Prologue: The Book That Should Not Exist
Some books tell stories. Others hold knowledge. But there are books that should never be opened—books that are not meant to exist.
This was one of them.
No one knew who wrote it. No one knew when it was created. It had no title, no author, and no records of its origin. It simply appeared—waiting for someone to find it.
And when it chose a reader, that person's fate was sealed.
---
A Fateful Encounter
Ethan had always believed his life was ordinary. He woke up, went through the motions of his day, and repeated the cycle like everyone else. No great purpose, no grand ambition. Just another person among billions, lost in the monotony of life.
But fate doesn't wait for those who seek meaning. It comes for them when they least expect it.
It was on a cold autumn evening when he stumbled upon the book. The city library was nearly deserted, the dim lighting flickering slightly above him as he wandered between rows of old, dust-covered shelves. It was the kind of place that smelled of forgotten stories and ancient paper, a relic of a time before the digital age had taken over.
He hadn't come here looking for anything special—just an escape from the suffocating silence of his apartment. His fingers absentmindedly traced the spines of the books until they landed on one that shouldn't have been there.
A black, leather-bound book, wedged tightly between two ancient tomes.
Unlike the others, its cover bore no title, no author's name. It was smooth, untouched by time, as if it had been waiting for someone to find it. For him to find it.
The moment Ethan touched it, a strange sensation ran through his fingertips—a pulse, like a heartbeat.
His breath hitched.
He pulled the book from the shelf, flipping it open. The pages were crisp, untouched, yet as he looked down, something impossible happened.
Ink appeared, forming words before his very eyes.
"Welcome, Chosen One."
A chill ran down his spine. The words weren't handwritten. They weren't printed. They simply manifested, as though the book itself was speaking to him.
He turned the page, and more text formed.
"You have been chosen. Your journey begins now."
Ethan took a step back, gripping the book tightly. His instincts screamed at him to put it down, to walk away.
But before he could react, the book glowed—a golden, ethereal light that swallowed everything around him. The world twisted, blurred, and for a brief moment, he felt like he was falling through empty space.
Then, silence.
The library was gone. The bookshelves, the flickering lights, the cold air of the real world—all of it had vanished.
And when Ethan opened his eyes again…
He was somewhere else.
---
A World Written in Ink
Ethan found himself lying on a rough stone floor. The air smelled of damp earth, and in the distance, he could hear the crackling of a fire. As he pushed himself up, disoriented, his eyes widened at the sight before him.
He was inside a vast, cathedral-like chamber. Enormous pillars stretched toward a high ceiling, where glowing symbols shimmered in the darkness like constellations. The walls were lined with bookshelves that seemed to stretch endlessly into the void.
And then—
A voice echoed in his head.
> "System Activated."
"Welcome to the Book of Fate."
"You are the last hope of humanity."
A floating screen appeared before his eyes.
[Player Status Initiated]
Name: Ethan
Level: 1
Abilities: None
Main Quest: Survive for 24 Hours
Ethan's breath hitched. His hands trembled. This wasn't a dream.
This was real.
He wasn't just inside a book.
He was trapped in it.
And the only way out…
Was to survive.