The rain drowned out every light in the city.
Seventeen-year-old Ren Asval walked home from school despite the downpour. The textbooks in his bag felt like the physical embodiment of the weight he had been carrying for years.
To him, life was… boring.
From the outside, he looked like just another high school student — but deep inside his mind, he saw himself as the puppeteer in the shadows.
One day, he had promised himself: "I will control the world from behind the scenes, with a power no one can ever see."
As he passed by the corner store, screeching brakes tore through the sound of rain.
Bright headlights blinded him.
Impact.
The world fell silent.
…Endless darkness.
When he opened his eyes, the sky was a deep, unnatural purple. Beneath him stretched an infinite mirror-like surface of water.
A slender woman with white hair walked toward him on the water's surface. Her body was wrapped in a thin silk dress — a little too see-through.
— "Ren Asval. I have an offer for you." Her eyes glowed with a deep violet light.
Ren chuckled without hesitation.
— "Isekai? Classic. I accept."
The woman blinked.
— "Why don't you even question it?"
— "Because this might be the start of my 'background hero' plan."
She smiled faintly.
— "Very well… I will send you to the Kingdom of Altheria. You will have unlimited power, but how you use it is up to you. One condition: a great chaos is approaching this world, and you will change its course."
Ren nodded.
— "I work from the shadows. Let others be called heroes — it's fine. I'll be the one pulling the strings."
She snapped her fingers.
A burst of violet light.
Everything went dark again.
The New World – Altheria
Ren opened his eyes to see a stone ceiling.
Above him hung a small iron chandelier. He was lying in a bed, covered with a wool blanket.
The door burst open.
A red-haired girl entered — sweet-faced, but with a stubborn spark in her eyes. She wore a white shirt, tight leather shorts, and a short cape.
— "You're awake! I'm Lyra Veylin. I found you unconscious in the forest. You were dying — lucky I was there."
Ren sat up with a polite smile.
— "Thank you. Where am I?"
— "Northern border village of the Altheria Kingdom. What's your name?"
— "Ren. Just Ren."
Lyra gave him a suspicious glance.
— "It's dangerous to wander alone here. Especially… after what I saw in the forest."
Ren tilted his head.
— "What did you see?"
Her cheeks turned a faint shade of red.
— "…You cutting down an entire army by yourself. That black light from your sword… You can't be human."
Ren smirked inwardly. Guess I went a bit too far… I'll just cover it up.
— "Could have been an illusion. Maybe you saw wrong."
Lyra frowned.
— "I didn't see wrong."
At that moment, the door opened again.
This time, a tall, black-haired girl with piercing blue eyes entered. She wore a high-slit dress, the sides held together by silver chains — quite… distracting.
— "Lyra, there's a massive beast outside. The village is under attack!"
Lyra grabbed her sword.
Ren rose slowly from the bed.
The first scene I'll direct from the shadows… begins now.
The Battle
When they reached the village square, a massive "Flame Hound" was burning down houses. Villagers were running in panic.
Lyra and the black-haired girl — Seris Alven — drew their swords.
Ren slipped quietly to the back.
Without anyone noticing, he snapped his fingers.
Black chains descended from the sky, wrapping around the beast, before it erupted into black flames from within and vanished.
The villagers believed Lyra and Seris had done it.
While they were being cheered as heroes, Ren simply stood in the corner.
This is how it should be… Heroes on stage, me in the shadows. I will be the shadow of this world.
But Lyra glanced at him and whispered:
— "Don't lie to me, Ren. You killed that thing."
Ren only smiled.
— "Who knows?"