Chapter 0
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Episode 0 - Destined to die for the sake of the plot
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Because I was a villain.
I was just a character created to be one without any justification.
A character created solely to make the game's plot more appealing and keep players from getting bored.
A character proclaimed a villain to be the bad guy in the story.
The truth is, I don't want to be a villain.
I just forced myself to be one.
But even so, it was frustrating.
I tried to do good deeds for everyone around me.
But the next day would come, and people would remember my good deeds as if they were bad.
It was as if someone had replaced their memories.
It was as if someone had done it on purpose.
It was as if they were controlling me to be the villain destined to die for the main heroine of the game.
I thought that if I resisted being a villain, things might be different.
But it was useless. First try, second try, third try... tenth try.
I don't even remember how many times I tried to change my role as the villain in this shitty game.
I could only choose one path.
But I couldn't even choose.
I could only continue as I was meant to be.
Become strong, sow chaos, kill my family, destroy the empire, and finally destroy the entire world.
With enough power, it was possible.
But there were those who would prevent it, and that would be the end of the game.
A game where I knew this world was a game thanks to my ancestor.
An ancestor from another world who called this world 〖Dream Fantasy〗 an ancestor who was called a hero and had a great privilege.
A privilege to do whatever he wanted and not be bound by what he was originally destined to do.
That's right, a player was free.
If I were a player, I could change everything.
I wish.
I wish I had that privilege.
***
"Tks, tks... Why does a damn human have six hearts and such an absurd amount of Myst?"
"Pfft... The so-called 'Dragon King' has less Myst than a human."
"For a fairy, you have a very dirty mouth."
"You two, stop talking nonsense."
"Ha, ha... if you say so, let's end this. Take care of your childhood friend, I'm leaving, and you, lizard."
"Say that again and I'll break your mouth."
"Oops, I'll take that as a 'yes'."
A dragon with a golden halo behind its head, like an angel.
A king proclaimed as the Star Light Fairy King.
And, even worse...
A childhood friend who didn't turn her back on me, but stayed in front of me.
An ending worthy of a shitty game, as my ancestor used to say.
"Only the two of us are left."
"Does that even matter?"
"Of course... after all, I always considered you my only family."
"Well, after destroying all my hearts and leaving the last, the only human heart I have left, half a step away from destruction... your words are annoying."
"I can't deny that, but..."
Golden eyes.
As golden as the sun.
Eyes that saw everything, even more than a human should see.
"Go ahead... say what you want."
A childhood friend destined to kill me at the end of the game.
I cannot change destiny.
I can't alter the plot.
If I were a player like my ancestor, maybe... I could change everything.
"I'll tell you one last time."
But the destiny of this trash called "Dream Fantasy" was unchangeable.
"Why did you do all this?"
"Why did I do all this?"
A question so often repeated, so familiar to me and to the game itself...
As annoying as it was obvious.
A question whose answer only someone who understood that this world was a game could comprehend.
"Because I was created to be this way."
"..."
Selena sighed, narrowed her eyes, and rubbed her brow.
"As I suspected... there's only one way to change everything."
"..."
I guess it was time to end the game.
"There's only one thing I can do."
This was the end of the game.
"I never wanted to accept it... but it's inevitable."
No... I meant: this was just one of the possible endings.
"I hope you change in your next life. But, of course, for that to be possible, there is only one curse for this situation."
And this was not a common ending, not even one that my ancestor would have known.
"The 〖Curse of rehabilitation〗 should change you."
I didn't know this.
'What does this mean?'
I felt an emotion trying to sink deep inside me.
'What the fuck is this?'
An immeasurable rage exploded inside me.
"Why?! Why?! Why do I have to go through this?! Why is this damn game the place where I was born? Why?!"
I screamed at the top of my lungs, releasing everything I had suppressed for so long.
"Really... you're really that bad. My God, I hope this curse changes you and fixes you."
Fix me?
"You say I'm bad? That I need to be fixed? Who the hell do you think you are...?"
But something unexpected came out of her mouth, words I never expected to hear in my last moments of life.
"I love you."
"...?"
Her face came close to mine, and her lips touched mine.
"I had always loved you, but you turned your back on me."
She got up, turned her back on me, and slowly walked away.
"This is goodbye, Ivanth V. Ashford, my first love."
As I closed my eyes and looked at her back, I heard her last words, barely noticing her shoulders shaking.
In reality, I couldn't blame her. I couldn't blame anyone for my misfortune.
But did that really matter now?
〖You have been cursed with the Curse of Rehabilitation〗
〖Your emotions are spiraling out of control〗
〖Fatigue has broken the limit〗
〖Fatigue: 101〗
My vision darkened, the world around me faded, and I sank deeper and deeper into darkness.
〖You have died〗
〖The goal of a new ending has been achieved〗
〖Deleting the main timeline and creating a new one〗
〖You will return to the past〗
***
I remember.
I remember that I used to sleep in a large room in the house where I grew up and eventually destroyed.
But it was just a memory.
A very distant one, which I had erased.
"Mhm."
That memory of those days was coming back.
I felt the cold morning breeze and the sunlight coming through a window.
Then I opened my eyes, and a sharp pain struck my head.
"Ugh... What?! What the hell is...?"
I froze, looked around, and blinked several times.
"What is this? What is happening right now?"
I couldn't think.
I couldn't think clearly.
And even less so when floating letters appeared in front of me, blocking my vision.
〖The Curse of Rehabilitation has been engraved〗
〖By committing evil deeds, your life expectancy will be reduced. If you ignore or overlook someone in danger, you will be penalized〗
〖Whenever the opportunity arises, you will receive a sub-mission of good deeds. If you fail to complete the mission, your life expectancy will be reduced. You have three attempts at each mission; if you fail, you will die and your soul will be claimed by ???〗
〖This curse cannot be removed unless the curse itself deems you rehabilitated or through the intervention of ???〗
"This... what is this...?"
When I finished reading, the letters disappeared, and I could see what was in front of me.
A mirror on the other side of the room reflected my sweat-covered face.
And as I looked at it, I was speechless as I realized the situation.
'It's me... younger.'
Just then.
Tap! Tap!
'Someone's coming.'
Footsteps echoed from the other side of the door; it was clear who would come to see me at that moment.
But as soon as I knew who was coming, letters floated before me.
〖First mission: Reconciliation of siblings〗
〖Sub-mission: First step of reconciliation〗
〖Go ahead and say the words shown〗
〖Good morning, sister〗
"..."