"So, you really don't have a Beast?" a small child asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. He circled Kiran, examining her as if she were a rare specimen on display in a museum.
Kiran shook his head slowly, trying to smile despite his mixed feelings. "I guess so."
News of the newcomer without a Beast spread quickly through the small village. Throughout the morning, Kiran had been the center of attention and the subject of whispers from the villagers. Some eyed her with suspicion, others with pity, and still others—especially the children—with undisguised curiosity.
"Does that mean you're weak?" another child asked bluntly.
"Mina!" a woman, apparently her mother, chided. "Forgive my child's rudeness," she told Kiran with a forced smile. But Kiran didn't fail to catch the woman's wary gaze.
"It's okay," Kiran replied, though deep down, the words pricked him. In this world, not having a Beast was the same as not having an identity. Without a Beast, how would she survive?
Leon emerges from the crowd, rescuing Kiran from the awkward situation. "That's enough for today," he said firmly. "Kiran needs to rest." He grabbed Kiran's arm and led her away.
"Thank you," Kiran whispered as they moved away from the crowd.
"They didn't mean any harm," Leon replied. "It's just that people without Beasts... can be counted on one hand in all of Veridian."
Kiran sighed. "I know. In novels—I mean, from what I've heard, people without Beasts usually have bad luck."
Leon nodded grimly. "There are cases where someone's Beast can 'sleep' for a long time. Maybe that's what happened to you."
Kiran just smiled weakly. He knew better.
Jakarta, two months earlier.
Rayhan threw the novel "Demon Tamer" onto the table, letting out a long sigh. The sun had already been set, but he was still stuck in the office editing a seemingly endless manuscript.
"Light reading in the middle of a deadline?" The voice of Dinda, his coworker, surprised him.
Rayhan chuckled. "A reminder that there is a fantasy world that is more interesting than a manuscript on hydroponic farming procedures."
Dinda took the novel, flipping through the pages. "Hmm, 'Demon Tamer'. Isn't this a long time ago? I remember reading it in high school."
"Yep, nostalgia," Rayhan replied. "This book is what made me fall in love with the publishing world. Ironically, now I'm stuck editing books that are far from fantasy."
"What's the story about? I've forgotten."
Rayhan took the novel back, looking at it with affection. "About a world called Veridian, where everyone has a spiritual creature called a Beast. The protagonist, Leon, is a Demon Tamer—a person who can control the strongest Beast."
"Oh, and what's with..." Dinda pointed to the middle page of the book.
"Ah, that's the biggest mystery. The version I got in high school was incomplete. The last page was missing, so I never knew how the story ended."
"Wow, that must have been annoying."
"Very. What makes me curious is that in online forums, it seems that many have different endings. Some say Leon saved the world, some say he destroyed it. There are also those who believe that the author intentionally made multiple endings."
Dinda laughed. "So you're hunting for the real ending now?"
"Not really. There's something... special about not knowing the ending." Rayhan smiled mysteriously. "As if the story is still alive, still developing somewhere."
He never knew how true those words were.
Kiran woke up from his sleep. The dream about his life as Rayhan felt so real. He rubbed his face, trying to gather his consciousness.
He was in a simple room in a village inn. Leon had kindly lent him money for a temporary stay. Selena, on the other hand, had simply disappeared after their meeting yesterday.
"You have the potential to form a Shadow Beast."
Selena's words kept echoing in her mind. Shadow Beast—a rare and dangerous entity. Kiran tried to remember if there was any information about it in the novels she had read, but her memory was hazy.
She got out of bed and walked to the window. It was late at night, and the village slept in a silence that was only occasionally broken by the howls of wild beasts in the distance.
That was when she saw it—a flash of movement in the corner of her eye. Kiran turned quickly, but the room was empty. Strange. She felt like something, or someone, was watching her.
"Just my imagination," she muttered to herself.
Kiran looked out the window again, and the shadow appeared again—this time more clearly. Like a thin black smoke floating behind him, reflected faintly on the window glass.
His heart was beating fast. With slow movements, he turned around, half expecting to see nothing.
But this time, the shadow was still there.
A dark, smoke-like figure floating a few meters behind him. It had no definite shape, but there was something familiar about it—as if the shadow was an extension of Kiran himself.
"Are you... my Beast?" Kiran whispered hesitantly.
The shadow did not answer, but it seemed to vibrate slightly, as if responding to his voice.
Kiran reached out his hand slowly. The shadow stepped back, keeping its distance.
"I won't hurt you," Kiran said softly. "I just want to get to know you."
The shadow remained still, floating in the air like a thin mist. But this time, it did not move away.
The sound of a knock on the door surprised them both. The shadow immediately disappeared, like smoke blown away by the wind.
"Kiran? Are you awake?" Leon's voice came from behind the door.
"Y-yes, just a moment!" Kiran answered, her eyes still searching every corner of the room. But the shadow had completely disappeared.
Reluctantly, she opened the door. Leon stood there, his face tense.
"What is it?" Kiran asked.
"We have a visitor," Leon replied shortly. "Selena is back. And she brings bad news."
Kiran nodded, following Leon out of the room. But her mind still lingered on the mysterious shadow.
Was that the Shadow Beast Selena had spoken of?
As she walked past the mirror in the hallway, Kiran swore she saw the shadow again—this time more intense, more real, as if growing stronger with each passing second.
Whatever it was, one thing Kiran was sure of: she was no longer alone in this Veridian world.
"The Imperial Army is moving toward this village," Selena said matter-of-factly once they had gathered in the inn's empty basement. "They are looking for someone with... unusual features."
Selena's eyes met Kiran's, and she knew who the "someone" was.
"Why are they looking for me?" Kiran asked. "I just arrived in this world."
"That's precisely the reason," Selena replied. "Your presence has caused a disturbance in the flow of Veridian's spiritual energy. The Kingdom's Oracles can sense it."
"Oracle?" Kiran frowned. "I don't recall there being an Oracle in the novel."
Leon gave her a confused look, but Selena nodded in understanding.
"Of course not in the version you read," Selena replied. "As I said, this world is far more complex than the story you know."
"Wait," Leon interrupted. "I still don't get it. You two are talking as if this is all just a story."
Kiran and Selena exchanged glances. Selena gave a small nod, giving Kiran permission to explain.
"Leon," Kiran began cautiously. "I come from another world. A world where Veridian, Beast, and… you, are merely characters in a novel called 'Demon Tamer'."
Leon laughed incredulously. "You're kidding."
"No," Kiran replied seriously. "That's why I know some things about your storyline, and that's why I don't have a Beast. I'm not part of this world."
"And neither am I," Selena added. "I come from a different world, but in the same way as Kiran."
Leon paused, taking in the information. "Tell me something that only someone who has 'read' my life could know," he challenged finally.
Kiran swallowed. "You lost your older brother when you were nine in a wild Beast attack. That's what motivated you to become a Demon Tamer. And... you have a crescent-shaped birthmark on your right shoulder."
Leon's face paled. "How did you know about my birthmark? I never told anyone."
"Because it's written on page 54 of the novel," Kiran replied quietly.
A silence fell over them. Leon looked like his world had just collapsed—literally.
"So... does that mean my fate is already sealed?" Leon asked finally, his voice shaking slightly.
"Not really," Selena answered quickly. "Our presence here has changed the course of the story. In fact, there are several different versions of the original story."
"The most important thing now," Kiran changed the subject, "is to deal with the problem at hand. The Kingdom's army is on its way here, and it looks like they're looking for me."
"We need to get out of this village," Leon said, regaining his focus. "But where?"
"To the Forest of Mirrors," Selena answered. "There's a portal there that might take Kiran back to her world. Also..." She stared at Kiran closely. "You might be able to fully awaken your Shadow Beast there."
"Shadow Beast?" Leon looked surprised. "But that's just a legend!"
"No," Selena said. "Shadow Beasts are very real, and very dangerous. But also very powerful."
Kiran paused, remembering the shadow she had seen in her room. "I think I'm starting to see it," she said quietly. "The shadow that follows me."
Selena nodded, not looking surprised. "Ordinary beasts are formed from pure spiritual energy. Shadow Beasts are born from the darkness of the soul—fear, doubt, anger. As someone from another world, your soul resonates differently in Veridian."
"Is it dangerous?" Kiran asked, worried.
"Very," Selena answered honestly. "But it is also a power unlike anything this world has ever seen before. And perhaps… our only hope of changing the ending that has already been written."
"What kind of ending?" Leon asked in a low voice.
Selena stared at them both with dark eyes. "The utter destruction of Veridian."
The words hung heavy in the air. In the distance, the sound of trumpets sounded—a sign that the Empire's army was drawing near.
"We don't have much time," Leon said, rising to his feet. "We leave for the Forest of Mirrors now."
As they hurried to gather supplies, Kiran felt the presence again—the shadow that had been following him, closer now, more real. When he glanced back, a pair of glowing red eyes stared back from the darkness.
His Shadow Beast was beginning to awaken.
And whether that was a good sign or a bad one, Kiran couldn't say for sure.