Storm is Approaching (2)

Dormitory F. Room: 201

With a quiet click, the door shut behind him.

Elijah reached up and untied the black lace around his head, letting his dark blue hair cascade freely. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he kicked off his shoes at the doorstep, tugging off his socks next.

Then, he rolled up his sleeves, unbuttoned his shirt next, and shrugged it off.

The dusty air of the low-quality dorm brushed against his skin as he stepped further inside.

His eyes flickered toward the lone wooden desk in the room. A chessboard sat atop it, pieces frozen mid-game.

Elijah walked over, reaching out. His fingers curled around the black knight, twirling it absentmindedly.

"Finally..." He exhaled, a small smirk playing at his lips. "Chapter 1 can begin."

As if on cue, a translucent screen flickered into existence before him.

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System:

Elijah Noe Shahrazad.

Mahika rank: F

Unique Skill: 

01: Author (EX)

Description: A story will never exist without an Author finishing it. What kind of tale will you write, knowing you can control everyone's fate?

The author can rewrite all the scenarios in advance. However, this is limited as it is incapable of controlling characters that already existed in the original story. Additionally, the author cannot rewrite the scenario if it's already happening or finished. All plot holes will be overwritten by the system itself. 

[ Time left before Chapter 1]

8hours, 18minutes 

Special Status: None

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"Comments" 

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Comments outside The Sky: (Unread 10)

Soupiter: Finallyyyyy

Vennus: Nice Prologue

Marsmallow: Waiting for Chapter 1, pls pls 

.... (See more)

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Elijah skimmed the comments briefly before waving a hand. The system display blinked out of existence.

He placed the black knight back on the board, then reached for a quill and parchment paper.

The quiet scratching of ink against paper filled the room.

Scribble… Scribble…

Minutes ticked by. After about twenty, Elijah exhaled deeply, watching his finished draft.

With a murmur, he whispered—

"Submit."

The parchment lifted into the air, glowing a soft, eerie red beneath the moonlight filtering through the window.

A second later, another system notification blinked into view.

[ There is a plot hole in your draft… The risk of the story getting changed is Very Low. (Do you still want to proceed?) ]

"Again?" Elijah muttered, rubbing his temples.

He sighed and shrugged. "Oh well. Unlike last time, where the risk was super high, I can ignore this one."

He tapped the air.

"Proceed."

The parchment vanished in a flash of red light.

And just like that—

Chapter 1 was set in motion.

Elijah leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply.

Finally.

"Seriously... this skill sounds overpowered, but it's ridiculously dangerous. I would've much preferred a combat-type ability… but, oh well."

He had tested his [ Author (EX) ] skill before—only to discover just how unforgiving the system could be when it came to "fixing" plot holes.

For what he understood, there were major risks:

If he didn't prepare properly, the story could change drastically from his draft.

For example, he had once considered writing himself into the story with an overpowered combat ability. However, when the system immediately flagged a high-risk plot hole, he hesitated.

Why?

If the system itself had to "fix" the logic gap, it could twist reality in unexpected and horrific ways.

Best-case scenario? He'd get the power… with crippling side effects.

Worst-case scenario? The system might decide that, to justify the power, he needed to be possessed by another demon or something.

Or even worse—

It might decide he didn't get the ability at all and just cripple him instead.

That was why he had acted today.

That was why he had to break the barrier.

It wasn't just recklessness—it was necessary.

Still, something felt off.

Despite knowing the plot of the story himself… there was still a plot hole?

What had he missed?

Elijah stared at the chessboard in front of him.

He reached for the black knight again, rolling it between his fingers.

"No matter what happened…" he murmured. "I will write the story I like this time."

"For now, at least... I finally have my first chess piece on my board."

*****

The morning sky was clear.

Well—mostly.

If only it weren't for the massive crack slicing across it like fractured glass.

The Academy grounds were eerily quiet, as expected—most students were already in class.

Except…

Elijah.

And Victoria, who sat at the other end of the same bench, twirling a parasol in her hands.

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Princess, the weather isn't even hot. What's with the umbrella?"

Victoria sighed. "I had a feeling it'd rain today."

Elijah gave her a sidelong glance—and that's when he saw it.

A holographic system interface hovered just above her head.

[ Victoria Elizabeth De Fleur || Girl Failure ]

He had seen that title before. Many times.

Still, he couldn't help it. A chuckle escaped his lips.

"Can you not?" Victoria shot him a glare.

"I'm sorry… I just noticed you're still beautiful to this day, princess."

"I hope you rot in hell."

"Language, princess."

Elijah smirked, suppressing another laugh.

In the original story, Victoria had been one of the female leads—tragically friend-zoned by the MC.

She had, however, become a fan-favorite among readers.

Because no matter what she did—no matter how hard she tried—she always failed spectacularly.

Thus, she had become a lovable, comedic legend.

A meme.

A "Girl Failure."

"Don't you have something better to do, princess?" Elijah asked.

Victoria frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. Maybe… training your Mahika or something?"

"Training?" She scoffed. "That's for talented people. Not me."

Elijah blinked.

"The best I can do," Victoria continued, "is a B-rank Tornado Spell—which, fortunately, is useful for sweeping leaves off the entire academy."

"Aren't you downgrading yourself?"

She waved a hand dismissively. "I've always been known as a 'great' magician. Not a genius one."

Elijah said nothing.

He just smiled.

Because she had no idea.

No idea that the only reason the legendary 'Aegis'—a barrier created by the Great Merlin himself—had shattered…

…was because of her B-rank Tornado Spell.

Her true strength didn't lie in raw Mahika.

It lay in her unique skill—

[ Mahika Nullification ]

Elijah leaned back on the bench, hands behind his head.

'Oh well…' he mused. 'She'll figure it out eventually.'

'The real question is… will she remain a useless ally—or become one of the MC's most troublesome enemy?'

A small smirk curled at his lips.

'As expected… The knight piece in my chessboard is the most unpredictable.'

'And so… to ensure a story written properly…'

'I'll stay by her side. Until she trusts me completely.'

'My first chess piece.'

Elijah stretched. "Ah, speaking of which, princess—do you have an extra umbrella?"

Victoria blinked. "I don't. Why?"

Elijah's gaze flicked to the sky.

"I don't know…" He exhaled. "I just have a bad feeling."

"Like... for example... a storm is approaching?"

At that moment, the wind stilled.

A deep, suffocating silence settled around them.

Victoria slowly followed his gaze upward—

—where the bright sky had been swallowed by dark, churning storm clouds.

And then—

A shape shifted beyond the crack in the barrier.

Something large.

Something watching.

From the other side of the sky—

an eye pressed against the barrier.

Not a human.

Not a mortal.

Just staring.

Unblinking.