Teaser: They land inside the Genre Core, but before Mira can resist, the narrative tags her as the villainess again and this time, the readers adore her too much to let her go.
They didn't fall.
They *loaded*—into a scene.
Complete. Shiny. Stable.
For the first time in hours, everything had color correction.
The buildings stood straight. The sky had three lighting layers.
Background NPCs moved normally.
"This isn't a glitch," Yuto muttered.
Rion checked his interface. "We're inside the active genre script. Real-time. Main story thread."
Mira looked down at her outfit. Velvet. Black. Heels. Roses.
"Oh no."
Rion blinked. "Why are you dressed like an anime duchess?"
System ping:
> "CHARACTER ROLE ASSIGNED: PRIMARY VILLAINESS."
---
Before she could curse, trumpets blared.
A school courtyard loaded around them—massive gates, marble fountains, cherry blossoms flying in slow motion.
Hundreds of students turned.
"Look! It's Lady Mira Elen!"
"Her elegance! Her cruelty! Her cheekbones!"
Mira groaned. "No."
A fan club banner flew across the top floor:
**#MiraSlayQueen**
She stomped forward. "I am *not* doing this arc again."
---
A girl tripped dramatically on a staircase nearby.
Cue gasp.
Cue moment of rescue.
But instead of a prince, Mira caught her.
System popup:
> "Villainess saves rival character. Fan approval +73%."
The crowd went feral.
"SOFT VILLAINESS ARC?!"
"SHE'S REDEEMABLE!"
"GIVE HER A SPIN-OFF!"
Yuto whispered, "You're trending. Inside the system."
Rion pinched his nose. "The narrative is adapting to audience demand. You're not just a villainess now. You're a *fandom object.*"
Mira growled. "I'm not their blorbo."
System ping:
> "You've been added to five fanfiction threads. Three romantic. One tragic. One enemies-to-lovers."
---
Then he arrived.
The Male Lead.
Tall. White uniform. Smile like marketing.
"Lady Mira," he said. "I know you're cruel. Cold. Perfect. That's why I—"
Mira slapped him with a napkin.
The crowd screamed.
"ICONIC."
"QUEEN BEHAVIOR."
"SHE SLAPPED HIM WITH ELEGANCE."
Yuto: "You're making it worse."
Mira: "I *breathed.* How is that trending?!"
System update:
> "Villainess Popularity: 97%."
> "Rewriting in progress to accommodate fan response."
> "Your arc is now *central.*"
---
She ran.
Down a side hallway. Past narrative barriers. Rion followed, typing frantically.
"The story's folding around you. You're not fighting the script anymore. You *are* the script."
They stopped at a locked door.
Behind it? A glowing orb. Raw code pulsing.
"The Narrative Table," Rion said. "You can overwrite yourself from here."
Mira stepped in.
But her hands shook.
"They love me. Even when I hate the role."
---
She reached out.
Wrote:
`Mira Elen: Status – Undefined.`
The light blinked.
The system paused.
System prompt:
> "Rewriting character. Warning: fan backlash may occur."
She hit ENTER.
---
The school started glitching. Petals reversed. Dialogues collapsed. The Male Lead cried sparkles.
Mira walked back out in boots and a hoodie.
Rion blinked. "That's it?"
She nodded. "No more villainess. No more elegance. Just me."
Yuto high-fived her.
But then…
System flare.
A new banner dropped from the sky:
> **"REBELLIOUS VERSION?! YES PLS!"**
---
(Next: Mira is hunted by the genre's core enforcer—Kael Dravenhart—whose job is to restore "narrative stability." And Mira? She's now an untagged wildcard.)