Lying on the cold ground, surrounded by familiar faces, I could feel the weight of emotions crashing down on me: anger, disappointment, pain.
The relentless rain tried to wash away the permanent stain of my mistake, but only made the tension in the air heavier.
A woman approached, the blade of her sword gleaming coldly under the gray sky.
The sword pointed straight at me.
Her eyes were filled with tears, reflecting the storm in her heart.
"Evan! ...Why? Why did you do it?"
Her voice cut through the air like a blade, striking my heart with sharp pain.
Struggling to breathe, I felt the weight of my choices crushing me.
I asked myself the same thing.
'Why did I choose this path?'
I knew asking myself that was useless.
Nothing could change what had already been done.
My physical wounds were nothing compared to the agony inside.
Every choice, every step I took echoed in my mind as a painful reminder of my mistakes.
With the last bit of strength I had, I looked up at her, searching for some trace of understanding in her hurt expression.
I opened my mouth to say something, but she looked at me like she was truly expecting a good answer.
In that small moment, I thought about what I could say.
'If I tell her the truth, if I explain my reasons and beg for help, will anything change?'
'No.'
'Of course not.'
'And even if I just apologize... without a good reason, that won't work either.'
I thought of a hundred things to say, different answers, excuses, reasons, but somehow, I knew none of them would satisfy her.
After thinking so much, I closed my mouth and looked away.
I thought it would be easier.
She hesitated for a moment, the blade trembling slightly in her hand.
Then, with a slow and deliberate move, she knelt down, resting her knees on the ground.
Next, she sat on my legs, holding the sword to my chest.
Her closeness made the emotional pain even worse. Every tear that fell from her eyes felt like it was burning my skin.
"If you won't answer me, I really will kill you."
I stayed silent.
"Haaa..."
A heavy sigh escaped her lips, her eyes overflowing with sadness.
Before I could try to explain, a sudden burst of light surrounded everything.
The ground shook under us, and a fierce wind howled between us.
A familiar figure appeared. Arthur, with his imposing presence, stepped through the crowd.
"That's enough."
His voice was firm, but not hostile.
"Before we judge, we need to understand. Evan, what's going on?"
I looked at them, still lying on the cold ground, thinking about the question I had just heard.
'What's going on?'
'Right. What happened? When did everything start going wrong? ...If I remember correctly, it all started that day.'
—————————————————————————————————
Sigh
I was lost in a sea of doubts and uncertainty about where my novel should go.
I'm currently 22 years old, living alone, trying to make a living as a writer.
My novel had reached a critical point, where any mistake could earn me the eternal hatred of my readers.
I knew this because I was already seeing some funny comments on the last chapter.
"Author, you bastard. If gods exist, I hope you suffer as much as Evan."
"Hahaha."
I couldn't help but laugh.
Putting that aside, I had two days left until the deadline.
"Guess I'll rest for now."
I let out a yawn, feeling sleep pulling me in as I got up from my chair and headed to bed.
"Let's leave it like that for now," I murmured to myself, turning off the lights and getting comfortable under the covers.
I didn't know how I was going to end my novel, but I wasn't in a rush either.
As I drifted into thought, I fell asleep.
—————————————————————————————————
When I opened my eyes, everything felt different. The ceiling wasn't familiar, my back ached, and there was this strange feeling in the air.
"...Why does my back hurt?"
I mumbled, confused.
I looked around, and the shock of reality hit me hard.
"What the hell... Where am I?"
I didn't recognize the place.
It definitely wasn't my home.
I got up, trying to make sense of what was going on.
I clearly remembered working on my novel the night before I went to sleep, so it didn't make any sense to be here.
When I opened a door, I found two kids sleeping in separate beds — a boy and a girl.
The boy, who was waking up, looked at me sleepily.
"Brother, weren't you supposed to leave for Spectra today? I was surprised."
'Spectra? Brother? Why is this kid calling me that?'
That was the name of the hero academy in my novel.
"..."
A sense of dread hit me as I walked into the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror.
Frozen, I realized that wasn't me.
My mind refused to accept what I was seeing.
Every detail around me felt intensely real, yet completely absurd at the same time.
I touched my face, trying to convince myself this was just a crazy dream.
But the red eyes staring back at me in the mirror... were unmistakable.
I was inside my own novel, in the body of Evan, one of the story's villains.
The kids — Noah and Emma — were now awake.
"Uaaah..."
"Brother, if you don't hurry, you're gonna be late on your first day," the girl said, yawning.
'Brother...?'
The word felt strange, like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.
I was a stranger in this body, in this house, and yet the two kids trusted me. It was like I had been thrown into a role I'd never rehearsed.
Emma stared at me like she was waiting for a response.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
'What am I supposed to say to her? How do I make this look normal?'
In the middle of the silence, my stomach growled, and I realized I was starving.
I swallowed hard, deciding to at least try and act like... Evan.
"Noah, Emma, are you two hungry?"
I tried to sound as natural as possible.
They nodded, and I headed to the fridge.
I threw together some simple ingredients I found in the cupboards.
"Don't worry, I'll fix something quick for you."
While I prepared breakfast, Noah and Emma watched me with curiosity.
"What are you making for us, Evan?" Noah asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Something quick and tasty."
While frying some eggs and making toast, I kept trying to process the surreal situation.
I was in Evan's body, taking care of the siblings he protected. I needed to stay calm and figure out what was going on.
After serving breakfast, I sat with them at the table.
"Eat slowly and enjoy."
Noah and Emma started eating, and I got up to head to the bedroom.
If this was really happening, I had to get ready for the day.
In the room, I found the Spectra uniform laid out on top of a dresser.
It was a dark blue and black jacket with silver details, a lightweight black shirt with the academy's logo, black pants, and black sneakers to match.
'Come to think of it, in my novel, I never described what the academy's uniform looked like.'
"Focus, damn it!"
Before leaving, I went back to the kitchen, where Noah and Emma were still finishing breakfast.
They looked at me with curiosity, like they could already tell something felt off.
"I... I'm heading out now, but I'll be back soon."
"Stay here and behave, alright?"
Noah nodded while Emma asked:
"It's your first day at Spectra, right? Will you tell us everything later?"
I forced a smile to reassure them.
"Sure, I'll tell you everything."
I spoke in a calm tone, trying to ignore the weight of nerves in my stomach.
I left the house and walked quickly down the street.
If everything was like I had written, Evan's house shouldn't be far from Spectra.
...
The scene around me felt both familiar and strange, like a place pulled straight from the pages of my novel.
'Why is this happening to me?'
I took a deep breath, looking around the city as I made my way to my destination.
As I walked down the street toward Spectra, I looked at the city around me with a mix of amazement and disbelief.
Everything was as I had imagined, but it had a more realistic touch.
Spectra, the world's greatest hero academy, stood tall in the distance, and it felt like the entire city had been built around it.
In most places, schools, businesses, and communities were set up around cities. But here, everything seemed to orbit Spectra, like life itself flowed from its center.
Around me, people of all ages went about their day. Some in Spectra uniforms, others workers and locals hurrying through busy streets.
The city wasn't exactly prosperous in every corner.
Modest shops and simple homes stood side by side with luxury buildings and modern shopping centers.
It was a striking contrast. Humble families and workers who maybe moved here chasing opportunity, and those who actually benefited from the place.
"If everything's correct… then this is the year 2031."
My steps felt heavier, and a mix of anxiety and excitement grew as I got closer to Spectra.
Soon, the academy rose in front of me.
A structure of concrete and metal, sleek and modern, but without the excessive shine of sci-fi settings.
The entrance was impressive, with dark steel gates reflecting the sky. Lines of light traced the edges of the front panels, giving the building a look worthy of the tradition and power it represented.
I stopped for a moment just to take it all in.
This was the academy I had created in my novel, now standing in front of me like a monument built from ambition and discipline.
As I passed through the gate, I felt something run through my body.
'If I remember right, Spectra had a security system to identify everyone entering the academy.'
Inside, everything was much more alive. Groups of students moved in every direction, the sound of voices and footsteps echoing through the halls.
Some were chatting excitedly, others focused on their notebooks and tablets, caught up in Spectra's demanding schedule.
Being there, surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces, made my stomach twist.
Even though I had created this world, I couldn't help but feel like a complete outsider.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the anxiety and the strange rush of excitement.
I had to be sure this was real.
I walked through the main corridors, taking in every detail of Spectra. Even though I had written about it, I couldn't have described everything.
That's why I couldn't help being surprised, seeing things even I didn't know.
The walls were lined with panels showing ancient symbols and logos from partner academies.
To the left, I saw a training room with reinforced glass windows. Students were inside sparring with weapons and magic, completely focused on every move.
Some wore combat gear, others just the standard uniform.
It all looked like a regular day at a hero academy.
Further ahead, I spotted a weapons sector, guarded by a security field. Swords, spears, and other gear were on display, neatly arranged and ready to be used.
I shivered slightly just seeing those weapons, thinking about the challenges I'd probably face.
I pulled a folded piece of paper from my pocket. It was the one I'd found in Evan's room that morning.
It had basic info about my class.
"Third floor: Room A-10."
I muttered under my breath, feeling a chill as I remembered the weight of that number in the story.
'If I really am in Evan's shoes, that means I'm about to meet characters I know down to the smallest detail… characters I created.'
Walking through the corridor toward Room A-10, I noticed other students glancing at me. Some curious, others indifferent.
No one had any idea I was more lost than they could ever imagine. The constant flow of voices and footsteps was both familiar and overwhelming.
When I finally reached the door, a shiver ran down my spine, and my heart started beating faster.
I looked at the window next to it and saw the shadow of a tree cast outside. The shadow blended with the reflection of my own image. Or rather, Evan's image.
Dark hair and intense red eyes, exactly as I had described in the novel.
With a lump in my throat and my chest tight from anxiety, I gave the hallway one last glance, trying to mentally prepare for what was coming.
I took a deep breath, raised my hand, and pushed the door open, stepping into what might be the first chapter of a story I never thought I'd live.