The closet at the orphanage was dark, but it didn't scare him anymore. The air was thick with dust, scratching his throat, sticking to his skin, but it didn't matter. Kai had his book. His favorite one. Easy Survival in the Academy. He hugged it close like a lifeline.
How long had he been in here? He didn't know. Time got blurry when all he could see was darkness. At first, he screamed. Pounded his fists against the door, kicked it until his legs ached. He begged the older kids to let him out, swore he'd never bother them again. His throat had gone raw from shouting, his tiny voice cracking and fading until silence was the only thing left.
But they wouldn't leave him here forever… right?
His stomach twisted in tight knots, and his lips cracked from dryness, but at least he had his book. That was enough. It had to be.
He traced the cover with his fingers, worn soft from how many times he'd flipped through the pages. He knew every chapter, every twist. He'd read it so many times it felt like he lived there more than in the orphanage.
Axel Lycan. The one who shined brighter than anyone else. He wasn't a mere star, Axel was the sun. The kind of person who lit up the world, who made everything around him feel alive. Kai wanted to be like that. No, he believed he could. Axel was strong, kind, unstoppable. Kai was just a boy stuffed into a closet and forgotten, but even so… if he stayed optimistic, if he kept dreaming, maybe he could become the sun too.
His tired eyes drifted over the familiar lines, settling on a passage he must've read a hundred times.
The human body can only last three days without water! We're doomed if we can't find a way out!
Three days? That wasn't very long, was it?
They'll open the closet soon. They have to.
Right?
His hands relaxed, the book slipping slightly in his grip as his body gave in to exhaustion. That was his last thought before his eyes slid shut, and the weight of his body softened against the wooden floor.
…
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in the closet. I was Axel Lycan, my favorite character, the hero I always admired. At first, I thought I was dreaming, but the weight of the uniform, the buzz of the academy halls, the cold air on my skin, it was all real. In the corner of Axel's dorm, I found a plain, empty diary. Maybe it was his, maybe it was waiting for me. Either way, I picked up the pen and started writing. I'm so excited to start my new life.
Day 1
I don't know where I am. I woke up, but not in that dusty closet.
When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the shining ceiling of the Dormitory of Heroes. I know this place. I was at Atherion university from Easy Survival in the Academy.
And when I looked in the mirror, I saw him. Axel Lycan. His messy black hair, golden eyes, the signature red scarf around his neck.
I became Axel.
The main character. The sun. The one the whole world revolves around.
I thought I'd cry or scream. but I just smiled. Finally, life was giving me a chance.
Here, I'll shine.
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Day 3
The heroines don't talk to me.
Selene, who should've been my childhood friend, didn't recognize me and won't even look at me. I followed the script perfectly. Mico was supposed to thank me for saving her from a fall today, but instead, she told me to "get out of her way."
Maybe I misread something. Maybe I triggered the wrong flags.
But this is just the beginning. It's not too late.
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Day 10
They avoid me. Not just the heroines, everyone.
The professors, the knights, the other students. They look at me like I'm something that shouldn't exist. I hear them whisper.
"They say he's cursed."
"Don't go near him. He'll drag you down."
"He reeks of poor."
Why? This isn't how it was supposed to go.
Axel Lycan is the main character. He's supposed to be loved.
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Day 30
They attacked me today.
Three students ambushed me after class. No reason. They just said, "You're in the way."
I fought back, but I lost, badly. They left me bleeding on the stone path.
I waited for someone to help me.
No one came.
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Day 50
I've stopped waiting for help.
Even the teachers watch when I get cornered in the halls. They don't stop it. They just let it happen. Sometimes they even seem amused.
I don't understand. Why does this world hate me?
Did I break the plot? Is this punishment?
No. I won't give up. I'll fix this. I'll win them over.
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Day 100
I tried to save Yanin today. She was ambushed by dungeon monsters during training. I risked my life pulling her to safety.
She glared at me and said, "Don't touch me, commoner. I'm not stupid, I know this was your fault!"
No one thanked me. They said I lured the monsters there myself.
I didn't.
But they wouldn't believe me.
I still remember the book. It said the hero's path is paved with hardship. This must be part of that.
I'll endure it.
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Year 1 – Day 200
They broke my sword today.
It wasn't an accident. My group mates snapped it on purpose before our mock dungeon run.
I went in unarmed. I still survived. I dragged myself out of that place half-dead, covered in cuts.
No one cared.
I laughed. It's funny, isn't it? Even when they try to kill me, I survive.
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Year 1 – Day 300
Selene said I disgust her.
I don't know what I expected. I thought maybe, if I just kept helping, kept fighting alongside them, something would change.
But no matter what I do, I'm always the villain in their story.
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Year 2 – Day 30
I stopped speaking to them.
I stopped chasing them.
I stopped offering help.
I wake up. I train. I eat alone. I sleep.
They still attack me sometimes. I don't bother fighting back unless I have to.
I don't need them.
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Year 2 – Day 200
I dropped out of the academy.
No one stopped me. No one cared.
I thought the world would stop spinning if the "main character" left.
It didn't.
It moved on.
Without me.
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Year 3
I've been living on the outskirts of the city, taking odd jobs, clearing low-rank dungeons.
The world still spits on me. Even the guilds mock me.
But I keep training. I push my cheat skills to their breaking point. Swordsmanship, magic, survival; I'll surpass them all.
I don't need the academy. I don't need friends.
Strength is the only thing I need.
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Year 4
I started hunting the monsters no one else dares to face. The ones even A-rankers avoid.
I saw my old classmates and of course they wanted to fight. Maybe they thought I'd still be easy prey.
I crushed them.
I wonder if they were surprised. I didn't bother asking. I just walked away.
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Year ???
I don't feel anything anymore.
Not fear. Not anger. Not happiness.
Even killing feels like a chore.
The final calamity appeared. The one that was supposed to bring the world to ruin unless the heroes, the heroines, the entire class, united to stop it.
But they didn't come.
So, I went alone.
I killed it. Barely.
As I bled out beside its corpse, a message popped up in front of me.
[Mission Failed]
World Collapsed
Romance Difficulty Lowered
Boss Difficulty Increased
Stay on the plot line
The world began to break apart, crumbling beneath me.
I thought I'd feel regret, but I didn't.
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Day 1
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on day one.