Fifteen years had passed.

It seemed like an eternity since I had become the young contractor of Kamian, the one who would darken Kamian through death, as the vessel of 'Riev Klein.'

When I first opened my eyes, I was utterly bewildered. As I awoke from my slumber, a dark tempest raged before me, and in the midst of it all, a noble young boy stood, pressing his lips against the back of my hand.

"The contract has been sealed, human."

It was Riev Klein, the seven-year-old who had made the initial contract with Kamian.

To the young Riev, the most trivial wish granted by the mightiest of beings in the universe was to have a true friend.

"Please, become a dear friend to me."

With a fragile body that couldn't keep up with peers, Riev had always yearned for friendship. It was during that search that he happened upon a demon-summoning spell within the pages of a book. And fate, in its twisted design, led him to Kamian.

As I reflected on the past fifteen years, I couldn't help but think about the immense suffering I had endured.

Unable to accept the circumstances of my possession, I spent each day in a daze, repeatedly slapping my cheeks with the hope that it was all just a dream. Then, I searched for a way to return home. However, in this rural village, where the only things present were fields, meadows, and goats, it proved impossible to find any helpful information.

Ignorantly persisting in my futile attempts for five long years, my hope gradually faded. At that point, my health deteriorated rapidly. I experienced nosebleeds as if they were morning greetings, and my body boiled with fever, causing me to lose consciousness for days on end.

With each breath I exhaled, it felt as if my life was being ruthlessly drained away. The blood I coughed up stained my lips and clothes, and each time it scattered on the sheets, the terror of death pounded against my bones and flesh.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

It felt as though a venomous blade was tearing through my entire body, and the venom seeped into the open wounds, melting away the flesh.

The fear of death, mixed with a desperate longing for a mercy killing, surged every minute and second. My brain couldn't overcome the agony, and my consciousness would snap, only to be submerged in the horrific pain that restarted when I resurfaced from the abyss. In my mind, a despairing image of myself, pathetically dying in an unfamiliar world, was vividly depicted.

In the midst of my suffering and convulsions, it was Kamian who cared for me with utmost sincerity. Tirelessly wiping my body with cold towels to lower the fever, feeding me, and cleaning up the blood I vomited and the uneaten food I couldn't swallow.

When it was time for me to take medicine every hour, Kamian would place the pill in my mouth, not even letting out a sigh, acting as my personal alarm clock.

My shattered body and mind naturally leaned on Kamian for support. If he didn't look after me, it felt as though I would be sucked into an eternal tormenting hell.

Whether it was because I never gave up the will to live, or because Kamian took care of me with utmost sincerity, or perhaps it wasn't yet time for Liv to die... somehow, I gradually regained my health.

After enduring a near-death agony, I sensed a transformation within me.

Ever since the book merged with my being, the turmoil that plagued my mind subsided and tranquility settled in. I had a firm conviction that my entry into this book world was not the result of a bizarre accident, but rather, there was undoubtedly a clear and definite reason behind it.

And in my unwavering pursuit of uncovering that reason, I had the same dream every night. A dream where I, "Lee Hee-Won," existed instead of Liv.

Although the setting of the dream shifted slightly, the words repeated by the dream version of myself remained the same each time.

"If only I could enter the book and do whatever it takes to prevent Kamian's corruption."

"..."

Could it be? Is that the answer?

My mind suddenly cleared, as if someone had doused it with a bucket of icy water. Although lingering doubts still resided in my mind, which were difficult to accept as the sole explanation, every cell within me shouted that it was indeed the right answer.

From the moment I realized this, I never had that dream again.

Yes. Let's try to prevent those. It might be the only way for me to return to reality. Like a quest that can only be completed by fulfilling the given conditions.