"what is this situation"
Daryl stood in the center of the theater while the ghosts did not rush him and did not scream and did not attack either, instead remaining disturbingly calm as most of them sat in broken seats or hovered just above them while others leaned against the walls as if resting between scenes and a few even stood on the stage like patient stagehands waiting for a cue that never came, and although the whisper coin remained silent the absence of noise frightened him far more than chaos ever could.
"…Okay," Daryl said slowly.
The chat was still flying.
[RUN]: MOVE MOVE MOVE
[PaidComment - ¥100]: DON'T THINK JUST GO
Daryl raised his hand and told them to wait while asking for just a moment as he forced himself to breathe despite the pain in his chest and the tremor in his legs, because even though his body felt close to collapse his mind finally began to move again and that alone gave him enough grounding to speak.
"This isn't normal," he said.
The ghosts tilted their heads in unison as the lights flickered faintly, a synchronized reaction that made his skin crawl.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Daryl said, his voice shaky but clear despite everything. "I think we've just entered a spirit domain."
The chat paused for half a second before exploding violently.
[CAP]: BRO NO
[LOL]: THAT'S JUST RUMORS
Daryl swallowed hard as he acknowledged what they were thinking before they could say it themselves.
"I know," he said. "I know what you're thinking."
"Spirit domains are rare," he continued. "Most hunters never see one."
"They're usually rumors," he said. "Stories."
He glanced around as the curtains twitched slightly, reacting as if the building itself were listening.
"But this place," he said. "This place fits."
A ghost clapped once in a slow dry motion and the sound echoed unnaturally through the hall, causing Daryl to flinch despite himself.
"Spirit domains have rules," he said. "They're not random."
"They're built around concepts," he added. "Themes."
The chat slowed noticeably as someone finally said what he had already realized.
Daryl nodded slowly.
"Yeah," he said. "A theater."
The lights brightened just enough to be noticeable and the ghosts smiled in response, their approval making his stomach churn.
"That's why we keep looping," Daryl said. "Why exits don't work."
"This place isn't hunting me," he said. "It's… staging me."
The whisper coin vibrated faintly in his pocket as the ghosts leaned forward and Daryl instinctively took a step back.
"Spirit domains don't just kill you," he said. "They make you clear them."
The chat reacted instantly.
[PaidComment - ¥200]: HOW DO YOU CLEAR IT
"I don't know yet," Daryl admitted. "But I think—"
A loud donation sound cut him off.
¥300 DONATED
[User: LoopKing]: RUN IN CIRCLES AGAIN 😂
The theater shook violently as the aisles twisted and the walls stretched unnaturally, causing Daryl to stumble while gasping in disbelief.
"…What the hell?" he gasped.
He ran on instinct turning left and right and sprinting down the aisle before bursting through a door only to find himself back inside the same theater again, which made him freeze completely as realization set in.
"…No," he whispered.
The chat went silent before erupting again.
[WAIT]: DID THAT JUST—
Daryl's heart pounded as he spoke again, forcing logic through fear.
"…That can't be coincidence," he said.
Another donation rang out.
¥500 DONATED
[User: LightShow]: TURN ON THE LIGHTS
The stage lights exploded on as blinding spotlights slammed down and the ghosts erupted into cheers while applause filled the hall, prompting Daryl to scream in panic.
"STOP!" he yelled.
The lights cut out instantly and silence returned just as fast.
The chat erupted.
[BRO]: NO WAY
[PaidComment - ¥100]: TRY AGAIN
Daryl's hands shook as he spoke slowly and carefully.
"…I think," he said slowly, "I think the chat is influencing the domain."
There was a brief pause before disbelief flooded in.
[CAP]: THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE
[LOL]: HE'S PANICKING
Daryl swallowed again.
"Spirit domains respond to intent," he said. "They're shaped by belief."
"And money," he added quietly.
Another donation rang.
¥1,000 DONATED
[User: TestDummy]: MAKE A CHAIR MOVE
A chair scraped forward slowly and every ghost turned to stare at it, causing Daryl's face to go pale as confirmation set in.
"…Okay," he whispered. "That confirms it."
The chat completely lost control.
[WHAT THE—]
[THIS IS REAL]
[PaidComment - ¥200]: TRY SOMETHING BIGGER
"NO," Daryl shouted. "Don't—"
¥1,500 DONATED
[User: BigDirector]: START THE SHOW
The curtains slammed shut as old crackling music began to play and a spotlight snapped directly onto Daryl while the ghosts stood and clapped louder and faster, forcing him to stagger back as panic overwhelmed him.
"Stop doing that!" he yelled.
The chat didn't stop and instead doubled down.
¥2,000 DONATED
[User: Rewrite]: CHANGE THE STAGE
The stage warped as wood twisted and props materialized in the form of ropes and chains, making Daryl back away as his breathing broke.
"Listen to me!" he shouted. "This isn't a game!"
Someone typed.
[PaidComment - ¥2,500]: IT IS FOR US
The applause roared and the ghosts laughed as Daryl felt sick to his core.
Then it happened.
¥3,000 DONATED
[User: Override]: CANCEL ALL PREVIOUS REQUESTS
Everything froze.
Then—
[User: Override]: MAKE HIM RUN
The domain obeyed instantly as the floor tilted and Daryl fell forward into motion while the chat exploded in awe.
[HOLY—]
[YOU CAN OVERRIDE OTHERS??]
A war began as donations stacked rapidly and commands collided violently, causing the domain to twist and flip gravity until Daryl slammed into a wall and blood ran down his face while he begged them to stop donating, but they were laughing and typing and paying as new users flooded in and the viewer count climbed relentlessly.
[NEW]: WHAT IS THIS STREAM
[NEW]: WHY IS HE BLEEDING
[PaidComment - ¥6,000]: MAKE IT HARDER
The ghosts cheered louder as Daryl coughed and stared at the donation total in disbelief.
"…I'm rich," he whispered.
Then another command hit.
¥7,500 DONATED
[User: FinalSay]: PIN HIM
Iron rods burst from the floor and Daryl dove desperately as one grazed his side and another crushed a seat, making him scream in terror.
"THIS WILL KILL ME!" he shouted.
The chat paused briefly before continuing.
¥8,000 DONATED
[User: Counter]: CANCEL. LET HIM RUN.
The rods stopped and Daryl collapsed bleeding and panting as the ghosts hissed in disappointment and the chat transformed into something inhuman, a crowd and a mob and a living god as the viewers climbed past a thousand.
MoonPetal ⭐: Please stop. He's going to die.
No one listened as Daryl stared into the camera with tears mixing with blood.
"You're not watching anymore," he said hoarsely. "You're deciding."
The ghosts bowed and the domain pulsed as another donation alert rang.