Ethan Carter was a failed fantasy author who died overworked and bitter. When he wakes up in the world of his own unfinished novel, he finds himself reborn as Darius Wycliffe, a weak and arrogant noble fated to be killed by the protagonist, Lucien Ashford, the Archmage’s Disciple.

But Ethan refuses to die so easily. Armed with his knowledge of the world’s secrets and a unique ability to rewrite spells, he dives into the forbidden magic he once created but never fully explored. As he grows stronger, he uncovers terrifying truths about the world he thought he knew.

To survive, Ethan must defy destiny, master the deadliest of magics, and challenge the very hero he once wrote to be unbeatable. But what happens when the lines between hero and villain start to blur?

Darius's lungs burned as he sprinted through the forest, the damp air thick with the stench of decay and pine, his boots slipping on roots that seemed to twist beneath him. Aiden's orbs blazed ahead, their golden light cutting through the suffocating dark, but the shadows fought back, curling like living things around gnarled trees. Tahlia ran beside him, her leaf-streaked hair whipping, her breath sharp and uneven. Kai's earth magic rumbled, stone barriers rising behind them to slow whatever chased them, while Bran's sparks flared wildly, dying in the heavy air. Zevran's metal shields hovered, glinting as they deflected unseen threats. The forest groaned, a low, guttural moan, as footsteps—heavy, deliberate, predatory—thundered closer, shaking the ground. The scream from moments ago clawed at Darius's mind, its raw, unholy edge a blade in his thoughts. Something was hunting them, and it wasn't human.


Chapter 60 - The Forest's Test