Cassian Nyx.

The man destined to become the Demon Lord.

The man Adrian had spent three years mourning.

The very reason he had crossed worlds... only to meet him far too soon.

Cassian looked years younger than the man Adrian remembered from the novel.

Too young to become the monster history would one day fear.

For a brief moment, the entire hall seemed to disappear.

Only Cassian remained.

Standing right in front of him.

Cassian's crimson eyes slowly shifted.

Then landed directly on Adrian.

The world stopped.

Adrian forgot to breathe.

His heartbeat thundered painfully against his ribs.

Something dark and unreadable flickered through Cassian's crimson eyes.

As though he had been expecting this meeting.

Then-

Cassian smiled.

And Adrian immediately realized he was in trouble.

The Cassian Nyx Adrian remembered from the novel rarely smiled.

Yet the man standing before him now looked perfectly at ease.

As though this wasn't enemy territory.

As though an entire kingdom posed no threat to him at all.

"Lord Cassian. Welcome to the Celestial Kingdom."

Cassian bowed gracefully.

"Your Majesty."

His voice was deep and smooth.

Far warmer than Adrian had imagined while reading the novel.

"It is an honor."

The formal greetings continued.

Adrian heard almost none of it.

He couldn't stop staring at Cassian.

This wasn't a fictional character anymore.

This was a living, breathing man.

The man Adrian had never been able to save.

Then Cassian looked at him again.

Adrian nearly choked on air.

"Your son?" Cassian asked.

The king nodded.

"Crown Prince Elian Ashford."

For a second, neither of them spoke.

The silence stretched.

Then Cassian stepped forward.

Until he stood directly before Adrian.

Adrian could smell cedarwood and something faintly smoky.

His heart began pounding.

"Your Highness."

Cassian extended a hand.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

The single word sent alarm bells ringing inside Adrian's head.

Finally?

Adrian searched his memories desperately.

No matter how hard he tried...

He couldn't remember Elian and Cassian ever meeting before.

Trying not to panic, Adrian shook his hand.

His instincts screamed at him not to touch Cassian.

But refusing would only draw suspicion.

The moment their skin touched-Pain exploded behind his eyes.

A blinding flash of light swallowed his vision. Images flooded his mind.

A battlefield drowned in blood.

A broken throne stained crimson.

A man kneeling beneath a sky that seemed to be crying.

Crimson eyes filled with despair instead of hatred.

A pair of bloodstained hands reached toward him.

Then everything disappeared.

Then-

A voice.

[Soul-Bond System Activated.]

Adrian froze.

What?

[Target Located.]

[Cassian Nyx.]

[Fate Synchronization Beginning.]

A sharp pain shot through his chest.

His grip loosened.

The world snapped back into focus.

Everyone was still there. No one seemed to have noticed anything.

No one except- Cassian.

The demon lord's eyes narrowed slightly.

Adrian quickly released his hand.

His pulse hammered against his ribs.

Adrian's mind went completely blank.

A system?

Seriously?

Apparently being reincarnated into a novel wasn't ridiculous enough.

[Primary Objective Assigned.]

The mechanical voice returned.

Only Adrian could hear it.

[Prevent the Fall of Cassian Nyx.]

[Failure Result: World Collapse.]

Adrian's blood ran cold.

The words stole the air from Adrian's lungs.

World.... collapse?

Was the system insane?

Saving one villain was already impossible.

Now it expected him to save an entire world?

The system wasn't asking him to save one man. It was demanding that he save the entire world.

Cassian tilted his head slightly.

"Are you unwell, Your Highness?"

Adrian forced a smile.

"I'm fine."

Cassian's gaze lingered on him.

Those crimson eyes missed nothing.

The attention made Adrian nervous.

Because in the original story, Cassian was terrifyingly intelligent.

If anyone could figure out Adrian wasn't the real Elian-

it would be him.

"We should all sit," the king announced.

The tension finally broke.

Everyone moved toward the table.

Adrian sat beside the king.

Unfortunately, Cassian ended up directly across from him.

Their eyes met.

Once.

Twice.

Neither of them looked away first.

Each glance lasted only a heartbeat.

Yet Adrian felt completely seen.

Each time, Cassian seemed more curious.

As though Adrian were a puzzle he wanted to solve.

Which was strange.

Because according to the novel-

Cassian and Elian were supposed to hate each other.

Not stare at each other across a breakfast table.

Not fifteen years before the story even started.

Something had changed. And Adrian had a horrible feeling that it wasn't just the plot.

Meanwhile, across the table, Cassian calmly lifted his teacup.

Then, almost imperceptibly, the corner of Cassian's lips curved upward.

No one else noticed.

Except Adrian.

And for the first time since arriving in this world-

Adrian felt genuinely afraid.

It was the smile of someone who had already seen the ending...

And wasn't afraid of it.

Cassian's smile lingered for only a second.

Then it vanished as though it had never existed.

The conversation around the table resumed.

Topics that should have been important.

Yet Adrian couldn't focus on any of them.

Because every few minutes, he felt Cassian looking at him.

Enough to make the back of his neck prickle.

Enough to make him wonder if the Demon Lord somehow knew his secret.

There was no way Cassian could know he wasn't the real Elian.

Or know that Adrian came from another world.

Right?

"Prince Elian."

Adrian nearly jumped.

King Alaric frowned slightly.

"I asked for your opinion."

"Sorry."

The word slipped out automatically.

Several nobles looked confused.

Apparently princes weren't supposed to say sorry.

Adrian quickly cleared his throat.

"My apologies, Father."

Much better. Or at least he hoped so.

Across the table, Cassian lowered his teacup.

There was amusement in his crimson eyes.

He was definitely enjoying this.

Adrian was absolutely certain of it.

The realization made Adrian want to hide under the table.

Unfortunately, princes probably weren't allowed to do that either.

As breakfast finally came to an end, the nobles slowly began leaving.

The atmosphere relaxed.

Adrian was preparing his escape when a familiar voice echoed inside his head.

[New Quest Available]

He nearly choked.

Not again.

[Mandatory Quest: Establish Initial Trust]

Objective: Spend one hour alone with Cassian Nyx.

Reward: +500 Fate Points

Failure: Unknown

Adrian stared blankly into space.

This wasn't a quest.

It was a death sentence disguised as a mission.

Was the system insane?

That was like locking a rabbit inside a cage with a tiger.

A tiger who might accidentally destroy kingdoms.

[Quest Countdown Initiated.]

Time Remaining: 24 Hours.

Adrian wanted to scream.

Instead, he smiled weakly and tried to pretend everything was fine.

And then things became worse.

Because at that exact moment, Cassian stood from his chair.

His crimson gaze settled directly on Adrian.

"I would like to borrow the Crown Prince for a private conversation."

Cassian never looked away from Adrian.

It didn't sound like a request.

It sounded inevitable.

The entire hall went silent.

King Alaric stiffened.

The Archbishop looked horrified.

Several nobles nearly dropped their cups.

And Adrian...

Adrian felt his soul leave his body.

Because the system notification immediately appeared again.

Adrian looked at Cassian.

Cassian smiled again.

As though he already knew Adrian's answer.

A strange chill ran down Adrian's spine.

For one impossible second...

he couldn't shake the feeling that Cassian wasn't looking at Prince Elian Ashford.

He was looking straight at Adrian Reeves.

Impossible.

...Or was it?

[Quest Progress Updated]

Target has invited you.

Accept?

YES / NO

Accept?

The glowing words hovered in front of Elian's eyes.

YES / NO

His entire body went rigid.

Around him, the Grand Hall had fallen silent.

King Aldric Ashford sat frozen.

The Archbishop looked moments away from declaring holy war.

Several nobles stared at Cassian as though the Demon Lord had just demanded ownership of the Crown Prince.

And standing calmly in the center of the room was Cassian Nyx himself.

Expecting an answer.

Meanwhile, the System was apparently enjoying itself.

Elian wanted to scream.

Instead, he forced a smile that probably looked more painful than reassuring.

The quest was mandatory.

The countdown had already started.

Refusing would likely create even more problems.

So, with all the enthusiasm of a man signing his own death warrant, Elian mentally selected:

YES.

[Quest Accepted.]

[Stage One Initiated.]

A faint pulse traveled through the soul bond.

At the same moment, Cassian's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

As if he had sensed something.

Or perhaps felt the bond react.

Neither possibility made Elian feel better.

"Your Majesty," Cassian said smoothly, breaking the silence. "I merely wish to speak with the Crown Prince. Surely that is not an unreasonable request."

The Archbishop nearly exploded.

"It is absolutely unreasonable!"

The old man pointed dramatically.

"Three days ago, a forbidden soul bond appeared between Your Highness and the Demon Lord! We still don't understand what happened!"

Murmurs spread throughout the hall.

Elian could almost taste the fear hanging in the air.

But through the bond, he felt something else too.

Then the soul bond stirred.

For a brief moment, emotions that weren't his flooded his chest.

Loneliness.

Exhaustion.

A sadness so old it felt endless.

Elian's breath caught.

How could someone carry this much pain... and still stand so calmly?

The sensation caught Elian off guard.

It wasn't fair.

How was he supposed to see Cassian as a future villain when he could literally feel the pain hidden behind the man's calm expression?

King Aldric Ashford finally spoke.

"No private meetings."

Cassian raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"Not until we understand the nature of this bond."

The Demon Lord held the king's gaze for several seconds.

Then, he nodded.

"As you wish."

The tension in the room eased slightly.

Because everyone knew this wasn't over.

Nothing more happened that day.

Three days later-

Elian's bedroom became his prison.

Officially, King Aldric claimed it was for his own protection.

Unofficially?

The entire kingdom was panicking.

And honestly, Elian couldn't blame them.

A soul bond between the Crown Prince and the future Demon Lord was exactly the kind of thing that started wars.

The first day had been chaos.

The second had been confusion.

By the third day, boredom had become torture.

Elian sat beside the window overlooking the palace gardens.

The System interface floated before him.

[PLAYER STATUS]

Name: Elian Ashford

Level: 1

Role: Destined Enemy (Villain's Counterpart)

Soul Bond: Cassian Nyx (Active)

Current Quest: The Hero's Destiny

Deviation from Original Plot: 27%

Twenty-seven percent.

In only three days.

"That's definitely not concerning."

The System, of course, ignored him.

Elian sighed.

Then opened another menu.

[SYSTEM RULES]

Player cannot reveal they are from another world.

Player cannot directly reveal future events.

Major plot points will resist alteration.

Deviation above 50% may trigger instability.

Player death = Permanent death.

Complete Main Quest to unlock Return Home option.

"Wonderful."

Everything about this situation somehow became worse every time he looked at it.

Then he opened the main quest.

[QUEST: THE HERO'S DESTINY]

Objective: Ensure Lucian Solaire defeats Demon Lord Cassian Nyx.

Method: Any.

Reward: Return Home + 10,000 System Points.

Failure: Death.

Time Remaining: 15 Years.

Elian stared at the objective.

Then stared again.

"Defeat," he whispered.

The single word caught Elian's attention.

Defeat.

Not kill. Not destroy. Simply... Defeat.

The wording mattered.

Because systems always cared about exact wording.

And if there was one thing Adrian Reeves excelled at...

It was finding loopholes.

A slow smile appeared on Elian's face.

The System wanted Cassian defeated.

It never explicitly said Cassian had to die.

Maybe there was a way to save Cassian while still completing the quest.

A way to beat the System using its own rules.

The thought had barely formed when a knock sounded at the door.

"Your Highness?"

A female voice.

Elian frowned.

"Come in."

The door opened.

A young maid stepped inside.

She looked no older than sixteen. She had dark hair, calm eyes, and the appearance of an ordinary servant.

Yet the moment Elian looked at her, something felt wrong.

Like an actress playing a role she hadn't fully memorized.

She curtsied gracefully.

"Lady Seraphina Grey."

Elian froze.

The name triggered an old memory.

A side character.

Minor enough that most readers forgot about her.

But Adrian remembered.

Because the fandom had spent years creating theories about Seraphina Grey.

And none of them had ever reached a conclusion.

"I've been assigned to assist Your Highness during your confinement."

Her smile looked polite.

Elian studied her carefully.

Then decided to gamble.

"You aren't from this world, are you?"

The silence lasted exactly three seconds.

Then Seraphina's eyes widened.

A moment later she burst out laughing.

"Oh thank God."

The elegant noble-girl act disappeared instantly.

She dropped into a nearby chair.

Completely ignoring every rule of etiquette.

"You have no idea how exhausting it is pretending to be a fantasy noble twenty-four hours a day."

Elian blinked.

"Wait..."

She pointed at him.

"Adrian Reeves."

His jaw dropped.

"You know who I am?"

"Of course I know who you are."

She grinned.

"'VillainSimp69.'"

Elian wanted the floor to open and swallow him whole.

"No."

"Oh yes."

"No."

"Oh absolutely yes."

She laughed harder.

"Your comments section was legendary."

Elian covered his face.

"This is a nightmare."

"My username was TragicEndings4Ever."

Slowly, Elian lowered his hands.

Recognition hit instantly.

"No way."

"Way."

"You were that person?"

"The one who kept arguing that Cassian deserved happiness?"

"Okay, first of all, I was right."

She pointed dramatically.

"And second of all, you're proving my point right now."

For the first time since arriving in this world-

Elian laughed.

The tension inside him eased slightly.

He wasn't alone.

There was someone else here.

Then Seraphina's expression grew serious.

"Unfortunately, things are more complicated than you think."

Elian's smile faded.

"What do you mean?"

She leaned forward.

"There are other reincarnators."

His stomach dropped.

"What?"

"At least three."

The room suddenly felt smaller.

"Three?"

Seraphina nodded.

"Me."

She pointed to herself.

"You."

Then her expression darkened.

"And Lucian Solaire."

Elian froze.

"What about him?"

For several seconds Seraphina remained silent.

When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Lucian isn't just the Hero." Her gaze locked onto his. "He's the one who wrote this world."

Elian's mind went blank.

"What...?"

Seraphina nodded.

"The original author of Chronicles of the Celestial Hero."

Silence.

Then a horrifying realization struck Elian.

If the author was inside the story...

Then someone already knew exactly how it was supposed to end.

And if the author wanted Cassian to die...

Then Adrian wasn't the hero anymore.

He had become the villain in someone else's story.