The cold night air hit his face as Bais left the room. The academy, which was usually a calm and final watch, was now a zone of chaos. Shadows of students flashed everywhere as they ran in panic. A thick black fog hovered over the building, from which came muffled roars and screams. For a moment, Bais froze, dampened by what was happening. The words of the system were formulated in his mind, "Those you have created are your allies." He looked at the students, many of whom he had written in the book. They were here, alive, scared, but ready to fight. - Hey, what are you standing there for! - Shouted someone from behind him. Bais turned around and saw a tall young man with silver hair, blazing a fireball in his hand. It was Caelan, one of the strongest academy that Bais himself had come up with an important character. - You're new, aren't you? - Kaylan squinted his eyes, looking Bais over from head to toe. - If you want to survive, follow me. - Caelan... - burst out of Bice's mouth before he could realize. The boy frowned: - How do you know my name? Bice hesitated. "You can't just say I created this man. He'll think I'm crazy." - Я... heard about you at a concert," Bice lied quickly. Caelan snorted incredulously, but didn't ask any unnecessary questions. - All right, let's go. We're going to stop those things before they destroy the Academy's barriers. [Tolka Beginning] On the street in front of the central building of the academy, dozens of students had already gathered. Some created magical shields, while others were ready for battle, forming spells. The rector stood in front of everyone, his figure radiating confidence despite the looming danger. - The enemy is close! - his voice cut through the silence. - Defend the academy at all costs! At that moment, the black fog began to thicken. The first creatures burst out of it: huge monsters with burning red eyes covered in dark armor. Bais recognized them immediately. They were the Shadow Beasts, the creature he had described as the army of the final antagonist in his book. "Why are they here? The antagonist was defeated in the finale, after all," Bais pondered as the students began the battle. Caelan raised his hand, his fire spells flew towards the monsters, lighting up the dark field. Bais looked at him in surprise; Caelan had acted exactly as he had written it. But there was still something wrong. These monsters looked stronger than he perceived them to be. [Auxiliary system activated. You may use author access.] The words flashed before Bais. He froze. - Author access? [Confirm request: "Scan the object."] Bais instinctively said: - Scan. An interface that displayed the details of the monster appeared in front of his eyes: [Shadow Beast: Level 45. Vulnerabilities: Light, Electricity.] Bais felt a strange mixture of security and euphoria. This was his world, but now he wasn't just an observer. He was part of the story. - Kahlan! Use the clasp, they're weak against electricity! - Shouted Bice without thinking. Caelan looked around, surprised that the new one knew such information. But his spell had already changed: the fireball turned into a bright lightning bolt that struck the monster with a crackle. The beast roared and collapsed to the ground. Caelan looked at Bais with renewed interest. - How did you know that? Bais shrugged: - Long story. But inside he's different: this battle is only the beginning. And if he wants to save this world, he's going to have to memorize every detail of his story... and maybe rewrite it.
