The world shifted… but no one else seemed to notice.
Mr. Takeda droned on, giving Kevin the usual spiel: seat assignments, rules, a half-hearted joke about punctuality. The class responded with the expected mix of boredom and apathy.
Deven barely heard a word. He was too busy staring at Kevin as he made his way to the empty desk diagonally across from him—the same desk he'd given the protagonist in Chapter 1. The exact same one.
Coincidence. It had to be. Right?
Kevin sat down with casual grace, dropping his bag silently and pulling out a notebook. No hesitation. No nerves.
Deven's mind screamed louder.
This doesn't make sense. It can't be him. Kevin Reyes doesn't exist. I made him up.
He opened his phone beneath the desk, fingers fumbling over the screen. The webnovel was still open. Chapter 1219. He scrolled fast, all the way back to the start.
Kevin Reyes.Height: 5'11Eyes: GreyBackstory: Amnesiac. Moved cities. Quiet, observant. Dangerous potential.Desk: third row, second from the window.
Deven glanced back up.
Third row. Second from the window.
His stomach turned to ice.
"Yo," Aisha whispered beside him, nudging his elbow. "What's with the face? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Deven swallowed, his voice barely audible. "I think I might have."
"Is it that Kevin guy?"
He nodded slowly.
"He hot or something?"
"What? No—what? No! It's—he's not supposed to be here."
Aisha blinked. "...Okay? You good?"
Before Deven could answer, a loud bang echoed down the hallway outside.
Everyone turned.
Another bang. Then a screech.Not tires. Not metal. Something alive. Something wrong.
Mr. Takeda paused mid-sentence, brows furrowed. "Probably construction. Or—"Another screech cut him off. Louder this time. Closer.
This can't be happening.
Deven's mind was racing.
Students started murmuring. One of the loudmouths in the back cracked a joke.
Then the power went out.
Lights snapped off. The projector flickered and died. The cloudy daylight from the windows was all that remained.
Aisha sat up straighter. "Okay… that's new."
Deven's phone buzzed violently. Emergency Alert.
[EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM]Seek shelter. Stay inside. Do not approach the affected.Repeat: Do NOT approach the affected.
Everyone's phones buzzed at once, a symphony of panic.
Mr. Takeda's voice faltered. "Alright, everyone remain calm—"
The window shattered.
A blur of something black and red slammed into the classroom, skidding across the floor like a nightmare made of bone and sinew. Screams erupted. Chairs clattered. Someone threw a book.
Kevin was already away from the thing, his instincts kicking in.
Deven saw this, not surprised. He'd written him like that.
The thing stood up.
It wasn't human.
Tall. Twisted. Joints bending the wrong way. A skull-like face, jaw dislocated, drooling something dark and hissing.
Deven's mouth went dry. His hands trembled.
Because he knew this creature. He'd written it.
"Aisha, RUN!"
But she, like everyone in the room, stood frozen.
Chapter 2. Page 5. First kill. First blood.
He knew what it would do next.
And he knew how many would die.
A notification popped up in front of everyone in the class.
First mission
Objective: Kill The Skald
Rewards: Chance to get second ability
Failure: Death
He knew what would happen next.
No.
He leapt from his seat.