Earth:
"ARGH, DAMN IT! STUPID GAME!"
The boy's furious roar echoed throughout the apartment complex, yet not a single neighbor seemed bothered. Clearly, these outbursts were a recurring local tradition.
Inside the penthouse apartment—in a room that was a gamer's wet dream—sat a boy with short, messy black hair and piercing blue eyes. A twisted scowl was etched onto his handsome face, deepening further as the game's cutscene abruptly vanished.
"UGH! What the hell? Turn back ON!" he shouted, frantically spamming his mouse to recover the screen.
"UGHH—" His shout was cut short as the monitor plunged into darkness. When it flickered back to life, it didn't show the game; instead, it pulsed with a deep, rhythmic crimson light.
"W-what? Creepy..." He recoiled, pushing his chair back.
The flashing stopped, revealing something that made his blood run cold. Words began to crawl across the screen, wriggling like living insects. Then, a voice—one that held no distinct gender—rang out through the room.
[Hello, Kai.]
Kai's heart thundered against his ribs. His blood turned to ice, then began to race. He was terrified—truly, deeply terrified. He hadn't even used his real name on this account! How does it know who I am?! he screamed internally.
[You don't seem to be enjoying the game. Why is that?]
Kai tried his best not to reply. If it were up to him, he would have remained silent, but as he resisted, a sudden, crushing pressure weighed against his mind. Voices filled with madness whispered sweet nothings into his ears, gnawing at his resolve until he finally cracked.
He didn't just break; he shattered.
"Because it's garbage! The main character is an idiot, and the player is forced to play as a 'benevolent' fool even when there are far better characters available. And don't even get me started on his useless harem! Personally, I'd have taken the villainesses—or literally anyone else."
Haa... haa... He let out a long sigh of relief. The voices vanished the moment he spoke. He had poured out his frustration, speaking nothing but his honest truth. Out of all his grievances with the game, those were the ones that burned the most.
The voice returned, this time tinged with a hint of amusement.
[Oh? And you believe you'd do a better job?]
"Yes." This time, Kai didn't need to be forced. He believed, wholeheartedly, that if he were in the protagonist's shoes, he would perform better. No—he would do astronomically better. The story would have been far more intriguing, and he would have taken the bold actions the original protagonist was too cowardly to attempt.
[Understood. Two questions remain.]
Kai nodded frantically. YES! PLEASE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!! he screamed in his head, praying to whatever gods existed to free him from this madness.
[If you could choose, which character would you like to be? And if you could make one change to the story... what would it be?]
Kai actually paused to think. Truly, almost any side character was better than the lead. But if he had to choose, the answer was obvious.
"I would be the main antagonist: Noah von Vale."
[Hmm? Why? He is evil, after all.]
Hearing this, Kai's lips curled into a strange smile. A dark glint flashed in his eyes, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
"Ah, ah, ah. That's more than two questions."
[Tch. Be like that, then.]
"To answer the second question: the thing I'd change is the protagonist's personality. He can still be a man of justice, but he should at least be smart and cunning. The original was too stupid—he acted like a justice-crazed whore."
[...]
[A justice-crazed whore? How... poetic.]
Kai nodded furiously. NOW LEAVE! he pleaded internally.
[So, let us get this straight. Firstly, you despise the game's story?]
Nod. Nod.
[You believe you could do a better job?]
Nod. Nod.
[Given the choice, you would be Noah, the main antagonist?]
Nod. Nod.
[And you would make the protagonist smarter and more cunning, while maintaining his sense of justice?]
Nod. Nod. Kai's neck was starting to ache.
[Very well! I hope you keep your word! Have fun! And enjoy! Hehe.]
The voice spoke with a casual glee, as if it hadn't just uttered something world-shattering.
Kai's eyes widened. He took a step back, then another, before spinning on his heel to bolt for the door.
[Tch, tch. Not so fast.]
Amusement laced the voice. Kai froze. His legs refused to respond, no matter how hard he fought.
Dread flooded his heart. Suddenly, Kai's mind began to slow. His thoughts blurred into a thick slurry until coherent consciousness became impossible. He slumped to the floor, his eyes turning hollow—as if his very soul had been ripped from his body.
Because it had.
That day, Kai died.
That day, Noah died.
In the vacuum they left behind, a new entity was born. A psychopath and a college student with anger issues merged in perfect, terrible harmony.
Something profound had begun.
[Hehe.]
The sound of giggling was the only thing left in the now-empty room.
+++++++++++++++
End.