Chapter 19 - Main Characters Keep Finding Me

After class, Luca found himself standing outside Seraphina’s office, staring blankly at the door.

Aurelia proposed. Lilliane... talked. Now this.

He sighed like a man three decades older than he was, then knocked.

"Come in," her voice called.

He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. "You called for me, Professor."

Seraphina didn’t look up right away. "Hmm, yes. I think you know why."

Luca scratched the back of his neck. "Something to do with yesterday?"

She nodded. "You were the only out-of-syllabus one."

Luca blinked. "Uh... thank you?"

"Don’t misunderstand," she said, sitting back in her chair. "The other four—Aiden, Selena, Kyle, Lilliane—they were incredible. Four phenomena is unprecedented, yes, but if it’s them then at least it is digestible."

She folded her hands.

"You, however..." she sighed. "You were beyond the record books."

She looked at him intently. "Are you aware of your elemental affinities?"

Luca paused.

Oh. So that’s what this is about.

He nodded slowly. "Yes. I know."

After reading Luca’s old journal, I had my suspicions. And honestly, there’s no point in hiding it.

"Time and Space," he said.

Seraphina’s eyes twitched. Even she couldn’t fully hide the shock.

"No matter how many times you hear it," she said softly, "you can’t help but be shaken."

She leaned back, exhaling. "It’s good you know. But... do you know how to use them?"

"I... not really," Luca admitted.

She nodded. "That’s the issue. Time and Space magic can’t be learned through books or scrolls. There are barely any reliable studies."

She narrowed her eyes. "And those sabers. Have you ever wielded dual sabers before?"

"No," Luca said honestly.

And that’s what’s worrying me the most. Nothing like this ever existed in the game. There’s no guide, no walkthrough. I don’t know what path I’m even on anymore.

Seraphina watched his troubled expression, then finally sighed.

"Don’t worry," she said. "We’ll figure something out. For now, stay in the academy. Lay low."

Luca nodded slowly.

They know something. The instructors aren’t just surprised. They’re scared. Five phenomena appearing at once... it has to mean something. These aren’t just coincidences. These are signs. And they’re instructors—they’ve studied patterns, witnessed history, seen the rise and fall of magical tides. They’ve read the records and seen enough omens to know when the world is about to shift. Maybe they’ve spotted it in the stars. Or heard the whispers from the old texts. Maybe a prophecy, a warning, something passed down through generations. They may not have all the answers, but they know what the signs point to. And that silence—that fear of speaking it aloud—is more terrifying than any disaster itself.

"If there’s nothing else," he said, "I’ll take my leave."

Seraphina nodded.

But just as he reached for the door—

"One more thing," she added. "Heads up. Someone will be coming to meet you soon."

After Luca left, Seraphina let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

She sat down at her desk and placed her head in her hands.

He doesn’t know what’s coming yet.

They had barely finished yesterday’s emergency meeting with the instructors and the vice dean when the communication crystal lit up—bearing a direct call from the Imperial Palace.

The sigil that hovered above the crystal wasn’t from a ministry or noble faction.

It was from the Circle of Foretellers.

Not the Imperial Prophet himself—but one of their envoys. A third party.

Gravely voiced. Dressed in ceremonial robes. Face half-covered in silver markings.

The message he delivered made her blood run cold:

"The Imperial Prophet has spoken. The shadow that fell seven thousand years ago... will rise again."

The calamity—

that

calamity—thought to be destroyed by the heroes of that age.

It had taken seven nations, dozens of heroes, and a price the continent still hadn’t fully recovered from.

The records of that era were vague, buried beneath half-truths and myths. The creature—or force—that nearly plunged the world into eternal darkness... had vanished.

Or so they thought.

Why now?

Why here?

Why this generation?

She looked down at her trembling hands.

Not even the Mage Tower had seen signs of this resurgence.

And if the Prophet spoke true—

Then time was short.

They had a golden generation in their hands...

But perhaps, it had come as both a gift—and a warning.

What are we supposed to do this time?

Luca exited the office, rubbing his temple.

Someone’s coming to meet me? Well, whoever it is... it’s got to be the vice dean at most. After today, I’m not even surprised anymore.

He let out a dry sigh, steps echoing through the stone corridor.

But I guess we’re finally moving ahead. The main plot of this world—the real story behind the game: End Realms.

The Otherworldly Dimension. The sealed calamity. The entity the game only ever called "The Devil Emperor."

No one knew his real name. No one knew his full powers. Even in the game, the information was sparse at best.

It was said he had been destroyed 7,000 years ago by the heroes of that age.

But it wasn’t destruction.

It was sealing.

A sacrifice of five great heroes—who gave up not only their power, but their right to reincarnate. Erased from the cycle of life itself to seal something unthinkable.

In the game, there wasn’t much written about them. A few names. Some history. Vague myths.

Even the Devil Emperor only appeared briefly—once in a few cryptic cutscenes, and finally in the last fight.

A final boss that was beautiful, terrifying... and the very definition of a nightmare.

Luca scoffed to himself.

"Three minutes, forty-five seconds. That was my longest run with him. And it ended with a full wipe."

Not in terms of beating him—no one had ever managed that.

Three minutes, forty-five seconds was the longest he’d ever lasted. That was his record.

He wasn’t alone.

Across forums, streams, and dedicated fan sites, the verdict was the same:

The Devil Emperor was unkillable.

Not due to bugs. Not because of unfair mechanics.

He was designed to be that way.

Every attack perfect. Every counter merciless. No blind spots. No cheesing. No patterns you could memorize. Even if you came in with a flawless build, god-tier equipment, and pixel-perfect reflexes... the best you could hope for was survival.

And even that was measured in minutes.

Luca remembered trying every possible method. Special combinations. Alternate timelines. Even the obscure route involving the hidden relic from the fourth temple.

Nothing worked.

It was maddening.

Terrifying.

And as someone obsessed with mastering every aspect of the game, it haunted him.

He had been the kind of player who didn’t just play the game—he lived it.

Hours turned into days. Days into months. He’d built spreadsheets, routed skill trees, datamined hidden files. Watched obscure lore videos at 3 a.m. in search of a single hint.

But every time... the outcome was the same.

You lose.

You die.

You start over.

Only this time...

There was no reset button.

No loading last checkpoint.

No second chance.

Well, anyway... I haven’t decided what I’m going to do yet,

Luca thought, sighing.

First things first—survival.

It’s still four, maybe five years away. People might think I’m running away. That I’m indecisive. But so what? They haven’t lived the life I have. They haven’t played this game like I have. They don’t know what’s coming.

For now, I just want to live. And make damn sure I don’t die prematurely.

I’m not getting involved with the main characters anyway.

He nodded to himself, resolute.

That’s what he thought...

...Until he stepped into his dorm room and saw a white-haired, veiled beauty sitting casually on the windowsill.

Her legs dangled like she had all the time in the world. Moonlight poured in behind her, outlining her pale figure like a painting come to life.

Luca froze mid-step.

He stared at her for a full five seconds.

Then blinked.

Then slowly closed the door behind him like a man trying not to wake a sleeping bear.

He leaned his forehead against the wood and whispered to the universe,

"Is just wanting to live... really such a crime?"