The ballroom was a glittering hellscape. Crystal chandeliers dripped neon acid, violins played funeral dirges in reverse, and the guests? A curated nightmare of Alex's past:
- Lucien, the Demon King, in a blood-red tuxedo, sipping champagne that bubbled with screams.
- Crimson Fang, strumming a lute made of rib bones, surrounded by fangirl NPCs chanting "Redemption arc when?!"
- Mom.exe, a pixel-perfect replica of Alex's mother, smiling with hollow eyes. "Sweetie, why don't you write something… happy?"
[System Alert]
Main Quest: Survive the Ball
Sub-Objective: "Dance with Your Demons (Literally)"
Failure: Become a Background NPC in Crimson Fang's Spin-Off
Alex's cybernetic arm glitched into a disco ball. "Kairo. Tell me you've got a 'delete reality' button."
Kairo adjusted his cufflinks—now ticking bombs. "Best I can do is a waltz."
***
First Dance: Lucien's Tango of Torment
Lucien bowed, his horns gleaming. "Shall we, darling? Or will you step on my heart again?"
Alex's Fourth Wall ability flared. "Tango of Torment" dissolved into "Cha-Cha of Chaos."
They spun through the ballroom, Lucien's claws shredding Alex's suit into narrative confetti.
"You're slipping, author," Lucien purred. "Where's your voice? Your passion?"
Alex kicked him into a punch bowl of liquid plot holes. "Busy killing yours."
[Lucien's HP: 85%]
[Audience Satisfaction: +10% – "More Drama!!!"]
***
Second Dance: Mom.exe's Guilt Trip
The NPC mom grabbed Alex's hands, her touch frostbiting their skin. "Why can't you write normal stories? Like your cousin!"
Debuff Activated: [Filial Guilt]
-30% Confidence
+50% Urge to Procrastinate
Alex's dagger—now a fountain pen—shook. "You're not real. You're just… data."
"But I feel real," Mom.exe whispered, tears of corrupted code streaming down her face. "Don't you love me?"
Kairo shot her in the head.
[Filial Guilt Lifted!]
[New Debuff: [Mommy Issues] – Randomly cry during boss fights.]
***
Third Dance: Crimson Fang's Redemption Tour
Crimson Fang's lute screeched. "You left me to rot in Draft #47! Now I'm back—with a viral hit!"
His boy band of undead fangirls launched into a diss track:
"Alex is a hack, their plots are trash!
Kill the author, make it splash! 💀🔥"
System Alert:
Viral Threat Detected: [Cringe Crit Damage x10]
Alex's pen sparked. "You want a hit? Here's a freestyle."
They scribbled on the ballroom floor: "Roses are red, vampires suck. Your chord progression? Out of luck."
The lute exploded.
[Crimson Fang's Ego: 0%]
[Achievement Unlocked: [Chart-Topping Roast]]
***
Final Act: The Nursery Rhyme
Kairo's scar pulsed, projecting a hologram of a lullaby:
"Hush little author, don't say a word,
The readers are coming to kill what they've heard.
If the comments don't bite, the reviews take flight,
The Storyweaver's just a puppet… you're the real blight."
The ballroom froze. Lucien dropped his champagne. Even the sentient lasagna paused mid-crawl.
Alex stared at the rhyme. "The readers… they're the Storyweaver?"
Kairo's bomb-cufflinks beeped. "Worse. They're the audience."
The walls dissolved into a live comment section, words morphing into weapons:
- "Alex should die!" → A guillotine.
- "Kairo's hotter evil!" → A mind-control collar.
- "Plot armor = boring" → A armor-piercing quill.
Final Boss Activated: [The Hivemind]
Weakness: ???