The boy's eyes snapped open. He gasped loudly, his chest rising and falling fast.
"What... what's this?" he whispered.
A confused look spread across his face as he slowly turned his head and looked around.
He was lying in a huge, soft bed. The room looked like something from medieval times. Dark brown wooden walls and furniture gave off a rich, warm feeling.
Above his head hung a large golden chandelier.
Its many candles were unlit, but the gold caught the light coming through the tall, narrow window and sparkled quietly.
His mind felt foggy and heavy, like waking from a very deep sleep. Little by little, memories started coming back, blurry at first, then sharper.
He blinked hard.
"This... this isn't right," he said to himself in a small voice.
"Julius..." the boy mumbled softly.
He slowly pushed himself up from the bed. The confused look on his face started to fade. In its place came a growing feeling of disbelief.
His bare feet touched the cool wooden floor. He stood up carefully, feeling a little dizzy.
Step by step, he walked toward the large mirror on the far wall. The frame was carved with fancy patterns and looked very old.
He stopped right in front of it.
A familiar face stared back at him.
The boy in the mirror had short blonde hair. His eyes were a bright, shining gold. His face was extremely beautiful, with smooth, soft teenage features.
The boy raised a trembling hand and touched his own cheek. The reflection did the same.
He stared harder.
"This... this face... it looks just like me!"
His golden eyes went wide with shock. Pure disbelief filled them. His lips parted, but no more words came out at first.
"Master Julius, you are getting late for the first day at the academy," a calm, familiar voice called from the other side of the heavy wooden door.
The words came out before the boy could even think.
"I will be there, Alfred."
His own voice answered smoothly, clear and confident. It sounded exactly like something this body would say.
The boy's wide golden eyes slowly narrowed. The shock faded away completely. A calm settled over his face, like a puzzle piece clicking into place.
"So... he was right about giving me a chance," he mumbled quietly to himself.
He stroked his smooth chin with slender fingers, thinking hard.
A small, knowing smile tugged at his lips.
"So I reincarnated? Into Rose's world?"
The last thing he remembered was Rose being killed by her lover, the same man who was also one of the main villains, just like her.
He was so devastated that he wanted to kill the author himself. Then a message appeared on his computer screen.
WANT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING? THEN DIE!
And he did exactly that.
"But I never thought I would be reincarnated… and as myself," he muttered.
A strange sense of excitement filled his mind. The face he saw belonged to him from his past life.
This body was known as Julius Augustus Hayes, the main villain of the novel "The Severed Thread," a character inspired by him.
"Master Julius, shall I prepare your uniform?" Alfred's voice echoed once again.
Julius's lips curved into a smile.
"No need," he replied clearly. His voice came out smooth and natural, like it had always been his.
Julius walked to the large wardrobe and opened it himself.
Inside were rows of elegant clothes, silk shirts, tailored jackets, and capes lined with gold embroidery.
At the center hung the academy uniform: a white shirt paired with a long black coat and black pants.
On the chest was the academy badge, a soaring hawk, with the name Royal Arcane Academy written beneath it.
He took it out and began changing.
After buttoning the coat, he smoothed his blond hair and looked at the mirror one last time. Golden eyes stared back at him.
"I didn't have golden eyes before… ah, the All-Seeing Eyes," he murmured as he remembered.
Muttering those words, he opened the door.
An old man in a butler's outfit greeted him.
"Good morning, Master Julius. The carriage is ready."
Julius nodded and stepped out with calm, steady steps.
The hallway was grand, marble floors, tall portraits of his "family," and sunlight pouring through stained glass windows.
He passed through the large wooden gates of the mansion.
This mansion belonged to the Hayes clan, located on the continent of Alaskar. It was reserved for him alone, and only a few servants could be seen around the estate.
Following Alfred, he stepped into the carriage.
It was large and completely black, with maple wood furnishings polished so dark they almost blended into the shadows.
Alfred moved to the driver's seat and asked, "Master Julius, shall we go?"
"Yes," Julius replied with a faint smile.
Everything felt like a dream, being reincarnated as Julius, a character inspired by himself.
At first, he had only wanted to give the villainess a good ending. But seeing her look at another man had stirred jealousy in his heart.
So he forced the author to create a character just like him… except for those golden eyes.
Those eyes were not just for appearance.
They were the All-Seeing Eyes.
They were a cheat. With them, the villain could glimpse the future, and later, even change it to some extent.
That was how he had killed Rose, after being manipulated by the protagonist.
Julius's eyes narrowed, and a cold smile formed on his face.
"You played well," he muttered. "You gave this character everything just to make your protagonist look perfect."
His smile deepened, sharp and cold.
"I'll show you what perfection truly is. The moment you killed my Rose, through a character inspired by me, you crossed a line that cannot be undone."
A flash of cold anger appeared in his eyes.
"I'll make your protagonist's life hell."
The anger slowly faded, replaced by calm resolve.
"But before that…"
He leaned back slightly, his gaze steady.
"I must meet my Rose. She should be at the academy by now, competing for the student council president."
He leaned back against the velvet seat. Outside the window, the scenery slowly changed, the quiet, less populated area turned lively.
People filled the roads, stalls lined the streets, and vendors sold groceries and daily goods.
Julius smiled as he watched them. A strange flutter rose in his chest.
"I wonder how she looks now…"
He tried to remember her description from the novel, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall her face.
Her hair, her figure, her presence, all of it appeared clearly in his mind except one thing.
Her face.
"Haa… still the same," he murmured.
In his past life, he had desperately wanted to see her.
But the novel was never popular enough to receive illustrations. So he tried to draw her himself.
For two years, he learned how to draw and mastered the skill with everything he had.
Yet no matter how many times he tried, he could never draw her face. Only her hair and body appeared on the paper. The face always remained blank.
As these thoughts lingered, the carriage slowed to a stop. The door opened.
Alfred stood outside and bowed slightly.
"Master Julius, we are here."
Julius gave a short nod and stepped out. The moment his feet touched the ground, a massive gate stood before him.
The iron gates were enormous. At the top, bold letters were carved clearly:
ROYAL ARCANE ACADEMY
Beyond the gates rose long, grand buildings made of polished sandstone, shining under the light.
Julius smiled as he looked at the academy.
"The new story of me and my beloved begins here…"
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Don't worry, Rose. This time, not even the gods will take you away from me."
He stepped forward, his smile deepening.
"Wait for me. You will be mine."