The tension that had settled in the air was palpable. Kim Dokja's heart pounded as he stared at the cracked ground beneath his feet. The Fourth Scenario had begun — but something was different this time. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, and the usual feeling of being part of a grand narrative had morphed into something more unsettling. It was as if the world itself had become aware of the players, their every move observed by an unseen force.
As he moved through the ruins of the city, the remnants of a world now twisted by the Scenarios, Kim Dokja couldn't shake the nagging sensation that this time, the story was no longer just about survival. Something far more insidious was unfolding, and he was no longer sure who was pulling the strings. Was it the Constellations, who had played their part in the game from the beginning? Or was there something — or someone — more powerful lurking behind the scenes, directing the events like a puppet master?
"You feel it too, don't you?" the voice of the girl echoed in his mind, and for a moment, he almost forgot she had been with him all along. Since the moment she had appeared, everything had felt slightly off, like a page torn from a book and crumpled into a new shape.
Kim Dokja hadn't had time to fully process what she had said about the story still being written, or the possibility of an outside influence, but now, as the ground beneath him shook again, his doubts only deepened. Was this truly the scenario they had expected, or had the rules changed once more?
He glanced over at her, still walking beside him, her steps as calm as ever, despite the chaos unfolding around them. It was almost as if she had already known what was coming, as if she had seen this scenario unfold before. The thought made him uneasy, but the more he observed her, the more it seemed like she was a part of the equation he hadn't been able to solve.
"What's the plan?" Kim Dokja asked, his voice low. He was trying to maintain control, but the uncertainty gnawed at him. He had never been good at dealing with the unknown — the story had always been his advantage, the one thing that made him feel like he had a foothold in this bizarre new world.
She glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "We move forward. Find the key. The rest of it doesn't matter."
He frowned. "The key to what? You're not making any sense."
She smiled faintly. "The key to the story. It's always been there, just hidden behind layers of illusions. The game has its rules, yes. But those rules are meant to be broken. That's what we're here for."
Kim Dokja's mind raced. It was clear she wasn't talking about surviving the scenario in the traditional sense. She had a deeper understanding of what was at stake, something that he could barely grasp.
A sudden scream shattered the air, followed by the unmistakable sound of combat. Kim Dokja tensed, instinctively moving toward the noise. The world had become a battlefield, and the Scenarios were the weapons. He didn't know who — or what — was out there, but he couldn't ignore it. Not when his survival was on the line.
As they rounded a corner, they saw a group of players fighting for their lives. Strange creatures, beasts born from the twisted logic of the Scenarios, surrounded them. Their bodies were a grotesque fusion of man and monster, claws scraping against the pavement, eyes glowing with a hunger that could never be satisfied.
The players were struggling, clearly overwhelmed. One of them, a woman with a bloodied sword, caught sight of Kim Dokja and the girl. Desperation filled her eyes as she shouted, "Help us! Please!"
Without hesitation, Kim Dokja pushed forward. He wasn't sure what drove him — a sense of duty, a desire to protect, or simply the impulse to survive. But there was something in the woman's eyes that made him act, made him move faster than he thought possible.
"Stay behind me," he ordered the girl, though he knew she could take care of herself. They had made it this far together, after all.
But she didn't move.
"You're going to regret that," she said, almost to herself, her gaze fixed on the scene unfolding before them.
Kim Dokja's hands clenched around the hilt of his sword. He had no time to question her words. The monsters were closing in. The players were fighting for their lives, but it was clear they were outmatched. They needed a plan, and they needed it fast.
"Focus!" he shouted. "We take down the big one first. Then the others."
The group of players nodded, following his lead as they charged forward, weapons raised. The battle was chaos incarnate. Blood splattered the ground, and the air crackled with the energy of the Scenarios. Kim Dokja's heart raced in time with his movements as he fought, his mind calculating, his body reacting to the primal instinct to survive.
But amidst the chaos, something caught his attention.
The girl. She was standing still, watching the battle with the same calm expression she always had. She wasn't fighting. She wasn't even moving.
And then, just as quickly as the fight had begun, it stopped.
The monsters faltered, their forms flickering in and out of existence like something out of a broken dream. Kim Dokja's eyes widened in realization. This was no ordinary fight. The game itself was shifting, altering the battlefield as if to rewrite the narrative.
The girl stepped forward, her voice rising above the chaos.
"It's time," she said simply.
And as she spoke those words, the world around them began to change.
End of Chapter 14