"—After an exhausting battle against his fearless opponent, he finally fell to his knees, the ground cold beneath him. A deep gasp escaped his lips, a release of the tension he had held throughout the fight. As silence enveloped the arena, he smiled softly, accepting his fate. Despite the weight of defeat, a sense of relief washed over him; the relentless struggle was finally over, and in that stillness, he embraced the finality of it."
"It seems like this is the end."
"The voice was grasping and drying as the blood came out from the mouth, trying to speak clearly. Lawrence looked down at his opponent, who had slumped into a crumpled heap on the ground. There wasn't much life left in his eyes anymore, but they still shone like stars, despite all that. His gaze was clear but distant."
"Any words to say?"
"Lawrence stood over the man, his heart a cold stone. Today marked the end of a relentless adversary who had blocked his every path and shattered his world by taking those he loved. As the man writhed in defeat, Lawrence felt a grim satisfaction. This slow, painful death was a fitting retribution, a reflection of the suffering he had caused. Years of struggle had culminated in this moment, and now, finally, his enemy was paying the price for the destruction he had wrought."
"You killed many people for power, and now I will kill you to avenge the people you killed."
"When he finally spoke, his words dripping with venomous intent gripping the hilt of his sword tightened, knuckles paling as he summoned every ounce of resolve within. He raised his hand toward the villain, the world around him fading into a blur as unshed tears welled in his eyes, obscuring the figure before him."
"...."
"The villain remained shrouded in a moment of oppressive silence, an unsettling stillness hanging heavily in the air, until at last, he broke the tension with a voice that cut through the atmosphere like a blade."
"The real end has only just begun—"
Honk!
The sharp blast of the train's horn cut through the air like a knife, jarring Shin from his thoughts. He blinked rapidly, the words of the novel he had been immersed in fading into the background before it was followed by the announcement from the conductor.
"Arriving at C3 Station, please proceed to exit onto platform 3."
The rhythmic clatter of wheels against the tracks vibrated beneath him, a grounding reminder of the world outside the pages he had been lost in. As the train rolled into the station, the clamour of bustling passengers and the scent of the metallic rails filled the air, but it was the echoes of his dream that lingered stubbornly in his mind.
'That page of the novel is different from what I remember…'
Before he could rethink it, Shin pulled himself from his seat and headed towards the doors leading out to the platform, pausing only briefly when his phone rang pulling it out of his pocket, he glanced at the screen—it was from the Department Manager—before pressing accept.
"Hi, sorry, I just arrived at my place."
'I haven't submitted my project yet'
Shin worked in a government research lab, building futuristic devices to help people survive harsh conditions. It paid the bills, but the long hours left little time for anything else—even visiting his grandfather, the man who had raised him.
The project that was supposed to be due tomorrow morning hasn't been submitted yet because my grandpa asked me to clean his apartment and bring some things to my place in the meantime.
"I'll submit it when I get home"
Shin ended the call with a short goodbye, placing the phone back in his pocket as he strode out of the train. The sun beat down on him with a fiery vengeance, the heat causing the back of Shin's shirt to stick uncomfortably against his skin.
The sky darkened further and the temperature dropped dramatically, causing the sweat gathering in Shin's palms to bead up even more as he hurried down the sidewalk, his hands stuffed uncomfortably in his pockets.
'It's Friday but, why does it feel is Monday, I still need to finish a lot of things today even on my day off'
It made him wonder how long he'd have to work in the office to finish cleaning the apartment properly. It didn't seem fair to spend hours away from home, and he already missed the familiar comfort of living alone.
He changed his direction from the main street to the small side streets where he lived.
His house was located on one of them, nestled between a restaurant and a bakery. Though he lived alone most of the year, he enjoyed having someone nearby.
Listening to the sound of a busy street as the neighbourhood bustled with activity, while also having someone to talk to was nice too.
Click—
Shin opens the door and steps inside his apartment, switching on the lights. Everything was spotless as expected, save for a few stray papers that he'd have to take care of soon. He put all his things on the table before going to the living room.
Clicking on the switchboard to light up the room, he set about cleaning up the messes that he left in the living room before leaving for work later that morning.
'I wonder what Old man is doing now...'
He thought with a frown. He had promised him that he would come visit every day, but due to being overworked in the office and lack of sleep, he had barely made it. Now that the week was coming to an end he was feeling guilty.
'After all, I wasn't exactly rich, nor did I think that I ever would be.'
As he tidied up, his eye caught the book lying next to him. It had fallen face up when he'd taken it out earlier, the cover facing toward him. He picked up the book and saw the title imprinted on the cover:
'The Seventh War'
Is none other than the novel he found in his grandpa's bookshelf. The one that reminded him of the old vivid dreams of his childhood memories. It is the story of a young main character, Lawrence Hill, who begins his journey when the antagonist destroys and kills his family, who is under the control of the villain. Lawrence trains and travels far, gaining followers and friends who help him defeat the villain.
'It's been a long time since I saw this book again'
It was the book that his grandfather had read to him during his childhood. Since he was a lost child, only the old man took care of him, making him not worry about seeing his parents again.
The book was one that he'd always liked to read back when he was young, But when his parents found him they took Shin away from his grandparents and brought him back to their home to live with them.
'My grandfather became alone after my parents took me away, and lived with them along with my siblings, but. I still want to stay in that cosy warm fireplace with my grandpa rereading the novel'
Shin promised to visit him every day to take care of him, and it was also the day that everything changed for him.
After seeing the novel again he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia at seeing the cover again, although he hadn't seen the book since he was 7 years old.
Flop—
Sitting down in his chair next to the open glass window. He flipped through it, and he recalled something odd after reading it again. It was the same feeling when he reread it at his grandpa's apartment.
At first, he ignored it, believing that it was something insignificant, but the more he read the text on the page, the more he began to realise it was different than how he remembered it. The words felt wrong somehow.
"I think it's because it's been a long time since I've read the plot…"
Shin muttered absently, running a hand through his hair distractedly as he continued to read. The words on the page blurred together, and eventually, he stopped reading altogether. His thoughts trailed off as he stared blankly at nothing in particular.
He turns to the side of his computer and clicks on the file where his project is currently laid out. His fingers hovered over the mouse as his eyes roamed around the files in front of him. He closed his eyes and leaned against the chair slightly.
He had never given this matter much consideration until now, but looking at the current situation, it seems like it won't be possible to finish the project before the deadline. Nonetheless, he needed to finish his work as soon as possible.
If he finishes his work, then he can visit Grandpa, which will be a nice distraction.
After finishing it, he took a deep breath; he exhaled deeply before leaning against the chair once more and opening his eyes. He felt like all of his thoughts were focused on today.
'I wonder if I'm forgetting them or just plain losing touch…'
Shin glanced at the book resting beside him, staring down at it with an almost vacant look in his eyes—his gaze distant as the sun finally went down slowly the horizon turned deep red glowing in the distance.
The red glowing light slowly covered Shin's view as if it was going to swallow him whole and engulf everything in sight.
He could feel the hot air surrounding him, and the smell of burning wood and ashes filling his nose. He couldn't move or speak; the only movement was from his eyes flickering about and trying to keep his consciousness intact.
"...—!!!"
Then he could hear voices calling from somewhere that he couldn't hear clearly as he tried to breathe normally.
They grew closer, he thought to himself before fading into darkness. Then a hand held onto him firmly, shaking him awake.
"Wake up—"
Ah!
Shin awoke with a startle from a nightmare, breathing heavily as he sat up on his bed, clutching his sheets and looking around wildly. Sweat dripped down from his forehead and cheeks as he tried to catch his breath, gasping for air. The nightmare he just had haunted him relentlessly.
'What the hell was that?!'
He exclaimed as he rubbed at his eyes, feeling completely disoriented. He couldn't shake off the fear that gripped his heart at that moment. His breathing started to grow irregular as his hands shook.
'That damn dream again!'
He looked around the dark room frantically, desperately searching for the source of the dream. When he finally saw everything clearly when the bright moonlight fell through the curtains, his heart jumped out of his throat as he stood there frozen in place, staring dumbfounded at the mirror on the side of the bed.
"Who is that?"
'And this isn't my apartment looked like'
Shin thought to himself as he stared at the reflection in the mirror. His hair colour is darker and has quite long strands, and his eyes were not black but deep purple hue, showing signs of fatigue and tiredness. It looked as if someone had attacked him during the night.
His skin was pale white and his clothes consisted of simple white shirts and pants. After checking himself he looked back at the mirror again and pinched his cheek with the tips of his fingertips as he inspected himself in detail.
"Ow…"
He mumbled as he pulled his hand away, noticing how it hurt. Then that's what hit him,that the person he sees in the mirror is actually him!. His mouth agape as his eyes widened.
"Oh fuck…"
His mind raced, processing his current situation. He's sitting on his bed staring at himself in horror, unable to believe what's in front of him.
He doesn't know why, but the fact that he's able to recognize himself in the mirror scares him to no end.
"This is me?."
He didn't remember anything of what happened to him;He thought that he had fallen asleep after finishing his work and then dreamed about the same dream that kept on repeating itself over again since his childhood,but that couldn't have been real, right?.
That must have been a nightmare!
More importantly, Why did he wake up in somebody's body!? This isn't what happens to people who have nightmares!
'Alright, let's calm down and figure it out everything—"
As Arlon blinked into the mirror, still not quite believing the face staring back at him, then he felt he touched a hard object and noticing that it felt strange to the touch, something strange happened.
A faint glow emerged in the corner of his vision, drawing his attention away from the reflection.
A shimmering golden screen floated in front of him, translucent yet vibrant, with letters slowly forming across its surface. The words it displayed were chillingly familiar—his own actions.
["Arlon Throndsen woke up and checked his reflection in the mirror. Confusion clouded his thoughts as he noticed the unfamiliar face staring back"]
"Arlon Throndsen," Shin muttered under his breath, the name sending a chill through him. It couldn't be. He was him—the ruthless heir manipulated by the Pry cult. The same Arlon whose tragic rise and fall he had read about countless times.
He continued to read the words on the golden glowing screen.
[—He keep looking back at his reflection —Arlon was confused to find out what he realised—]
'No way...'
Shin continues until he reaches the end, but it keeps adding more and more words matching his actions,reactions, expressions,and thoughts.
He continued to read on, but he suddenly noticed that the screen that looked like a page was shaking slightly and that the characters on the golden screen became distorted as if they were trying to make sense of whatever Shin was reading.
As if he wasn't supposed to read the words written on it. His heart started to pound rapidly against his ribcage.
["Arlon Thondsen is me—"]
Knock Knock Knock…
He was about to take a deep breath to clear away his doubts, but he abruptly stopped when he heard a knock from the door that echoed throughout his entire flat dark shade room, he froze in place unable to let out the breath that had been stuck in his chest, his heart hammering violently in his chest as the door opened slowly, revealing a blurry figure standing at the entrance of the room.
"My Lord, are you awake?"
The figure walks toward Shin's bed with footsteps that sound heavy and steady. Its outline grew clearer as the figure got closer, but the dark shade of the room prevented Shin from making out the person. However, the golden screen didn't begin to stop flickering; the scene continued to write itself following every minute of the situation.
[— He approached Arlon, who didn't answer him, —'It's about time to wake him up'. Dimitri Miller stood next to Arlon's bed—]
Shin's hand instantly flew up to his chest and his mouth hung agape. In front of him, an unfamiliar male in a suit and glasses walked in with an indifferent expression on his face, making him look unbothered.
'Dimitri Miller'
Shin gaped silently as the stranger stood in front of his bed. His lips parted, yet he couldn't utter a single word due to the shock and panic that invaded his mind and caused his heartbeat to accelerate. But the longer he stayed silent, the stranger's eyebrows furrowed as he took slow steps toward Shin.
"It's time to get up and get ready for today, My Lord"
Dimitri Miller said quietly as he stood in front of Shin's bed as if waiting for him to do something, but Shin just looked up with a blank stare; his mind was full of thoughts as he slowly understood everything.
'If I wake up as Arlon Thondsen, who I know as an antagonist of the novel The Seventh War, and then it's clear that I transmigrate into his body!'
It seems this is a good thing for all readers to be part of the world of fiction, but not for Shin— I'm going to play the Antagonist who was destined to die at the hands of the Protagonist!.
Arlon Throndsen was the eldest son of Grand Duke Ciel Throndsen and heir to the Grand Duchy of Throndsen family. However, everything changed when he encountered the evil organisation and the Sun Empire Crown Prince manipulated him.
The Crown Prince was secretly part of an ancient, fallen cult called Pry, which worshipped a forbidden deity known as the Chained God, Celestia. Secretly an evil organisation.
Under the Crown Prince's influence, Arlon became ruthless under the cult's control, Arlon became a ruthless killer, showing no compassion as he carried out their dark deeds. He was like a relentless hunting dog—until fate led him to cross paths with Lawrence, altering the course of his life.
And this man standing before me is Dimitri Miller, a side character woven into the fabric of my life as Arlon Throndsen. Known for his strict demeanour and enigmatic presence, he was more than just a servant; he was a powerful mage, his magical prowess whispered about among the nobility. With sharp features often set in a stoic expression, Dimitri exuded an air of authority that demanded respect.
When Arlon finally rose as heir, Dimitri vanished without a trace, leaving the household to wonder if his loyalty was deeper—or more complicated—than they thought.
If only he got to transmigrate to a side character or someone who had no relation to the main protagonist, things would have been easier.
'Never mind, I don't have a choice for now, this is just the first day and nothing bad will happen to me if I don't act like Arlon'
Dimitri was about to speak when Arlon didn't answer him, then Arlon stood up from his bed and walked past Dimitri without saying anything to him as he headed toward the bathroom.
Dimitri was taken aback by Arlon's sudden change, watching him leave his side. He fixes his glasses on his nose bridge before heading toward the exit as well.
Shhh-
The soft hum of the shower filled the bathroom as Arlon let the warm water stream down, clearing his thoughts. He ran his fingers through his dark, the warm droplets cascaded over him, washing away the last traces of sleep. Stepping out, he wrapped himself in a towel and moved to the mirror, gripping the cool edge of the sink as he examined his reflection.
As expected of a face of an Antagonist.
he thought, a wry smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Sunlight filtered in, casting his face in a soft, golden glow. His hair, still damp, fell over his forehead in loose strands that he carefully brushed back. His skin held a pale tone with hints of warmth from his daily training outdoors, a contrast that made his features look all the more striking.
What drew his attention most were his eyes. Deep violet and intense, they seemed to hold the secrets of the world, swirling with emotions that ranged from determination to despair.
'But regardless of his backgrounds'
Shin stared at his reflection, his violet eyes dark with emotion. This wasn't a dream. This was his reality now.
"From now on," he whispered, a wry smile tugging at his lips, "I'm Arlon Throndsen—the antagonist."
And if the world wanted him to die? He'd rewrite the story himself.