Mihaly Linder never expected to die like this.

His day had been as unremarkable as ever—wake up, drag himself to work, endure the monotony of emails and meetings, come home, and repeat. But tonight, he had one thing to look forward to: reading his friend Alex's long-awaited novel.

Alex had been obsessing over this book for years, constantly talking about the world he'd built—dungeons teeming with monsters, a society shaped by mana, an elite academy where future knights and warriors were trained. Mihaly had always nodded along, half-listening, but now that it was finished, he figured he owed it to Alex to actually read the damn thing.

So here he was, lying on his couch, tablet in hand, scrolling through the first few chapters of Luthadel Academy: Rise of the Blade Sovereign.

The story revolved around a talented young swordsman—your classic underdog with hidden potential—navigating the treacherous world of nobles, monsters, and ancient secrets. The academy itself was a place where only the best survived, where students honed their mana and clashed in duels that could make or break their futures. Mihaly wasn't much of a reader, but he had to admit, Alex had put some real effort into this.

Then, something caught his eye.

A minor character was introduced—an arrogant noble's son who failed his entrance exam and was never mentioned again.

His name?

Mihaly Chevalier.

Mihaly sat up, staring at the screen. "You've gotta be kidding me."

He skimmed back through the passage. It wasn't much. Just a brief mention of Mihaly Chevalier being dismissed from the academy for failing to awaken his mana properly. He wasn't a villain, not even a rival—just an extra. A throwaway character.

"That bastard actually put me in his book." Mihaly chuckled, shaking his head. He couldn't tell if it was a compliment or an insult. Either way, he was definitely going to give Alex hell for this later.

But something about the name nagged at him. Chevalier. It wasn't a name he was familiar with, but it felt… significant. Like it carried a weight he couldn't quite place. He frowned, tapping the screen to highlight the name. "Chevalier… why does that sound familiar?"

He opened a new tab on his tablet and typed in the name. The search results were sparse—mostly references to historical knights and a few modern-day families with the surname. Nothing that stood out. Still, the name lingered in his mind, like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.

Curious, he flipped to the trivia section at the end of the book. Alex had mentioned something about including fun facts about the world and characters. Maybe there was something there.

The trivia section was a mix of behind-the-scenes tidbits and lore expansions. Mihaly scanned through it, his eyes catching on a small paragraph titled *The Chevalier Family*.

"The Chevaliers are one of the oldest noble families in the Luthadel Kingdom, known for their mastery of mana and their legendary swordsmanship. However, their influence has waned in recent generations due to a series of scandals and failures. The family's motto, 'By Blade and Blood,' reflects their belief in strength and honor, though many now see them as relics of a bygone era. Mihaly Chevalier, a distant descendant, is the latest in a long line of disappointments, unable to awaken his mana and uphold the family's legacy."

Mihaly stared at the screen, his brow furrowed. "So, not only did he name a throwaway character after me, but he made him a failure from a failing family. Real nice, Alex."

"Wait a minute.. what?" Mihaly murmured, reading the next bit of trivia.

"Mihaly Chevalier is a special case, however. Due to trying to forcibly awaken his mana, He fell into Mana Deviation. Due to suddenly having mana within his body, he couldn't take it and recieved severe backlash."

He chuckled again, but the unease in his chest didn't fade. There was something about the description—the history, the weight of the name—that felt… off. Like it was more than just a fictional detail. And surprisngly, there was a lot of info on other extra characters as well.

Before he could dwell on it further, he noticed the package.

A plain brown box sat on his doorstep.

He frowned. Had he ordered something? No, he would've remembered. Maybe a mistake? But it had his name on it, so he picked it up and brought it inside.

Curiosity won out as he ripped through the tape, pulling out—

A teddy bear.

It was small, old-looking, with faded brown fur and a bright red ribbon neatly tied around its neck. There was no tag, no label, no note. Just the bear.

Mihaly turned it over in his hands, confusion deepening. "Weird."

Then the bear spoke.

"Goodbye."

A click.

A second of silence.

Then—light.

Blinding, searing light.

The explosion tore through the apartment, a wave of heat and force engulfing everything in an instant. Mihaly had no time to react. One moment, he was staring at the bear—confused, uncomprehending—and the next, fire and debris consumed him. His thoughts scattered. His body felt weightless.

This… is how I die?

Darkness closed in.

And Mihaly Linder was no more.