Episode 1: Am I Inside a Game?**
I opened my eyes and instantly knew something was wrong.
This wasn't my room.
The bed was medieval in style, the walls wooden, and outside the window, I could see a sprawling campus nestled between distant mountains.
"This is… Nexaria Academy," I whispered.
I knew that name. It was the setting of a popular game—**"Arclight: Reverse Route."** I had just finished it recently. An RPG where players become heroes, battle monsters, and unravel secrets step-by-step through a magical academy.
But… I finished the game and went to sleep. So how the hell did I end up *here*?
I looked in the mirror—and saw someone else's face.
I was now **Luke Hales**, a complete side character in the game. Neither a hero nor a villain. Just another student who clapped from the sidelines whenever the main character did something cool.
"So now I'm… just an extra?" I muttered, hand to my forehead.
If I wanted to survive in this world, I'd need to understand how the story unfolds. Lucky for me, I'd already played the game. I knew most of the plot. That knowledge… would be my only weapon.
---
**Nexaria Academy**—a place that trains future legends. Where heroes are made.
On the first day, I made it to class just in time. Everyone looked new—but somehow familiar. These were the game's characters—only now, they were *real*.
"Are you the new student?" a sharp voice asked.
A girl stood before me, her crimson hair shining under the morning light, eyes like daggers. Her name: **Aris Flamegale**—one of the game's main leads.
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm Luke."
She gave a slight smile. "I'll remember that name. You can sit next to me."
---
And just like that, my new life began.
I knew what was coming—demonic attacks, dangerous exams, hidden conspiracies.
But one thing had changed.
I wasn't the player anymore.
I was part of the story.
And to survive, I had to become the kind of extra who knew everything—who rewrote his own tale.
---
### **Episode 2: First Class, First Danger**
At Nexaria, days start *before* dawn. The moment the bell rang at 7 a.m., all students gathered in the Main Hall.
I arrived early—because I *knew* this was where the first trigger in the game would begin.
The hall was massive, lit by floating magic lanterns, statues of historic warriors etched into the marble walls. Around me sat future heroes… though none of us really knew what we were capable of yet.
"Silence."
A single word dropped like thunder. Everyone fell quiet.
**Professor Arkan Kravel** entered—our Combat Theory instructor. In the game, he was a stern, mysterious figure involved in major plot twists later on.
"If you think this is just a normal school, you're wrong," he said coldly. "There is no place here for the weak."
Then came the announcement: "You'll duel each other. This is just a test… to see who's truly ready."
My stomach dropped.
Because I remembered what happened during this "test" in the game. Some students got injured—some even passed out.
And me? I was just a side character. I had no idea what my abilities even *were*.
"Luke Hales vs. Serena Brightlume," the professor called.
**"What? Her?!"**
Serena was one of the game's strongest heroines—her power? **Light Manipulation**. She could craft weapons out of pure light.
Meanwhile, I didn't even know how to throw a punch.
I stepped onto the field. My hands were shaking. My forehead was already wet with sweat. But I had to act—like I knew exactly what I was doing.
The duel began.
Serena launched a burst of light straight at me. I dodged—just barely.
"Whoa, he's fast!" the crowd murmured.
But… I didn't dodge that on purpose.
My body… it moved *on its own*?
Was that my ability?
It felt like my body was adapting to danger without me doing anything.
I took a step forward, pretending to be confident—trying to intimidate her.
Serena hesitated.
There was fear in her eyes.
**That's it! My power!**
**"Charming Presence"**—something never shown in the game. A strange aura that throws people off—confuses them, scares them, or even charms them.
The professor raised a hand.
"That's enough. Duel over. Winner—Luke Hales."
The hall was silent.
No one understood what had just happened.
An extra… just won his first duel?
---
It may have been a small victory, but its impact?
Huge.
From now on, no one would dare overlook me again.
---
### **Episode 3: After Class, A Call From the Shadows**
After the duel, people looked at me differently. Some whispered I was a hidden genius. Others thought I had trained in secret.
But I knew the truth—I was still just an extra. And there was something strange going on beneath it all.
"You fought really well," Serena said, walking up beside me.
I scratched my head awkwardly. "Just lucky, I guess."
She laughed.
But in her eyes… I saw curiosity. She could tell I wasn't what I appeared to be.
---
After class, I headed to the library. Because in the game, this was when a secret event could be unlocked—called **"The Shadow's Letter."** If I could find it, it might give me a major clue for the future.
The library was eerily quiet. Among the ancient books, something caught my eye—an envelope with a faint shimmer.
A black envelope.
On it was written:
**"If you seek the truth, follow the shadows."**
Just then—a shadowy figure darted past the shelves.
I didn't hesitate. I ran after it.
It led me to the Academy's old tower—a place that only appeared once in the game, and much later.
Why now?
"You've awakened early, Luke Hales," a deep voice echoed from the dark.
I froze.
A shadowy figure stood there. I couldn't make out a face, but its presence was heavy and unnerving.
"This world's script is changing," it said. "The path you've chosen won't be easy."
"Who are you?" I asked.
It handed me a sealed, ancient book.
"This is yours. Only someone who walks beyond the script can read it."
I took the book.
When I looked up—the figure was gone.
---
That night, I couldn't sleep.
Because I realized something:
I wasn't just stuck in a game as a background character.
I'd entered something that was writing *itself*.
---
### **Episode 4: Death Trial - Blackwild**
At Nexaria, a brutal tradition happens every year: **The Blackwild Trial**.
Students are thrown into a massive, enchanted forest, filled with magic beasts.
The rule is simple: **Survive, or drop out.**
Professor Arkan gathered us.
"You have 24 hours. Survive, and you'll be recognized as 'Asset-Class' students."
In the game, "Asset-Class" meant you were no longer just a student—you were Nexaria's *property*.
I wasn't scared… or at least I thought I wasn't.
---
We were teleported into the forest via magic portal.
I hit the ground, rolled, and stood up quickly. Thick jungle all around. Strange insect sounds. A cold fog.
Beside me, someone stirred.
Crimson hair.
"You?"
**Aris Flamegale.**
"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" she said.
I shrugged. "Call it a hunch."
"Then let's stick together. We need to survive."
According to the game, she doesn't trust me yet. But maybe… things will be different this time.
---
As we moved deeper into the jungle, the ground suddenly trembled.
"That sound…" I whispered.
I screamed—"**Shadow Beetle!**"
A monstrous bug burst from the trees—huge jaws, glowing red eyes, armored in black.
Aris launched a flame blast—it bounced off.
"It's not supposed to show up *this* early!"
The story was speeding up… *changing.*
My **Charming Presence** kicked in.
The beetle paused, locking eyes with me.
Just long enough.
I grabbed a sharp branch and hurled it—straight into its eye.
Aris followed with a massive fireball—
**BOOM.**
It collapsed.
---
We survived. Barely. Our first kill.
I smiled. "You were right. Sticking together was a good idea."
She looked at me seriously.
"There's something inside you, Luke. You can't hide it."
I grinned. "Honestly? Even I don't know what I am."
---
That night, we took shelter in a tree cave.
Far away, in the shadows… someone was watching.
"He's not just stepping outside the plot… he's starting to *break* it," a voice whispered.
---
### **Episode 5: The Light That Went Missing**
It was late. Cold wind swept through the jungle. Aris and I sat by a fire, silent.
We couldn't sleep.
Because tonight… something important was supposed to happen.
In the game, someone goes *missing* in this chapter.
But who? And could I stop it?
---
Suddenly, we heard a voice in the
fog.
"Is anyone there?" A girl's voice. Nervous.
We ran toward it—and found **Serena Brightlume**, standing alone, her eyes… strangely empty.
"Serena? What are you doing here?"
She smiled faintly.
"I was… following a light."
"A light?" I asked.
This had happened in the game once—but no one believed it.
Dark circles under her eyes. She wasn't herself.
Then—she bolted into the woods.
"Serena, wait!"
We chased after her.
And then—
A loud crack. The ground shook.
When we reached her last spot, we only found a torn ribbon… and blood.
**Serena was gone.**
---
I collapsed to my knees, out of breath.
The story was progressing—but not like before.
In the game, Serena never vanished like *this.*
Aris stared at me.
"You said you knew what was going to happen. So how did this happen?"
I lowered my head.
"This world is changing. What I knew… it doesn't matter anymore."
---
Later that night, I sat alone by the fire.
I opened the old black book again.
This time, a new line had appeared:
**"When one is lost, something else is born."**
What does that mean?
Who—or *what*—was being born?
---
Deep in another part of the forest, inside a dark cave—
Two eyes glowed.
They were Serena's.
But her face was… *calm. Too calm.*
A shadowy figure beside her whispered,
"A new script begins. And now… its rules lie hidden inside you."