.

But the moment he saw her blink, his blood ran cold.

That’s not a painting.

That’s a ghost.

Inside the mirror.

And she was holding a knife.

Soo-ho reacted first.

“What’s wrong?!”

Ha-rim and Eun-jung rushed over just in time to see what he saw.

A reflection that shouldn’t exist.

A ghost.

A real one.

A beautiful girl with golden hair, red eyes...

And a knife.

------

So much for hiding behind a flimsy cloth.

The moment those four kids pulled it off and locked eyes with me, they knew.

Now what?

I was Ella.

I had to act like Ella.

What did she do in the original game?

...Right.

I needed to set the stage.

“Wow! So many friends! That means we should play a game!”

I made my voice sweet and playful, just like the original Ella.

The game?

Hide-and-seek.

Kyung-min, always cautious, narrowed his eyes.

“...And what happens if we don’t play?”

I tilted my head, curling my lips into a smile.

“Why, I’ll kill you all~!”

His face paled.

That was enough to convince him.

And so, the game began.

The rules were simple:

Make it to the front door without being caught by Mirror Ella.

If you win, you live.

If you lose, you die.

And, being merciful, I added a little bonus.

“If one of you makes it out, I’ll let everyone go! Sounds fair, right?”

Soo-ho stepped forward, ready to go first.

But Kyung-min stopped him.

“No, I’ll go. I’m good at games. I know how to strategize.”

Here’s where things get interesting.

Once Kyung-min starts playing, the game switches perspective.

He becomes the player character, and the real person controlling him—whoever’s behind the screen—has the ability to save and reload.

No matter how many times they fail, they can always try again.

So, of course, eventually, he wins.

He makes it to the front door.

And then—

He dies.

Because Ella never actually keeps her promises.

She simply reaches through the mirror and slits his throat.

His head rolls onto the floor.

“KYAAAAAHHHH!!!”

They’re kids.

And they just saw one of their friends get brutally executed.

Of course, they scream.

Cry.

Beg.

The front door remains firmly shut.

There is no escape.

At this point, the game changes again.

Kyung-min is dead.

Now, the new protagonist is Shin Ha-rim.

Her objective?

Defeat Mirror Ella.

There are only three survivors left.

But even if they do make it out of the mansion...

The game isn’t over.

Because in the original story, even if they escape, one by one...

They all die anyway.

I was never meant to be the hero.

And yet, watching this all unfold...

For the first time, I felt real fear.

Because if Ha-rim dies, then what happens next?

If the story collapses—

What happens to me?

‘Except for the protagonist, the other two survivors... they’ll die one by one even if they escape.’

I have no intention of saving these doomed extras. I have no idea what kind of disaster would unfold if I interfere. The protagonist is supposed to keep uncovering secrets and pushing forward to some kind of resolution.

But what if the story goes off course?

What if Ha-rim sacrifices herself for the others and dies?

Then what?

Can the story still reach its ending?

...And yet, some small part of my conscience is screaming at me not to kill them.

No matter how much I try to convince myself, I can’t bring myself to actually take their lives.

Standing by and letting tragedy unfold is bad enough—actively causing it?

That’s too much, even for me.

But helping them? That’s impossible.

I’m stuck in this mansion, in this body. I have no idea how I could assist them even if I wanted to.

Even if I do interfere, now isn’t the time.

So, I won’t kill them.

I’ll just follow the original story as closely as possible, keeping the horror intact so nothing breaks.

That’s the best I can do.

If I’m going to survive this, I need to act.

Showtime.

I need to make sure things play out just like they did in the original.

"Hello~! I’m Ella! I live inside the mirror!"

I force my voice into something cute and cheerful. It makes my stomach turn, but I have no choice. I have to act like a complete psycho.

Which, in a way, is... almost fitting.

"Y-You... you talked?"

Shin Ha-rim’s voice wavers. She’s clearly unsettled.

I pretend to get angry.

"Talked?! What are you talking about? I’m not a ghost! I’m just trapped inside the mirror!"

She flinches.

Good.

Time to go all in.

I soften my expression, making myself look pitiful.

"I’ve been trapped here... all alone... for so long."

"So, you know what I did? I killed a snail that wandered into the mansion! Because I was bored!"

The others exchange nervous glances.

Kyung-min frowns.

"What... are you even saying?"

"And then, a cat showed up! I told it I was lonely, but it didn’t listen to me. So, I killed it, too!"

Their faces go pale.

"And then... a bigger creature wandered in. So, I killed that, too."

"Why, you ask?"

I grin.

"Because I was so lonely. So lonely that I wanted to kill everything I saw!"

"Hik!"

Eun-jung stumbles backward, eyes wide with terror.

That’s right.

A true lunatic doesn’t need logic.

They just need to be unpredictable.

I watch as their expressions twist with fear.

Perfect.

Now, I smooth out my expression, shifting to an eerily calm demeanor.

When someone flips between extremes like that, people freeze up.

They don’t know how to react.

The group stands stiff, too afraid to speak.

"But still~ I’m so happy that you all came to visit!"

Ha-rim hesitates.

"F...Friends?"

"Yep! Friends!"

I tilt my head with a smile.

"You do want to be Ella’s friend, don’t you?"

My voice drops, playful but threatening.

"Because if not... you’ll end up like that."

I point to the wreckage beneath the fallen chandelier.

Eun-jung, trembling, shines her flashlight on it—

And finally sees what’s buried there.

"H-Huk! A-a body... Someone’s dead!"

"Hh... hhkk..."

Eun-jung’s eyes well with tears.

Soo-ho, usually the bravest of them all, stands frozen in horror.

For a moment, my heart wavers.

But I shove it aside.

I have to keep going.

Kyung-min, trying to keep himself together, manages to ask,

"What... What do you want from us?"

"A game, of course!"

I spread my arms wide, grinning.

"A poor little girl like Ella needs someone to play with! And the game is... hide-and-seek!"

I raise a finger.

"The rules are simple! Just make it to the front door without getting caught!"

Kyung-min’s fists clench.

"And if we don’t play?"

If they don’t play?

Of course, they die.

At least, that’s what happens in the original game.

I still need to keep the illusion going.

So I repeat Ella’s original lines.

"Of course I’ll kill you~!"

I press my hands to my cheeks, tilting my head in delight.

My voice is high and sweet, almost thrilled.

I sound insane.

Even I can tell.

All the random acting jobs I’ve done in my life... I never thought I’d be grateful for them now.

Then again, I shouldn’t be proud of scaring children.

Kyung-min breaks into a nervous sweat.

I already know what he’s going to say next.

The same thing he says in the original.

"...I’ll play."

"Bingo! I knew I had good friends!"

I giggle, mocking them.

Soo-ho lets out a low, frustrated growl, his teeth clenched.

He’s angry.

Angry that he can’t do anything.

And for a moment—

I waver again.

No.

I can’t afford to let this get to me.

"The game works like this! One person goes at a time!"

"If you get caught? You die!"

"But if even one person makes it, everyone gets to leave~!"

I already know how this will play out.

Kyung-min will volunteer.

He’s the type to gamble his own life for his friends.

But, before the game even starts—

I need to set up the key.

Using my telekinesis, I discreetly move a bottle of red wine near the front door.

They don’t notice.

Good.

Everything is falling into place.

"I'll go first."

Kyung-min’s voice was firm, his decision unwavering.

Soo-ho immediately stepped in to stop him.

"It's too dangerous. I'll go instead."

But Kyung-min didn't back down.

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"No. I'm good at games. I’d like to think I’m pretty smart, too."

"But still—"

"Just trust me. This time... let me do this."

His gaze was determined—the same look he had whenever he was protecting someone.

And just like that, Soo-ho had no choice but to relent.

"...Alright."

Kyung-min stepped forward, standing before me.

That’s right. It had to be him.

"I’ll be the first to go."

I flashed a bright smile.

"Alright, then! The rest of you, gather by the stairs! Be careful going down—they’re old and break easily!"

Wouldn’t want them dying a stupid death before the fun even starts.

The layout of the mansion was simple:

The front entrance stood at the center of the first floor.

A grand staircase led up to the second floor.

Behind the hall, several doors led to different rooms.

Kyung-min would start from there, while the others watched from a safe distance.

I had already warned them—if any of them tried to help him, I’d tear their mouths open.

They wouldn’t risk it.

Everything was set.

The game began.

Kyung-min took a deep breath and stepped forward.

His eyes darted between the mirrors, calculating blind spots and escape routes.

He was cautious, methodical—analyzing every possible angle before moving.

I made sure to keep him on edge, appearing in mirrors just before he passed them, forcing him to stay sharp.

But then—

There’s no blind spot left...!

This section of the hall was pure luck.

There was no safe way through.

He had no choice but to make a run for it.

Kyung-min’s breathing turned ragged, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

The smarter someone is, the harder it is for them to take a gamble.

So, I nudged him along.

I let him see me pass through a mirror ahead of him, holding my knife.

And just as I expected—

She already passed that mirror, so she won’t be there again, right?!

Seizing the opportunity, he sprinted forward.

And it worked.

He had passed the hardest part.

He was almost there.

Kyung-min reached the front hall.

The others held their breath, watching intently.

He could feel victory within reach.

His body relaxed slightly, the tension in his shoulders easing.

That... was his mistake.

He locked eyes with me.

For a split second, I saw the sheer terror in his face.

Then he moved.

Damn it!

The entrance had too many mirrors.

I couldn’t afford to be lenient anymore.

I had to drive the fear deeper.

Without hesitation, I slashed my knife across the mirror’s surface—

CRACK!

Kyung-min stifled a gasp, biting down on his lip to keep quiet.

"...Did I imagine it~?"

I tilted my head innocently, scanning the hall.

I could hear his suppressed, uneven breaths.

He was scared.

Good.

But despite it all, he steadied himself and kept moving.

And finally—

He reached the front door.

"I did it! I won! Now let them go!"

"Wow! You really are smart!"

I clapped my hands together, my grin widening.

"But... what should I do now~?"

I don’t want to let them go.

"...What?"

"Oh, you’re free to leave! But your friends... no way~!"

"If you all escaped on the first try, who would I have left to play with?"

I sighed dramatically.

"But don’t get too mad! If you get angry, I might just kill them all right now!"

"You—"

"Ah~! I know! Here’s an idea! You can leave—but the moment you step outside... I’ll kill them all!"

I giggled, tilting my head playfully.

"Of course, you could come back~!"

Even I thought this was evil.

I wasn’t stopping him from leaving.

I was just forcing him to choose.

No matter what, someone had to die.

"...I..."

Kyung-min hesitated.

His eyes flickered ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) between the door and his friends, his fingers twitching with indecision.

He was trapped in my game.

And it was breaking him.

Watching him waver, I burst into laughter.

"AHAHAHAHA! You’re so funny! I love it! Ahahahaha!"

I probably looked like the most deranged villain right now.

Kyung-min’s hands trembled.

His jaw clenched.

Then—

"...I’m sorry, everyone."

He bowed his head.

Then—

CRASH!

He grabbed the bottle of wine I had placed near the door and hurled it straight at my mirror.

I could’ve stopped it.

I could’ve absorbed it into the mirror.

But I let it hit me.

SHATTER!

Wine splashed across the surface, momentarily blinding my vision.

"NOW!"

The others didn’t hesitate.

They bolted for the exit, sprinting with everything they had.

They never even considered that Kyung-min might betray them.

The sight of it was... oddly touching.

But—

Right now, I was supposed to be furious.

"You little brats!! How DARE you try to run?!"

I used my telekinesis to shake the furniture violently, sending chairs flying and shelves toppling over.

The added dramatics were enough.

They knew—if I caught them, they’d die.

And so, they ran even faster.

"I’LL KILL YOU! EVEN IF YOU ESCAPE, I’LL FIND YOU AND KILL YOU!!!"

Then—

SLAM!

The front door shut behind them.

Silence filled the mansion.

The storm had passed.

I let out a slow breath, adjusting to the sudden stillness.

No mistakes.

Everything had gone exactly as it should have.

"Alright. That should do it."

The story was on track.

They’d continue forward, uncover the game’s mysteries, and... eventually reach the ending.

As for me, I just needed to focus on escaping this wretched mansion.

Trying to shake off my guilt, I stretched my arms and moved to another mirror.

Everything was fine now.

The original story was intact.

I could move forward without worrying about—

Then, barely an hour later—

The front door creaked open.

Footsteps echoed in the hall.

What?

I stared, dumbfounded.

The kids were back.

"...What the hell are you all doing back here?"