The cracks widen, mana condenses, and the shadows of the end draw near—

Demons rage, the world crumbles, and the beings behind the ice open their eyes to the world—

The cold breaks the chains of the void—

And the remnants shall witness and retreat—

The king will descend and take his due—

And the forgotten soul shall fail—

This is the curse that will bring about the end—

This is the curse of the world—

Before Deon could even analyze what appeared to be game-like statistics from his previous world, he was bombarded with what seemed to be a prophecy of the world's end.

‘One step at a time...!’

And yet, there were no steps to take.

Sure, the interface provided an expanded view of his abilities, but it didn’t answer his questions. How did he end up in the world of his novel? Why? And for what purpose?

Even the ominous words of the prophecy taught him very little, none of which related to what he truly cared about.

If the world was going to end, that was the least of Deon's concerns. All he cared about was returning to his world, if it were possible.

One thing that bothered him, however, was the voice that welcomed him and recited the prophecy.

The voice felt familiar yet strange.

‘Whose voice is that? And why do I feel this way?’

Deon placed his hand on his chest, feeling the erratic beats of his heart refusing to calm. His breathing was steady, but his heart was not. Slowly but surely, his heartbeat returned to its regular rhythm. Yet Deon redirected his focus to the white letters on the lake’s surface.

‘There must be something, a puzzle I can solve?’

He reread his statistics multiple times, recalling the prophecy that refused to fade from his memory—a strange occurrence.

Indeed, there was a similarity he had overlooked. The interface and the prophecy shared one thing in common:

"You are cursed, and your curse will bring about the end."—from the interface.

"This is the curse that will bring about the end—"—from the voice in his mind.

“I’m cursed, and my curse will bring about the end? This is the curse of the world?—... This doesn’t help at all. If I’m the harbinger of the end, why am I here? Am I supposed to destroy the world? Save it? Or just watch? Damn it, what am I supposed to do?”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Unknowingly, Deon had risen from his seat, glaring intensely and shouting at the calm lake. But no response came from its depths—only the words that continued to float indifferently on its surface.

‘I need more information.’

And yet, he gained nothing. Every lead he had didn’t seem like it would connect anytime soon.

With a defeated sigh, Deon sat back down on the wooden bench, closing his eyes in exhaustion and despair.

‘Don’t let impatience push you astray.’

He reminded himself aloud with the words he used to repeat whenever he felt powerless and defeated in his previous life as a failed writer.

Calmly and steadily, his mind became quieter and cooler. Deon acknowledged the significance of the place, but for now, it seemed it wouldn’t offer him much help—aside from the interface, which was a nice addition.

With that thought, Deon stood up again from the bench hurriedly, looking at the lake that had returned to its former stillness. Only the serene waters and colorful stones remained.

‘No, I have a lead!’

He did have one, and that lead was the reason he came to this place at this exact time in the first place.

‘Deon’s mother?! She created this place, according to Vierenna... I need to know more about her; it might help unravel some of the mysteries…’

Choosing that exact moment, Vierenna’s voice emerged from the bushes around the lake.

“I never thought my baby brother knew anything about manners. Plus one point for inviting me... and minus twenty-five for not waiting for me. And I’m the one who thought of you and brought you this... I keep being the good sister, and you…”

She stepped out of the bushes, looking at him with disappointment that would’ve been convincing if not for the wide smile she struggled to suppress, unsuccessfully.

Deon looked at her casual attire, her loose hair, and what she was attempting to hide behind her back.

“Were you sleeping?”

“What... no? Why would you think that?”

“You’re bad at lying. And you’re looking everywhere but at me—the classic sign of a bad liar.”

She puffed out her cheeks, and before she could start rambling again, Deon interrupted her.

“Sorry for waking you. I know it’s late.”

“.....”

She opened her mouth to say something but stayed silent.

Shaking her head, she walked past Deon and sat comfortably on the wooden bench, still hiding the object behind her back.

“What are you hiding?”

Deon asked to start the conversation.

“You first. Why did you call me?”

Vierenna replied with a confident smile, as if everything was under her control.

Deon sat beside her, feigning indifference and curiosity at the same time.

“Well, I just wanted to ask you about something.”

She gestured for him to continue, making an effort to hide what was behind her back. Deon did so, his words betraying the tension visible in his expression.

“About... Sabel, the academy...?”

“You want to enroll?”

She cut him off hastily, her eyes wide with shock.

Deon nodded silently, trying to maintain a composed façade. Though he didn’t need to try too hard—he was already nervous about what he would ask her next.

“Oh, thank your soul... I don’t have to force you.”

Vierenna placed a hand on her chest, letting out a relieved sigh after another.

“Wait, what do you mean by 'force me'?”

Deon’s curiosity was piqued.

“Did I say that? No, I didn’t. I said 'convince you.' ”

Vierenna answered with an innocent look, avoiding his eyes.

Before Deon could refute her, she quickly continued.

“The thing is, you’re already on the list for the new season. So, you don’t need to thank me.”

Deon had plenty of questions, but somehow, the girl in front of him always found a way to make him forget them.

“Here, this is for you—a gift.”

She handed him what she had been hiding all along—a rectangular wooden box. Its gray wood was unlike anything Deon had ever seen in his life.

“Go on, open it!”

She ordered with a voice trembling with unrestrained excitement.

Deon had been planning to ask her about his enrollment in the academy to get a clearer timeline of his arrival in this world, but her enthusiasm stopped him.

“Since I’m already part of the first-year batch for the new season, I’ll find out soon enough... Vierenna herself will tell me without me having to ask.”

He had also intended to ask her about his mother and hers, but guilt crept in at the thought of bringing up such a topic while looking at her beautiful smile.

‘But I have to.’

Deon looked between the box and the girl. She kept nodding at him to open it, her smile growing wider.

Reluctantly, Deon agreed and opened the box he held in his hands.