"Are you fucking serious?"
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for reading until now. Unfortunately, I can't continue the novel, so this is the end. Hehehe. Goodbye.]
Click.
Click.
Click.
"What the hell?"
A black-haired youth sat frozen in front of his computer, staring at the screen before him.
He hurriedly used the cursor to scroll down, desperate to find the remaining chapters.
Loading...
Loading...
The text came back into place.
Nothing changed.
The words remained the same, still, final, and trolling his emotional investment.
THE END.
"This is it?" Chris whispered, his voice trembling with irritation.
"1,500 chapters of building up this shit, just for you to drop it in the final arc like that?"
Veins popped on his forehead.
His fingers moved across the keyboard, typing vigorously to leave a malicious comment.
The room was dark, brightened only by the white light of the monitor.
"I've invested three years of my life in this shit. Following this story every single day. Give me a proper ending at least!"
He hit POST.
The comment appeared instantly at the bottom of the chapter.
Above it, the comment section was an empty wasteland.
Comments: 1
Chris let out a defeated sigh.
He was the only one.
The sole reader of this ongoing story.
It was one of the few truly good stories in a sea of clichés.
There were no other likes for the chapter, no theories from other fans, no arguments about shipping.
Just him, shouting into the comments, and the author, silently posting chapter after chapter for an audience of one.
Feeling tired, he pushed his chair back and moved to his bed, collapsing to lie down, staring at the ceiling.
His house was small, a single room and a kitchen, but even this space felt too big for him.
There was no noise.
The home lacked the warmth other families had; he was always envious of that.
He always came home alone to an empty room, cooking the dish his mother had taught him, though he could never quite get the taste right.
There was nothing to expect from anyone, and no one expected anything from him.
Only games and novels filled the void. They were his gateway to happiness. Playing as the hero fighting demons, or reading about heroes trying to save their loved ones.
That's how he survived.
Especially with this book, Heroes by the Blood.
It had been serialising for a very long time. He started reading it when his parents were still alive, back when they used to scold him for being on his phone all the time.
Reading the novel reminded him of those happy times.
Now, there was nothing.
He slowly draped his forearm over his eyes, as if blocking out the light could stop the memories from making him sad.
BEEP.
'What?'
The notification sound cut through the silence, jolting Chris awake.
He frowned and looked at the computer.
A red dot had appeared on the app.
Notification: [Author] replied to your comment.
Chris's eyebrows shot up.
Every time he commented, "thank you for the chapter," there was never a reply. But now, the author had said something.
He sat back down in front of the computer.
'Now, let's see what excuse you have for that rushed ending.'
[Author]: Did you enjoy my novel?
Chris's eyes fixed on the message, blinking in confusion.
'What is he on about?' Chris scoffed, typing rapidly. 'Why would I read 1,500 chapters if I didn't enjoy it? Does he think I'm a masochist?'
He typed back:
[Chris]: Yes.
He stared at the screen, waiting. The three dancing dots of the typing indicator appeared almost instantly.
[Author]: What did you enjoy about it?
Chris paused. His hand stopped over the keyboard.
The anger in his chest reduced slightly, replaced by a thoughtful idea. He looked around the room, seeing the emptiness.
Why did he like it?
He liked it because the world didn't revolve around the protagonist. He liked it because people died. Good people. People who deserved better.
He began to type, his movements slower, more deliberate.
[Chris]: High stakes from chapter 1. The MC wasn't a dumbass, but not a psycho either. The girls had actual personalities and goals instead of just swooning over the MC. It felt like the real world.
He paused, then added the critique that had been gnawing at him for the last fifty chapters.
[Chris]: The only thing I dislike is how powerful you've made the Demon Prince in the story. The way he killed the characters... it felt cheap. Like their lives didn't matter.
He hit send.
The silence returned. Outside the window, two people were shouting over a parking spot, their argument echoing through the alley.
Beep.
The reply came faster this time.
[Author]: Easy?
[Author]: Do you think it was easy?
[Author]: Do you think you could have done differently?
'Chill, man,' Chris muttered, realising the replies were more aggressive than he expected.
"Could I have done it differently?"
He was a reader. Someone who had the God's-eye view.
Of course, he could see the paths not taken. He could see the traps before they were sprung, their weaknesses and their power.
A strange arrogance swelled in his chest.
He typed the reply. A single word that would seal his fate.
[Chris]: Maybe.
Sending it quickly made him feel a pang of guilt. 'Hmm. Was I rude?'
Suddenly, the computer screen flickered, making the images glitch and tear.
"Great. Computer's dying too?"
But the computer wasn't dying. The screen brightened, increasing in clarity until it was painful to look at. The text dissolved, the comment section melting away into a pool of blinding white light.
Then, new words typed themselves out, letter by letter, in a font that looked like dripping blood.
[Author]: Then show me.
[Author]: Prove that you could keep him under control.
"What the..."
Chris tried to drop the mouse, but his fingers wouldn't obey. It was as if the device was fused to his skin.
Suddenly, Chris felt like he was falling into an endless well. His body lurched forward, dragging him toward an unknown destination.
Darkness rushed in from the edges of his vision, swallowing the room, the bed, and finally, him.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
[ANALYZING HOST BODY]
[SYSTEM ERROR!!]
[EXISTING FORCES CAUSING DAMAGE]
[YOUR BODY IS BEING MERGED WITH ANOTHER SOUL]
[MERGE SUCCESSFUL]
[READER, WELCOME TO HEROES BY THE BLOOD]