Lena's eyes fluttered open, her body stiff as though she had just been ripped from a deep, unfamiliar dream. She found herself lying on the cold floor of her father's studio, the air still, and the dim light from the half-drawn curtains casting shadows around the room.
Slowly, she sat up, feeling the strange sense of disorientation that came with being in the same place, yet feeling so out of place. Her head was pounding, her mind still reeling from the last few hours that had felt more like a nightmare than reality.
It took her a moment to register that she was really home, back in her father's studio. Midnight darkness loomed outside the window.
Her heart raced as she turned to the table, where the bright light of her father's working system flickered. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw what lay before her.
The computer, which had been still when she was sucked into that eerie alternate world, now displayed the new scenes for the webtoon that had been drawn—by someone, or something—while she was away. But this wasn't just any drawing. It was her story.
Lena reached forward, her fingers trembling as she scrolled down through the scenes. Her breath hitched in her throat as her worst fear was confirmed.
What she had lived through hours ago—the terror of being kidnapped, waking up in a hospital, the trip to the police station, the frantic questioning—it was all there, written and drawn, accurately recreated in vivid detail.
The characters were eeriely realistic; the female webtoon character on screen looked exactly like her, and those that had been involved in the scenes were drawn with unnerving precision.
The kidnappers, the police officers, the dark highway, the crumpled car—they were all there, drawn into the story. Even the conversations, the ones that she had so desperately tried to remember, were written down beside the characters in the word boxes, like any typical comic book scene.
Lena swallowed hard, fear tightening her chest.
"No... no, this can't be happening."
She tried to rationalize it, but the reality before her felt too real. Her fingers danced over the screen, trying to delete the scenes, to make it stop. As she clicked away, a sense of dread settled over her. It worked—momentarily. The screen went blank, and the scenes were gone.
"Okay, Lena, calm down. You can deal with this," she muttered to herself, though her voice shook.
But before she could step away, the screen flickered again, and the scenes slowly reappeared—just as detailed, just as real, as if nothing had changed.
Her fingers were trembling again, her pulse racing as she watched in horror. No matter what she did, the scenes wouldn't stay deleted. It was as if the system had a mind of its own.
She could see the cursor moving by itself, and before she knew it, the scenes had published themselves, spreading across the internet faster than she could blink.
Her mind scrambled. She had no idea how or why it was happening, but she knew one thing for sure—she had been sucked into a webtoon world.
Panic set in. Her breath came out in shallow gasps as she realized just how impossible this all seemed. But the system... the scenes... they were undeniable. She tried one last time to erase the images, but it was useless. The fear surged within her again, threatening to overwhelm her.
With one final glance at the computer, Lena ran out of the studio, her legs weak but fast. She rushed to the main house and bolted through the familiar corridors, seeking the comfort of her own room, hoping to escape the surreal nightmare that had taken over her life.
When she finally reached her room, she slammed the door behind her and locked it. Her breath was ragged as she rushed to her bedside table, checking the time. It was 2:46 a.m. only an hour and a few minutes had passed since she had been pulled back into this reality, yet everything that had happened took several hours.
Confused and terrified, she sank down onto the edge of her bed. It took her a long time to gather the courage to stand again. Something in her had to make sense of all this madness, so she crept quietly to her father's room, unsure of what she was hoping to find.
She carefully opened the door, peeking inside to find him deep asleep, completely oblivious to the storm of emotions raging inside her. Seeing him there, so peaceful, so normal, made her feel even more unsettled. How could all of this be happening when he hadn't even noticed?
With a heavy sigh, Lena closed the door quietly, heading back to her room. She sat on the bed again, her mind racing. Had it all been a lucid dream? She wondered.
It felt so real, but what other explanation could there be? Could it all have been some wild figment of her imagination? Lena tried to convince herself that nothing strange had happened, but deep down, she knew it had.
Exhausted and emotionally drained, Lena finally drifted off to sleep, though her dreams were filled with images of the webtoon world she had briefly escaped from.
---
The next morning, Lena woke up, the soft light of dawn creeping through the curtains of her room. She blinked a few times, disoriented, before realizing she was still home. The familiar sounds of the house, the ticking of the clock, and the sweet, subtle scent of home. it was all real. Thank goodness.
Lena tried to shake off the previous night's events. She told herself it had been some sort of bizarre lucid dream—nothing more. But as she got out of bed and began preparing for her day, a part of her couldn't let it go. Could something like that really be just a dream? Was she losing her mind?
As she stepped into the hallway, she caught a faint aroma of breakfast coming from the kitchen. Her father was already awake. She smiled slightly, grateful for the small comforts of normalcy.
Entering the kitchen, she found her father at the stove, humming a soft tune as he prepared breakfast. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and there was a plate of scrambled eggs and toast waiting on the table. Her father looked up from the stove, his eyes soft with affection.
"Morning, Lena," he greeted her warmly. "I made you breakfast."
Lena smiled, a little more relaxed at the sight of her father's familiar figure.
"Thanks, Dad." She sighed in relief.
He set the plate down in front of her and slid a cup of coffee over to her side of the table.
"I also packed your lunch for work," he added with a sheepish grin. "I know we didn't end on the best note last night, but... I wanted to make it up to you. You're my daughter, and I don't like fighting with you."
Lena's heart softened at his words. Despite the confusion and fear that still gripped her, she felt a pang of warmth at her father's concern. She reached across the table, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Thanks, Dad. I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."
They pulled apart and exchanged knowing smiles, and the duo sat for breakfast together. Afterwards, Lena got dressed and headed to work.
She worked at a delivery company called Swift Cargo, a service that supplied various products to local businesses and homes, including food, household supplies, and even luxury goods. It wasn't a glamorous job, but it paid the bills, and she liked the simplicity of it.
When Lena arrived at the office, Emily, her co-worker and close friend, was waiting by the front door, practically bouncing with excitement. The moment she spotted Lena, she rushed over to her, tablet in hand.
"Lena! Lena! You won't believe what happened in Veil of the Vanguard!" Emily squealed, barely able to contain herself.
Lena frowned, raising an eyebrow as she processed the words.
"Veil of the Vanguard?" she asked, feeling a slight tightening in her chest at the mention of the title.
"Yes! The latest update! Your dad is an absolute genius—you have to tell him that for me! I couldn't sleep at all last night after reading it!" Emily exclaimed excitedly.
"They introduced this amazing new mysterious character, and I think she might be the new female lead of the entire story! And, get this—she could be Dan Cross's love interest!" Emily's voice dropped to a dramatic whisper. "I'm betting it's Raven's replacement."
Lena's curiosity was piqued, though she didn't show it.
"What's so special about this new character?"
Emily practically shoved her tablet into Lena's hands.
"Look! Isn't she gorgeous? I mean, she's got all the qualities— beautiful, mysterious, and just perfect for Dan! I think she's the new star of the webtoon."
Lena's stomach dropped as her eyes flicked over the screen. The character was unmistakably familiar—it was her!
The drawing, the details, the expression, the posture—everything about this female lead matched the likeness of Lena herself. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked closer, realizing the horrifying truth. It was truly her, even though she had deleted those scenes.
"To top it off, she even has the same name as you! How lucky can you get? Your dad really adores you—he literally named his new character after you!"
"Wait… what?" Lena's voice cracked as she spoke, a sickening feeling rising in her chest. "This… this is impossible!"
Emily stared at Lena, confused by her sudden change in demeanor.
"What's wrong?"
Lena couldn't respond. Her mind was reeling. How was this happening? How had the scenes reappeared? And worse—how was this character still being published after everything she'd tried to erase?
Her palms grew sweaty as the realization hit her with full force. It hadn't been a dream.
It was real.