The cold bite of the air hit Min Joon's face as he opened his eyes, groggy and disoriented. He lay on the ground, his cheek pressed against damp grass, the smell of earth filling his nostrils. Struggling to his feet, he blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Towering trees with twisted trunks surrounded him, their branches clawing at the sky like skeletal hands. The forest stretched endlessly in every direction, dark and silent, as though it were hiding secrets of its own.
"What… where am I?"
Min Joon's voice sounded younger, higher-pitched than he remembered. His hands, smaller and softer, trembled as he brought them to his face. Panic tightened in his chest, his heart racing faster and faster until flashes of his last moments on Earth flooded his mind.
He remembered the empty classrooms, the mocking laughter, the feeling of being invisible at school except when his bullies wanted a new target. He remembered lying on his bed, staring at his phone screen and getting lost in the chapters of his favorite story, wishing for a way out. Wishing that he could escape somewhere else, away from everything. Away from everyone.
It was a foolish, desperate wish, one he had muttered countless times in the quiet of his room. But the memory of that moment returned to him now, a single message flashing across his screen in the dead of night:
["Wish granted."]
And now, as he looked at his childlike hands and processed his surroundings, it hit him: he'd been transmigrated, just like the characters in so many fantasy stories he'd read. Somehow, his wish had been answered, and he'd been transported into the world of his favorite story.
But something wasn't right. His hands looked too small, too delicate, and his body felt too light. As he explored his memories and touched his new face, a sinking feeling grew in his stomach. This face… he recognized it. He wasn't just in the story—he was now living as the main villain of the tale.
The boy's name was Cale von Astaroth, a noble from one of the most feared houses in the kingdom. Cold-hearted, brilliant, and feared, Cale was destined to be the main adversary of the hero. He would manipulate the people, plot against the kingdom, and stand in direct opposition to Arthur, the young knight fated to save the realm from ruin. Cale was destined to fail, his ambitions ending in tragedy and ruin at the hands of Arthur.
It all clicked into place, and dread settled over him like a shroud. He remembered the story vividly—Cale, even as a young boy, was already known for his ruthless cunning. His family's bloodline was tainted with dark magic, and he would grow into the one person everyone despised, feared, and, eventually, defeated.
He shuddered, the weight of the story's dark ending crashing down on him. He wasn't a brave, dashing hero with a sword at his side or a loyal band of friends. He was the future villain, the character destined to be hated, feared, and ultimately brought down by the very people he once rooted for as a reader.
"No… this can't be happening," Min Joon muttered, clenching his fists. "This isn't fair. I didn't ask for this!"
But hadn't he?
He'd wished for a way out of Earth, away from the pain and loneliness, away from his bullies, his failures, his empty future. The powers that granted his wish had given him an escape. A new life. But they had also made him the character most destined for ruin.
As he stood there, helpless and frightened, a cold sensation washed over him, like the weight of unseen eyes observing. A faint whisper echoed in his mind.
[Welcome, Cale von Astaroth. Your fate has been rewritten. Do you wish to continue along your destined path… or forge a new one?]
The voice was ancient and heavy, like the weight of a thousand secrets resting on each word. Min Joon's—no, Cale's—breath hitched. He could feel something shift within him, a dark magic awakening at the very core of his soul. It felt potent and dangerous, yet oddly comforting. The memories of his former life as Min Joon and his new existence as Cale mingled, twisting together like threads of a complex tapestry.
Forge a new path… could he truly change the story?
The thought took root in his mind, his fear giving way to a cautious spark of hope. He had no desire to be a villain, no desire to hurt anyone or to carry out the schemes that would lead to his eventual downfall. Maybe, just maybe, he could choose a different path, one that didn't end in tragedy and ruin.
"I'll change this fate,"