This doesn't make any sense! Since when did the plot move this fast?!

A day. You had at least one day before this scene occurred. There was no way your involvement in the story sped up the plot, right? You had zero interaction with anything related to the TDD (technology design division) and you didn't interact with Amias after the SF trial assembly.

The time constraint of the situation restricted your opportunity to dwell on the issue any longer. Quickly recalling the layout of the building, you mapped out the fastest route in your head and began sprinting. Your balance was precarious with every step you took, your breathing was uneven and haphazard, and you swore that you heard sounds of walls collapsing and debris crashing against the ground from a distance. It didn't matter if it was because of your perturbation or that the situation was escalating much more than you thought, you picked up your pace anyways and almost fell forward at your increased acceleration.

You cast a panicked glance at your device. The thought of contacting someone momentarily crossed your mind, but you quickly dismissed it. Caleb should be with Amias and the two are meant to be helping people during the crisis, Elias had his own important role in both investigating the source of the issue and resolving it, there was literally no way Lyle would help you, and if you called Lily or anyone from your support team you'll just be making the situation worse.

You approached a set of stairs and grabbed the railing and jumped over it as a shortcut. You wished you could say it went well, but it didn't. Upon landing, you immediately stumbled, fell forward, and crashed into the wall. Adrenaline numbed the pain and you managed to get up on your feet. As soon as you did, a force slammed right behind you, creating a hole in the wall.

You apprehensively looked over your shoulder. The apparitions were closing in and they were furious. Well, given that they were trapped in the lab for experimental purposes for years, some for over a decade, you can see why they were wrecking havoc.

Thankfully, no signs of possession just yet. You wished you could see where they were, but you'll have to assume they have infested the place by now. You ran down the stairs for a few steps before jumping off to save time. Your landing was disrupted when thin ice layers began forming onto the floor, causing you to slip. You managed to break your fall, but your knees were practically crying. A strong wind began oppressing the air and snowflakes descended.

"An incoming storm," you huffed, a string of frosty air coming from your breath. "He's almost here."

The window to your right shattered, letting in a strong rush of wind. The intensity of it pushed you back and slammed you against the wall. It was like someone had strapped weights to every limb in your body, no matter how hard you tried to get up, you couldn't. Glancing down at the floor, you saw more ice beginning to form on the ground. The layers were becoming thicker by the second.

Wasn't this scenario all too familiar? Being in the midst of danger and having the knowledge of how to avoid but being unable to put it to use?

A loud crack and low rumbling came from above. You glanced up and saw fractures beginning to form across the ceiling, it didn't take a genius to figure out that the entire roof was on the verge of collapsing. The severity of the situation jolted your nerves to act and you miraculously mustered the strength to stand up. The ice floor threw you off balance and before you knew it, the ceiling came tumbling down. You shielded your head with your arms and braced for the impact.

However, you didn't feel anything.

Confused, you hesitantly opened your eyes and your arms fell down to your sides. Observing your surroundings, your eyes fluttered in shock. The world around you had lost all its colour, it was completely black and white, and the debris from the collapsing ceiling had suspended mid-air. To put it in simple words, it looked like someone had paused time. Or if you wanted to make it sound more fitting, paused a game.

What was going on?

A grey holographic screen suddenly appeared in front of you. You stood there for a moment as you tried to digest what was going on. Curious, you tried to touch the screen, but your hand just phased through it. It left a weird static-like sensation on your skin.

[(Y/n) (L/n)]

A line of white text appeared on the screen. Stunned, you hesitated in responding. "...Who––what are you?"

The lack of response left an uncomfortable sense of disquietude. You tried taking a step away from the screen, but your feet wouldn't budge. In fact, your entire lower half couldn't move.

[Where are you going?]

You flinched at the question. Despite there being no voice or expression of confrontation from the text, you felt like you got caught red-handed doing something wrong.

"I was trying to leave," you said uneasily, your head still trying to wrap itself around the abnormality of the situation.

[Why?]

"Uh, well..." You stole a quick glance at the ceiling. "It's a good opportunity to escape."

There was a short period of silence.

[Bringing you here was a mistake]

Your eyes widened at the implication and you set aside the odd shift in the topic. "So, you were the one who brought me here?"

[That isn't important]

"Well, it is to me! I can finally get some answers!" you exclaimed. "What did you expect when bringing me here? What exactly is my purpose?"

[You were an author. That was what I needed you to do, to be an author]

Temporarily, colour returned to the world and the debris fell down. Before you could scream, time paused again. A rush of panic dazed your mind, the suspended debris hovered dangerously right above your head. Your body trembled in apprehension and you thickly swallowed, breath shallow and irregular.

[If you're not going to be one, then you have no place in this world]

"What does that even mean?"

[You don't seem to understand]

[Then, farewell]

"Wait––"

The screen disappeared and the monochromatic environment reverted back to its original low saturated colour palette. There was no time for you to react and a scream tore from your throat when you felt your entire body getting crushed.

Pressing through the pain, you desperately pushed what you could off you and managed to lift the pressure off your head. Gasping for air, you heavily breathed in and out to steer the focus away from the crimson liquid that was trickling down your forehead. Though they were bruised and bleeding, your arms still worked so you tried pulling yourself out of the rubble. You couldn't. Horror dawned onto you at the realisation that your legs were stuck and you were trapped buried underneath the collapsed ceiling.

"Oh, I didn't expect to see someone here. Are you alright?"

A voice eerily tranquil, it carried itself like a forgotten lullaby.

Movements slow and strained, you lifted your head up and saw a male figure. A calming presence that resembled a serene moonlight and ethereal pale skin; two distinguishing characteristics allowed you to discern who it was even under all the excruciating torment your body was experiencing. He was the apparition that served the longest time in the research lab and was the source of the brewing snowstorm.

"Oh, that was insensitive, wasn't it? It's clear that you're not alright." He sat down and crossed his legs, luminous silver eyes glancing at you. "How long has it been since I finally had control over my thoughts? Having a conversation again feels foreign to me." The male tilted his head to the side and looked at you with a curious gaze. "Hm, but you won't last much longer. Should I put you out of your misery?"

"...D-don't."

You didn't even know why you said those words yourself.

The feeling of a life desperately clinging onto survival, the feeling of heavy eyes trying to stay open, the feeling of a broken body trying to function, the feeling of a mind fearfully clinging onto consciousness in the face of death; you remembered this all too well. Your current state mirrored the death from your previous life. How did you feel before your death...?

Ah, that's right. I was looking out to the city the night of my death. I was feeling... how do I describe it?

You were an author who wrote down her desire for adventures in between pages or through a digital screen. You've always longed for something more in your life and you've technically gotten what you wanted through reincarnation. Did you waste this opportunity with your hesitation? Did you waste your chance at an adventurous life with your desire to stay safe?

In fact, was death inevitable for you in this world if you kept being so hyper focused on safety?

"Why?" The apparition's question snapped you out of your thoughts. "Why prolong your suffering?"

"I..."

"Perhaps you're hoping that your determination to survive will allow you to come back as an apparition?" He glanced at the shattered window. "A human's propensity to self preserve, it carries on even as apparitions. The determination to survive is what creates an apparition in the first place––it's their last spectacle of humanity. I believe I lost that a long time ago." He stood up. "I'll leave you be then. I hope you rest well in the afterlife."

Now, you were truly left alone; alone in a cold hallway with thoughts that dilapidated your mind.

It was frustrating.

You couldn't even do something when the apparition appeared. Why didn't you say something? Catch his attention? Take advantage of your knowledge and get him to save you so that he could learn more? You took a risk when you made the vengeful apparition possess you, why couldn't you do it this time?

Was it because you were alone? Was it because the chances of success were much lower? Or was it because a part of you had given up already?

Even if I make it out alive, I still have to face the SF trial. I'll die anyway.

Last time I got lucky, it won't happen again.

I'm just not cut out for this world.

They're right, I have no place here.

Those toxic thoughts plagued your mind, but something else was stronger than it. And that was your regret. A bitter look reflected on your expression. Even now a part of you wished to survive. You had a wealth of knowledge on the world; you knew a lot of the characters inside out, you knew what was going to happen in the future, you knew the AEI's secrets––in fact, you were even able to withstand possession from a vengeful apparition.

You did have potential, you were just too scared to act on it.

Even if you made the excuse of 'how can they expect a girl who used to live a typical danger-free life to suddenly adapt to this world', it wasn't about what you could do, it was about what you were willing to do. Your thoughts were always on how you could run away and protect yourself, not how you could fight back.

"I think I have a better understanding of what they meant by me being an author now," you mumbled.

Then, a sudden weight oppressed your lungs. Damn it, the apparitions finally decided to possess you and even decided to show themselves. They all had the typical appearance of an apparition; mist-like silhouettes of people. They were the people who died from the last SF trial and were forcefully locked away in a lab to be experimented on. And now they were finally free, it made sense why they had a lust for vengeance.

"Why did I die?"

"I had so much more to live for."

"This isn't fair."

"It was torture in there."

"The trial was impossible to begin with!"

"I'm going to kill them all."

Millions of whispers from different voices cluttered your mind, thinking straight was becoming increasingly difficult and the idea of passing out was very tempting. But you didn't, because that would mean a guaranteed death. Rather than struggling against the voices, you welcomed them in. You understood where their frustrations came from. The last SF trial was not fair by all means––it was rigged. Many died because the chairman had ensured that they wouldn't make it out alive. Then, even after death they were not allowed to rest. It was a terrible fate.

"I hear you," you whispered. You've also died before, but unlike them you were given a chance in a second life.

To be an author is to understand the characters within the story, to have empathy and put yourself in their shoes.

"So please, get the fuck out of my head," you glowered. "I already know what you want. You want revenge on the chairman, you want to expose the AEI for what it really is, you want revenge on those who didn't let you rest even when you were dead. You can't take over my mind because I know those are your desires and not mine."

You had an idea in mind. There was no guarantee that it'll work, but you'll take the risk. Either die or die trying.

The storm of apparitions all fought over control of your body. The battle over control of your mind was easily won by you. The key to that was to not fight against the possession, but know the apparitions better than they know themselves so that they can't control your mind. However, the battle that involved your physical body was the one you lost. It was like what happened with the vengeful apparition, you had control over your mind, but not your body.

But, that was exactly what you needed.

Unlike the vengeful apparition, these ones can't heal a body to a perfect state. However, they can enact small restorations. So, as they collectively fought over possession of you, they unknowingly collaborated in repairing your body. This was very circumstantial, but there were chances of it working. And you took that chance.

Your body moved on its own and you didn't fight against it. The apparitions pulled you out from the debris and made you stand up. Slowly, strength returned to you. Though your entire body hadn't healed perfectly, you knew that at least the severity of the broken bones had been mitigated.

Then, you slammed you fist against the wall. You drew blood and created a hole.

"Looks like I have control over my body now." You smiled. "Hey, is everyone listening to me? You should give it up."

Possessions from multiple apparitions would destroy someone because their mind wouldn't be able to handle the pressure. But if one were to overcome the mental obstacle, then the rest shouldn't be too difficult. Well, you could only say that because you knew exactly what to do. You had the knowledge.

The apparitions' control over your body was clumsy since there were so many. As a way to announce your dominance, you used all your strength to execute one powerful movement as a message for them to give up. In short, win the mind game and enduring possession becomes a walk in the park.

That was your formula.

You pushed yourself off the wall, stretched your arms over your head, and cracked your knuckles.

"Thanks for the help, my body is doing great now. Oh, but can you quit the whole possession ordeal?" You wiped the blood off your forehead. "That stuff doesn't work on me."





A/n: Reader getting her ✨ character development ✨