They approached the table. The boy butler hurried around the delicate sculpted steel table, pulling out spindly chairs for the three of them. Both the white-painted table and chairs shared a rose motif. The seat of the chair and the top of the table were carved into the shape of a rose, while the legs of the chair and table twisted like rose vines with short, blunt spikes, spinning up into a short, leafy spiral at their feet.

“Welcome, welcome,” the lady said, rising to meet them. She offered her hand. The little girl hid behind her skirts, peeking out from around the skirts at the three men.

“Hello. We’re honored,” Vivian said. He stepped forward to take her hand.

For a moment, the sky darkened. Fog closed in around them. The manor loomed out of the fog, run down and ruined, broken, dark windows gaping out of a shattered façade, the walnut doors hanging by a single hinge. The table beside him became tarnished, the food moss-covered, teacups full of filthy rainwater. Instead of a lady, the enormous Lady of the Lost stooped over him, black-and-green blood dripping down her face, her enormous, clawed hand outstretched. Two Lost Ones floated beside the Lady of the Lost, watching him with sorrowful eyes.

Vivian jumped back, retracting his hand at speed.

“What?” Noah asked, frowning at Vivian.

Vivian blinked. The lady stood before him again, flanked by the girl in the dress and her miniature-sized butler.

She smiled gently and drew her hand back, nestling her hands before her. “I’m sorry. Did that startle you?”

“What was that?” Vivian asked warily.

“I don’t mean to deceive. I am the Lady of the Lost, as you just saw. My apologies if it scared you,” she said, still smiling.

That’s one thing, but… Vivian glanced at the food on the table. I’m not eating any of that.

“This space is my home, but it’s also my battle chamber. Though… I usually end up fighting in the Garden. Few people find their way here to challenge me,” the lady said, glancing over her shoulder.

“You’re like us? You’re a human who got caught up by the glitch and turned into an NPC—a Boss?” Vivian asked, forcing himself back to the moment. Let’s figure this situation out first.

She nodded.

“How long have you been like this? No… what’s your name? Do you remember being human…?” Vivian asked.

The lady laughed, lifting a hand to hide her mouth. “Why don’t we take a seat?” She gestured at the table.

Vivian glanced at the other two. Noah’s eyes sparkled, locked onto the cookies. Kyung gave him a cool look, which is all he ever knows, so who knows what that means. Vivian nodded and followed her to the table. I respawn, so… worst case, I can always try fighting my way out of here.

They sat at the table. The young butler scurried around, offering milk and sugar. Vivian turned both down. I’m not touching any of this.

The lady smoothed her skirts, then looked up. She took a deep breath. “My name is Andrea. I’ve been the Lady of the Lost for nearly a year now.”

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“A year?” Vivian asked, eyes wide. He glanced at Kyung. I thought he was early… but that’s way before us!

Kyung furrowed his brows. He regarded her silently, lips slightly pursed.

He doesn’t look that surprised. Why not?

Clearing his throat, Vivian overcame his surprise. “I’m Vivian, this is Kyung, and that’s Noah.”

“Can I have a cookie?” Noah asked.

Vivian waved his hand vaguely. You don’t want that, kid.

Andrea smiled. “I remember when I sat where you sit now. It’s surprising, isn’t it? One day you’re a Player, and suddenly… your life ends, and you wake up as an NPC.”

“You were a Player… and an NPC?” Vivian asked. A second later, he rolled his eyes at himself. Am I going to repeat everything she says? Damn, come on. Contribute something to the conversation.

She nodded. “I was a Bartender.”

Vivian stiffened. He shot a look at Kyung, whose brows raised slightly. Er… whoops. My apologies to Angie…

Andrea laughed. “Not the cannibal Bartender. The other one.”

“Are all NPCs ex-Players?” Vivian asked. “All Bosses…?” But wait, if that’s the case, then what about when I was in the Tower? What about the First Generation, as Noah calls us?

Something flashed through his head. The image of an old newscast, the presenter gazing directly into the camera. “More reports of missing people coming in daily, but with the high danger involved in entering what the government is now calling ‘Exclusion Zones,’ it’s hard to confirm whether they are dead or alive. Teams continue to—”

Vivian flinched. He rubbed his forehead.

“I’m not sure. I’ve encountered other ex-Players, but… all NPCs?” Andrea shook her head.

“Can’t you just… ask them?” Vivian asked. Come to think of it, so could I. I haven’t tried. But then… there’s so many NPCs… I would have noticed, right? I noticed Kyung, after all. I mean, the cannibals were pretty obviously scripted…

Damn, imagine waking up as the cannibal NPCs. That’d be a rough hand to get dealt.

Andrea looked him in the eyes. “Have you ever found yourself suddenly in a different place? Woken up, to find yourself in the middle of acting out your job as an NPC?”

Vivian nodded. Beside him, Kyung inclined his head as well.

“Even for us, we aren’t always ourselves. It’s easy to relapse into acting according to our NPC scripting and lose all awareness of our surroundings. Are all NPCs ex-Players, who are simply asleep at the moment we encounter them? Or are most NPCs creations of the Tower with no true sentience, and only a few of us ex-Players?” She spread her hands, shrugging.

So she doesn’t know, either.

“If you woke up as a Bartender, though… how did you end up as a Boss?” Vivian asked.

Andrea smiled. She sat forward. “That’s why I invited you here today. When you’re a Player, you become more powerful by leveling up, but I’m sure you’ve realized that you’ll never keep up with Players as an NPC.”

Vivian shrugged. I’ve been doing alright so far.

“Instead, you can step into the next tier and become a Boss. Take my spot as Lady of the Lost… that is, Lord of the Lost. You can live in this manor, and reign over the Garden of the Lost. It’s a bit boring, and you can’t leave the Garden, but the Tower provides everything you need to live. Food, drink, clothes… running water, internet, games.”

“And what about you?” Vivian asked.

She smiled and looked upward. “I’ve gathered enough Trust to leave Floor One behind. Once I find someone to take my spot, I can ascend to the next floor. I believe the Tower woke you up to take my place.”

“Trust? I remember seeing that when you promoted me to Boss for a moment,” Vivian said thoughtfully.

“Trust is what Bosses need to level up to reach the next floor. Putting it simply, it’s equivalent to leveling for Bosses, since Bosses are level-locked. If you act properly as a Boss, you earn more Trust. That can mean defeating Players, but it can also mean getting defeated, as long as you put up a good fight first. With enough Trust, you can essentially act autonomously, and once you reach a certain Trust cap, the Tower offers you the chance to reach the next Floor,” Andrea explained, taking a sip of her tea.

“As long as you find someone to replace you,” Vivian said, nodding.

“Someone… like you,” Andrea said, smiling at him. She set her teacup down with a tink.

“Yes, yes,” Vivian said, smiling back.

Abruptly, he jumped up, flipping the table toward Andrea. He grabbed Noah’s hand and ran, reaching out for Kyung. Kyung snatched his hand away, already running alongside Vivian.

The sky darkened. Fog closed in around them. Behind them, a fierce roar echoed off the manor. Green flames floated through the fog, circling around them.

“Fuck that noise. I ain’t becoming no Boss,” Vivian muttered under his breath.

Kyung nodded silently.