Chapter 24
Each step he took left behind a faint echo, as if the world itself was marking the remnants of its existence—one percent of everything he once knew now standing as a silent witness to the chaos born from the merging of reality and the creations of Vostraith Legacy.
In his mind, every piece of information he had ever heard about the company resurfaced, manifesting at once in a single, tightly compressed stream of thought.
How Vostraith Legacy, with all its luxury and technological brilliance, had managed to push the limits of human imagination to the point of bringing a fragment of Flo Viva Mythology's world into reality.
What he once considered an exaggerated marketing stunt had now turned into the most terrifying truth, for the game world was no longer just digital and controlled.
The boundary between self, scenario, and characters that were meant to remain behind a screen had dissolved into a single flow of existence that could no longer be ignored.
Theo felt his heartbeat pounding fast, yet beneath it flickered a spark of excitement he could not hide.
As a horror writer with a history of carving dark tales under the name Last Prayer, he realized this was an event that surpassed every imagination and experiment he had ever ventured into.
A world merging with his own creation was not merely a challenge—it was an opportunity to witness a scenario he could never have designed beforehand.
The darkness and chaos now surrounding him were a canvas awaiting the strokes of both an observer and a participant.
And even so, Theo remained standing, staring at the new world unfolding before him, aware that though most of his reality had vanished, he still retained a fragment of control—just enough to keep himself alive and take the first step in facing the consequences of this world's assimilation.
'So this is how it ends, huh? I'm beginning to understand.'
Tsraaak!
'You are not truly stopping me, Cru.
You are merely executing the law—one that even I, as a writer, as a remnant of reality—no longer possess the right to refuse.
Flo Viva Mythology was now writing itself.
And he was nothing more than a disturbance, a variable unworthy of existing within the perfection of the system's formula.'
Huuuush!
'What's unique is that I once believed there was no story without imperfection.
Every narrative needs a touch of disorder to make it feel alive.
Yet in this world, disorder is treated as a violation.
Now I understand what you're after.
You will sanctify everything unpredictable—every mistake, every deviation—and erase anyone who dares approach it… even if that person is Theo Vkytor.'
Theo stood holding his breath.
His body still felt feverish from earlier impacts and movements, while his gaze locked onto Cru, floating in the air several meters ahead.
The manifestation of the Administrator was far from a passive overseer.
Every motion, every aura emanating from him affirmed that he was the embodiment of Flo Viva Mythology's rules and script—an entity that would never allow a human, especially a player or writer, to manipulate the flow of the story at will.
Theo could feel the subtle yet tightening pressure radiating from Cru's presence, like a current of energy restraining every intent, wrapping the space around him with the awareness of absolute limits.
That truth made Theo realize that his desire to stop Erietta and Aldraya's battle was more than morality or instinct to protect—it was a violation of rules written into the deepest layers of this world.
Variables he once assumed he could control were now preserved as sacred, too important to be altered, and his presence as an obstruction triggered distortions that rippled through the surrounding energy.
The space where he stood seemed to shrink, as though every element of this world rejected his existence as an intruder.
In Theo's mind, calculations flickered rapidly.
He knew what he faced was far more than a physical challenge or sword clash—it was a test of a system vastly more complex, where human logic was but a thin layer overshadowed by a living game scenario.
Cru, with cold composure and a gaze that pierced through every motive, made it clear that there would be no tolerance for interference.
The ongoing flow had to be preserved; every error caused by Theo's intentions would receive its due consequences.
Theo felt tension creeping up his spine, each second reminding him that he was only a tiny cog in a grand impartial machine.
And while he centered himself—steadying his breath, shaping new strategies—Theo could only stand there and wait, aware that his only choice was to adapt while seeking a gap to move through the sacred constraints of the system.
'So this is how an Administrator thinks? Seeing every deviation as a threat, every intervention as a sin? Then where is the logic in that?
I never intended to destroy the narrative, Cru.
I was only trying to maintain balance—to prevent destruction from swallowing the protagonist who, in truth, is the breath that keeps me alive.
If Ilux falls, I vanish with him.
Can your system not grasp a motive that simple?'
Ussssh!
'Erietta and Aldraya are meant to fight, that much is true.
But not now, and if their clash produces effects that exceed the scenario's boundaries, isn't it my responsibility—as an observer suspended between imagination and reality—to ensure the story doesn't devour its own creator?
Hah, but what's the use of arguing with reason in a realm that doesn't understand reason at all?
In the end, this mistake still originates from me.
I'm the one who got carried away with Aldraya.
I'm the one who blurred the boundaries and altered the course of the story.
Now, the law you call 'the system' demands repentance.'
Uuuuuuhh!
"Still, how ridiculous.
A game universe with no manners, treating a renowned writer like filth inside its algorithmic gears.
I wrote Last Prayer so humanity could grasp the horrors they bring to life—and ironically, now I'm trapped inside my own final prayer.
Truly, Flo Viva Mythology, you are not just a universe without principle—you are the hope that manifested in the worst form imaginable."
Theo stood with tense shoulders.
His eyes stared toward the newly formed battlefield, fully aware that he was now trapped between the will of the scenario and his moral responsibility as its overseer.
To him, this world was not just a game.
It was an extension of life, soul, and creation.
Every thread of conflict carried real consequences, though to outsiders they were nothing more than numbers and graphics on a screen.
Erietta and Aldraya were no longer mere characters.
They were embodiments of a plot that needed to continue forward, but also trials for Theo himself, the writer who carried the life of Ilux Rediona—the protagonist who anchored his entire existence.
Bitterly, he accepted that every action he took, even the simple intent to separate the two girls, had now become a violation against the most sacred system.
Cru, the manifestation of the Administration that guarded the integrity of Flo Viva Mythology, appeared not to negotiate or warn, but to remind him that this world enforced its laws without compromise.
The pressure was overwhelming, seeping into every fiber of Theo's being, forcing his mind to recalculate each step, each strategy—even though the smallest hesitation could claim a life or alter the fate of the character he sought to protect.
In the suffocating silence, Theo nodded grimly, acknowledging the unintended consequence of drawing Aldraya closer and disrupting the scenario.
Theo knew the repercussions would not stop at him.
Ilux would feel every impact, every damage, and every benefit would never be fully his to share.
To be continued…