Change Of Course

The halls of Rosaria Academy stretched around me like a maze of polished marble and stained glass—a cathedral to arcane promise and teenage hubris. My footsteps echoed faintly, muffled by the crimson carpet that lined the central corridor. Morning sunlight cut through the high windows, painting the floor in shafts of gold and blue.

I rubbed my chin with my thumb and index finger, deep in thought.

That was… unexpected.

I hadn't planned for Elias and Selene to meet this early in the narrative. The story I remembered from my world—the visual novel "Saint's Bloom"—had an entire arc before the two even shared more than a passing glance. They were meant to encounter each other during the joint training event, not days after enrollment.

Elias, the golden Crown Prince of Elyria.

Selene, the stoic Saintess of the Azure Temple.

Their first meeting was supposed to be dramatic. Competitive. Heated in a way that stirred the heroine's protective instincts. Elias and the heroine would be placed on one team, Selene on the other, and their conflicting ideals would ignite a rivalry that carried emotional weight.

But now?

They already had a spark.

And not the kind that starts a fire you can control.

I came to a slow stop at a turn in the hallway, my back brushing the wall. My fingers dropped from my chin to cross over my chest, arms folding as I tilted my head in thought.

"Did I do this?" I murmured aloud.

I mean… I did place first in the orientation rankings. Not just first in First Class—but top student of the entire freshman roster. A result that even caught the professor off guard.

A result that should've been impossible.

Because the character I transmigrated into—Caelum Raye—was supposed to be a no-name. A background extra with a minor speaking role in one route.

But I wasn't that Caelum anymore.

And now, the world was reacting accordingly.

Still… just my placement shouldn't have changed so much of the narrative structure so soon, right?

Elias was never supposed to have a moment of vulnerability like that before his arc even kicked off. And Selene? She never had the chance to confront him like that until her route was already entangled with the heroine's.

And yet here we are. A moment unscripted.

A thread pulled from the tapestry.

Tch.

I clicked my tongue against my teeth, frustration rising like a slow simmer. I leaned my shoulder against the cool stone of the hallway wall and stared at nothing in particular.

"Of course this is gonna happen," I muttered. "Every move I make is gonna cause ripples. I'm not a side character anymore. I'm an anomaly."

That was the price of agency in a world built around rails. The game had a structure. A design. But I'd broken it just by showing up and trying.

And if it was already shifting this much, I had to assume future events could—would—deviate. That meant planning would be harder. I'd have to anticipate the unpredictable.

If Elias and Selene start too early, without the balance of the heroine to mediate and mature their rivalry, then the foundation of their relationship gets… warped. That could cascade through the whole timeline—affecting late-game routes, alliances, endings.

And I wasn't going to let that happen.

Not if I wanted to survive this world.

Thrive in it.

I needed the main cast where I could reach them.

Especially her

The heroine.

The player character from the game. The sweet, starry-eyed girl who everyone underestimated until she shattered their expectations. The one who formed the heart of every route—romance, tragedy, or triumph.

She wasn't just a key figure in the narrative.

She was the nexus.

If I could get her on my side—truly on my side—then I'd have leverage. Protection. Access. Influence. She was the only character who had plot armor strong enough to drag others into happy endings kicking and screaming.

If I could steer her… I could steer everything.

But to do that… I needed to play this smart.

Step one: mend the rift between Elias and Selene.

Because no matter how rough their beginning, their camaraderie—their rivalry—was one of the narrative's strongest developments. It helped Elias shed his burdens. It helped Selene soften. It made both of them stronger.

And it gave them a reason to protect the heroine when everything went to hell.

If that bond collapses too early… everything goes sideways.

I pushed off the wall with a sigh, running a hand through my hair.

"So, what," I said to myself. "I'm going to befriend the Crown Prince of Elyria and the saintess of an ancient temple? Just casual stuff, huh?"

The words dripped sarcasm, but I was already walking again.

Because the truth was—this was what I wanted.

Not just survival. Not just security. But control. Influence. Power hidden beneath the smile of a friend and the mask of an ally.

I wasn't here to be the hero.

All I wanted.

Was A decent life.

Freedom.

And maybe, just maybe… the last laugh.

—

The inner corridors of Rosaria Academy were quieter this time of day. Students had either retreated to their dorms or were still caught up socializing in the courtyards. The energy of orientation was still fresh in the air, but the novelty had started to fade.

First Class students had their own wing. Of course they did. Gilded archways, spellbound sconces that lit the way with gentle glows, and security wards that hummed just beneath the skin like low thunder.

I passed a few unfamiliar faces—other First Class students who glanced at me with wary curiosity. Most of them were likely still trying to figure out who the hell I was.

"Caelum Raye?"

"Wasn't he top-ranked?"

"I didn't even see him at orientation."

"He vanished right after. Weird guy."

Perfect, this'll do.

Let them wonder. Let them think I was mysterious. Unpredictable.

The more they assumed, the less they understood.

I reached my dorm at the far end of the First Class wing. The door slid open with a whisper of enchanted air. No key. Just a touch of my hand on the embedded crest.

Inside, the room was immaculate—lavishly appointed with a view of the academy gardens, a private desk with runic interfaces, and a bed that looked like it belonged in a royal guest suite.

I didn't even blink at it.

Instead, I shut the door behind me, crossed to the desk, and leaned on the edge of it, arms crossed.

"First Selene and Elias…" I murmured again. "Then what?"

The heroine's debut was supposed to happen during the training exercise. That was still a few days away.

If I wanted her on my side, I'd need to engineer a proper meeting. Something memorable. Something emotionally resonant—but not suspicious.

But before that, I needed to earn Elias's trust. And Selene's. Separately.

Fortunately, they were both strong, talented, and emotionally repressed. Which meant I could play confidant. The patient listener. The voice of reason.

Who better to untangle the knots of future heroes than someone who already knew how the threads were tied?

I'd pull them in slowly. Carefully. Until they relied on me.

And then… I'd guide the story from the inside out.

All I had to do was make them believe I was just like them.

Just another kid, caught in the tides of something bigger than himself.

I exhaled, closing my eyes briefly.

"It's going to be a long year," I muttered. Then added with a smirk, "But at least the cast is fun."

I pushed off the desk and crossed the room to the bookshelf, grabbing one of the course tomes for the next day.

[Elemental Theory and Application.]

The same class Selene would be attending. And, if memory served, one Elias occasionally sat in on to help tutor others.

A small smile curved my lips.

"Perfect."