The academy bells tolled noon, but Aki wasn't in class. He sat cross-legged on the floor of his dorm, the diary open before him, Whiskerdoom curled like a furry sentinel at his side.
The problem was simple: nothing made sense anymore.
The diary flickered with random phrases when it wanted to. Celis smiled like she had the whole world scripted under her thumb. And then there was Riel — the ghost version of him — haunting places Aki never wanted to go.
And now…
He reached out, swiping his fingers across the diary like a touchscreen.
The world responded. A glowing menu — one that shouldn't exist outside the game — flashed into the air before him.
[Choose your Route]
Hero's Path (LOCKED)
Neutral Path (GLITCHED)
Villain's Path (AVAILABLE)
Aki stared. "...Oh, fantastic. Just fantastic. I'm living in a knock-off dating sim where I can't even pick the good ending."
Whiskerdoom hissed at the projection. "That's not normal. That's not even cursed normal. That's broken."
"No kidding," Aki muttered. He jabbed at Hero's Path.
The screen buzzed. Red text:
[ERROR: This route is not available to you.]
Aki blinked. "Not available? Excuse me? I'm the protagonist—" He stopped himself. "...Fine. I was the protagonist. Apparently, I got demoted to Final Boss DLC."
He tried again. Nothing. Again. The words just grew brighter:
[LOCKED. LOCKED. LOCKED.]
The room shuddered, and suddenly, the menu wasn't just in front of him — it exploded outward. The academy walls warped, glitching like broken textures in a video game. Students outside froze mid-step, like paused NPCs.
Aki's chest tightened. He grabbed Whiskerdoom. "Okay, this is new. This is bad."
The cat dug claws into his sleeve. "It's rewriting the world. Forcing you."
Aki turned back. The only route that didn't glitch was Villain's Path. Its letters glowed with a malicious, tempting red.
He hesitated. "...If I pick that, I'm screwed."
Whiskerdoom flicked his tail. "If you don't pick, you'll be erased."
The diary pulsed faintly, as if agreeing. One shaky line appeared across the page:
"Choose. Or vanish."
Aki laughed — high-pitched, almost hysterical. "You know, for a fantasy world, you guys really don't understand free will."
The menu pulsed harder. The words warped into something even worse:
[CHOOSE NOW.]
The floor cracked beneath him. The air rippled with static. He could feel his soul being tugged toward the void.
"Okay, okay!" He shouted, hands raised. "You win! I choose—"
But before he could speak, the door to his dorm slammed open.
Eren, the so-called Hero, stood there — sunlight blazing behind him, expression sharp.
"Riel," Eren said coldly. "What are you doing?"
Aki froze. The glitch menu was still visible. The diary still glowed. And Eren — the real golden boy of this cursed story — was staring straight at him.
"…Oh," Aki whispered. "That's not good."