Rowan stumbled through the tunnel, his breathing ragged, his sword dragging noisily behind him. His legs burned from running, and his chest felt like it might explode from panic. He was alive—for now—but the battle raging above ground wasn't far enough behind him to feel safe.
He still didn't understand how he'd ended up in The Crimson Crown, or why. One minute, he'd fallen asleep on his couch; the next, he was in the middle of a battlefield as a nameless extra. If he hadn't known the novel's opening so well, he'd have died in the first volley of arrows like everyone else.
And now, he was here—in the escape tunnel beneath the Bloodstone Fortress. It was damp, cold, and smelled faintly of rot, but at least it wasn't swarming with soldiers.
He collapsed against the stone wall, struggling to catch his breath.
"Okay. Think, Rowan," he muttered. "You're in a book. Not dead yet. That's… good."
The enormity of it all began to sink in. He was in a world where people died for looking at someone the wrong way. Where heroes bled, villains triumphed, and magic had a nasty habit of exacting a cost. Rowan didn't belong here. He wasn't a swordsman or a strategist. He was just a guy who read too much.
A faint ding echoed in his ears.
He froze, staring into the darkness. The sound didn't come from the tunnel—it came from… inside his head?
Initializing… Shardbound System activated.
Rowan jerked upright. "What the hell?"
A faint glow flickered in the corner of his vision, forming into crisp, floating text.
Welcome, User. You have been selected as the latest Shardbound.
The words hovered in the air like a hologram, shimmering faintly. Rowan blinked, trying to will them away, but they stayed.
"Shardbound? System? Oh, great, it's one of those," he muttered. He'd read enough web novels to recognize the trope. A protagonist gets pulled into another world and given a game-like system to guide them. It sounded great in theory, but Rowan wasn't exactly brimming with confidence in his "protagonist" qualifications.
Still, he didn't have much of a choice but to play along. "Uh… what does this system do?"
The Shardbound System assists users in unlocking and mastering Shard Magic. It provides guidance, skill acquisition, and statistical analysis.
Current User: Rowan.
Status: Initiating First Shard Acquisition.
Rowan's breath hitched as a strange warmth spread through his chest. It wasn't painful, but it was… alien, like liquid sunlight pooling under his skin. A new prompt appeared in his vision.
You have gained your First Shard: The Echo Shard.
Ability: Memory Echo.
Description: Allows the user to temporarily mimic skills or techniques they have seen, at reduced efficiency. Duration: 30 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
He stared at the words, his mind racing. "Memory Echo? Mimic skills? That's… not bad. Not overpowered, but I'll take it."
The warmth in his chest pulsed, then faded. Rowan pressed a hand to his sternum, half-expecting to feel some kind of shard embedded there, but his skin was smooth. The only evidence of the power was the faint glow lingering in his peripheral vision.
Warning: Shard abilities consume mental and physical stamina. Excessive use may result in Shard Corruption.
"Well, that sounds ominous," Rowan muttered. "Stamina drain, corruption—great. It's never just free power, is it?"
Before he could analyze further, a noise broke through the silence. Footsteps.
Rowan's stomach twisted as the sound grew louder, accompanied by the faint flicker of torchlight. He scrambled to his feet, gripping his dull sword with shaking hands.
"Who's there?" he called, his voice cracking.
The footsteps stopped. For a moment, there was only silence, and Rowan's pulse thundered in his ears. Then, a low, amused voice responded.
"Relax, grunt. If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead already."
The speaker stepped into the light. Rowan recognized him immediately: Ardyn, the mercenary-turned-antihero from The Crimson Crown. He looked every bit as intimidating as Rowan remembered—tall, with sharp features, unkempt black hair, and eyes like smoldering coals. His armor was battered but functional, and a wicked-looking dagger hung at his side.
Rowan swallowed hard. Ardyn wasn't someone you wanted to mess with, but he also wasn't supposed to be here. In the book, he wouldn't show up until halfway through the story.
"What are you doing down here?" Ardyn asked, his tone casual but his gaze sharp.
Rowan opened his mouth, then closed it again. He couldn't exactly say, Oh, I'm a reader who knows you're not supposed to be alive in a few chapters. Instead, he went with, "I… got separated during the battle."
Ardyn raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. "Separated? Convenient. And how exactly did you know about this tunnel?"
"I… overheard someone talking about it," Rowan lied.
Ardyn's smirk deepened. "You're a terrible liar, grunt."
Rowan felt a cold sweat break out on his back. This was it—he was going to die here, in a damp tunnel, because he couldn't bluff his way past one of the most dangerous characters in the story.
But Ardyn didn't attack. Instead, he sheathed his dagger and leaned against the wall, studying Rowan like he was some kind of puzzle.
"You're lucky," Ardyn said. "This tunnel's not exactly common knowledge. Most of the idiots up there don't make it past the first volley."
"Yeah, lucky me," Rowan muttered.
Another prompt appeared in his vision.
Incoming Combat Encounter: Ardyn.
Hint: Utilize the Echo Shard to mimic Ardyn's skill for survival.
Rowan's blood ran cold. "Wait, what do you mean, combat encounter?"
Ardyn pushed off the wall, his expression suddenly serious. "Relax, grunt. I'm not going to kill you. Yet. But if you want to survive down here, you'd better learn to fight."
Before Rowan could respond, Ardyn drew his dagger and lunged.
Rowan yelped, barely managing to raise his sword in time to block. The impact sent a shockwave up his arms, nearly knocking the weapon out of his hands.
"Too slow," Ardyn said, spinning around to strike again.
Rowan's mind raced. He didn't have the skill to keep up with Ardyn, but he didn't have to—not with the Echo Shard.
"Activate Memory Echo!" Rowan shouted.
The warmth in his chest flared to life, and suddenly, his body moved on its own. He parried Ardyn's next strike with surprising precision, then countered with a quick jab that forced the mercenary back a step.
Ardyn's eyes widened, just slightly. "Not bad, grunt."
Rowan grinned despite himself, his confidence rising. "Thanks. I—"
The power faded as quickly as it had come. His movements turned clumsy again, and Ardyn capitalized on the opening, disarming him with a single swift motion.
"Lesson one," Ardyn said, holding his dagger to Rowan's throat. "Don't get cocky."
Rowan gulped, his heart hammering.
"Still," Ardyn said, lowering the blade. "You've got potential. I don't know how, but you do."
Rowan let out a shaky laugh. "Glad you think so."
As Ardyn stepped back, Rowan realized two things: first, he had a long way to go if he wanted to survive in this world. And second…
The story wasn't following the script anymore.