𝓬𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓪𝓷 sprawled across his couch, legs tangled in a messy heap of blankets, eyes glued to the laptop screen. The small apartment smelled faintly of instant noodles and the lingering scent of coffee he'd been too busy bingeing to care about cleaning.
He grinned at the scene playing on his screen, completely absorbed. "No way… did he just say that?!" he muttered, laughing despite the late hour. The BL drama he had just found online had taken over his evening, and honestly, he didn't regret it one bit.
It was the perfect escape. Cassian's own life wasn't… interesting. Classes, part-time jobs, and endless deadlines had filled his days, leaving little room for excitement. But here, in this drama, every line of dialogue, every stolen glance, every misstep in love felt vivid.
By the time the clock ticked past midnight, Cassian hadn't moved from his position. His hair had fallen messily over his forehead, eyes red from staring at the screen for hours, but he didn't care. The laptop's light reflected in his amber eyes, giving him a wild, unkempt charm he wasn't entirely aware of.
Then… something outside broke the rhythm of the quiet night.
At first, it was subtle .. a faint thud, the scrape of shoes on concrete but it grew louder. Cassian froze, his heart skipping a beat.
"Who's out there at this hour?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He swung his legs off the couch, pausing only to grab the small flashlight he kept near the coffee table for emergencies.
Peering out the window across the street, Cassian's stomach dropped. The streetlights flickered, casting long shadows on the apartment building opposite his. And there she was a woman, screaming, struggling against someone.
A sharp knife glinted in the dim light, and before he could process it, the figure plunged it into her chest. The woman collapsed. Blood pooled unnaturally in the street light's glow. Cassian's hand shook as he clutched the window ledge.
And then… the killer's gaze shifted.
Their eyes met. Cassian froze. The figure tall, masked, unnervingly still-looked directly at him. A chill ran down his spine.
Time slowed. Every instinct screamed at him to hide, to run, but he was rooted to the spot, unable to look away. And then… the impossible happened. The killer lunged toward him.
Before Cassian could react, everything blurred. A sharp pain exploded in his head. He gasped, heart hammering, vision swimming. He closed his eyes and then nothing.
He woke up to light filtering through unfamiliar curtains. His head throbbed mercilessly, each pulse echoing in his skull. The smell wasn't coffee, noodles, or the faint scent of late-night air it was clean, almost sterile, with a faint floral hint.
Blinking, Cassian tried to sit up… but the room spun violently. The bed beneath him was soft, far softer than his own, and the sheets white, silky were completely unfamiliar. His heart raced as he swung his legs over the edge, gingerly touching the floor.
Everything felt… wrong.
The walls were painted a warm cream color, the furniture polished and pristine. A small table held a vase of fresh flowers. His apartment had never looked like this.
"Wha-?" Cassian groaned, pressing his hands to his temples. His amber eyes scanned the room, taking in the unfamiliar details: a full-length mirror reflecting a face he should recognize. But… it wasn't exactly his own.
His hair felt different longer, softer, neatly styled. His jawline seemed sharper, his features more angular. He stumbled toward the mirror, heart pounding.
His reflection stared back, and for the first time, Cassian noticed every detail:
Chestnut brown hair, slightly messy but longer than he remembered
Amber eyes, wide and expressive
Soft, angular jawline, a small beauty mark under his left eye
…and the realization crashed over him.
This isn't my apartment…
This isn't my life…
Cassian's stomach twisted. He staggered back toward the bed, trying to make sense of the dizziness, the headache, the sudden unfamiliarity. Everything felt wrong.
And yet… there was a tiny, insane part of his mind that whispered: It's like the BL drama… the one I just watched…
A cold shiver ran down his spine. His heart pounded in his ears. Something about the way the room smelled, the softness of the sheets, the unfamiliar quiet it was as if he had stepped into another world entirely.
Cassian sank back onto the bed, clutching his head. "No… no… this can't be real," he whispered. "I can't… I'm not… I'm not supposed to be…"
But deep down, he already felt it: the story wasn't going to follow the path he knew. And whatever awaited him beyond that door, whatever this "new life" was… it was not going to be normal.
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chapter end