"Where have you been for so long? The sun is settling already and you're still out working the fields. And what happened to your hair? Did you stress so much you aged fifty years? And that outfit! Quill! What did I tell you about playing the hero… Did you go to some weird gathering? And, and… Sob..."
My little sister has always been babbling non-stop, but today… ugh...
"Now, now, don't cry, don't cry." I rush to hug her, caressing her soft, silky golden hair. Her brilliant crimson eyes are like gems, but warm tears are bursting out like rivers. I pull out a handkerchief from my pocket—at least that didn't change—and wipe the tears from her slightly chubby, but still cute cheeks.
She's thirteen now, one year younger than me.
"You stupid idiot… I was worried. You didn't come back for so long…" She pulls away from my embrace, giving me a death glare. Even though she meant it to be scary, to me, it looks extremely cute.
"Let's go inside." I pat her head and gently guide her by the shoulders, doing my best not to poke or slice her with the scythe strapped across my back. That thing looks sharper than common sense... I glance at the blade again, and even that gives me chills.
We step through the door, a little unwillingly, mostly because Lia's still sulking about me being late. But that's not the first time, and probably not the last either.
And since you can apparently read my thoughts now, I imagine you're curious: How do I see her now, knowing she's just a fictional character? Honestly... the same. In my opinion, it's not like us NPCs are any different from the intended protagonists in the story. We all live, breathe, and think for ourselves; we're just limited by what the one who created us wrote. But with this new power of mine… I can change that. I no longer have to follow someone else's script.
Well… except Big Boss. That guy's still watching me like a hawk. Ahem...
"I'm home..." I mutter gently, and some strange feeling, belonging maybe, washes over me.
Our hut's not much. Just two crooked walls pretending to hold up a roof. The floor creaks like it's got trust issues, and the window's really just a hole with a cloth nailed over it.
We've got one chair, one table, and what used to be a bed, which now looks more like a deflated hay pile. I always told Lia it was just "minimalist design." And somehow, she never once complained. Always tried to keep the place clean, the table full. Of… bread.
How I wish we had some meat.
A single tear rolls down my cheek. But maybe… with Big Boss's help, I might one day eat something good.
Speaking of the system… I should probably explore it a little. Figure out what these so-called "abilities" can actually do.
I sit down on the floor, leaning my back gently against the wall.
"Big brother, are you hungry?"
Finally, after sulking this whole time, Lia speaks up. Her voice is soft again. What a relief... She once got so mad, I thought she'd tear the whole house down.
Haha… good times.
"No, you can go to sleep. It's late," I tell her, quietly wondering how she didn't question my appearance too much.
But then again… she's always accepted me as I am. Maybe she just thinks this is some kind of rebellious teenage phase or something.
I scratch the back of my head, half in embarrassment, half in self-mockery.
"Is that so?" She twists a strand of her hair around her finger, looking at me with her head tilted slightly. "Are you alright? Today… you're not yourself. Not just the way you look, but how you act too…" Her voice trails off toward the end, like she's unsure whether what she's feeling is real or just in her head.
Did she see through me? I mean, it'd be hard not to.
"No, I'm really okay. Just tired… that's all…"
I know it was a terrible lie. She probably didn't buy it—but it's all I can come up with right now.
[Lia is feeling deep unrest. Her heart trembled for a moment when she caught her brother's lie.]
[Does he not trust me? she thought.]
[Her tears caught in her throat, but she held them back.]
[But… if Big Brother says he's okay, then I must trust him. That's for the best…]
A crimson screen flickered into view, and the moment I read what was on it, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
I can read the thoughts of others?!
Wait, wait, wait… does that mean—
I glance at Lia. She's standing there, still twisting her hair, eyes turned toward the floor.
Just then, another flicker—just a whisper this time:
["I just want him to be okay…"]
My chest tightens.
I blink the screen away, heart pounding, suddenly unsure if I should be smiling or terrified.
"Get some sleep, alright?" I mumble, trying to sound normal.
She nods, rubbing her eyes. "You too, Big Brother."
Then she shuffles off toward the corner of the hut, where our hay pile of a bed still waits. I stay seated on the floor, staring at my hand, the scythe lying beside me.
So now… I can read minds?
Yet maybe it's not quite that. It feels like more than just hearing thoughts—like I can tap into the writing of another character. Their very essence.
I don't dare try it on my own sister… but if I find someone else, someone who's not the hero or the main character...
Maybe I could edit them. Twist their emotions. Rewrite their fate.
Or even… erase their existence entirely.
My heart feels uneasy. There's a deep craving inside me—to test this theory out. And nearby… there's the hut where my friend's family lives.
Should I...?
The temptation creeps in slowly, then swallows me whole.
After thinking it over for a good ten minutes, I finally stand. I leave the scythe behind but slip the quill from my pocket.
Tonight, I'll test my Author powers and find out exactly what I'm capable of.