I opened my eyes to find the room's scent had changed. It wasn't my usual room, which reeked of cold coffee and old books, but a strong metallic blood smell mixed with a strange incense hinting at antiquity.
I sat up, startled. This wasn't my room. I was in a spacious hall with stone walls adorned with self-illuminating golden engravings. Suddenly, my vision blurred, and a transparent blue screen appeared before me, resembling the gaming interface I'd been hooked on for years:
[Alert: "User 000" logged in.]
[Current location: "Dragons' Oath - Chapter 1" narrative.]
[Your role: "Side Guardian #4" - Expected death: in 10 minutes.]
I froze. This novel? I'd finished reading it yesterday! I knew every line, but I also knew one thing for sure: Guardian #4 dies on page three when the "Dark Hero" storms the palace to steal the "Time Gem."
I looked at my hands. They were shaking. I wasn't just a reader now; I was part of this world's code. A cold metallic voice echoed in my head:
[Mandatory mission: Survive.]
[Reward: Explore a world "glitch."]
[Penalty: Erasure of existence.]
I heard soldiers shouting outside. The ground shook beneath heavy footsteps approaching the hall. There was no escape; the massive wooden door started cracking under a mysterious force.
I glanced around for an exit but noticed something missing from the original novel. In the corner, a shadow moved—a shadow belonging to no one in the hall, watching me intently. Suddenly, time stopped. Everything froze except the shadow, which began taking human form before me—a man in a black coat, his face masked, featureless.
The shadow approached, placed a finger on my lips though I couldn't move, and whispered in a voice identical to mine, "Do you think the hero killed Guardian #4? Check your dagger..."
I looked down at the dagger on my belt. It wasn't ordinary—it bled black blood that hadn't been there moments before. The door broke, and the "Dark Hero" entered, clad in black, his eyes gleaming evil. But seeing me, he didn't look at the dagger; he stared at the shadow behind me.
The hero froze, his sword-hand trembling. He whispered, terrified, "You... how did you return from erasure?"