Lying on the cold ground, surrounded by familiar faces, I felt the weight of the emotions enveloping me: revolt, disillusionment, pain.
The relentless rain tried to wash away the indelible stain of my mistake but only intensified the charged atmosphere.
A woman approached, the blade of her sword gleaming coldly under the gray sky.
The sword pointed directly at me.
Her eyes overflowed with tears, reflecting the storm in her heart.
"Evan!... Why? Why did you do this?"
Her voice cut through the air like a blade, striking my heart with sharp pain.
Struggling to breathe, I felt the weight of my choices crushing me relentlessly.
I also wondered why.
'Why did I choose this path?'
I knew that asking myself such things was in vain.
Nothing could change what was done.
My physical wounds were insignificant compared to the agony I felt.
Each choice, each step along the way echoed in my mind as a painful reminder of my mistakes.
With the last strength I had left, I raised my eyes to her, seeking a spark of understanding in her hurt gaze.
"Author's Note: Image"
I opened my mouth to say something, but she looked at me as if truly expecting a good answer.
In that brief moment, I thought about what I could say.
'If I reveal the truth, expose my motives, and beg for help, will things change?'
'No!'
'Of course not.'
'And if I at least apologize? Without a good reason, it won't work either.'
I thought of many things, different answers, various motives, excuses, but somehow I felt that no answer would satisfy her doubts.
After thinking so much, I closed my mouth again and looked away.
I thought it would be easier.
She hesitated for a moment, the blade trembling slightly in her hand.
With a slow and deliberate movement, she knelt over me, placing her knees on the ground.
Then she sat on my legs, the sword pointed at my chest.
Her proximity made the emotional pain even more intense; each tear that fell from her eyes seemed to burn my skin.
"If you won't answer me, I'll kill you myself."
I remained silent.
"Haaa…" — A heavy sigh escaped her lips; her eyes were overflowing with sadness.
Before I could try to explain, a sudden burst of light engulfed the scene.
The ground trembled beneath our feet, and a fierce wind howled around us.
A familiar figure appeared before us. Arthur, with his imposing presence, stepped through the crowd.
"That's enough."
His voice was firm but not hostile.
"Before we judge, we need to understand. Evan, what is going on?"
I looked at them, still lying on the cold ground, thinking about the question I had just heard.
'What is going on?'
'Right. What happened? When did things start to go wrong? …If I remember correctly, it was that day.'
—————————————————————————————————
"Sigh," I exhaled, lost in a sea of uncertainties and doubts about the direction my novel should take.
Currently, I'm 22 years old, living alone, and trying to make a living by writing.
My novel had reached a critical point where any mistake could result in my audience's eternal hatred.
I knew this because I was already seeing some funny comments on the previous chapter.
"Author, you bastard. If Gods exist, I wish for you to suffer as much as Evan."
"Hahaha."
I couldn't help but laugh.
Setting that aside, I had two days until the final deadline.
"I think I'll rest for now."
I yawned, feeling the weight of sleep take over as I got up from the chair and headed to bed.
"For now, let's leave it like this," I murmured to myself, turning off the lights and settling comfortably under the blankets.
I didn't know what ending I would give my novel, but I wasn't in a hurry either.
As I drifted into thoughts, I fell asleep.
—————————————————————————————————
When I opened my eyes, everything seemed different. The ceiling was unfamiliar, my back ached, and a strange sensation lingered in the air.
"…Why does my back hurt?"
I muttered in confusion.
I looked around, and the shock of reality hit me hard.
"Shit… Where am I?"
I didn't recognize the place.
It was certainly not my house.
I stood up, trying to make sense of what was happening.
I vividly remembered writing my novel the night before, then going to bed. It made no sense to be here.
When I opened a door, I found two children sleeping in separate beds—a boy and a girl.
The boy, who was waking up, looked at me sleepily.
"Brother, wasn't today the day you were going to Spectra?"
I was stunned.
'Spectra? Brother? Why is this boy calling me brother?' I thought in confusion.
That was the name of the hero academy in my novel.
"…"
A feeling of apprehension overtook me as I entered the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror.
Frozen, I realized it wasn't me.
My mind refused to accept what I was seeing.
Every detail around me felt intensely real, yet absurd at the same time.
I touched my face, trying to convince myself it was just some crazy dream.
But the red eyes reflected in the mirror… were unmistakable.
I was inside my novel, embodying Evan, one of the story's villains.
The children, Noah and Emma, were now awake.
"Uaaah…" ― "Brother, if you don't hurry, you'll be late on your first day," said the girl, yawning.
'Brother?…'
The title felt strange, like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.
I was a stranger in this body, in this house, and yet the two children trusted me. It was as if I were playing a role for which I hadn't been trained.
Emma looked at me, as if waiting for a response.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
'What should I say to her? How do I make this seem normal?'
In the midst of the silence, I heard my stomach growl, and I realized the weight of hunger was starting to hit me.
Swallowing hard, I decided to at least try to act like… Evan.
"Noah, Emma, are you hungry?" I asked, trying to sound natural.
They nodded, and I headed to the fridge.
I mixed together some simple ingredients I found in the cupboards.
"Don't worry, I'll whip up something quick for you."
As I prepared breakfast, Noah and Emma watched me with curiosity.
"What are you making for us, Evan?" Noah asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Something quick and tasty."
While frying eggs and toasting bread, I tried to process the surreal situation.
I was in Evan's body, taking care of the siblings he protected. I had to stay calm and figure out what was happening.
After serving breakfast, I sat with them at the table.
"Eat slowly and enjoy," I said, trying to sound natural.
Noah and Emma began eating, and I stood up to head to the bedroom.
If this was really real, I needed to prepare for the day.
In the bedroom, I found the Spectra uniform laid out on a dresser.
It was a dark blue and black jacket with silver accents, a lightweight, breathable black T-shirt with the academy's logo, black pants, and matching black sneakers.
'Come to think of it, in my novel, I didn't specify what the academy uniform looked like.'
"Damn it! Focus!" I muttered to myself as I hurriedly put on the uniform.
Before leaving, I went back to the kitchen, where Noah and Emma were still finishing breakfast.
They looked at me curiously, as if already noticing something strange in my demeanor.
"I… I'm heading out now, but I'll be back soon," I said, trying to sound confident.
"Stay here and behave, okay?"
Noah nodded, while Emma asked, "It's your first day at Spectra, right? Will you tell us all about it later?"
I forced a smile to reassure them.
"Of course, I'll tell you everything," I promised, trying to ignore the weight of nervousness in my stomach.
I left the house and walked hurriedly down the street.
If things were as I had described, Evan's house shouldn't be far from Spectra.
"…"
"…."
The scenery around me felt both familiar and strange, like a place lifted straight from the pages of my novel.
'Why is this happening to me?'
I took a deep breath, gazing at the city around me as I made my way to my destination.
As I walked down the street toward Spectra, I observed the city with a mix of awe and disbelief.
Everything was as I had imagined, yet carried a more tangible sense of reality.
Spectra, the largest hero academy in the world, loomed in the distance, its presence commanding the skyline. It was almost as if the entire city had been built to encircle it.
In most places, schools, businesses, and communities developed around the heart of a city. But here, everything seemed to orbit Spectra, as if life itself emanated from its core.
Around me, people of all ages went about their lives—Spectra students in their uniforms, alongside workers and locals hurrying through the bustling streets.
The city wasn't entirely prosperous in every corner.
Modest shops and humble homes stood in stark contrast to luxury buildings and newer commercial centers.
It was a striking disparity: simple families and workers who might have moved here chasing promises of opportunity and better lives, and those who truly reaped the city's rewards.
"If everything's correct… I'm in the year 2031," I murmured to myself, trying to absorb the shock.
"…"
My steps felt heavy, and a mix of apprehension and excitement swelled as I approached Spectra.
Soon, the academy stood before me.
A bold and modern structure of concrete and metal, without the excessive shine of science fiction.
The entrance was grand, with a dark steel gate reflecting the sky. Lines of light traced the edges of the façade's panels, giving the building an appearance worthy of the tradition and power it symbolized.
I paused for a moment, just to take in Spectra.
This was the academy I had created in my novel, now materialized before me—a monument of ambition and discipline.
As I stepped through the gate, I felt something sweep over my body.
'If I remember correctly, Spectra had a security system to identify who was entering the academy.'
Inside, the place was teeming with life. Groups of students moved in every direction, the sound of voices and footsteps echoing through the hallways.
Some chatted excitedly, while others were deeply focused on their notebooks and tablets, absorbed in Spectra's demanding training schedule.
Being there, surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces, made my stomach churn.
Even though I had created this world, I couldn't help but feel like a complete outsider.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves and suppress the strange sense of exhilaration.
I needed to confirm if all of this was real.
Walking through the main corridors, I observed the details of Spectra. Even though I had written about it, it was impossible to have captured every nuance in words.
That's why I couldn't help but feel surprised, seeing things I didn't even know myself.
The walls were adorned with panels displaying ancient symbols and logos of partner academies.
To the left, I noticed a training room with reinforced glass windows. Inside, students were practicing with weapons and magical abilities, their expressions focused on every movement.
Some wore combat gear, while others donned only the standard uniform.
It all seemed perfectly normal for a day in an academy dedicated to training heroes.
Further ahead, I spotted a weapons section, protected by a security field that surrounded swords, spears, and other equipment. Everything was neatly organized and ready for use.
A chill ran down my spine as I looked at those instruments, imagining the challenges I might face.
I pulled a folded piece of paper from my pocket, the same one I had found in Evan's room that morning.
It contained basic information about my class.
"Third floor: Room A-10," I murmured, feeling a shiver as I recalled the weight of that number in the story.
'If I'm truly in Evan's shoes, this means I'm about to meet characters I know inside and out… characters I created.'
As I walked down the corridor toward Room A-10, I noticed other students stealing glances at me—some curious, others indifferent.
No one seemed to realize I was more lost than they could imagine. The constant flow of voices and footsteps was both familiar and overwhelming.
When I finally reached the door to the room, a shiver ran down my spine, and my heart began to race.
I glanced at the window beside the door and noticed a shadow cast by a tree outside. The shadow blended with the reflection of my image in the glass—or rather, Evan's image.
Dark hair and intense red eyes, exactly as I had described in the novel.
With a lump in my throat and my chest tight with anxiety, I took one last look around the hallway, trying to mentally prepare myself for what lay ahead.
I took a deep breath, raised my hand, and pushed the door open, stepping into what could very well be the first chapter of a story I never imagined living.