Lena woke up the next day, grateful to find herself still in the real world. The familiar light from her bedroom window seeped in, casting soft patterns across the floor.
Her head ached, as if the memories of the webtoon world had imprinted themselves into her mind, leaving a weight behind. She had tried, in vain, to delete the latest chapter from her phone the night before.
No matter how hard she pressed the screen or swiped through the app, the chapter remained. It was like a curse—one that tied her to a world she hadn't chosen to be part of.
Groaning, Lena pushed herself out of bed and rubbed her eyes, attempting to shake off the lingering discomfort of the unsettling, dreamlike reality. After a stretch and a yawn, she walked to the bathroom, glanced briefly at her reflection, and then brushed her teeth before leaving the room.
As she made her way downstairs, the smell of fresh coffee greeted her. She paused at the foot of the stairs, seeing her father, Ethan, sitting at the dining table, his eyes glazed as they stared at his laptop screen. A steaming mug of coffee sat in front of him, but he hadn't drank from it yet.
Lena leaned against the stair railing, observing him for a moment. She could tell something was weighing on him. His usual calm demeanor was replaced by an almost uneasy stillness, and she knew it had to be the new chapters that had somehow started writing themselves. It was strange, inexplicable, and it worried him more than he cared to admit.
She took a deep breath, then slowly made her way toward the table. Her footsteps were light on the wooden floor, but even so, Ethan's head snapped up at the sound. His eyes softened when they landed on her, and he let out a sigh, quickly masking his concerns with a half-hearted smile.
"Good morning dad."
"Lena, you're awake," he said, his voice strained. "Where were you last night?"
Lena stopped by the table, pretending to think for a moment. She had practiced the lie in her head, knowing her father would question her.
"I was with Emily," she said, her tone casual. "She took me to a party, and I stayed over because it got late."
Ethan didn't look convinced, but his gaze softened.
"You could've told me over a call or a text. I was worried."
"I'm an adult, Dad," Lena said, brushing off the concern with a smile. "It's fine."
He nodded, not pressing further. He looked back at his laptop, his fingers hovering above the keyboard, though he didn't seem to be typing. He stared at the screen, lost in thought, as if he was trying to decipher something that wasn't meant to be understood.
Lena, sensing the tension in the air, moved to the counter to make herself a cup of coffee. She needed the caffeine to help her think. The events of the past few days were beginning to feel like an avalanche, one that was rolling faster and faster, and she had no idea how to stop it.
She poured hot water over the coffee grounds, watching the steam rise into the air, then added a splash of milk for flavor. When she returned to the table, she placed the cup in front of her. He glanced at it absentmindedly before his eyes met hers.
"You know," he said, his voice low and weary, "something strange is going on."
Lena froze, her hand halfway to her cup. Her heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to look calm.
"What do you mean?"
Ethan rubbed his wrinkled temples, clearly stressed.
"The chapters... they're... different. I don't know how to explain it, but the story is... headed towards a different direction, one I never intended. It's like... it's writing itself now, Lena. Like... the characters are starting to do things that I didn't plan."
Lena's mind raced, but she kept her expression neutral.
"That's odd," she said, her voice soft and careful. "What kind of things?"
He gave a bitter laugh, shaking his head.
"I'm not even sure I can explain it. But it's getting worse. I have to figure this out. I... I can't just let it go on like this."
Lena bit her lip, feeling the pressure of the truth hanging in the air. Her father had no idea how close he was to the reality of the situation. She could have told him everything, but what would he do with that information? He would never believe her, would he?
Instead of confronting him with the impossible truth, she played along.
"That's pretty typical for someone creative, Dad. You know how it is—crafting a great story is tough. Things don't always go as planned," Lena said.
Ethan nodded, though his mind was elsewhere.
"You're right..." he murmured, but deep down, he knew this wasn't just a normal hiccup. The webtoon was practically creating and publishing itself.
"Maybe you need a break, Dad. You've been working so hard. You can't keep pushing yourself like this."
Ethan smiled weakly.
"I know. I'll try to take it easy, but I can't stop now. Not when I'm so close to the climax of this project. Everything's been leading to this moment." His eyes darkened. "I can't let it fall apart."
Lena nodded, though she felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She couldn't help but think that her father was too focused on the idea of finishing his webtoon that he didn't see the dangerous path it was leading them down.
But what was she supposed to do? Tell him? It sounded absurd, even to her. She was starting to think the only option was to endure this madness until it, somehow, came to an end.
After a moment of silence, she stood, needing to escape the tension that had thickened in the room.
"I'm going to call in sick," she said, offering a small smile. "I don't feel great today."
Ethan didn't protest.
"Get some rest, Lena. You deserve it."
Lena grabbed her phone and left the kitchen, her mind still swirling with the growing uncertainty of her situation. She quickly sent a text to her boss, telling him that she was sick and wouldn't be coming in. Thankfully, her boss bought the lie without question, and she was left with the entire day to herself.
She retreated to her bedroom, the door clicking shut behind her. Sitting down on her bed, she pulled out her phone and opened the webtoon app. The chapter of her previous experience was still there, now public.
She couldn't help but read through it again, focusing on the conversation between her and Dan. Her heart raced as she re-read their interactions, remembering the way his intense eyes looked when he had spoken to her, the way his presence seemed to overpower everything around him, including her.
Then, she reached the end of the chapter.
It showed Killian informing Dan, who was working out shirtless in his private gym, that she (Lena) was no where to be found.
Lena stared at the screen, her mind spinning. The implication was clear: in the next chapter, Dan and his team, including the police, would be searching for her. They would be looking for the runaway—the same runaway who had caused so much trouble in the story.
Lena let out a long, shaky breath, dropping her phone onto the bed. She curled up into herself, pulling her knees close to her chest. Her life had never felt so out of control.
Could she find a way out? Would it even end, or was this her reality now?
She closed her eyes, wishing for some kind of escape. But all she heard was the quiet hum of her phone buzzing with notifications and the faint sound of her father working downstairs...