Here's the story from the beginning, with Aqua as the MC and Lyle as the side villain:
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The screen glowed softly, casting light over the faces of teenage siblings, Aqua and his younger sister, Mia. They were deep into *Rosewood Destinies*, an otome game known for its dramatic romances and high-stakes rivalries. On the screen, the teenage side villain, Lyle Ravenscroft, appeared—a sharp-featured noble with striking green eyes and an easy, confident smirk. His dark hair fell perfectly around his face, and his every movement was tinged with the quiet arrogance of someone who knew his power in the court.
Mia scoffed, tossing her controller down in frustration. "Ugh, there he is again. Why does Lyle always have to show up and ruin things for the heroine? He's the worst!"
Aqua chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Honestly? I think he's kinda cool. I mean, look at him—rich, handsome, noble. He's not so bad."
Mia glared at him, crossing her arms defiantly. "Cool? He's a snake! All he does is plot to keep the heroine and hero apart. I don't get why you like him."
Aqua shrugged, feigning indifference. "Maybe he's misunderstood. If I were him, I'd probably have half the kingdom charmed by now."
She narrowed her eyes, her tone mocking. "Oh, so you'd want to be him, huh? Fine—why don't you just become him, then?"
Aqua laughed, accepting her challenge. "Sure, why not? I'd have the looks, the money, the power. Who wouldn't want that?"
"Alright, *Lord Lyle-wannabe*," Mia said with a smirk. "Let's see how long you could survive in his world."
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But Aqua's playful confidence began to fade as he kept playing. No matter what choices he made, Lyle's fate seemed fixed. Every storyline, every option, ended with Lyle meeting an early, brutal demise. Some deaths were quick, others slow, and each more tragic than the last. Aqua tried every possible choice, memorized every dialogue, and even scoured online forums, hoping to find a hidden path for Lyle's survival—but every time, the story turned fatal for Lyle.
One day, Mia, watching Aqua struggle with another failed playthrough, laughed and shook her head. "You know, even the author hated Lyle. That's why every ending he gets is so horrible—and they all happen at the very beginning of the game."
"So he's basically doomed?" Aqua asked, frustration coloring his tone.
"Pretty much. He was created to suffer."
Years passed, and Aqua continued to play every now and then, searching for a way to save Lyle from his tragic fate. Life moved on, and Aqua eventually drifted away from the game. But the unfinished quest still haunted him.
Then, years later, as he faced his final days battling terminal cancer, Aqua found himself thinking back to those days, to the endless playthroughs, the laughter with Mia, and his one impossible wish—to see Lyle survive. With his strength fading, Aqua allowed himself a bittersweet smile, holding onto a final, heartfelt wish: to find a path for Lyle, even if only once.
"If only… there was a way for him to live," Aqua whispered to himself as he drifted off, a sense of peace settling over him.
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When he opened his eyes again, Aqua blinked in confusion. The cold sterility of his hospital room was gone, replaced by warmth and the scent of lavender. He sat up, his fingers brushing against luxurious silk sheets, and found himself in a lavish, antique bedroom. Golden light filtered through the heavy curtains, casting a warm glow over fine mahogany furniture and elegant tapestries.
"Where…?" Aqua muttered, but his voice sounded different, younger.
He stumbled toward a mirror and froze. Staring back at him was the unmistakable face of a teenager, with sharp features, dark hair, and intense green eyes. The reflection was of someone he'd known all too well: Lyle Ravenscroft.
"No," he whispered, his heart pounding. He pinched himself, squeezed his eyes shut, but the room remained. This wasn't a dream. Somehow, he'd become Lyle, the very character he'd spent years trying to save.
Realizing the weight of his situation, Aqua sank onto the bed, dread filling him. He'd always wanted Lyle to survive, but not as him. He knew every dark turn that lay ahead, and the realization that he might face Lyle's fate, trapped in a character's story that always ended in despair, made him question if this was truly the path he wanted.
Aqua opened his eyes to the soft light of dawn spilling through thick curtains. Disoriented, he took in the surroundings, the lavish room with its ornate tapestries, gilded mirrors, and luxurious furnishings. This was not his hospital room, not the sterile place where he'd been lying for months. No, this was something else—something impossible.
A quick glance in the mirror froze him. He recognized the sharp cheekbones, the confident smirk, and the intense green eyes staring back. He was in the body of Lyle Ravenscroft, the notorious side villain of *Rosewood Destinies*, the character he'd spent years trying to save from one doomed path after another.
He barely had time to process the shock before a knock came from the door. A maid's voice, sharp and impatient, called through the heavy wood, breaking his trance.
"Young Master Lyle, are you ready? The carriage is waiting to take you to the academy."
The academy. Aqua's heart pounded with dread. He knew exactly what awaited him there. From the very first day, Lyle's path was a treacherous one, littered with enemies, betrayals, and a growing animosity from nearly everyone he encountered. No matter what choices he had made in the game, every storyline began the same way—Lyle's entrance to the academy marked the start of a downward spiral, one that ended in his tragic demise.
He took a shaky breath and called back, "I'm… I'm not going."
A tense silence followed. He could imagine the maids outside exchanging looks, exasperated at his refusal. He knew Lyle was hated by nearly everyone in the Ravenscroft household. From the game's lore, he knew that Lyle was regarded as little more than a spoiled, arrogant brat, an annoyance in a prestigious family that valued strength, refinement, and discipline. He could feel the disdain radiating even through the door, though he'd barely even spoken to them.
The handle turned, and the door swung open. Three servants entered, all wearing polite but stiff expressions that barely hid their impatience. Aqua could feel their resentment in every swift, efficient movement as they worked to dress him. Their hands were firm, their faces devoid of warmth. They straightened his coat, brushed his hair back, and adjusted the collar of his finely-tailored uniform with a brusque efficiency that made it clear they were simply doing a job.
"Young Master Lyle," one of them said coldly as he tightened the cuffs on Aqua's sleeves, "the carriage won't wait forever. Please don't waste our time."
Aqua stayed silent, helpless to resist. He'd always known that Lyle was despised by his own household, but feeling it firsthand was something else entirely. It stung to be treated like nothing more than a nuisance by people who were supposed to be his family's loyal servants. And yet, they were eager to be rid of him, just as everyone else in the Ravenscroft family seemed to be.
When they finally finished, Aqua was left standing stiffly in his black coat and embroidered vest. He looked every bit the noble that Lyle was meant to be—handsome, confident, unyielding. But he didn't feel any of those things as he made his way outside, heart hammering as he approached the sleek black carriage waiting in the courtyard. The driver looked bored, impatiently tapping his fingers on the reins, his expression saying plainly that he'd rather be anywhere else.
With a final, shaky breath, Aqua climbed into the carriage, dread filling every cell in his body. As the wheels began to turn, he stared out the window, watching the Ravenscroft estate fall behind him, its sprawling grounds filled with manicured gardens and towering trees that looked like they'd been there for centuries. The estate was beautiful, but there was a coldness to it, a calculated perfection that made him feel more trapped than privileged. This was Lyle's world—a world where he was as much an outsider as he was here.
The journey to the academy was long, and Aqua's mind raced with a growing sense of dread. Every detail of Lyle's experience at the academy came back to him with vivid clarity. The academy, known as Braedon Institute, was an ancient, prestigious school filled with the children of noble families. Its sprawling campus was renowned for its marble courtyards, ivy-covered walls, and vast, echoing halls. Students trained there in everything from swordsmanship to politics, preparing for their futures as leaders, warriors, and diplomats. The school was a place of tradition and discipline, filled with those who valued honor and reputation above all else.
But for Lyle, the academy was a place of isolation. From the start, his arrogance and his reputation as a schemer made him an outsider. The other students, particularly the hero and heroine of the story, quickly turned against him. Lyle's reputation preceded him, and in every playthrough, Aqua had watched helplessly as his attempts to prove himself only ended in ridicule, scorn, and ultimately, deadly confrontations.
The carriage pulled to a stop at the academy's front gates. Aqua's stomach churned as he stepped out, staring up at the towering iron gates that framed the entrance to Braedon Institute. Beyond them, the sprawling campus stretched out before him, with rows of stately buildings, winding cobblestone paths, and tall, imposing trees casting long shadows across the grounds. Students in crisp uniforms walked in groups, their laughter and chatter filling the air, though their eyes quickly turned cold as they spotted him.
"Isn't that… Lyle Ravenscroft?"
"He actually showed up?"
Aqua could feel their stares, their whispers biting into him. He tried to look unaffected, his face carefully blank as he made his way through the gates, but inside, he felt his stomach twist. He'd been here countless times in the game, but living it, feeling the palpable disdain directed at him, was far more suffocating.
As he made his way down the path to the main hall, he spotted several familiar faces—the hero, Alden Haverford, a tall, broad-shouldered figure with striking blue eyes and a confident smile. Alden had always been a character that radiated warmth and strength, his reputation as a fair and noble person making him beloved by nearly everyone in the game. But Aqua knew that Alden viewed Lyle as little more than a nuisance, a roadblock in his journey, and their interactions had always ended poorly.
Beside Alden was the heroine, Elara Fairburn, her delicate features framed by cascading chestnut hair. She was the picture of elegance and grace, her every movement refined and purposeful. In the game, Elara was adored by nearly everyone, a paragon of kindness and intelligence. But her kindness had its limits when it came to Lyle. Aqua knew that she saw him as a troublemaker, someone unworthy of the academy's prestige.
The two of them noticed him, their expressions shifting from casual curiosity to wary disdain. Alden's eyes narrowed slightly, his mouth set in a hard line, while Elara's gaze turned cold, her posture straightening as she regarded him with barely veiled suspicion.
Aqua forced himself to walk past them, keeping his gaze forward as he entered the main hall. The vast, echoing space was just as grand as he remembered, with vaulted ceilings, intricate tapestries, and gleaming marble floors. Yet the beauty felt hollow, as if the building itself looked down on him with the same disdain as everyone else.
It was only the first day, but Aqua could already feel the weight of Lyle's reputation pressing down on him. Everywhere he went, he could sense the whispers, the judging stares, the unspoken belief that he didn't belong. The other students made no effort to hide their contempt, and Aqua knew that his every move would be scrutinized, every misstep magnified.
As he made his way to his first class, Aqua couldn't shake the growing sense of dread. He'd wanted to help Lyle, to find a path that would allow him to survive. But now, trapped in Lyle's body, he realized just how hopeless that goal felt. The game had been relentless in its hatred for Lyle, and now, experiencing it firsthand, Aqua felt the crushing inevitability of his fate.
He sat down at his desk, trying to ignore the glares of his classmates. The first day had only begun, but already he could feel the weight of the story pressing down on him, the path of doom laid out before him. And as the professor began to lecture, Aqua found himself wondering if there was any way to escape this fate—or if he was simply doomed to repeat Lyle's tragic end, this time as the villain himself.