The white-haired boy could be seen gripping the bed sheets as he screamed out in discomfort, "No!"
His eyes snapped open, chest heaving as phantom pains from a life that no longer belonged to him faded into memory. The ceiling above wasn't the water-stained plaster of his cramped apartment. This ceiling was ornate, decorated with intricate magical formations that pulsed with a faint blue light—formations he recognized from countless hours of reading.
'This isn't my room.'
The thought struck him like a physical blow. His hands which were pale, slender, younger than they should be trembled as he sat up. Everything felt wrong. His body was too light, his limbs too long, his hair... he grabbed a strand and stared at it in the dim magical light.
White. Pure, silver-white hair.
"What the hell—"
[WELCOME, PLAYER]
The translucent window materialized in front of his face, causing him to scramble backward against the headboard. Blue text floated in the air, impossible and familiar all at once.
[Identity Confirmed: Zephyr Ashcroft]
[Status: Active]
[Level: 1]
[Player System Initialized]
"No. No, no, no." His voice came out higher than it should, with an accent that wasn't his. "This isn't... this can't be..."
But even as denial spilled from his lips, recognition crashed over him like a tide. The room, the magical formations, the name floating before his eyes—he knew this place. He'd read about it dozens of times, imagined it in vivid detail whenever he'd devoured chapter after chapter of his favorite web novel.
'The Legendary Player'
And if the system was calling him Zephyr Ashcroft, then he was...
"The third-rate villain," he whispered, a bitter laugh escaping his throat. "The one who dies in chapter forty-three."
His laughter grew louder, more unhinged. Of course. Of course he'd end up as a villain. In his previous life, he'd always rooted for them anyway. Heroes were pretentious, self-righteous fools who spouted justice while conveniently always getting the girl and the power. Villains? They were honest about their desires. They took what they wanted, said what they meant, and didn't hide behind noble speeches.
He'd loved Zephyr Ashcroft from the moment the character appeared—a minor antagonist with striking white hair and a fierce battle lust, someone who fought purely for the thrill of it. The disowned son of a noble house, cast out for his pathetic mana capacity and lackluster aura. Worse still, he'd been betrothed to Seraphina Valdris, a beauty from another noble family who... had certain obsessive tendencies when it came to those she claimed to love. The author had killed him off too early, wasted his potential for some throwaway plot advancement.
But now...
[Mana Capacity: 847/847]
[Aura Level: Novice (Tier 1)]
[Skills Available: 3]
[Techniques Unlocked: 2]
The numbers made him pause. In the original story, Zephyr's mana capacity had been pitiful—barely 200 at his peak. His aura had never progressed beyond the initial novice tier. That weakness had been why the Ashcroft family disowned him, why they'd been so eager to marry him off to the Valdris family's problematic daughter.
Seraphina Valdris. Even thinking her name made him shiver. Beautiful, brilliant, and utterly, terrifyingly devoted to whatever caught her interest. In the novel, her obsession with the original Zephyr had been both his protection and his curse—she'd killed anyone who so much as looked at him wrong, but she'd also made escape impossible.
Now he had the Player System. The same system that was supposed to belong to Kael Drakmoor, the battle-obsessed protagonist who collected heroines like trophies and grew stronger with every fight.
Now he had the Player System. The same system that was supposed to belong to Kael Drakmoor, the battle-obsessed protagonist who collected heroines like trophies and grew stronger with every fight.
Zephyr—because that's who he was now, wasn't he?—stared at the floating interface. A part of him wanted to rage against the cosmic joke of it all. Here he was, finally in the world he'd dreamed of, in the body of a character he'd loved, but with a power that seemed designed to turn him into everything he despised.
A soft knock at the door interrupted his spiraling thoughts.
"Young Master Zephyr?" A maid's voice, hesitant and careful. "Lady Seraphina has arrived for your morning visit."
His blood turned to ice. Seraphina. Right. In the original timeline, she visited him every few days, bringing gifts and that unsettling smile that never quite reached her crimson eyes. The author had described her as hauntingly beautiful—silver hair like moonlight, porcelain skin, and a devotion so intense it bordered on madness.
"I... I'll be ready shortly," he called out, his voice cracking slightly. The maid's footsteps retreated, leaving him alone with the glowing system interface.
[Quest Available: First Encounter]
[Objective: Meet with Seraphina Valdris without raising suspicion]
[Reward: 100 EXP, Basic Skill Point]
[Warning: Yandere-type character detected. Extreme caution advised.]
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Zephyr muttered, but he couldn't help the slight grin that tugged at his lips. Even the system knew what kind of danger he was walking into.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, testing his new body's coordination. Everything felt different—stronger, more responsive than it should have been for the weak, disowned Zephyr Ashcroft. The question was: how long could he hide it?
And more importantly—did he even want to?
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hallway, accompanied by the soft rustle of expensive fabric. Seraphina Valdris was coming, and with her, his first real test in this new life.
Zephyr straightened his shoulders, that familiar thrill of anticipation coursing through his veins. He'd always preferred the villains anyway. Time to see just how well he could play the part.