"Is that… me?" I whispered, placing my hand over my face in disbelief. My once brown hair had turned white as snow, and my eyes, once a warm brown, were now a piercing blue, like the sky itself.
It hit me then—the truth I had been denying. I had become the Saintess of the North, the figure from the novel... the one who would be sacrificed in a desperate attempt to save the world, ensuring that the story could continue.
I collapsed to my knees, the weight of my realization crashing over me. Tears filled my eyes as I understood my fate. The last words I had spoken before dying echoed in my mind, and I couldn't stop the sobs that wracked my body.
"Did I really become the saintess destined to die?" I cried, my voice breaking with the despair that had finally taken root in my heart.
End of rewind.
----------------
Start of chapter two.
Two hours after the events of chapter one.
After a few hours of pure, unadulterated panic—and a healthy dose of denial—I finally managed to piece together the chaotic mess that had become my head. Somehow, somehow, I'd been sucked right into the world of a novel I used to obsess over. A dream come true, right? Wrong.
If fate had any sense of humor (spoiler: it does, and it's mean), it decided to throw irony at me like a brick. I hadn't landed the role of a fearless warrior, a glamorous princess, or even one of those mysterious, morally ambiguous side characters everyone loves. Nope. Instead, I woke up as... a nobody. A literal background extra so insignificant that the author didn't even bother to give me a name before the series was unceremoniously canceled.
And now? Now, I'm stuck in a world where the plot is more unforgiving than a high school math test, and my odds of survival are about as promising as a snowball in the Temple of Fire. Speaking of which, that's exactly where I'm headed.
Here's what I've managed to piece together while suppressing the urge to scream: I'm apparently the "Saint of the Wind." Fancy title, right? Wrong again. In this context, it's just a poetic way of saying sacrificial lamb. The Temple of Fire, located at the foot of one of the continent's grandest (read: most terrifying) mountains, is infamous for its bizarre rituals. And guess what? The knights showing up tonight aren't here to celebrate my arrival with wine and cake—they're here to escort me to my doom.
It's all tied to some prophecy. Classic. Supposedly, sacrificing the Saint of the Wind will save one of the protagonists from an untimely death. Too bad nobody thought to ask the Saint of the Wind how she felt about this arrangement. Not that it would have made a difference; the author didn't even give me a proper backstory. All I know is that my role in this world is to die for the sake of the plot.
Great. Just great.
If I'd been smart, I might have stayed in panic mode a little longer. But no, my survival instincts decided to kick in. Because if there's one thing I've learned from years of reading stories like this, it's that nameless characters like me don't last long. The only thing more predictable than my impending doom is how many chapters I'll last before meeting a fiery, sacrificial end.
So here I am, stuck in a deadly prophecy, waiting for knights to show up and drag me off to my untimely demise. But hey, maybe fate has a sense of humor after all. If I play my cards right, I might just rewrite this story—starting with not dying horribly.
Now, before you start thinking, "Well, why not just escape? Take your chances and run for it!" let me break it down for you in vivid, panic-induced detail. This isn't your typical "hero narrowly avoids death" scenario. No, this is a world-ending, demons-running-wild kind of situation. You see, those charmingly horrifying creatures from the ancient past—the demons—are sealed away by divine magic. And my oh-so-glamorous death is apparently a key part of keeping that seal intact.
If I bolt, I'm not just risking my own neck. I'm risking everyone's necks—nobles, peasants, heroes, villains, and that one merchant who keeps price-gouging health potions. My sacrifice is supposed to delay the demons' return. Delay—not stop. A temporary patch job in the grand cosmic scheme. But if I don't go through with it? Well, that seal might snap like an overworked hair tie, and the demons will come pouring out of their interdimensional void to make this world their playground. And trust me, they're not bringing jump ropes or dodgeballs.
That said, I'm not entirely powerless in this situation. Sure, my connection to the Spirit of Wind is hanging by a thread (thanks a lot, fractured bond), but I still have potential. Yeah, I know. Potential isn't exactly comforting when you're staring down knights ready to turn you into a divine sacrifice. But here's the thing: my death isn't the only way to keep the demons at bay. The real secret lies in my divine power—the very thing I was supposed to wield as the Saint of Wind (well, I guess I already have it anyway). I can always use it to purify someone else...
Enter Prince Damien, the central figure of the prophecy titled The One Who Bears the Fate of the World. He's got the looks, the skills, and the dramatic backstory to carry this whole thing on his (probably very muscular) shoulders. If I can get close enough to him, I can temporarily channel my divine power into him, buying us all more time without me having to kick the bucket. Granted, it's a Band-Aid solution at best, but I'll take it.
And well, if I can't purify him in time, the prophecy will fulfill itself early, and let's just say it won't be a happy ending for anyone.
The stakes are so high they might as well be orbiting the sun. On one hand, I'm being dragged along by the prophecy and the divine mandate to keep the demons locked away. On the other, I really don't want to go down as a nameless, disposable NPC in someone else's story. I didn't survive this long just to become a tragic plot point for the protagonists to angst over.
Oh, and let's not forget that this world operates on an absurdly rigid power hierarchy. Warriors like Damien are ranked by a system that makes modern corporate ladders look fair. Damien's a Four-Star fighter, practically a demigod in combat (I'm exaggerating, but anyway, you got the point), but even he's small potatoes compared to the continent's real powerhouses: the Church, the Nobility (well, technically he is part of the nobility), and the Guilds. And then there's me, a glorified windmill operator with a fractured bond to the Spirit of Wind. My odds aren't looking great.
So, running isn't an option. Dying isn't an option. But you know what is an option? Being so annoyingly persistent that the universe has no choice but to keep me alive. If I can survive long enough to get to Damien, convince him I'm not insane, and figure out how to use this divine power without setting off a chain reaction of doom, I might just have a chance.
As the sun sets over this cursed mountain, I know I can't afford to sit around waiting for the knights to come knocking. They'll be here any minute, and I'd rather not have to explain why the "Saint of Wind" is hiding under a bed. I need to move, now, before my plan becomes a tragic footnote in this ridiculous prophecy.
So, to summarize: I have to escape capture, survive long enough to help the prince, prevent the demons from returning, and somehow rewrite the prophecy to save myself. Easy, right? All I need is divine power, a flawless strategy, a bit of wit, and enough luck to fill a dragon's hoard. No pressure.
Act 1: Escaping My Destiny
My time was running out, so after coming to the absolutely brilliant conclusion that I had no choice, I was forced to leave the cabin where I'd been holed up for the past two hours. The cabin, which had looked cozy at first, now seemed to be more of a glorified dustbin than anything else. But, you know, it was all part of the adventure, right?
With ten long, purposeful strides, I reached the door, which now looked as fragile as the resolve of a person in denial. I wasn't sure exactly why the house had decided to physically transform, but one thing was clear: it was somehow tied to the book I had opened earlier. It was probably the book-every bad thing that had happened to me seemed to revolve around it.
Before leaving, I turned for one last dramatic glance at the cabin. What had once been a charming little place was now a sad shell of its former self, covered in layers of dust and grime. It was like the cabin had aged about 50 years in the span of two hours. A sense of unease crawled up my spine as I grabbed the door handle, pushing it open. "Goodbye, depressing little cabin," I muttered under my breath.
The door creaked open, and the sound was so loud it was almost comical. What I saw on the other side made me freeze-not in a good way. What had once looked like a warm, welcoming place now resembled a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The once-lush field was now a lifeless, gray expanse. The few trees left standing were little more than withered, leafless trunks, their branches twisted in unnatural ways, almost like they were judging me. Seriously, what happened here? Was this the start of some sort of horror movie? Or just my luck?
The temperature had plummeted from "pleasant" to "why is it so cold?" My clothes, which were thin and about as useful as a paper towel in a rainstorm, barely kept me warm. "Great, now I'm going to freeze to death," I thought, but that wasn't an option I was ready to entertain. I had already ruled out surrendering to the soldiers-it would be preferable to freeze than to be caught without a fight.
Still, the wind was biting, and I quickly realized that I was woefully unprepared for the conditions. I briefly considered giving in and allowing myself to be caught, but then the thought of hypothermia quickly put that idea to rest. I might freeze to death, but at least I wouldn't have to deal with them.
I reluctantly stepped outside. The cold hit me like a freight train, and I nearly turned back before I'd even fully crossed the threshold. The wind was so cold it could probably strip paint. "Okay, maybe this wasn't my best decision," I thought, retreating inside after about 30 seconds. My body trembled uncontrollably, and my optimism was quickly evaporating. "Yeah, definitely freezing to death before I even make it halfway down the mountain," I muttered, starting to doubt my life choices. But I couldn't just stay here.
I needed to find a solution, and fast.
Just then, I spotted it: a blanket. It had gone completely unnoticed at first, but there it was, sitting innocently on the bed like it had been waiting for me to finally pay attention. "That's it...!" I exclaimed. I rushed over, grabbed it, and realized immediately how thick and warm it was. It was perfect. It was filthy, sure, but it was thick enough to block the wind, and that's all that mattered. I could survive if I wrapped myself in this thing-at least long enough to get to the bottom of the mountain.
I felt a surge of hope. A blanket-yes! Finally, something useful. I hastily draped it around me and strode to the door again. I flung it open, exposing myself to the relentless wind once more, but this time... the blanket worked. It blocked the cold, as if the universe had decided to throw me a bone. "Perfect!" I exclaimed, relieved.
However, the book remained as stubborn as ever. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't open it or take it with me. It was like it had decided to root itself to the desk with some kind of magical superglue. I didn't have time to deal with it, though. It wasn't going anywhere, and neither was I.
After more searching, I found a small cloth sack tucked under the bed. It wasn't particularly useful at first glance, but when I opened it, there were several crystalline stones inside, each glowing faintly. I had no idea what they were, but they were pretty. Maybe I could sell them later. Honestly, they might not do much now, but they were shiny, and in a world like this, shiny things had to be worth something, right?
That's when I thought I was ready. "Ready" being a relative term, because in reality, I had no idea what I was doing. With the blanket secured around me and the sack of strange, glowing stones in my pocket, I ventured out once more. The wind slapped me in the face, but the blanket did its job. I pushed forward, heading toward the slope that marked the edge of the field.
For a brief moment, I was distracted by the view. The place I was standing was about 400 meters high, and though that was already pretty impressive, it wasn't the height that had my attention. It was the road below me. A dirt path, wide enough for a carriage, snaking its way down the mountain. The kind of road you'd see in a travel brochure, if that brochure featured highly dangerous landscapes. I couldn't help but think that this was probably the same road the saintess had been carried on in the original novel-if the novel was even real at this point.
I marveled at the view: below me, I could see the lights of a massive city sprawled across the land. Above, an aurora borealis painted the sky with colors I didn't even know existed. It was breathtaking... but also slightly terrifying. And then I remembered that I had to get down before nightfall. If I didn't, I'd either be lost in the dark or possibly mauled by wild animals. Neither option sounded appealing.
With the knowledge that the sun would set in about two hours, I began to carefully descend the slope. However, after about four steps, I did what any sensible person would do: I slipped. "Oh, fuck!" I yelled as I tumbled down toward the road, crashing with all the grace of a falling tree.
"Ngh, damn it...!" I muttered, lying on the ground in agony. My hand throbbed from the impact, and for a moment, I seriously considered just letting myself be caught by the knights. But no. "Get up, you idiot!" I slapped myself in the face to shake off the thought. I wasn't going to give up this easily.
Despite the ache in my body, I stood up, brushing myself off. The blanket had cushioned my fall, but it was now covered in more dirt than I cared to admit. Still, I had survived. I wasn't going down without a fight.
With a groan, I began walking along the road again, hoping to reach the city before nightfall. The chances of that happening? Slim to none. But hey, optimism, right? Maybe it wasn't the most realistic goal, but it was all I had left.
One hour after starting to walk on the road
Though I hadn't exactly anticipated this being an issue, about an hour into my little trek, I was pretty much on the verge of collapse from exhaustion. My new body, somehow, turned out to be even weaker than my old one-don't even ask me how that's possible. At this point, I almost sympathized with the novel's heroine for not even attempting to escape her fate. I mean, if she'd tried, she probably wouldn't have gotten ten steps before being caught. And that's if she was lucky.
But exhaustion wasn't my only problem-oh no, that would've been too simple. The weather, already cold enough to make me question why I even existed, had now decided to make things special by becoming even colder. Honestly, at this point, I half expected a polar bear to waddle up and ask me what I was doing in the middle of the Arctic.
Also, hello, the sun was already starting to hint at its grand exit. It was only a matter of time before I'd need to find shelter unless I wanted to become a popsicle and/or an animal snack. And finding shelter on a mountain? Not exactly something you can check off your "easy tasks" list. But, plot twist: just as I was about to freeze to death, I stumbled upon an unmentioned cave by the roadside. Go figure.
"...?" I knew this mountain hadn't been discussed much in the novel-mostly because the moment the first chapter ended, the author probably just shrugged and said, "Yeah, whatever, it's a mountain." But even I didn't expect to find a cave of this size. It wasn't some tiny hole in the wall-it was more like a tunnel, and not the kind you'd casually stumble across while looking for your keys. The entrance was a whopping 4 meters high and 8 meters wide. I couldn't even see the end of it because it was so ridiculously dark inside.
Now, as much as I enjoyed walking into unknown caves, there was still that pesky "what if there's a monster in there?" thought, which made me pause for a second. However, a gust of cold wind slapped me back into reality. My dirty blanket definitely wouldn't keep me warm for the night, let alone protect me from whatever was out there.
"Fuck it..." I muttered, resigning myself to the idea of entering the cave. Sure, it was dark enough to make a horror movie jealous, but I didn't have much choice.
After walking about five meters into the cave, I spotted a crevice in the wall. It was pretty decent-sized-about one and a half meters tall by one meter wide-though, once again, I couldn't see what was inside. Naturally, I thought, "Let's pick the darker, more mysterious option, because clearly, that's the smartest idea." I stood there for a moment, staring into the abyss (as one does when making questionable life choices).
What I really needed was something to light up the darkness. And then, bam, it hit me like a lightning bolt: "I could use the stupid crystals I found earlier!" I pulled out the cloth bag I'd taken from the cabin.
As soon as I opened the bag, I was blessed with the faintest glow of the crystals. It was like having a tiny flashlight-if the flashlight only worked when you squinted at it and prayed really hard. The light only reached about a meter in front of me, so I could barely make out anything past the crevice. After some deeply sophisticated thinking, I realized I could just throw the crystals into the crevice. That way, I'd know how deep it was, or at the very least, get a nice game of "Is There Something Terrifying in There?"
I picked the brightest crystal (it wasn't much, but it was all I had) and threw it into the crevice. "One... two..." Thud. "Wait, that's it?" I was left standing there, staring at the short distance the crystal had traveled. The crevice wasn't deep at all, which, in the grand scheme of things, was probably a good sign. So, with a sigh of relief, I decided it was safe enough to use as shelter.
Just then, I glanced at the sky. The sun was setting, and my window of safety was closing faster than my optimism. I took one last look at the cave entrance, which was quickly losing the last bits of sunlight. The orange hue in the sky wasn't exactly a subtle clue that night was coming for me. So, without much fanfare, I marched forward, using the crystal bag as my dim torch.
The cave walls were rough and uneven, which wasn't exactly a surprise-this wasn't a 5-star hotel, after all. The floor was solid but hard, as expected, seeing as it was made of rocks.
Just as I stepped into the crevice, I froze. Wait, was that... human voices? I immediately tensed, my heart racing like I'd just been caught stealing cookies from a dragon. But, no, the voices weren't coming from the crevice; they were from outside the cave.
"Ah..." I sighed in relief. But that was short-lived as I realized the knights who were supposed to be hunting me were now nearby.
I panicked and dove to the ground, wrapping myself in the blanket like it was some kind of invisible force field. If they decided to check out the cave, there was no way they would find me-unless they were particularly good at cave spelunking.
The voices got closer, and I held my breath. At first, I couldn't make out what they were saying, but it didn't take long for the words to become clear: "We're almost there. If the rumors are true, she's about twenty minutes ahead. Stay alert for the..." and then, as mysteriously as they had appeared, the voices faded into inaudible mush.
"Twenty minutes?" I muttered. It had taken me over an hour to cover the same ground. Seriously? I was basically running on fumes, but they were already on track to catch up in half the time. And that was if they weren't taking their sweet time. My mind wandered briefly, wondering how long it would take me to reach the city at the foot of the mountain. Based on their speed, I'd probably be stuck up here for a lot longer than expected.
But no time to dwell on that-I needed to get a grip. After confirming the knights had passed, I decided it was time to act. I fastened the blanket to the crevice walls, hoping I wouldn't be spotted. It was cold, but at least the semi-glacial air wouldn't be blowing in.
With my safety secured, I took a deep breath and lied down, ready to embrace my new reality of sleeping on cold stone. At least I was alive, I guess?
But sleep? Yeah, no. The stone floor was about as comfy as a slab of concrete. I stared at the walls, trying to distract myself from my physical discomfort. And, because I was nothing if not good at torturing myself, I found my thoughts wandering to far more existential concerns: "Did I really die? What if this is all just a dream...?"
With a deep sigh, I snapped out of it. Focus, focus, focus. "Alright, after I leave this mountain, I need a place to stay, and... money. Wait, I have the crystals! And, despite being filthy, my clothes might be worth something..."
"Perfect," I murmured, grinning at my stroke of genius. But then the real problem hit me: how the heck was I going to approach the prince? But, hey, that's a problem for tomorrow.
For now, I closed my eyes, ready to fall asleep-eventually. Because, honestly, with all the drama going on, sleep seemed like a distant memory.
The Next Morning
The voices echoed (not the ones in my head... I think) through the cave like an unwelcome alarm. "That damn merchant must've pulled a fast one on us! There's no way she was here! Did you see the state of that cabin? It looked like it hadn't been touched since the dinosaurs roamed!" A man grumbled, his voice deep enough to probably shake the cave. "Ugh... what's going on...?" I murmured, still half-asleep. "If we find him again, 'prison' will be the least of his worries," he continued angrily, as if yelling at a completely inanimate object.
"...? Oh, crap! They came back!" I whispered, jumping up faster than a startled cat, instantly on high alert. "What the hell are we gonna tell the commander? If we go back empty-handed, he'll probably force us into more of those 'character-building' torture sessions!" one of the voices groaned. "Who cares? Just tell him the merchant was a liar, it's not our fault!" another voice argued, like they were all in an episode of Bad Decisions Weekly. "Yeah, but we've wasted enough time here... Let's go before another squad gets sent to babysit us."
"Ah... guess you're right. We should return soon." After that, the voices slowly drifted away into the distance like the fading echo of a bad reality show, leaving me in a stunned silence.
"A merchant...? Is that how they tracked 'me' in the original novel?" I thought to myself, still trying to get my bearings. I waited a few more minutes for the coast to clear before grabbing the bag of crystals and removing the blanket from the crevice entrance, breathing in the mountain's surprisingly fresh air.
"Huh... It's not as cold as before," I muttered, peeking out of the cave. The sky was a pleasant orange, and the sun was clearly trying to pretend like it wasn't already past breakfast time. Glancing at the time, I realized it was 8:00 a.m. I could get moving, but I decided to wait. The knights were still somewhere out there, and if I ran into them, it would be really bad. Like "game over" bad.
So, I sat there staring at the cave entrance, watching the stillness for any sign of movement. Minutes dragged on and my mind started wandering like a puppy on a leash. "I came here to save a prince, right? So why haven't I even tried to use my powers yet?" Then came the terrifying thought: "What if I can't even use them?"
After a long internal debate, I sighed. "Guess trying can't hurt anyone... right?" I muttered, channeling the most vague instructions ever written in the history of world-building.
"Feel the life energy surrounding you... focus it into your palm... imagine guiding it like a river... blah blah blah." As I read through the description again, I realized it was as confusing as a two-piece puzzle. But it was all I had to work with, so I went for it.
Taking a deep breath, I stretched out my hand and closed my eyes, repeating the steps like a bad student trying to pass a magic class. "Feel the energy around me..." A strange shiver ran down my spine, but I didn't stop. "And gather it in my palm..." A warm, cozy sensation engulfed my hand, almost like I was hugging a campfire.
"And... guide the flow of the river..."
Before I knew it, a blast of wind shot from my palm like a toddler's first spell, followed by an odd tingle that left me questioning whether I was a wizard or just getting frostbite.
I opened my eyes. A glowing orb hovered above my hand, sucking in air like it was some kind of vacuum.
"No way... Did that actually work?!" I whispered, staring in disbelief at the orb that was still growing in size. Then, curiosity got the best of me. I pointed it toward a distant mountain. "Go!" I commanded. And just like that, it flew toward the mountain like a pro, disappearing into the sky.
"Incredible...!" I cheered, still in shock. But then it hit me. Wait, this isn't how it's supposed to work in the book! The sacred power was supposed to be about support, not throwing orbs at mountains. The knights didn't have orb-launching as a key skill, after all.
If I could figure out how to make this "aura" thing work, I could be the most overpowered support character in history. So I tried again.
"Feel the energy... around me." This time, I felt the warmth wrap around my body. Instead of gathering it into my palm, I focused on surrounding myself.
"And... imagine altering the flow of a river..."
A gust of air swirled around me, and I thought, "Aha! I did it!" But when I opened my eyes, I found... absolutely nothing.
"...?" I frowned, disappointed. "Well, I guess that was to be expected," I grumbled. Despite the pleasant tingle still in my body, there was no aura.
"Great... Just great," I muttered sarcastically, trying again with the same results. Several failed attempts later, I realized I was wasting more time than I could afford. The knights could be back at any second, and if I didn't get moving, I'd be stuck in this mountain range for another 24 hours.
Sighing heavily, I got up, mentally checking off my to-do list. First: escape the knights. Second: find food, water, and shelter. Third: reach the city before noon. Easy, right?
Continue...