So yeah… Now I'm standing here, confused and broken. Well, maybe not that broken. It's just writing a book, right? What could possibly be so hard about that… right? RIGHT?
I brush the dust off my clothes, glance down, and catch sight of my skin—it's pale, almost ashen. My hands are wrapped in black and red cloth, and when I follow it back, it all seems to lead to the same place: my chest.
Right in the middle, a fist-sized crimson hole glows bright. That's exactly where the necklace landed when I collapsed. Am I dreaming again? Or is my body really different now… Outfit's gone… Check.
Scythe transformed? Check.
Ugh… I peek down at the white tunic I'm wearing. I check left, check right. Nobody's watching... So I lift the robe with my finger, quick peek underneath. Still got my pride. Phew…
Oh, wait! Sorry, I keep forgetting someone's actually reading this. Hehe.
Can I erase that? No, not working… God damn it. Whatever I think or do just shows up here in writing, right in front of me. I even tried poking the screen to see if I could shatter it, but nope. I'm stuck with it… Hmm…
So this is my fate now? This quill in my hand, this scythe, and an adventure… Wait a second...
Does this mean I can leave? Like, I can just walk away from this place and be like the hero? The thought hit me all at once. Maybe this whole "author" thing isn't so bad after all. I could finally enjoy life, and no one else gets to pull my strings, no more fate written by someone else.
I think I get it now. My life can be whatever I want. Yeah… that's actually kind of amazing. All the beautiful women? They could be mine! All the treasures in the world? I could have them stacked at my feet if I wished!
This is it! And best of all, I can finally get even with him. Repay the "kindness" that hero showed me… That stupid, arrogant idiot…
I hate him. I don't even know how or why it started, but the feeling's burning bright inside me! I know I can do it—I'm the author now, right? That means I can just delete him from my story. Why not? Feelings I never had before crash and collide, sparking like fire in my chest until I'm about ready to explode!
"But… how do I actually do that?" That's the problem. I have no clue how to change anything yet. Maybe this quill is the key?
I turn the quill in my fingers, giving it a closer look. "Well, if this is a story, maybe I just have to write it—like this…" I picture the words, trying to will them into existence, and crimson letters suddenly paint the air in front of me. {Kill the hero.} Just like that, I finish the sentence and hope for the best.
[Main plot restrictions detected. Hero path editing denied]
Huh? Are you kidding me? That damn system said I'm the author, but I can't change the story? What the hell?
Fine... fine... if that's how it is, then I guess I'll just have to find another creative way to get back at him. I've got time, plenty of it.
But right now, I should figure out how to actually use this system... Later. First, I glance around and realize people are giving me weird looks.
Probably time to head home. My dear sister must be worried sick. Normally I'd have gone home ages ago, but after everything that happened today, I'm definitely late.
And when I say sister, I don't mean by blood. Back when I was a baby, my dad found her on our porch and decided to take her in. Years later, he was gone—but she's always been my family.
With the last rays of the setting sun, I make my way home. The system screen still floats in front of me, broadcasting my every move and even my thoughts—convenient, but honestly a bit creepy.
You guys won't mind if I have a dirty thought or curse somebody out in my head... right?
Feels like an invasion of privacy, but whatever. I have a quest to finish, and so far... it's going alright.
[2 readers have collected your book]
Thank you, by the way, to whoever decided to stick around. Can't help but shed a happy tear. Maybe, just maybe, I won't get punished in a few days after all. I clench my fists, trying to convince myself that this time, my world really is about to change forever.
[You have received a new comment from reader NAVIRUNAVIII on Chapter 1:]
["What a unique story! I'm looking forward to the next chapter."]
My eyes widen as I see the comment. "Readers can talk to me?!" I scream aloud, startling a few nearby farmers. They glance over for a moment, then quickly look away, as if afraid to make eye contact.
I mean… Ahem… Navi… Uhm… thank you so much for your comment. This actually… feels good? I think something's stirring in my chest. My heart's racing. With excitement, I believe.
[You have received a new comment from reader NAVIRUNAVIII on Chapter 2:]
["Did Quill kill you bro? How?"]
My heart skips a beat. Is he talking about the author? The one who made me? How does he know about that…?
I don't even know how to answer this. You see… I kind of did kill the author. But it was either him or me, so… I'm sorry? I promise I'll write just as good of a story as he would've. Maybe even better. And I can also be your bro. If you'll accept that.
And right then, it hit me.
This story… it's not just about finishing the book anymore.
It's about the readers. The ones watching. And me, an NPC with nothing, rising, page by page, to become a hero.
"Big Brother Quill! Over here!"
A burst of cheerful laughter cuts through the air, catching my attention. In the distance, an unimaginable beauty waves toward me, none other than the sister I spoke of.
"Lia..." I mutter gently. My lower lip trembles softly for a heartbeat before calming down.
"I'm home... Sorry it took so long."
And for the first time in what feels like forever, I smile genuinely, with a heart that finally feels warm again.