Shadowkeeper: The NPC Who Defied Fate

In the real world, Rayhan is an avid reader of fantasy novels. His monotonous life changes drastically when he wakes up as Kiran, a supporting character in the novel "Penjinak Iblis" that he has always loved—a world where every human is bound to a spiritual companion creature called a "Beast". As an NPC, Kiran realizes that he is only a supporting character in the grand story of the protagonist, Leon, a legendary Beastmaster with a destiny to save the world. Kiran is supposed to play only a small role—giving Leon hints and then dying tragically to motivate the hero's journey. But Kiran chooses to rebel against the storyline. With his knowledge of the future plot, he attempts to change his own fate, developing a mysterious bond with a shadowy Beast that he should never have. His journey becomes even more complicated when he meets Selena, a mysterious woman who claims to be from the future of the novel's world. Her gaze holds darkness and unnatural knowledge. Selena tells Kiran that the ending he read in the novel was just an illusion—the real reality is much darker and more terrifying. While Leon and his heroine, Aria, continue their “main story,” Kiran and Selena move into the shadows, unearthing dark secrets of the Beast world that were never revealed in the original story. They discover that the bond between humans and Beasts holds a hidden dark side, the truth about the Beasts’ origins, and the dire consequences of manipulating the course of fate. In a world where the line between predator and prey is razor-thin, Kiran must decide: will she accept her role as a side character and let the “main story” continue as written, or will she defy the narrative itself and face the consequences of going against her pre-written destiny? “Shadow Keeper” is a dark tale of identity, powerlessness, and rebellion against destiny—questioning who is truly the tamer and who is the tamed in the relationships between humans and their Beasts, as well as in the author’s relationship with her characters.