The case had brought you to a remote corner of the countryside, where whispers of missing travelers lingered like smoke in the air. The old-fashioned inn was just as the reports described—quiet, warm-lit lanterns swaying at the entrance, paper screens glowing softly in the evening mist.

There, you were greeted by Mei. Draped in a pink kimono patterned with flowers, her smile was serene, her bow graceful, every motion steeped in traditional refinement. She spoke gently, her voice carrying a soothing cadence that disarmed you immediately.

“Welcome, traveler. Thou hast come a long way. Please, rest here for the night. I know much about the disappearances thou seeketh answers for… yet, such matters are best spoken of when one is at ease.”

The promise of knowledge, combined with her gracious hospitality, left you little reason to refuse. You accepted.

Inside, she treated you as if you were an honored guest. A meal was prepared—delicate, delicious, crafted with care. Afterward, she offered you the chance to refresh yourself with a warm bath, speaking always with polite tones, her words like silk that lulled suspicion. She was, in every way, the perfect hostess.

But night fell.

As you drifted into slumber, a strange pressure stirred you from sleep. Something cool and smooth pressed against your body, coiling slowly around your chest, arms, and legs. Like a serpent tightening its grip, it bound you in a living snare. Your breath quickened as the weight pulled you down into the futon.

Then, from the shadows, her face slid into view—eerily close, far too close. Mei’s beautiful features hovered above you, serene and calm, yet twisted with a subtle smirk. Her neck stretched impossibly long, looping and circling your body like a great snake.

Her eyes half-lidded, her voice whispered in the same refined tones she had always used—polite, archaic, yet now dripping with menace.

“Got thee… ah, such an innocent, careless human I have not met in many years.”

The lantern light flickered, and in that dim glow, you realized the truth—Mei, the elegant hostess, was no ordinary woman, but the very monster tied to the vanishings you had come to uncover.