"Oh."
That was all Felix could say. He couldn't form any words.
"That's unexpected I guess."
He chuckled, but it wasn't a joyful one. How was he meant to respond?
He knew he wasn't the main character of the story. The attitude and demeanour he had wasn't of a main lead after all. But not to be in the story itself was…. kind of disappointing and intriguing.
"So back then, you were stalking me through the window and not someone else?"
Felix remembered Lim acting like a stalker and peeking through the window.
"Yes, but not stalking, but looking."
Lim wanted to make that clear.
"I didn't know who you were, and not just that you were one of the Stars."
Felix understood why Lim acted weird around him. He was unknown, and it's human nature to fear the unknown.
"So, did the Valerius family have only one child in the story?"
Felix had to know if only he or his whole family were meant to be here or not.
Lim shook his head
"The Valerius family existed. They had only one child. I don't remember his name, but he was already in his mid 20s."
And Arcadia definitely wouldn't let anyone in their 20s get in as a student, unless it was for political reasons.
Felix was confused, but he could connect some dots here and there from his past
'Maybe I should tell….... No.'
It was better for Lim to not know.
Lim looked at Felix. His hand shivered, and he kept looking down to calm himself.
"I shouldn't have said this, should I?"
"No, it's better this way. Rather than complicating things, a straight punch to my gut feels much nicer."
Finding out about it later on would make him not able to trust Lim at all. He l didn't fully trust him, but at least had faith that he would keep his curse a secret.
"Do you regret...you know, killing those men?"
Lim asked out of nowhere. But it was killing him on the inside. He was crossing a line, but still he wanted to satisfy his curiosity. And know what kind of person Felix was.
"Yes, I regret it."
Felix replied, and Lim felt relief. At least he wasn't some sort of monster.
"I regret not being able to kill them in a more brutal manner. Maybe chopping their limbs off first would have been a good idea or cutting off-"
As Felix started listing inhumane methods of killing... well, killing is never humane, Lim's mouth was wide open.
The more Felix rambled, the less he started to lose faith in him. But he grasped one thing about Felix, and that was.
'He is too unpredictable.'
At one point, he seemed the kindest person alive, sometimes the most depressed, and now too psychotic.
'The curse must be messing with his head.'
"I think we should get going now?"
Felix said, in between his killing fantasies.
Lim moved away a bit.
"To where?"
The idea of going with Felix alone seemed one quick way to die.
"You dorm, of course. Isn't there something you said you have to show me?"
Felix said and, without waiting, started walking ahead.
******
"Come on in."
Lim sighed as he opened the door.
Felix took off his slippers and walked in. The doorway was cramped. He walked in and scanned the entire room, and the first thing he noticed was.
'It's small.'
His kitchen was bigger than the room.
However, it had everything. A nice bathroom, a small kitchen, a bed and a table next to it.
"What book is that?"
Felix said as he walked towards the table. He measured it. It was as long as his palm was to the elbow.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?"
He asked.
Lim nodded and sat on the bed.
"It's a physical copy of the story."
"Damn. You must have written a lot."
Felix was surprised to know Lim was this dedicated to his craft.
Felix touched the book and looked at Lim.
"Can I?"
"Go on."
Lim gave him the permission though Felix would have turned it, anyway.
He held the thick cover, and turning it felt like lifting weights. He turned the first page and read it, except-
"What's this demonic language?"
The weird shapes aligned together were not something he could understand. And Lim's guess was correct.
Only he could read it. The others only saw those shapes.
"I haven't shown it to anybody except you. And it looks like only I can read it."
"Then what's the point of me being here?"
Felix was disappointed. He kept turning the pages and found only twenty-two pages filled.
"Did you only write this much?"
He asked.
Lim shook his head.
"No, it has only twenty chapters of what I wrote."
"What happened to the remaining ones?"
Felix asked, brimming with curiosity.
"That is something I too have no idea about, but only guess."
Lim said.
"You see, back at home, another world, I wrote about a 1000 chapters. I only published 20 chapters and others were lost, so maybe this book too only has access to that much."
Lim was always alone. He wrote the book as a timepass, to get rid of the jealousy he had every time he remembered about his crush.
It was an imaginary world, where he felt meaning, where he had a purpose, to write and finish the story.
That is why he never published it until he wrote up to 1000 chapters. He wanted to see what the world thought about the world he created.
He posted twenty chapters and got 100 views only. The rest were lost because he broke his computer with an iron stick, after losing a game of battle royale to a 10-year-old.
It was frustrating to lose years of work, but he knew everything about the story. After all, it was his creation and reflection of his emotions. So he never tried to retrieve it... not that he could."
"After coming to his world, each day this book would have new chapters. And after twenty days there was no update"
Lim every day woke up and read the book first hand. The spelling mistake and the dialogue like-No one is prettier than me-made him cringe.
"But a strange thing happened on the 21st day of being here."
Lim was sad not seeing any other chapter published, but it provided something he needed the most.
"The book revealed the location of a grimoire for me."
Grimoire were rare items that once someone opened, it would grant them an [Ability] and then turn into ashes.
"I got the ability, [Blink]. After that, the book revealed nothing until last night"
Lim turned towards the last page and showed it to Felix, who still couldn't understand anything.
"Here it said: Best of luck for the test. Especially to the 9th star about to be killed by a traitor among you. Save him, and you shall get some rewards. Fail, then you shall be next among the line to hell."
Lim translated every shape arranged in two lines.
They had saved Tyson, but still there was no mention of rewards like it promised.
Felix rubbed his chin. Lim could be lying and translating something else. But since what the book said did happen, he couldn't disregard its words.
"So the first twenty chapters are of the story, and the rest will be revelations."
"I mean you could say-"
As Lim was speaking, the page became bright. Both watched the shapes start to appear on their own. It wasn't long and only had five shapes.
Lim was the most shocked. After All this had never happened right before his eyes.
Felix looked at Lim reading it.
"Are you getting a reward?"
He wanted to see how the book would give rewards. Maybe it would reveal the location to an item or it would come out of the pages.
"Hello Felix."
Lim replied.
"Huh?"
Felix was confused why Lim was saying hello out of nowhere.
"The book…it's saying hello to you."
Lim really couldn't understand what was going on. The book only revealed what was about to happen and the location of a grimoire.
Now it was interacting with them.
"Ummm…hello I guess."
Felix wasn't shocked, but just dumbfounded.
Again the book glowed and shapes appeared on it, and Lim translated it.
"How about we make a deal?"
Felix frowned at that. Who asks for a deal, after just saying a hello? Well…it was a book that talked. It was already weird.
"What's the deal?"
The book glowed again, and this time Lim frowned. He looked confused and a bit worried about what was written.
"Aid the author, protect the main character and kill the antagonist of the first arc, until you reach your second year. If you do so, I shall reveal the location of something you have been looking for a long time...the Celestial Orchid."
Lim was a bit shocked. Why did the book want Felix to help him? It's not like he didn't want any help, but that meant Felix had to know as well. The future, that is. And that is a curse and a blessing at the same time.
He looked at Felix and immediately took a step back.
Gulp
Felix' eyes…..as usual hollow, but this time not because of the curse. It was a genuine emotion, not out of fear, but something hidden in the depths of his soul.
Felix walked towards the book. Should he accept the deal? There was no guarantee he could do the task. Even if he did, there was no proof he would get what he wanted. It probably didn't even exist in his lifetime. After all, the flower blooms once every thousand years.
'But this is my last hope of finding it.'
And by how confused Lim looked at the mention of Orchid, he must not know what it is. After all, he was the author, but not a God.
"I accept the offer."
Felix had no choice.
"You must be desperate to accept the offer."
Lim said as he read the book.
"And you have my word. I will give you the location. Even if you die but complete the work, Lim will do it for you."
After that, nothing happened. Lim looked at Felix. A glimmer of life shone in his eye. Hope, something Felix had lost long ago, was there again.
"What's the Celestial Orchid?"
Lim asked.
"It's a cure for my curse."
Felix said as he walked to the door.
Lie. Lim could tell it was a lie. The book said Lim would do it if Felix died. If he died, there would be no need to get the Orchid anymore.
Though they were now supposed to work together from now on, the trust between the two wasn't well established... not yet.
Felix was satisfied, so he found no reason to stay any longer. As he headed towards the door, he wondered about one thing.
"I forgot to ask, who's the main character of the story?"
"Aren't you curious about the antagonist?"
Lim replied back with a question.
"I need to form plans. It is a lot harder to protect than to kill someone."
Felix knew that firsthand. He killed many. Years of life, gone in seconds.
Protecting someone needed more. Care, effort and attention, that is what is meant to protect. Not only is it physically challenging but mentally draining, too.
"You are true."
Lim said and paused for a moment. He wondered how Felix would be around the person from now on.
"Rose Ashbourne. The world will revolve around her until death takes her away."
Felix chuckled and left the room. He murmured to himself.
"Not again."