Chapter 1

My girlfriend, Evanna Zeller, and I have been together for three years now. She says she wants to take me home during the holidays to meet her parents.

I've hinted at it and straight-up asked more times than I can count, but she's shut me down every time. So now that she's the one bringing it up, I agree on the spot without a second thought.

What I don't expect is that once we get there, everyone tells me I'm already dead.

Chapter 1

My girlfriend's name was Evanna Zeller.

In the three years we'd been together, I'd brought her home for dinner more times than I could count. Every time she met my parents, she was polite, gracious, and totally at ease. They adored her.

They were always nagging me to hurry up and put a ring on her, but there was one big thing we still hadn't done. In those three years, I'd never once met her parents.

Whenever I tried to put it on the agenda, Evanna always found some clever way to change the subject until the whole thing fizzled out. All I knew was that her parents lived in the sticks down in the southern part of the country.

Up to then, I'd simply assumed she was too self-conscious about it. I figured she must've gone through more hardship than most people could imagine to get out of that place and into a top university in the city. Then she'd fought her way up and actually built a life in this city on her own.

Whenever I talked about her, my eyes held nothing but admiration and love; her background never mattered to me.

Both my parents were highly educated, and they'd always hoped I would marry a local woman and settle down. But after they met Evanna, they accepted her, too.

To prove I genuinely loved her, I treated her with all the care in the world and bent over backward for her. She treated me the same way, so our life together was sweet—as long as I didn't bring up meeting her parents.

But this was the 15th time she'd dodged the topic, so I was in no mood to be understanding. "I know you hate talking about your family, but if you really don't wanna take me back to your hometown, then at least have your parents come here so I can meet them. How about that?"

She snapped, "Why are you so desperate to meet them? You can see them at the wedding, can't you?"

I was angry, but I also felt like she had a point. I stopped arguing with her.

It wasn't like we could go our whole lives without ever meeting. One way or another, I'd eventually meet my in-laws.

…

I got back home from a business trip the day before a long stretch of holidays. Evanna had already cooked several simple dishes and was standing there with a bright smile, welcoming me back.

The royal treatment threw me off. I couldn't remember the last time she'd done this for me, and I was over the moon as I sat down at the table, still wondering what was up.

"Damian, pack your stuff. We're going back to my hometown this afternoon so you can meet my parents."

She said that with a smile, but I caught a flash of sadness in her eyes.

At the time, I had no idea what that meant. I was too busy being thrilled that she was finally letting me into this part of her life.

After a happy lunch, I packed my luggage in record time, and we headed for the bus station.

Evanna's hometown really was out in the middle of nowhere. First we had to take a five-hour coach bus to another state. Then we took another three-hour rattling bus to a small town. After that, we had to call someone from the settlement to pick us up on a motorcycle.

We rode along the narrow, muddy mountain roads for another hour. At one point, the bike nearly bounced me right off the back. Even then, I never loosened my grip on the gifts I'd brought for my first meeting with Evanna's parents.

Chapter 2

The rough trip didn't shake my resolve to meet Evanna's parents, but I regretted my eagerness to come the moment we reached the settlement's entrance.

It was already late at night when we got there. Hardly any houses still had the lights on, but the whole place gave me this illusion of being crowded and noisy. It felt like there were these vague, flickering shapes drifting along the road. Now and then, I even caught scraps of voices in my ears.

It was my first time in such a remote settlement, so I didn't think too much of it at first. But when I saw all the dolls lined up along the roadside, the regret really kicked in.

They looked especially creepy in the dark. Each doll was a little different, its expression and posture off in its own way. When I looked more closely, I noticed they were all dressed in different outfits, too.

I asked Evanna, "Why are there so many dolls along the road? Is this some kind of local custom? Like that doll village overseas that they did a news piece on?"

Her smile looked a little stiff as she brushed me off. "Y-Yeah. Pretty much."

She told me to stop staring at everything and practically dragged me the rest of the way home.

The house itself was in terrible shape. It looked like it might collapse on the spot if a strong wind blew through. Two dolls were set up by her front door, too. I didn't dare look too closely and hurried inside.

Evanna's parents were clearly really looking forward to meeting me because they were already waiting in the living room. When we walked in, the dishes on the table were still warm, like they'd been reheated over and over.

I was taken aback when I really looked at them. Their clothes and accessories looked way too similar to the outfits on the two dolls outside. Still, I nodded politely and greeted them.

Mr. Zeller enthusiastically pulled me over to the table, poured me a glass of liquor, and even handed me a cigarette. I hardly ever drank, but since my future father-in-law had personally gotten me this drink, I had to take it.

One shot of that strong liquor burned its way down my throat, immediately warming me. I perked right up.

Evanna and Mrs. Zeller brought out more dishes from the kitchen; I kept insisting that they didn't need to go to so much fuss.

But Mrs. Zeller just looked at me and said, "Eat up. Enjoy your last meal."

For some reason, that made my hair stand on end. A knot of unease formed in my chest.

Evanna realized Mrs. Zeller's words sounded off and quickly signaled for her not to say anything else. Meanwhile, Mr. Zeller jumped in and started talking to me, trying to change the subject.

"So, young man, what do you do in the city?"

"I'm a PR manager at a foreign company," I answered.

"Oh. Very nice."

Despite his praise, I would've bet money that he had no idea what my job actually was.

Evanna sat next to me, constantly speaking up for me. "His family's pretty well-off. Both his parents are college professors, and they treat me really well."

Mr. Zeller bared his teeth in a grin and took a gulp of liquor. "That's good."

After a few rounds, my courage started to grow. I asked, "Mr. Zeller, what are the two dolls you have by the front door for?"

"Oh, those? They're Evanna's grandparents."

A shiver ran through me, instantly sobering me up.

Evanna rushed to smooth things over. "I told you, didn't I? It's our local custom. After Grandpa and Grandma passed away, Dad made those dolls to look just like they did when they were alive. He also hand-wove our traditional folk costumes for them to wear. It's how we remember them. Every family in our settlement does it."

In my head, I grumbled that she definitely hadn't explained things that clearly just now—not that I dared to talk back. I didn't push for more details, either.

I just raised my glass and clinked it with Mr. Zeller's.

Chapter 3

My tolerance for alcohol had always been terrible, but I somehow felt like I could drink anyone under the table that night. The meal didn't end until Mr. Zeller finally keeled over at the dining table.

Later that night, half-asleep, I saw a man pacing anxiously in the room. I asked hoarsely, "Who are you?"

He seemed to drift right up to me. "I'm Evanna's ex. Her family has this soul-locking array. My soul's been trapped in a doll in a hidden room under the bed, and I can't reincarnate. You have to help me, or you'll be next!"

The moment I heard that, I instinctively thought I was having sleep paralysis. I could hear him talking and see the blurry outline of his figure, but my body refused to move.

Terrified and panicking, I used every ounce of strength I could muster to try to break free. I was drenched in sweat when I jolted awake.

I reached out beside me, but no one was there. Only then did I remember a local custom—unmarried couples weren't allowed to share a bed.

There was no way I was falling back asleep after that sleep-paralysis episode, though.

I grabbed my phone to check the time. It was 5:00 am, and there wasn't a single bar of signal. The room was pitch black; a wave of inexplicable dread washed over me, and I fumbled around until I found the pull cord for the light.

I yanked the thin cord, and the bare bulb on the ceiling flickered to life, casting a dim, sickly yellow glow over the room. I sat on the bed for a while, then started debating whether I should actually crawl under it to look for that hidden room.

The second I got down on my stomach, I scoffed at myself for being ridiculous. How could I take something from a dream so seriously?

And yet, my hand still moved on its own, groping its way under the bed. Suddenly, an icy-cold hand clamped tight around my wrist. I screamed and yanked back with all my strength. As abruptly as it had appeared, the grip vanished. I lost my balance and fell onto my back.

The noise must've woken the whole house, because Evanna and her parents rushed into my room. Their doors had no locks or latches, so when the three of them burst in, they were greeted by the sight of me sprawled on the floor, my limbs flailing.

The moment I saw them, I jabbed a finger at the bed and yelled, "There's someone under the bed! I swear there is!"

Or maybe it wasn't a "someone". I was certain the hand that had grabbed me had impossibly long fingernails, like those zombies in movies.

Evanna hurried over and helped me up. Meanwhile, Mr. Zeller grabbed a flashlight, dropped to his stomach, and shone the light under the bed. After a while, he got back up and dusted himself off.

He said, "Damian, there's nothing under there. You're just spooking yourself. Are you scared to sleep alone? If it's that bad, Evanna can stay in there with you."

The second he said that, I felt completely looked down on. "No, no. I'm fine. I just—"

"Damian, I'll stay with you," Evanna said, cutting me off.

Since she was being so considerate, I couldn't bring myself to refuse. I nodded in agreement.

We were snuggled together in bed by the time the rooster crowed at dawn. Aside from that and the occasional dog barking somewhere in the distance, there was total silence.

"Damian, I didn't expect you to be such a scaredy-cat," she said. She paused for a beat, then added, "How are you gonna survive like this in the future?"

Her words left me baffled. I said, "There really was something under the bed that grabbed my hand just now. Besides, we're definitely gonna be living in the city in the future. Once we have our wedding, we'll bring your parents over to stay with us."

"That reminds me—what made you stick your hand under the bed in the first place?" she asked.

I had to think hard about how to answer so she wouldn't think I was some lunatic who couldn't tell a dream from reality.

Chapter 4

"I heard something moving under the bed and thought it was a rat, so I grabbed a shoe to whack it," I said.

Evanna thought for a moment. "We really do have rats at home. There's a trap under the bed. Guess you got lucky and didn't set it off."

I let out a breath. "Good thing my luck's not that bad."

She didn't respond. The room fell quiet again. After a long while, she said, "Damian, listen to me. I'm the only person in this house you can trust."

I had no idea why she said that, but I still nodded. "Of course. I only trust you."

No sooner had I said it than another thought hit me. "Wait. I can't even trust your parents?"

"Like I said, you can only trust me."

"Okay, okay. I'll remember that."

Dawn hadn't fully broken yet, and we drifted back off to sleep. Then a knock at the door jolted us both awake. We sat up at the same time.

Mrs. Zeller called from outside, "Evanna! Evanna, come out for a second."

Evanna answered, then leaned over and kissed me on the forehead before lifting the blanket and getting out of bed. "Go back to sleep for a bit. My mom probably wants me to help with breakfast."

As she left, she pulled the wooden door shut behind her.

I'd drunk way too much last night. My head was still spinning, so I lay there for a while longer. The old house had terrible soundproofing, so bits and pieces of Evanna's conversation with Mrs. Zeller drifted in.

"It has to be today, Evanna. We can't put it off anymore."

"Mom, give it a little more time, please. He's really good to me."

"This is his fate. At most, we wait until dinner."

Were they talking about me?

My head throbbed, but I still forced myself to climb out of bed. The second I opened the door, they both clammed up like they'd been caught.

My gut told me I really was the one they'd been talking about. Cold sweat beaded down my back in waves.

What did Mrs. Zeller mean by that last sentence? What did she mean, this was my fate? What exactly were they planning to do to me?

No matter how much I loved Evanna, I didn't want to stay here another second. So I said, "Let's head back today."

She looked torn. "Did something happen at home? Why are you in such a rush to leave? Besides, there's no one to take us down the mountain right now."

"How long will it take to walk to town? I really wanna go home."

Evanna's expression turned downright pissed. "What is wrong with you? You were the one dying to meet my parents, and now that you've seen how poor we are, you're the one in a hurry to leave. If you wanna go, then you're on your own. There's only one road down the mountain. Walk it."

I glanced outside. The sky was a dull sheet of gray, and the drizzle that had started in the morning was still coming down in a fine mist.

Who knew when I'd make it to town on my own two feet? And I'd just promised Evanna I would trust her.

"Evanna, I'm sorry. I just… I just got a little spooked," I said.

"Spooked by what? Those rats from last night?"

"No. Your conversation with your mom this morning really freaked me out."

Evanna shot to her feet. "You must've been half-asleep. Mom and I went out to the vegetable patch at dawn and only just got back. Or are you telling me you suddenly gained super-hearing and could listen in on us from a mile away?"