Chapter 3 : "FROM DEATH TO PAGES"
Answers mattered more than caution. After a brief pause, Taesoo finally broke the silence.
"What are you...?"
The Entity responded instantly, its voice cutting through the heavy darkness.
"You can call me whatever you want, human. Just don't ask what I am — some things are better left unknown. But yes, I'm an entity. Don't let it unnerve you."
The words were casual, almost conversational — but Taesoo's eyes scanned every inch of his surroundings regardless. He traced the edges of the swirling black fog, the way shadows bent and shifted around him, making sure this wasn't a hallucination or trick of his mind. He found himself thinking of the mall just a few blocks from the cafe — how bright and loud it always was, how different it felt from this suffocating quiet.
"I already told you — you're dead. Now focus. What I'm about to say is important."
The Entity moved closer, swaying gently at his side as its misty form undulated like water. Even without a solid shape, Taesoo could feel its presence thrumming in the air — thick, intentional, impossible to ignore. It stilled for a moment, then spoke again, its curiosity breaking through.
"You… You're not surprised. Not even a little?"
Taesoo's expression didn't shift. Inside, shock warred with confusion — but panic would only cloud his judgment. He forced himself to stay calm, to lock his focus on the one thing that mattered: understanding why he was here, and what the Entity meant by "accident."
"Tell me — why did you kill me?"
His tone was sharp, cold, and direct. No pleasantries, no hesitation. The Entity went quiet at once, holding perfectly still just in front of his face — its fog so close he could almost feel it on his skin. Then, slowly, it began to move again, and Taesoo recognized the shift as a prelude to speech.
He'd been watching carefully, cataloging every swirl and drift since the moment he'd woken. Even with something so far beyond his experience, the skill he'd honed reading people held firm — he could read the Entity's movements like body language. A small flicker of pride crossed his mind before he pushed it aside, his thoughts drifting again to that mall — the way sunlight streamed through its glass roof, how he'd often ducked inside just to escape the noise of the street.
"Interesting, human… Aren't you scared of me?"
The question carried an edge — an assumption that fear was the only rational response. But Taesoo ignored it entirely, his gaze steady on the shifting black form as he pressed forward with the precision of an interrogator.
"Answer me. Did you kill me? Why? And why call it an accident?"
His patience was already wearing thin. The Entity circled him slowly then, its fog winding around his shoulders like cool smoke. It was clear now — he was a curiosity. Humans should have been trembling, begging, running. Taesoo was doing none of those things, his mind still lingering on the mundane world he'd left behind.
Silence stretched between them, broken only by Taesoo's steady, calm breathing. Finally, the Entity settled its movement and began to speak, its voice carrying a weight it hadn't shown before.
"As I said — you died. And it's entirely my fault. I didn't kill you on purpose. I accidentally caused your death when I woke up from a deep slumber…"
The mist continued to circle him as it spoke, shifting in slow, deliberate patterns.
"Slumber? You killed me because you woke up? How is that possible? You sound suspicious as hell…"
Taesoo's gaze never wavered, even as it fixed on nothing but swirling black fog. His eyes were cold, but curiosity flickered beneath the surface — the explanation made no sense. He stood firm, arms crossed over his broad chest, every inch the confident man he'd been in life.
"Yes. I've been sleeping for twelve thousand years, accumulating and harnessing my powers. When I finally awakened, my mana energy was overwhelming — it created… aftereffects."
Taesoo listened without a single distraction, his focus sharp as a blade. Sensing this, the Entity pressed on without pause.
"Remember the kid you saved? I unintentionally transferred some of my mana to him. His body was too weak to handle it — the energy shocked his system, sending his mind into a coma while his body kept moving on instinct. You acted like a hero and got him to safety… but that same energy led to what happened to you."
The bombshell landed heavy and quiet. Taesoo said nothing, his jaw tight. He hated the thought — dying because some cosmic being had simply woken up and let its power run wild, leading him straight into the path of a truck.
"So why am I here? Breathing, talking to you? You said I'm dead — or are you just toying with me?"
His voice was sharp with hostility, his muscles tensed as if ready to defend himself. He tried to keep it hidden, but rage was building in him, hot and sharp both emotionally and physically.
"No need to get angry, human. You weren't the only one affected by my overflowing power."
Taesoo's eyes widened slightly, a flood of questions rising to his lips. It was bad enough that he'd been killed in an accident he'd had no part in — now he was learning he'd been marked by the same mana that had put the boy in a coma.
"What do you mean?...."
Taesoo's question was sharp, his gaze locked onto the Entity — which had gone still mid-circle, its misty form no longer drifting. Slowly, the black fog condensed and reshaped itself into something recognizable: a human-like silhouette, solid as shadow yet shifting at its edges. Taesoo's eyes narrowed to slits, his stare cutting through the figure as if he could peel back its form to see the truth beneath.
"While you were dying, you unconsciously pulled on my mana. Put simply — your will was strong enough to seize my power and wield it for a single, brief moment."
Confusion tightened across Taesoo's face.
"What?? I don't understand..."
His voice stayed steady, but his mind was already spinning from the cascade of revelations. Adding accidental cosmic power use to the list was pushing him toward a throbbing headache.
"Do you remember your last thoughts before you died???"
The Entity asked, its silhouette tilting slightly as if gauging his memory.
"Yeah — I was thinking about a book. A novel I'd been reading. Why? Did I do something to it? Set it on fire or destroy it somehow?"
Questions spilled out fast, and he was surprised by the flicker of concern in his chest. It wasn't a priceless treasure, but it had been his quiet escape — a way to unwind when solitude was all he had.
The Entity began pacing left and right, its gaze never leaving Taesoo even as it moved. He watched without a flinch, curiosity warring with the frustration building in his veins.
Then, in an instant, darkness gave way to light. Buildings rose around them, sidewalks filled with people, cars streamed down the streets — it was the same city where he'd stood just before the truck hit.
But nothing felt right. The noise was muffled, like listening through water. The crowd moved in stilted patterns, and the air carried a strange weight, as if the world was wrapped in a thin, impenetrable veil. Taesoo scanned every detail with his sharp, calculating eyes, taking in the wrongness of it all before turning back to the Entity.
"What's this? Why am I back here? You said I was dead."
He looked around.
"As you can see, this is your world — but it's no longer whole. When you drew on my mana while dying, your intense focus on that novel forged a collision between your reality and the book's. The power was unstable, so only 30% of your world integrated successfully. The novel's reality, however, took hold at 70% — enough to rewrite the rules of everything around you."
The Entity spoke calmly as it continued pacing, its attention now drifting over the distorted cityscape.
"So you're telling me my life merged with a story I was reading? And the book has more say in how things work than my own world did? What the hell is that supposed to mean… Fuck, my head is splitting..."
Taesoo rubbed his temples, his voice tight with strain — the flood of information threatened to overwhelm him, but he forced himself to stay focused. This was too critical to let frustration cloud his judgment.
"Hahaha! Don't worry — even I'm feeling the headache here. It's my first time witnessing a human wield my power, and on top of that, you pulled off a spell known for being nearly impossible to master. I have to admit… I'm impressed. Your mentality is stronger than any I've encountered."
The Entity's laughter rippled through the distorted air, genuine surprise coloring its words. It had never fathomed that a human could tap into its power with nothing more than sheer will.
"Enough with this. Just explain."
Taesoo's tone was sharp and unyielding. The Entity took it in stride — it had anticipated this directness from him. Without another pause, it launched into a thorough explanation, and Taesoo listened in complete focus, saving his questions only for points he couldn't grasp.
Here's what he learned: In his final moments, Taesoo had unconsciously channeled the Entity's unstable mana, transporting himself into the novel's world. The Entity cared little for the book or Taesoo's fate, but it offered two paths back to his reality. He could either adhere strictly to the original storyline and keep a low profile, allowing him to return once the story reached its end — or he could choose to die quietly within the novel. The Entity even suggested finding a secluded area, somewhere no eyes would witness, and ending his life immediately to pull his soul back to his original world.
But Taesoo felt no draw to go home. He'd already achieved every goal he'd set in his old life — the thought of returning felt hollow, even boring. A master manipulator who'd always written his own rules, he had no intention of following someone else's script. Especially not when the novel in question was Lost in Paradise — one he'd read cover to cover more times than he could count.
Taesoo read 'Lost in Paradise' whenever he had free time, not getting tired of the story, especially the steamy scenes. He was particularly amused by the five male leads, who went to great lengths to win the heart of the female lead, showcasing their manly, protective, and obsessive sides. The way they fought for her attention and slowly grew more and more possessive is just... captivating. And of course, there's the explicit content.
It's a major draw for Taesoo. He loves how the male leads will stop at nothing to have her, even if it means hurting each other.
And of course, like other romance novels, the female lead only chose one — leaving the rest heartbroken. Then the story went on with all of them moving on, and boom — the end. Taesoo read it every time he had free time, never getting tired of it.
Now that he had realized he was inside the novel's world, he made a decision to not go back and instead stay inside the new world he had created.
The entity, uninterested in Taesoo's plan and motives, warns him that if he chooses to disrupt the plot, he'll be stuck in the novel's world forever.
The Entity also warned him that a part of his world had been fused with the novel's, resulting in subtle changes. On the surface, his life remained largely the same: he was still Jang Taesoo, CEO of the Aurora Consortium, and owner of the same adult Live streaming website. However, the people around him and his circumstances had been altered, with a few interesting adjustments.So it's pretty much the same but at the same time, it's not.
"Are you sure you're not going back? Im offering you a once in a lifetime chance, human. It may seem like it's the same world but its not. Once you made your decision there's no turning back"
The Entity's tone turned cold as it informed Taesoo that there was no going back, no escape from the world he now inhabited. Its voice was laced with a deadly seriousness, and it issued a stern warning, leaving Taesoo in no doubt about the gravity of his situation.
However, Taesoo seemed to have made up his mind, as if he wasn't bothered by the consequences of staying.
"Hmmm... So im inside of the novel, but my background is slightly the same with a few adjustments.... Now that i think about it, its not that bad"
Taesoo spoke, a slow grin spreading across his face. He was up to something, and the Entity sensed it – a spark of unusual intent that piqued its interest, not that it cared either way. It wasn't the Entity's problem, after all.
"So, what's your conclusion? I want to make sure you dont whine like a kid like
'I want to go back, i can't do this anymore,
bla bla bla'. So better do this right without any regrets later"
The Entity spoke, its voice laced with mockery, yet still tinged with an air of seriousness. Taesoo chuckled, finding the situation almost comical – but he wasn't about to let his amusement show too much. He had no regrets, and he knew his upbringing had prepared him for this. With a grin still on his face, Taesoo began to speak again, his tone laced with amusement.
"I'll stay — but first, I need to figure out what's off with my life settings. Then, I'll live in this novel's world like I'm meant to, at its absolute finest. And the best part? I'm gonna destroy the plot. Oh wait... I'm not just gonna destroy this story's plot... I'm gonna rewrite this whole damn world myself, and make it mine."
A sharp smirk twisted his lips as he spoke, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. The thought of dismantling the saccharine romance and unspooling the story's foundations was intoxicating — a heady brew that coursed through his veins. He relished the idea of bending the male leads to his will, exploiting their noble natures and turning them into pieces on his board. A game of psychological chess where only he knew all the moves.
Taesoo knew he was addicted to the novel, and it was all because of the male leads. Their righteous, protective, and over-the-top personas were his catnip, a siren's call that drew him deeper into the depths of depravity. He craved the sight of them broken and submissive, their faces etched with desperation as they surrendered to him, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and adoration. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, awakening the darkness within, a beast that growled and snarled, eager to be unleashed.
As his mind spiraled into the abyss, Taesoo's desires grew more depraved, more twisted, more all-consuming. He would transform the novel's fluffy romance into a dark, twisted tale of obsession and submission, a nightmare from which the male leads would never awaken. They would be his, and he would mold them into his image, their strings pulled tight in the palm of his hand, their every move dictated by his whims.
The Entity didn't talk for a while — it rather stared at the human in front of it, silent, wondering what was going on inside of Taesoo's head and what he was scheming. Taesoo's face was unsettling, looking like that of a hungry beast eyeing its prey. The Entity didn't delay further and initiated a conversation.
"So, have you finally made up your mind? You've been silent for a while. Are you perhaps daydreaming? Not that I care, though..."
Taesoo snapped back to reality, his attention was needed by the Entity to make a final decision.
"Yes, I want to stay. I'd rather play here than go back to my world.... I'll make sure everything goes according to my plan.."
He said, grinning, as he ruffled his hair, his voice a low, husky whisper that was both dark and genuine, hinting at a confidence that left no doubt – he was the one calling the shots, and the Entity was about to find out what he had in store.
"Now you sound like a villain... Humans are pretty scary, you know that. I almost forget you're a human yourself. Well, whatever you're going to do is up to you. Once I'm gone, you'll find yourself waking up inside the novel — but remember what I said, your life settings are still the same, just with some alterations and adjustments. So, enjoy living inside the novel. This is your real world now."
The Entity spoke, warning him one last time, and the humanly fog in front of Taesoo swirled, then circled around his entire body, whirling into a strong wind that made Taesoo squint his eyes and cover his face. It continued for three more seconds, then slowly, Taesoo's consciousness faded.
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Taesoo felt a pain throbbing in his head, as if it was splitting open. He opened his eyes in a sluggish, unfocused way, wanting to stay still, but his situation demanded he make sure he was alive. It was necessary, after all – he didn't want an Entity scamming him in the most unhinged, disrespectful way.
Blinking his eyes, he finally saw the ceiling, recognizing the color. It was his room. To assure himself, he gradually got up and sat on his bed, his eyes still unfocused. It took him 2 minutes to finally regain his composure.
Taesoo's gaze roamed over his body, his eyes lingering on his hands, arms, and face as he performed an investigation.
Satisfied that everything was in working order, he yanked off the blanket, exposing his lower half. His legs were intact, and everything else seemed to be in its proper place. A wave of relief washed over Taesoo as he confirmed he was actually alive and hadn't been played by the Entity.
"Haahh... Fuck, too much happened in just one day."
He sighed while ruffling his bed hair.
Taesoo's gaze swept across his room, his mind still reeling from the Entity's words. Were there any changes? He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He rose from his bed, stretching his arms overhead, and suddenly remembered he was topless – only his gray sweatpants remained. He ran a hand through his hair, rubbing his eyes with a tired palm.
Taesoo walked to the study table near his bed and started searching for something — he was looking for his phone. He didn't have it when he woke up. He'd searched his bed for it, but it wasn't there. Taesoo ignored the missing phone and decided to take a bath. However he felt uneasy. What if the phone was left in the original world because he hadn't been holding it when he died? The thought bothered him but right now he needs to focus on himself and that means going to the company.
"I need to fix myself first before getting outta here..."
Taesoo, with a lazy voice, started walking towards the bathroom and entered. The bathroom was enormous and luxurious, with shades of charcoal gray, jet black, and bone white – a perfect reflection of Taesoo's style and personality. He approached the mirror, his eyes locking onto his reflection. His face was the same, looking handsome, with well-defined features that were unmistakably his. His dominant and manly aura still radiated, making his image almost imposing. He stroked his face with his hands, his fingers tracing the contours of his jawline as he examined himself with confidence.
"Hhmm..... Still the same. No minor setback"
He spoke to himself, still monitoring his reflection in the mirror. Knowing everything was fine with his body, Taesoo's thoughts turned to the male leads. A sly grin spread across his face as he checked himself out in the mirror. This was his first step towards destroying the plot of the novel.
Taesoo felt a thrill just thinking about it. His inner beast was stirring, and his mind was filled with dark images of the male leads. He pictured himself doing unspeakable and vulgar things to the five male leads, but he immediately pushed the thoughts away. If he was going to manipulate them, he first needed to start his own game. And before starting the game, he needed to get ready, make sure there were no nuisances, intruders, or interruptions.
Taesoo needed to calculate his moves and study the new world. The first step was to understand his own character and identity in this world. With determination set and motives clear, he needed to figure out his new life, arrange things, and settle down. After that, he would start disrupting the characters and the novel, including the female lead.
Taesoo already had a plan, so he was relaxed and unworried. He looked at himself in the mirror with a serious, cold expression — then whispered...
"Ready or not here i come...."
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