Mui stared at Eileen, his grip tightening on the manuscript. Fifty-one chapters? He didn't even know how he got here, let alone how to survive an entire story.
"This has to be a mistake," Mui said, shaking his head. "I can't be the main character. I'm just a normal kid."
Eileen smirked. "Normal kids don't drop into the Scripted World with a quill in their hands." She leaned closer, her sharp green eyes piercing his. "Face it, Mui. You're part of the story now. The question is: Are you going to control it, or let it control you?"
Before Mui could reply, the ground beneath their feet trembled. Birds scattered from the trees, their cries echoing through the forest.
"What now?" Mui groaned, already dreading the answer.
Eileen's expression hardened as she looked toward the horizon. "The Script is testing you."
Ahead, the trees parted to reveal a small village nestled in a clearing. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, and the sound of laughter carried through the air. It seemed peaceful—too peaceful.
"Something's wrong," Eileen said, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger.
"What do you mean?" Mui asked, following her gaze.
"Look closer."
Mui squinted. At first, everything seemed normal. But then he noticed how the villagers moved in perfect unison, their steps synchronized as if rehearsed. They smiled, laughed, and chatted, but their expressions were eerily hollow.
"They're like puppets," Mui whispered.
Eileen nodded grimly. "They're trapped in the Script, repeating the same actions over and over. If we don't interfere, they'll stay like this forever."
"Why would the Script do that?"
She shrugged. "It doesn't need a reason. The Script just is. But if we're here, it means there's a problem to fix."
As they approached the village, the laughter abruptly stopped. The villagers turned to stare at Mui and Eileen, their eyes blank and unnerving.
"This feels... wrong," Mui said, gripping the quill tightly.
Eileen nudged him forward. "That's because it is. Go on. You're the Reader. Fix it."
"What? How?"
She gestured to the manuscript under his arm. "Use the quill. Rewrite whatever's holding them back."
Mui hesitated. What if he wrote something wrong? What if he made it worse?
As if sensing his doubt, the villagers began to advance, their movements stiff and unnatural. Their hollow eyes glowed faintly, and a low, mechanical hum filled the air.
Eileen drew her dagger. "No pressure, but if you don't act now, they'll turn hostile."
Mui's mind raced. What was he supposed to write? He thought about the villagers and their unnatural behavior. Maybe if he focused on freeing them...
He scribbled into the air:
"The villagers regained their humanity, breaking free from the Script's control."
The silver light flared, and for a moment, the villagers froze. Their glowing eyes dimmed, and their stiff movements became fluid. One by one, they blinked and looked around in confusion.
"It worked!" Mui exclaimed, relief washing over him.
But Eileen didn't look relieved. Her eyes darted toward the sky, where dark clouds were forming unnaturally fast.
"Not entirely," she muttered.
Mui followed her gaze, and his stomach dropped. The glowing words of the Script were forming in the clouds above:
"The Reader's interference summoned the Author's enforcer."
"Enforcer?" Mui asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Eileen's face was grim. "Think of it as the Script's way of punishing you for going off-script. And here it comes."
The clouds churned and descended, coalescing into a massive, shadowy figure. It towered over the village, its glowing red eyes fixed on Mui. The villagers screamed and scattered, their newfound freedom doing little to protect them.
The enforcer raised a hand, and a shockwave rippled through the air, sending Mui and Eileen tumbling backward.
"Do something!" Eileen shouted, scrambling to her feet.
Mui's hands shook as he gripped the quill. He had to think fast. If the enforcer was part of the Script, maybe he could rewrite it.
"The enforcer dissolved into harmless mist."
The quill flared, but the enforcer only paused briefly before continuing its advance.
"Why didn't it work?" Mui yelled.
"Too vague!" Eileen shouted. "The Script twists your words. Be specific!"
Mui clenched his jaw. He needed more detail. He stared at the enforcer, focusing on its shadowy form and glowing eyes. Then, with a deep breath, he wrote:
"The enforcer's form shattered, its power dissipating into the wind."
The silver light surged brighter this time, and cracks appeared across the enforcer's body. It let out an unearthly roar before collapsing into a whirlwind of shadows, which scattered into the sky.
The village fell silent.
Eileen sheathed her dagger and turned to Mui, a hint of approval in her expression. "Not bad, Reader. You'll survive a little longer."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Mui muttered, slumping to the ground.
Eileen knelt beside him. "Don't get comfortable. That was just a warm-up. There's a lot more story to get through, and it only gets harder from here."
End...