I’d felt like I saw something again. It was only dream I couldn’t remember, but it felt like I’d glimpsed into something place that was restricted. There was this strong feeling on alienation after I woke up. Like the skin on my body wasn’t mine. The shape was off.

Followed by my own familiarity being renewed.

Almost like that foreign feeling hadn’t existed.

I wasn’t sure why my mind was so easy to fatigue lately. Almost like I’d fall asleep for good. There had to be something I could do. Maybe it’d be better if I saw a therapist. Psychiatric practices had evolved nowadays. It should be possible to get the right help.

Just as I was thinking that while holding my head, I saw four figures in the corner of my sight. When I’d looked up, those familiar faces were here again. The jerks who ruined my chances of becoming close with Freya- No, it’d be better to focus on their insanity.

What did these psychos want with me?

Just as I was about to start a fight, the solid magical power restraining me became noticeable. I found that an exquisite technique I’d never heard of before was being used on me. One that turned the shadows around me into tendrils that wrapped my joints.

I couldn’t feel my internal energy right now.

Like my body had stopped functioning completely.

It was weird that there was still some room for movement and comfort. Only that. Not enough to rebel against those who kept me captive. I was sure they were going to give me another explanation about how they ‘time travelled’ or were heroes.

Yeah… Right…

“You seem to be calm. Did you expect us?” The one who was leading them pulled up a chair and leaned on it in an odd way. There was this sense of intimidation coming from him. Did he think I’d be scared of him? I wasn’t so easy to be messed with.

My mind was currently looking for an escape option.

Any opportunity would do.

“What are you here for?” I tried to buy time. There was a part of me that was actually curious. Why me out of everyone? Did they have some sort of grudge I didn’t know about? It didn’t seem possible considering I never stood out, but had to be asked.

“To continue our conversation.” He smiled at me.

“I remember you back then. Adam, right?” I sighed.

“So you remember my words.” Adam lowered his voice. There was a seriousness in his tone as if the words I heard back then weren’t from a madman’s delusions. The only good thing was that his attitude eased up the moment I showed my attentiveness.

“You mean the one where you say I’m in a novel?” I didn’t want him to misunderstand. Unconsciously tugging on my restraints in anger. After seeing my attitude, the young man didn’t frown. Instead, his smile widened as if finding someone ‘interesting’.

“Pretty much~” Adam’s jovial tone didn’t match the expression the others had behind him. I didn’t notice it earlier, but their expressions were dark. Almost like they had lost their souls. They had a thick air of depression that was hard for me to simply ignore.

“You’re sick. Please get some proper help.” These words were for all of them. They say miasma could mess up a person’s thoughts if breathed in for too long. Maybe these guys were hunters like me. They’d ventured too far into the ‘Endless Wastelands’.

I was sure of it.

“I’m sick? You don’t know the half of it.” He giggled.

It was quite off-putting.

A grown man giggling like a school girl.

“It sounds like you agree with me.” I tried to snag his conscience a little. Trying to check if he at least had the clarity of mind to know what he was doing. That way we could end this peacefully. I wasn’t willing to use my forbidden last resorts to try anything here.

Not unless they tried to kill me.

“I would… if ‘this’ didn’t already exist.” Adam did not seem to care about my words. He raised his hand. I could see something being formed above it. Starlight condensed and glitters glued together into a symbol of power. Magic formed a runic letter of ancient past.

“…What’s that?” My eyes widened at this odd scene.

“Consider it a ‘Revelation Sigil’. It will show you your place in my novel.” Adam said a lot in a mere two sentences. The first was that he believed himself to be the creator this world, and the second was that this ‘sigil’ was the reason the others looked so lost.

“Brainwashing?” Was all I could see this as.

“So that’s how you see this ability. Well, that makes some sense.” Adam did not correct me. Instead, he only seemed concerned with how I was taking in the events. It made me even more certain this was some sort of wicked magic. One that twisted the mind.

“I won’t fall for your evil powers.” My teeth were clattering despite the bold-faced bluff. There was this strong feeling of dread overcoming me. I knew the power of this rune wasn’t simple. It had some sort of unbelievable power unlike that of corrosion.

What was it meant for?

“Alright. Let’s see if you can keep saying that.” Adam decided to let me wet my curiosity in the worst way possible. The rune, Revelation Sigil, headed towards and touched my head. I could feel the world changing quickly as a result of this simple action.

My consciousness was fading. I felt like my body was being whisked away to a realm unknown to me.

The shadowy restraints came off the moment after.

######################

The story was ‘Pride of an Inept Knight’, and the character under observation was one of the few tragic figures that changed the protagonist. He was someone who wasn’t really a villain, but had a role much more important than those cliché jerks 

‘Flinn Driftwood’ only had one role this story.

It was…

…to die.

His role was ‘that simple’. 

Flinn was designed without much context at first. He was supposed to be a friendly rival to the main character initially. Even being a friend. It actually because of this that his death hit hard. His name would be remembered even until the story epilogue.

Despite dying a vain death.

The main character of Pride of the Inept Knight and protagonist, Freya Hughie, was demotivated due to his passing. He was no villain, but the negative effect he had on the main character was important. Flinn was a trial designed to motivate her to surpass him.

He wasn’t that strong, and had no future to begin with. Even if he survived, his ‘Base Qualities’ didn’t have enough synergetic traits. Moreover, it was also by design that the main cause of Flinn’s death would be mental deterioration. All caused by his ‘Gift’.

Among the worst categories for an Awakened Gift to be put in… was called a ‘Curse’. This was more simply called awakening a ‘Cursed Gift’. An ability that was created with the torture of the user in mind.

Flinn Driftwood had a few roles to play with this.

The first was revealing that not all ‘Gifts’ were created equal. That it was better to have a nearly useless Gift that could be grown… rather than a wicked power that harmed the user directly. The character called Flinn was to be tragic like that.

Ultimately leading to his demise.

His death would cause ripples thanks to his relation with an important side character. The woman also known as ‘The Fury Of God’, and the possessor of the newly introduced ‘Innate Spectre’ of Uriel. Who was also known as the archangel of salvation and flames.

His sister’s darkened interpretation of such an angelic figure caused her to twist into a ‘Dark Muse’ of herself. Eventually joining the forces of evil as an antagonist. The only way to beat her was to let go of the past to walk towards the future with confidence.

This meant killing that traitor.

The one trying to harm innocent civilians out of spite. The one who had twisted the fable and texts about Uriel for her own gain. The false promise of reviving her brother from demon kind was enough to change her allegiance. Turning her into a monster.

It was all Flinn’s fault.

That was his role as a plot device.

An unfortunate youth who took his own life due to the failure of living up to his ideals, contamination of the mind caused by his Cursed Gift, and the plans of the author. His life had no meaning beyond that. He was a character that existed to motivate other ones.

Not having a development arc of his own.

Even if he did, it wouldn’t be interesting.

Unlike the underdog that was Freya Hughie, the young man called Flinn had no saving grace. Even if the scenario was altered, even if he wasn’t rejected by his family… the Cursed Gift would do the job in killing him. Making him apathetic to his own life.

The only one who mattered was Freya.

It was her who had to save the world somehow.

The author hadn’t completed the work and was preparing a bad ending from the beginning. Flinn was not the only character who existed to bring pain to the protagonist. There were three others like him who had similar roles. Self-destructing in their envy.

Like the so-called ‘Chosen Hero’ from the past.

Lex Lindblum was a character who had survived a hard reset on the universe. He had the potential for great things, but his story became a cautionary tale after meeting Freya. Seeing that her ‘Awakened Class’, that’s rarely ever seen, was the same as his.

Since the ‘reset’ happened, Lex’s entire existence was erased. His parents and friends no longer recognised him, and he no longer had a role. The unique powers of a ‘Hero’ were enhanced and given to Freya, who had become even better than him at saving people.

Lex suffered a similar fate.

Unable to handle his despair, he turns on humanity.

His last act was out of spite.

Sacrificing his soul to be trapped in a dreamworld.

One where he was still loved by his parents.

Poetic in the worst way. Showing that even someone who was once called a hero was fallible. His fate was to be remembered as a fool, just like Flinn was, and just like how the other two ‘trails’. The characters in question being unaware of their worthless lives.

They simply carried out their roles as fodder.

They existed to be discarded as fleeting memories.

Obstacles for Freya to overcome.

Not individuals in their stories.

One could say this fate was worse than knowing they were nothing in the universe. Maybe it was better for them to believe their deaths meant something. That a more important person being traumatised by their deaths… meant they weren’t worthless existences.

Couldn’t that be the case?

The more a person sat down to analyse Flinn, the less important he seemed. He was just a bystander.

Why did the author waste time narrating about him?

######################

I suddenly felt my mind snap back to reality. There were words floating through my head, and memories of my life being discussed in third person. I saw things that were beyond my comprehension. Things that would lead someone to question their reality.

Was I… even real?

“So you remember now.” Adam spoke out to me.

I was no longer bound, but I didn’t have the energy to fight. My eyes are the same as those standing behind my ‘author’. Unable to bring myself to even think that fighting had any worth. If I was just a novel’s character, then what was the point of this?

Destiny seemed set in stone.

My future was already written.

I remembered the anger in my once loving older sister’s eyes and the malice of my once indifferent older brother. The mental corrosion my ‘Cursed Gift’ would cause. That tragedy my life was spiralling towards. This being linked to my entire existence.

Maybe things would change if I chose not to go to the academy, but then what am I supposed to do after that? I’d lived my entire life desiring one thing in life. Now I’m being shown that it will never be possible? That they’d hate me and I’ll go insane?

“Why do I even exist?” Am I just a tool? These latter words were stuck in my throat. The answer would break me, I knew he’d agree. My worthless life wasn’t as important as I’d thought it was. Everything in the world revolved around that Freya girl.

I was nothing in comparison.

“Don’t think about that. The only reason I’m here is to give you all something to remember.” Adam straightened his back after getting up. We were all at the same page at this point. Feeling unconfident in living. Unable to bring ourselves to look in a mirror.

He stood before us.

Our ‘author’.

The creator we despised, but also couldn’t anger.

Not knowing what he might do in retaliation.

“You guys are released.” Adam spoke these words as if doing us a favour. I didn’t know what he meant by that. What was he ‘releasing’ is from? The others gathered in my hotel room turned their heads. Their eyes showing the same confusion that I displayed.

“I’m firing you from the roles I’d given. Go do something else now. Honestly, it’d be best if you guys lived quiet lives instead of going through on what I’d intended.” Adam kept on talking.

All of us were silent.

Our dark eyes were staring.

“I need the protagonist to be stronger, and you guys only stall her progress. Get it?” He left those words.

Leaving us on our own.