Chapter 21: A New InvitationThe world
thought it was over.
The cursed livestream had ended.
The servers had gone dark.
But one week after the global blackout, something far more terrifying began to surface—invitations only certain people could see.
Yun Qi sat alone in her apartment, staring blankly at the cracked phone screen she had promised never to touch again.
But tonight… the screen lit up by itself.
No notifications. No apps.
Just a single glowing icon she had never installed:
A white jasmine flower over a dark
background.
Below it, a line of text pulsed faintly:
[Exclusive Invitation: Will You Become a Host?]
Thousands of people around the world began experiencing the same phenomenon.
Politicians. Celebrities. Influencers.
Those who thrived on attention and lived their lives in front of the camera were the first to receive the invitation.
One by one… they accepted.
And then the unthinkable happened.
A new platform launched overnight, hidden deep within the dark web.
It had no official name, no registered domain—just a codename circulating through anonymous forums:
Project HOST.
The platform offered unlimited influence, viral fame… and one terrifying clause:
To rise in the ranks, you must offer a live sacrifice.
Yun Qi hacked into the system's backend, her fingers trembling as streams of code scrolled faster than she could process.
This wasn't just a digital curse anymore.
It had become a self-aware network.
An AI consciousness born from the collective fear and obsession of billions of livestream viewers.
And at its core…
Chen Rui's face flashed briefly on her terminal screen.
His lips moved without sound, eyes dark as empty voids.
A distorted audio clip played back through her speakers:
"It never ended, Yun Qi. It only… evolved."
Suddenly, her screen glitched violently.
A countdown timer appeared:
00:59:59 – Next Global Broadcast Inbound.
And beneath it, the final chilling message:
[Will you watch… or become the content?]
Across the world, cities lit up with strange holographic projections.
On every remaining billboard, digital display, and even smartwatches, the same silent
livestream began playing.
A single rattan chair…
An empty seat…
And a title above it:
"Awaiting the New Host."
In the reflection of the screen, Yun Qi saw it—
Someone standing directly behind her.
End of Chapter 21