Rain tapped against the windows of Aiden's apartment like a persistent whisper. He barely noticed. His eyes were glued to the screen of his phone, heart racing as he scrolled through the final chapter of the web novel Crown of Hearts. He had read for hours straight, devouring every scene. And now, he regretted reaching the end.
Celestia stood tall on the palace balcony, her hand clasped in King Alaric's — the proud, arrogant main lead. Below, the citizens of the empire cheered, unaware of the quiet figure walking away from the throne. Alone.
Shinomi, the second lead. Loyal. Soft-spoken. Brilliant in battle and gentle in love. He had spent years protecting Celestia, offering everything — his counsel, his sword, even his heart. Yet she had chosen Alaric.
Aiden stared at the paragraph again and again, unable to accept it.
> "I choose Alaric," Celestia had said. "Shinomi… I know you love me, but I need someone powerful at my side. I'm sorry."
After that, Shinomi had left the palace, heartbroken. The novel's epilogue revealed that he became a cold and calculating warlord, plotting rebellion — the villain of the empire's future.
Aiden's fingers tightened around his phone.
"It's not fair," he muttered aloud. "He did everything for her. And she threw him away like a tool."
He flopped back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. His chest ached for the fictional man he never met. He could still see Shinomi's face — sharp violet eyes, raven hair cascading down his shoulders, always pulled back in court but loose in the quiet of his chambers. Aiden had reread his scenes so many times, he knew his lines by heart.
"If I were the queen," Aiden whispered, "I wouldn't choose Alaric. I'd stay by Shinomi's side forever."
He laughed bitterly at himself. "Too bad I'm just a reader, huh? I'll never get the chance."
A loud crack of thunder echoed outside, shaking the windows. The lights flickered — once, twice — then went out. Aiden sat up, startled, as the storm intensified.
Then, everything blurred.
His phone slipped from his hands. The room spun. The sound of wind howling grew distant, as if underwater. His chest seized — air wouldn't come. His limbs went numb.
His last thought was Shinomi.
---
A distant voice reached him.
"...Enemy scum. You're awake."
Aiden blinked slowly. The scent of iron and mud filled his nose. Cold stone pressed against his back. He was no longer in his bed.
A towering figure stood over him, wrapped in silver and dark armor, rain dripping from his pauldrons. His eyes were sharp and violet — colder than the night itself.
"I should kill you where you lie," the man said, voice edged with venom. "But death is too kind."
Aiden's heart skipped.
That face. That voice.
Shinomi.
He wasn't reading Crown of Hearts anymore.
He was inside it.
---