There's a saying that circulates among anglers:

"If a dead fish still takes the bait… reel in and leave."

The day I went fishing with my dad, we ran into exactly that.

What unsettled me was not the fish.

It was the look on my dad's face: an excitement that felt completely wrong.

Then a message flashed across my livestream, and a chill ran down my spine.

[Get out. Now. Your dad is about to trade your life for the one who died in this river a year ago.]

A year ago, when my mom was eight months pregnant, she slipped and fell into this river.

To be exact, the one who died… was my little brother.

That summer, I went back home. My dad, who had always treated me with distant indifference, and sometimes even hit me, suddenly said he wanted to take me fishing. I did not dare say no. I knew that if I talked back even a little, he would not hesitate to hit me.

"Elaine, do you still have enough money for college?" he asked out of nowhere on the way to Sorrowmere River.

For a second, I felt something warm in my chest. After all these years, this was the first time he had ever shown concern for me.

"Yeah, it's enough," I said quickly.

I knew better than anyone that he hated spending money on me.

At home, only Grandma treated me well. She had even bought me my phone.

Dad gave me four hundred a month. Everything else I needed, I earned myself through livestreaming.

We arrived at the Sorrowmere River in our village. While my dad prepared the bait, I quietly started my livestream.

[Whoa, new map unlocked today? Are you fishing?] someone typed.

[Welcome, everyone. Today's stream is fishing,] I replied in text, since my dad was right there.

I did not understand why he had to come at noon.

The sun was so bright I could barely keep my eyes open, but somehow, I could not shake the feeling that something in the river was watching me.

Not a fish.

It felt more like… something sentient.

After my dad finished setting up the bait, he urged me to cast the line.

It did not take long before I got a bite.

When I reeled it in, I froze. "Why is it… dead?"

"Dead? Elaine, let me see." My dad took one look, and his eyes lit up with a strange excitement.

"A dead fish… and it still took the bait…" he muttered, over and over, like he was repeating some kind of ritual chant.

Then he smiled. It was the kind of smile that made my skin crawl.

I glanced at my livestream. The viewer count had skyrocketed. However, instead of excitement, the chat had been flooded with warnings.

[Streamer, there's someone behind you.]

[Get out. There's something wrong with the water.]

I streamed often, so I was used to comments like those. I figured they were just bored and messing around.

As I scrolled, one username caught my eye.

Alaric Vane.

[Leave now! A dead fish… and it still took the bait… Reel in your line and go.]

I tapped into his profile. His avatar showed a man in a black robe holding a staff made of bone.

A classic necromancer.

Thinking about my dad's strange behavior, I quickly sent him a friend request.

It seemed like his message had stirred up the chat.

[Alaric, stop spouting nonsense. I fish all the time. Never heard of that.]

[Yeah, streamer, ignore him. He just wants attention.]

[Still… you should leave. Your dad looks creepy. Who gets that excited over a dead fish?]

[Agreed. Run. Your life matters more.]

I looked closer and noticed something else. His profile had products listed.

Figures. Just another clout chaser, I thought.

However, then I remembered the eerie smile on my dad's face. I tightened my grip on the fish and decided to throw it back into the river.

"Stop! What the hell do you think you're doing, you ungrateful brat?!" my dad roared, his face twisting with rage.

He snatched the dead fish from my hands and clutched it to his chest like it was some priceless treasure.

It was clearly dead.

However, its eyes…

They seemed to glow faintly.

I only looked for a second before I turned away, my heart pounding.

"What are you standing there for? Keep fishing! One fish isn't enough for a meal!" he shouted.

Before I could react, his hand came down hard across my face.

I bit back the pain, picked up the rod again, and cast my line into the water.

I swallowed the pain and cast my line again.

Almost the second the hook hit the water, something bit.

Another fish.

No, something was wrong. It did not feel normal at all. It was like… something down there was waiting for me.

"Dad… it's another dead fish," I said, my voice shaking.

A dark, twisted smile spread across my dad's wrinkled face. "There's hope… there's hope…" he muttered under his breath.

"Elaine, good job. Keep going," he said, leaning in close.

He looked desperate.

The more desperate he seemed, the more uneasy I felt.

I pretended to fix the bait and secretly opened my stream. The chat was flooded with concern.

[Are you okay? Your dad seems violent.]

[This is so sad…]

[I'm fine. Thanks for worrying,] I typed quickly to reassure them.

The truth was, I was used to my dad hitting me. A slap like that barely counted. What really bothered me… was what Alaric had said.

[What do you mean?] I typed quietly, turning slightly away so my dad would not see.

Alaric Vane replied almost instantly. [Your dad made a deal with a restless spirit. A life in exchange for yours.]

I stared at the screen, stunned.

My dad might not like me, but… he wouldn't actually want me dead, right? He had just asked if I had enough money for college.

However, his message sent the whole chat into chaos.

[A paranormal stream? I'm in.]

[Why are we doing this at noon? I'm scared.]

[No matter what, your dad is scarier than any ghost.]

When I saw the words "exchange your life," my mind went blank. My fingers slipped, and I accidentally hit the power button on my phone.

The screen went black. In the reflection, I saw my dad's face. Right behind me.

"Elaine, what are you looking at?"

"Ah! Dad, what are you doing!" I screamed and stumbled backward.

"I… I need to use the bathroom."

I no longer cared about anything else. I only had one life. I needed to get away, even if just for a moment.

Besides, today my dad was acting way too strange. He actually wanted to eat the dead fish we caught.

"Such a hassle. Go, then come back fast. Don't keep me waiting," he said, pointing toward a crude little shack not far away.

I ran.

As soon as I got inside, I hurried to message Alaric.

[Alaric, can you explain clearly? If he's trading my life… then whose life is he trying to save?]

[Someone who died here on this exact day a year ago. Once you hook three dead fish properly, the contract with the restless spirit is sealed.]

[You're lying. No one died here a year ago. And what kind of spirit comes for someone's life in the middle of the day? I'm not buying it.]

At that point, I was even more convinced he was just making things up to get attention.

"Are you done? Come out now!" my dad shouted from outside.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

He started kicking the door hard. If I did not go out soon, he might actually break it down.

Alaric sent a bunch more messages, but I ignored them. I figured he was just trying to explain himself.

"Elaine, keep fishing. Just one more, then we'll go home," my dad said, pushing me toward the river, his excitement almost feverish.

"Dad… did someone die in this river last year?" I asked.

Alaric's words still lingered in my mind.

"Someone dies every year. Didn't your mom almost drown here on this exact day last year?" he snapped impatiently.

"Why are you asking so many questions? Just fish!"

It sounded like he realized he had said too much, because he quickly tried to change the subject.

However, in that moment, a cold wave of fear crept up my spine.

On that exact day last year…

Someone really had died in that river.