Prologue – The Final Playthrough
The fluorescent lights of the office hummed faintly, blending with the rhythmic tapping of fingers on a keyboard. It was another late night—just like every other. Papers stacked high on the desk, unread emails piling up by the minute. The man sitting at his desk, a regular salaryman in his late twenties, let out a sigh.
"Just a little more work… then I can go home."
The last report was finished an hour later. By the time he stepped out of the office, the streets were nearly empty, bathed in the dim glow of streetlights. His small apartment wasn't much—a bed, a desk, and a computer. But for him, that computer was a portal to another world.
A world he knew better than his own.
"Fate of The Radiant Maiden."
It was a game he had played countless times. An RPG with endless branching paths, where choices determined everything. Heroes could rise or fall, villains could be redeemed or corrupted, and the titular Heroine of Light—the key figure of the story—could meet a hundred different fates depending on the player's actions.
He had seen it all. The good endings, the bad ones, the hidden routes. Even the absurd joke endings the developers threw in for fun. He knew every dialogue choice, every battle strategy, every secret buried within the code.
Tonight would be no different.
Booting up the game, he settled into his chair, fingers navigating the familiar menus. He wasn't aiming for anything specific—just another run. A chance to experience the world he loved one more time before collapsing into bed.
As the game loaded, he watched the familiar opening sequence play out. The great war, the chosen hero, the Heroine of Light standing against the darkness.
Then—
His vision blurred.
His body felt heavy.
The screen faded to black.
And when he opened his eyes… he wasn't in his apartment anymore.
A stone wall stretched before him. His back was stiff, posture rigid. A heavy helmet weighed down on his head. A cold breeze brushed against his armor.
His lips moved on their own.
"Welcome to the castle."
The words echoed unnaturally, as if spoken by someone else.
His mind screamed in confusion. His body refused to move.
And then it hit him.
This wasn't his apartment.
This wasn't a dream.
This was his favourite game -Fate of the Radiant Maiden.
And he… wasn't the protagonist.
He was a gate guard.
Panic gripped Noah like a vice. His limbs wouldn't respond, his lips moved without his command. Was this some kind of twisted nightmare?
A mob NPC who could only say one line.
A character who couldn't move from his spot.
Trapped.
For the first time in all his playthroughs, he had no control.
To be continued