Chapter 10: Prologue: Cursed by the benevolent (2)
'Fuck…'
'What the fuck… just happened?'
The weight in his chest wouldn't fade.
His fingers twitched. His breath came in uneven bursts.
His whole body still remembered.
Even now, even after waking up, he could feel the phantom sensation of that freezing air clinging to his skin.
The smell of blood lingered at the back of his throat like a sickness he couldn't spit out.
So he did the only thing he could do.
He told the maid and his sister to leave.
To let him rest.
To be alone.
A soft breeze filtered through the open window, brushing against his clammy skin.
It was spring.
Clear skies. Blooming flowers. A world untouched by snow.
Not the frozen wasteland from his dream.
His breath hitched.
He was certain he had returned.
And yet, his hands wouldn't stop shaking.
He clenched them into fists, digging his nails into his palm, trying to ground himself.
But the images wouldn't stop.
The blood. The lifeless eyes. The twisted, frozen corpse.
'I've never seen someone die before…'
'Much worse, in such a horrible way…'
He swallowed hard, nausea clawing up his throat.
Movies make it look so fake…
But that? That was real.
His stomach churned violently. He lurched forward, gripping the edge of his bed as bile threatened to rise.
Breathe.
'I need to check the system—'
'What was the passcode again—'
Before he could even finish the thought, the holographic interface flickered into view.
__________________
System:
Elijah Noe Shahrazad.
Mahika rank: F
Unique Skill: None.
Special Status:
(Cursed by the Benevolent)
The user will experience a time loop until he finishes the prologue. To do so, he must satisfy his first viewer.
[ Prologue resets back within 11 hours. ]
____________________
A dry laugh slipped from his lips.
"…So it didn't even need a chant this time."
His amusement vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by something heavier.
Dread.
"This is insane…" His voice cracked. His hands trembled as he reached for his throat, pressing against the skin, as if trying to feel if he was still real. "…The fact that I'm accepting all of this is even crazier."
He forced himself to focus.
"This curse is the reason why I keep resetting."
"If I finish the prologue, it will disappear."
"But if a single interference from me was enough to break the plot…"
Then—
A small, almost desperate smile tugged at his lips.
"I'll do nothing and sleep all day."
'Right? If I don't do anything, nothing will change. I'm a genius.'
And so, that was exactly what Elijah did.
He slept through the morning, ignoring everything.
But when night fell—
He dreamed.
And in that dream, the original prologue played out exactly as it was supposed to.
Aliyah and Dae-hyun followed the correct route.
They found the Nightmare Egg.
They destroyed it.
But—
One monster still hatched.
Dae-hyun had to make a choice.
And in the end—
He chooses to sacrifice himself.
But before he was able to do so, Aliyah voluntarily gave up her life.
Pushing him away, letting him escape as the dungeon took him outside.
[ End. ]
Or so it should have been.
Because—
[ Seriously, don't you get it lol? ]
[ I don't like this ending… This cliché already bored me to death. ]
[ Cursed by the Benevolent has been activated. ]
****
Elijah's world snapped back into place.
His lungs burned as he sucked in a sharp breath, his body jerking upright.
Sweat drenched his skin. His pulse roared in his ears.
His eyes darted around the room, frantic.
No snow. No ice. No blood.
The same ceiling. The same familiar room.
The same nightmare.
And sure enough—
Bang!
The door burst open.
Marjorie rushed inside, her voice shrill with concern.
"M'lady! The Young Master has awakened!"
Elijah stared at her.
Then—
He laughed.
A breathless, hollow sound that barely resembled laughter.
"…Ha… haha…"
His fingers curled into his sheets, his body still trembling.
"This… this isn't funny anymore."
Marjorie hesitated. Something about his expression—about the way his shoulders tensed—made her uneasy.
"Young master, are you feeling alri—"
Crash!
The vase shattered into pieces.
Elijah didn't stop to look.
His body moved on instinct. His feet slammed against the floor as he bolted.
He didn't know where he was going.
He just needed to move.
Somewhere. Anywhere.
Anywhere that wasn't here.
His heart pounded violently in his chest, his breath coming out in sharp gasps.
Then—
Crash!
He slammed straight into someone.
Dae-hyun.
A strong grip caught his arm, steadying him.
"Elijah—"
Aliyah's voice followed right after, breathless from chasing him.
Dae-hyun's brows furrowed as he took in Elijah's state—his skin was deathly pale, his body trembling, his breathing ragged.
"Elijah, try to calm down—"
"You don't understand!"
Elijah's voice cracked.
He tried to pull away, but Dae-hyun wouldn't let go.
"I need to write—" His voice was desperate, his mind racing. "To make something that will satisfy my reader… Otherwise…"
His throat tightened. His vision began to blurred.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Otherwise…"
"I will lose my mind."