"She's going to come out any minute now!"
Maria exclaimed excitedly to her husband, Clive. Their daughter, Freya-who had entered the novel How to Melt the Duke's Heart-was finally coming home today.
It was another typical tragedy: the duke, abused as a child, is saved by the female lead's affection, and he falls hopelessly in love with her. But in the original ending, both the heroine and her unborn child die at the hands of the villain-a regretful conclusion Freya had set out to change.
In the year 2222, scientists had found a way to isekai people-no trucks or overwork required. Whenever someone wrote a story, it came alive in another dimension, and now, with the right technology, people could traverse those worlds.
The machine that made it possible was called Truckkun. It resembled an ancient altar: its hollow base carved with intricate patterns, an hourglass embedded within, and at its center, a platform perfectly shaped for a book. Once a book was placed and the hourglass flipped, the machine would whisk the reader into the world within its pages-until the last grain of sand fell.
But there were rules.
1. Only those compatible with the machine could enter and exit the book world. When the right person approached, the cradle, book, and hourglass glowed a deep blue.
2. You could only enter a book three times; after that, the machine would no longer respond to it.
3. No original book character could ever leave their world.
Freya was one of only nine people ever found compatible with Truckkun. There was only one machine in existence; compatibility was one in a billion.
Finally, the last grains of sand slipped through the hourglass. Maria and Clive wore their glasses just as a blinding light burst from the altar. Freya emerged from the book, and her parents wrapped her in a tight hug.
"I missed you so much!" Freya breathed.
"We missed you too, darling," Maria replied with a radiant smile. At forty-eight, she still looked barely over thirty.
"How did it go in the book?" Clive asked, his dark grey eyes shining with pride. Freya was his mirror: autumn-toned hair, though hers fell in soft, waist-length curls like her mother's.
"I did it, Dad. I saved the heroine and her child!" Freya squealed, hugging them again.
"That's wonderful news, Rey. We're so proud of you," Maria said, beaming. Clive's proud smile said it all-their little family was close-knit, and they adored one another.
"I should probably report to HQ now," Freya said.
"Don't let us keep you, sweetie. Be home for dinner by eight, okay?"
"Okay, Mom. Love you guys!" She kissed them goodbye and hurried out.
Truckkun was owned by a massive tech conglomerate known as Syndicate, under their Realm Travel Division. The division head, Asensya, sat waiting at her desk. Known for her sharp wit and even sharper tongue, she had a soft spot for Freya.
As Freya approached, Asensya's usual frown melted into a smile. Their relationship had been tense at first-Freya, a beginner, had made plenty of mistakes-but her resilience had gradually thawed Asensya's frozen heart.
"Hi, Sya!" Freya greeted, embracing her. She'd called Asensya 'Sya' since joining the division, understanding that her cold demeanor came from a deep-rooted need to keep everyone safe. During the early days of Truckkun, many people had gone missing-including Sya's younger brother, Ethan.
Freya, a few years younger than Ethan, had always admired him. She could never resist his forest-green eyes or the gentle way he ruffled her hair. That was the last time she saw him.
"Hey, Rey. How was the mission? Did you complete it? Are you hurt anywhere?" Asensya asked, quickly checking Freya for injuries.
"Relax, Sya. I'm fine-see?" Freya grinned, holding up her hands. "Besides, you know who I am."
Asensya rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Yes, yes, the best traverser around here."
It wasn't just empty praise. Freya had completed the most successful missions of anyone, though not without heartbreak and failure along the way.
"Turns out the culprit wasn't the villain after all-it was the heroine's best friend. The author accidentally uploaded the draft instead of the final version, so no one caught the error in the first two runs."
"Good thing you figured it out and wrapped the story up peacefully," Sya said.
"Thank you, Sya." Freya gave a small bow, making Sya laugh.
"Ready to log your story run, or do you want to do it later?" Sya asked. Every traverser had to log their runs. The scanner extracted video footage from the traveler's memory, ensuring no one strayed from the proper path and helping future traversers.
"I'll do it now. I have to be home by eight or Mom will kill me. You know how she gets when I'm late."
"Haha, Maria's always been that way-overprotective. But it's just because she loves you."
"I know, I know," Freya said, stepping onto the scanner tile.
"Ready?" Sya asked, finger hovering over the button.
"Ready," Freya replied, closing her eyes as the device powered on. She felt a brief warmth, then it was over. Sya retrieved the hard drive from the slot.
"All done. You're free to go."
"Thanks, Sya. I'll see you tomorrow for my next briefing."
"Ever so diligent. See you tomorrow, love." Sya hugged her, and Freya went home for the night.