Alice came to and found herself in a car with a girl and two guys. Her head was throbbing, causing her to frown.

  “Elle, you okay?” the blonde girl asked, placing her hand on Alice’s shoulder in comfort.

  Hmm? Elle? What the f**k did I sign up to?

  [Ding! Connected – Welcome to the Tutorial Mission – Final Girl]

  [Bzzt! Please Host refrain from cursing, we are still in PG-13 settings – meow!]

  Little Meow reappeared in front of her, flicking its tail. Alice noticed that the car had stopped moving, and the girl next to her seemed frozen.

  [I have taken the opportunity to pause the mission so as to introduce the task to you. Aren’t I just the best?]

  Alice blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. "Little Meow, what is going on? Why am I in a car, and who are these people?"

  [Host, you are currently in the body of Elle, a shy and quiet girl who is part of this group. Your task is to help Linda, the blonde girl next to you, improve her IQ and survival skills, all without breaking character.]

  “I have so many questions. Which fictional universe am I in? Mystery? Thriller?”

  (Quite close! But this mission takes place in a horror setting and your actions have to still entertain the target demographics and follow the basic plot line. Failure to do so will result in a mission failure and soul forfeit. Remember, no cursing – PG-13, meow!]

  “And I’m supposed to just... help her get smarter? What kind of messed-up educational program is this?”

  [It’s all about character development, Host! The audience loves it when characters grow. Besides, I know you can do it.]

  “Character development during a slasher flick. Great. Just great.” Alice sighed.

  “People can change and evolve in different situations, you know. Don’t tell me you expect me to stay shy and quiet with life and death on the line. Are you joking?” Alice’s gaze pierced Little Meow.

  [Host is allowed a 5% deviation an...]

  “Make it 10%”, Alice raised her eyebrow, her headache fully gone, her attention now focused on the current situation.

  [Fine, just for you Host. You can deviate up to 10% for the tutorial mission— meow!]

  Alice took a deep breath, processing everything. "Alright, Little Meow, anything else I need to know?”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  [Yes, I do not have enough energy to fully accompany you during missions as of now. Instead, my backend app will run to update you on your progress].

  “As of now?”

  [Yes, I fully expect that once you start earning Karma points, I will be able to accumulate enough energy to assist you more effectively– meow!]

  Alice frowned. "And if you run out of energy completely?"

  [Well, let’s not dwell on that, Host! Just think positively—meow!]

  “...Fine. How do I know about the people in these missions? It doesn’t help if I am plopped right in the middle just like in…”

  [The basic plotline and your character profile will synchronize once the mission resumes. As for the other characters, what’s the fun in giving you all the answers? I can resume once you give me the go-ahead] Little Meow interrupted, its fur already becoming transparent.

  A horror mission, stuck in a shy girl’s body, with a talking cat guiding her progress. She shook her head. "This is going to be ridiculous, isn't it?"

  “I get it. Just unpause the mission. I'll handle it."

  [All the best host!]

  [Unpausing mission in 3, 2, 1...]

  "Elle, are you okay back there?" Trevor glanced at her through the rearview mirror, his tone light.

  Alice nodded, offering a small smile that felt awkward on her face. "Yeah, just a bit tired."

  Linda turned around, her blue eyes sparkling. “Don’t worry, Elle. We’ll be there soon. This trip will be good for all of us.”

  Dave grinned. “Yeah, Elle. You need to relax more. This place is supposed to be awesome.”

  Alice suppressed a sigh. Elle's rich parents had funded the entire trip, making her presence essential. She wished she could just be herself, but she had to blend in, for now.

  Alice glanced at Linda, wondering what exactly she was supposed to change about her. She couldn’t help but feel a little cynical—how was she supposed to turn this girl into a horror-survival genius without even knowing her well? She shook her head, deciding she’d have to trust her instincts, at least for now.

  The car rumbled along the narrow country road, surrounded by a thick forest that seemed to stretch endlessly on either side. The dense canopy of trees created a natural tunnel, casting dappled shadows on the winding path ahead. Alice, now Elle, sat in the back seat, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. She glanced around at her companions, each lost in their own thoughts but clearly comfortable in each other's presence.

  Trevor, the driver, was humming a tune, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel. Beside him in the passenger seat sat Linda, her long blonde hair cascading down her shoulders as she flipped through a magazine. Next to Elle, Dave lounged lazily, his arm stretched out along the back of her seat as he scrolled through his phone.

  "Man, those exams were brutal," Trevor said, breaking the silence. "How did everyone do?"

  Linda rolled her eyes. "Don't even get me started. My Ethics professor is so creepy, it made it hard to concentrate. He kept trying to baby talk Lizzie’s service dog."

  Dave laughed. "That's nothing. Coach made us do extra drills because he thought we were slacking. My legs are still sore."

  Elle nodded, trying to fit in. "I thought the math exam was tough. I'm not sure I got all the answers right."

  Trevor glanced at her. "You'll be fine, Elle. You always do great."

  Elle noticed that the road narrowed even more, the trees pressing in closer. Occasionally, they would pass a clearing or a small, abandoned structure, but for the most part, the forest was an unbroken expanse of green. About three miles back, they had passed a rundown gas station, the last sign of civilization before entering the wilderness.

  The conversation shifted to lighter topics as they continued their journey. Linda turned to Elle, trying to make small talk. "So, Elle, have you watched that new show everyone's talking about?"

  Elle hesitated. "Uh, not really. I've been too busy studying."

  Linda smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, me too. I heard it's good, though."

  The conversation felt stilted, the two girls struggling to find common ground. Dave, sensing the awkwardness, jumped in. "Trevor, did you catch the football game last night?"

  Trevor's face lit up. "Of course! Can you believe that last-minute goal? It was insane!"

  Dave laughed. "I know, right? I thought they were done for."

  Linda looked at Elle, a hint of relief in her eyes. "Boys and their sports."

  Elle smiled. "Yeah, they're pretty passionate about it."

  Elle watched Linda’s reaction to Trevor’s jokes. The laughter seemed forced, her eyes darting toward the window after the brief contact, as though she wanted to escape. Something was definitely off, and Elle made a mental note to dig deeper. She'd have to figure it out if she was going to help her.

  As the car continued to wind through the forest, the group settled into a comfortable rhythm of conversation and silence. Trevor kept up a steady stream of jokes, trying to keep the mood light.

  "Remember that time we all tried to study together for finals?" Trevor said with a chuckle. "And ended up just watching movies?"

  Linda laughed. "Yeah, we didn't get much studying done, did we?"

  Dave grinned. "We never do. But we always manage to scrape by somehow."

  Elle listened, absorbing the dynamics of the group. She needed to understand them better if she was going to help Linda. The banter was light and friendly, but underneath it, she could sense the unspoken tensions and attractions.