My first thought was scam. Some new variation I hadn't seen.
Still, the pitch was strange enough. I sent a single character back.
"?"
The reply came instantly.
"Hi, I'm Luna.I recently graduated and I'm still job hunting.I don't take up much space, and I'm very used to living with others.I can cook, clean, and keep regular hours."
I hesitated.
Seventy dollars. A month of cleaning.
In this city, that wasn't just cheap. It was impossible.
Another message, as if she'd read my silence.
"Platform verified my ID.
Ad only shows to women in this city.
Photo attached."
The image loaded.
A girl. Two years younger. Sweet face. Utterly ordinary.
I stared a beat too long.
Then, a gray system notification bloomed beside her name:
Contract auto-saved. Backup activated.
I hadn't pressed anything.
Before I could move—
The doorbell rang.
Ding-dong.
I leaned into the peephole.
Empty hallway. A dead bulb. No shadow.
It rang again.
Ding-dong.
Still nothing.
I cracked the door an inch.
Cold air slid through the gap.
The corridor was vacant. No footsteps. No scent. No retreating echo.
Just the lingering chime, and then—silence.
On my phone, the platform's icon pulsed once, a dull heartbeat of light.
Contract status flickered:
PENDING → ACTIVE