Inside an empty subway train, Kyrie quietly scrolls down through his phone on his way home from overtime. He is reading the last chapter of the story. Still, the frown between his eyebrows deepens as he reads through the last paragraph of the last chapter over and over again. He is not happy about how the story is ending.
Kyrie has read this web novel for almost a decade, but he does not feel the joy readers have when finishing their favorite novel. Usually, one would expect that the stories published as web novels would end in a happy ending. However, not even the story's protagonist, who is so insanely strong, gets the much anticipated happy ending with her lover. It is like the author does not end the story, but instead, she just decides to stop writing about it. However, for a devoted reader like Kyrie, this feels like agony.
Tears start to roll down his cheeks. The reason? It is not all because the story has ended, but it has mostly to do with his favorite character, Ian. He scrolls up multiple times at the end of his current page, expecting another to come after, like how he is used to for these years. He hates these two words plastered at the end of the final chapter that concluded his entire journey of ten years β "the end."
[I can't believe this is really ending.]
He continues to scroll up despite knowing that there is no more to this novel. He puts his phone face down on his right. His body slumps down into his seat, and he looks up at the buzzing lights on the subway. A feeling of emptiness spreads inside him. He puts an arm to cover his eyes from the stinging brightness of the fluorescent lights. Trails of tears continue to flow down from his eyes.
[Ian died⦠Unfairly at that⦠How could I just accept such an ending? Even if he is just a side character, didn't he go all the way to fight alongside that crazy protagonist?]
Kyrie gathers himself and sits back up. Luckily no one has the bad luck to see the weeping mess of this adult man. Worse, this adult man is crying because his favorite character died.
[Damn you, Imogen! Wasn't Ian, her friend? How can she just kill him because things are not going right?]
He picks up his phone by feeling where it is and clenches it. Feeling the slight pain of his tightening hold gives him the clarity that the story did end badly. He is not in some kind of nightmare that would just disappear once he opens his eyes. He can feel the reality hitting him really hard through the shakiness of his body.
He has this weird connection to this novel because of Ian. His obsession first came from the admiration of this man.
Although his life can not be placed on the top charts of a sad one, he did experience a lot in his life. All those heartbreaking moments, Kyrie has Ian β that character who just does not let the tragedies of life to stop him from moving forward. Despite sometimes, Ian would just have to drag his feet like a lifeless man, he never thinks that he should not continue living. That kind of attitude that Ian has within the novel broke many fans' hearts, but it is a strength that helped him power through the hard times. Kyrie can stand up again after the many tragic events that happened in his life. His courage is all because Ian existed and lived the way he did.
[How can this author be so cruel? A character who spends all his life for the sake of the world, and the author cannot give him a happy ending. What is this author thinking?]
Maybe that makes the story more impactful that this kind of character dies, all for this author playing god. The thought of breaking into the author's house keeps coming and going from Kyrie's mind. Can he just threaten the author to change the ending? However, the author is weird. She is popular enough to hold events, but she just doesn't. She doesn't even have a social media account. How can Kyrie even find her?
[What am I thinking? But for realβ¦ If only I can change his fateβ¦]
He lets his arms slump down to his side, and he squints his eyes from the sudden exposure of light. He smiles sadly, mocking himself for his weeping mess, and lifts himself. He looks down at the ground of the subway train. His tears are still trickling away, blurring his vision every time his eyes dripped off a tear.
[Good thing there is only a little kid in this place⦠It would have saved me some embarrassment and others their eyes.]
His brain gets back online.
[Wait⦠A little kid?]
He rapidly sits up and looks across him. There is really a little girl sitting across him β long black hair, clear brown eyes, and wearing the typical haunting white dress. She looks like the epitome of those demons from horror movies. He turns his head around to look for a sign of another adult. Nothing.
[Damn it!]
The little girl meets her eyes with Kyrie. As if she is surprised that Kyrie is staring back, her eyes open widely. Kyrie diverts his eyes while feeling goosebumps all over.
[My life has the worse timingβ¦It's like becoming the cannon fodder, which unfortunately meets the demon from the horror movies by pure coincidence! My role? Maybe to die horribly! Not nowβ¦ I am still mourning my loss. My Ian died too tragically...]
The kid starts to giggle. Kyrie's heart starts beating like it is warning him to run away. Kyrie flinches when he hears the thump of this little girl landing on the subway floor. Each step jolts his heart with fear.
"Kyrie, right?" says the girl with her soft but high-pitched voice.
[Sighβ¦ She just called my nameβ¦ This can all be a coincidence, right? Let's think logicallyβ¦ Maybe the kid is lost or got separated from her parentsβ¦heheheβ¦ I can even hear the crickets laughing... AAAHHH! Who am I KIDDING? This kid just called my name!!! My name! The most probable thing that can happen right now is that I amβ¦ ]
"... going to die?" the little girl says, completing his thought.
Kyrie stands up from his seat and backsteps to the subway doors.
[I don't mind spending a few bucks to take an uber or taxi. Next stop⦠Let's run for it⦠next stop. For now, let's just distract this demon of a kid⦠a kid of a demon⦠Aiyah! Grammar does not matter right now⦠Focus!]
"What are you doing here? You should be with your parents..." says Kyrie failing to control his shaking voice.
The kid looks so amused by Kyrie's reaction that she brings out a broad smile. Normally, this would have warmed anyone's heart, but it just looks like bloody murder to Kyrie. It looks like those smirks that people give before murdering someone.
"I was waiting for you, Kyrie! I want to ask you somethingβ¦" says the little girl.
[It's over⦠Yes⦠Over! If I can make any wish, just bury me next to Ian. I don't care who says about what 2D or 3D issue...]
"pfffβ¦"
Kyrie looks at the little girl trembling while she squeezed her shoulders.
"buahahaha!!!"
The little girl loses it! She collapses to the floor flat and starts rolling on it while laughing at the top of her lungs. Kyrie, on the other hand, stands there petrified. The thought that this really is a coincidence is daunting to him. His petrified face slowly cracks into a red blush - each minute increases its filtering settings to a more saturated color. Yes, people⦠RED! BRIGHT RED! He covers his face with both of his hands and internally cries from the embarrassment.
[This is so embarrassing⦠In front of a kid at that! Great job, Kyrie. You might have lost the face of your entire lineage. Your ancestors might be cursing you for your disgrace!]
After a couple of minutes, the little girl tries to stand up, but her knees are soft. She never spent so much energy laughing on top of her lungs. She can finally start to breathe again. She pushes herself up, leaning towards the seats. But as soon as her eyes meet Kyrie's face, she loses it again! This time, she slaps her hand on the seat, but instead of her hand feeling the pain, her stomach starts to spasm from her uncontrollable laughs.
After an indefinite amount of time, the little girl sits back up next to Kyrie while she wraps her tummy with her arms. The energy she spends laughing drained the color off her face. Her diaphragm has a vigorous exercise. Who knows, maybe she could achieve six-packs from this!
Kyrie, now, has completely forgotten about how shady the entire situation is. He is just burning from embarrassment. He starts to fan himself with his hand and loosening his tie. The little girl takes multiple deep breaths to calm the overly excited mood that she is in.
"What was I going to say? Ah⦠I am surprised that you can see me now."
Kyrie turns his head rapidly to the side and looks at the little girl wrapping around his left arm.
He takes a small nervous breath to calm his nerves and says, "What do you want?"
"Wellβ¦ It's a long story, but to make it short, I am the author of the novel you just finishedβ¦"
Kyrie stands up, surprised, and shoves the phone towards the girl's face.
He excitedly asks, "You are Moon Fairy?"
Then, he calms down and smirks in disbelief, "No way⦠You are just a little kid⦠There is no way that you can write so eloquently!!!"
"I just look like this because it takes too much energy to materialize into an adult. Just so you start treating me with respect, I am a god. I am older than you by millenniums!"
Kyrie frowns in disbelief.
[A god? I did not know that little kids can have chuunibyou so early⦠It must have been hard for the parents.]
Moon Fairy slaps at Kyrie's thigh with anger and says, "Chuunibyou your ass! I will grant you death if that is what you wish."
Kyrie says while being a bit shocked, "Damn! You can even read my thoughts?"
He sighs and continues, "If all this is true, why is a god looking for me anyway? Shouldn't you be busier fixing other things? You know... Cancer is a good start!"
Moon Fairy says, "Well⦠You spoke to the wrong god. Anyway, I came to you for a proposal. Do you want to change Ian's fate?"
Kyrie looks confused at Moon Fairy and searches for any hidden message on her face.
"What do you mean?" Kyrie asks, "Aren't you the author? Don't you just need to edit and reupload?"
[Why is a god writing a fantasy novel anyway? Wait⦠Why do I believe her words?]
Moon Fairy slides and sits back on the seat.
While swinging her legs that were too short of touching the floor, she says, "I am just writing the accounts of another world. For a small god like me, anything is better than boredom. It was fun first, but then, it turned into a tragedy that no one would have expected. Usually, I don't get involved with Vita, the ruler of the living. But⦠I just hate how things turned out⦠I was searching for someone like you!"
[Another world? Does that mean⦠Ian is real?]
The thump of his heart gets increasingly louder - enough for him to listen on his eardrums. His entire body and soul start to shake from the revelation.
"This meansβ¦ This means that Ian really diedβ¦" Kyrie says in realization.
"Yeah⦠As of now, he is dead." Moon Fairy confirms.
Kyrie's shoulder slumps. He lets out a sigh of disbelief.
[Why are you telling me this? Now, this is more than just a novel characterβ¦]
"This is the reason why I came to you. I can bring you back in time and send you to that world, but I can't help you further than that. I chose you because you are the only one who likes Ian from all those who read the novel. I liked that you saw him beyond the means of just a side character that can be tossed away!"
Kyrie takes Moon Fairy's hands and squeezes them. He shouts with fire in his eyes, "I am in!!! I will do it!!!"
Kyrie seems to have lost his mind from grief, but he is determined!
[Then, I can be the one who can protect him! I can be the one to make him happy! I will make him happy at all costs!!!]
Moon Fairy smiles at Kyrie, who has decided to leave his life behind to join Ian.
The subway stops abruptly, causing Kyrie to lose his footing and stumble to find his balance again. Then, the doors closest to them open. A golden light shines through the entrance. Kyrie looks outside of the subway and does not see the usual sky and landscapes of the city.
In front of him, there is only a space showered with golden particles. Although this is happening suddenly and nothing makes sense, he wants to take a leap of faith. This is the leap of faith that he wanted to take so much throughout these ten years - an opportunity that he can only dream of.
Kyrie swallows his nervousness and walks through the door. Instead of falling from the gravity pulling him down, he floats. As the subway doors are closing, Kyrie looks back at Moon Fairy, silently witnessing his happiness.
"Thank..."
He looks in horror at Moon Fairy's body breaking apart into similar gold particles that surround him. She looks at Kyrie with a firm resolution in her eyes. She smiles at Kyrie, but this time it looks less terrifying for him.
Kyrie softens his expression and says, "Thank you, Moon Fairy!"
With a broadening smile and tears in her eyes, she breaks into golden particles and fades away.
Her final message before his world goes black reaches to his ears, "Please save Ian⦠Save him along with this beautiful world for me!"
[I will! I will save him and his world! Thank you for letting me meet himβ¦]