Between Two Worlds 1

Between Two Worlds 1

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Ethan suddenly awoke, feeling a strange weight on his body, as if carrying the burden of the world on his shoulders. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying on a luxurious bed in a dark room lit by scattered candles. The air was cold, and the fragrant scent of incense filled the space.

"Where am I?" Ethan whispered softly as he tried to remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was reading a fantasy novel titled "The Legend of Hero Leo" before falling asleep. But this place, this room, was not a part of his old life.

Hesitantly, he got up and approached a large mirror on the wall. When he saw his reflection, his heart stopped for a moment. The face staring back at him wasn't his own; it was the face of a handsome man with a hidden gaze, cold eyes, and long black hair cascading over his shoulders.

"This... this is 'Darius'!" Ethan shouted in shock.

Darius was the main villain in "The Legend of Hero Leo," a character who gets killed in the first chapter to kick off the hero's journey. Ethan remembered everything clearly: Darius was a weak villain, killed by Leo in a quick battle, serving only as a catalyst for the hero's adventure.

"No... this is impossible!" Ethan said, his voice trembling as he touched his face with shaking hands. "How could I become Darius? I'm not a villain!"

But reality was harsh. Ethan was now inside the body of the villain he had despised reading about. Moreover, he knew his end would come soon if he didn't do something.

"I can't die like this... I can't be just a victim!" Ethan said to himself, clenching his fists tightly. "If this is my role, then I'll change the rules."

While he was thinking quickly, a servant entered the room, bowing submissively. "My lord Darius, Hero Leo is approaching the castle. What should we do?"

Ethan felt a wave of panic but quickly hid it. "Leo... already?" he whispered. The time was shorter than expected. In the original story, Darius would arrogantly go out to face Leo and be killed easily. But Ethan wasn't going to make the same mistake.

"Tell the guards to close the gates. No one is to enter or leave!" Ethan commanded firmly. The servant looked at him in surprise but obeyed immediately.

After the servant left, Ethan took a deep breath. "If Leo wants me to be the villain, I'll be the villain he never expected."

Elsewhere in the world...

"Alex" opened his eyes to find himself in a busy market, surrounded by people he didn't know. He was wearing simple clothes, with a cloth bag hanging over his shoulder.

"Where am I?" he said quietly, trying to understand what was happening. The last thing he remembered was sitting in his room, writing the last chapter of his novel, "The Legend of Hero Leo."

He looked around, noticing that the place was strangely familiar. The buildings, the people, even the smell... everything was exactly as he had described in his novel.

"Am I inside my own story?" Alex said, feeling a wave of disbelief. But the bigger shock came when he realized he wasn't the hero he had dreamed of. He wasn't "Leo," the brave boy who faced villains. He was just a secondary character, nameless even.

"I'm... just filler in the story?" Alex said, feeling frustrated. But instead of anger, he felt a wave of relief. His life in this world seemed simple, far from the chaos the heroes went through.

"Maybe this isn't so bad..." he whispered, smiling a little. "At least I won't have to face any monsters or villains."

But he didn't know that his fate would soon intertwine with Ethan's, who was trying to change the story from its roots.

Back to Ethan...

Ethan sat in his room, thinking about his next move. He knew Leo would arrive soon, and he needed a clever plan to avoid his inevitable fate.

"Darius always relied on brute force and the power of his family, but I'm not like him," Ethan said to himself. "I'll use some tricks instead."

Ethan started recalling everything he knew about the story. Leo was a strong hero, but he relied on "hero's luck," which always made him win. If Ethan could create circumstances where Leo couldn't win, perhaps he could change the course of events.

Just then, he heard a voice from outside the room: "My lord Darius, Leo has reached the gates!"

Ethan jumped up from his seat quickly, feeling a wave of anxiety. "Leo is already here... time is running out," he whispered to himself, trying to calm his nerves. He knew this moment would determine his fate: either he would die as written, or he would survive.

Ethan woke up to the sound of a loud crash against the outer gates of the castle. Leo had arrived, and the confrontation Ethan had been trying to avoid was about to happen. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his trembling hands. He had no choice but to face the hero, but he wouldn't do it the way Leo expected.

"Bring me the map!" Ethan ordered in a firm voice, looking at the servant who had entered the room, panicked. The servant quickly complied, returning moments later with an ancient scroll showing the castle's details and secret tunnels beneath it.

Ethan focused on the map, remembering that Darius in the original story never exploited this advantage. There was a network of tunnels under the castle, leading outside. If he used them wisely, he could set a trap for Leo.

"I want all the guards in their positions, but no one attacks Leo directly!" Ethan commanded. "I want you to follow my orders precisely."

The servant nodded, but hesitated slightly before leaving. "My lord... are you sure this is the right way? Leo is very strong, and he might attack directly."

Ethan gave him a sharp look. "He won't. Leo thinks I'll face him arrogantly as I always did. This time, things will be different."

After the servant left, Ethan began to execute his plan. He knew Leo would enter the castle through the main gate, expecting a direct confrontation. But Ethan decided to use his knowledge of the story to his advantage. He ordered the guards to clear the inside of the castle, while placing a small group of archers in strategic spots to confuse Leo.

"When Leo enters, I want you to shoot arrows from different places, but don't hit him directly. Just make him feel trapped," Ethan advised.

Then he headed to one of the secret tunnels, where he knew Leo would have to pass through if he wanted to reach him. In the tunnel, Ethan set simple but effective traps: ropes tied to bells and sandbags hanging from the ceiling, which would fall if triggered. These traps were designed to slow Leo down, not harm him.

"Leo relies on his luck and strength, but he's not used to tactics," Ethan said to himself as he disappeared into the shadows.

Outside, Leo stood before the gate, his shining sword in hand. "Darius! Come out and face me!" he shouted, expecting the villain to appear arrogantly.

But no one came out. Instead, he heard the sound of bells ringing from inside the castle, followed by the sound of scattered footsteps. Leo felt uneasy, but he entered the castle confidently, ignoring any signs of traps.

As he advanced, the traps began to work. A rope tripped him, causing a bell to ring loudly. Then a sandbag fell from the ceiling, almost hitting him. Leo skillfully dodged the bag but began to feel tense.

"What are these games, Darius?" Leo shouted, looking around warily.

Ethan, watching from a hidden place, smiled slyly. "This is just the beginning," he whispered.

At that moment, Ethan decided to reveal himself, but not in the way Leo expected. Instead of a direct confrontation, he climbed up to a high balcony overlooking the main hall where Leo stood.

"Leo, welcome to my castle," Ethan said in a calm voice that carried a hidden threat.

Leo looked up, surprised by the change in Darius's behavior. "Why are you hiding like a coward? Come down and face me!"

Ethan shook his head. "Why should I waste my time fighting you? You think you're the hero who will change the world, but you're just a puppet."

Leo felt anger rise in him but couldn't respond. He began to sense that something was different this time. Darius wasn't acting as usual.

"If you want me, come and get me," Leo challenged, raising his sword.

But Ethan didn't move. Instead, he gestured with his hand, and suddenly hidden doors in the walls opened, releasing a group of guards who began shooting arrows at Leo. This time, the arrows were real.

Leo skillfully dodged the arrows, but he realized he was in a difficult position. "Darius, you're a coward!" he shouted.

Ethan smiled. "Maybe, but I'm still alive."

And at that moment, Ethan decided to disappear, leaving Leo in the middle of the trap he had set. He knew this wasn't the end, but it was the beginning of a major change.

Elsewhere in the world...

"Alex" was still in the market, feeling confused but starting to adjust to his new situation. He knew he was inside his own story, but he didn't know how he got here or how he could return.

As he wandered, he overheard a conversation between two men about "Darius" and "Leo." He stopped to listen.

"I heard that Darius is smarter this time. Leo might have trouble defeating him," one man said.

Alex felt a wave of astonishment. "This is impossible... Darius was always such a straightforward character," he muttered to himself.

But the conversation made him think. If Darius was acting differently, maybe there was someone else inside his body, just like him.

"Maybe... maybe there's someone else here trying to change the story," Alex said, his curiosity growing.

He decided to head toward the castle to see for himself what was happening. He had no idea that his fate would soon intertwine with Ethan's.

Back to Ethan...

Ethan was sitting in his room, contemplating his next move. Leo was still inside the castle, but he was trapped. Ethan knew he couldn't keep him forever, but he needed a long-term plan.

"If I'm going to change the story, I have to completely alter Darius's fate," Ethan said to himself. "And to do that, I need to find a way to rewrite the events."

At that moment, a bold idea struck him. "If Leo relies on the hero's luck, maybe I can create circumstances where even he can't win."

Ethan began to craft a complex plan, relying on his precise knowledge of the story and its characters. He knew time was running out, but he was determined to change his fate.

"I won't just be a villain who gets killed in the first chapter," Ethan said, clenching his fists. "I'll be the character who rewrites the story."