Chapter 5~The Warning
1061 Words
Selene didn't sleep at all.
The anonymous note lay on her desk, its words burned into her mind.
You can't escape the story.
No matter how many times she read it, the message remained the same.
Simple.
Short.
Terrifying.
Someone knew.
That was the only conclusion she could reach.
Someone knew she was changing the plot.
Someone had noticed her actions.
But who?
Selene paced around her room as dawn approached.
The possibilities ran through her head endlessly.
Could it be one of the Beast Kings?
No.
That seemed unlikely.
Lucien was suspicious, but not enough to leave mysterious messages.
And Soren...
Her stomach tightened.
The Serpent King was intelligent enough to figure out something was wrong, but she couldn't imagine him sneaking into her room to leave a note.
Then who?
The answer refused to come.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"My lady?"
A maid entered carrying a tray of breakfast.
The moment she saw Selene's pale face, concern appeared in her eyes.
"Did you not sleep?"
Selene forced a smile.
"A little."
The maid clearly didn't believe her.
After setting down the tray, she hesitated.
"My lady, a letter arrived this morning."
Another letter?
Selene's heart nearly stopped.
The maid handed over a neatly sealed envelope.
Fortunately, this one bore the royal academy's crest.
Not another anonymous warning.
Selene opened it carefully.
As expected, it contained details regarding her return to the academy.
Classes would resume in three days.
Three days.
That was all the time she had left before stepping back into the most dangerous place in the novel.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
The maid tilted her head.
"Is something wrong?"
"Everything."
The answer slipped out before Selene could stop herself.
The maid looked confused.
Selene quickly shook her head.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
The maid didn't look convinced.
Still, she quietly left.
The moment the door closed, Selene dropped onto a chair.
The academy.
The warning.
The Beast Kings.
Everything seemed to be happening at once.
A headache formed behind her eyes.
Maybe she should focus on one problem at a time.
The academy first.
The mysterious enemy later.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
A servant rushed into her room without warning.
"My lady!"
Selene jumped.
"What now?"
The servant looked alarmed.
"Lord Lucien is here."
Silence.
Selene blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"What?"
"Lord Lucien has arrived."
Why?
Why was he here?
Had she somehow offended him yesterday?
Did he discover the note?
Was Evelyn hurt again?
Questions flooded her mind.
Before she could ask any of them, the servant added,
"He's waiting in the garden."
Selene sighed.
Apparently, avoiding Beast Kings wasn't an option.
Not in this life.
The morning air was cool as Selene entered the estate's gardens.
Flowers bloomed along the stone pathways.
Birds chirped from nearby trees.
It would have been peaceful if not for the tall man standing beside a fountain.
Lucien.
The Wolf King turned as she approached.
His golden eyes immediately settled on her face.
A frown appeared.
"You look terrible."
Selene almost laughed.
That was his greeting?
"I didn't sleep well."
His gaze lingered for a moment.
Then he nodded.
As if confirming something.
"Why are you here?" Selene asked.
Lucien remained silent for several seconds.
Then he reached into his coat.
Selene stiffened.
A folded piece of paper appeared in his hand.
Her blood turned cold.
The note.
Had he found out?
Lucien held it out to her.
"This was delivered to me this morning."
Confused, Selene accepted it.
The moment she unfolded the paper, her stomach dropped.
The handwriting was identical to the note she had received.
Across the page were four words.
The story has begun.
A chill ran through her entire body.
This wasn't a coincidence.
Someone had sent Lucien a message too.
Slowly, she looked up.
Lucien was watching her carefully.
"You recognize it."
It wasn't a question.
Selene's grip tightened on the paper.
"I received one as well."
For a moment, genuine surprise crossed Lucien's face.
"You did?"
She nodded.
Lucien's expression darkened.
"Show me."
Normally, Selene would have refused.
But this situation was different.
Someone was targeting both of them.
Keeping secrets seemed pointless.
She led him back inside.
Minutes later, Lucien stood in her room staring at the note on her desk.
You can't escape the story.
The atmosphere became heavy.
Lucien picked up the paper.
His eyes narrowed.
"The handwriting matches."
Selene already knew that.
Which made everything worse.
Lucien placed the note down.
"Who would send these?"
"I was hoping you knew."
His frown deepened.
Neither spoke for several moments.
Finally, Lucien broke the silence.
"Do you think this is a threat?"
Selene hesitated.
She couldn't tell him the truth.
Couldn't explain that someone might know she was a transmigrator.
Couldn't explain the novel.
The plot.
The future.
So she settled for a partial truth.
"I think someone is playing a game."
Lucien looked thoughtful.
"A dangerous one."
Selene nodded.
Very dangerous.
Because whoever was behind these messages wasn't simply observing.
They were making their presence known.
They wanted her to know she was being watched.
And that terrified her more than any direct attack.
A knock sounded suddenly.
The door opened.
The maid stepped inside.
"My lady, a visitor has arrived."
Selene frowned.
"Who?"
The maid swallowed nervously.
"The Serpent King."
The room fell silent.
Selene nearly dropped the letter.
Lucien's eyes widened.
"The Serpent King?"
The maid nodded.
"He's waiting downstairs."
Selene closed her eyes.
Of course.
Of course he was.
Because apparently one Beast King per day wasn't enough.
Lucien folded his arms.
"What does he want?"
The maid shook her head.
"He didn't say."
That somehow made it worse.
Much worse.
Selene glanced toward the two mysterious notes lying on her desk.
Then toward Lucien.
A horrible feeling settled in her chest.
Something was happening.
Something bigger than she understood.
And somehow, all roads seemed to lead back to one person.
The Serpent King.
Meanwhile, on a rooftop overlooking the estate, a young woman sat comfortably on the edge of a chimney.
Her eyes gleamed with amusement.
She had watched everything.
The notes.
The confusion.
The growing suspicion.
Exactly as planned.
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"Interesting."
Below her, the Ashbourne estate remained unaware of her presence.
The woman smiled.
The game had only just begun.
And soon, everyone would be dancing to her tune.
- Writer
