Inside a somewhat dim room, a handsome young man slowly crawled up from the floor.
He looked around with a shocked expression.
"Where in the world am I?"
The young man's name was Victor. Just a few hours ago, he had been busy studying for an upcoming exam when a rift suddenly opened near his chair. He had fallen into it, and although he couldn't quite remember what happened inside the rift, the next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes in an unfamiliar room.
Standing up, he pulled back the curtains blocking the light. What immediately greeted him was a strange sight: buildings he didn't recognize, cars passing by, and people walking along the streets. Confusion was written across his face. He had never seen this place before, nor could he remember coming here.
"What in the world is happening?" he whispered. Then his eyes narrowed. "Was I sent into another world, or maybe another part of Earth? That rift that opened in my room… it was probably a portal to another world."
He sat on the bed with a long sigh, his head pounding as he tried to make sense of everything.
Finding himself in another world left him momentarily blank. He had no idea what to do next.
As he was lost in thought, the door to the room opened. A little girl with ginger hair stepped inside. She had large, innocent eyes that wandered around the room until they fell on the young man sitting on the bed.
"Big brother!" she said with a happy smile.
Victor's head shot up, his eyes wide. "Agnes?"
The moment he spoke her name, a sharp pain assaulted his head, followed by a flood of information rushing into his mind.
In his mind's eye, he saw his life, no, the life of the original Victor. This Victor had lived with his younger sister, Agnes Demille, in George Town. Their parents had died in a car accident a few months ago, leaving Victor, as the elder brother, to work hard to support her.
The two of them were Outcasts, people with the ability to turn invisible. But the world was not kind to those who were different, especially in George Town, which was filled with prejudice and discrimination against Outcasts. Victor had no choice but to stay. He was working hard to earn money to leave this hell town. While he worked tirelessly, his sister suffered bullying from other children her age, which eventually led her to stop leaving the house altogether.
Life in George Town had been cruel, but Victor endured until one day, he collapsed in his room from exhaustion and never woke up, and that's where the current Viktor took over.
But what truly shocked the current Victor was not this tragic past or his transmigration. What left him speechless was the fact that he recognized this world. It was a world that shouldn't exist, because it was fictional.
He rubbed his forehead, groaning. "Am I dreaming?"
That was only in his mind at the moment.
"Big brother? Are you okay?" Agnes asked softly.
Victor forced a smile and turned toward her. "I'm all right. Have you had breakfast yet?"
"No, I was waiting for you to come down." Agnes sat beside him and grabbed his hand. "What's wrong, big brother? Are you still worried about me?"
Victor glanced at her, then sighed. Today was the day Victor was supposed to enroll at Nevermore Academy. Truthfully, he didn't need to go, but because before their parents died, they had entrusted their inheritance to the academy's management, and the siblings could only claim it after graduating.
Honestly, Victor didn't like his parents' decision at all. They should have given the inheritance directly to him and Agnes. But their parents had wanted them to interact with other Outcasts, hoping they would find a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, they had no idea how much their children would suffer because of that choice.
Agnes was only twelve, while Victor was seventeen. It was already hard enough for them to adapt to life in George Town, but the original Victor had been a hard worker, and that was the only reason the two of them had managed to survive.
"No. I can't just leave you with Aunt May. You're coming with me." Victor shook his head firmly. He refused to abandon his sister.
"Really?" Agnes's eyes lit up, but she hesitated a moment later. "But, big brother… you're the only one enrolled at Nevermore. I'm not."
"Don't worry. I'll find a way." Victor smiled and patted her head before standing up. "Come on, let's eat breakfast first, then pack."
"Okay!" Agnes nodded enthusiastically, her mood lifting at the thought of staying with her brother.
Victor smiled, though a strange mix of emotions stirred within him. Some feelings were familiar, others foreign, as though they belonged to someone else. But with the original Victor's memories slowly merging with his own, a genuine sense of affection began to grow in his heart.
In his previous life, he had no one. His parents and sister had died in an accident when he was young, leaving him to be raised by his grandparents, until they, too, passed away from old age. From then on, he had been completely alone.
Victor took a deep breath before standing.
For now, his plan was simple: go to Nevermore Academy and bring Agnes with him.
---
Later…
"Are you ready?"
The siblings had packed their belongings and left George Town behind. Their destination: Jericho, the town closest to Nevermore Academy.
On the train, Victor glanced at the clock and then at his sleeping sister beside him. His mind wandered.
'Which point in Wednesday's story am I in?' he wondered. 'Agnes is twelve now, but in the show, she joins the academy at thirteen… so this must be just before Season One. But which timeline is this?'
There's no point in thinking about it.' Viktor shook his head. He gently patted Agnes's head and couldn't help but smile before closing his eyes.
---
The warmth of sunlight on his face woke him. But when Victor opened his eyes, he was no longer on the train. He was standing in the middle of a forest, the wind rustling through the trees.
"Where… am I?"
He turned in every direction, but all he saw were towering trees.
'As far as I remember, I fell asleep on the train. Don't tell me that rift… opened again?'
The thought made his stomach twist. He had just begun to adapt to this new life, and now he was being sent to another world?
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the bushes. Victor's body tensed.
"Is that… a monster?" he muttered under his breath.
He cautiously stepped back, keeping his eyes on the bush.
Then, to his surprise, a little girl burst out and ran past him.
"Hey! Wait!" Victor shouted, instinctively chasing after her.
Despite her small size, the girl was surprisingly fast, and soon Victor was out of breath. He wanted to catch up, not to scare her, but to ask to gather information, but no matter how many times he called out, she didn't seem to understand him.
The trees thinned, and the little girl darted into a small cabin in the clearing.
Finally catching up, Victor paused to catch his breath before cautiously approaching the house.
It was a small, lonely cabin, its walls cracked and overgrown with creeping vines, as though it had been standing there, forgotten, for decades.
He knocked on the door. "Anyone there?"
He waited for a few seconds, but no reply came.
"Does she think I'm a bandit?" he muttered under his breath.
Raising his voice, he tried again. "Hey, I saw you earlier. I'm not a bad guy, I just want to ask you a few questions!"
However, there was only silence.
Victor frowned. The house felt unnervingly quiet, as though no one had lived here for years. He moved to the window and peeked inside. The interior was dim, the only light coming from the sun outside. Inside, there was nothing but a single desk and chair, no other furniture, no movement, and no sign of the girl.
It was as if she had completely vanished.
"I'm going in!" Victor said aloud.
He pushed the door open.
Dust blanketed the floor, and cobwebs stretched across the corners like ancient curtains. The cabin was small, so there wasn't much to search. His eyes quickly landed on the desk, where a strange, black book lay.
There was also a letter resting on top of it.
Victor's frown deepened when he saw his own name written on the envelope. He picked it up and unfolded the letter.
[Dear Victor,
If you are reading this, it means you have already entered your own world. I will cut to the chase: please save the Outcasts, all of them.
The world is in greater danger than you think.
If nothing is done, everything will end. We cannot fight what is coming, we can only hide and stall for time. But that time is over. Now, it is your turn.
Save them, Victor.]
The letter was short, but a chill crawled down Victor's spine as he read it.
Suddenly, his vision went white. His body convulsed as a flood of images forced its way into his mind.
He saw a sky far beyond the clouds, beyond the stars, beyond even reality itself.
There, in the endless void, countless shadows writhed and clawed at the fabric of the universe, trying to break through. They were colossal beings, so vast that they made Earth seem like an ant in comparison.
Then, from the infinite darkness, an eye opened.
It blinked once and gazed directly at him.
Victor froze, paralyzed by pure terror. Blood trickled from his eyes and ears.
And then, a voice echoed inside his skull.
"Big brother, wake up, we're here."