Destined for Death

Pain. That was the first thing she felt. A sharp ache pulsed through her skull as if someone had split it open with an axe. She groaned and pressed a hand against her forehead. "Ugh..." The bed beneath her was softer than any mattress she had ever slept on. Silk sheets tangled around her legs, and a faint floral scent lingered in the air. Slowly, she opened her eyes. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Sunlight poured through floor-to-ceiling windows draped with expensive crimson curtains. Gold-trimmed furniture filled the enormous room. Her breath caught. This wasn't her apartment. She sat upright so quickly that dizziness washed over her. "Where am I?" Her voice sounded strange. Softer. More elegant. Panic surged through her chest. The last thing she remembered was sitting at her desk, exhausted after finishing a chapter. She had been surviving on coffee and instant noodles for days while rushing to meet a deadline. Then... A blinding headache. Darkness. Nothing. She stumbled out of bed and rushed toward a large mirror standing against the wall. The moment she saw her reflection, her knees nearly gave out. A beautiful young woman stared back at her. Long silver hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Violet eyes blinked in shock. Her pale skin looked flawless, and her delicate features belonged to someone she recognized immediately. "No..." Her lips trembled. "No, no, no." She knew that face. She had spent months describing it. Months writing every detail. Because that face belonged to Selene Ashbourne. The villainess. The villainess from the beast-world novel she had written. Her heart nearly stopped. "This has to be a dream." She pinched herself. Hard. Pain shot through her arm. Unfortunately, she didn't wake up. A flood of memories crashed into her mind. Selene's childhood. Her noble family. Her obsession with the Beast Kings. Her cruel schemes against the heroine. Her countless crimes. The memories weren't hers, yet they felt frighteningly real. The room spun. She grabbed the edge of a table to steady herself. "No way." A nervous laugh escaped her lips. "No way this is happening." Out of all the characters she could have become, why did it have to be Selene? Why? She knew exactly how Selene's story ended. After spending years tormenting the heroine, Selene would be captured by the five Beast Kings. She would be imprisoned. Tortured. Publicly condemned. And finally executed. The scene had been one of the most dramatic moments in the entire novel. Readers had loved it. Thousands of comments had celebrated the villainess's downfall. At the time, she had been proud of writing such a satisfying ending. Now? Now she wanted to travel back in time and slap herself. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside the room. The door burst open. A young maid rushed inside. "Lady Selene!" The maid froze. Her eyes widened in surprise. "You're awake." Selene's stomach dropped. This was real. Far too real. "How long was I unconscious?" she asked carefully. The maid blinked. "Three days, my lady." Three days? Selene's heart skipped a beat. She remembered the timeline. If she wasn't mistaken, this was near the beginning of the story. The heroine had recently arrived at the Royal Academy. The Beast Kings hadn't completely turned against Selene yet. Which meant— A fragile spark of hope ignited inside her. She wasn't doomed. Not yet. The worst events hadn't happened. There was still time to change things. There had to be. The maid hesitated. "My lady... are you feeling alright?" Selene forced a smile. "Perfectly fine." The lie came out easier than expected. The maid relaxed slightly. "That's wonderful. Lord Lucien arrived earlier." Selene froze. The name hit her like lightning. Lucien. The Wolf King. One of the five men responsible for her future execution. A chill ran down her spine. "What does he want?" she asked. The maid shifted nervously. "He came because of the incident with Lady Evelyn." Selene's blood turned cold. The incident. Of course. She remembered it instantly. In the original story, Selene had accused the heroine, Evelyn, of stealing a precious necklace. The accusation had been completely false. Lucien had discovered the truth and confronted Selene. It was the first major c***k in her relationship with the Beast Kings. The beginning of her downfall. Selene's face went pale. The maid misunderstood her reaction. "Lord Lucien is waiting downstairs." Waiting. For her. The villainess in the original story had handled this confrontation terribly. She had insulted Evelyn. Threatened Lucien. And earned his hatred forever. Selene swallowed hard. She knew exactly what happened next. Because she had written it herself. But this time... This time she wouldn't make the same mistakes. If she wanted to survive, she needed to change the story. Starting now. Taking a deep breath, Selene straightened her shoulders. "Prepare me," she said. The maid blinked. "My lady?" Selene's violet eyes hardened with determination. "I'm going to meet Lord Lucien." And for the first time since arriving in this world, she made a promise to herself. She would not die. No matter what fate said. No matter what the story demanded. She would survive. Even if she had to rewrite the entire novel to do it.Selene dismissed the maid for a moment and turned back toward the mirror. The woman staring back at her was beautiful. Too beautiful. The kind of beauty that could make people forgive countless mistakes. Unfortunately, it hadn't been enough to save Selene Ashbourne. In the novel, beauty had only made her more hated. Selene closed her eyes. Memories from both lives swirled together inside her head. As the author, she knew every major event that would happen. As the villainess, she remembered the emotions behind those events. The jealousy. The loneliness. The desperation to be loved. For the first time, she realized how tragic Selene truly was. When she had written the story, she had focused on making the heroine shine. To accomplish that, she had made the villainess cruel, arrogant, and obsessed with the male leads. Readers had hated Selene. Now that she was living inside the character's skin, things felt different. The original Selene hadn't been born evil. She had simply grown up surrounded by expectations. Everyone praised her beauty and status but cared little about her feelings. The moment the heroine appeared, Selene felt threatened. Instead of seeking friendship, she chose hostility. One bad decision led to another until there was no turning back. Selene let out a long sigh. "Past me really was ruthless." She rubbed her temples. If she remembered correctly, the confrontation with Lucien today would determine many future events. One wrong word could destroy any chance she had of changing the story. A knock sounded at the door. "My lady?" the maid called softly. "Your bath is ready." Selene followed her into an adjoining room. Steam filled the luxurious chamber. A marble tub large enough for six people sat in the center. Even while terrified for her life, she couldn't help being impressed. Being a villainess certainly came with benefits. After bathing and changing into a pale blue dress, she felt slightly more composed. The dress was elegant but simple compared to the extravagant outfits Selene usually preferred. The maid looked surprised. "My lady, are you certain you don't want the ruby necklace?" Selene immediately shook her head. "No." The necklace had been one of the reasons people called Selene arrogant. Anything associated with the original villainess was dangerous. The maid carefully brushed her silver hair. "Lord Lucien has been waiting for nearly an hour." An hour? Selene winced. The Wolf King was known for many things. Patience wasn't one of them. Wonderful. She was about to meet a man who already disliked her and had been kept waiting. What could possibly go wrong? The answer was simple. Everything. The maid finished styling her hair and stepped back. "You look beautiful, my lady." Selene stared at her reflection one last time. Beautiful or not, she was still standing on the edge of a cliff. One wrong move and she would fall straight into the original plot. A servant arrived moments later to escort her downstairs. As they walked through the mansion's grand hallways, Selene's heart pounded harder with every step. The memories of the novel replayed in her mind. Lucien wasn't just one of the male leads. He was the first Beast King to openly oppose Selene. After today's confrontation, his opinion of her would steadily worsen. Eventually, he would become one of the strongest supporters of her execution. The thought made her stomach churn. "Calm down," she muttered under her breath. The servant glanced at her. "My lady?" "Nothing." Selene forced a smile. They reached the bottom of a staircase. Voices drifted from the reception room ahead. One voice belonged to a servant. The other was deep, cold, and unmistakably male. Lucien. Her pulse quickened. She suddenly understood how prey felt before stepping into a predator's territory. The servant opened the doors. "My lady has arrived." Silence filled the room. Selene lifted her gaze. A tall man stood beside a large window. Dark hair framed sharp features. Golden eyes fixed on her with unmistakable displeasure. The air itself seemed heavier under his gaze. Wolf King Lucien. The first of the five men destined to bring about her death. And judging by the look on his face, he was already halfway there.