Dear God of Magic, please bless me with bountiful and skilled magic, so that I may protect the ones I care for, and maybe prevent the destruction of the world. Maybe. If I’m able to. Please. I know you love this planet. I don’t want it to be destroyed by the fallacy of humanity.

I opened my eyes, noting that Kairos had gotten closer. On my nightstand there was alcohol, Kairos pouring two glasses.

I grabbed one, downing it. I hummed at the flavor, setting the glass down.

“That’s alcohol?”

“Yes. The flavor has been masked, but it is quite strong. With how little you’ve eaten today, I would be careful not to drink too much,” Kairos mentioned, downing his own glass of alcohol.

I nodded, “Fair enough. Don’t suppose you know Percy’s limits, Kairos?”

Kairos hesitated, then sighed. His expression shifted as he focused on me, “Yes, I do. I will ensure you do not take too much. I am certain whatever plans you have will be for naught should you be hungover, tomorrow.”

I hummed in agreement, not downing the second glass he gave me.

“Isn’t a hangover just dehydration?” I muttered, “So long as I drink a fuck ton of water I won’t be hungover.”

“Dehy… dray-shun?” Kairos sounded out.

I nodded, “Mhmm. Humans are made of a lot of water, and alcohol actively dehydrates—er, unwaters—someone when they drink it, since it’s essentially just a weak type of poison.”

“Interesting,” Kairos lied, on his third glass, “I shall go request several pitchers of water, then.”

I watched him walk away, finishing my glass. He walked in as I was pouring myself another, his own glass refilled.

We vibed together for awhile, Kairos remaining standing.

“You have not yet told me whether you are truly Persephone,” Kairos mentioned, “Are you from the future?”

I laughed, grinning up at him, “Why would I answer that? Knowledge is power, and I’m not going to give someone that power over me.”

I downed some more water as Kairos refilled my glass, not having gone past five full glasses himself. I was on my fifth, personally.

I think. Was that my sixth?

Kairos set the empty bottle down, the alcohol not quite reaching the midpoint of the glass. I didn’t reach for it, though, just staring up at him, leaning back on my hands, legs swinging off the edge of the bed on either side of him.

The room was already dark, but there was enough candlelight that I could see his face, his glasses reflecting the candlelight.

Did I really want to try and save this world?

… No, not really. It was kind of gross, and the morality regarding sex was very, very nonexistent.

But I didn’t want my favorite characters to die. That meant I would have to either save this world or destroy it myself so that everyone died in a way that avoided hurting the people who I’d grown extremely attached to.

It was still so hard to believe that the man standing before me was Kairos. I’d always imagined him differently. I thought his jawline would be thinner, that his eyes would be sharper, that his body would be weaker.

But it wasn’t. His shoulders were broader than I’d expected, and even just pouring the alcohol I could see his muscles shifting and flexing beneath his formal suit.

He was described as having lean muscle, but I didn’t know anyone with lean muscle that could show through formal clothing.

I reached up, my fingers trailing the jawline of the man, “Are you really… Kaeros?”

“Kairos,” Kairos corrected.

My hand fell, returning to its place behind me. I stared up at him with a warm smile.

“Kairos,” I copied quietly.

I’d been pronouncing his name wrong since the first scene I’d read with him in it. Damn it. No wonder he was referred to as Kai and not Kay. I was an idiot.

I hummed at my own thoughts. Of course I was an idiot. Which is why I really, really wanted to save people’s lives—all of which I’d hardly even met. Is this what the opposite end of parasocial feels like? Me, falling in love with people who didn’t love me back?

My heart really hurt. I didn’t want my favorite characters to die. I cried for weeks when Kairos died.

How pathetic my life had been, that I mourned each character as if they’d been real. Each cardboard character that I adored and practically built my life around.

Maybe I wouldn’t have gotten so attached if I hadn’t read through several million words speaking of them. Each of their backstories was practically its own novel, and I grew attached.

If this wasn’t real, I knew I would wake up crying. If it was, I would do all I could to keep my favorites alive, if only to feel less pathetic about loving people who didn’t even know me.

Who never really would.

Lips pressed gently into mine. For a moment, I responded, one hand reaching up. Then I realized what was going on.

My hand pressed at Kairos’ shoulder even as I shifted back, “W-wait, hold on.”

“You loved me, didn’t you?” Kairos muttered as his lips met mine again, one of his knees pressed into the bed.

My eyes widened, face burning at the way my heart twisted, hammering in my chest. I pushed at him, but he just grabbed my wrist. I felt my face burn hotter as he awaited my response.

This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea this was a bad idea-this-was-a-bad-ideathiswasabadidea.

I stuttered, trying to find a response as he leaned forward, having hesitated too long.

“W-wait. That-that’s not—not—“

“Not true?” Kairos wondered, interrupting my words to call out my bullshit, “You’re saying the way you look at me isn’t love?”

I felt overwhelmed, mind fuzzy and unable to come up with excuses as Kairos captured my lips once more.

My tongue reached out, a painful sort of longing twisting in my heart as he responded.

I found myself on my back, gasping for air as I looked up at him.

“Wait,” I tried again, “This isn’t my—I mean—this—we can…“

Kairos smiled, the sight a very wondrous one that immediately made my words trail off, “Not your body? Then let’s explore it together.”

“I—that’s—“

I couldn’t think. I needed to think. My mind was fuzzy, though, and my body was already reacting to the man coming on to me. Next I was aware, I was straddling him, my lips tracing and trailing up his neck.

Once I realized what I was doing, I froze, “W-wait…”

I can’t alienate him but I can’t do this but why can’t I do this I need to focus on—

Kairos flipped our positions, my back pressing into the bed as he kissed me, hands roaming my form.

“Mmn,” I moaned out.

Eventually my mind, overwhelmed with everything that happened, stopped working. Every thought I tried to think slipped away from me like ink dripping into a river.

Most thoughts, anyway.

I reached up, pulling Kairos closer. My lips trailed up his neck once more, tongue tracing his ear as I gently bit it, as the all-knowing Author said he absolutely adored.

“Kairos,” I breathed.

When I saw his face again, I noted it was flushed, eyes glassy with desire. His chest was heaving, though I knew he wasn’t physically exerted, as we hadn’t done anything yet.

Reaching up, I undid his tie, his lips meeting mine as we sloppily unclothed each other.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

The rest of the night was full of passion, me doing my all to pleasure the man I so adored.

I woke up horribly.

“Science fucking lied to me,” I whined, putting a pillow over my face as my head throbbed.

“Scy-enss?” I heard, the hand that had been shaking me awake leaving.

“Yes, the study of the universe, minus magic,” I muttered, sitting up with a sigh.

Reaching out, I downed the entire pitcher of water at my bedside, ignoring the glass.

My existence felt fuzzy, body aching in a very pleasant way. Next to the cup was a pill, and I glanced at Kairos. He didn’t say anything, putting it in the glass of water.

I watched it dissolve as he handed me the cup.

Contraceptive, maybe?

I drank it.

Man. Why was I even trying to refuse Kairos again? Oh, right. It was a bad idea in general. I was so certain there was another reason…

“Today you have lessons all day with Lucius,” Kairos mentioned, “Beforehand you will be seen by a soulmancer.”

I nodded blankly, mind not working too well as I was taken by a bit too many servants, body scrubbed and cleaned without me doing much of anything. Soon I found myself before a mirror.

I was wearing something stupidly extravagant that looked like it would be hard to sit in. I sighed.

“Do you not like the style?” The same guy from before said.

He must have been one of my personal servants, right? I wonder what his name was.

“Not really. It’s a bit over-the-top,” I muttered as I turned from the mirror, not having seen any marks.

While he certainly explored my body thoroughly, Kairos must have been careful not to leave marks. Which is smart.

“W-we can put on a different dress,” The man stuttered out, sounding panicked.

“That sounds like a lot of effort,” I rejected with another sigh, thinking aloud, voice dejected, “It looks like she—like I’m trying too hard to look good. With an appearance like m-mine, wouldn’t it make sense to accentuate my features instead of try and outshine them with thick make-up and gaudy dresses? No wonder my twin looks better if sh—if I’m always dressed up like a prostitute.”

Several servants choked and coughed, many others going white as a sheet. I walked out of the room, looking over as someone spoke.

“No prostitute in the world could ever look as beautiful as you do, my daughter,” The king said.

I scoffed, my grin wide as I looked at him, “Wanna bet?”

The king hesitated, eyes scouring my form, “No.”

I laughed wildly, very amused, “Don’t say things you aren’t willing to bet on, father.”

The king sighed, “I had been grateful that at least my daughters were not big gamblers. It seems that without memories, you are quite fond of betting.”

“When I know I’m right it’s not a gamble to bet on it,” I corrected, giving the king finger-guns as I grinned at him.

The king looked thoughtful, “What an intelligent thing to say.”

My grin fell, eyebrows rising. Me? Intelligent? “Damn, what low standards.” I froze, then sighed at my own words.

Sure, I was used to being alone and saying my every thought aloud, but did this body have to be so loose-lipped? Maybe I should just be quiet around others.

The king chuckled at my words, “Yes, I suppose I might have lowered my standards in regards to you, lately, my dearest daughter. Are you prepared to join me on our walk to the soulmancer?”

“Yus,” I agreed, walking toward the king. Servants opened the doors for us, and we walked down the halls together.

The carpets were hard to walk on in the heels I wore, and I grabbed my father’s arm after I almost tripped. My balance was absolutely fine after, and my father didn’t seem to mind, glancing at me with an indecipherable look.

Well. Maybe he did mind. Was that a glare? I couldn’t tell.

I looked ahead instead of awkwardly continuing to stare at the man I was using as a support. My every step was over-done and my hips swayed. I felt like a robot, my attempts to walk in the heels while matching my father’s pace quite difficult.

“So, father, what’s your name?” I wondered.

“Ezekiel,” The king replied, glancing at me, “Feel free to continue referring to me as father or dad, if you wish.”

“Dad…” I muttered to myself, trying not to look down at my feet.

I just had to be confident in my strides. I had to relax, use the sense of balance that comes from the core, and walk like every step is as certain as the last.

It was odd. Dad. Father. Someone who I shared blood with, at least at the moment.

Eventually we made it to the place the soulmancer was. Please be Val please be Val please be Val.

The doors were opened, and I released the king’s arm as I saw long purple hair. The man stood up, his blue eyes looking stunning. His gaze focused on me intently.

“Hello, Va—“

“Lance! My name is Lance,” Valentine corrected, bowing to me and the king.

“Nice to meet you,” I greeted, smiling gently, “Apologies. With my memories being gone…“

“Yes, yes,” Valentine agreed as I walked up, hopefully getting the message.

There were two couches across from each other, a small coffee table in between them with a bouquet of flowers.

Valentine was an infamous necromancer that was notable for causing a lot of trouble with his experiments and armies of skeletons. Though he doesn’t actually attack anyone with his army of corpses until after the war starts.

While he isn’t an immortal now, he is one of the immortals that survive until the end. He wasn’t really a favorite character of mine, because all of his plays seemed kind of dumb to me. If everyone else was born a living, breathing person who faded into cardboard, he was born made of cardboard.

Nothing he did was all that intelligent, from what I’ve seen, and he wasn’t exactly clever, either. While everyone else adored him for treating the main character well, I didn’t.

I always hoped the loose ends would tie together and show that he was actually really smart. That his naivete and the veneer of innocence and stupidity he carried around would be fake.

It never happened, though, much to my disappointment, and I was left with a buffoon who was a genius in necromancy and souls and not much else.

“So, you wish for me to validate whether your daughter is truly your daughter?” Lance asked the king.

“Yes.”

Lance hummed, nodding, pushing a loose strand of Twitch purple hair behind his ear, “Okay, okay. Got it. This will require skin contact and me looking into her eyes. It might look a bit weird to others.”

“Of course,” The king agreed, waving him off, “Just get it over with.”

Lance hesitated, then nodded, standing up and walking over to me. He sat on the coffee table, taking my hands in his and looking me in the eye.

The world twirled and went black, and I found myself standing in a void. In front of me was Valentine, his eyes a much lighter shade of blue.

That was a bit weird. Why were his eyes a lighter shade of blue in the void?

“How do you know that name?” Valentine asked.

“Why would I answer that?” I asked incredulously. To my surprise, my voice came out, and I looked down, “Oh, whoa! I’m me again!”

“If you do not answer, I will inform the king that you have taken over his daughter’s body,” Valentine threatened.

I glanced up, noting that he was shorter. Or, rather, that I was taller. I felt so much more comfortable in my own skin, so it was easy for me to come up with a reply. One of my eyebrows cocked up, and I knew my grin was cocky.

“Okay. Tell him.”

Valentine hesitated, expression clearly surprised, voice aghast, “What?”

“Well, sure, I’ll be executed, but so would you, Valentine,” I responded, my grin a bit confused as I tilted my head, “Did… did you not think this through? Because I know your name, you can’t really call me out unless you want to be called out yourself. That’s… kind of how blackmail works.”

Valentine was caught off-guard. Then his expression grew sullen, “Why would you even take Persephone’s body? If you wanted to take someone over, why didn’t you go for Ezekiel himself, or for Aphrodite?”

My expression immediately soured, tone growing harsh as I whined, “I didn’t ask to be here, asshole! I just really wanted to punch Aphrodite, and then suddenly I was in some chick’s body punching Aphrodite. It wasn’t intentional! I would love to not be in danger of execution because of something I didn’t do!”

Valentine hesitated, sullen expression fading as interest glittered in his eyes, “You didn’t mean to come here? You didn’t use magic or anything?”

“No! I’m not even from this—“ I cut off what I was going to say, sighing harshly as I shook my head. I crossed my arms, “Don’t worry, I’m not a threat to you unless you decide to start or participate in a war, okay? So just tell the dude I’m his daughter and we can see each other never ever after.”

Valentine hesitated at my odd phrasing. His words were smooth and silken, his tone soaked with an intellect he simply didn’t have.

“Actually, I would like to propose a different solution.”

I slumped, pouting up at him. Valentine’s eyes flicked across my expression.

“You seem to be in a difficult situation. If you would allow me to experiment with your soul—“

“Dude.”

Valentine hesitated. Then he sighed, “Sorry, that didn’t sound right.”

A long silence grew between us. I stared up at him, and he looked down at me. The void was quiet, and I couldn’t feel anything except myself. I reveled in the feeling, knowing it would be gone once Valentine released me from wherever this was.

“Okay,” Valentine said after a very long time, “My request is to study the connection between your soul and the body you reside within. Simply looking at it from a casual perspective, it looks like your soul belongs within her body. The only people who will recognize that you aren’t who you say you are, are individuals who see people’s souls transposed over their body.”

Huh? Wait, didn’t the princess have that? No wonder Aph thinks I’m someone else. She can clearly see that I’m not her sister.

“In return,” Valentine continued, waiting until I looked at him. His blue eyes were really mesmerizing. It was like looking at the sky. “I will help you however I can.”

…

That was a really bad offer. Not for me, but for him. While I wasn’t disappointed at the offer, I was still… No, you know what? No.

No, I came here to right the cardboard’s wrongs, and I will do just that.

“That’s heavily biased in my favor. I’m literally useless. Like I appreciate your naiveté and innocence, but you really gotta take like, scamming lessons or something, dude. I can’t believe someone like you—“ I cut myself off again, shaking my head with a sigh. I really, really wanted to like this guy, “I mean, yeah, sure. I’ll accept that. That’ll make us allies, right?”

Valentine frowned at me, blue eyes ethereal, “You’re quite rude.”

I blinked, “Dude I’m trying to help you. You’re like super powerful, you can’t just say something stupid like that. What if you offered that to someone who wasn’t an idiot?” I crossed my arms, “I’m not rude for wanting you to improve and be a better person.”

Valentine hesitated, a small and gentle smile appearing on his face. It practically transformed him, and I found myself feeling breathless.

“Thank you, then. I shall endeavor to watch my words in the future. Yes, I will consider us allies.”

Before I could respond, I blinked, and he was pulling away. My existence felt weird. I looked around, trying to readapt to my form. It didn’t work, my body trembling at the revolting feelings going through it.

Notmybodynotmybodynotminenotminenot—