~~~
"It fucking annoying that, apart from a few sentences, this event wasn't mentioned in the main storyline of the books."
"Damn it," He ran both hands through his hair, the familiar gesture doing nothing to calm his racing thoughts.
"I have nothing—on what would happen…"
The author really said 'fuck the readers' when it came to Vienna, didn't he? Just 'oh yeah, four cities fell, moving on.' Thanks for nothing, you sadistic bastard.
Jin stopped pacing and caught sight of his reflection in the dark window. The face staring back looked older than sixteen, weighted with knowledge no teenager should possess.
"I know how mantles work… probably more than anyone."
First things first—get this harvest bullshit sorted into something that might actually keep me breathing.
"Yeah, I can do this since I read the story with all my dedication; it's time for me to live it with all my dedication as well."
Jin grinned at his reflection.
"I'm not just some helpless extra anymore. I'm the guy who's gonna fuck up everyone's carefully laid plans."
Starting with whatever cult thinks they can turn my new home into their personal hellscape.
…
Amelia's room was exactly what he'd expected from a sixteen-year-old girl. Chaos incarnate.
"Jesus Christ, Amelia. Did a makeup store explode in here?" Jin stood in the doorway, taking in the carnage. "And then did three clothing stores join in for good measure?"
Clothes exploded from every surface like fabric confetti. Makeup covered the vanity in a rainbow of expensive confusion that would make a peacock jealous. Stuffed animals occupied strategic positions across the bed like a plush army preparing for the cutest war in history.
And sweets. Mountains of them.
"Seriously, did you rob a candy store? Or three candy stores?" Jin shook his head, grabbing a handful of energy bars from the pile. "Your dentist must be planning his next vacation on your dental bills alone."
Teenage concerns like clothes and social media. In a few hours, none of this is going to matter. The whole world's about to change, and she doesn't even know it.
"You know what? Good for you, Amelia," he said to the empty room, his voice softer.
He backed out and closed the door with unusual gentleness.
"Stay safe, little cousin. Stay far away from Vienna until this nightmare is over. And if I don't make it through this..." Jin's voice caught slightly. "At least someone in this family will remember what it was like before everything went to shit."
…
Ten minutes after the warning bells started ringing, Jin sat on the living room sofa.
The enchanted sword lay across his knees, its weight both comforting and ominous. The pistol rested in a shoulder holster beneath his armor, hidden but easily accessible.
Healing potions created small bulges in his chest pockets, promising salvation when everything went to hell.
Most important of all, a beer sweated in his right hand.
"Ahh... how I missed you, my old friend," Jin took a long sip, letting the alcohol burn down his throat and dull the sharp edges of his anxiety. "Ren would never let me drink in the hospital. Said it interfered with the chemo. Guess that's not a problem anymore."
Jin's phone sat on the coffee table, its screen dark but somehow accusatory. The signal bars showed full strength, but that could change at any moment.
"Should I call them?" He stared at the device like it might spontaneously combust. "Uncle Marcus and Aunt Sarah should be enjoying their vacation right about now."
What would I even say? 'Hey, remember me? Your nephew Jin? I'm having prophetic visions about destruction, funny story—Vienna's about to become ground zero for a demonic invasion.
Also, I helped myself to your gun safe and life savings. Hope that's cool with you.'
"They'd think I'd completely lost my mind," Jin muttered, taking another
sip.
"But what if this is the last time I ever get to hear their voices?" The words came out quieter than he intended, carrying more weight than he wanted to acknowledge.
Outside, the warning bells continued their desperate clanging. Emergency vehicles wailed in the distance like banshees announcing the end of days. Through the window, Jin could see people moving with increasing urgency—not panic yet, but the kind of focused movement that came right before panic set in.
"The city's starting to wake up," Jin muttered, watching shadows move past the window. "But it's too little, too late. The machinery of disaster is already in motion."
In the novel, no one saw it coming until the veils were already locked in place. By then, it was just ninety-one days of pure hell.
Jin raised the bottle toward the window in a mock toast.
"Why this city? Why these people? Just 'four cities fell to establish the horror' like we're all just fucking background casualties in someone else's story."
Well, not anymore. I'm writing my own story now.
He raised the bottle to his lips again when his phone erupted in electronic noise.
Ding ling Ding Ding~~
The ringtone cut through the apartment's tense silence like a chainsaw through silk. Jin nearly dropped the beer, his other hand instinctively moving to the pistol's grip before his brain caught up with his reflexes.
"Fuck!" He set the beer down with shaking hands, adrenaline flooding his system. "Heart attack at seventeen. That would be just my luck. Survive cancer, get reincarnated, die of cardiac arrest before the real nightmare even starts."
The caller ID made his blood freeze solid.
Amelia - Mobile
"Oh no. No, I was just joking."
Please let this be her calling to whine about room service or something equally mundane.
Jin's finger hovered over the answer button, trembling with indecision and growing dread.
"Do I answer? Do I lie to her? Do I tell her the truth and sound completely insane?"
His voice cracked slightly.
"What if this is the last time I ever get to talk to her?"
Haaa… It's scary how fast previous Jin's emotions, feelings, and desires are becoming mine…
The phone continued ringing, its shrill tone counting down the seconds until his decision would be made for him. Each ring felt like a hammer blow against his chest.
Ring. Make a choice.
Ring. Time's running out.
Ring. Last chance.
"Fuck it," Jin snatched up the phone, thumb stabbing the answer button.
"Hello… Sis?"
~~~