The morning began like any other… except it didn't.
Aki rubbed his eyes and stretched. The room — or what remained of the mansion's private wing — felt colder than usual. He frowned, sitting up on the edge of the bed.
"Why do I feel like I slept on ice?" he muttered.
Whiskerdoom, curled lazily at the foot of the bed, opened one eye. "Because you didn't," the cat grumbled in its usual deadpan voice. "You barely slept. Again."
Aki groaned. "Don't remind me."
The cat yawned in slow motion, exposing sharp little teeth. "You always forget that the world around you isn't playing by the rules anymore."
Aki shot him a look. "Thanks for the pep talk."
Whiskerdoom's ears twitched but he didn't respond.
Aki swung his legs off the bed. As he stood, a sharp noise cut through the hallway — hurried footsteps and whispers.
His stomach tightened.
"Not again…" he whispered, eyes darting toward the door.
Before he could react, the door burst open. Three palace guards stormed in, eyes glaring like they wanted to arrest him.
"Riel Arkwood!" the lead guard barked. "You are to be detained immediately on suspicion of regicide and sabotage!"
Aki's eyes widened. "What?! Wait! Hold on! There's been a mistake!"
The guards' expressions didn't change.
Whiskerdoom stretched, lazily flicking his tail. "Oh good," he mumbled. "They've come for you. Again."
The lead guard advanced. "You'll answer for the crimes committed by the original Riel Arkwood."
Aki's mouth went dry. "Original Riel…?"
The second guard snarled. "Do not play dumb. The court knows your bloodline. You're his heir. You must take responsibility."
"I— I'm not—"
But the guards didn't listen. They moved to seize him.
Whiskerdoom leapt into action, slapping one guard's sword with a sharp paw. "Overreact much?"
The startled guard stumbled back.
"Stay out of this, cat!" the lead growled.
Aki took a step back, his mind racing.
This can't be real. He's been careful — careful not to repeat past events, careful to avoid cursed chairs, traps, and assassination plots. Now, without warning, he's framed for crimes he didn't commit.
But… is this the world turning against him?
"Listen!" Aki shouted, holding up both hands. "You've got the wrong guy! I haven't—"
"Enough!" the lead guard cut him off. "You'll come with us for questioning."
Aki's jaw clenched. His heart pounded. "I didn't kill anyone!" he yelled, desperation in his voice.
Whiskerdoom sneered. "Dramatic."
The door slammed shut behind them. Aki was left alone.
For a long moment, he sat on the bed, breathing hard.
Then the diary — lying on the desk — flickered faintly. He scrambled over.
The pages shimmered, but only briefly before going blank.
Aki's eyes narrowed. "No guidance?" he whispered.
Whiskerdoom, perched on the desk, sighed. "Welcome to Volume 4, Riel."
"Not Riel!" Aki snapped.
The cat's eyes gleamed knowingly. "Whatever you call yourself."
A knock interrupted them.
A soft voice from outside: "Riel… Are you awake?"
Aki's stomach dropped. "That's Eren…"
Whiskerdoom's ears perked. "Oh, this is going to be delicious."
Aki stared at the diary, then at the door.
"I have to be careful," he muttered. "I can't let Eren find out."
He took a deep breath, wiped his face, and walked to the door.
Opening it, he found Eren standing there — looking concerned.
"Riel?" Eren asked gently. "You're… okay, right? I heard there's trouble."
Aki's eyes locked with his. For a moment, he considered confessing everything — telling him he's not Riel at all, that this world's stories are falling apart.
But the memory core in his head screamed: Don't tell anyone.
Aki forced a grin. "I'm fine," he lied smoothly. "Just… dealing with palace politics."
Eren frowned, unconvinced but nodding. "If you need help, I'm here."
Aki's heart twitched.
"Thanks…" he whispered, before shutting the door.
Later that day, Aki sat in silence, turning the blank diary's pages over and over. Whiskerdoom lay nearby, pretending to nap.
"So what now?" Aki asked, finally breaking the silence.
The cat's eyes half-opened. "Now? Now you either play along… or you stop playing entirely."
Aki frowned. "That sounds worse."
"Exactly," Whiskerdoom replied, curling into a ball again.
Outside, palace horns blared. Somewhere beyond the walls, chaos stirred.
Aki clenched his fists.
"I'm not the villain," he whispered. "But… maybe I shouldn't always try so hard to be a hero."
Whiskerdoom snorted softly, eyes glinting like he knew this was only the beginning.