My sleep faded away under the breathtaking scenery before me.
"Wow…"
The view was stunning: trees with iridescent leaves swayed lightly in the breeze, and flowers in hues I'd never imagined carpeted the ground. Everything looked more vibrant, more alive than anything I'd ever seen in my life.
"So then…"
I forced myself to step away from the window and examined the room. Panic bubbled up—this wasn't my apartment. Everything was unfamiliar.
The floor was spotless, not a speck of dust or stray paper in sight. A small bed hugged one wall beneath a modest window. Beside it sat a tidy desk—where I must have fallen asleep. Opposite stood a dark-wood almirah, its left door fitted with a mirror.
—Step—
I approached the mirror and stared. The reflection that met me had jet-black hair, vivid blue eyes, and an ordinary yet strikingly different face.
"So… did I… really die?"
My hand darted down to check my jewels.
"Phew."
Everything was intact—and feeling oddly more substantial and bigger than before.
Only one conclusion made sense: I'd died and transmigrated into another world.
But why me? I'd wanted an escape from my miserable life, not this bizarre rebirth.
Determined, I scanned the desk for clues about where I was and whose body I inhabited. Scattered across the surface were scraps of paper—advertisements for local food stalls. Useless.
"Ooof…"
Frustration welled up, but I forced it down and turned back to the almirah. I gripped the handle and swung the door open. Inside hung a dark-brown coat and matching pants.
I lifted the coat, running my fingers over its crisp fabric.
—thff—
It slipped from my grasp and fluttered to the floor as I saw the emblem embroidered on the chest.
"…How is this possible…"
Carefully, I picked it up again and traced the design.
"Oh, shit…"
There was no mistaking it.
It was the symbol of~
"The Chain Academy."
But a logo alone wouldn't confirm my suspicions.
"There's only one way…"
I took a step back, closed my eyes, and pictured a system window appearing before me. When I opened them, a translucent screen shimmered into existence.
"Oh… no…"
This was the very system I had written.
---------------------------------------------
[INFO TAB]
Name: Arsin Atherian
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Title(s): None
System Sync: 3%
Self Note: ??
---------------------------------------------
I stared at the glowing window, completely frozen.
"This could only mean..."
I was inside my own novel—the very world I had created.