Every story begins with certainty.
A chosen hero.
A destined villain.
A world that follows rules written long before the first chapter is read.
But some stories are broken the moment an extra step is taken.
This is the story of that step.
A Reader Outside the Story
I was never meant to matter.
In the real world, I lived quietly—too ordinary to be noticed, too replaceable to be remembered. I wasn't strong, talented, or blessed with any special destiny. I was just someone who liked reading stories after long days of pretending life was meaningful.
Fantasy stories were my escape.
In them, everything had a purpose. Every character existed for a reason. Even the weakest background character had a line, a role, a place.
I didn't.
That night was no different from any other. Rain tapped softly against the window as I opened Webnovel and scrolled through familiar titles. Then I saw it.
A glowing banner at the top of the screen:
Fanfic Fiesta – Become the new character they adore
The words stayed on my screen longer than they should have.
"New characters are always hated," I said quietly.
"They ruin the story."
Yet my finger tapped the screen anyway.
The Story That Changed
I opened my favorite fanfiction—the one I knew better than my own life.
I knew how it began.
I knew who survived.
I reed the ending more times than I could count.
That was why I noticed when something was wrong.
The text flickered.
Lines shifted as if the story itself was breathing.
Then a single sentence appeared, one I had never read before:
"You are not part of this story."
My heart tightened.
Before I could close the app, the phone grew hot in my hand. The screen turned blinding white, and the sound of rain vanished.
So did the room.
Arrival in a Written World
Cold stone pressed against my back.
The smell of smoke and blood filled my lungs, forcing me to cough as I struggled to sit up. Above me stretched a sky split with crimson clouds, torn by flashes of distant lightning.
I knew this place.
This was the battlefield where the hero first appeared.
The opening scene of the story.
Fear wrapped around my chest.
"I shouldn't be here," I whispered.
A presence loomed over me.
Slow. Heavy. Powerful.
I looked up.
The Hero Who Knew Everything
He stood exactly as the story described him.
Silver armor marked with ancient runes.
A sacred sword glowing faintly with mana.
Eyes sharp, cold, and unforgiving.
The hero.
The one readers loved.
The one the world revolved around.
His blade hovered just inches from my throat.
"You," he said calmly, his voice carrying authority,
"do not exist in this world."
My body trembled.
"I know," I replied, my voice barely steady.
"I was only supposed to read your story."
For the first time, the hero's expression changed.
The System's Judgment
A sudden blue light appeared before my eyes.
Not magic.
Not illusion.
A screen.
Status Error Detected
Name: Unregistered
Role: Undefined
Existence: Unapproved
The air shook.
The hero stepped back instinctively.
"What are you?" he asked.
I stared at the screen, understanding dawning slowly, painfully.
I wasn't summoned.
I wasn't chosen.
I was a mistake.
And mistakes had the power to change everything.