The END

The soft hum of the metro train echoed through the nearly empty car. The flickering fluorescent lights cast long shadows, giving the entire scene an eerie, otherworldly feel.

A lone man sat slouched in his seat, his face obscured by the dim lighting. His age, his features, even his expression everything about him was indiscernible. In his hand, a phone screen glowed faintly. His radiant blue eyes were locked on the device, completely absorbed.

The title of the page read:

Chapter 858 – THE END.

"Mortis stood alone on a barren world."

"The ground was littered with corpses, the remains of countless battles, their weapons shattered, their hopes extinguished."

"At his side rested a sword, its form pulsing with chaotic energy. The blade was an amalgamation of destruction and ruin, forged from the corrupted essence of the Demon Sultan."

"Mortis, the Lord of Emptiness, had long surpassed every being in existence. Yet, even he knew the truth."

"The Outer Gods had descended."

Kai's finger scrolled slowly, deliberately, as if savoring every word.

The metro's mechanical hum seemed to fade, replaced by the soundless void described in the novel. In his mind's eye, he could see it clearly Mortis, standing amidst a wasteland, his mirrored eyes reflecting the endless void of the sky above.

The heavens themselves cracked and shattered, as tendrils of hunger and madness the true forms of the Outer Gods descended upon the material plane. Their very presence devoured existence, consuming reality itself.

"Mortis looked up, his expression as calm as ever, though deep down he knew there was no escape."

"They had come to devour everything, to erase the very concept of existence."

"Even with all his power, even as a being who had transcended mortality, he was nothing more than a flicker of light in the face of an all-consuming abyss."

Kai exhaled softly, his thumb hovering above the screen. This was it the moment he'd waited for, the final chapter of the story that had consumed his life for the past year. 858 chapters. He'd read every one, often staying up late into the night, unable to pull himself away from the intricate web of characters and conflicts.

Lord of Emptiness wasn't just any novel. It was a world. A world where humans, elves, dwarves, and demons coexisted in the aftermath of the Great Convergence, a catastrophic event that merged their realms into one. A world filled with ancient legends, mythical beasts, and corruption born from the whispers of the Outer Gods.

And at the center of it all was Mortis, the most fascinating protagonist Kai had ever encountered.

Mortis wasn't a hero. He didn't fight for glory, nor did he seek to protect the world. He was cold, calculating, and driven by his own dark and logical philosophy. Power meant nothing in the face of oblivion, and yet, Mortis continued to fight, defying even the most hopeless odds.

"Mortis gripped his sword tightly, his mirrored eyes reflecting all possible futures, all of them ending in oblivion. And yet..."

Kai's brow furrowed. And yet? What could Mortis possibly do against beings that transcended even the will of creation? The story had always been dark, filled with loss and sacrifice, but this... This was different. This was the end.

He scrolled again, only to find the next line loading slowly.

"...Damn internet," he muttered, breaking the silence in the metro. His voice was hoarse, like someone who hadn't spoken in hours. He glanced up at the empty seats around him, the train swaying gently as it sped through the tunnels.

After a moment, the screen refreshed, and he continued reading.

"Mortis lifted the sword, its chaotic energy surging outward, tearing the fabric of reality itself."

"He knew it was all futile. He knew that no matter what he did, this reality would be consumed. And yet, he smiled a smile filled with madness."

"Because even in the face of endless hunger..."

"Even knowing he was powerless against their true forms..."

"He would not go quietly."

Kai stopped, letting the words sink in. Mortis, despite everything, still chose to fight. It was the kind of defiance that had always drawn Kai to the character.

The train began to slow, the announcement for the next station crackling through the speakers. But Kai didn't move. His eyes stayed glued to the screen as the final lines appeared.

"The Outer Gods consumed everything, their forms blotting out the stars."

"And as the last fragment of reality crumbled into nothingness..."

"The Lord of Emptiness vanished, taking his final stand in a reality that no longer existed."

The screen faded to black. "THE END" appeared in bold letters.

For a long moment, Kai sat in silence, staring at the words. His thumb idly hovered over the screen as if expecting more.

"...So that's it?" he muttered. His tone was neither disappointed nor satisfied. It was simply... hollow.

He leaned back in his seat, letting out a long breath. 858 chapters, countless battles, endless suffering and it all led to this. An inevitable end.

Yet, for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was... missing.

The train came to a sudden stop. The lights flickered once, twice. Kai blinked, frowning as a strange sensation washed over him.

The air felt... heavy.

Without warning, the train's lights cut out completely, plunging the car into pitch blackness. The hum of the metro disappeared, replaced by an unnatural, suffocating silence.

Kai sat up, his phone slipping from his hand. His heart began to pound, and he felt a strange pull, as if the very air around him was shifting.

"What the hell…?" he whispered, his voice swallowed by the void.

Suddenly, a faint glow appeared in the distance a pale, bluish light that seemed to flicker like a dying star. It grew brighter, more intense, until it enveloped the entire car.

Kai's body tensed as the light surged toward him, blinding and all-consuming.

And then... everything went still.

A New Beginning

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a cold, damp stone floor. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of ancient decay and faint traces of incense. My limbs ached as though I had been torn apart and stitched back together.

The faint echo of dripping water punctuated the suffocating silence, each droplet amplifying the eerie atmosphere. Slowly, I pushed myself upright, my breaths shallow as I took in my surroundings.

Towering stone pillars rose into a void of darkness, their intricate carvings depicting scenes of conflict, despair, and collapse. Stained glass windows lined the walls, but the light filtering through them was fractured and pale, casting strange, disjointed shadows.

Then there were the murals.

They sprawled across the walls, grotesque and incomprehensible nine eldritch figures that defied logic and human understanding. Each one was kneeling, their forms twisted and warped, prostrating toward something in the mural's center a vast void. It wasn't simply blank; it seemed to absorb the surrounding colors, a black hole on the wall that felt alive.

In the middle of the cathedral was a raised podium. Upon it rested a coffin made of obsidian-like stone, its surface etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly. Beside the coffin lay a book.

Not just any book.

It looked wrong, as though it didn't belong to this world or any world. Its surface shimmered, not reflecting light but devouring it. Its very presence sent a shiver down my spine, radiating an aura that whispered danger with every flicker.

I stared at the book, my pulse quickening. Something about it felt... familiar, though I didn't understand why.

And then, as if summoned by my thoughts, glowing words appeared in the air before me:

[Status Screen]

Name: Kai Night

Age: 16

Element: Space-Time

Mana Core Rank: Novice (18% Progress)

[Artifact]

Name: Book of the End

Rank: Divine

Description: A grimoire that transcends mortal comprehension. Its pages contain the truths of creation past, present, all possible and impossible futures.

Wh...What is this.

Book of the end? What's that am I dreaming.

The books presence the terrifying environment around me all clearly didn't belong to reality yet.. yet they seemed so real.

I turned away from the glowing text, desperate to understand where I was.

My eyes landed on a shard of glass lying nearby, likely from a shattered mirror. Hesitant, I picked it up and held it in trembling hands, angling it to see my reflection.

The face staring back wasn't mine.

It was younger, sharper. My jawline was more defined, my skin smoother and paler than I remembered. My hair was dark and neatly combed,

My eyes were a radiant blue and seemed to shimmer like stars in the night sky. They were beautiful yet terrifying they seemed other worldly and unlike human eyes they actually radiated a blue light.

But this wasn't the most surprising part.

"I look… sixteen?"

This wasn't my face. This wasn't my body.

Before I could process the implications, a sudden, sharp pain erupted in my head. I staggered, clutching my temples as a flood of memories not mine crashed into me like a tidal wave.

Faces, names, places. Whispers of a life I hadn't lived.

"Astrea…"

The word surfaced amidst the chaos, clear and undeniable.

My body froze. That name… I knew it.

Astrea Academy.

It was the prestigious academy in Lord of Emptiness, the novel I had just finished on the train.

The realization struck me like a bolt of lightning.

"I'm… in the novel," I muttered, my voice trembling.

I'm the my favorite novel where everyone dies a tragic death at the end.

And I must change that to survive.