The rain poured relentlessly, a cold, unfeeling torrent against the cracked pavement. Max Bishop clutched his umbrella with one hand and his beloved book, The Warring Realms, in the other. He had read the novel countless times, fascinated by its vivid world, complex characters, and unforgiving plot twists.

Max always wondered what he would do differently if he were in their shoes. Could he make better choices? Save the characters from their tragic ends?

The thought distracted him as he stepped off the curb. He didn't see the truck.

There was no pain, only a brief sensation of weightlessness as his vision went dark. He could hear faint whispers in the void, like a thousand voices trying to speak at once.

"Reincarnation detected…" one voice murmured.

A blinding light filled his senses, followed by an excruciating pull, as if his soul was being yanked into another plane.

Max awoke to the sound of muffled laughter and the sharp sting of a boot against his ribs.

"You're even more pathetic than I imagined," sneered a voice above him.

His body felt weak and sore, and as he groaned, memories not his own flooded his mind. Max was no longer himself—he was Cedric Wynthorne, the bastard son of Duke Wynthorne, one of the most despised figures in The Warring Realms.

And worst of all, Cedric's fate in the novel was sealed: humiliation, betrayal, and death.