Okay so—
Light's gone. Not like oh the bulb flickered gone, I mean full-on blackout, room darker than my future.
I'm sitting there like
Just staring. Hugging my pillow like it's about to protect me from a demonic tax audit.
And then it gets cold.
COLD cold.
Like, ghost freezer cold. My fan ain't even on. And I live in India—this shouldn't be legal.
Next thing—buzzing.
Low, creepy buzzing. Like something glitched in real life. Coming from the wall. My wall. The same wall I sleep next to.
And then I hear it—
Knock. Knock.
Not from the door.
FROM THE CLOSET.
Nope. Nope nope nope.
I wanna move. But my body's like, "Nah bro, we're good here. Death is fine."
And like an idiot in a horror movie, I open the closet. Slowly. Why? I don't even know. Curiosity killed the broke kid.
Empty.
BLINK.
It's there.
Bro. This thing?
It's like a shadow wearing a hoodie made of regret. Tall. Too tall. Dripping black smoke like it's steaming out depression. No face, just glowing red eyes and lips sewn shut like someone rage-quit sewing class halfway.
This is the Debt Wraith.
I knew it the second I saw it.
I screamed internally.
Externally, I just made that weak little "ah."
I try to back up but trip over my own bag. Classic. Land on the floor like the main character in a rom-com except I'm flirting with death, not love.
And then the cursed UI shows up midair like it's Fortnite or something:
[WRAITH CHALLENGE: SURVIVE]
Survive for 24 hours
Rules:
Don't leave the roomDon't sleepDon't ask for help
Bonus Objective: Make the Wraith laugh (???)
Timer: 23:58:03
MAKE. IT. LAUGH??
WHAT IS THIS—STAND-UP COMEDY NIGHT IN HELL?
I try everything.
– Play lo-fi beats: Wraith didn't even blink.
– Do a TikTok dance: It tilted its head like "this you?"
– Show memes: Bro stared through my soul. Not even a smirk.
I'm desperate. I pull out my old notebook full of stupid doodles and cringey jokes. Flip to this one comic I drew at 3AM called "The Demon That Sucked at Taxes."
I read it out loud in my worst impression of a 1920s businessman.
The Wraith?
SNORTS.
I swear. A little kkhhh noise came out. Like it tried to hold it in.
UI pings again:
Bonus Progress: 20%
Unlocked: Light Ward (1x)
I click it. Boom. A little glowing orb appears above my head like a soft flashlight with good vibes. The Wraith hisses and slides into the darkest corner of the room like I just turned on the lights during its villain monologue.
So now—
I'm in a bubble of light.
Wraith's just chilling in the corner.
Timer's still ticking.
And I gotta survive 23 more hours.
Pray for me, y'all. I'm gonna be live-blogging my mental breakdown from the floor.