Eleanor nodded, her expression heavy with regret. "Yes. Damien was different from the others. He was sharp, calculating. At first, it was subtle... like he started questioning events that didn't align or characters that seemed to behave… off. But as time went on, he began to see the truth... the world he lived in wasn't real."
Emma swallowed hard, trying to process the revelation. "So, what happened? If he figured it out, why didn't everything collapse back then?"
Eleanor sighed. "Because the story fought back. It's like a living organism, Emma... it adapts. When Damien's awareness grew, it destabilized the narrative. The world began to rewrite itself to maintain balance, and that's when Leon's role started to shift."
"Leon," Emma murmured, her thoughts racing. "He wasn't supposed to be the lead, was he?"